Eberron Rising From the Last War

94

VOICE OF

��(LAND

KORRANBERG

CHRONICLE

EXPOSED!

Who really pulls the strings behind the ostensibly un­

biased news coverage of the Korranberg Chronicle? The

Chronicle's publisher, a wily Zil gnome named Cassia Lor­

ridan Claddik, is the most public face of its leadership,

and her connection to Korranberg's ruling Council of

Nine is well known. But she is not the ultimate author­

ity determining what gets printed and what does not.

No, that honor goes to the shadowy board of the Chroni­

cle's owners.

Voice reporters have uncovered the names and posi­

tions of several members of this board, and the results

are nothing less than shocking. The Trust-the shadowy

secret police who maintain order in Zilargo-is well

represented on this board, raising questions about the

extent to which the Chronicle is a propaganda engine for

Zilargo. Worse still, several of the wealthiest and most

influential members of the board are associated with the

Aurum, a shadowy cabal whose primary interest seems

to be increasing its members' wealth and influence.

Whose interest, then, does the Chronicle serve?

All the more reason, loyal readers, to rely on the Voice

of Breland for unbiased news you can use.

Networker. The Networker knows exactly who can get

the party what they need. This character makes exten­

sive use of contacts and friends to facilitate the party's

work. A character with the criminal background likely

has underworld contacts, while an urchin could be

familiar with the ins and outs of the city. Interper­

sonal connections are typically more important than

any particular skills or abilities for this character, al­

though many Networkers have high Charisma scores.

Snoop. A Snoop pries into secrets and pieces together

the clues behind a sensational story. High Intelligence

and proficiency in Investigation often aids the core

work of the Snoop, and knowledge of Arcana, History,

or Religion can be helpful for background research.

Divination magic can also prove useful (perhaps in the

hands of a wizard or a cleric), while a character with

the sage background might have a knack for research.

TY PES OF REPORTING

Decide as a group, in consultation with your DM, what

kind of reporting you do for the newspaper. It's possible

that different members of your group have different spe­

cialties, or that only some members actually write sto­

ries while the rest aid the reporters. Choose an option

or roll on the Journalistic Focus table to determine what

sort of reporting you specialize in.

CHAPTER 1 J CHARACTER CREATION

JOURNALISTIC Focus

dl 0 Reporting

Investigation. Your job is to uncover the secrets that

governments, dragonmarked houses, and other pow­

erful people don't want the public to know.

2 Muckraking. You look for scandalous and titillating se­

crets that fa mous people would rather hide.

3 Local News. You care about the local community and

report on local events and government.

4 International Affairs. You report on the activities of na­

tional governments and their relationships.

5 Crime. You work with police and inquisitives-or do

some inquisitive work yourselves-to report on crim­

inal activity.

6 Cultural Reporting. You write about arts, fa shion, and

similar events and trends.

7 Science and Magic. Your job is to investigate scientific

and magical advances and explain them in jargon-free

language anyone can understand.

8 Personal Interest. You seek out stories of personal tri­

umph over adversity, such as how people are rebuild­

ing and working together in the wake of the Last War.

9 Travel. You travel extensively and write about the best

way for others to enjoy such journeys.

10 Adventure Logs. Your job is to entertain the public

with exciting stories about your life as an adventurer.

FAMOUS STORY

Is there one story that hangs over your group's head,

for good or ill? Maybe it sets a high bar you might never

reach again, or ensures you'll never write a story of a

different kind. Consult the Famous Story table to deter­

mine what reporting has most colored your career.

FAMOUS STORY

d6 Famous Story

Fear Monger. You spiced up a story by stretching a

few facts, instigating a wave of misinformation that

plagues public discourse to this day.

2 Hit Piece. You have revealed secrets that many fa mous

people wanted kept under wraps. You try to keep a low

profile when dealing with the rich and powerful.

3 Unheeded Warning. You've been tracking a significant

story and have published damning articles. Unfortu­

nately, those who keep the truth hidden work to make

even your most ironclad proof look shaky.

4 Scandal. You reported on a massive scandal that com­

pletely upended the local political scene.

5 Buried Headline. You almost broke a story, but then

received a threat or bribe so significant that you put it

on ice.

6 Double Cross. You thought you had the scoop of a life­

time, but you were fed false information and published

a story that was pure fiction.