Eberron Adventure - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Eberron Adventure

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tibalt
Jul 25, 2009 19:04:33 Im crafting an adventure for my upcomming game. It's to be in Karrnath and the party will be approached by a noble who says his son whom he sent to Rikkenmark never arrived. The quest will be to find him and bring him back safely to Korth. Now I know a few of the particulars of the plot but Ive got some big holes still that I'd like some help with.

First off the abductor will be someone seeking revenge on the noble for the death of his son/husband/friend, not sure yet, during the Last War which the noble caused. Ive yet to decide what they ultimately plan on doing to the son. I need to develop a good villian here cause even though I want the npc's motive to be just he's still gotta be someone the players dont mind killing in the end.

Secondly I'd like to introduce a sub-plot where another enemy of the noble has heard of the abduction of the son and approaches the players and says he'll pay well if they hand him over to them once they've got him. This way the players have a moral decision to make.

With either group I'd like to keep the Emerald Claw out of the picture for now so I can use them lather in the Campaign.

Finally in the course of the investigation I'd like them to cross paths(and swords) with House Deneith bodyguards. The noble hired them to protect his son on his journey to Rikkenmark but it seems they "lost" their charge along the way. In further adventures the House will become a major antagonist as they try to expand their influence and institute themselves as the new rulers of the five kingdoms, obviously breaking their vow's of neutrality.

So I'll need a good link between them and the abductor as to why they would willingly break their vow to protect the noble's son and how they benefit.

Any thoughts?
#2
Nived
Jul 25, 2009 19:23:26 So what I'm getting here is you want your antagonist to be a well meaning extremist whose crossed the moral event horrizon.

So lets say its someone from Aundair who the Karrnathi Warlord wronged (heck lets just say he want full out and commited a war crime against). The Aundairian's desire for revenge is understandable, but you want him to be someone the heroes ultimately don't feel bad for killing.

So how about this. The Aundairan was one of the Knights Arcane, durring a Karrnathi incurssion into Aundair his unit battled with your Karrnathi Warlord. Our soon to be antagonist was captured and tortured for information. When he wouldn't talk, your Karrnathi noble cut out his tongue.

Beaten and near death he was left for dead... oh lets say in the Grey Woods. He was later found by a company of Denieth Mercenaries then under the employ of the Aundairian crown. He was deleriosu and ranting... yes ranting even without a tongue, he's aundairian after all, a Knight Arcane... he knows Ghost Sound.

Theres your connection t House D, the body guards could have been former Blademarks who found him and are symapathetic to his desire for revenge after all they "saw what that bastard did to him."

As for crossing the moral event horrizon himself... well lets say that our tonguless knight has shall we say not recovered well. He snapped, having seen the brutality of war the 'true face of war' he's thrown away whatever religious upbringing he had and devoted himself to the Mockery.

He wants to 'repay' your Karrnathi noble for showing him the truth of war in kind, by first taking everything he ever loved, then flaying him alive. Which could be understandable if the first part didn't involve kidnapping and butchering an innocent boy.

The best part of using someone like this is that the other Karrnathi Noble could come off sounding like a concerned third party that wouldn't just like to get a leg up on a rival but would like so save the youth from his own monster of a father. Not that their intentions are pure, but that's what the insight skill is for.
#3
tibalt
Jul 25, 2009 20:33:54 Thanks for the quick reply and the awesome ideas! Thats just what I was looking for!

I want to keep the party in Karrnath for the first few adventures so I'll have to find a reasonable place where the villian plans to dispatch the boy. Perhaps in or around the Karrnwood. Also need to figure out who he has working for him cause they obviously cant just fight him and the Deneith the whole time. Some more Knights Arcane buddies makes sense but since he's so unhinged maybe he's recruited some Kobold or Goblin mercenaries?

Then I have to decide how the Deneith bodyguards made the switch to the villian. Was he handed off in Korth or delivered after they left the lightning rail?
#4
Nived
Jul 25, 2009 21:02:53 I'd be apt to give the Knight Arcane some followers of his religion. Worshipers of the Mockery with a thirst for bloody vengence against Karrnath. Use normal statistics for humans, dwarves and what have you, but describe them as having an arm amputated, missing an eye, horribly scarred. These are vetrens that do not accept that the Last War is over.

Perhaps throw in own or two 'monks' of the Flayed Hand (a monastic order dedicated to The Mockery).

As for where, someplace scarred by the war, a very small town that has been abndoned for a few decades ever since the Thranish offensive of 978yk (completely pulling this out of thin air so don't go looking for it in forge of war or something) razed that part of Karrnath. That would be an apporpriate spot for lunitics like this to set up shop.

Where they make the handoff, depends on how you want your PCs to get their lead.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tibalt Jul 25, 2009 19:04:33	Im crafting an adventure for my upcomming game. It's to be in Karrnath and the party will be approached by a noble who says his son whom he sent to Rikkenmark never arrived. The quest will be to find him and bring him back safely to Korth. Now I know a few of the particulars of the plot but Ive got some big holes still that I'd like some help with. First off the abductor will be someone seeking revenge on the noble for the death of his son/husband/friend, not sure yet, during the Last War which the noble caused. Ive yet to decide what they ultimately plan on doing to the son. I need to develop a good villian here cause even though I want the npc's motive to be just he's still gotta be someone the players dont mind killing in the end. Secondly I'd like to introduce a sub-plot where another enemy of the noble has heard of the abduction of the son and approaches the players and says he'll pay well if they hand him over to them once they've got him. This way the players have a moral decision to make. With either group I'd like to keep the Emerald Claw out of the picture for now so I can use them lather in the Campaign. Finally in the course of the investigation I'd like them to cross paths(and swords) with House Deneith bodyguards. The noble hired them to protect his son on his journey to Rikkenmark but it seems they "lost" their charge along the way. In further adventures the House will become a major antagonist as they try to expand their influence and institute themselves as the new rulers of the five kingdoms, obviously breaking their vow's of neutrality. So I'll need a good link between them and the abductor as to why they would willingly break their vow to protect the noble's son and how they benefit. Any thoughts?
#2 Nived Jul 25, 2009 19:23:26	So what I'm getting here is you want your antagonist to be a well meaning extremist whose crossed the moral event horrizon. So lets say its someone from Aundair who the Karrnathi Warlord wronged (heck lets just say he want full out and commited a war crime against). The Aundairian's desire for revenge is understandable, but you want him to be someone the heroes ultimately don't feel bad for killing. So how about this. The Aundairan was one of the Knights Arcane, durring a Karrnathi incurssion into Aundair his unit battled with your Karrnathi Warlord. Our soon to be antagonist was captured and tortured for information. When he wouldn't talk, your Karrnathi noble cut out his tongue. Beaten and near death he was left for dead... oh lets say in the Grey Woods. He was later found by a company of Denieth Mercenaries then under the employ of the Aundairian crown. He was deleriosu and ranting... yes ranting even without a tongue, he's aundairian after all, a Knight Arcane... he knows Ghost Sound. Theres your connection t House D, the body guards could have been former Blademarks who found him and are symapathetic to his desire for revenge after all they "saw what that bastard did to him." As for crossing the moral event horrizon himself... well lets say that our tonguless knight has shall we say not recovered well. He snapped, having seen the brutality of war the 'true face of war' he's thrown away whatever religious upbringing he had and devoted himself to the Mockery. He wants to 'repay' your Karrnathi noble for showing him the truth of war in kind, by first taking everything he ever loved, then flaying him alive. Which could be understandable if the first part didn't involve kidnapping and butchering an innocent boy. The best part of using someone like this is that the other Karrnathi Noble could come off sounding like a concerned third party that wouldn't just like to get a leg up on a rival but would like so save the youth from his own monster of a father. Not that their intentions are pure, but that's what the insight skill is for.
#3 tibalt Jul 25, 2009 20:33:54	Thanks for the quick reply and the awesome ideas! Thats just what I was looking for! I want to keep the party in Karrnath for the first few adventures so I'll have to find a reasonable place where the villian plans to dispatch the boy. Perhaps in or around the Karrnwood. Also need to figure out who he has working for him cause they obviously cant just fight him and the Deneith the whole time. Some more Knights Arcane buddies makes sense but since he's so unhinged maybe he's recruited some Kobold or Goblin mercenaries? Then I have to decide how the Deneith bodyguards made the switch to the villian. Was he handed off in Korth or delivered after they left the lightning rail?
#4 Nived Jul 25, 2009 21:02:53	I'd be apt to give the Knight Arcane some followers of his religion. Worshipers of the Mockery with a thirst for bloody vengence against Karrnath. Use normal statistics for humans, dwarves and what have you, but describe them as having an arm amputated, missing an eye, horribly scarred. These are vetrens that do not accept that the Last War is over. Perhaps throw in own or two 'monks' of the Flayed Hand (a monastic order dedicated to The Mockery). As for where, someplace scarred by the war, a very small town that has been abndoned for a few decades ever since the Thranish offensive of 978yk (completely pulling this out of thin air so don't go looking for it in forge of war or something) razed that part of Karrnath. That would be an apporpriate spot for lunitics like this to set up shop. Where they make the handoff, depends on how you want your PCs to get their lead.