Any ideas? It seems to me that Vecna dovetails into the Shadow, but with the Eberron dieties more 'vague' than other campaign settings it seems to me that Vecna probably would be best as something other than a god.
I think I've seen one place that suggested Vecna be the first humanoid lich.
The 3.5 Hand of Vecna was sort of remade in the Player's Guide to Eberron as a Blood of Vol artifact. Actually, just making them the Eye & Hand of Vol wouldn't be too big of a stretch...
Except for Vol has both of those still on her body.
Thing to remember about the Blood of Vol is that Vol isn't the goddess of it. She's (in 3.5) is just a half dragon lich wizard 16, that controls a religious practice that predates her.
The bloodrites of The Blood of Vol were practiced by House Vol and trace their origins back (though no one really knows this beyond Vol herself) to Xen'drik, and the terrible blood rites and magic the Giants used to sunder Dol Quor from its planar orbit. This is the necromancy that was stolen from the Giants that let the elves gain their freedom, there are legends that bespeak of the first elven vampires still entombed somewhere in that lost continent.
Because of this there are a few things you could do with Vecna... instead of a god he could just be an extremely powerful lich that is beholden to Vol, predates Vol, or doesn't even need to be tied to Vol at all.
Perhaps the 'first lich' was dedicated to The Shadow (Eberron's God of Dark Magic and Secrets) this first lich by the name of Vecna, a powerful wizard stole the secrets of undeath from The Keeper ( God of Undeath), to become the first lich. The knowledge stolen by Vecna, given unto The Shadow has allowed for more wizards to learn the unholy rites to become a lich (including Vol's mother to save her child from the destruction of House Vol), but for stealing those secrets from The Keeper Vecna was cursed, and destroyed... but not completely. The Hand and the Eye escaped, letting Vecna live on.
Or so the Legend goes, who knows there is no proof the Gods are even real, but that's the legend anyway.
Except for Vol has both of those still on her body.
Now, where on earth does it say that? :P
That was the Nightclaw and was more like a Hand of Glory.
Doh, you're right. Ah well.
Thing to remember about the Blood of Vol is that Vol isn't the goddess of it. She's (in 3.5) is just a half dragon lich wizard 16, that controls a religious practice that predates her.
True, she isn't a goddess. However, she is a rather special lich; I could see her magically altering her own body pieces for intelligence collection or to empower her favored agents.
Except for Vol has both of those still on her body.
Well, they don't necessarily need to be Erandis's eye and hand. They could have been left by some ancient ancestor: The founder of the house, The first to Elf To manifest the Mar of Death...
Personally I like it better as Leftovers from the first lich. I can't really see a good reason to make the connection besides the "hey! He was a lich and she's a lich!" thing. It can be one of those children's tales that end up being true- About the old wizard in the ancient homeland (Sarlona) who sold his soul to a demon bound within the earth; And then, after the demon betrayed him the only things left of him were his eye, his hand, and his children eating spirit:P .
A lot of the Deities have been turned into Eberron Rajahs (like Tiamat and Orcus), perhaps it's a rajah's hand now.
I can see a player discussion now.
"We got the hand of the rajah, Vecna!"
"Yeah! Wait.. is it his right hand, or left?"
"What do you mean? Look at it. Right hand."
"Yeah... but aren't their hands backwards?"
"So?"
"So wouldn't that make it his left hand?"
"No, because they're just backwards, not opposite."
"You sure?"
"..."
"..."
I have to say, the suggestions from Nived sound pretty good.
The way I see it Some were deep in an forest on the elf's island lies a large villia, surerounded by spell of the Undying court locking away the powers of Vecna d' Vol The first Lich and the true head of the house, they have to keep him locked away because the have yet to find items that keep him alive (his Hand and eye,) so they keep him in a state of sleep (they cann't kill him other wise he goes to his hand or eye and escapes) fear the day he will wake up.
Each time a person is abosrbed by the hand or eye, he gains more power, so he can break free. He knows nothing of current state of his family but if he is freed he would join forces with the younger Vol.
I just see this picture of a younger Vol (I see as a 14 or 15 year old) getting grounded by Great-granpa Vecna
We're merely proposing ideas that will allow you to use the name, artifiacts, statistics, and general flavor in Eberron, this requires change.
Thing to remember about the Blood of Vol is that Vol isn't the goddess of it.
Hell, way I run it, most of the Blood doesn't even know that Erandis exists in the first place. She's a shadow mastermind, she works from secret, hidden places. Only the upper levels of the blood know she exists, and only a select few of them know who and what she really is.
Remember, both the elves and the Dragons want to make sure that the line of Vol is gone. If it were common knowledge to the Blood that there was a half elf/half dragon lich in it's ranks, I would think the elves and the dragons both would be looking into it. Erandis is smart, and she's survived for millenia. She's not stupid enough to go and tell people she's running a major religion. She's supposed to be long dead, remember.
I think it would be much better to leave "Vecna" (whether or not you use the name) separate from both the line of Vol and the modern religion. Certainly, the Blood of Vol and/or Erandis herself would be interested in the artifacts, but it just seems cooler if the objects themselves date back to Xen'drik directly, or to a legendary wizard of Sarlona, or whatever.
It all comes to a head in the Demon Wastes when the guardain orc tribes, the Church of the Silver Flame, the two factions of the Blood and whoever else wants the power for themselfs or wants to stop Vecna clash in a epic battle as the PCs break through the lines and confront the lich.
They battle his vampire lieutenant and in the final battle with Vecna the ritual is disrupted and he is torn apart in a terrible arcane vortex. Part of his head and his left hand are all that remain. In the confusion of the battle outside someone makes off with his hand and eye.
Any one of the half dozen factions could have the artifacts.
EDIT: Ooo! In this last battle the PCs might even see what appears to be a young girl from the distance raining fire down on the amassed armies. They might even get a close view of the dead girl and recognize that she has dragon like features. No one ever calls her Vol, but this might be the first time the PCs see the real BBG.
Certainly, the Blood of Vol and/or Erandis herself would be interested in the artifacts, but it just seems cooler if the objects themselves date back to Xen'drik directly, or to a legendary wizard of Sarlona, or whatever.
Certainly. I like Vecna as one of the dark lords of Ohr Kaluun, whose remains may be hidden deep within his war labyrinth. The PCs learn that Erandis has sent a team of EC agents to retreive it - can they get their first, and can both avoid the sentry forces of the Inspired? And will all three forces be in force an unpleasant surprise at the hands of the Heirs of Ohr Kaluun - one of whom has already acquired Vecna's eye? Personally, I think it's a great way to have a Sarlonan adventure that focuses on human history, not on the Inspired or kalashtar.
I wouldn't ever even utter the name Vecna as a DM. I'd describe the eye and the hand but no one but Vecna himself or someone with sufficiently powerful magic/divination would ever have the ability to connect the artifacts with the name.
I do like the Ohr Kaluun idea, though. It gives the continent a bit more non-Inspired history, which is always a good thing.