In my Eberron campaign, the Mark of Death has been preserved in a khyber dragonshard called Black 13. The PC's are about to recover it (steps ahead of the Emerald Claw and the Lords of Dust) but you know what? I have no idea who they could turn it over to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.
The Deathless Court and the dragons seem out, as they put it where the PC's are taking it from. The Dragonmarked Houses seem super-out, as Cannith already had it for a while and got up to some terrible mischief.
The Gatekeepers? It's not really a far realms threat. Perhaps Mohrgrave University, where it is studied by 'top men?'
Fun, but doesn't seem very safe. I'd like it to end up somewhere where the Emerals Claw/ Lords of Dust would have trouble getting at it. Any ideas?
--G
or hide in Droaam, get the favor of the daughters of Sora Kell or maybe seek Mordain the Fleshweaver aid.
Actually, there was a setting where a pseudo-Roman senate got sorcerous powers....Seventh Sea. Ony problem was they advanced the metaplot on a yearly basis. Aggrivating as hell.
Incorporate the Vryloka as an emerging bloodline of descendants of Vol. Done.
Honestly, they seem the best fit, or perhaps reflavor the Deathless Court as such.
I honestly think the Lesh Haruuk would be the best and most trustworthy candidate for the Mark of Death.
I say let it fall into the PCs' hands, and you've basically got your next tier-worth of adventure written. They can try to find a third party for safekeeping if they really want to, but they can't actually trust anyone with it because everybody else has some ulterior motive or another that would greatly benefit from having the legendary lost mark.
And if you do turn it over to someone, what's to stop them from killing you in order to silence all the witnesses to their possession of it?
There is no safe place for it. The safest place for it is with a small, dedicated group who aren't greedy or ambitious enough to use it themselves, who are powerful enough to protect it, and who can stay on the move so it's hard to track down.
In other words, it's safest with the PCs, if you consider "every ancient conspiracy in Eberron wants what you have and will kill you and everyone you know to get it" to be safe.
In other words, it's safest with the PCs, if you consider "every ancient conspiracy in Eberron wants what you have and will kill you and everyone you know to get it" to be safe.
*cackle*
No, that's fun.
Er. I mean. Yes, of course.
The problem is, of course, if the Item Of Power is a single person in the party. Then the game revolves around them, and the other players may not be fans.
In other words, it's safest with the PCs, if you consider "every ancient conspiracy in Eberron wants what you have and will kill you and everyone you know to get it" to be safe.
sounds like a regular Vault, don't it?
seriously, that doesn't exactly sound safe. XD they are an easy enough target for everyone, and any day coul dbe their last. maybe the safest thing to do is to just destroy it again.
The problem is, of course, if the Item Of Power is a single person in the party. Then the game revolves around them, and the other players may not be fans.
This one sounds like it's in a rock at the moment. Harder to be a showstealer, easier to lose or have stolen.
seriously, that doesn't exactly sound safe. XD they are an easy enough target for everyone, and any day coul dbe their last. maybe the safest thing to do is to just destroy it again.
Or, you play all of the different sides against each other in order to buy yourselves the time and latitude needed to escape and evade. I had a group do this once with a similar artifact that found its way to their hands (the Xulo Pattern from the Shadows/Whispers/Grasp modules), and it was glorious. At one point they had the Lord of Blades, Canniths West and South, the Emerald Claw, House Phiarlan, the Trust, Arcanix, Morgrave University and the Eyes of Chronepsis all tangled up with each other, each thinking the PCs were being protected by another group, meanwhile the party was slipping quietly out the proverbial back.
*m4ki chuckles* Ah, I miss that group.
I had something similar happen, whereby Lady Vol's personal Mark of Death was flung from her body during her death and lichification and became part of one of her surviving descendents.
You can trust the Trust ;)
or hide in Droaam, get the favor of the daughters of Sora Kell or maybe seek Mordain the Fleshweaver aid.
SPOILERS FOR THE THORN OF BRELAND BOOKS
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You've been warned.
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Oh, this'll go over well. Have you read the Thorn of Breland books? Specifically, The Queen of Stone? After what happened in that book, no one is trusting the Daughters of Sora Kell for quite a while. Despite the fact that the Daughters claim no involment in the events, and the consequent death of several delegates who were there to negotiate terms of Droaam signing the Treaty of Thronehold.