Eberron: The Xoriat Zone

Ancient Kingdom of the Dwarves

2012-10-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

Long ago all of the dwarves lived in Khyber beneath the Ironroot Mountains. The dwarves of the world we know today were expelled for their barbarian attitudes. Then the Daelkyr came and destroyed the great kingdom of the dwarves. A terrible new race was created by the flesh weavers, the Duergar….

Lord Thuf ir’Mor Dwarven Artificer & Extreme Explorer

Note to Explorers

It was my goal to understand what happened to my ancestors. While not the definitive work since I am still exploring the wonders of this kingdom, this is a good overview of many of the creatures living in the ruins of the ancient city.

Servants of the Daelkyr

Duergar

It seems that all of the Dwarves who lived in the great kingdom of old were destroyed when Xoriat was last centermost. However judging by their appearance it seems like the Duergar were once dwarves now a warped version of their former selves. It is amazing how far these creatures have fallen. While we became civilized and grow in power on the surface, these creatures devolved into barbarian clans battling each other and everything they come across.

These creatures can be found near many of the Dwarven cities that have fallen into ruin. If you were to encounter these creatures then you should attack without mercy. If you are likely to lose the fight retreat past any other creatures you passed recently. There is a good chance that the Duergar will attack those creatures before recompensing their attack of you.

Aberrations

In the wake of the Daelkyr came horrors from the Realm of Madness. These creatures think and act in ways that drive most creatures into madness, warping their mind and body. I have done my best to avoid the large rivers and lakes bordering the ancient cities. It is in these places that even the undead avoid.

From my own expeditions and that of other explorers into Khyber have shown that these creatures are powerful and very dangerous. Some have been helpful to explorers trading for goods and magic devices, most are hostile and seek to destroy all those they come across. It is my recommendation that any explorers bring extra weapons and armor and run away if they encounter these creatures. It you are unable to run away attack quickly and plan a route of escape.

The Undead

Dwarven Undead

When the great kingdom fell many of the spirits could not rest in peace. There are many ghosts and intelligent undead patrolling what used to be their homes. From those undead I have found living within the colossal Dwarven buildings it appears that only dwarves once lived in this great kingdom. Many of the more intelligent undead seem to be attempting to rebuild and rediscover the magic powers of their former selves. With gifts and careful diplomacy I have been able to work and learn beside these powerful creatures. Through them I hope to further my knowledge and power that I have been hindered on the surface from my brethren.

Non-Dwarven Undead

It is my assumption that the human and elven undead patrolling the region in and around the Kingdom are sent from the surface to gather information and magic devices. Many of these undead are commanded by Karrnathi Dread Marshals and are seen carrying covered items to the northwest. It is not clear why these creatures are here or what they are after. These undead seem to have Karrnathi Emerald Claw emblems on their armor. So far I have avoided contact with these creatures in fear of being attacked and altered into one of them.

Features of the Great Kingdom

The Temple to the Thirteen Gods

As you descend into Khyber one of the first builds you can see is the temple of the thirteen gods. This building dwarves are those around it, and it still has wondrous magic devices in and around it. This by far the most impressive temple I have ever seen. From what I have been able to gather the dwarves worshiped a combined pantheon of the Sovereign Host and the Dark Six. It seems that they didn’t distinguish between Aurem and the Shadow, as many of both of these gods domains are represented in one all powerful god of magic. It also seems that The Traveler did not have any recognition at all.

Cities of the Ancient Empire

City by the River

Crystal Keep – Seemingly carved from colossal pieces of dark crystals this keep was the first one I found. It pulsates with power leftover from the great empire that once thrived here. Within its corridors are devices and rooms that I have been unable to find a purpose for.

Fortress of the Dead – What was once the necropolis for this city is ages past has been rebuilt by the intelligent undead as a gathering point for their meetings. I have not been able to gain access to the inside of this fortress as the undead do not tolerate the living within its walls.

River Fortress – On the shore of a great underground rive is the Fortress Harbor. Once this place was a thriving harbor, now it lies mostly in ruins with many ship sunk in its docks. This place could easily be rebuilt if a large workforce could be convinced to brave the many dangers of Khyber.

City of the Depths

Golem Keep – The reason I named this the Golem Keep is obvious to all who approach this great keep. On guard at the entrance and patrolling the keep are dozens of golems. These golems are huge hulking masses capable of not only protecting whatever lies within the keep, but also able to survive unaided for thousands of years. Anyone who could get into this keep would surely learn what the secret is too their advanced magical forms.

Fortress of the Duergar – A very dangerous place to be, this is the main base for the Duergar and they attack all outsides they come across. It is my high hope that the Iron Council of Morhold will get rid of these terrors. I am also planning on bringing in some great adventures to help clear out these terrible creatures.

Fortress of Glass – All that remains of this once great keep are the glass walls rising several hundred feet into the air, with great shards of glass and stone surrounding its base. The inside of this keep contains many shattered mechanisms and collapsed ceilings. I have been unable to determine what this building was used for.

City above the Mines

Keep of Statues – This keep is a place of many dangers with a large number of medusas living in this large Keep. All around and throughout the Keep are statues of countless creatures who encountered the residents. From what I can tell the medusas are expanding and rebuilding the area all around their Keep. While not hostile to respectful creatures that approach them, I would highly recommend that those exploring this area progress carefully.

Fortress of Tunnels – This is the farthest into the Great kingdom I have yet been. This area is what I call the Fortress of Tunnels. While this does not seem to be the work of the ancient dwarves, whoever built these stone tunnels is highly skilled. It is like walking through a labyrinth with horrors around many corners. This area is very dangerous and to be fully explored several adventures bands to rid the region of the aberrations.

Forge Fortress – In this great metal and crystal Fortress are the foundries of the ancient dwarves. Many of the forges are still functional and just need raw materials. The Iron Council of dwarves are very interested in regaining this place for its obvious benefits. The only thing restraining them are the dangers lurking around this great wonder.

Elemental Transports

Earth Elemental Transport – It seems that in most of the old kingdoms the Dwarves used a type of land cart powered by an earth elemental to transport cargo and personnel around the city. While I have not been able to operate these carts most of those I came across seem to be in great shape for their age. The earth elemental bound in the carts Khyber shard seem to have gain some control over the vehicles since many of them seem to move on their own.

Air and Fire Elemental Forges – In many of the large multistory buildings fire elementals are used to keep the buildings at a comfortable temperature. In buildings that are mostly sealed or in areas of tunnels air elementals are in place to provide fresh air. The ancient dwarves seemed to have a great mastery of elementals since so many of their vehicles are still functioning. It is amazing that we lost these great skills.

Binding without Khyber Shards – Given many of the great wonders of the ancient dwarves have no dragonshards visible operating their mechanisms it seems that they found a way to bind elementals in different ways. Whoever is able to discover how this is done they will be incredibly powerful.

The Great Hall

Entrance – A great fountain with multicolored water flowing around the stairs approaching the great building is the first thing any visitor sees upon seeing the great building. How the water is flowing around the stairs and flows uphill in several places without the aid of any mechanism is unknown. This was the main find of my mine that keeps me coming back to learn the lost secrets of my ancestors.

The Hall – A huge room box shaped with several domes rising out of the ceiling. The lack of columns or other means of support is another wonder of this great building. There are five levels to the great hall. The first is a great dining area where great feasts were once had. The second seems to be a storage area for food and other consumables. The third and forth seem to be either massive meeting rooms or areas of study. The fifth I have yet to access. Transport between levels is via lift with devices keyed to each of the first four floors.

Creatures living in the Hall – Throughout the first two floors are all manner of vermin and plant life. These creatures can be dangerous, but they are able to be easily avoided. Over the long millennia these creatures have turned their areas into dirt piles with hidden pits. It is these dangers that have limited my ability to fully search the great building.

Common Dwarven Homes

Many of the ancient dwarves lived in very height towers. These multistory buildings, some of which are over a hundred feet high, are constructed from rocks of massive scale. Most of the surviving room contents indicate that the dwarves used stonework and metalwork to tell stories with frescos on both the walls and floors. Their common furniture has deteriorated over time and is now dirt.

It seems that a few of the wealthiest citizens of the different kingdoms had their own mansions. While few and far between these buildings are impressive in and of themselves. These mundane treasures I have gathered from these buildings have funded my expeditions into Khyber.

Adventure Ideas

Cavern of Mirrors – A discovery is made of a great cavern half a mile in diameter whose walls are covered with glass. It is said by those who explored this wonder that visions of great wealth appeared to them. It is unclear if the dwarves built this wondrous location, or if this is a trick of the aberrant creatures who now make this area their home.

Khyber Raid – The Morholds are seeing an increase in the number of aberrant creatures coming up from Khyber. Adventures and explorers are needed to find out why these creatures are coming up now and destroy as many dangerous creatures as possible.

Gathering Khyber Shards – A large vein of Khyber Shards has been discovered just outside of one of the ancient kingdoms. Many explorers are attempting to claim the riches for themselves.

Exploring the Lost Kingdom of the Dwarves – Explorers are needed to map out the various settlements throughout one of the Dwarf kingdoms. Previous adventures have not returned from their mapping expeditions.

KIngdoms of Eberron's Seas

2012-08-26T19:10:00.000-04:00

Deep beneath the Seas of Eberron is an entire world unknown to those who dwell on the surface. The greatest mastery of magic and the horrors of the planar invasions pale in comparison to what dwells in the great depths. For over a century I have compiled the following information of the underwater world. This is far from a complete Tome so the dangers you may face may not be within this text…

Vlius’jin elf Extreme Explorer & Cataclysm Mage

Barren Sea

Many miles off the coast the Demon Wastes lays a city from ages past. Far from the ruined cities of the Fiend Lords scattered around Eberron this city is intact and heavily inhabited. Most of the creatures here are slaves of the Aboleth Lords who dominate this region. It was these slaves who have built this great city over the millennia.

In the beginning this region was dominated by the great fiends, whom dominated the inhabitants forcing them to fight each other. After the dragons and Coatals defeated that great demon lords the region flourished for thousands of years as a beckon of Merman achievement. That was until the aberrations arrived from Xoriat, then the Mermen fell into ruin. It took several thousand years for them to rebuild and repopulate the region.

There are several fortified cities throughout the Barren Sea. Many of these fortified cities are controlled by Mermen tribes. Each city has its own system of government ranging from priests to kings, however all of the cities work together to battle the Aboleths and the other aberrations infesting the sea. There are also raids into Khyber to destroy the horrors within. These raids are used as a rite of passage for the merman youth.

Bitter Sea

Coked with lumps of ice above and below the water’s surface this is the most inhospitable sea on Eberron. Only the toughest and most resilient creatures make these waters home. Even the dragons are few and far between in these dangerous waters.

Only a handful of intelligent creatures make this region their home. The most notable is a group of frost giants that have constructed an underwater stronghold to study and develop the ancient magic of their ancestors. They will kill any creature that finds them. More than a handful of powerful mages never returned from expeditions to find the giants.

Dark Sea

The least traveled of Eberron’s seas; the Dark Sea remains a mystery. It is known that dragons are known to patrol the sea and captor any intelligent creatures they find. What they do to those they captor is unknown. Only two expeditions are known to have sailed through the sea and returned with tales of amphibious constructs that attacked their ships.

There is an ongoing plan by several cataclysm mages to study the first cataclysm and unlock the draconic prophecy. While it is likely that great powers would be gained by understanding this hidden realm, however the near guaranty of death at the hands of the dragons means a trip any time soon is unlikely.

The Dragonreach

Despite its name only a small portion of this sea residents are dragons. Most of the intelligent creatures of the sea worship the dragons as gods. In harsh contrast to the human Seren tribes barbaric nature most of these creatures are highly civilized complete with cities and villages littering the sea floor. The main threats to the inhabitants are the Sahuagin from the north. War breaks out every few decades between the two groups with minor skirmishes and raids ever few weeks.

Many of the creatures living in this sea are imbued with magical abilities. It is thought that their magical nature is in part due to their arcane mastery of their environment. Their level of magic is at the same level as the common races of Khorvaire. However unlike most of the other races of the world the intelligent creatures of this region do not want to expand their empire, merely keep others out.

Lhazaar Sea

Situated between Khorvaire and Sarlona this sea is home to pirates and raider above and below the waters of this great sea. Deep beneath the waters is a great civilization of Slaads and aberrations. Most of the creatures now living in the sea have been warped by the Daelkyr and attack those who approach their waters. It is thought that even the plant life has been warped into alien versions of their former selves.

There are several beholders known to in residence around the cities. The illithid are the rulers both of the cities and the deeps of Khyber below. Many explorers ether though madness or seeking knowledge of Xoriat have journeyed into this dangerous sea.

Sea of Rage

With its many underwater vents this sea is home to a type of Beholder of great power called Eye of the Deep who dominate a peaceful race of Crabman. While there are only a few dozen beholders known, they each control vast cities of tunnels and chambers rising from the depths of Khyber to mountain peaks jutting out of the sea floor. There are few known survivors of these great cities, they all have one thing in common they have all refused to enter a beholder city ever again saying they “saw horrors beyond imagination”.

Many sailors speak of seeing giant turtles rising up and sinking entire ships. Little could they know that these Dragon Turtles roam the sea as the apex predators devouring anything that approached them, in some cases even dragons. Luckily for all other creatures these turtles hibernate for long periods of time.

Sea of the Lost Souls

Off the west coast of Xen’drik lies a sea littered with ruins from the ancient giant empires. Once these waters were home to the aquatic giants and other peaceful creatures of the sea, now the undead outnumber the living in the great ruins deep beneath the surface. The living creatures both intelligent and native animals roam the sea giving the undead a wide berth.

One of the greatest cities of this sea is Xed’trh the cathedral of the ancient giant lich Bhumith. It is rumored that within the city’s library are Tomes of great power sought by both the Chamber and the Lords of Dust. The city is inhabited by large numbers of intelligent undead and legions of unintelligent undead patrolling the region.

Legends are told of an ancient demon lord locked away by the Rakshasa Rajahs long before the dragons rebelled. This powerful demon still has followers scattered around Eberron attempting to free their dark lord.

Thunder Sea

One of the most traveled seas of Eberron this sea is well known for its Elementals and Sahuagin raiders. What most people do not know is that Sahuagin tribes have underwater compounds and cities that are ruled by priestesses. While it is true that most of the tribes worship the Devourer some do worship other gods. Through ancient rites they have found a way of gaining power from creatures they consume.

How elementals came to this sea or why they staid is unknown. What is known is that on a few of the isolated islands Water-kin Elementals have been seen congregating and performing rituals. From experience and firsthand knowledge it is highly recommended that all explorers above and below the water’s surface that encounter elementals should give them a wide berth.

White Sea

Like the Bitter Sea floating icebergs are common throughout the White Sea. Unlike the Bitter Sea, life is quite common and truly unique from the other Sea of Eberron. Most of the creatures of this sea are found only at the great depths and phosphorescing skin.

From the deepest depths, to the flowing clouds in the skies above the Sea Hags are the undisputed rulers of this dangerous sea from the Frostfell to Sarlona. Their knowledge of ancient lore and powerful magic is only rivaled by the dragons. The Ice castle south of the Frostfell is a place of pilgrimage for the Hags of Eberron. It is said that any knowledge can be found here although the price to high for most creatures to make.

Many thousands of years ago a great civilization of Kuo-Toa ruled the many seas around Sarlona from its northern coast. At the height of their power Risia staid centermost for over a century freezing most of their kingdom in the great glaciers on Sarlona’s northern coast. It is said that if the ice were to melt the Kuo-Toa would rise again.

The Copper Drum

2012-07-29T20:11:00.000-04:00

The Last War’s Final Creation was the creation of a small number of submersible elemental ships. Create by the great gnomes in their magic forges and powered by water and air elementals these ships are only rumors to all but a few powerful groups of Khorvaire. This is what little I have gathered about one of these ships, the Copper Drum…

Chun’dar Half-orc Inquisitor of the Twelve

Creating the Elemental Ships

Before the beginning of the Last War the Gnomes of Zilargo explored the mysterious continent of Xen’drik. The main goal of these expeditions was to understand how the advanced magic of the ancient giant empires functioned. During several of these expeditions the gnomes were killed or disappeared before they could make back to Stormreach and sail back to Khorvaire. However the gnomes were eventually able to gather enough artifacts and schematics to attempt constructing their own elemental devices.

However given the information gathering abilities of the gnomes, it became necessary to create secret sites with very limited access. These sites were created and run by the different gnome families. While this protected their advances, it also limited the resources available to all of the gnome factions. Given how prevalent hoarding special materials became it is no wonder that several clans became working with each other and House Cannith.

With the assistance of House Cannith it was not long before several prototypes were developed. By now nearly all of Khorvaire has witnessed the Stormships and other elemental craft created by the union.

Gnome construction facilities in Zilargo

Hjar’ha Clan – created unique system to control elemental vessels. These vessels were able to be completely controlled by any sentient creature at its helm. The vessels created by these gnomes are nearly a forgotten relic of the Last War. Most of the vessels were sold to the many spy networks in and around Khorvaire. It is believed that this clan worked with Cannith in secret to develop the Copper Drum. While they created many powerful and expensive elemental ships, most of their creations are standard sailing ships.

Thalid’dix Clan – one of the original ship building families dating back to before the humans arrived in Khorvaire. It was this clan that was first able to master some of the magic binding techniques created by the giants. Several times every year this clan sends expeditions to Xen’drik. These expeditions are open to explorers and researchers, with the understanding that all artifacts and treasures are to be examined by the clan before explorers can take possession of them.

Zhil’gon Collective – One of the newest clans formed during the final years of the Last War. It is an open clan accepting gnomes from any clans into their fold. This clan is mainly known for its annual treasure hunting competitions where the winners receive 10,000gp. Anyone is able to participate in the treasure hunt; the only rule is that the treasure must be returned to the Zhil’gon Clan within 8 months. Many creatures die in this treasure hunt and it is officially banned by the authorities.

Cannith’s Inventions

Elemental binding – this process of binding elementals was learned from the lost empires of the giants. The gnomes were the first Khorvairians to go to Xen’drik and learn the skills. It was through the great creative powers of House Cannith that the processes reached its present level of power. It is only natural to ponder the wonders being developed in secret by the great house at this time.

Creation forges – Though it is well known that the great house created the Warforged for the Last War, it is not as well known that Cannith is attempting to create some of the wondrous devices encountered by explorers deep within Xen’drik’s wilds. In secret Cannith has built a creation forge in an underground complex several miles north of Stormreach. What is being developed there is only known to a select few, and they are not talking…

Ships gaining intelligence – while this has been discussed here and there at different Universities as a possibility, it is regarded as impossible at present. While there have never been any documented cases of a ship gaining intelligence, it would diffidently cause a great deal of unrest in regard to all of the more and more creations being developed by both the Gnomes and House Cannith.

Summoning Elementals

Finding the elemental creatures on Eberron has proved to be very difficult and dangerous. Many of the elementals used in the present day’s elemental vessels are summed from their native plane. Moments after their summoning the elementals are bound to the dragonshards. In this way the elementals will go back to the native plane if the crystal is ever destroyed, instead of staying on the material plane wrecking havoc.

Binding the creatures to the dragonshards is a simple standard process. The main reason that other items than ships have not had elementals bound to them is that the process is very expensive and time consuming. If House Cannith were to find an efficient means to mass produce swords, armor, or other items with elements they would gain large amounts of wealth very quickly.

Controlling the elementals has always been the most difficult part of driving the elemental vassals. It has been rumored by several sources that collaboration between the gnomes and Cannith has created new vehicles that any creature can pilot. The Copper Drum is rumored to be such a ship. This would defiantly put Cannith into hot water with the other Great Houses, who would lose their dominance in travel.

Testing New Designs

Classified testing areas on isolated island have been used for centuries by the gnomes for construction of devices that could be deemed illegal or at the very least unethical. During the Last War all of the nations needed safe isolated locations to test out their latest weapons far from their advisories eyes. Cannith has several such hidden complexes hidden away from prying eyes.

Through several month a very dangerous inquiries from ship captains I have been able to determine that the Copper Drum was constructed on one of the islands of the Thunder Sea. The island complex is a joint venture between House Cannith and the Hjar’ha Clan used to test Vessels. After several months of mapping the many islands I have yet to locate this complex. It is always possible that it was dismantled, or that the complex was destroyed by the Sahuagin.

Groups of adventures are hired to test the designs and are known to have their memories erased. A Thunder Guide famously was able to resistance the mind eraser. However he died in a freak building collapse before he was able to do anything with the information. Adventures that are able to have their mind erased wake up in a gnome hotel with a large amount of gold. If you wake up in one of these situations, the best thing you can do is take the money and walk away without asking any questions.

Conducting war game scenarios with different styles of ships happens several times a year around the coast of Khorvaire. I was able to determine that the Copper Drum was able to sail under several ships during such war games without being detected.

Selling the Elemental Vessels

Navies are the main purchasers of most elemental designs. Given the unrest and tension built up after the end of the Last War every nation wants to make sure they are ready should a new war breakout. These large purchases have lead to the standardization of elemental ship design.

Dragonmark Houses purchase vessels that suit the very specific natures of their needs. While these unique ships are much more expensive than standard elemental ships, they are far more powerful and lavish than standard models.

Spy Networks purchase vessels that are hard to detect with little care as to luxuries. These ships can fade away into fog, darkness, or in the case of the Copper Drum sail beneath the water’s surface.

Stolen Vessels

The Copper Drum was stolen by its cargo of prisoners. All of the prisoners are very dangerous war criminals from across Khorvaire that were being sent to Dreadhold. During a prisoner transfer the prison ship was attacked by an unknown group. Several prisoners took the opportunity to seize the crew and commandeer the vessel. They escaped before the invasion party could break in. They were able to dive the sip to a great depth and surface again quickly. This killed everyone outside the ship. It is known that a sizable group of sailors matching the prisoner’s descriptions showed up at Stormreach two months later to purchase goods for an expedition into Xen’drik’s interior.

Who has the ship now isn’t known. What is known is that rewards for both the ship and the prisoners return have been offered. So far there is no sign of the ship. The reward is large enough that many adventures have made the journey to Xen’drik and more leave each year.

Adventures of a Scholar

2011-12-11T10:13:00.001-05:00

Thanks to years of studying artifacts from Xen’drik I was invited to be an expert on ancient giant writings for the Wayfinders Society. The last Wayfinders Expedition located a sunken giant’s city deep within the Jungles of Xen’drik. Little did I realize how difficult the journey would be…

Glix a Kobold Warlock

Boat ride to Xen’drik

Before our expedition could safely make the long journey to Xen’drik we needed to find a trustworthy Sahuagin guide from Sharn. We found a large Sahuagin called Ajacxs the Seeker. He has led several expeditions though the Thunder Sea. The next several days were spent gathering supplies for the journey to Stormholm. It was my job to gather needed supplies for the magic users and ritual casters taking part in the expedition. As a Kobold normal people stare or are hostile to me as a go about my business; however in Sharn my presence seemed to be so commonplace as to be ignored.

On one of the many isolated islands between Khorvaire and Xen’drik some of the sailors claimed to have seen giants constructing buildings. We the ship arrived at the island all we found were some giant bones and several large ruins. When we stayed the night it became quickly obvious that this was a haunted island; as ghosts and skeletons of giants roamed the island as though the buildings were still standing. While this was one of the greatest finds of the expedition we could only note its location as we hurried back to the ship as the undead attacked us. Luckily we didn’t lose any members.

A day’s sail from the Port of Stormholm the ship was attacked at sea by pirates. During the night the pirates boarded the ship and killed the crew when they realized the ship didn’t carry any real valuables. I was able to fight the pirates long enough for the other magic users to drive off the pirates and sink their ship. After burying the dead sailors at sea all of the expedition’s members did their best to navigate the ship without an experienced ship. After a very difficult day of sailing we made it to port.

Stormholm

After an eventful journey it was agreed that we would take a two day break to wander the city and relax. The sites of the great city were truly awe inspiring. I spent a great deal of my time examining every part of the ancient giant city. I was able to develop several contacts to assist in the expedition’s upcoming journey into the great wilds of Xen’drik. When our relaxation time was over we gathered together again to acquire supplies for the journey ahead. Most of the supplies were easy to acquire given how many expeditions leave the city every year. However we had difficulty finding a guide who was willing to go to the site. Apparently everyone believes the site is cursed.

Thanks to my contacts I had made over the last several days I knew of a Thunder Guide called Onyxfrost. He was from a noble family in Karrnath and had journeyed to Xen’drik to achieve glory and wealth. When asked to lead the expedition to the site deep within Xen’drik he gladly accepted on the condition that everyone was heavily armed for the group’s protection. After some additional weapons purchases our party was ready to set out on our journey.

My supplies contained many books and a guide to the giant language I created at Arcanix from my studies. A carried a dozen daggers and several ropes in addition to my adventuring pack. In case of attack I also carried a magic rod to focus my powers.

Journey to the Site

The first several days of the journey through the wilds of Xen’drik passed without incident. On the fifth day a group of Drow attacked our expedition. In retrospect the attack was probably do to our capture of several Dream Servants. During the attack several members of our expedition were killed. We left their bodies along was most of our supplies as we were forced to flee into the jungle.

Our expedition was lost in the jungle for months. Even with our loss of supplies we were still able to safely avoid Xen’drik’s many dangers. The Travelers Curse was truly upon our group for the trip should have only taken a week or two to make, not three months. On our journey we mapped out several sites for future expeditions including; several giant ruins, Drow temples, and a Temple controlled by snake creatures.

Arriving at the site at last was diffidently a welcome sight after the long journey. Before we explored the great under water ruins we needed a safe area to retreat back to in times of danger. We spent a few days building and growing the shelter. Thanks to the powerful ritual casting abilities the fortified building were completed with minimal effort.

Exploring the Site

Scoping out the surrounding areas was the next step in making sure the area would be as safe as possible. I was sent to create magic traps and warning devices between the lake and our encampment. During the time setting up the traps I was stabbed with a flaming dagger that flew at my from the jungle. Thanks to my pacts my powers minimized the damage I took, anyone else would have been killed by the dagger. I grabbed the dagger and finished my section. I then warned the others as to the dangers of the area. Luckily I was the only one attacked.

The following day the expedition began to test various methods of going under the water while still being able to function and gather artifacts. After testing several of the magic devices we brought with us we decided on the Crown of Flowing Water made by House Cannith. The Crowns allowed several members of the expedition to spend three hours a day exploring the ruins.

During the second and third day of the underwater exploration of the ruins I was attacked by a group of Drow wielding Flaming weapons like the one that hit me several days earlier. With the help of the other explorers I was able to hold off the Drow long enough for Onyxfrost the Thunder Guide to arrive and kill them. Onyxfrost then tracked down their encampment and set up several traps around their village as a warning.

When we secured the area around the lake again we continued our studying and retrieval of the giant artifacts. In total we were able to find several dozen artifacts and several diagrams of new construction techniques using magic. When it became clear that we gathered everything of value from the city we began to map out the entire city. During the final days of the expedition it became clear that everyone was feeling as though they were burning alive every time they slept.

The fact that everyone who went into the water seemed to suffer from the same burning feeling made it quite obvious that a curse was on the sunken city. After conducting a series of rituals I was able to summon a giant’s ghost from the Realm of the Dead to tell us how to rid ourselves of the curse. The giant explained that the only way to rid the curse is to kill animals and burning they body in the water of the lake. After we sacrificed the necessary creatures we were free of the curse, although our bodies have burn scars in several places.

Returning to Khorvaire

The long journey back to Khorvaire was uneventful apart from a Sahuagin attack around the islands of the Thunder Sea. To avoid the high fees for bring wealth from Xen’drik into Sharn. Our expedition’s members sailed our ship up the great river for two days, before turning around and docking on one of Sharn’s many posts. Claiming that we sailed south down the river we avoided the large fees. Luckily for us the King’s guards never realized our partial truth.

My next step was to begin studying the artifacts in the great museum of the Wayfinders. After examining every last artifact gathered from the sunken city, I was able to determine the city’s main purpose. It seems the giants living in this city created all manner of weapon and armor with some link to the Plane of Fire. I do not understand how they created these artifacts, however with the help of some of my friends(gnome artificers) I believe we can create very powerful magic items with these schematics.

Removing the curse of the lake was very lucky on our part. However the fact that we were able to summon some of the dead giants and communicate with them has been a great boon to the study of Xen’drik’s great empires. The Wayfinders Foundation plans on using our experiences to help with the next expedition. This next expedition is intended to commune with as many dead giants and their slave as possible to gather additional information of how Eberron was thousands of years ago.

Dividing the treasure was not as straight forward as you might think. Most of the artifacts were taken by the Wayfinders for further study. I was able to keep copies of several of the schematics that I made without telling my superiors. I was given one of the Flame burst swords and 3,600 gold pieces. For my first expedition I consider such a reward as a great gift.

Because of my assistance with both the expedition and the studying afterword I was inducted into the Wayfinders Foundation as a full member. This allowed me to create many new contacts and led to several adventures across Eberron…

Arcanix’s School of Magic

2011-12-03T18:07:00.001-05:00

Growing up in the deep caverns of Darguun I learned the secret rites of the ancient Goblin Kingdoms. Being accepted into the magic school at Arcanix allowed me to further my knowledge of the great arts. On too adventure and riches…

Glix a Kobold Warlock

Bowls of Khyber

Over a decade ago I was being raised by the Black Dagger Clan in the Endworld Mountains of Q’barra. However I was never any good at creating traps or raiding Khyber. The Clan brought in a powerful Blackscale Lizardfolk Shaman to determine what powers I have. After a several days of tests I was unable to master any of the different abilities. On the final test an ancient Rashashaka Lord’s name was praised in an ancient tongue. To the shock of everyone, my eyes glowed with silver light and a magic blast burst forth from my hands and destroyed a section of the wall. From this test it was determined that I was a warlock of incredible power.

Since none of the Kobold Clans had a warlock as a member I was sent to train with the powerful goblins deep within the mountains of Darguun. To pay for the training I was receiving I was put to work exploring and cataloging sites and finds within the ancient goblin cities of Khyber. The work was mostly the same thing day after day, however every now and then I would find writing describing ancient spells and rituals. Every now and then I was able to try to perform the spells before telling my instructors of their findings.

To completely control my powers my instructors summoned a great fiend and I swore a blood oath to the great being to gain new powers. This allowed me to develop my abilities and join the hunts into Khyber’s deeps. During one of the hunts I killed an abomination by myself. This got the attention of a local recruiter for the mercenary bands.

Enlisting as a Mercenary

With the Last War into its ninetieth year and all of the Five Nations needed new troops. From this need came the Dragonmark Houses who came to Darguun to acquire mercenary volunteers. It was one of these volunteer groups that I was brought into. The group I was part of, was made up of child soldiers. We were trained in tactics of infiltration and guerilla tactics. When our training was completed we were sent into the Eldeen Reaches and ordered to support Aundairian troops and attack any other armies that came into the region.

There were many raids on invading groups that I took part in over the next three years. This allowed me to practice my magic abilities. With my basic spells I was able to help some of the local druids fend off vermin swarms sent by the Children of Winter. As a reward I was given a magic ring. The Ring allowed me take less damage from basic attacks. This gift saved my life on more than one occasion.

Entering a School of Magic

When the war ended and the magic schools of Aundair were opened to anyone who wanted to learn magic I applied to Arcanix the school of floating castles. I spent nearly all of my earnings paying my tuition for the five years of basic study. My only real possession of any worth is my magic ring. The years of study were well worth it. I was able to more than double my power and increase my knowledge of ancient magic’s of Eberron.

My education became more interesting when I was experienced enough to assist in the examination of giant artifacts of Xen’drik. Because of my time spent examining the artifacts I was able to develop close relationships with many members of the Wayfinders Society. Thanks to my powers and experience I was invited to take part in an expedition to Xen’drik to study an underwater city located in a jungle lake....

Tazagh Empire

2011-11-06T08:15:00.001-05:00

From a small village deep in the jungles, to the largest empire since the reign of the giants the empire is known for its massive building complexes. The Tazaghians are still looked on with awe as the greatest Drow Empire in Xen’drik.

Siyth the Drow Shadow Walker

Prelude

In the aftermath of the giant’s destruction there were several empires of both Drow and elves. The greatest general of all the elves was a great Drow general Zull Dimik. He is the only Drow I have ever heard of that many elves still view as a great leader today. He was loved not only by his soldiers he led into battle, but also by the Drow and elves in his empire.

During his early life he led a small band of rebels in the giant-elf war. After several victories he was given command of an army. His army became famous not only for never losing a battle, but also for his brutal tactics. His enemies hated and feared him. When he marched through a region armies fled and nations surrendered. When the wars finally ended he became dictator for life of the Great Tazagh Empire. He instituted building projects to improve the lives of his subjects. He also founded several military schools to teach tactics and strategies to every officer in his vast armies.

A Town is Born

Millennia ago a small group of Drow slaves escaped their giant’s rule and were able to found a small town called Tazagh “Valley of the Seven Peaks”. When the Drow first arrived the area was a vast bog incapable of supporting large structures. The Drow spent years draining the water and building the town out of large stones. Over several more years the Drow gathered escaped Drow and elf runaways and offered them protection from Xen’drik’s many dangers.

With the additional citizens living in Tazagh, the elves and Drow constructed roads and aqueducts to supply their city. With the towns growth into a city the giants were expected to attack their former slaves and bring them back into captivity. However this was the height of the Giant-Quori Wars and this new city was deemed not worth the resources to capture. Once the city’s citizens realized that the giants would not be attacking them any time soon they began construction of large fortifications and building up their armies.

The city’s fortifications extended several hundred feet into the air and deep into Khyber depths. To accomplish this great building project the Drow and elves used the magic skills and technology that they used in constructing the giants floating cities. Shortly after completing the great city, it was attacked by large living constructs controlled by the Quori. After several months of being under siege the Drow and elves were able drive off the invading army.

This long battle decimated most of the city’s standing army. To rebuild their army all citizens were trained as soldiers and a law was passed to every couple needed to give one of their children to the city to be trained from birth to be soldiers. Not all of the children trained by the city’s great soldiers lived to complete their training. Those who did survive their training were ordered to protect the city from all dangers.

Rise of an Empire

After the long wars ended between the giants and the Quori, the city of Tazagh began to expand its borders by attacking all of the nearby settlements including those of the giants. The city quickly grew into a great empire as more and more tribes came under their control. In many parts of Xen’drik the Drow and elves fought each other as much as they fought the giants. This allowed The Empire of Tazagh to be viewed by both the Drow and the elves and bringers of peace.

However with the Quori gone back to their plane, the giants began to conquer and enslave all of their former slaves. With the vast magic and powerful constructs of the giants now destroying elf and Drow cities all over Xen’drik, most of the elves and Drow were enslaved. These new slaves began to rebel more and more frequently. During this time it is known that the giants were experimenting on their slaves to create more powerful beings.

Before the Tazagh Empire was attacked by the giant armies the empire sent out several armies to conquer all of the nearby giant settlements. Several battles erupted in and around the Tazagh Empire as the giants and the elves began the great Giant-Elves Wars. The empire provided an example to the other Drow and elves around Xen’drik.

When the giants attempted to destroy the elves and Drow with the same magic used to sever the Realm of Dreams, several flights of Dragons descended throughout Xen’drik destroying most of the giant’s magical creations. This also wiped out many of the Drow and elves of the Tazagh Empire. Most of the Elves began to separate themselves from the Drow as their theological belief systems became more distinctive.

General Zull

Into the great turbulence faced by the elves and Drow came the great general Zull. He gained popular support from the Tazagh armies and its population from his many campaigns raiding attacking the giants. General Zull began the only person to ever bring a standing army into the Great City of Tazagh. He took control of the entire empire and declared himself Emperor for life.

Zull spent the next decade patching up differences between the elves and Drow as he expanded the empire over most of northern Xen’drik. With his empire stable he ordered the construction of several new cities and improved the living conditions for all of his subjects. In each of these cities he founded military academies to train the future officers of his armies.

Later in his life Zull declared himself to be a god to the empire. Several of the government’s top officials then decided to assassinate Zull during one of his speeches. With Zull’s death the populace of Tazagh hunted down and killed everyone involved in the assassination.

Fall of an Empire

Without their great leader inspiring the populace to work together, the elves and Drow started a whole new set of wars. This quickly led to the collapse of the empire as different groups began raising the enemy’s fortifications to the ground. The only part of the Great City of Tazagh that survived the wars was the large expanse in the depths of Khyber.

With the split between the elves and Drow at an impasse, most of the elves left Xen’drik and sailed to the east. The Elves took many of the greatest artifacts of the giants with them. The Drow broke into separate groups and scattered over and under Xen’drik forming empire that still exist today.

The Empire of Today

All of the military universities are still in existence and are used to train many of the local Drow military leaders. However the great buildings have been destroyed and built over for centuries. It is rumored that many dangers and treasures from the Tazagh Empire still can be found in the depths of Khyber.

Storm Giant Syndicate

2011-10-21T16:55:00.003-04:00

Ages ago powerful storm giants ruled most of northern Xen’drik from their floating castles. They inspired fear and awe from those they ruled not only from their ability to fly, but also from their vast construction complexes. Out of these forges came the most powerful constructs ever seen on Eberron.

Ghadia Silvermuim Gnome Researcher for Wayfinders Society

Foundation of the University

As the giants began to master magic arts, a group of Storm giants called the Syndicate gathered to great a place of study for giants. The Uruk University was deemed a neutral area that every giant Kingdom would be able to send students too. It was also stated that the university would need to share all discoveries with any giant who asked.

Many of the giants who attended the university helped to develop new technologies and new spells. These breakthroughs were added to the existing university, making it bigger and more powerful. After a century of improving the university, the university itself became completely interactive. This allowed the giants living and working within the university to interact mentally with their experiments through the buildings.

Experiments in Transfiguration

It seems that after a few giants were transformed into Titians by a creature or god called the Blood Hag. Who this Blood Hag is I have been unable to determine. What I was able to determine was that after some of the Titians came to the university, the Storm Giants running the university began to modify creature’s bodies.

There experiments began with their servants and slave the Drow and elves. It seems that they found ways of incorporating elements of other planes into a creature’s body. These creatures then gained extraordinary powers. For example creatures that were warped with elements of the Realm of Dreams gained the ability to invade the minds of other creatures.

How far these experiments went is not clear, however each expedition I have been included that came near the ruins of the university has been attacked by powerful creatures. No one I am aware of ever made it inside the university so more powerful creatures could be inside.

Becoming the Great Power

At the height of the giant’s power the Quori invaded Xen’drik. The Storm Giants Syndicate enacted marshal law and began producing elemental constructs of incredible power. While I have not seen the remains of these constructs the pictures I have seen shows constructs large enough that they dwarf giants.

As the war continued the Syndicate began selling weapons and body enhancements to all of the giant factions. There are several paintings of giants undergoing some kind on operation. There are also several texts we have found that describe armies of elementally enhanced giants destroying constructs controlled by the Quori.

Fall of the Syndicate

When the elves rebelled and the giants attempted to use cataclysm magic to destroy them, the dragons wiped them out. From Drow legends and ancient texts we have been able say that there were several flights of dragons attacking giants all over Xen’drik. How this happened we do not know. What we do know is that after the dragons came there was never a mention of the Storm Giant Syndicate again.

From the craters around the ruins of the university today we assume the dragons killed all of the giants who were there at the time. However since there are creatures still living around the site today, it is believed that the giants and their creations survived in small numbers.

Present Places of Interest

There are four main points of interest in and around the university itself. The first is the university itself. While our parties have not been able to get into the university this does not mean that a stronger party of adventures may be able to get in. For those who manage to get in high level magic and treasure are assumed to be in vast quantities.

The site that has attracted the most attention from our expeditions has been the labyrinth of texts. This is where we gained a lot of information of the Storm Giant Syndicate. Only a few miles of the tunnels have been explored. The full size and deeps of this labyrinth are unknown.

While I have not been there yet there is a series of buildings at the bottom of a nearby lake. Many treasures have been gained from its depths. There is a warning all adventures need to know about the lake, and that is all those who sleep around the lake have seen ghosts. In more than one case the ghosts attacks the explorers.

The most dangerous site in this area is the Crying Caves. These caves lead to the deeps of Khyber and are so named because of the sounds that emanate from the caves every night. This is the most dangerous area because none of the locals will guide anyone for any amount of money through the cave networks.

Great Wyvern Lhattix the Bringer of Plague

2011-10-08T20:34:00.001-04:00

Cast out from the Dragon Realms Lhattix was exiled to the Mountains of Xen’drik. Over many millennia the Great Wyvern took pleasure in the suffering of the weak races around him. With his control of magic he spread disease and suffering for whole regions of the continent. Those few who survived his rampages gave him the title of Bringer of the Plague.

Khahaiv Silver Dragon spy for the Chamber

Exile of the Evil Black Dragon

Born to the guardians of the Rajahs, Lhattix Kvelium seemed to be just like any other young dragon. He was taught they arts of magic and mental control. As a mature dragon he was given the duty to guard an ancient demon city beneath the Thunder Sea. Everything seemed fine until one visit from the Chamber. The Chamber agents realized that all of the local sea life was nowhere to be seen. When they talked to the inhabitants of the closest cities they were told stories of disappearances and shown the remains of creature that escaped the Bringer of Death. As a clear dereliction of duty Lhattix was interrogated for days as to what he was doing.

After being magically forced to divulge the truth Lhattix told the Chamber Agents about his discovery of Fiendish Tomes and his plans to experiment on the lesser creatures around him. When he refused to turn over the Fiendish Tomes, he was stripped of his position as well as banished from the Kvelium Clan. Forced into exile he traveled deep within the jungle of Xen’drik and created his new complex.

Experiments and Tests

During his fist few years in Xen’drik he seemed to spend most of his time studying ancient texts and the local inhabitants. After the giants were stamped into Eberron, the continent of Xen’drik became a land of wilds and random magic events. It seems that this was the main reason Lhattix chose to live here. It is known that by the end of his fifth year in Xen’drik Lhattix was conducting tests on the locals. Several warped creatures were found wandering the jungle causing chaos in their wake. When these creatures were killed it was discovered that they were Drow or giants before something happened to them.

The Chamber was never able to determine what Lhattix had done to the creatures. It is known that many planar creatures were making deals with Lhattix. After a century of experiments done in secret, Lhattix was seen several times flying around his jungle. He was covered in silver engravings over his entire body. He also seemed to have the power to completely dominate creatures. With his new powers his risk had to be reassessed. To this end the Chamber sent two agents to discover what he was up too. Only one of the agents returned and his mind was completely broken. All that the Chamber was able to gather from the agent was that Lhattix viewed himself as the judge of the Drow and the giants.

Plague upon Xen’drik

Lhattix began spreading plaque in and around his jungle. No creature seemed to be immune to the diseases. Before they all died Lhattix cured enough of the creatures to allow them to repopulate the region. Over the following millennia Lhattix spread the plaques it seems to keep the populations at a constant level.

Many of the creatures in the areas controlled by the Great Wyvern Lhattix looked upon the dragon as a god. Lhattix took advantage of his worship to gain willing subjects for his experiments. Whenever the Drow gathered amass Lhattix arrived and wiped out large numbers of them.

Demise of the Great Wyvern

After wiping out a giant settlement Lhattix came across a lone Drow wandering throughout his jungle. He decided to follow the Drow from his lair though his Demon Glass. He watched for days as the Drow single handily killed many of his creations. While this irritated Lhattix, he was smart enough to observe the Drow for weaknesses before attacking it.

When he decided to attack the Drow I was watching them from my post in the Great Bloodthorn grove. Lhattix first collapsed all trees within a hundred feet of the Drow. Somehow the Drow survived with minimal damage. Next the two combatants engaged in a several day long mental battle. In the end the Drow killed Lhattix and shattered his body. The Drow passed out from its’ injures and did not wake for several hours.

Lhattix’s Treasures in the Present

After his death I tried to find the entrance to Lhattix’s lair however I was unable to locate it. This of course means untold knowledge, treasures, and dangers are just waiting to be discovered.

Kingdom of the Blazing Moon

2011-09-28T18:42:00.002-04:00

As the fifth moon passed between the thirteenth moon and the sun a Ring of Fire opened in the heavens. The Grand Dzahit Mystic took this symbol from the gods to mean that his people should master the elements of fire. With total mastery of fire the Drow will purify Eberron with fire. Thus was born the Kingdom of the Blazing Moon.

Royal Scribe Luki’hul the Elder

Origin of the Kingdom

After some Drow ran away from their giant masters, a few dozen of them traveled to the great mountains of fire. This group was led by an ancient Drow Mystic. While the Mystic’s name has been lost to time, it is known that he was able to foresee future events and how to influence them by studying the stars. After many days of scrounging for food their leader proclaimed a sign will appear in the sky from the gods that will lead them to their salvation.

The next day a double solar eclipse happened. To the Drow this was a ring of fire that connected this world to the realm of eternal flame. The Great Mystic instructed the Drow to build a city of stone in the mountain valley below. The Drow named their new city after the great event; the Kingdom of the Blazing Moon.

Servants of the Giants

While under the domination of the powerful giants the Drow were able to learn basic magic and the construction techniques the giants forced them to use. From this knowledge the Drow were able to build a very well functioning city far beyond what others were able to do. One part of the city that still functioned when I visited the city was the water purification. This was done by creating Oozes that consumed the waste in water and left filtered water behind. However when I was there the Oozes attacked everything that approached the water.

Perhaps the longest lasting gift from the giants was their slavery. From their sufferings and forced long working hours the Drow became mentally focused and gained increased resistance to harsh elements. This level of endurance allowed the Drow to thrive in the Barren wastes of the mountains long enough to plant field of crops to sustain them. The experience of living under the giants showed the Drow that only the strong survive.

Stealing the Secret of Fire Binding

With the Kingdom’s city and the Kingdom its self existing because of fire in the sky it is only natural for the Drow to attempt to control fire elementals. Quickly it became apparent to the Drow that they lacked the understanding to control the elements. It was decided to send a dozen of the most intelligent Drow in the Kingdom into the Construction Complexes of the giants to learn all they could about elemental binding.

After several years of attempting to gather the secrets of the giants and escape again the Drow had a great streak of luck. One of the construction buildings exploded in magic flames and warped many of the Drow and giants around the building. In the confusion seven of the twelve were able to escape with several dozen Drow workers.

With the knowledge brought back to the city n the mountains the Kingdom of the Blazing Moon was able to create animated constructs powered by fire elementals. Over the years the Drow were able to barter with giant bandits and mercenary groups to keep the Drow city protected in return the giants would receive fire enhanced weapons.

Blood of Fire

After several generations of creating bound fire constructs the Drow wanted to improve themselves to be closer to fire itself. One day the sky was covered by red clouds. On this day the Blood Hag arrived and offered her services to the Drow on the condition they provide an artifact of great power. The Drow accepted this offer out of both desire and fear. The Blood Hag altered the forms of several of the Drow to gain immunity to fire itself.

The Blood Hag explained that the descendants of these Drow would maintain the benefits she gave them. Over the years the most powerful families all gained the powers of fire. This level of fire control allowed for the creation of powerful magic devices that only worked for the improved Drow.

Splintering of the Kingdom

After fifty years of Drow improving themselves the Kingdom was obviously split into two groups; the modified Drow and those who were not. Originally these groups were separated by philosophy of altering the Drow form. This quickly devolved into an oppressive system, with the modified Drow treating the unmodified as second-class citizen. After several decades of oppression the normal Drow left the Kingdom and created monasteries in the mountains.

After several generations the Drow in the Mountains developed their minds to the point where they developed psionic powers. They then attacked the Kingdom of the Blazing Moon. After several battles the city fell. However instead of killing the Flame touched Drow they were allowed to live and develop psionic powers of their own.

The Kingdom in the Present

Little is left of the city is left today. Most of the buildings are ruins although the construction forges are still in use by a local Drow kingdom. What happened to the Kingdom is unknown, but there are signs that the inhabitants killed each other. There are still rumors that there is a vault deep below the city containing great treasures and powerful artifacts from ages past.

It is highly recommended that you do not spend the night in the city for the dead have been encountered wandering the city….

Legend of the Five Iron Soldiers

2011-09-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

Beginning of the Iron Soldiers

During the Rebellion against the Giants five great heroes emerged from the ranks of the common Drow to become the pinnacle Drow virtues; these are the Five Iron Soldiers. The following is a compilation of ancient tomes and verbal histories from the many Drow tribes. While not the whole story this is as compete as I have been able compile after decades of study.

Zhed Jhe’hiv Kalashtar Battlemind

Iron Will

Hicea Ghac’hul was born about 7,295 years ago in the volcanic mountains in the Kingdom of the Blazing Moon. Her tribe was dedicated to the construction of bound fire elementals weapons and constructs. During the final wars with the giants when the great flights of dragons shattered Xen’drik, these Drow were able to seal away several construction forges. Over several decades years they mastered the construction of fire bound scorpions. They were able to train the scorpions as guards and assistants in their mining efforts.

After stabilizing their kingdom the Drow began to alter their own forms, with the assistance of the mythical figure the Blood Hag, to take on the traits of the fire elementals. The Kingdom was quickly split into two factions; those who altered their bodies to become superior, and those who were unaltered. Those who were altered treated the normal Drow as though they were nothing to be killed or worked to death as they saw fit.

The Drow who reframed from altering their bodies retreated into the mountains as began to develop their minds instead of their bodies. After many generations of mental development Hicea Ghac’hul was born during the six moon eclipse(It is from this rare astronomical event I was able to calculate her date of birth). Given this unique birth day her tribe viewed her as a gift from the gods to help them overcome the many dangers tribes around them.

At an early age it began clear that Hicea was able to block all external mental control attempts by the most advanced Psions in the region. By the time Hicea reached maturity she had taught many new mental control techniques to her tribe. When it came time to fight her first battle she was able to singlehandedly dominate an entire legion of Drow warriors. To the shock of her tribe she did not kill the enemy tribe. She instead offered to teach the mental training techniques to them on condition that they join her tribe.

Through the addition of the new Drow Hicea’s tribe was able to setup dozens of monasteries in and around the Fire Mountains. Over the next few decades Hicea Ghac’hul wandered the region testing her skills against any opponent she could find. One of her greatest conquests is her defeat of the Great Wyvern Lhattix the Bringer of Plague. It is said she shattered his mind and crushed his body. After many years of wandering she returned to the monasteries and taught the techniques she developed to the many monks there. As Hicea Ghac’hul got older she left Xen’drik for the unknown continent of Sarlona. It is unknown what happened to her for she never returned to her lands… The monasteries are still in use today by the Drow and are a source of pilgrimage for those Drow who wish to develop their minds and follow the path of learning founded by the Iron Will Hicea Ghac’hul.

Iron Body

It is well known that the giants kept may different slave over the many years they controlled the continent of Xen’drik. What is not as well known is that there were several slave revolts before the Quori invasion. While the local giants were able to put down these revolts rather quickly they never managed to capture all of the escaped slaves. One of the slaves that got away was the Great fighter Hzit Fuh.

Born into slavery, Hzit Fuh was experimented upon by his masters, the Great Storm Giant Syndicate. These Giants were the creators of many of the greatest constructs ever seen on Eberron. The experiments conducted on Hzit Fuh hardened his body to the point where he could not easily be hurt. His skin turned blue above all of his bones, giving the appearance of a skeleton.

After many years of experimentation, Hzit Fuh led a revolt against their giant masters. All the Drow, but Hzit Fuh was captured. Realizing attempting to rescue his fellow Drow would be a death sentence Hzit Fuh explored the wilds of Xen’drik gathering Drow into various military centers. Hzit Fuh showed the Drow the best ways to ambush giants and how to construct hidden cities below the Eberron in the bowels of Khyber.

Defending their cities in Khyber from the native denizens allowed the Drow to develop their physical forms to match their great leader Hzit Fuh. With their bodies hardened to ignore all but the most damaging attacks, these Drow developed such a reputation that they attracted the attention of the giants. The local Giants formed an invasion army, and simultaneously attacked all of the group’s cities. The fight was long and brutal in the end Hzit Fuh sacrificed his like for his fellow Drow to escape deep into Khyber.

Using the skills learned by the great fighter Hzit Fuh, the surviving Drow hardened their bodies to the point where they were able to control a stable empire in the deeps of Khyber. Over many generations the Drow were to teach their decedents how to punch through stone as though it was air. These Drow are still feared by all they encounter as great indestructible fighters. Today they are mainly encountered participating raids in Khyber to destroy aberrations.

Iron Mind

As the Quori invaded Xen’drik the giants realized that to completely destroy the Quori they need to attack them mentally. Though targeted breeding and warping of the body some Drow where endowed with telekinetic abilities. These Drow were either trained as assassins, or sent into the Realm of Dreams to take the battle directly to the Quori. Those trains as assassins were sent into areas controlled by the Quori and their constructs. Their main job was to kill the leaders of the different forces and increase chaos within the ranks.

The Drow that were sent through planar portals invaded the dreams of creatures that sided with the quori killing them while they slept. The most successful of these planar assassins was the Great Psion Jharrian Gril. He was never fully controlled by the giants, leading to several attempts on his life. After the seventh attempt he fled into the deserts of Xen’drik and remained in hiding for several years. When he came out of hiding the elves and Drow were rebelling against the giants. Jharrian Gril joined the fight and killed many giants by forcing them to kill each other.

When the dragons wiped out the giants Jharrian Gril led several hundred Drow deep into the deserts to teach them the secrets of mind control and telekinesis. For the remainder of his life Jharrian Gril taught every Drow who was willing to learn his great secrets. When he finally died it is said he faded out of existence. The Training area he died in is said to be the greatest area to develop mental abilities to this day. Having done so myself, with the permission of the Drow, I can say that all of my abilities seem to be magnified several times when training in that room.

Iron Strategy

During his early life he led a small band of rebels in the giant-elf war. After several victories he was given command of an army. His army became famous not only never losing a battle, but also for his brutal tactics. His enemies hated and feared him. When he marched through a region armies fled and nations surrendered. When the wars finally ended he became dictator for life of the Great Tazagh Empire. He instituted building projects to improve the lives of his subjects. He also founded several military schools to teach tactics and strategies to every officer in his vast armies.

When he began to take greater control of his empire several government officials killed him. His death so angered the population and military that they hunted down and killed everyone who took part in his assassination. To this day Zull Dimik is viewed as one of the greatest leaders ever in the history of the Drow/elf history. Apart from his story the only remnants of his great empire that still exist today are the ancient military academies used by several of the regions Drow kingdoms.

Iron Death

The origin of Drakih the Trap Maker is unknown. She is thought of today as merely the builder of complex traps and killing machines. This is a very limited view of the great feats of the greatest giant killer of the age. What is known about this Drow is that she first appears in the texts of the giants as the demonic creator of death traps. While it is known that she was not a great fighter, it is also known that she loved to create all manner of traps both simple and complex.

The next time she is mentioned it is in ancient elfish script mentioning that her tribe befriended the local kobolds and that they helped each other defend themselves from both the giants and the elves they were fighting. It is also clear from these texts that she developed traps that would only attack a particular creature, such as a elf or a giant. The ability to build these traps is beyond the ability of anyone I have met or heard of in the present time.

Diffidently one of the most mysterious of the great Drow, Drakih is feared the most by the Drow of today. Her traps are still as deadly as they were thousands of years ago. She is revered by Drow that attack from the shadows and are never seen by their opponents as the pinnacle to aspire too.

Influence on the Present Day Drow

As Karrn the Conqueror is to the generals and soldiers so are these ancient Drow to the Drow of today. For the Drow today these great symbols are at a level that only the greatest Drow heroes could ever hope to reach. Using the names or more commonly the titles of these great Drow is a normal way for the current day Drow to express acts of great feats.

While not viewed as gods these Drow are viewed as being superior beings by the current day Drow. Any artifacts found in and around the wilds of Xen’drik by explorers are powerful and dangerous objects to possess. Most times these explorers are found dead, killed by Drow; shortly after word gets out that they possess such artifacts. My best recommendation for those who find any of these artifacts is to sell them quickly and or leave the area as fast as possible.

An Adventures Guide to Stormhorm

2011-09-19T16:32:00.000-04:00

The following guide is based on my personal experiences over several expeditions in and around Xen’drik. It is highly recommended that you read through the guided entirely to get the most out of the survival tips. Without a proper guide to Xen’drik even the most experienced adventurer is likely to be killed in a very horrible way.

Gnome Monk, Professor Gneix Gholladium

The Islands of the Thunder Sea

Exploring several of the islands between Khorvaire and Xen’drik is necessary it you want an escape route from the many dangers above and below the waters. The Dangers on the Islands are obvious to those who look for them. The Presence of an alter and or a bloody area on an island has likely been the site of many sacrifices, and likely to be again. Islands that have no fresh water sources are at best a quick resting spot, for even the strongest hero needs water.

On the other hand islands that have fortified buildings are likely to be safe shelters as long as you have extra supplies. Islands with a harbor are a respite to those running from The Devourer’s storms. Beware of harbors with small opens for pirates raids these areas often.

There is one island that you must avoid at all costs, Death Mist Isle. This island is surrounded by reefs and thick fog regardless of the weather around the island. A few ships have been seen arriving and leaving the Island, however it is well know that no one ever attacks these ships. Everyone who has tried to get onto the island has been found either killed or mortally wounded, if they are even seen again.

Apart from ending up on a pirate controlled island the largest danger faced on these islands is from the Sahuagin. The best way to survive a Sahuagin attack is to flee the area as quickly as possible. This will hopefully take the attacking Sahuagin into the territory of their neighbors allowing you to escape while they fight each other. If you cannot get away by sea stay as far inland as possible and fortify your location.

The Surrounding Waters

When sailing through the waters during the weeks necessary to reach Stormholm it is best to travel in groups of ships. A lone ship will likely be attacked by pirates and the many horrors of the seas. It is also very critical to watch both the surrounding water and the surface of the water around the ship. Without constant guarding for dangers it is likely that the ship will be boarded long before the crew becomes aware of the danger.

It is best for both the ships and the crew if the shortest possible route is taken to reach the shore. The longer the route, the greater the chance for additional attacks on the ship from additional hostile creatures. I say additional because nearly all ships are attacked at least twice during their journey. It is also best to over supply for your journey. In this way you will be able to last a good period of time at sea if you become lost.

When you start getting close to shore watch the water carefully for any changes. There are many giant ruins below the surface that can damage the ship, not to mention what might be living in the ruins now.

The City

The City of Stormholm is a wonder to be hold. The first thing you will see are the colossal ruins of a giant city. It is upon this ancient city that Stormholm is constructed. Before you arrive you need to understand that laws in this city are very grey, not the rigidly enforced laws of Khorvaire. As long as you do not cause problems to business or order in the city you won’t have anything to worry about.

Within the city you will be able find anything you want provided you have the gold. In the middle of the city are the wealthy representatives from the five nations and the various religious centers. Surrounding that are the living quarters and businesses for the bulk of the population. On the outskirts of town are traders dealing with newly arrived artifacts and treasures from within the vast Jungles of Xen’drik.

Under the city are miles of catacombs, some of which have not been entered in thousands of years. The dangers in the under-city are great, but so is the treasure brought back by those who survived the encounters. It is highly recommended that you make donations to the Pirate Lords that control the City when you find large treasures. Those who do not have accidents more often than not.

The Jungle

Before heading out into different sites within the wilds of Xen’drik it is critical that you get a trusted guide to show you the way. Without a trust worthy guide you could end up travelling for months without seeing any travelers. Worse yet you could meet the native Drow or Giants.

The Drow may seem primitive however I have met several tribes that wielded powerful fire weapons. In any case it is very important that you avoid the Drow unless you are lucky enough to have a Drow guide. It is also important if you do encounter the Drow to determine what they regard as sacred. In this way you can avoid a very painful death.

The giants of Xen’drik are really to separate groups. The first are the primitive creatures that have the tent city outside of Stormholm. They can be traded with, in most situations. However they are big so if they get angry run away as quickly as possible. The second type of giant is one that wields incredible magic. These giants are few and far between. Be wary of them for they tend to think of smaller creatures as inferiors and disposable.

The creatures that roam the jungles are varied and dangerous. While they are far too numerous to list them all, it is important to carry as many weapons as possible to survive the dangers. This is also the main reason why all successful expeditions to ancient giant sites have had many experienced guards.

Acquisition of Wealth

Stormholm is outside of Sharn the easiest place to acquire wealth quickly. If you want steady work you just need to become a member of the Stormholm Guard. As long as you follow the orders of the pirate lords and keep order in the city you have a steady living. You largest issue to deal with is the high levels of thief in the city.

If on the other hand you want quick money you will need to join expeditions through Xen’drik. The Wayfinders Foundation has several Expeditions into the interior each year. There are also many universities that send expeditions throughout the year. Depending on your skills you could get work as a guard or even a tracker. After several expeditions you will even be able to act as a guide for some of the expeditions.

While I do not condone such activities if you are truly broke you could always take up piracy. This is a one way trip to fortune or death; for very few people have been able to rejoin society once they became pirates.

Necessary Supplies for any Expedition in or Around Stormholm

· Food and water for several days

· Several hundred feet of rope

· Guide to Giant and Drow scripts

· Acquiring all maps of the area around where you are going

· Extra Weapons

· A lot of extra ammunition

· A guide

· Someone who can speak the natives language

· All weather gear

· Climbing gear

· Extra sacks and trunks

· Several Long Poles to test for pits and traps

Great City of Sul’lat

2011-08-18T11:50:00.002-04:00

Origin of Sul’lat

Founded during the Rise of the Giants tens of thousands of years ago by the Sun Giant Sovereign Khu’lat, Sul’lat is a giant labyrinth of interconnected buildings. Known by weary travelers in the desert as the Great Mirage, Sul’lat in a city of wonders unknown in the modern age of the common races. This city is the oldest constantly inhabited city apart from the ancient cities of the fiends and dragons.

As the giants advanced in the many aspects of magic technology through the millennia the city of Sul’lat acquired these innovations incorporating them into its structures. From this assimilation the city was always a place of wonder to visitors. As the city’s population grew the interconnected passage way were expanded into the sky and into Khyber’s deeps.

Many years ago a Wayfinders expedition that had wandered lost in the desert for months with little food or water came across the lost city. After a few weeks of recuperating and wandering the city the expedition left for the great pirate city to the east. It is from this expedition that we have gathered this information.

Sul’lat’s Destruction

During the Giant-Quori War the city installed Dream traps, with the help of the Order of the Broken Crown, to capture and kill all Quori and their hosts. The traps saved the city from many assaults by the Quori whom never made it into the city. Through the many attacks on the city the giants with the help of the Order were able to design shields that not only made it impossible to attack or teleport through, but also hid the city from all those who have any hostile intentions toward it.

The improvements to the city meant nothing when the great flight of dragons came to destroy Xen’drik. The City survived, but in was heavily damaged by the attacks. In secret the Order was able to assist the city’s population in evacuating with very little loss of life.

Improved Design

With the Orders assistance the Sun Giants rebuilt the City and built additional traps to capture dragons that entered the city. Over the next century the giants were able to rebuild the city shielded from the curse of the dragons. With the new construction completed the giants began to build deeper into Khyber as well as into the clouds above.

After several dragons were captured the Sun Giants were able to negotiate their release for the promise of never using destructive magic outside of their city. The traps to capture the quori and dragons are still in use today by the hidden city.

Present Day

Hidden from view by powerful magic the city can only be found by those who know where it is or those close to exhaustion in the desert. For those who find the city the giants will allow them to wander freely through the maze of streets and building as long as they do not break the law.

Great City of Hut’olth

2011-08-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

Origin of Hut’olth

Founded by the Jh’olth Death Giant Clan as a stopping point between the cities of southern Xen’drik and the dangers of the realms in Khyber, Hut’olth is a marvel of engineering. Very quickly this way point amassed a large population of residents selling items and services to the explorers entering Khyber. With the large influx of money the way station was quickly expanded into a full blown city. However instead of going up, all of the buildings were constructed down.

After a few decades of construction the city itself was mostly within Khyber’s depths. To keep out creatures from Khyber the City was surrounded by a shield that only allowed giants and their slave the elves and dark elves through. The shield was later improved to stop all teleportation and telepathic communication.

Throughout the many kingdoms of Xen’drik the city became known for it’s tri-annually raids through Khyber. These events were renowned for their great prize, a life size platinum statue of the winner. The goal of the raids was to collect as many heads of aberrant creatures as possible. This series of raids was promoted heavily by the Order of the Broken Crown.

Hut’olth’s Destruction

During the Giant-Quori War the City was attacked several times, however it never fell to the Quori. With the assistance of the Order the giants were able to isolate and heavily shield areas of the city for the giants to remain secure in times of siege. After the Order helped to create the Dream Prisons, several hundred were setup around the city to trap the Quori so the giants could kill them.

When Xen’drik was attacked by the dragons they city was raised to the depths of Khyber with many of its inhabitants killed. However most of the population was safe within the heavily protected areas of the city.

Improved Design

With the help of the Order of the Broken Crown the City was redesigned to prevent a similar attack from destroying the city again. The first step to rebuilding the city was to get the city’s shield back up to prevent attacks by Khyber’s residents. It took several months to keep Khyber’s residents at bay long enough to setup the shield again.

After 80 years of constant construction the city was rebuilt larger and stronger than it ever was before. The shield surrounding the city was reinforced by three additional shields around the expanded areas of the city. The city’s buildings were made from a transparent metal lining a blue metallic stone. The giants found that the materials were strong enough to withstand most magic and all mundane damage from creature.

With the completion of the city the Order began the tri-annual Khyber raids again in the hopes of attracting giants that survived the dragon’s massive attack. After several decades the city was back to its former population. The Drow and Dwarves whom lived nearby also were accepted as permanent residents of the City by the Death Giants.

Present Day

To one of the common races or even to one of the giants on Xen’drik’s surface the city would be a place of amazing magic and wonder. Visitors are heavily inspected before they are allowed within the city. Once inside the visitors are allowed to wander freely as long as they follow the laws. The tri-annual raid into Khyber still happens and heroes who attempt it and survive are likely to be famous pillars of power when they return home.

Engineering the Giants

2011-07-30T18:36:00.002-04:00

Experiments Commence

To further both their own power and the power of their descendants the Giants began to experiment on their own bodies. After several decades of breading superior intelligence and strength through magic the giants began using the other planes to gain new and more powerful abilities.

Influence of the Order of the Broken Crown

A very mysterious group openly manipulated the giants toward an unknown goal. The group pushed both the giants and their elf slave to master all aspects of their environment. The Order also began to lead the giants into believing all planar creatures were evil and destructive. Most giants believed this to be true and began to explore the other planes to gain not only power and knowledge, but also additional slaves to serve them.

Some giants however viewed other planes inhabitants as many good, with only a few bad elements. These giants opposed the Order as often as they could, however they could never master enough power to make much of a difference. These giants found that they were more effective fighting the Order when they assisted peaceful planar travelers in their dealings on Eberron and in Khyber. When the giants working with the Order got wind of these rouge giants, the rouge giants were forced to live out their lives on the planes whose inhabitants they helped. Their descendants can still be found on the different planes today…

Rouge Giants

Even though the Order went to great lengths to ensure that all giants created with the properties of another plane were killed, some survived. These giants are born as Outsiders with no real connection to the material plane. The ones that survived either left Xen’drik to live on the plane they felt connected to, or they seized power from weaker giants around them. Ten of the most powerful are listed below;

The Reaper – Born from Death giant parents, he took on the properties of Durroth the Realm of the Dead. His touch either by hand or through his weapon drained the life from all creatures they came into contact with. Deep within Xen’drik, now below water, was the Shrouded City of Zen’gik. The Reaper gathered enough followers to seize power from the Dark Queen and ruled the kingdom with an iron fist. He ruled for a thousand years before the city fell silent… When giants finally entered the city years later they found both the giants and their slaves dead, however there was never any sign of the Reaper himself. The City was shunned as a cursed area for thousands of years afterwards. What waits for explorers today in the depths of water no covering it is unknown.

Jhathix the Just – Born to the Great Sun Giant king Ghagit and one of his slaves, was Jhathix a giant with a very strict logical thought process. Jhathix is thought to be the founder of many of the laws implemented throughout Xen’drik during the peak of the giant kingdoms. While she was known for her harsh punishments she was not evil or good for that matter.

King of Fire and Shadow – Born from fire and death giant parents, this giant appeared to be on fired and surrounded by a shroud of shadows.

Twin Ice Lords – Born from Frost giant parent while in Risia the Plane of Ice, these giants appeared to be Frost giants except that when they breathe out they exhale freezing water up to twenty feet from themselves. The brother and sister gathered a large number of frost and storm giants under their rule in their mountain city in the clouds.

Lady of Mayhem – Born under unknown circumstances, this giant can assume the form of any creature. She is thought to be a follower of the traveler. She never formed her own kingdom, but instead wandered Eberron assuming the shape of different creatures to create mayhem in her wake.

Mistress of the Wild – Born from forest and jungle giants, while Lamannia the Wilderness Plane was centermost to Xen’drik. She had a maternal affinity to all of nature’s creatures. It was only natural she became a druid whom founded the first organized group of Druids from the many giant clans giants.

Mouth of Madness – A warped and twisted giant created by the giants to further understand the Plane of Madness. Neither male nor female this monstrosity destroyed its creators and molded their flesh into servant aberrations. It took several years for the Order to finally destroy the giants and all of its creations.

Foreman Lord – Created to dominate the Giant’s cousins the Foreman in the Fey Realm, the Foreman Lord became too attached to the Foreman race. This friendship developed to the point where the Foreman Lord created and ruled over vast numbers of Foreman in the Fey Realm. His descendants still rule the kingdom to this day.

Crystal King – Created by mistake from a defective Creation Forge, the Crystal King led armies of the giants against the Quori. During the war with the Quori, the Crystal King never lost a single battle; such was the strength of his will. After the War he disappeared with several dozen loyal followers. It is thought that he still wanders the planes today.

Baron of Nightmares – Warping together a Quori and Stone Giants to dominate the Quori lead to the creation of the Baron of Nightmares. This creature was created by the giants; however the Quori Mind Seeded the young Giant controlling its actions. Years later the Baron of Nightmares began scaring giants to death while they slept. Only through the use of two of the Destiny Arms were the giants able to kill the Baron.

The Order of the Broken Crown - Part 5

2011-07-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

Enemies and Allies of the Order

Dreaming Dark

As one of the main reasons for the Order’s existence, the Dreaming Dark is a dangerous enemy for the Order since most of its members are not immune to the mental domination the Dreaming Dark is capable of rendering. So far the Dreaming Dark is unaware of the Order, but one betrayal is all that is needed to end this advantage to the Order. The Order has several counter measures in place to stop the advance of the Dreaming Dark; however they still have no way of ridding them from the material plane entirely. This has led some of the members to enlist the help of heroes to collect each of the destiny arms created by the giants long ago.

Church of the Silver Flame

Given that the Order is primarily made up of fiends, the fact that the Church of the Silver Flame is an enemy is not surprising. The goals of the two groups are not in and of themselves opposed the main reason for the two group’s disagreements has to do with their members. The two groups know of each other, but both do a good enough job of staying away from each other that conflicts are rare. Even in the event that a battle occurs between the two groups both seem to shrug it off as their duty and move on with their larger plans. During the Last War the Order used the Crusades of the Silver Flame as a cover to kill any creatures they found threatening.

The Aurum

The Aurum and the Order are both after as much power as they can gain. They come into conflict over common targets, although the Aurum has been unable to prove to its members that the Order exists. In the event where they have a common goal the Order removes whatever obstacles it can from the Aurum’s way. In the event the Aurum ever discoveries the Orders existence Eberron will be a different place as the two groups either join forces or more likely start another war to destroy each other.

Lords of Dust

Given the eon long plans of the Lords of Dust it is difficult for the Order to predict the reactions of the great fiends. For the Order weather it treats the Lords of Dust as an enemy or ally depends on the individual fiend’s goals at the time it interacts with the Order’s goals. Over the course of the Last War the Order helped the Lords of Dust integrate into many of the powerful organizations in the Five Nations. In return for this assistance the fiends gave the Order complete diagrams of Quori monuments and there locations in Riedra.

Green Singers

Each group’s goals are against the other so it is very unlikely that the two groups will ever be allied. The Green Singers know about the Orders existence, although they are far too weak to threaten them. The Order on the other hand cannot directly attack the Green Singers without making enemies of the other Druidic orders. Over the past few centuries the Orders has manipulated the Children of Winter into attacking the Green Singers several times a year. During the Last War the Order was able to destroy many of the powerful fey from the Fey Realm, thus weakening the powerbase of the Green Singers. All was going great for the Order before the Day of Mourning. On that day the Great Spires from the Fey Realm stayed on the material plane. This influx of extra-planar creatures onto Eberron was a great blow to the Order.

Daelkyr

As the ones responsible for the aberrants in Khyber and on Eberron they are to be stopped in any way possible by the Order. Nearly every incursion by the Order into Khyber is to destroy the Daelkyr’s creations. Fighting the Daelkyr and they creations is one goal that the Order and other powerful groups are willing to set aside their goals to work together to destroy.

The Order of the Broken Crown - Part 4

2011-07-23T16:02:00.002-04:00

Rise of Khorvaire

Human Invasion

Many centuries after the fall of the great goblinoid empires the humans on Sarlona had their own great empires. The most infamous of these was the empire of the demon lords. This empire was the birthplace of the tiefling race. After many millennia of empire rule the continent was invaded by creations of the Quori as part of their invasion from the realm of dreams. The only option for those resistant to the mental domination of the Dreaming Dark Agents was to flee the Continent for Khorvaire. Fleeing the Psionic invaders of Sarlona came several great migrations of humans and shifters to the islands off the eastern coast of Khorvaire.

The Order had several agents in Adar and were able to safely protect common races while they setup Psionic barriers. The Order also setup and helps the resistance movements within Redia to the present day. These members of the Order of the Broken Crown make sure no one knows who or what they are. In the event one of them is captured the other members of the Order will kill them before they are forced to revile any secrets.

The Five Nations

As with the goblins the humans were manipulated by the Order of the Broken Crown into great nations to be more effective against the many dangers from the other planes. Even the Great Karrn the Conqueror was supported by members of the Order whom want a stronger empire to assist their mission.

With the creation of the Khorvairian Empire the Order thought that at last they had a force to destroy the many aberrations in Khyber. The King’s most loyal advisors were members of the Order. With this level of control the Order was able to make the King paranoid of all outsiders. While at first this helped the Order’s goals of destroying Khyber aberrations since the king sent many heroes into Khyber’s deeps, it became apparent that the kings mind had fractured as he began attacking none threatening nations along his border. At this time the Order focused more and more on the King’s children.

After pitting the King’s children against each other the Order was able to control the future of Khorvaire. Different parts of the Order had different goals of what to do with the future rulers they controlled. One group thought that it was best to pit them against each other. Another thought that it was best to form alliances between the different children. Once again the Order was forced into effective neutrality by the last war.

The Last War

The Order had no clear goal with the war and was powerless to lead additional raids into Khyber. Members of the Order stayed out of political decisions during the war. The main action they took was to control as much of the great shadow war as possible. In this way the Order was able to make targeted strikes against their enemies with any evidence covered up by the operatives they controlled.

With great battles and shadow wars happening over the whole region the darker elements of the Order began to assassinate everyone they thought was controlled by a planar creature, after extracting every ounce of information they can for those creatures. The Order was also able to readjust political member of Breland’s Parliament to allow an easy rise of the Daughters of Sara Karel to rise in power to the point where they controlled a whole country.

The Order of the Broken Crown - Part 3

2011-07-17T07:26:00.000-04:00

Goblin Empires

Foundation of an Empire

With the fall of the Giants at the hands of the dragons the Order’s focus shifted back to Khorvaire and onto the aberrations dwelling in Khyber’s deeps. With goblinoids living over much of the continent the Order set about the formation of Empires and armies. Controlling and organizing the many tribes of goblinoids quickly became impractical. The Order manipulated several of the largest tribes to conquer their neighbors. After a few decades of war the goblins were reorganized into a few dozen city states within five large kingdoms. These empires fought amongst each other more than they fought aberrations in Khyber.

The Order did its best to lead as many raids into Khyber as possible. When the raids were not successful the Order dominated the Empires leaders into being increasingly paranoid about attacks emanating from Khyber. Through these actions the Order convinced the goblinoids to build vast cities in Khyber to guard against the aberrations. A few of these great cities are rumored to still exist filled with twisted goblins warped by the aberrations they constantly fight.

After several hundred years of goblin rule Khorvaire was threatened by several planes becoming centermost. The Order already knew that a relatively stable group of empires would be more efficient to defeating the invaders then many squabbling empires fighting amongst themselves. With great difficulty the Order was able to broker peace between the empires. It is thought that to accomplish this amazing feat they killed several troublesome rulers and had several of their members take on the ruler’s forms and mannerisms.

Fall of the Goblins

One thing the Order did not expect was that a great green dragon would arrive to prepare the goblins for an incoming planar invasion from the Realm of Madness. The Order knew of the Realms dangers since they had been fighting aberrations from the Realm since before the Rise of the Giants. The Order did its best to encourage all goblins to prepare for the coming war and support the new guardians of nature the goblinoid druids.

When the planar invasion finally happened, it was far greater than anyone expected. While the Gatekeepers were able shift the Realm of Madness out of contact with Eberron it was too late to stop the armies already here. Every single goblinoid empire fell with very few survivors left to retain their former glory. Only in isolated pockets were the goblinoids able to protect their cities. Many of the survivors fled into Khyber to its great cities only to find them raised to the ground by vast aberration armies.

The Order was able to help seal away the new aberrations, but the still roam Khyber’s great deeps. Over the following millennia the Order formed an uneasy alliance with the Gith races that turned on their former masters. With their combined forces they were able to decimate several of the aberration armies. To this day they lead raids into the great deeps of Khyber to destroy as many aberrations as they can find.

The Order of the Broken Crown - Part 2

2011-07-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

Age of Giants

Rise of an Empire

With the help of the dragon’s great knowledge of magic the giants were able to quickly learn the arts of magic and create wonders the dragons themselves could not. To accomplish the creation of their thousand foot buildings and their floating cities the giants delved into dark magic the dragons viewed as evil. The Order seized upon the opportunity to be incorporated within the growing giant empires.

The Order of the Broken Crown acquired many giants, elves and dark elves to join its ranks over a few decades. With this incursion into every facet of the giant society the Order was able to convince the giants that they could increase their power further by gathering secrets and understanding the weaknesses of creatures from other planes. The many different giants began setting up sealed buildings in other planes that would protect its occupants from any danger the realm presented.

Through the giants continued travels to the different planes the order was able to create weapons and shields that would assist creatures on the material plane kill creatures from the other planes. To this day the Order possesses the technology and magic to create the magic items amass if they are needed again. The Giants provided the diagrams to some of their creations to the Order for its own use.

Invasion of other Planes

With the great power wielded by the giants they began to enter other planes to increase their power further. Several members of the Order of the Broken Crown encouraged the incursions to learn the weaknesses of the planes creatures; however when the giants began to enslave and experiment on the planar creatures, the powers that be on the other planes began fighting the giants whenever they encountered them.

This hostility to the giants was expected, however what was not expected was that the giants would begin engineering their offspring through magical machines to overcome any dangers they might encounter. This was the origin for the many different giants today such as the Fire, Death, Frost, and other giants. The Order encouraged these experiments as long as the creatures were still of this plane. There were times when giants were created to close to planar portals and took on the properties of different planes. The Order did its best to destroy these creatures before they grew too powerful. They were not always successful…

After many centuries of experimentation some of the giants with the help of a creature called the Blood Hag advanced their descendants to the state Titians for each of their races. It is also rumored within the lore of the Order that there are Titians with the powers of gods living in magical cities in Xen’drik.

The Invasion of Xen’drik

To escape their destruction by the changing of their plane the Quori came to Xen’drik to find a way of living on the Material plane. The giants feared the creatures from the Realm of Dreams and fought a great war to destroy them all. The Order of the Broken Crown did its best to ally, the different giant clans against the Quori instead of each other. The Order also assisted the giants in the creation of traps that can capture the Quori called Dream Prisons.

After many years of constant battles with great mechanical creatures assisting both sides, the giants were able to kill or drive off most of the Quori after using Cataclysm Magic. Taking advantage of the giants weakened state the elves rebelled. When the giants attempted to destroy the elves with the same powerful magic the dragon formed the largest flight in Eberron’s history and destroyed Xen’drik and putting it in today’s present state. The Order had members on all sides of the wars and was essentially rendered neutral. However after the wars ended the Order was able to help organize each of the groups into functioning cities and settlements.

The Order was able to save a few hundred giants and most of the Titians from the dragon’s magic that devolved the giants over a hundred generations. These giants retreated to secluded temples and hidden cities hoping to preserve their great power and rebuild their empires in the future. Even with the assistance of the Order of the Broken Crown only Hut’olth the Crimson City in Khyber and the desert city of Sul’lat have been rebuilt completely, the rest of the cities are too far gone. At this point the Order’s members in Xen’drik main goal is to recover as much technology of the giants, and keep it from the hands of the Dreaming Dark. They are also the main instigators for the Drow attacks against Riedrian Settlements and patrols in and around Xen’drik.

The Order of the Broken Crown - Part 1

2011-07-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

The Origin of the Order

Many eons ago the first of invasion of Eberron occurred from the Realm of Dreams. The Demon Lords and their dragon slaves drove them off without any issue; however the Great Hag seers saw that steps needed to be taken to remove all threatening creatures from Eberron. Over the years they were able to gather small numbers of the Rakshasas and formally founded the Order of the Broken Crown.

Many years later the dragons discovered the prophecy and fought the great wars with the Demon Lords. During this very long war the Order was repeatedly weakened as their members were killed fighting in the Great War. During this time many fiends and aberrations invaded the many realms of Khyber and threatening the Demon Lord’s domains. This weakened the Demon Lord’s power base enough for the dragons to take the upper hand and bind all of the great Demon Lords in their great cathedrals.

It took several thousand years for all of the group’s members to either reincarnate or in the case of the Hags be replaced in the Order’s ranks. With its membership backup to full, the Order began to approach each Deva they found to ask it they are willing to join. Most of the Devas said no before attacking the fiend and forcing it to flee. However there were a few who agreed to help remove all threatening planar creatures from Eberron.

Over the years the Order attacked or manipulated others into attacking creatures from other planes on Eberron and within Khyber. While the fiends had little quam with innocent creatures being killed as long as the hostile invaders were killed, the Hags were smart enough to realize that having as many people survive the battles as possible would allow for a greater trust in the Hags for future needs. Devas always try to find heroes to lead attacks on creatures from other planes while trying to maintain the greatest good for the most people.

The Fey Court - Part 2

2011-06-26T14:34:00.000-04:00

The Satyr’s Party

Party’s Origin

Several centuries ago a powerful satyr came to Eberron through during one of Thelanis’s centermost phases and liked what he saw deep within the jungles of Xen’drik and decided to stay. Over the years he has developed a hedonistic affinity for all sentient creatures and invites them to join his party.

Consumption of the food and drink at the party requires a fortitude check every hour

v Success means the creature is immune to the harmful effects for another hour

v Failure means that the creature losses 1 will point

o Three failures mean that the creature becomes dominated as long as they stay at the party.

Party Features

The party is in the middle of Xen’drik surrounded by the wilds of the continent. The city looks like it is brand new. This is mainly due to the Satyr’s guests cleaning up and maintaining the area for the party to continue comfortably. The complex is also cleaned by remnants of the giant magic that still functions. Anything that could be dangerous to the satyr’s guest’s safety is sealed off and very difficult for any adventures to find.

The party is surrounded by an odd red and yellow fog that all local creatures know better than to enter the fog. Any friendly locals will tell adventurers that entering the fog is not wise. Once a creature walks into the fog it is lost and cannot get out for half an hour. Any creature on the outside of the fog cannot communicate with those in the fog. When they do get out of the fog they always stumble upon the party, and not back into the wilds.

The giant ruins have been rebuilt, complete with levitation effects and other wondrous devices. This is a wondrous sight to all intelligent creatures when they first see it. All creatures must make a Will 10 saving throw or stand a gasp for a five rounds. If creature is able to gather enough information about the features that they may be able to construct a weaker wondrous device at a later time from diagrams they make on site.

Every intelligent race from the region is represented at the party by at least two party goers. Regardless of their relationships in the world all party goes treat each other with respect. Any partygoer that gets pregnant is sent out into the world with its memory erased of what happened at the party. This has led to several very surprised mothers when they give birth to a child with traits of a different race.

In the middle of the party is a very large stadium. The stadium was originally intended for games, fights, and performances, is now a constant bacchanal. Every ten days the stadium is cleared out for partygoers to see performances by bards and dirge singers who are present. Anything can and will happen in the stadium so creatures only enter when anything goes. Surrounding the stadium are very large buildings for partygoers to relax and sleep in. Within the party’s boundaries, any food or drink a person thinks of appears next to them within a round.

Partygoer’s Response to Visitors

If the visitors become violent at any point every party goers goes berserk and attacks the visitor until it stops causing violence or is dead. They then go back to the party as though nothing happened. If visitors are friendly they are given food and drink and welcomed to the party. Then the partygoers try to seduce the visitors into staying until the visitors lose their freewill to leave…

The Fey Court - Part 1

2011-06-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

The Fey Queen

Many years ago the powerful Sprite walked through a planar rift during a centermost incursion. When the portal opened from the fey realm she saw striking creatures in Eberron and walked through to know them better. She found the intelligent races interesting and delighted playing games with them. What her true name is, is unknown but she seems to like the title of Queen.

When she arrived she set up her court in the wilds of a small island in the Thunder Sea. After her arrival the island is stayed in a constant state of spring. The powerful sprite breathed intelligence into the monkeys on the island, whom now make up the largest population of the island. With her realm established she began attracting fey creatures to her court.

The islands reputation to sailors journeying from Sharn to Xen’drik is one of fear. It is well known to sailors to avoid the enchanted island even during the last war no navy ever tried to conquer it. Still there are times when sailors have no choice, but to land on the island. The queen is still amused by the short lived creatures that sail by throughout the year. Along though she still lives on the island she has settled down in her palace and rarely walks the shores of her island.

When she grows bored with this world she has but to journey to the nearest portal and walk through. When the occasional creature comes to her island she delights in playing pranks and games on their senses. More than one foolish adventure has drawn her wraith, by harming native creatures or stealing some of the island’s treasures.

Stories told by the few people that have been to the island and returned have given us the ability to state how interactions with creatures and the Fey Queen are likely to play out. Creatures with animal intelligence like her, and she views them as pets so they are likely to be fine wandering around. Intelligent creatures with a high charisma are likely to be seduced by the queen. After she has her fun the creature will be released. To these creatures only a few hours will have past, however when they reenter the world they have been gone for days. Intelligent creature with low charisma scores are likely to be shunned away as being undesired things. If they don’t cause trouble they will be allowed to wander the island.

The Great Game

Every two years on the longest day of the year, a torment is held on a small island 100 miles from Xen’drik. This is the only time of the year that the queen will leave her island. The competition is popular among explorers from all over Khorvaire whom seek its great prize, a very large Khyber Shard worth a king’s ransom. The goal of the game is to be the first to acquire the stated object and bring it to the queen. There are no rules other than to give the object to the queen. The duration is unlimited although it normally ends within a month.

To become a contestant of the Great Game groups of four to six members must be invited to compete by one of the Fey Queen’s servants. In order to get noticed adventurers need to have helped a fey overcome a threatening force. Also all contestants are told when they agree to compete in the Great Game that the only rule is to bring the object to the Fey Queen and that anything goes when trying to complete this task.

The Jester

2011-06-11T21:39:00.002-04:00

On a solitary island constantly sounded by fogs, and reefs lies an island in the Thunder Sea ruled by the Jester King. All sailors know to give the island a wide birth and never to harass any vessels that leave its ports.

Islands History

Originally it was a desolate island in the northwestern thunder sea with little plant life and no animals on its surface. After the Jester arrived, plants covered the island and fresh water began to flow through the two rivers on the island. When exactly the jester arrived is unknown, but it was approximately 800 years ago. It is unclear why he came or from where.

All merchants and pirates know to avoid the island not only because of its inhabitants, but also because of the many natural dangers surrounding the island. Ships are sunk next to the reef so that it can easily grow over the wrecks and limit the enter points to the island. Storms constantly rage around the island while leaving the island alone in its spheres center.

Before the arrival of the jester the desolate island was originally controlled by barbaric Sahuagin from the surrounding water. These Sahuagin lived in towns and cities beneath the seas. They came up to the surface for sacrifices and to setup traps to lure ships into the territorial waters.

The Sahuagin where forced away by the undead at the jester’s command. It is still known today that many undead battle the Sahuagin around the island boarders. It is also known that bodies of those lost at sea within 20 miles are never recovered.

The Jester

Little is known of who or what the jester is. He looks human although powers he possesses are far beyond the scope of human knowledge. His eyes are deep blue with no whites of the eyes. They are said to peer into the souls of those that see him. He always wears a yellow and white jester’s outfit. He holds a magic orb that either heals a person of all of their wounds or sucks out their life force. He is extremely chaotic and is just as likely to help someone as hurt them.

He seems to have little interest in the world beyond his island. This could be why the dragons, fiends and the dreaming dark have not tried to interfere with the island’s activities. It could also be the case that he is in hiding. If this is the case it is horrible to imagine what would scare the jester enough to hide away, and what would happen if those creatures came looking for him…

The Jester’s court

Jester- is the king and rules over the entire island and its inhabitants uncontested. He also controls the actions of both the barons and the witches cabal. He almost never leaves his palace unless there is a special ceremony. The jester keeps a group of beholders as pets and is thought to breed them. There are three barons under the jester that control the surrounding region.

Zombie general Thut Xun- It is said that Thut Xun is the only creature that knew the jester before his rise to power. He controls a sizable undead force that leads raids on passing boats. Counterattacks against Sahuagin settlements are also under his control.

Air marshal Laharr- One of the founders of the island and long time follower of the jester is this Jinn. It is well known that the great Jinn is the adviser to the Jester and able to calm him during stressful events. The Air marshal controls the smallest group of forces on the island. The strikers are all capable of flight, some with the aid of mounts. They patrol the sky above the island from stirges, giant eagles and other threats from the air.

The maddened one- Her true name is unknown. Relatively new to the island only arriving 20 years ago this gnome female is totally insane and nearly all of her actions seem random, although she accomplishes her goals faster than any other baron does. Controlling the largest group of brutes, it is their job to fight back any invaders anywhere on the island within a short period of time. She is the favored baron of the jester, who views her as great entertainment and delights in her chaotic actions.

Witches Cabal

The cabal contains many different races (humans, elves, fey, hags), but all members are female. They oversee relations with the mermen in the north whom view them as great protectors and sages. The cabal also oversees the weather and maintains the fog around the island. Currently at 23 members the group is small and very powerful. The duty they are most known for by creatures from outside the island is their control of the colossal arena.

Known as the portal arena by the islands inhabitants the arena is the largest known on Eberron. Most of the planes feed creatures into the arena to fight with adventurers for money and personal glory. The arena has fifteen sides one for each plane although several of the sides do not have functional gateways. Why some work and other don’t is unknown.

On the uppermost platform in the center of the arena is the Jhartick Alter. The savage rites are performed on this alter each time it appears. On the night of four or more moons are full the alter appears and a sentient creature is sacrificed to the gods. The creatures body is absorbed into the alter leaving no trace behind. If the sacrifice is saved the nearest creature to the alter is killed instead. It is not known what happens to the creature sacrificed.

Interactions with Creatures of the Thunder Sea

War with the Merman

The merman live is fortified settlements along the north shore of the island where a reef creates natural homes for them as well as providing a ready food source. The Merman constantly war with local Sahuagin. In the event the mermen are attacked the witches will provide magic protection and a sheltered area to wait out the attack. The witches cabal oversees all relations with the merman and contracts them out for jobs after saving them from their enemies. They are used primarily as scouts and guards to alert the island’s inhabitants of any incoming group or force. Thanks to the mermen so far no one has made it to the island without advanced notice.

Truce with the Aboleth

A sizable group of aboleths live in a network of caves that riddle the entire underside of the island. By some unknown means the jester was able to convince the aboleth that hostilities would be unwise and cooperation would be more mutually beneficial to both parties. Unruly visitors are handed over to the aboleths for use as slaves and food. Slaads (Frog-like creatures) are the servants of the aboleth that guard the many entrances to their lairs.

Constant battles with the Sahuagin

Sahuagin inhabit the coasts of the island in several settlements the range in size from a small town to at least two confirmed cities. After several failed attempts from the island’s inhabitants to secure peaceful relations with the Sahuagin the island is on constant guard. The sahuagin’s aggressive nature has made peace impossible with any other creature. The only reason the Sahuagin have not overrun the island is that they fight far more with each other than with any other creatures.

Blood Hag - Part 6

2011-06-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

The Foundation of the Blood Hag’s Realm

Her journey through the planes showed the blood hag many ways to create and control many different types of creatures. After being attacked in each of the different planes the Blood Hag began to loathe the many nonnative creatures and the dangers they brought and still bring to Eberron and Khyber. From each of the different planes the Blood Hag was able to gather relics and resources for her lair.

From her extensive study of the dimensional portals she was able to create portals to each of the different planes. On the other planes the portals open to an impenetrable building with one way windows to view the planes. From these controlled posts she was able to monitor and study many of the creatures on different planes.

As her reputation grew in Khyber she gathered followers from the different planes to use as servants and subjects for her experiments. After she had several thousand followers she had many of them descend into Khyber’s deeps to create several cities. Many of these cities still exist today and are known to send out patrols to destroy any aberrations they can find. To store her vast libraries she created extra-dimensional portals to contain her massive lair and her experiments. It is said that her realm is always expanding and that it is now a world onto itself…

After studying the different planes and their creatures for several decades the Blood Hag compiled an extensive creature catalog of nearly all of the different species. This catalog includes; abilities, resistances and weaknesses of the creatures from the weakest peon to the strongest immortals. These many Tomes are considered her greatest work and many Demons, fiends, hags, and mages would kill for a copy of one of the tomes.

After compiling her great tomes the Blood Hag began to alter creatures through selective breeding. She seems to have developed a method to create creatures that are pinnacles of their perspective races. It is known that several Giant clans and their Titian Lords from Xen’drik took the Blood Hag up of her offer to make their descendants beings of great power. The only thing blood hag wanted from them was their eternal loyalty and yearly tributes of sentient creatures to be experimented upon. It is not known what happened to the blood hag after raising many creatures to higher states, but it is believed that she still lives within the labyrinth’s deeps.

No creature that has searched for the Blood Hag these many millenniums has ever returned to Eberron again…

Blood Hag - Part 5

2011-05-28T11:48:00.000-04:00

Quest through the Planes

Her Journey began as she entered Kythri through an ancient portal deep within the Frostfell. Within a great chasm of ice there was the old gateway created by the giants many thousands of years ago. Though it is thought that the gateway to Kythri is still there today no one is known to survive the many dangers of the Frostfell.

When she arrived in Kythri she began her experiments manipulating the planes environment. After a few weeks in the plane of Chaos she was attacked by a swarm of unknown flying creatures. After an hour of constant battling the blood hag was able kill or drive off the flock. She then began tracking down the flying creatures to see where they had come from. To her shock they came from a city larger than any she had seen on Eberron. The city’s inhabitants were primarily made of crystal like materials, although there were humans, elves and dwarves there as well. After the blood hag was presented to the city’s rulers she was given a building to live in for two months, after which she must leave the city.

During her stay in the city the blood hag began her manipulations and experiments on the populace of the city. When the rulers of the city became aware of her experiments they began sending dozens of soldiers after her. While she was able to overcome the first several waves of soldiers she was forced to flee into the great floating castle of the Jinn Xil Gcavart. The Jinn protected the Blood Hag on the condition that she fills several tomes with her knowledge of the great magic arts. This massive task took several months of constant work. In thanks for the many tomes the Jinn gave the blood hag access to his portal to Dal Quor to continue her journey.

The next plane she went to was Dal Quor the realm of dreams through a portal within the floating castle of Gcavart. Once within Dal Quor the blood hag began to manipulate the dreams of mortals from both Eberron and the deeps of Khyber. After avoiding the many Quori over several weeks, she was finally spotted. While she was able to fend them off and remain unharmed she was forced to travel a great distance toward the center of the plane. It is believed that the blood hag is one of a handful of creatures that have seen the great dreaming god of the plane and returned to tell the tales. What is known about her escape is that she was forced into the Astral Sea, but who or what forced her there is unknown.

After her escape from the realm or dreams she found her way to one of the many islands that dot the Astral Sea. From this first island she was able to acquire a ship and crew to sail through the Astral Sea. From the Astral Sea the blood hag was able to talk to survivors of the Daelkyr invasions of different worlds. From these survivors she was able to gather that the Daelkyr and their abomination servants were unable to survive in the Astral Sea or any other plane than the Material Planes as well as the Far Realm they came from.

Last on her journey was Xoriat, the plane pushed out by the great seals in the Eldeen Reaches. How she entered Xoriat has been lost to us, but it is assumed that she entered through one of the conquered worlds. What we were able to find out is that her mind was truly fractured by her journey through the alien plane and that she fled out back to the Astral Sea. After traveling back to Eberron it is known that she began to fanatically destroying aberrations from Xoriat whenever she encountered them.

After Traveling to the deeps of the Labyrinth in the Demon Wastes she began to create her own realm…

Blood Hag - Part 4

2011-05-15T19:26:00.000-04:00

Studying the Planes

After many years spent experimenting with the ancient alter the blood hag looked into the history of all of the planar incursions to see who possessed the power to alter creatures physically and mentally. She was able to finds out about powers possessed by creatures from other planes; Xoriat, Dal Quor, and Kythri.

The innate ability of the Daelkyr to mold flesh into new forms that can breed true most intrigued the blood hag. Given the many years she spend warping animals she was never able to get them to breed true, so if she could find out the Daelkyr’s methods she would be able to create new creatures. This would be the most dangerous of her planer journeys given the planes alien aspects and its ability to drive visitors insane.

The blood hag envied the Quori for their ability to create any object or creature within the mind of any sleeping creature. The ability to control the minds of others both intrigued and scared the blood hag. After her extensive study of the planes and its invasions of both Eberron and Khyber the Blood Hag created a series of magic tattoos around her head that prevents any king of mental intrusion.

The ability of strong willed beings of Kythri to form creatures out of nothingness demonstrated to the blood hag the necessity of both a high intelligence and strong will for her creations. It has also been surmised that the blood hag began to experiment on herself to improve her own intelligence. While a journey to this plane would be dangerous the benefits would be greater than any other would.

After several years of studying ancient records of the planes she began her journey to the three planes…