u/CT_Phipps-Author

For those who are unfamiliar with them, back when Lovecraft was kind of a niche of a niche in the horror/fantasy/scifi community, i.e. 1970s, Brian Lumley (Necroscope) decided to write a series about a pair of occult adventurers based on Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Brian Lumley has never been a fan of "ordinary dude sees horror, goes insane, and dies."

Instead, his titular character and his sidekick react in a uncharacteristic of Sherlock Holmes and Watson manner that upon discovering the sinister Chthonians (sandworms of Dune but on Earth and MALEVOLENT), they proceed to set out on a globe trotting quest to kill them all that ends with them trying to blow up the mile long sandworm with a nuke. THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK (The Burrowers Beneath).

The second book has the protagonist get a TARDIS (it's a coffin-shaped clock that can travel through time and space and has a planet destroying laser. He marries Cthulhu's niece (her father is an okay dude who rules over Heaven--that is another planet) and becomes an immortal cyborg.

IT GETS WEIRDER.

These books were my introduction to the Cthulhu Mythos in college and I read Lovecraft and played Call of Cthulhu second. I wonder it influenced some of the choices I made writing my Mythos tomes. But yes, I highly recommend the audiobooks.

For those who are unfamiliar with them, back when Lovecraft was kind of a niche of a niche in the horror/fantasy/scifi community, i.e. 1970s, Brian Lumley (Necroscope) decided to write a series about a pair of occult adventurers based on Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Brian Lumley has never been a fan of "ordinary dude sees horror, goes insane, and dies."

Instead, his titular character and his sidekick react in a uncharacteristic of Sherlock Holmes and Watson manner that upon discovering the sinister Chthonians (sandworms of Dune but on Earth and MALEVOLENT), they proceed to set out on a globe trotting quest to kill them all that ends with them trying to blow up the mile long sandworm with a nuke. THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK (The Burrowers Beneath).

The second book has the protagonist get a TARDIS (it's a coffin-shaped clock that can travel through time and space and has a planet destroying laser. He marries Cthulhu's niece (her father is an okay dude who rules over Heaven--that is another planet) and becomes an immortal cyborg.

IT GETS WEIRDER.

These books were my introduction to the Cthulhu Mythos in college and I read Lovecraft and played Call of Cthulhu second. I wonder it influenced some of the choices I made writing my Mythos tomes. But yes, I highly recommend the audiobooks.

I'm currently playing in a campaign where the player characters are operating out of Droaam while being the only airship pirates (*Abney Park plays in the background*). However, one of the subjects that comes up is attempting to get the nation recognized by the other Twelve Nations with all the complications that entails--especially for lovable rogues like themselves. So it was perfect timing that I picked up and enjoyed this book with its surprisingly nuanced take on politics in Eberron.

• The Twelve Nations are not necessarily 100% opposed to recognizing the state at the beginning. There's a lot of prejudice and stereotyping about monsters but no one is irrationally bigoted or if they are, they aren't going to avoid sending representatives because other ones are and they don't want to be left out.
• Everyone generally hates each other more than the hags themselves with the Last War in the background. There's some "give peace a chance" types but none of them are really very effective and not making the shot calls.
• My favorite scene in the book being the Valenar warrior who has clearly been raised on nothing but the propaganda of retaking their ancient lands of Valenar only to find out everyone else thinks of it as craven cowardice and betrayal of Cyre--and he really never prepared an argument for how other races would see it. Which I admit I have made the exact argument for with one of my characters who hated the Valenar (and was a Cyrean half-elf born from a Valenar father).
• The hags go HARD on intimidation tactics and showing their might off with all stick versus carrot. This is because they already know how they're viewed. It weirdly is reminiscent of RL dictatorships that think its better to be feared than loved. All military parades and WMDs.
• The entire thing is derailed by the lycanthropic apocalypse 2.0 (electric boogaloo) where the hags are outmaneuvered (except for the one who can see the future) by beings even older and more powerful than them. However, the hags can't salvage the deal not because it happened but because they can't apologize or admit it was an event out of their control. They even try to say they could have done the same thing because, again, they're dictators and showing weakness is anathema to their brains.

It's a fantastic novel that managed to combine Eberron's mature take on society and worldbuilding (with a focus on economics, national relationships, and so on) with the fact that this is a setting where supervillains out to open gateways to hell or raise Cthulhu exist.

Kudos, Keith. Can't wait to read the next two.

https://beforewegoblog.com/review-the-shattered-land-the-dreaming-dark-2-eberron-by-keith-baker/

THE SHATTERED LAND by Keith Baker is the second volume of The Dreaming Dark trilogy set in the Eberron universe of Dungeons and Dragons. Try saying that three times fast. Eberron is a fantasy steampunk (or "dungeonpunk" if you want to be one of *those* guys) setting where airships and lightning rails substitute for planes and trains while wands replace guns. It's a great setting and I rank it up there with Vampire: The Masquerade and Call of Cthulhu for my all-time favorite places to visit in my imagination.

The previous book was a noir detective story about investigating a mysterious serial killer of dragonmarks operating in the fantastical city of Sharn. Lei, Jode, Pierce, and Daine are a group of exiled Cyreans whose country was eradicated by a mysterious magical disaster that has left them refugees. It dealt with topics of racism, classicism, prejudice, and corruption without being tied to any real life events. Overall, I really enjoyed it and was anxious to see what the second volume would tackle.

To my mild disappointment (but only mild), The Shattered Land bypasses all of the seedy underbelly of Sharn and politics of Khorvaire to go on a mission to the continent of Xen'drik. Xen'drik is every pulp adventure jungle story combined with it being the place that Eberron's fantasy Indiana Jones and Lara Croft would inhabit full time. Daine is dying of a constant assault on his consciousness by a dream demon called a quori and his acquaintance, Lakashtai, says his only hope lies in the far off land.

Xen'drik is kind of fascinating in that it's the primary means that most people will encounter Eberron out "in the wild" due to being the place where Dungeons and Dragons Online was set and the video game Dragonshard. I suspect because it would take a lot more effort to realize the more mechanized continent of Khorvaire (Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magics Obscura is the closest RPG available right now and its decades old). Anyway, we get the corrupt city of Stormreach, meet multiple feuding drow tribes, and also get some insight into the lost giant civilization.

The real appeal of the Dreaming Dark trilogy is the characters, though. Daine, Pierce, and Lei have a great dynamic between them even if Jode's absence is noticeable. Daine is the cynic who refuses to believe in anything bigger and wider than himself but is still a good friend. Pierce is the loyal follower but starting to think that life is more than just obeying orders. Lei is the most curious and idealistic but also suspicious of anyone who gets too close to Daine. We also have the mysterious Lakashtai that really surprised me with so many unexpected twists regarding her.

I think this is definitely Pierce's book as we see him deal with warforged who are clearly traumatized by their time of slavery and want to punish humanity for their crimes. Seeing Pierce lured in by that, not because he hates humans but because he's desperately lonely for the camaraderie of his own kind, is an interesting commentary on radicalization. It also has an entirely sexless romance that appealed to me as he connects with his own mechanical version of a femme fatale.

I think if you're looking for how to play the cultures of Xen'drik and its societies then this is the book for you. The drow not being Underdark dwelling evil matriarchs was a choice I really enjoyed. Here, they're every secret native group protecting or trying to break open ancient evils that you see in things like The Last Crusade or The Mummy. They also have their own unique attitudes far removed from the typical morality or ethics of the Khorvaire but understandable given their situation.

In conclusion, The Shattered Land is a fantastic follow up to The City of Towers. Do I miss some of the fantastic noir sensibility of the previous book? Yes. I definitely hope Keith Baker will someday return to the mean streets of Sharn. However, we get to see a proper pulpy jungle adventure here as well as insight into drow that don't worship the Spider Queen. I'm definitely reading the sequel.

Hey guys,

Just finished re-reading these books after twenty years. One thing that left me confused was the "twist" that Lakashtai turns out to have been Inspired and Tashana turns out to have been Kalashtar.

How exactly does that work since Tashana spends the entirety of The Shattered Land torturing and tormenting Daine in his dreams even before Lakashtai becomes involved as well as employs a bunch of Reidran mercenaries.

It's not exactly typical Kalashar behavior. Is Tashana just meant to be the world's only Chaotic Evil Kalashtar?

Pretty much the title. Obviously, it never will be but share your thoughts on where you think the story was heading story wise.

For me, the trick was the most annoying relationship in the book was one that Kvothe would NOT succeed in and that is the best thing Rothfuss could have done.

Yes, I speak of Kvothe and Denna AKA The Anti-Romance. Basically, that it's interesting qualities is that it ISN'T one and that it fails despite Kvothe's attempts at hammering reality to make it work aka Jay Gatsby.

I think the trick to appreciating Kvothe and Denna (and we'll never know so I go with what I like most) is that there is no relationship. Kvothe desperately wants there to be but Denna says that she is not financially secure enough to have any relationship that isn't transactional (i.e. with a rich dude). Kvothe refuses to accept this and unlike all of his other problems, cannot clever his way into a solution. So she ends up being the one who gets away.

And being an author, I 99% believe that Denna marries his old rival, who becomes king after the plague, and said king is the one Kvothe kills.

As mentioned, my players love making their own fun and today they've decided they are interested in creating their own crooked mining corporation. The thing is they don't have a mine so they want to take advantage of the (relatively) more advanced business structures of Eberron as well as its politics to get it off the ground.

FACTS:

1. Droam has a vast amount of mineral wealth. Especially dragonshards and beshyk.
2. They have to deal with House Tharashk because no one recognizes their nation.
3. No one likes monsters, either, especially Flameites.
4. Cyre is incredibly poor and doesn't have a pot to piss in but lots of monsters on their border.
5. Quickstone is a frontier place on the borders of Breland

Players Plan:

1. Try to get an Enclave in Quickstone to transport (read: smuggle) valuable minerals from Droam.
2. Load them up in the PCs airship (which is the only non-Lyrandar one in the world barring random supervillains)
3. Transport it to Cyre and have them serve as their merchant face for people who don't want to buy from monsters.
4. Eventually use the money to build up an enslave in Quickstone for actual dealings across the border and invest in New Cyre like a Gold Rush (take these anti-monster slaying weapons to loot the Mournlands--you can actually survive and strike it rich now, in the meantime stay at our inn).

I have to say, points for audacity. Ideas to screw with this are already popping in but I also think this would make a fun mini-campaign.

1. Obviously, this will need a good cash start up and that means the PCs must raid some ruins or rob some lightning rails like the airship bandits they are.
2. House Tharashk will send them a hippogriff's head in their bed.
3. The Hags will notice this and definitely want a piece of the action.
4. Gorodon Ashlord is a good guy to want to smash this down and raid the town.
5. Lots of wild west plots like House Orian wanting to build a route through their territory and cut off their planned business at the pass.
6. Oargev might want to write them out of the deal because, well, he has his people to think of.

https://www.bookbub.com/books/space-academy-dropouts-by-c-t-phipps-and-michael-suttkus?ebook_deal

* w/ permission of the mods.

Hey folks,

Do you like hilarious science fiction? Ragtag groups of misfits out to save the galaxy? SPACE ACADEMY DROPOUTS is free from August 19 to 24th and I thought people would like it. The price is right after all.

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUPERVILLAINY SAGA:

"Boldly going because they're completely lost."

The newly renamed Vance Turbo has sabotaged his own career at Space Fleet Academy due to a desire to atone for a training accident. Unfortunately, his actions result in him getting press-ganged into an expendable crew of misfits recruited by a legendary starship captain. Their mission? To recover a collection of lost sun-destroying missiles that could restart a galactic war. Unfortunately, Vance is smart enough to know something is wrong with this picture. After all, no sane person would recruit this crew to save the universe.

SPACE ACADEMY DROPOUTS is an all-new series from the hilarious duo of C.T. Phipps (Supervillainy Saga, Agent G) and Michael Suttkus (I Was a Teenage Weredeer, Lucifer's Star) that lampoons the space opera as well as military science fiction genres.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q1MS51G?_bbid=355254543&_bbtype=blog

Hey folks,

I am a huge fan of the Dresden Files and the series is very regularly on sale on Bookbub so I thought I'd alert everyone about one of the cheapest options for those who are attempting to fill in their collection electronically like I've been. The books are flawed, yes, but I am in love with Murphy, Molly, Bob, and so many others.

Turn Coat is one of the best, IMHO.

EBERRON is my favorite Dungeons and Dragons setting and also the most difficult to describe with the possible exception of Planescape. It’s kind of a magical steampunk 1920s where the Last War stands-in for World War One and you’re all closer to Pulp heroes or detectives that do battle with goblin gangsters, fascist necromancer knights, or Cthulhu-like cultists. It’s full of elemental airships, trains, and the occasional carriage with no guns but plenty of wands. If I had to recommend any media ‘like’ Eberron then I’d recommend The Legend of Korra, Netflix’s Arcane, and the Garrett PI books by Glen Cook.

THE CITY OF TOWERS by Keith Baker is the first book of the Dreaming Dark Trilogy. The premise is pretty good for explaining what Eberron is all about with the last day of the Last War. Rather than victory, it ends with the catastrophic destruction of Cyre, a nation that was one of the main participants in the war. I say rather than victory because no one knows who or what did this so every other nation signs an uneasy peace treaty that satisfies no one. Because that always works in real life.

The protagonists are Daine, Lei, Jode, and Pierce. All of them are survivors of the Mourning (as it comes to be known) and have spent their past couple of years in a Mad Max hellhole trying to survive before arriving in the neighboring country of Breland. They’re remarkably well-adjusted for this and it’s commented on that they seem to have only a vague memory of their ordeal. Unlike Dragonlance or even the Legend of Drizzt, our heroes are not primarily interested in fighting evil upon their arrival. Instead, they need coin for survival and dealing with the fact they’re homeless refugees hated by the Brelish.

Yes, The City of Towers is fantastic noir and really does invoke a lot of the same beats as detective fiction with goblins and Mourners standing in for minorities despised by the human majority. It’s not really about racism, though. That’s just the backdrop for the murder mystery of Lei’s betrothed that was supposed to be their meal ticket as a party. Hadran D’Cannith was a vastly wealthy man that ends up knocked off not a few minutes after finding out Lei is alive and heading his way (in the opening chapter). From there, the plot involves betting on flying animal racing, body horror cults, and a sphinx giving a prophecy in a ratty old, abandoned church.

One thing this book deserves credit for along with Eberron in general is the fact that it was one of the first settings to throw out a lot of D&D unquestioned tropes. Goblins, harpies, and other “monster” races live in the same city as humans or elves. Daine gets an earful when he treats changelings as innately suspicious because they’re shapeshifters. Level scaling in-universe is also well done with very few NPCs having the kind of world-shaking power that Elminster or even Drizzt has. Daine is a very tough fighter, but he is shaken down by five or six corrupt city guards. Despite this, low-level magic is ubiquitous with Sharn providing most guard with Feather Fall tokens so they don’t end up falling over the side of lifts like stormtroopers (have you considered railing?).

This is Keith Baker’s first novel but functions well as a contrast from the typical “popcorn” fantasy of Dungeons and Dragons. Expect a lot of fight scenes and weird creatures but that’s why I come to these novels. It’s occasionally awkward when Lei explains things that her fellow party members should already know about the world like how Dragonmarks work (which is extra ridiculous given two turn out to be members of the houses themselves). However, if you want a good “starter” book for Eberron, it’s hard to say this is a bad choice. Even if you aren’t familiar with the tabletop RPG setting, you’ll get a good sense of the fantastic Great Depression in a city of giant towers.

My PCs like to make their own fun.

In this case, in a low as I prepared the next adventure, they decided to take advantage of their renegade Lyrander airship (one of the PCs is its pilot) and proceed to raid a warlord of Dargunn's slave community to slaughter all of the guards, the warlord himself, and rescue the slave population within. It was an adventure on the fly but it was one that I felt they could pull off and wasn't about to punish them for being innovative.

But as one of my player characters said, "Consequences are a witch and so am I."

The slaves the PCs rescued were a bunch of Brelish and Cyreans leftover from the Last War where they were either POWs or villages that had been in Darguun before the Goblin consequests. Part of that 6% human population of the 800,000 in the country. The PCs managed to take them to New Cyre with some supplies and making several trips across the border.

They also...called the press and offered to pay for their lightning rail tickets.

(The PCs are in the words of Abney Park, "A crew of drunken pirates. They're the only airship pirates.")

Which they assumed would be some cheap good publicity while they're on the run from House Lyrander.

I'm now thinking of ways for this to spiral out of control or at least lead to new adventures.

EDIT:

One plot hook I was thinking about is the delicate balance being upset between various forces.

1. The death of the warlord (who was a minor to mid level one) causes the others to realize they're vulnerable and start debating allying together, particularly against Lesh as well as his reforms.
2. The Brelish who are among the rescued slaves cause a FAR bigger uproar than any dirty enslaved Cyreans and there's a push in Parliament to go demand any enslaved Brelish be repariated or Dargunn punished.
3. The Cyreans themselves are given a good horrific look at the treatment of their countrymen in Darguun and this gives the people of New Cyre something they didn't have before: a focus for their rage. Possible guerilla war and terrorism is a thing that will complicate the brelish situation more.
4. Lesh himself thinks the PCs might be a good case for eliminating some of the more problematic warlords...and then probably betraying them because it would unite the people under him if he could deliver the attackers.

I thought I'd share this for ya'll from my campaign notes.

1.    While traveling on an airship, the PCs find themselves under attack by a renegade Lyrander corsair that has been corrupted by the Dragon Below.

2.    See #1. The PCs find that the airship has a Lyrander apprentice who is happy to pilot the second vessel for them as he's terrified of going "home" given what he did under his unwilling boss.

3.    A traveling sideshow salesman has a massive dragonshard with the head of a prehistoric Warforge inside it. He wants the PCs to guard him as he transports it to a buyer.

4.    See #3, the object is real and from Xen'drik, which terrifies the owner. 

5.    See #3, the object is a fake but a very well made one that was created by a warforged trying to create a pre-war history for his kind.

6.    See #3, the object's buyer is Merrix D'Cannith who wants to revive the warforged head for its secrets. 

7.    The PCs are hired to investigate a nationalist militia that has been specifically targeting veterans of the Last War.

8.    See #7, it is a recruiting place for the Emerald Claw that uses charm spells and nonmagical conditioning to create the goons that they use in all of their missions. The washouts are killed and made into undead.

9.    See #7, it is a recruiting place for the Swords of Liberty who are preying upon the disaffection of veterans in hopes of creating disruption that they can take advantage on a national scale.  

10.    See #7, their employers are Dark Lanterns who suspect one of their former members is the one responsible for this.

11.    A House Valdis outpost has gone dark and the PCs are hired by their discretion to investigate it. It turns out that it was a magebred facility that has been corrupted by Daelkyr cultists. The PCs will be paid extra if they destroy all the evidence, including the survivors.

12.    A fire giant from Xen'drik has escaped a traveling circus and set himself up in a nearby farm where he's eating the local livestock. The PCs don't have to slay him but he doesn't speak the local language and was not taken to Khorvaire voluntarily. He very much would like to go home but that may be impossible.

13.    The PCs are hired by House Cannith to recover a strange mechanical part. The part is a Creation Forge part that could be used to repair one of the destroyed ones. It is in the hands of a group of warforged renegades.

14.    A family of shifters claims that a fanatical Thrane knight wants to slaughter them and has been harassing them for weeks.

15.    See #14, they're a family of lycanthropes and the paladin wants to confirm it before slaying them.

16.    See #15, they are in fact lycanthropes but are Lawful Good werebears.

17.    See #16, this doesn't impact the paladin's plans to slaughter them as diseased monsters.

18.    The PCs are contracted to serve as couriers in a secret set of negotiations with Prince Oargev and King Boranel. They're supposed to do this at a ball and relay letters as well as messages while no one is the wiser. Dancing, food deliveries, and other oddities are afoot.

19.    See #18, the negotiations are Prince Oargev being offered to be made Duke of New Cyre but giving up his claim to Galifar's throne. Which multiple parties would rather Oargev die than happen.

20.    See #19, King Boranel actually wants to fund New Cyre settlers in Xen'drik or Q'barra or "elsewhere" with the profits of this all for New Cyre but meant to keep their numbers in Breland low.

21.    See #20, it is a marriage contract to one of his daughters (or sons). Which would tie them intristically together.

22.    A dying Dark Lantern agent has discovered the identity of the murderer of King Boranel's wife. The PCs have the encrypted message but the people trying to kill the agent are Dark Lanterns themselves (or appear to be at least).

23.    Once a year, Pontifex Jaela is allowed a day off and the PCs are asked to provide security lest the church see her doing things that are fun like riding dinosaurs or watching clowns. The Cardinal simultaneously considers this a massive state secret and vital for her spiritual health.

24.    A riot has broken out in Thaliost over the murder of a citizen by the Church's Templars. Possibly. Who was killed and why seems to constantly change based on who is doing the telling. If the flames (no pun intended) are not put out soon, it may turn into a full-fledged uprising.

25.    See #24, the riot was organized by the spirit of the Overlords and designed to merely cause as much misery and horror as possible. 

26.    See #24, the riot was done by a Aundair Duke who plans to "restore" order and claim the city for Aundair once more despite how likely this is to reignite the Last War or at least a Thrane-Aundair war.

27.    See #24, the riot is just a naturally occurring one but Cardinal Krozen is letting it play out because he wishes to justify a violent suppression followed by property confiscations to replace Aundair-loyal citizens with Thranish ones.Surely that will work out fine.

28.    A mysterious tablet is recovered from an archaelogical site in Droaam. It is then stolen by the Emerald Claw in full Indiana Jones villain glory. A beautiful Morgrave University researcher needs the PCs help to recover it! According to her research, the tablet is legendary magic that can bestow a WISH.

29.    See #28. The archaeologist is Emerald Claw herself and working directly for Lady Illmarrow. The WISH tablet is the only way she might be restored to her living status and give her back her Dragon Mark. The Emerald Claw renegades worry she will betray her undead followers then.

30.    The PCs end up drugged and wake up enslaved on a massive dreamlily plantation by an obsese member of the Aurum with the aid of his Inspired allies. They are on the borders of Droaam and have been slaving both humans and monsters both to create as much of the drug as possible. They also play the two groups of slaves against one another to keep then in line.

31.    See #30, the Daughters of Sora Kell know about this atrocity but are bribed into letting it happen. They will just blame human evil if it is discovered after all and have even been selling some of their dissidents to it.

32.    A Cyrean Avenger attempts to recruit the PCs to kill a Valenar warlord visiting their location. The Avenger claims that the warlord massacred thousands of Cyrean refugees fleeing the Mourning. Whether the PCs agree or not, he ends up dead and the Avenger both in unrelated murders that trigger a massive dust up between the Cyrean locals and the visiting Valenar delegation. 

33.    See #32, it is actually a member of House Lyrander who arranged this. The warlord wanting the Lyrander to no longer administrate their lands in Valenar or, worse, pay higher tribute.

34.    An insanely rich and well-respected Lyrander noblewoman has been working with House Cannith for decades on the ultimate airship variant: a void ship that she intends to reach the moons with. This "Spelljammer" is something that is about to launch and she wants the PCs to help guard it against sabotage.

35.    The PCs are approached with an offer by House Sivis to buy the rights to their adventures. If the PCs agree, they soon find a large number of printed stories across the continent with incredibly inaccurate (bordering on exploitation) versions of their adventures with sleazy covers. It does massively improve their reputations in...some ways.

36.    The Bloodsail fleet successfully surrounds Dreadhold, seizes control over the location, and threatens to release the worst prisoners unless Saeria the Lich is returned to them. Which confuses a bunch of people as they were under the impression they were in Dreadhold.

37.    A Cyrean refugee claims a Lightning Rail is transporting a huge amount of stolen goods from the Mournlands to their Aurum buyers. It's time for a train robbery!

38.    See #37, the people guarding the train are adventurers who recovered the loot themselves and consider it finders keepers.

39.    See #37, the loot is actually on its way to Prince Oargev and the "refugee" who wants to steal it back is the man supposed to recover it but tired of living in desperate poverty.

40.    A patriarch of House Kundarak has died and his goods are needing to be recovered from his trap-filled dungeon vault since he left no heirs. The PCs are thus hired to recover it with the House neglecting to mention they'd hired a second team of evil adventurers who have decided to keep the contents for themselves.

41.    House Cannith and House Phiarlan have created a device called the "Magical Moving Lantern" that can store illusionary recordings of performances in dragonshards. The financial benefits from this are beyond imagination. But someone has stolen the prototype!

42.    See #41, it's a member of House Thuranni who are tweaking their sister house's nose.

43.    See #41, it's a member of House Phiarlan who believes this will ruin the market for live shows.

44.    See #41, it's the inventor who knows it doesn't work because the dragonshard is rapidly used up. 

45.    See #41, it's all of them in a comedy of errors.

46.    The Emerald Claw is seeking to unleash a biological plague that can turn people into zombies via a bite and are demanding a king's ransom not to do it. House Jorasco are willing to pay the PCs a vast sum to assault their fortress and destroy all samples. 

47.    See #46 because House Jorasco was the group that created the plague and the fortress is their secret lab.

48.    It's the Race of Eight Winds time again and the PCs are asked to serve as their jockey's bodyguards as this one is going to be particularly nationalist. Mobsters, spies, and more will be all attempting to influence the race.

49.    See #48, Prince Oargev is also planning to fix the race to win a vast amount of money that he'll use to help the people of New Cyre...or so he says.

50.    See #48, if one of the PCs is a skilled rider, they must take the place of their patron when they're discovered to have been poisoned before they even became their bodyguard. 

51.    Gadzooks! Strange unidentified flying objects are circling around farmlands, leaving mysterious circles, and kidnapping locals! Is it Illtihids? Githyanki? Aboleths?  

52.    See #51, it's a bunch of fairies having fun.

53.    See #51, it's actually a group of gnome illusionists covering up an illegal dragonshard mine and kidnapping locals to serve as slaves. They plan to bury everyone alive once they've cleared out the vein.

54.    Two dinosaur barons in the Talenta planes are feuding over grazing patches for their thunder lizards. They've escalated to everything short of murder and the townsfolk want the PCs to meditate the issue. A war between them would destroy the economy.

55.    A non-Cannith artificer has figured out a way to used spent dragonshard powder, charcoal, saltpeter, and a long metal tube to allow non-magic users to create a very cheap wand of magic missles or staff of eldritch blast. The only downsides are you have to aim it. He'd like the PCs to be angel investors in his possibly terrifying weapon of war.

56.    A gnoll warlord in Droaam claims he has a new dragonmark and is the founder of a new House. Hehas begun gathering an army around himself while the Twelve declare him an Abberant.

57.    See #56, he is actually a reincarnated Deneith mercenary who has come to love the people who he identifies with now. This is his misguided plan to get them some more respect.

58.    The Swords of Liberty are employing a renegade Sivis scribe to print pamplets across the kingdoms that are full of horrific libel. They're designed to exploit existing divisions and rouse the populace into violent lynch mobs as well as riots. King Boronal is not interested in fighting words with words and offers the PCs a sum to find their print shop as well as writers before slaying them.

59.    See #58, the actual reason for this is that one of their insane theories is actually correct but which one?

60.    The Boromar clan of Sharn has invited the PCs to the wedding of one of their daughters. This actually isn't a trap or some weird way to make a job offer, the daughter is just a huge fan of the PCs adventures. Then, of course, House Daask decides to kidnap her.

61.    House Tarkanan has had multiple members of their clan murdered and dissected in horrible ways. They believe the Twelve are hunting them. Others attribute it to a deranged serial killer.

62.    See #61, it is a deranged copper dragon wanting to study the abberant marks.

63.    See #61, it is a Cult of the Dragon Below who is attempting to harness their power.

64.    See #61, it is a member of House Tarkanan attempting to seize power by blaming the Twelve while he eliminates his rivals.

65.    The Galifar Aquila is a dragonshard relic of incredible value to the Royal Family and has been lost for centuries. A series of murders and thefts put the object in the hands of the PCs with a House Daask troll, a beautiful elven femme fatale, and a weasally halfling all after it. But does it belong in a museum or, perhaps, a particular royal family?

66.    Morgrave University is showing a display of orcish native art at a gala when it is attacked by a bunch of drow warriors to recover them. Weirdly, they're interrupted by another group of orcs who fights them. Both groups claim one of the relics in the collection is a prison for a powerful demon while the other is trying to free it.

67.    See #66, both are lying and the relic contains a map that leads to a House Tharashk payroll transport the orcish mercenaries robbed before turning on one another. The fact they can't find it is a sign its magically warded or something has gone catastrophically wrong.

68.    See #66, that's because the idol IS a prison for a demon and he's promised the prize to whoever frees him.

69.    One of King Kaius' brides is making a legal challenge on vampire persondom in the Brelish court systems. She knows his true nature but is hiding it even as many individuals want vampires to remain legally dead. The PCs can side with or against her.

70.    An Eldeen Reach village wants to hire the PCs to hire them to proetct them against a group of a few dozen bandits. The PCs would be accompanied by a few other oddball characters.

71.    See #70, the bandits are actually the mercenaries the villagers hired to clean out a nearby forest of monsters before cheating them. 

72.    See #70, the village is a bunch of Dragon Below cultists and the "monsters" were Gatekeepers. They hope to have more slaughter so they can awamen the creature in the now-unprotected forest.

73.    The PCs are sent into the Mournlands to recover the Crown Jewels of Cyre from Metrol, only to find an apocalypse cult of cannibals devoted to the Devourer and other survivors engaged in a low grade civil war. They can side with any of the factions they want or none of them to get in and out. 

74.    See #73, there's a mad artificer from House Cannith who claims he can reveal the secret of the Mourning if the PCs rescue him.

75.    A changeling claims to have had the PCs baby from a short relationship or one night stand. If the PC is dragonmarked, they have the dragonmark despite being a changeling. The changeling is very nervous about the safety of their child and will die if they leave the PCs sight for more than a day.

76.    A radical group of Kalashtar want to sabotage trade negotiations between Karnath and Reidra. They reveal the whole Dreaming Dark conspiracy.

77.    See #76, King Kaius knows about the Dreaming Dark but Reidra offers the chance to gain food independence from Aundair. This year will be a particularly harsh winter too.

78.    Mordain the Fleshweaver removed the brain of a particularly annoying psionicist into a self-sustaining jar. It has since gone on to become a powerful crime lord, escaping with its newly enhanced powers. "The Brain" of Sharn is believed just to be a metaphor but he's gradually dominating more and more to his cause with the ability to maintain simultaneous control over ever greater numbers of people.

79.    Of all things, the PCs inherit a hotel with an airship dock from one of their admirers. It is a perfect base for their activities but they soon find out House Ghallanda drove the previous owner to ruin before he was mysteriously assassinated.

80.    See #79, the Ghallandra who did this wasn't doing it for the House but because there was a hidden treasure inside the hotel when they were adventurers.

81.    House Sivis and House Kundarak are going to work together to do real-time trades on ventures at a former stockyard (nickname the Stocks). Almost every other house thinks this is a fantastically bad idea.

82.    A group of vampire hunters have successfully killed a powerful Karnath Lord and looted his castle. His daughter is now seeking revenge as a paladin of the Blood of Vol. She is notably not undead herself but possesses some vampiric abilities. 

83.    An dwarvish artificer is terrified of House Orien coming after him and claims he has an invention that they will stop at nothing to acquire. The invention being a weird black goop that makes roads very smooth and thus much more practical for House Orien vehicles.

84.    See #83, the easiest way to resolve this is just make a mutually beneficial contract.

85.    A young woman is running away with her half-orc boyfriend despite the fact that she is astoundingly beautiful and does not seem to care that much for him. They offer a shockingly large amount of money for their safe passage. Soon, monsters will start hounding the PCs as she attempts to flirt with any interested. She is a granddaughter of Sora Kell and on the run from her mother who wants to marry her to Gorodan Ashlord.

86.    A religious heretec claims that he derives his power from the "Vestige" of Siberys and that will enough believers in him, the Dragon God can be resurrected.

87.    See #86, It's a Radiant Idol that has a particularly effective scam going on.

88.    See #86, It's a Gold Dragon who sincerely believes this will work.
89.    See #86, It will work...after a mass sacrifice of the faithful.

90.    A local village is haunted. Literally. Dozens of horrible ghosts are wandering around the area, tormented and harrassing the living. Some of them look famous individuals who suffered suspicious deaths.

91.    See #90, it is a manifest zone to Dolurrh that used to be bound by Blood of Vol cultists who kept the spirits appeased with candy and costumes. This tradition was banned the previous year by the local Sovereign Hosters.

92.    See #90, a necromancer has grabbed an assassin who used a keeper's fang to kill their lover and are torturing both killer as well as the artifact to try to bring back their spirit from the Keeper's Vault.

93.    See #91, this is an ASTOUNDINGLY bad idea and creating a Manifest Zone to Khyber below.

94.    There's a gang war going on in a famous "party" town between House Phiarlan courtesans, a group of half-vampire prostitutes, and a changeling brothel that pretends to be a Silver Flame nunnery (the Thranish government was not amused). It used to be peace between the groups but the local ordinances have stated only one can remain open.

95.    This is actually a plot by House Ghallanda to replace the town with their own inns and "cheaper" entertainment.

96.    Queen Diani of Thrane is getting married and entertaining a variety of suitors including one of Boranel's children, Prince Oargev, an Aundair lord, and a Lhazaar Pirate Prince. 

97.    See #96. This is part of an attempt to gain support for her restoration of the monarchy and Krozen has hired an assassin to do her in

98.    See #97...or so someone wants the public to think. Diani wants the PCs to thwart the threat so she can force the High Cardinal into disgrace.

99.    See #98, the Cardinal knows this and has substituted a real assassin. He'll just blame Aundair.

100.    See #96, Diani actually wants one of the PCs to marry her (or at least be engaged to her) as a popular hero would be better for forcing the public sentiment against the Church versus a foreign invader.

101.    A Dhakaani ruin has been seized by several goblin clans that have claimed it in the name of the revived empire. The Dhakaani do not recognize these individuals as their brethren and are sending a group of troops to slaughter them. The local authorities sees this as a self-solving problem.

Hey folks,

I'm returning to Eberron after a prolonged absence and was going to revive a campaign the players were involved in awhile back and one of the elements of that was the discovery that Metrol was still alive at the "eye" of the Mourning. I never got to follow up on that particular event but I thought it was an interesting concept to explore with them having been living the Immorten Joe/Mad Max life this entire time.

Alternatively, I might also simply start the game in Dread Metrol (I love that supplement) and the protagonists manage to trigger a Conjunction (Ravenloft 2nd Edition Explanation: Kill the Dark Lord, land slides back to its home plane) and suddenly these poor bastards are discovering the war has ended and they're the symbol of peace when they are quite of the mind the war is still ongoing.

This is still very much an idea to play around with and I thought I'd share my initial thoughts about how it might go and ask for potential plots or events we might explore in the campaign as a result.

Ideas I have with this:

• Prince Oargev wants to either connect with Metrol again to either evacuate the population or try to see if it can be a functioning society. This means either regular airship travel or somehow getting a post-apocalypse lightning rail connected to it. Both of which require money that he doesn't really have as well as a safe route there.
• The people of Metrol don't necessarily recognize their prince's authority anymore or particularly share the joyous reaction that many Mourners have to their survival. As far as they're concerned, the Mourners got off lucky.
• Metrol surviving means that there's an inverted scenario for a lot of nations in that it is very cash rich and resource wise but very poor in supplies. Reasonably some people might want to trade this but more likely people will want to rob or price gouge the Metrols of their legendary art and gold. Or, hell, Oargev take all that money to help his other subjects.
• House Cannith, as well, is quite of the mind that a lot of their former loot is there and that includes Creation Forges. The three branches of the House all have claim to it and so do the warforged who now have enough influence to press their claim their destruction is dubious.
• Queen Dannel being responsible for the Mourning (she was playing with a giant artifact that merged Cyre with Mabar in my games) would utterly fuck with Cyrean national identity and possibly doom any remaining sympathy for them. Covering that up may be a PC goal or thing to stop, depending on their sympathies.
• Obviously, it could be a good base for a warforged nation as well if its biologicals could be removed but, well, it probably has a substantial warforged population as is that identify as Cyreans first (which would screw with the LOB's plans).

So what are your thoughts? What would you emphasize and play around with?

Hey folks,

I'm only now getting back into Eberron from 3rd Edition when I was buying the original books. My players want to get into the campaign world now and have a lot more interest in the 5th Edition and online kanon that I am only now becoming familiar with. Is there a source where I can find out what some of the biggest differences from Keith Baker's envisioned Eberron versus what WOTC has as its current state?

I'd love to know about the differences and where to find out more.

Big, small, whatever.