Ok thanks anyway, I was hoping it wasn't full or pbpPbP but we are full of players right now, we've already turned someone else away... you are free to lurk though and wait to see if something opens up.
Ok, I changed up my flaws slightly, I took a metal allergy to cold iron (I typed in what I thought it should do), and Conceited. I like noncombatant but I didn't want to duplicate someone else's flaw choices, just a personal thing for me.
Kael is travelling around. So far he's been to the ironroot mountains, Valanar, Cyre, and he's now in the Eldreen reaches researching about his allergy.
I should be completely finalized from a mechanics point of view tonight or tomorrow morning.
I like PbP format...I just started it last month, it's pretty fun...especailly since I get to play...I DM my live group...and never get to play heh.
So DM....here are my thoughts. Sillabare has been training at an exclusive elven school dedicated to the art of the Duskblade. Kind of and arcnae martial academy that only a few get the privalliage to attend. I'll play him kind of haughty and arrogent, sees himself as slightly better than others because of his education. The Ballerino family has amassed a slight fortune in winemaking and was able to provied thier children a better life. After leaving the school he has served as a spellblade for hire, working as a guardin for the children of nobles or protecting the personal property of elven lords who an afford to pay. I'll let you provide me some details to incorportate into the story line of the game.
Sounds good. Make sure it gets into your background so I can read it again later. I shall try to use aspects of each person's background as things go on (hopefully).
there are independent enclaves of elves outside groups from Aerenal or the Dragonmark houses, but not large to control a nation. that comes later with the Valnar.
Eberron is both epic in scope in terms of distance, yet magical travel (which improves over the course of the war)makes that distance seem miniscule so that the entire continent seems cosmopolitan. Also, races are more tolerant than in other settings ( at least as far as humanoids and some giants go). Your family could be in and around humans for centuries since they left their point of origin.
Just a note on backgrounds.
Creativity is of course encouraged and entertaining. Just keep in mind that a group cohesive has been 'engineered' through your working for Audarian agent(s). Whatever other passions or reasons for being in the country are put to the back of your mind (if they were serious passions/ambitions) or forgotten entirely (at least when the handler is speaking to you, or if they were not that important). You have been working together for several months and are a cohesive and competant unit of special operatives.
I plan on making use of elements of your backstory to tie into the main story for added layers/entertainment/etc. Just don't make your personal objectives so specific or maverick that they become diametrically opposed to the standing mission.
Alright I figured out how I got the horse:
The elven family that had it originally had an older brother that took care of the business aspect of the horses (buying, selling and studding out the horses). He had a much younger brother (child) that everyone thinks will become a druid becuase he was always out playing with animals and taking care of the horses. This irked his older brother who wanted the younger one (when he got older) to help look after the business as there was a lot of it. While he was out in the woods Kael took the younger brother's form for about three weeks and while the older brother was doing paperwork he would come in and watch quietly. After the three weeks he asked the older brother about different parts of the paperwork like he was getting interested in it. Finally Kael asked how the older brother to show him how he would requisition a horse for someone. The older brother filled out a form as an example and Kael suggested his own name when that line needed filling, when asked where the name came from he simply said it was the name of his latest pet eagle. Later that week Kael came to the office while the older brother was out with the requisition form and walked out with his new horse and left town. According to all the documentation the horse is completely legally Kael's... but there is probably an elf or two that aren't happy about it.
:: EDIT ::
I'm glad to hear it xdahnx and that does explain it.
I posted the generic background in my profile. Now we just need a reason for us all to be together. Anyone like the idea that we all met becasue we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and helped each other out of a sticky/dangerous situation and have remained close companions ever since? Maybe we even have a political enemy because of it now.
My character will need something a bit more solid to cement my loyalty, and reputation with my house. He's selfish, he wants more power, and he feels he can only gain that power in his own house.
I just left myself 75gp, I know it's close to 2700gp, I can figure it out if necessary.
I got a Mage-bred Light horse, MW spiked chain and Mithril Chainshirt as my expensive items.
My character will need something a bit more solid to cement my loyalty, and reputation with my house. He's selfish, he wants more power, and he feels he can only gain that power in his own house.
Like I said earlier, you all were in Audair for your personal reasons but were brought together by a persuasive government agent. You work for the country through him. Despite your selfishness, when he is around you feel compelled to listen (). You have all worked together now for awhile and gel as a group. For your character that means you feel you are more successful with these people than without. You feel that -for now- they are your best means for success.
Note: I wanted to start the game thread today, but my boy is sick and we are travelling for Christmas tomorrow. So tomorrow night is the earliest I can set it up.
No Problem Patrick Enjoy ur time with your kids
I actually calcualted how much I spent nad I was 500gp short, so I swapped up to a MW Short sword also, and left it at 75gp.
No Problem Patrick Enjoy ur time with your kids
I actually calcualted how much I spent nad I was 500gp short, so I swapped up to a MW Short sword also, and left it at 75gp.
Changed Lithe Acrobat to City Rat from Iron Kingdoms.
Game on: It starts here.
Most people use invisible castle for rolling, so I would like to use this for our game as well.
I try to use maps but still have some learnin' to do to create tactical maps that can be easily altered. Until I get that squared away, melee actions/combat sequences will be described (though I will have a map in front of me of course), so bear with me.
My style of DMing has a slow pace to start, and you won't know the full story/causes/impacts/implications of your actions for awhile (or ever depending on your choices), but it will be rewarding if you tough it out I assure you.
Woo!
Some onfo on religions in Eberron, from Aubrey's PbP Eberron Campaign:
Religion
The gods of Eberron are grouped into two major pantheons, plus a series of other unrelated religions. With a few exceptions, noted below, the religions are not racially based. Even where a religion is practiced exclusively by a single race, the reasons are cultural rather than a facet of the gods themselves. The gods of Eberron are impersonal forces – they do not interfere at all in the ways of mortals. Some philosophers even doubt whether they truly exist at all.
A number of these gods have domains that are not in the core rulebooks – they are set out in the ECS, and probably the Spell Compendium too. It is possible to worship a pantheon rather than a specific god, and thereby a cleric can choose two domains from that pantheon even if they come from different gods.
Priests of deities in the broader Eberron setting tend not to be of the Cleric class. They are often adepts, or even experts with no magical powers. Clerics tend to be the knights militant of a faith, rather than the local parish priests.
Alignments and clerics
One rule change from the core setting is that a cleric of a god does not need to be within one alignment step of his chosen deity. In fact, he could have a wildly different alignment and still draw power from that deity. A good cleric can cast spells with the Evil descriptor (or perform other acts of evil), and vice versa, without recourse to Atonement spells.
The Sovereign Host
This pantheon is the most commonly worshipped in Khorvaire. It is the mainstream religion of the Five Nations, with the exception of Thrane. It is typically worshipped as a pantheon, rather than on a god-by-god basis.
Arawai, God of Agriculture – NG – Good, Life, Plant, Weather
Aureon, God of Law and Knowledge – LN – Knowledge, Law, Magic
Balinor, God of Beasts and Hunting – N – Air, Animal, Earth
Boldrei, God of Community and Hearth – LG – Community, Good, Law, Protection
Dol Arrah, God of Honour and Sacrifice – LG – Good, Law, Sun, War
Dol Dorn, God of Strength at Arms – CG – Chaos, Good, Strength, War
Kol Korran, God of Trade and Wealth – N – Charm, Commerce, Travel
Olladra, God of feast and Good Fortune – NG – Feast, Good, Healing, Luck
Onatar, God of Artifice and the Forge – NG – Artifice, Fire, Good
The Dark Six
The negative counterparts to the Sovereign Host, they are rarely openly worshipped. However, it is a rare citizen who hasn’t offered a surreptitious prayer to them, such as the farmer hoping to propitiate the Devourer to prevent his crops being ruined in a flood. Worship tends to be of a specific god, rather than of the pantheon.
The Devourer, God of the Tempest – NE – Destruction, Evil, Water, Weather
The Fury, God of Violence and Hatred – NE – Evil, Madness, Passion
The Keeper, God of Death – NE – Death, Decay, Evil
The Mockery, God of Treachery – NE – Destruction, Evil, Trickery, War
The Shadow, God of Dark Magic – CE – Chaos, Evil, Magic, Shadow
The Traveller, God of Deception – CN – Artifice, Chaos, Travel, Trickery
The Church of the Silver Flame
The Silver Flame is the force that binds the rakshasa and demon lords within Khyber (see below). While it has existed since the end of the Age of Demons, humanity only became aware of it when Tira Miron, a paladin of Dol Arrah, sacrificed herself to help a couatl defeat a demon that was about to shrug its bonds. Through her selfless act, she merged with the flame and became its voice, able to communicate with mortals. The Church sprang up from that moment, its mission to purge the world of evil and corruption. With its stronghold in Thrane, it is a powerful crusading force against the machinations of fiends and other foulness. It is also the instigator of a number of atrocities carried out in the name of the Silver Flame, either though excessive zeal or corruption from within.
The Church of the Silver Flame – LG – Exorcism, Good, Law, Protection
The Blood of Vol
The doctrine of the Blood of Vol is that blood is the source of life, and that death is an abomination. Undeath is a way to achieve divinity, and many within the cult aspire to become one of the sacred undead like Vol, Queen of the Dead. The state religion of Karrnath,
The Blood of Vol – LE – Death, Evil, Law, Necromancer
The Dragon Below
The various cults of the Dragon Below are rarely connected with one another. Instead, a charismatic leader gathers a small band of similarly insane followers to worship some aspect of the works of Khyber, either through trafficking with fiends, the adoration of aberrations from the depths, or dwelling within the deep places of the earth and practicing hideous rites.
The Dragon Below – NE – Earth, Evil, Madness
The Path of Light
The religion of the kalashtar, it emphasises the perfection of body and mind, the importance of the kalashtar communities, and readiness to strike against darkness.
The Path of Light – LN – Law, Meditation, Protection
The Undying Court
The Aerenal elves revere their ancestors. Indeed, their reverence has granted the ancient dead post-mortal animation as members of the deathless. As such, they continue to act as councillors and rulers within that realm.
The Undying Court – NG – Deathless, Good, Protection
The druid sects
A number of sects exist of which the key leaders are druids. They revere the natural world, though some of them different in doctrine (some wildly) and in their relationship with the more civilised lands. The most prominent, and doctrinally mild, are the
Wardens of the Wood, who also rule the Eldeen Reaches. They see agriculture as compatible with the natural order, provided that the land is respected. At the other end of the spectrum are the
Children of Winter, who revere death and decay as the key natural forces of the world, and the
Ashbound, a terrorist-like group who consider any form of civilisation and arcane magic as an abomination.
The Gatekeepers are a sect based in the Shadow Marches, mostly comprised of orcs, who were instrumental in the defeat of the daelkyr (see below) and maintain constant vigil to prevent further incursions from Xoriat.
Dragonmarks
Within the last few thousand years, a number of the humanoid races have manifested dragonmarks, strange sigils which appear on the skin and grant the bearer specific magical powers. The causes and meanings of the marks are mysterious, though the dragons of Argonessen have taken some, albeit aloof, interest in lesser races since they began appearing. The marks appear to be heritable, and as such families bearing the marks have formed themselves into twelve “Houses” which have, over the centuries, accrued considerable economic power to themselves though the use of their marks. The dragonmarks are partly responsible for one of the key elements in the Eberron campaign – the relative prevalence of low level magic in the setting. Because the Houses are arranged on commercial lines, their magical powers are for sale. For example:
- long range communications are facilitated through House Sivis speaking stones
- House Orien runs the lightning rail (effectively, magic trains) across the Five Nations to speed up long distance travel, or you can charter a House Lyrandar airship if you have the money and a more out-of-the-way destination in mind
- House Kundarak runs a series of magically protected banks, and you can always take out the items you have lodged there, from any branch, irrespective of where you placed it in their safekeeping in the first place
- House Tharashk can track down anything, or anyone
- House Jorasco can cure whatever ails you (in fact, no one “goes to the temple” for healing as the priest is usually not a cleric, they go to House Jorasco)
- House Cannith manufactures all manner of magic items, from potions of Cure Light Wounds to lightning rail carriages or warforged (though the manufacture of warforged is now expressly forbidden by the Treaty of Thronehold).
The lesser powers of the Houses can be purchased by the man on the street. The more powerful abilities require serious money, from the wealthy individual or even states. Either way, it all adds to the commercial power and political clout of the Houses.
Other, aberrant, marks exist but are much less common following the War of the Mark, which established the current House system. The holders are not arranged into houses, and the nature of their powers can vary wildly, though they are rarely particularly powerful. Indeed, holders of aberrant marks are often shunned by society and can suffer from madness. The War of the Mark pitted the holders of the aberrant marks against the nascent dragonmarked houses, and led to their virtual extermination (in the ages following the War, the Houses still killed holders of aberrant marks, though this is no longer common).
The Houses stayed neutral in the Last War, and indeed profited mightily in some cases (especially House Deneith and House Cannith). The Houses technically are not involved in politics and cannot aspire to office or power. However, given their wealth, they are often deeply involved in political machinations, often in concert or against one another.
The particular marks of the different Houses grant specific, related powers that allow them to dominate in particular fields of enterprise. These are as follows:
House Cannith - Mark of Making - Humans - Manufacture and repair of goods, especially magical items
House Deneith - Mark of the Sentinel - Humans - Personal physical protection and mercenary services
House Ghallanda - Mark of Hospitality - Halflings - Inns, taverns, dining
House Jorasco - Mark of Healing - Halflings - Healing
House Kundarak - Mark of Warding - Dwarves - Banking, security of property
House Lyrandar - Mark of the Storm - Half-elves - Sea transport, air transport, weather-control
House Medani - Mark of Detection - Half-elves - Investigation, personal protection
House Orien - Mark of Passage - Humans - Courier and land-based transport services
House Phiarlan - Mark of Shadow - Elves - Entertainment
House Sivis - Mark of Scribing - Gnomes - Communication, notarisation of documentation
House Tharashk - Mark of Finding - Humans, Half-orcs - Investigations, finding dragonshards
House Thuranni - Mark of Shadow - Elves - Entertainment
House Vadalis - Mark of Handling - Human - Animal husbandry and training
In game terms, receiving a dragonmark requires a feat to be taken. There are four types of dragonmark: least, lesser, greater and siberys. The first three can be obtained by taking the relevant feats (a lesser mark requires that the least mark feat has been taken, and so on) or by taking the Dragonmarked Heir prestige class (in the ECS). The siberys mark requires the Heir of Siberys prestige class to be taken (and this can’t be taken if the character has any dragonmarks already). The dragonmark allows a specific spell-like ability, to be activated one or more times a day.
Dragonshards
Dragonshards are magical crystals that can be incorporated as key elements of magic items. They come in three types: eberron, siberys and khyber.
Eberron – these shards are found in rocky nodules buried shallowly under the ground. They are useful for attuning to various spells, which has numerous applications. For example, a specially attuned shard can be used instead of a spellbook for a wizard, or in the everglowing lamps which light many of the cities of Eberron.
Siberys – siberys shards appear to have an affinity for dragonmarks, and can be incorporated into items to enhance the effects of dragonmark spell-like abilities. Siberys shards fall from the sky like meteorites, and are obtained by prospecting the areas where they are likely to fall.
Khyber – khyber shards are used in binding elementals and other such creatures. They are found deep under the earth, growing around lava pools.
House Tharashk makes a lot of its money prospecting for dragonshards.
very useful Kaellead.