The Adventure so far...first night, named night, the young bard's perspective.

   It was a calm, clear evening when each of the heroes was informed either formally or informally that they had been chosen to be included in this naming day - the day when children became considered adults, the day when they started being responsible for their actions and when their opinions were actually heard. Each of the eight received the information differently, but the overall results was the same - on the 20th, they were to march through town in part of a parade to end up in the North Town theater where they were to be given their gifts from the town. There, in the first celebration of this type in over a decade because of the war, the town would celebrate with their new found adults and find joy in this event.
  Most of the preparations still needed taking care of, and each of the heroes added their own efforts - some making the wine and beer, some helping with the heavy lifting, some decorating, some even preparing with the musicians to ensure everything went smooth. Only the mage's tower had some problems, but that had been brewing for some time and only now came to a head...
   It seems that one of the high noble's sons had a small problem. He couldn't do magic. His father was a mage, his mother was an adept, even his little sister was a prodigy and was named at 12 which was almost unheard of in their town - she was a powerful caster. And yet, he couldn't get a cantrip to happen - even if he did, most times it tended to explode or cause fires. In a rash of pain and self doubt/loathing, he ran to the arms of a theater performer...not only a good friend but more. She gave him solace, and hummed a lullaby to him. When he hummed with her and thought of his instrument...it all of a sudden appeared in his hand. MAGIC!!!!
   It seemed all that he needed was music to accompany the magic and he would be just fine! Better, he had a extraordinary knowledge of magic for his age, since he had studied his hardest since nothing had worked before this. He was SO happy...and he wanted to finally make his father proud since he could do magic. Of course, nothing quite turns out like it should.
   The day of the ceremony, the musical celebutante headed back into the wizards tower, to make his daily appearance before leaving for the theater to help out again with the preparations. Making his normal excuses to leave, his mind wasn't on deception and he was so distracted, that he completely botched his bluff. His normally befuddled instructor, now gaining insight into the fact that his student had been leaving regularly for the past couple of months, becomes extremely angry and expels his student, and sends a letter to his parents. The expulsion he could have handled, but the letter... his parents! To be continued...

Meet the Eberron Heroes (First Four)

   Here ye, here ye, o' adventurers young and old - the campaign has started and its going to be bold. We begin with eight young souls just burgeoning with excitement as their naming day is coming... the day when the town will recognize them as an adult and when they believe the world will finally treat them with the respect they deserve.
   Spring has given way to summer, and school is still in session for those that are training under their meisters. The smell of the river is heavy with humidity as the heat rises, and the crops are doing well - the spring crops just in. We now look at all things growing...including a specific eight of renown and potential.

We will start with the one born of this month, the one affectionately known as the music man, Kass Argyle. Noble born with a sister and brother already named (the sister being a prodigy and only 12), he has a lot to live up to both to his parents point of view and his own. Having studied every "usual" type of magic in town, he found that his magic only worked with music...and so he snuck off to learn at the theatre.

We then move to the forest, in the druid's grove just north of Northtown. The first is a meek and humble half-elf druid of the sect, so afraid of fire that she has substituted ice for all of his fire spells, Sumati. This has nothing to do with the fact that on her day of birth the plane of ice was co-tangent and highly influential...nothing at all *grin*.

Also in the forest is a calm, cool, and collected goth-looking human - Tattooed, haunted both mentally and spiritually, and a loner by choice that goes by the name of Angie Sylvester. Having accidentally killed her brother in a barn fire when her powers first came to be, she eschews fire as much as people. Death became her, and she studied it with intent while being sheparded by the druids of the grove. Now talking with her spirit guide for help on occasion she truly feels the magic that is her birthright is now under her control and it is time to explore the world.

Last but not the least of these four would be the literal outsider of the group, Bernard the golden boy. Luck follows him but unfortunately it works for him, not for everyone around him. His luck may harm his ego, but he always seems to be able to come out of tough scrapes smelling like a rose. Adopted by a shepard that lives on the edge of town, he had been learning how to work with the sheep, how to hunt wolves, and how to track the wandering flock.


These four live in Northtown, in Moundstop - the other four live in Southtown, and you will meet them in the next posting.

South Town

South Town

This is South Town, the hustling bustling south side of Moundstop. Far more businesses than Northtown, over triple the people and problems... without the benefit of having the Duke on this side of the river.

Banks, guild halls, inns and residences galore dot this medium density city of commerce and barter. The cities' industries tend to revolve around farming and fishing, with a unique trade in rare woods (Bronze, Dense, Live and Soarwood) from the surrounding  forest. Normally the woods are only found in Aerenal, the Druids and Shaman have worked over the last two decades to begin a conservatory of sorts for rare trees and foliage.

Now that the war is over, the populace is starting to bustle and grow again with new families and returned soldiers. For those that like a smaller town with overall good values this is the place of dreams. Welcome to Moundstop.

North Town

North Town

A part of the larger town of Moundstop, this is "North Town" - home to many and so called because it is North of the Dagger river which runs through Breland.

The ruling nobility, Duke Brandon Keifer and Duchess Sandrella, live in the small keep in the middle of this side of town. There are several shops and businesses, and even more residences.

There is a harbor area to the West side, which has two warehouses and some businesses. There is a larger building dedicated to the Sovereign Host which houses sections to represent each Deity. More specifics to come with the Town Charter once the main characters are in place, and backgrounds are completed.

Basic Roleplaying Rules

Major infrastructure differences:
1) Races: major races the same (elf, dwarf, gnome, Halfling, human,
h-elf) with the addition of a couple of new half races (changeling –
doppelganger half, and shifter – lycanthrope half) and a sentient
mechanical being (warforged).
2) Alignments: by definition the same, but creatures aren’t what you
expect. You can have a CE gold dragon, a LG red dragon, or LG liches.
What you see, what you have seen, isn’t exactly what you will always
expect.
3) You are the heroes, and as such, will need action (hero) points.
These are given on a per level basis (5-7 per level on average), which
can be used to:
a. add a six-sided die to the result of rolls made with a twenty-sided die
b. add the instant ability of a feat you have the requirements for
c. activate a special ability (turn undead, barb rage, etc)
d. stabilize a dying character
e. etc.
4) Classes: basically the same. There are a couple new ones, but for
simplicity sake we will keep it to those.
5) Dragonmarks. The Dragonmarked Houses are thirteen extended families
which control most business throughout Khorvaire. Within the houses,
only a small percentage of every generation manifest dragonmarks,
which are marks on the body that grant spell-like abilities to those
born with them. These dragonmarks are designated by taking the Least,
Lesser or Greater Dragonmark feat or taking levels in the Dragonmark
Heir prestige class. There used to be thirteen dragonmarks but only
twelve remain. Each family possesses only one type of mark, and only
one or two races can manifest a particular type of mark.

Spell Casters: Up until this point, we have been going with a spell point system. I am slightly revising it, hence am putting the rules in one place for now:

1. Each spellcaster has a number of spells they are able to cast per level, as per the PH.
2. Each spell has a point value equal to its level (with the exception of 0 lvl, which are worth 1/2 point).
3. Total up the spell points – and here is your total number of spell points for the day.
4. A caster may use the spell points as she pleases.
   1. EX: a 5^th lvl wizard with one 1^st and 2^nd lvl bonus spells from Int would have a total of 13 spell points.
   2. A caster MAY NOT cast more than the highest level of spells in points in one action.
      1. EX: a 5^th lvl wizard can only cast 3^rd lvl spells (3 points), even though she has 13 points total at the start of the day
      2. EX: a 5^th lvl wizard cannot cast a lightning bolt with even the vocalize metamagic because that would be over 3 points for the spell.

Eberron Heroes - Background

Eberron is the name for the world, and is also “the Dragon Between”.
Siberys – “Dragon Above” is the name given to the rings circling the
planet. Khyber “Dragon Below” is the underworld – similar to the
Underdark in Forgotten Realms. Dragon Prophesy is what is followed by
a great host of beings, and there are many aspects of it in every
living thing – even the dragon marks of the houses are part of it,
each mark being a story of things to come for the person living the
mark and the prophesy.

When creation was formed the great Wyrms, Siberys and Khyber fought
over what should be done and how with Eberron staying neutral. Khyber,
not satisfied with how the war was going decided to destroy everything
and Eberron stepped in – wrapping around her darkness, with Siberys’
broken body becoming the ring around them both. The war continues to
this day with Siberys creating dragons, Eberron the humanoids, and
Khyber the “demons” of the world. Many thousands of years have passed,
along with most of the Titans and demons having been slain or locked
away. Before the current reign of power by humans on Khorvaire, it was
ruled over by goblinoids for hundreds of years, but the human reign
has not been peaceful.
King Galifar was the first king to unite the continent under one rule
– all five major countries being ruled by his children in relative
peace. Then, the King was assassinated and all hell broke loose. Each
of his children believed they had the right to rule, and that each of
the others had significant flaws and could not do what their patron
had. They were ALL right…and war began. While each of the children
fought each other, the monstrous humanoids saw a weakness in the
rulers and fought their own wars for independence - they succeeded,
and each country lost more and more land the more time and war went
on. Then one day, the war just stopped – flat.
The day before it stopped, all oracles either went mad, plucked their
eyes out, or simply died. The war was coming to a heated pitch, as all
5 armies were meeting on a high plain in Cyre near the middle of all 5
kingdoms. Then, something unknown to this very day happened. Cyre was
lost. Every living thing in Cyre died on what is now called the “Day
of Mourning”, with a blood red curtain of pure magic clearly defining
the edge of what was Cyre, but is now Mournland.
Each of you are starting in the land of Breland, with histories as per
your own. This is a world rich in story lines and content,
possibilities and problems…and the direction you choose is your own.
Welcome to Eberron.