Eberron Rising From the Last War

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

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understanding the people of Khorvaire; if there's any
chance to negotiate a peace with Dhakaan, it would be
with this clan.
As far as the goblins are concerned, humans stole
their lands, pillaged their tombs, and enslaved their
descendants. The Dhakaani aren't evil, but they believe
humanity to be brutal and cruel, people without muut or
atcha. Faced with an adventurer wielding a magic sword
taken from a Dhakaani ruin, the Heirs of Dhakaan are
rightfully angry and violent in their response to this
tomb robber.

HEIRS OF DHAKAAN
ADVENTURE HOOKS
The Heirs of Dhakaan Adventure Hooks table of­
fers some options for kicking off stories that involve
the Dhakaani.

HEIRS OF 0HAKAAN ADVENTURE HOOKS
dl 2 Adventure Hook
A scout patrol has gone missing near the border of
Darguun.
2 A mining tunnel has collapsed, revealing a network
of caverns leading into Khyber. The Heirs of Dhakaan
are waiting in the darkness and decide to strike first.
3 A squad of goblins attempts to steal back spoils of
a recent adventure, cursing the characters for being
grave robbers.

(^4) A lone hobgoblin warrior stands at the gates of a
town, intent on dueling the mercenary captain who
slew their brother. The warrior has already killed ten
soldiers that tried to remove them.
5 Race against a Dhakaani force to recover an ancient
artifact from a ruin.
6 Defend a series of temples against Dhakaani raiders
targeting these "houses of false gods."
7 Explorers discover a fragment of an ancient Dhakaani
song that seems to tell of the true heir of Dhakaan.
The complete lyrics might settle the question of
succession.
8 The Dhakaani begin kidnapping warforged so that
their artificers can learn how to make their own con­
struct soldiers.
9 In a sacked human settlement, a battle between two
opposing forces of goblinoids breaks out. Which side
was the cause of the destruction?
10 The Kech Sharaat send emissaries to a nearby city
with a simple message: abandon the town within one
week, or die.
11 Goblin scouts have been spotted far from Darguun,
moving with uncharacteristic coordination and
precision.
12 A representative of the Kech Volaar approaches the
characters to request their help in confronting their
rivals to maintain the balance of power among the
Dhakaani.
CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES


The Last War

Khorvaire is still rising from the ashes of the Last War.
The consequences of a century of conflict can't be offset
with a single treaty. The Last War didn't end because
people resolved their differences, and it didn't end with
a victor. It ended when the Mourning destroyed Cyre,
because people were afraid that the war itself was the
cause of that cataclysm, and that continuing the strug­
gle could doom them all. Many are sick of the endless
conflict and embrace the peace. But just as many yearn
to finish what their ancestors started, and others see po­
tential profit for themselves in war. Some leaders focus
on healing the lingering wounds of the conflict, while
others work to ensure that their people will have an
edge when fighting begins anew.
The Last War is one of the primary themes of Eber­
ron. When developing an adventure in Khorvaire,
consider how the lingering impact of the war could
affect the story. Some element of the war could drive
the entire adventure; the heroes could be tasked with
recovering a relic lost in the war, or capturing a fugitive
war criminal. But it can also be a background note that
simply adds flavor to a story. If the adventure features a
group of bandits, perhaps they're deserters, which can
be all the more interesting if they once served in the
army of the same nation as one of the player characters.
This section looks at the different ways that the Last
War can influence an adventure.

PERSONAL IMPACT
As players develop characters in an Eberron campaign,
you can work with them to determine the role that the
war played in their background. Here are a few topics
for conversation:
Military Service. Did the character fight in the war? If
so, which nation did they serve and what role did they
fill? If more than one of the characters fought in the
war, did they serve together (or as allies) or fight on
opposing sides? Military service can be the basis of a
strong connection for two or more characters.
Civilian Life. If the character is from one of the Five Na­
tions and didn't fight in the war, how and why did they
remain on the sidelines? Did they oppose the war? Did
they do something to avoid conscription, or was there
a reason they were considered unsuitable for service?
Personal Loss. What did the characters lose during the
war? Did members of their family die, and if so, how?
Was the village they grew up in destroyed, and if so,
who was responsible? If the characters are from Cyre,
they have lost their nation. Do they have any loved
ones left? Did they spend time in a refugee camp or in
the outpost of New Cyre in Breland? Do they support
Prince Oargev as the leader of Cyre, or do they have
other ideas for the nation's future?
For example, when an Aundairan player character
meets a group of Eldeen druids, it's an opportunity to
exploit the bad blood between Aundair and the Eldeen
Reaches and to determine if this interaction has any
personal relevance to the character. If a player character
has the soldier background, you can introduce an NPC
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