10-chapter-4-building-eberron-adventures

Chapter 4: Building Eberron Adventures

Source: Eberron: Rising from the Last War, p. 183

Get your own Eberron adventures up and running using the inspiration in this chapter. Eberron is filled with political intrigue, extraplanar threats, magical mysteries, and back-alley detective work—all in the context of a world emerging from the turmoil of war.

The tables and advice in this chapter expand on the material in “chapter 3” of the “Dungeon Master’s Guide”. Think of this chapter as an extensive library of ideas—villainous schemes, interesting locations, adventure hooks, encounters, and more—to help you flesh out an adventure you create for your Eberron campaign.

This chapter begins with a look at three key themes that pervade many Eberron adventures: recurring villains, action, and intrigue. Following that overview is an in-depth look at various organizations and other elements you can use to drive the adventures you create. Such elements include maps of locations that can serve as thrilling set pieces; information on the planes of existence, elemental-powered airships, and the lightning rail; and an introductory adventure set in Sharn.

Specific monsters and nonplayer characters (NPCs) mentioned in this chapter can be found either in the “Monster Manual” or in “chapter 6” of this book. When a creature’s name appears in bold type, that’s a visual cue pointing you to the creature’s stat block in the “Monster Manual” or in chapter 6. If the stat block appears in chapter 6, the text tells you so.

Adventure Themes

A group of adventurers leaves the dark, rainy city, putting its mean streets behind them. They board a flame-ringed airship for a journey across the continent, but they’re attacked by wyvern-riding bandits on the way and must fight for their lives as the airship hurtles toward the ground!

After surviving the crash through a combination of quick thinking and heroic effort, they find themselves stranded in the gray mists of the Mournland, facing the dangers of a war-ravaged land as they try to find their way back to their original destination. The greatest horrors they are about to face might be the ones that lurk in the depths of their own hearts.

As discussed in the introduction to this book, pulp adventure and noir intrigue are two major themes that interlace in Eberron. Weaving these themes together, or exploring either one in isolation, can give Eberron stories a unique feel. Adventures that take advantage of those themes help to reinforce a sense of place, immersing the players (and you) in a world that is still reeling from the effects of a hundred years of war, that is shaped by modern ideas and aesthetics, and that is set apart from the rest of the D&D multiverse by a magical barrier.

This section is an introduction to those themes, designed to help you tell stories that fit well in Eberron. It explores techniques for making compelling recurring villains, and for keeping the action moving over the course of an adventure. It discusses how to use the Last War as a theme and a setting for adventures, and details the Mournland as an adventure location. It goes on to describe adventures and encounters that can occur in transit—on airships, on lightning rails, and at resting spots along the way. Finally, this section discusses the role that creatures typically defined as “monsters” play in Khorvaire, and explores Eberron’s cosmology.

Recurring Villains

The most effective villains are the ones that return, over and over, to plague their heroic nemeses. When the heroes foil the schemes of an evil mastermind, the clever villain escapes to fight another day. A well-developed recurring villain can put a face to the sinister conspiracies that lurk in the darkness and thus strengthen the players’ sense of immersion in the world.

You can make a recurring villain in your campaign more intriguing by introducing moral ambiguity into the villain’s background, possibly through references to the individual’s experiences during the Last War.

Write of Passage—Back from the dead?

It was too good to be true.

A year ago, the nefarious Alais ir’Rannan was presumed dead when she fell from an airship into the middle of Lake Galifar. Her scheme to bring the towers of Arcanix to the ground likewise seemed ended.

But yesterday, according to eyewitness reports, ir’Rannan was seen in the common room of Passage’s own King’s Star Inn, talking with two other unsavory-looking characters who could not be identified.

How to Keep Villains Alive

The first task in crafting a good recurring villain is ensuring that the villain survives a first encounter with the adventurers in order to come back and plague them again. What follows are some tactics to make sure that even the most resourceful characters can’t dispose of your villain at the first possible opportunity.

Have Lackeys Do the Work. A villain can easily postpone that first face-to-face confrontation with the adventurers by having lackeys soften the party up, all the while making sure that the adventurers know whom they work for—thus enhancing the villain’s reputation.

Use All Available Resources. A smart villain, especially one with access to magic, can put a lot of obstacles in the way of an adventuring party. Mechanical and magical traps, wards against divination, and protective magic items are just a few of the security measures available to a resourceful villain. Keep in mind that reports from surviving lackeys—and news about the adventurers from other sources—can give the villain enough information about the party’s capabilities to prepare appropriate countermeasures.

Have an Escape Plan. Secret passages, spells of invisibility or teleportation, flying mounts, and throngs of minions can help a villain escape when a confrontation with the adventurers goes badly. Any villain likely has at least one fallback plan.

Take Hostages. Most adventurers wouldn’t be willing to attack the villain if they fear that the villains’ lackeys are about to slaughter innocent captives the moment they draw their swords.

Returning from Death. Of course, death is not a final fate for player characters, and it doesn’t need to be for villains either. After the adventurers kill their nemesis, they might next encounter the villain raised from the dead or as an undead. It’s conceivable that dying could make a villain more powerful and more angry at the meddling adventurers. Alternatively, the characters might assume a villain is dead—after falling over a waterfall, being trapped in a burning building, or getting swallowed by a purple worm—only to discover later that the villain survived and is hungry for revenge.

Improving Villains

Adventurers get more powerful over time, so if a villain is going to remain a relevant threat, the villain needs to get more powerful as well. There are three ways you can approach this issue:

Mechanical Improvement. Use the guidelines in “chapter 9” of the “Dungeon Master’s Guide” to add class levels or Hit Dice to the villain and improve its challenge rating to make it relevant to the higher-level characters.

NPC Stat Blocks. Some of the stat blocks in the “Monster Manual” can reflect the same character at different stages of advancement. For example, the adventurers might confront a villain who uses the stat block of a mage (9th-level wizard) and then returns later as an archmage (18th-level wizard). You could also use stat blocks in other sources to add to the sequence, so the characters could even meet this aspiring villain as an apprentice wizard and later as an evoker (both in “Volo’s Guide to Monsters”).

Organizations as Villains. Rather than use an individual as a recurring villain, you could think in terms of the organization the villain belongs to or represents. For example, low-level adventurers might fight low-level agents of the Order of the Emerald Claw and grow to loathe the sight of their claw-shaped symbol and green cloaks. As they attain higher levels, the characters will face increasingly more powerful members of the order.

Shades of Evil

Moral ambiguity is a feature of the noir genre that can add richness and complexity to an Eberron adventure. In a world where a red dragon isn’t necessarily evil (and a bronze one isn’t necessarily good), it’s impossible to know who you can trust, and even the actions of a so-called villain might not fit neatly into clear-cut definitions of good and evil. Even adventure villains are more often driven by human motives than by cosmic concepts of good and evil. People sometimes do evil things for good reasons.

Exercise some caution when exploring these noir themes in the stories you develop. It can be fun for some people to wrestle with moral quandaries in adventures, but it doesn’t work for all play groups. In particular, if there’s no good solution to the quandary—if the characters have no choice but to follow a course of action they abhor—some players might end up unhappy.

The Morally Ambiguous Villains table offers some twists you can add to the villains in this chapter, giving them more or less good reasons to perform their evil deeds.

The Villain You Know

Not every villain is a mastermind who schemes in the shadows or a world-destroying horror. Sometimes the most significant villain is someone the characters see every day—someone who moves around society in plain sight but keeps their evil deeds well hidden. The law enforcers and adventurers who are trying to bring the villain to justice are thwarted at every turn, unable to find proof of the villain’s crimes. If the players come to loathe the villain, everything is going according to plan.

Use the Villain You Know table to add some depth and detail to the actions and motivations of a villain who plagues the characters on a regular basis.

The Mysterious Villain

In contrast to a villain who is a part of the characters’ everyday life, an otherworldly villain isn’t only anonymous but also fundamentally mysterious. It’s not just a question of who the villain is, but also of what the villain is, and what extraordinary measures might be required to put a stop to their villainy. Even after the adventurers discover that their long-term nemesis is one of the Inspired, for example, they still need to learn the secrets of the Inspired and their quori masters in order to figure out how to deal with this threat.

Sometimes the mystery is enough to make such a villain compelling, with curiosity driving the adventurers to delve ever deeper into their foe’s secrets. When the time is right, you can turn a mysterious villain into an unnervingly familiar villain—as a quori spirit takes delight in speaking through the mouths of multiple different Inspired hosts, taunting the adventurers for their inability to reach the spirit itself. Then resentment combines with curiosity to drive the adventurers to further exploration. When characters dig deeply into the mysteries of the world, your campaign benefits as they become more immersed in and attached to the setting.

Ultimate Evil

Some mysterious villains wield enough power to threaten the entire world through colossal strength, mastery of magic, dizzying intellect, or overwhelming charisma (or often some combination of these factors). These villains typically lurk in the shadows, pulling the strings of minions and partners while rarely making an appearance themselves. These villains are especially hard to get rid of, even if they are banished or imprisoned—their magic and their network of servants ensure that their reach extends far beyond their physical presence.

Driving Forces

Most villains in this category are numbered among the driving forces described later in this chapter. You can use the Villain You Don’t Understand table to choose one of these forces, then consult the adventure seeds and villain ideas in the appropriate section.

Action!

Adventures in the pulp tradition tend to start with a bang and proceed at a breakneck pace, reaching a climax in pulse-pounding encounters aboard high-speed vehicles and grand melees in dramatic locations. Action doesn’t have to mean combat, but ensuring that the world is in constant motion around the player characters is a good way to keep their interest high.

Kicking Off the Action

When you begin an adventure with a bang, you catch the characters up in the action right away, grabbing their interest and sending them off on a wild ride. The Story Kickoff table offers some action-packed ways to get things moving.

Keeping the Action Going

“When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.” Author Raymond Chandler offered this advice to writers of hard-boiled fiction, but the advice applies just as well to an action-driven adventure. Whenever the pace of the story lags, a new injection of excitement keeps things moving.

A new arrival on the scene might be an integral part of the plot or an independent event. The New Development table presents some ideas.

Intrigue

Stories in the noir tradition tend to start slowly and build gradually as the mystery gets deeper and more convoluted, until the situation erupts in a climactic confrontation. In contrast to the pulse-pounding action of a pulp adventure, noir typically relies on intrigue—in every sense of the word—to keep the protagonists engaged as they move deeper into the story.

Setting the Stage

Putting a mystery in front of the characters at the very start of the adventure sets the tone for what’s ahead and draws them in to the story. The Story Opening table offers some ways to draw the characters into the mystery.

The Plot Thickens

A key point in most intrigue adventures is a significant plot twist. As you plan the trail of clues, events, and interactions, consider a point where you can shake things up with a twist like the ones shown on The Plot Thickens table.

The Aurum

On the surface, the Aurum appears to be an exclusive society for the richest and most influential people of Khorvaire. Merchants, priests, military officers, and other luminaries gather for grand galas and salons. Beneath this gilded veneer, the members of the Aurum use their shared wealth and power to pursue their selfish goals, and a secret cabal at the heart of this fraternity dreams of global domination.

The Aurum is divided into four suborders called Concords—copper, silver, gold, and platinum, in order of ascendance. Higher rank provides a member with improved access to the resources of the Aurum and a greater voice in society meetings. The Aurum isn’t a secret society, and its meeting halls can be found in most major cities. Many powerful people openly wear the eight rings—one on each finger, with the metal indicating the rank of the wearer—that label them as Aurum members. The Aurum frequently engages in acts of philanthropy, and thus some members might be celebrated by their local communities.

When members gather, they discuss shared interests, especially in history and archaeology. Aurum members often take an interest in a particular civilization or era of history; one Concordian collects relics of the Cul’sir giants of Xen’drik, while another pursues artifacts of the dragons of Argonnessen. One of the most common ways in which adventurers cross paths with the Aurum is through these collectors. Members of the Aurum often fund expeditions to exotic lands or newly discovered ruins, interested in expanding their private hoards. Occasionally a Concordian tries to acquire prized relics through less honorable means; adventurers could be employed to acquire an exotic prize from a rival through any means necessary, legal or otherwise.

All of these activities are entirely legitimate. The Aurum is a society for wealthy scholars and philanthropists. But there is a secret order that ranks higher than the Platinum Concord—an inner circle known as the Shadow Cabinet. The members of this cabal are nobles but not kings; they are powerful industrialists, but not dragonmarked barons. They are determined to become the true rulers of Khorvaire, whether by binding the current barons and monarchs to their will or by tearing down the current systems and creating something new.

In stories driven by action, the Aurum can fund expeditions to exotic lands and use magical doomsday devices to hold cities for ransom. In adventures driven by intrigue, the Aurum provides an opportunity to explore the lure of gold, and how far the characters might go in the service of an amoral patron.

The Aurum and the War

The Last War gave birth to the Shadow Cabinet. The war ignited the passions of Concordians who blamed the monarchs of the Five Nations for the vast devastation and loss. It also created opportunities that never existed under the united Galifar. Many of the members of the Aurum gained influence by bankrolling one or more war efforts, or by stepping in to maintain the infrastructure while the government directed its attention to military matters. The Aurum also includes a number of powerful military officers and warlords. Some despise the nobles that drove them to war; others are furious that the war ended without a decisive victory. Either way, these can provide the Shadow Cabinet with unexpected military power.

Now, amid the war’s cooling ashes, the Aurum’s power is fragmented. On several occasions, investments and gambles that paid dividends in money and power to one Concordian sapped the fortune of another, because each was unknowingly working against the other’s interests. Huge collections of art, historical artifacts, and precious tomes were destroyed or lost during the war, and the Aurum’s leaders salivate at the thought of recovering some of those riches.

Aurum NPCs

Aurum Concordians are defined by their wealth and power. When you create an Aurum NPC, consider the source of that person’s wealth and how it is expressed. The dwarf Antus ir’Soldorak is chancellor of the Platinum Concord and founder of the Shadow Cabinet. He owns vast gold and silver mines in the Mror Holds and mints his own currency, and he travels in a gilded airship. Loyal Daison is a Karrnathi slumlord who has made a fortune providing low-rent (and low-quality) housing for refugees. He lost his hand in an industrial accident and had it replaced with a golden prosthetic.

Members of the Aurum become villains if their quest for greater influence, personal power, and wealth victimizes the innocent. Whether villains or allies, all Concordians wield significant political influence. They have access to minions and resources in the higher levels of society. They prefer to pursue schemes of coercion and conspiracy, putting their money and influence to work, than resort to blatant violence in any form.

Aurum Campaign Themes

It’s easy to introduce the Aurum to the characters early in a campaign. Its members are public figures, sometimes eccentric but not necessarily evil. A Concordian could hire the adventurers to solve a mystery or to acquire a harmless curio. A Concordian could be tied to the party’s group patron (see “chapter 1”)—the owner of the newspaper, a major donor to the university, or the power behind a criminal syndicate.

Alternatively, an Aurum Concordian can be a behind-the-scenes villain: low-level adventurers could clash with the Concordian’s hired goons as they pursue the same treasure, or the adventurers could be trying to solve a mystery the thugs are covering up. As the campaign progresses, the characters might face higher-ranking members of the Aurum, or recurring mercenaries who are increasing in power and status at the same rate they are.

Whether they interact with the Aurum as ally or enemy, at some point the adventurers might well realize that the Concordians aren’t just greedy plutocrats, but participants in an international conspiracy. The Aurum’s arc in the campaign might climax with the characters learning of the Shadow Cabinet and thwarting one of its grand schemes.

Aurum Missions

The Aurum Missions table suggests a variety of assignments that adventurers might be asked to undertake on behalf of the Aurum or one of its members, whether or not they’re aware of their patron’s affiliation.

Cults of the Dragon Below

The Cults of the Dragon Below are made up of people fanatically devoted to the daelkyr or the fiendish overlords (both described in “chapter 6”). Though some choose this path, most are drawn to it by strange visions and corrupting madness. Like weeds breaking through the foundation of Khorvaire, Cults of the Dragon Below can spring up anywhere, at any time.

Unlike other organizations with global reach, the cults have no organizing structure or principle. They are an infection inflicted on the world without reason. “Cult of the Dragon Below” is a term that outsiders use to describe any sect devoted to the daelkyr or the overlords. Each cult pursues its own mad schemes, tied to its dark patron. Even cults associated with the same master might not recognize one another as allies. You can roll on the Cult of the Dragon Below table to get a quick description of a cult, or you can create something entirely new. Whatever purpose cultists find or create for themselves from their twisted devotions, they pursue it with fanaticism. Even the most urbane and cultured cult leaders are unwavering in their convictions, entirely sure that their beliefs are good, true, and just.

The Cults and the War

The war and its aftermath created a fertile breeding ground for the Cults of the Dragon Below. In this time of uncertainty and fear, it’s easy for people to gravitate toward a group that provides a sense of purpose or a promise of security. This mindset is intensified by the spread of refugees in the wake of the Mourning, and by the lingering animosity that continues to divide people. In the Mror Holds, the conflict with Dyrrn the Corruptor has begun to leave its mark, with new cults appearing throughout the nation. In general, the chaos of the war has left behind ample areas of shadow in which new cults can form and thrive.

Cults of the Dragon Below NPCs

Some Cults of the Dragon Below are bizarre yet harmless, but most of them are dangerous and destructive forces that prey on innocents and vulnerable people. Some cultists are aware of the true nature of the beings they serve, but many are delusional; cultists might perceive their mind flayer master as a wise and gentle priest.

Cult Campaign Themes

Cults of the Dragon Below make versatile villains in a campaign. They can be introduced as a threat early on, in the form of low-level cultists and small, disorganized cells. As the campaign moves through the tiers of play, stronger aberrations and fiends become viable antagonists, as well as more powerful cult leaders who serve the daelkyr, the Lords of Dust, or other dark entities.

The cults can also serve different styles of play. One would be perfect for a slowly unfolding investigation that starts out seemingly mundane, but slowly delves deeper into otherworldly influences and dark magic. Allies become suspect, and perhaps even erstwhile enemies become necessary bedfellows.

Alternatively, a cult can burst explosively onto the scene with a spray of gore and a horde of shrieking dolgaunts. Such an incident leaves no doubt about the cultists’ evil nature, making them the obvious villains of the story.

Cult Adventures

The Cult Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for story opportunities involving the cults.

Dragonmarked Houses

No other group exerts as much influence over the Five Nations as the combined membership of the dragonmarked houses. Each dragonmarked house is part noble family and part business cartel, involved in businesses ranging from hospitality to espionage-for-hire.

The reach of the houses is so extensive that they have interests in every facet of life in the civilized lands of Khorvaire and beyond. Those interests often bring them into conflict with local rulers and national governments. Unified Galifar had the strength and influence to impose its will on the collected dragonmarked houses, but in the wake of the war it remains to be seen if any single nation has the resources to challenge them.

Although most houses have distinct spheres of interest, their concerns overlap just enough to cause friction. House Orien’s control of transportation and shipping is threatened by the growing reach of House Lyrandar’s airships. House Tharashk’s arrangement with Droaam threatens House Deneith’s monopoly on providing mercenary services. House Cannith lost its leadership in the Mourning, and rival barons are fighting for control of the house.

An organization called the Twelve seeks to mediate disputes and encourage cooperation between the houses. Adventurers could be caught up in the rivalries and schemes of the houses, or they could work with the Twelve in an effort to resolve these feuds.

The Houses in the War

The dragonmarked houses generally thrived during the Last War. Each house’s unique talents were easily adapted to the war effort. Ostensibly neutral in the conflict, the houses made huge profits by selling services and material to every nation involved in the war. For all the houses, ultimately, the war years were a time of vigorous growth and increased influence.

In some ways, though, the dragonmarked houses did feel the brunt of the conflict. House Cannith, for instance, suffered great setbacks near the end of the war. Many of its foundries and factories were destroyed, and the Treaty of Thronehold forced the house to dismantle the creation forges that produced the warforged. Worst of all for the house, the destruction of Cyre left Cannith without a clear leader, resulting in the house being fragmented into three semi-independent branches.

In another major development, House Thuranni broke away from House Phiarlan during the war, in part because of the conflicts of interest that arose within an espionage organization that was being called on to serve multiple sides in a complex conflict.

Arcane Workshop

Map 4.1 depicts an arcane workshop, of a sort commonly constructed by the fabricators of House Cannith. These facilities are well stocked with raw materials, artisans’ tools, and magical reagents. Most of them have small libraries containing works related to the workshop’s signature creations.

Arcane Workshop Features

Arcane workshops have many features in common, from workbenches and tools to diagrams etched into the floors and walls. Although most workshops are controlled by House Cannith, that house is not the only group of artificers who build and operate such locations. Zil gnomes who bind elementals and Mror dwarves who forge powerful weapons and armor must have spaces devoted to that work. The wizards of Arcanix in Aundair who create magic items and test new spells build specialized workshops for those purposes.

Arcane Workshop Adventures

Characters might find their way to an arcane workshop for a variety of reasons. Some possibilities are outlined in the Arcane Workshop Adventures table.

Gallery

Dragonmarked NPCs

The reach and influence of the dragonmarked houses means that they can play many roles in a campaign. Dragonmarked heirs can be valuable patrons. Dragonmarked villains usually covet magical knowledge, wealth, or influence, and their methods are appropriate to the marks they bear. Dragonmarked agents can range from lowly spies bearing the Mark of Shadow hidden within a circus troupe, to a dragonmarked warlord of House Deneith who has decided to establish their own fiefdom. Examples of NPCs from dragonmarked houses appear in the Dragonmarked NPCs table.

Dragonmarked House Campaign Themes

The dragonmarked houses provide an opportunity for your campaign to explore the role of magic in society and the power of industry in the postwar world. If the adventurers are allied with a dragonmarked house, you can concentrate on the house’s positive aspects and its work in moving Khorvaire beyond the feudalism of Galifar. At the same time, the houses also represent a way to explore the consequences of corporate greed and unrestrained expansion. This self-interest can be a defining feature of some or all of the houses, or you can focus on factions within certain houses, with idealistic leaders seeking to direct the house along a more responsible path while barons are driven by greed alone.

As a prominent part of society, the dragonmarked houses strive to maintain the appearance of respectability and propriety. Thus, even when a house is utterly corrupted, any agents who are caught in their evil deeds are quickly and convincingly disavowed, preserving the house’s image and reputation. If the plays a significant, recurring role as a villain in your campaign, the characters’ eventual task will be to prove that these so-called “rogue agents” have actually been taking orders from the top of the house’s leadership.

Dragonmarked House Adventure Hooks

The Dragonmarked House Adventure Hooks table presents a few ways to pull characters into tales concerning the houses.

Dragons

The dragons of Eberron are much more than mere monsters; adventurers will rarely barge into a dragon’s lair in search of its treasure horde. Dragons in the world are either aloof and unapproachable, or they are curious and manipulative, pulling strings behind the scenes or trying to influence the world in arcane ways.

Most dragons live on the mystery-shrouded continent of Argonnessen and avoid contact with those they see as lesser creatures. They are obsessed with the Draconic Prophecy, which is a map of possible futures rather than a clear-cut prediction. Its paths are revealed in the motion of planes and moons, in the actions of the dragonmarked houses, and in dozens of other more subtle manifestations. Most dragons that are active in Khorvaire are part of a cabal known as the Chamber.

A dragon in Khorvaire that isn’t part of the Chamber could be an exile driven from Argonnessen for some crime or a scholar pursuing independent research. Some orphaned dragons grow up in Khorvaire without contact with Argonnessen, and some dragons have been twisted by the daelkyr or corrupted by fiends; any of these could be an antagonist if the adventure you’re crafting calls for a cruel dragon.

The dragons of Eberron aren’t restricted in alignment—good red dragons and evil gold dragons are equally common. Most dragons tend toward neutrality. Even those with good alignments often don’t consider the impact of their actions on lesser beings; if a Chamber dragon must destroy a human village to foil the plans of a demon, it will do so without hesitation.

The Chamber

Conspiracy theorists insist that a network of dragons is hidden in Khorvaire, and these mighty creatures use powerful magic and humanoid agents to work their will across the continent and beyond. These claims are usually dismissed as madness, but they are in fact correct. The Chamber is a cabal of dragons that have monitored Khorvaire for thousands of years, treating humanoids as pawns in an ancient game.

First and foremost, the dragons of the Chamber are observers, gathering information about new aspects of the Prophecy and sharing it with their elders in Argonnessen. They are also charged with stopping any creature that seeks to use the Prophecy for its own ends. This responsibility sets them against the Lords of Dust, who must manipulate the Prophecy in order to release their fiendish overlords. It also leads them to recruit or eliminate any humanoid who learns too much about the Prophecy.

The Chamber is loosely organized. Each dragon monitors its own small corner of the world and maintains a network of humanoid agents. Although the mission of the Chamber is one of observation, individual dragons often have their own agendas. Some seek to manipulate the Prophecy personally, directing the future along a particular path. Others conduct experiments on dragonmarked humanoids, trying to understand the connection between these creatures and the Prophecy. Still others are obsessed with the Lords of Dust engage in century-spanning games of cat-and-mouse with their fiendish counterparts. In general, the Chamber seeks to maintain the status quo and opposes demons, so agents of the Chamber can often be useful allies or patrons. But ultimately humanoids are just pawns in the dragons’ eyes, and they readily sacrifice any of those pawns to ensure the sanctity of the Prophecy and the defeat of the Lords of Dust.

The Chamber and the War

The lives of humanoids and the welfare of their nations mean little to the ancient dragons. A member of the Chamber who is friendly now might turn out to be little more than a war criminal, responsible for horrible atrocities while directing critical events of the war to ensure that a skirmish or an untimely assassination didn’t derail some crucial stanza of the Prophecy. An even more disturbing prospect is that the Mourning might have been orchestrated by the Chamber, either as part of its struggle against the Lords of Dust or even directly in response to the dictates of the Prophecy.

Whatever the truth, the Last War’s impact on the Chamber was small in the grand scheme of things. Planar observatories were damaged here and there, humanoid servants died in droves, and the clash of armies derailed short-term plans. But even the effects of a hundred years of war are minor in the context of plans that span continents and millennia.

Planar Observatory

A planar observatory is a structure at the heart of the Chamber’s efforts to divine the meaning of the draconic Prophecy. The observatory consists of great chambers of crystal and metal, lined with huge orreries that track and align with the planes and the Ring of Siberys.

Planar Observatory Features

Map 4.2 shows what a planar observatory might look like. These immense locations are constructed by and for dragons. The orreries that surround the central space track the courses of the planes as they shift toward and away from Eberron. All about the observatory are enormous dragonshards of all three kinds (Eberron, Khyber, and Siberys).

Each observatory must be built in a location that is balanced between Siberys and Khyber; finding such a site might take years of careful study and surveying, and these places are typically remote. Several are located in Argonnessen; those in Khorvaire are usually found in mountain ranges and hidden forest clearings. Many have crystal roofs, or domes that open with the aid of great mechanisms to allow an unobstructed view of the night sky, since the movements of Eberron’s moons are thought to correspond to the shifting relationships among the planes.

Planar Observatory Adventures

The characters might find their way to a planar observatory as unwitting minions of a Chamber observer, as a destination in their struggles against servants of the Lords of Dust, or even accidentally. The Planar Observatory Adventures table presents some possibilities.

Gallery

Chamber NPCs

The dragons of the Chamber typically use magic to disguise their true nature and move unseen among humanoids. Although their goals of acquiring knowledge and opposing the Lords of Dust can make the dragons suitable as allies, their devotion to their long-term interests can blind them to the short-term impact of their actions.

Chamber Campaign Themes

In a campaign featuring the Chamber, the adventurers might initially carry out simple tasks on behalf of a disguised dragon or secret Chamber agent, not necessarily doing anything shady or villainous, but maneuvering pieces into position so they can play their designated parts. As the campaign unfolds, the dragons of the Chamber might reveal that the adventurers have their own part to play—in particular, perhaps, any member of the party who bears a dragonmark. The Chamber begins interfering in the characters’ activities, for good and for ill, and the Lords of Dust might also get involved. Unfortunately for the adventurers, the dragons are not necessarily any more concerned for their well-being than the Lords of Dust are, and the characters might have to consort or cooperate with demons in order to escape the clutches of the dragons.

Throughout the campaign, the goals of the Chamber might not be readily apparent. Locations such as the planar observatory described here might be able to give the adventurers some insight into the substance of the Prophecy they have become tangled up in, and seers and sages might be able to offer further insight into the different ways that the demons and the dragons could be interpreting those words. Ultimately, the adventurers might be in the position of having to choose between an outcome that is bad for them but good for the world in the long term, or a short-term triumph that carries tremendous risk for the world in the distant (or not too distant) future.

Another possibility is that the adventurers are openly working with the Chamber to gather information on the Prophecy and fight the Lords of Dust. In this case, the Chamber could act as a group patron; see the ""Immortal Being"" section of “chapter 1”.

Chamber Missions

The Chamber Missions table suggests several ways that adventurers might (knowingly or unknowingly) be asked to advance the Chamber’s agenda, while the Chamber Adventures table offers a few more ways in which the activities of the Chamber could lead to an adventure.

The Dreaming Dark

In the spaces between sleeping and waking, nightmares wait with grasping claws. The quori spirits that rule Dal Quor spent a thousand years seizing control of the continent of Sarlona. Now they have turned their many eyes toward Khorvaire. The ultimate goal of the Dreaming Dark is to control all the nations of the world. The plane of Dal Quor goes through cycles of light and darkness, and the current age is coming to an end. The nightmare spirits that rule the plane believe that by seizing control of mortal civilization—by forcing all the people of Eberron to dream the dreams they devise—they can maintain this current age of darkness indefinitely. So the fiends of the Dreaming Dark aren’t merely hungry for power; they are fighting for survival.

The quori can’t manifest physically in Eberron, but they have other options. They can possess willing humanoids, creating agents known as the Inspired (see “chapter 6”). They can also manipulate the dreams of mortals. The Dreaming Dark can trick a priest by sending dreams that appear to be divine visions, or inspire a soldier to rebel against their lord.

The greatest weapon of the Dreaming Dark is its ability to infiltrate other organizations. Anyone could become an Inspired vessel, or be prompted into taking foolish action by a dream. Its agents are scattered across the world and have no obvious connection to one another, until they reveal their true nature and purpose.

The Dreaming Dark in the War

The chaos that reigned during the Last War enabled the agents of the Dreaming Dark to move and act with absolute freedom throughout Khorvaire. Any direct conflict among Eberron’s humanoid populations is a boon to this group, which wants to destabilize all of them. Many of the intense battles near the end of the war might have been avoided, if not for Dreaming Dark agents fanning the flames of fear and hate—often by invading the dreams of soldiers and rulers alike.

The feelings of mistrust and festering animosity between the nations that linger after the Treaty of Thronehold provide the Dreaming Dark with countless points of possible infection. Refugees, expatriates, and other displaced people provide the perfect vehicle for the Dreaming Dark to spread its influence across Khorvaire, carrying its corruption into new populations.

The Role of Dreams

If you plan to use the Dreaming Dark as a major villain in your campaign, it can be helpful to establish the role of dreams early on. If dreams feel like a regular part of the story, it will be less obvious when the Dreaming Dark starts manipulating the characters’ dreams. For example, you might establish a pattern of picking one adventurer and discussing their dreams each time the group takes a long rest. Consider these ideas for the basic seed of a dream:

Revisit recent events. This can be a useful opportunity to call attention to a detail the characters overlooked. Clearly, this character’s subconscious registered the detail as important!

Involve a current villain. This can help build the players’ hatred for an elusive recurring villain!

Foreshadow the future. This could simply reflect a character’s fears, but it might also convey a warning from a celestial or other supernatural creature.

Explore the character’s past. Give the player an opportunity to add depth to one element of the character’s story.

Reflect anxiety. An anxious character might dream about showing up in a dungeon with no armor or at school with no clothes. Narratively, these dreams can provide a moment of comic relief or heighten the players own concern about what’s happening in the game.

The Role of Dreams

All dreams occur in the plane of Dal Quor. When mortals sleep, their minds touch the plane and shape a shard of it. Normally, a dream is shaped by the memories and emotions of the dreamer. But the dream spell and similar effects (such as a night hag’s Nightmare Haunting) can influence a dream from the outside, to a specific and often sinister purpose. The quori are masters of using the dream spell as a weapon to terrorize their foes.

It’s possible for an entire adventure to take place in a dream. The trick with a dream adventure is ensuring that it feels meaningful, even consequential, and not just a waste of time. One of four basic approaches can help you do that:

• A real monster inhabits a character’s dreams and poses a real threat to that character’s mind or body. The goal of the adventure is to defeat that monster.
• A dreaming character is incapable of waking communication—they might be comatose or possessed. The goal of the adventure is to communicate with the dreamer and free them from whatever is preventing them from communicating.
• A villain has implanted some kind of psychic lock in a character’s mind, which prevents them from accessing some knowledge or capability. The goal of the adventure is to remove the psychic lock, which might take the form of a complex trap or maze in the dream.
• The actual objective of the adventure lies in Dal Quor. The first goal is to find a way to break out of the mundane dreamscape and enter the wider plane.

The second challenge in crafting a dream adventure is how to bring all the characters in a party together in the same dream, which might or might not belong to one of them. Consider these possibilities:

• One of the characters is dreaming, and the others appear in the dream as memories and impressions in the dreamer’s mind.
• Some exotic magic—a kalashtar ritual or an eldritch machine, perhaps—allows the characters to share a dream or to enter someone else’s dream. This magic could also allow a character who ordinarily can’t dream (such as an elf, a warforged, or a kalashtar) to enter the dreamscape as well.
• Agents of the Dreaming Dark use their magic to bring the dreams of the characters together so they can influence or target the whole party at once.

The Dream Adventures table puts these principles together and suggests hooks into this kind of adventure.

Dying in Dreams

Death in dreams is less severe than in reality, but it’s not without consequence. Of course, characters who are mere figments of a dreamer’s imagination are simply removed from the dream. But a character dies while actually dreaming, the character receives no benefit from the rest and takes dice:3d6|noform|noparens|avg (3d6) psychic damage.

If you want to establish more severe consequences, you can. A dreamer killed by a quori could be trapped in Dal Quor while the quori possesses their body, forcing their allies to try to rescue them from their nightmares.

Dreaming Dark NPCs

Agents of the Dreaming Dark are insidious villains that can appear anywhere, in almost any context. They receive orders from a cabal of powerful quori. The leader of the organization, known as the Devourer of Dreams, communes with the nightmare spirit of Dal Quor itself. The Dark’s chief agent in Eberron is a kalaraq quori (see “chapter 6”) named Tirashana, who has planted mind seeds—mental copies of herself—across Khorvaire.

The Dreaming Dark has Inspired agents and kalaraq quori mind seeds (see “chapter 6”) scattered across Khorvaire, hidden within the membership of dragonmarked houses, noble families, and other driving forces. Because Dreaming Dark agents can communicate and coordinate with one another in dreams, they never have to risk losing their cover to receive assignments or transmit information.

Dreaming Dark Campaign Themes

Long ago, the Dreaming Dark caused a long period of strife on the continent of Sarlona, fostering suspicion, rebellion, fear, prejudice, and greed among and within the various nations that held power at the time. While chaos reigned, the quori also carefully nurtured the human bloodlines that would become the Inspired, perfectly suited to serve as hosts for quori spirits. Then, when the destruction of the old kingdoms was complete, a group of bold champions—Inspired vessels of the Dreaming Dark—formed a new nation from the ashes of the old. Having conquered Sarlona by means of such manipulation, the Dreaming Dark has turned its sights to Khorvaire—which is already a continent in turmoil.

With the conquest of the entire continent in mind, the Dreaming Dark has three objectives in Khorvaire. The first is to cause chaos and strife whenever possible, turning allies against one another and spreading fear. The second is to promote their chosen champions. A champion could be a nation, a mercenary company, a dragonmarked house, or a religion—whatever it is, it will have been thoroughly subverted by the Dreaming Dark. Finally, the Dreaming Dark relentlessly pursues the kalashtar and takes every opportunity to bring down these enemies. The kalashtar are descended from rebel quori that defied the Dreaming Dark and want to push Dal Quor into an age of light.

Given those objectives, the Dreaming Dark can drive events on a small scale, by setting bandits in motion or triggering local feuds, or the adventurers might uncover evidence of plans that could reignite the Last War or bring an entire nation or religion under the sway of the Dreaming Dark.

Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks

The Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks table offers some ideas for strange occurrences and nightmarish events that can touch off stories involving the Dreaming Dark.

Droaam

Once, Droaam was a wild frontier that marked the edge of civilized Khorvaire. Today, it is home to one of the strangest nations on the continent. In the streets of the Great Crag, ogres and minotaurs rub shoulders with gnolls and goblins. Gargoyles and wyverns circle in the sky, while harpies call work crews to the quarries with their songs. Under the rule of the enigmatic Daughters of Sora Kell, this land grows stronger with each passing year.

The Voice of Breland—Boranel Cedes Western Reaches

In a shocking move, King Boranel has ordered that all Brelish citizens who live west of the Graywall Mountains must leave their homes and return to the eastern lands, or else forfeit their claim to the king’s protection. In the face of a few withered hags and a ragtag “army” of filthy ogres and mangy gnolls, King Boranel’s legendary courage has apparently faltered. We can only assume he means to yield to Cyre next.

Thanks to the guidance of the hags, the diverse inhabitants of Droaam are learning to work together and finding ways to use their supernatural gifts to help build and sustain society. A medusa might use its petrifying gaze to preserve the life of an injured ally until medical attention can be obtained. Harpies in the taverns of Droaam use their hypnotic songs to entertain rather than to harm. When you bring creatures from Droaam into the campaign, consider how different monsters can work together in unusual ways and how their special abilities could be used outside combat.

Droaam offers a way to introduce monsters into any adventure, and for characters to encounter these monsters in untraditional ways. Droaam demonstrates that even monstrous creatures want the same things that members of other races do, more or less.

Droaamish monsters of a civilized bent could appear anywhere in Khorvaire. House Tharashk brokers the services of Droaamish monsters across the continent. Some of these monsters can appear in traditionally aggressive roles, as mercenary soldiers, a crime lord’s bodyguards, or assassins in the shadows of Sharn. But Tharashk also provides less violent services. Ogre laborers put their strength to practical use in many of the continent’s cities. Gargoyle couriers are in high demand. Though monstrous workers of these sorts are still rare in many nations, their numbers are growing.

Conversely, a visit to Droaam gives adventurers a chance to explore a land untethered by the laws of the treaty nations, a realm where they are the outsiders and the monsters are at home. Adventurers might have to pursue a fugitive or a war criminal into Droaam, or go there in search of unusual services or information found only in the land of monsters.

Warlords of Droaam

Droaam is home to a vast array of creatures. Many of these races maintain isolated enclaves: the medusa city of Cazhaak Draal, the harpy flights of the Byeshk Mountains, the scattered minotaur clans, the mysterious changeling city known as Lost. But other creatures have long been commingled. The ogres, orcs, trolls, hill giants, goblins, and kobolds of Droaam have never had distinct cultures; they have always been blended. Although enclaves made up of a single kind of creature do exist, most communities contain a mix of creatures.

In bygone days, many of these groups of creatures lived in transient communities, ruled by the most powerful among them and constantly in conflict with neighboring forces. When the Daughters of Sora Kell rose to power, they used force and persuasion to bring an end to this violence. They recognized the most powerful existing warlords as rulers of their domains, and they appointed lieutenants—including oni and other powerful and intelligent creatures—to govern other regions.

Within Droaam, any creature that commands the loyalty of a band and has successfully claimed and held territory can call itself a warlord, but only a small number of such leaders wield significant power. A few of the most notable warlords and factions are described below.

Cairngorm. A remarkably intelligent gargoyle, Cairngorm is the lord of Grimstone Keep. He leads the largest host of gargoyles in Droaam, and Grimstone is also home to orcs and other creatures.

The Dark Pack. An alliance of lycanthropes, worgs, and other bestial creatures is led by an elf werewolf named Zaeurl. The Dark Pack bears a deep hatred for followers of the Silver Flame.

Gorodan Ashlord. A fire giant exiled from Xen’drik has earned the loyalty of a powerful force of ogres and hill giants. Gorodan knows a great deal about Xen’drik and could prove a valuable resource to adventurers.

Harpy Flights. The harpies have long dwelled in the Byeshk Mountains. Several flights across the nation—including the Stormsinger, Last Dirge, and Rotwing—have pledged themselves to the Daughters of Sora Kell. Other flights remain in isolation in the mountains. The largest of these is the Wind Howlers, whose leader, Callain of the Bloody Word, despises the hags.

Kethelrax the Cunning. The kobold lord Kethelrax has laid claim to Shaarat Kol in the south of Droaam and leads host of kobolds and goblins—creatures that have been traditionally enslaved and oppressed by the larger and more powerful inhabitants of the region. Though his epithet, “the Cunning,” is used mockingly by other warlords, Kethelrax has the favor of Sora Katra and has proven to be clever in his own right. The kobolds are thrilled to have their own territory and are fiercely loyal to the Daughters, but many yearn for revenge against their former masters.

Rhesh Turakbar. The minotaur warlord Rhesh Turakbar has united the small clans of his people into a deadly force. His fortress is on the eastern edge of Droaam, and he often leads raiding parties into Breland in the name of his fiendish patron, the Horned Prince—also known as Rak Tulkhesh (see “chapter 6”).

Sheshka, the Queen of Stone. The medusas have long held the ancient citadel of Cazhaak Draal. Though they are not numerous, their deadly gaze and trained basilisk pets make the medusas a force to be reckoned with. Medusa priests of the Dark Six are spiritual leaders in many Droaamish communities. Queen Sheshka is a skilled warrior and general. She has been loyal to the Daughters, but she is devoted to her people and will always do what’s best for them.

Tzaryan Rrac. A cunning oni with a large force of ogres and orcs at his disposal, Tzaryan Rrac was quick to embrace the arrival of the hags, but he also yearns for greater power. Rrac is a skilled alchemist and a scholar of arcane lore.

Venom Lords. A group of tieflings called the Venom Lords leads a community of warlocks, some of whom are also tieflings. Their domain, called the Venomous Demesne, is hidden away in the desolate marshes south of Blackwater Lake, shrouded by powerful magic. Warlord Bal Molesh is a strong ally of the Daughters, and some of his tiefling kin can be found in the service of Daask.

Xor’chylic. A mind flayer serves as the governor of Graywall. It’s said that the Daughters found Xor’chylic in Khyber, and received his loyalty in exchange for a pledge that the hags would give him an opportunity for vengeance against one of the daelkyr.

Znir Pact. The gnolls of Droaam, once servants of Rak Tulkhesh, broke ties with the demons long ago and swore an oath of loyalty to the pack above all else. Since standing together and being bound by this Znir Pact, the gnolls have never been subjugated by any other force, and have never sought to conquer. Instead, they sell their services as hunters and soldiers, serving all warlords. The gnolls are trusted across Droaam.

Ruined Dhakaani Fort

Ruined forts of ancient Dhakaani design are common in Droaam, and in many cases the structures have been remodeled into homes or refitted for defense. They also make ideal lairs for less intelligent monsters, places where they can bring their next meals along with anything those poor souls happened to be carrying.

Ruined Dhakaani Fort Features

Map 4.3 shows an ancient Dhakaani fort built into a cliff face. It consists of four tiers in varying states of ruin.

The cellar, including a cistern and storage areas, is accessed by way of secret trap doors in the floor above.

The ground floor features a statue of a great hobgoblin hero of old in a large enclosed courtyard, and a cluster of unidentifiable statues in one back corner. The outermost area of the ground floor is the most severely damaged part of the fort.

The middle tower consists of two crumbling floors with arrow slits, accessed by spiral staircases from the ground level. The upper level of the tower has been severely damaged, with only old wooden planks and a rickety ladder allowing movement between the two floors.

The top level of the fort overhangs the tower. Large portions of the floor are missing, making certain areas difficult to reach. Arrow slits on the perimeter of this level made it instrumental to the fort’s defense, and the large rooms here were used for arms storage and mustering troops for battle.

Gallery

Ruined Dhakaani Fort Adventures

The Ruined Fort Adventures table offers some ideas for drawing a party to the location.

Daughters of Sora Kell

Sora Kell is an ancient night hag with exceptional powers. She is said to have dealt with dragons and demons in the first age of the world, and to have tricked the Sovereigns themselves. Even though she is immortal, there have been no new legends of her deeds since the advent of Galifar, but that’s when her daughters rose to infamy. All three of the Daughters of Sora Kell possess powers far beyond what’s usual for their kind. They are creatures of legend, beings who have defeated many of the greatest heroes of Galifar.

Sora Katra is the voice of the Daughters. Charismatic and clever, she is an accomplished illusionist and shapeshifter who rarely wears the same face twice. Stories say that she weaves curses on her loom, and that she loves to match wits with heroes and champions. She speaks for Droaam, and is always interested in intrigues and plots.

Sora Maenya is the commander of Droaam’s armies. It’s said that she can crush a giant with her bare hands, then eat the whole thing and still be hungry. She binds the souls of her victims to their skulls, which she keeps in her lair. Though many stories depict her as merely a brute, she is a clever strategist and a master of intimidation and terror.

Sora Teraza is a mystery. Though blind, or perhaps because of her blindness, she possesses vast powers of divination. She is the most gifted oracle of the age, but her answers are often cryptic, even when dealing with her sisters; she might give vital advice even to her enemies. There is little that can be hidden from Sora Teraza, but the question is always whether she’ll share what she knows.

The Daughters and the War

Droaam emerged as a nation in the final decade of the Last War. King Boranel of Breland brokered an uneasy truce with Droaam, but the other nations of Khorvaire have refused to recognize the Daughters’ sovereignty. Most leaders believe Droaam will soon collapse into chaos, or that Breland will gather its strength and crush the Daughters. Others think that either of those assumptions gravely underestimates the abilities of the Daughters and their subjects.

In the aftermath of the war, the fighting forces of Droaam have become a significant resource for other nations of Khorvaire. Gnolls, minotaurs, ogres, and other creatures have proven to be capable mercenaries and laborers, and the Daughters have worked with House Tharashk to make these resources available to the rest of Khorvaire. This exchange both puts gold into the Daughters’ coffers, and spreads their eyes and ears throughout the wider world.

The Daughters Campaign Themes

When involving the Daughters of Sora Kell in your campaign, the first question you need to answer is: what are their goals for Droaam?

One possibility is that the Daughters believe in their nation—that it is important to them to unite the monsters of Droaam and to give their charges a voice in the world. In this case, the Daughters can be ultimately sympathetic figures. They are fighting against the fears and prejudices of the people of the Five Nations, and also the selfish ambitions of many of their own power-hungry warlords. Once the adventurers learn that the Daughters truly want peace and prosperity, they could become envoys of the Daughters in the Five Nations or help to fight their enemies in Droaam. A character of a monstrous race could even become a warlord of Droaam. Even if the adventurers don’t work directly with the Daughters, they could have need of their assistance; Sora Teraza might hold the answer to a vital mystery, or the adventurers might need an artifact hidden in the vaults of the Great Crag.

If you’d rather use the Daughters as straightforward villains, they could be driven by a thirst for power or a desire to end humanity’s dominance over Khorvaire. Sora Teraza’s visions enable them to target enemies with unerring precision and reveal enemy plans before they are carried out. Can the adventurers find a way to deal with Sora Teraza and end this threat before the armies of Droaam and agents of Daask make their move?

A middle-of-the-road view is that the Daughters are motivated solely by Sora Teraza’s visions. They have no interest in gaining power or in maintaining their kingdom; they are fulfilling their role in a story that is still unfolding, and once it’s resolved, they will abandon their thrones and return to their hidden haunts. Can Droaam survive without the Daughters, or will the nation dissolve into chaos?

Whatever path you choose should also be reflected in the nature of the criminal organization Daask, described later in this chapter. Those monsters are agents of Sora Katra; how do their actions support her agenda? Are they seizing power on behalf of Droaam, or are they pursuing a more mysterious agenda?

As described in “chapter 1”, Sora Kell herself could be a group patron for a party of adventurers. In this case, the characters’ relationship with the sisters is complicated. Do the Daughters consider the adventurers to be allies, or are they bitter rivals? Does Sora Kell support the nation of Droaam, or are the Daughters defying the wishes of their mother?

Droaam Adventure Hooks

Any adventure that takes place in Droaam or involves creatures that hail from that nation gives the players and their characters a chance to deal with monsters that don’t always behave monstrously. The Droaam Adventure Hooks table presents a variety of story links involving Droaam, the Daughters of Sora Kell, or both.

Gatekeepers

The Gatekeepers are a druidic sect dedicated to protecting the natural world from unnatural forces. They battle aberrations and guard against extraplanar invasions and the release of ancient evils.

The Gatekeepers maintain the oldest druidic tradition on Khorvaire. Over fifteen thousand years ago, the green dragon Vvaraak came to the Shadow Marches and gathered a following from among the orcs of the region. In her studies of the Prophecy, Vvaraak had foreseen a great threat that could be stopped only by the younger races. So she taught the orcs the secret language of the natural world and showed them how to work with stone and soil, and how to read the future in the movement of the Ring of Siberys. She charged her students to remain ever vigilant against the threat that was to come, and to protect nature from those that would corrupt it.

Thousands of years later, the daelkyr (see “chapter 6”) opened gates from the plane of Xoriat and unleashed hordes of mind flayers, beholders, and other foul creatures into the world. The conflict that followed destroyed the goblin empire of Dhakaan, and the daelkyr’s invasion left scars across Khorvaire. Ultimately, Vvaraak’s students sealed the gates and imprisoned the daelkyr in Khyber. Even after this triumph, the orcs couldn’t be sure if they had turned back the threat Vvaraak had foreseen, or if a greater danger lay ahead. So, in addition to guarding the seals that bind the daelkyr and keep Xoriat at bay, the Gatekeepers remained vigilant against the possibility of worse to come.

In the millennia since that struggle ended, the Gatekeepers have shared Vvaraak’s wisdom and druidic magic with humans, shifters, and others who came to Khorvaire. New interpretations of Vvaraak’s teachings gave birth to new druid sects: the Wardens of the Wood, the Greensingers, and the Ashbound. Today, the Gatekeepers are one of the smaller sects, and many of the sites of their long-ago battles have been abandoned and forgotten. But some Gatekeepers still remain in the Shadow Marches and the Eldeen Reaches, continuing their vigil to this day.

The Gatekeepers in the War

The Last War had only minimal impact on the Gatekeepers, and vice versa. The druids’ primary concern was to prevent military activity from disrupting the seals they guarded. Occasionally the Gatekeepers attacked groups of scouts or military patrols, driving them away to ensure that battles didn’t erupt in their vicinity. Sometimes the Gatekeepers failed in those efforts, and Xoriat’s corruption spread over some remote regions while the war raged around them.

Gatekeeper Seal

The seals forged by the Gatekeepers have a variety of purposes and forms. Some are tied to specific daelkyr, keeping those individuals bound in Khyber and stripping them of some of their powers. Others ward against aberrations in general, or suppress the influence of the plane of Xoriat. Some seals are amulets, objects that can be carried and stolen. It’s said that one of the seals is a druidic bloodline, and it will last until the last member of the line is slain.

The most common form of Gatekeeper seal is a great stone slab set into the ground or a cavern wall. It is carved with mystical symbols that hedge out the influence of Xoriat and maintain the barrier. The map depicts one such seal, along with the druidic trappings and dwellings surrounding it.

Gatekeeper Seal Features

Map 4.4 shows what a Gatekeeper seal might look like. A seal is a protected site, usually attended at all times by Gatekeepers who live at or near the seal. The one depicted in the map lies on the edge of a swamp, but it could be located in any kind of terrain. A circle of standing stones serves to focus the magic of the area toward the seal itself, and the stones also serve as a place of worship for the druids’ devotions and ceremonies.

Gallery

Gatekeeper Seal Adventures

The location of a Gatekeeper seal might be the site of an adventure’s climax, or the characters might need to find one in order to consult with the guardians there. The Gatekeeper Seal Adventures table presents some possibilities.

Gatekeeper NPCs

Gatekeepers are sworn to protect the world, and thus are more likely to be encountered as allies than as enemies. It’s always possible, though, for even noble Gatekeepers to fall prey to madness and corruption, thus becoming the very evils they are sworn to fight.

Gatekeeper Campaign Themes

The Gatekeepers are the remnants of an ancient order. Once they saved the world. Now they are all but forgotten, and the world needs saving again. The surviving Gatekeepers might not have the strength to win the fight alone, and that’s where adventurers come in. Gatekeepers can serve as patrons or advisors, providing crucial information or setting the adventurers on the proper path. They can also come to the rescue of adventurers who are close to being overwhelmed by mind flayers or dolgaunts.

At certain points in a campaign, the Gatekeepers might seem to be villains. The druids’ mission to protect their seals and to oppose the rise of aberrations is of the utmost importance. Anyone who threatens a seal or assists the machinations of the daelkyr, no matter how unwittingly, risks making relentless enemies in the Gatekeepers. A simple shift in circumstances, such as the death of a noble that causes ownership of a trackless parcel of land to change hands, could bring the characters into sudden conflict with the Gatekeepers.

Gatekeeper Adventure Hooks

Gatekeepers can be at the center of any number of potential stories. The Gatekeeper Adventure Hooks table offers some options.

Goblinoids (Heirs of Dhakaan)

War drums are sounding in the depths beneath Darguun. Bugbear champions hone their adamantine greatswords, and hobgoblin dirge singers call the legions to battle. The warriors of Dhakaan are preparing to reclaim their stolen lands, and the nations of Khorvaire have no idea what’s coming.

During the struggle with the daelkyr, some Dhakaani leaders saw the madness spreading among their people and knew it would destroy their civilization. They led their forces into deep subterranean chambers and severed all contact with the outside world. In recent years these ancient clans—who call themselves the Kech Dhakaan (“bearers of [the traditions of] Dhakaan”)—have finally returned to the surface.

The Dhakaani are utterly devoted to war, matched only by the Valenar elves in their devotion to the martial arts. Their weaponsmiths and armorers know techniques that even the artificers of House Cannith cannot duplicate. Throughout the Last War, no nation faced any other force that had the skill and resources of the resurgent Dhakaani.

But there is one obstacle to their rise: the Heirs of Dhakaan have no emperor. The goblinoids are divided into clans, and each clan, or kech, believes its leader has the right to control all the others. And so the champions of Dhakaan continuously compete with each other to prove their right to rule. The Kech Sharaat (Bladebearers) believe that leadership is best achieved through force of arms. The Kech Volaar (Wordbearers) believe that knowledge is the greater weapon, and they seek to recover artifacts and weapons that were lost when the empire fell. These and several less influential clans are competing for overall leadership, while the spies and assassins of the Khesh’dar (Silent Folk) remain neutral in the struggle, gathering information on the modern world and serving every clan.

At the moment, the Heirs of Dhakaan are maintaining a low profile. They fight most of their battles underground, and occasionally dispatch small squads to carry out missions on the surface. Humans usually don’t know enough about goblins to tell the difference between the Dhakaani and the people of Darguun. The truth of the matter is gradually spreading within Darguun, but no one yet realizes the power of the force that lies beneath their nation.

The Heirs and the War

The Last War caused the Heirs of Dhakaan to finally stir and emerge from their deep vaults. They recognize that humanity has been weakened by its self-inflicted wounds. The rise of Darguun and the proliferation of that nation’s Ghaal’dar mercenaries enables the Dhakaani to move around Khorvaire without drawing undue attention. And the Mourning, ultimately, demonstrated that the races of the Five Nations could not be trusted with ruling Khorvaire. It was time for the Dhakaani to return and subjugate the other races to their firm hand once again.

The Heirs of Dhakaan are devoted to war, with an unmatched focus on sheer martial skill. Their weaponry and artillery are of the highest quality, and they place their trust in strength of arms, not on magic. The Dhakaani don’t worship gods, and no clerics or paladins are among them. The Kech Volaar have picked up some of the elven traditions of wizardry, and all clans have bards known as duur’kala (dirge singers), but in general the Dhakaani don’t rely on magic on the battlefield.

Dhakaani Fort

All across Darguun, the Heirs of Dhakaan are reclaiming surviving remnants of their fallen empire, and they even cautiously range out into surrounding nations. You can use Map 4.3: Ruined Dhakaani Fort as the basis for a fort that has been reclaimed by the Heirs, which would be in better repair and guarded by competent troops.

Dhakaani Fort Adventures

The Dhakaani Fort Adventures table describes some tasks that could bring characters to such a place.

Goblinoid NPCs

Characters who approach the Heirs of Dhakaan expecting a ragtag band of goblinoids are in for a rude awakening. The Heirs of Dhakaan are well equipped and fight with precision and efficiency, coordinating their efforts to eliminate spellcasters and other obvious threats.

Dhakaani squads are utterly devoted to their kech leaders and their empire. All are bound by the principles of muut and atcha (honor and duty), but they believe that humans and their kin don’t deserve to be treated with honor. All the goblinoid races work together among the Dhakaani, and all are convinced of the superiority of their culture. When forced to fight other Dhakaani, they will usually spare the lives of their opponents, but against all other adversaries—including other goblinoids—they are ruthless.

Goblinoid Campaign Themes

The Heirs of Dhakaan are a substantial military threat. The goblins can clash with adventurers while they are exploring ancient ruins, or they can launch strikes against outposts or vaults the adventurers are guarding. Whatever the Dhakaani do, it should be part of a mission objective. Is the goal to strengthen their kech? Gather information about the enemy? Recover Dhakaani relics?

Initially the Dhakaani should be mysterious: remarkably skilled goblins that fight to the death or disappear into the shadows. The characters might logically assume that they are Darguul mercenaries. Over time, the adventurers should learn more about them and realize that they are the advance force of a great army.

The Heirs of Dhakaan can remain an enigmatic foe, encountered only when they attack. But a group of adventurers could come to earn the respect of their Dhakaani foes and learn more about the enemy. Perhaps a group of adventurers chooses to respect the Dhakaani’s claim to an artifact, surrendering it willingly. If they do so, they could find out more about the goblins and the struggle for leadership among the clans. Of all the goblins, the Kech Volaar are the most interested in understanding the people of Khorvaire; if there’s any chance to negotiate a peace with Dhakaan, it would be with this clan.

As far as the goblins are concerned, humans stole their lands, pillaged their tombs, and enslaved their descendants. The Dhakaani aren’t evil, but they believe humanity to be brutal and cruel, people without muut or atcha. Faced with an adventurer wielding a magic sword taken from a Dhakaani ruin, the Heirs of Dhakaan are rightfully angry and violent in their response to this tomb robber.

Heirs of Dhakaan Adventure Hooks

The Heirs of Dhakaan Adventure Hooks table offers some options for kicking off stories that involve the Dhakaani.