Players' Notes [Eberron: New Cyre]

[FrancisJohn]

Alejandro d'Cannith
Aryth, the Gateway (moon)
Broken Tower
Crown and Bell Charter
Dragonshards
Eldritch Tower Machine
Esther Chaurin

Field of Ruins

Gatherhold

Jarp
Karnathi Zombies

Last War

Lightning Rail

Lord of Blades

Magebred Animals

Metrol
Mournland

Orien Road

Talenta

Tronish

Valenar

Warforged
Warforged Titans

World History

Edited March 22 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On the nature of the eldritch tower machine:

Quote:

The magic is overwhelming. Both men have some small experience with such magic before and are able to understand the basic principles at work. This glyph is part of an eldritch machine, a powerful magic item that can be used to alter reality or create miraculous magical effects. A warforged creation forge is one example that can be used to give life to a warforged, the dimensional seals used by the druidic Gatekeepers are another, and the great Siberys observatories of the dragons are a third. During the Last War eldritch machines were used rarely and only for specific purposes. They became targets for attacks during their constructions as nobody wanted to allow one to be completed on their borders. In the end use of the eldritch engines in war was abandoned as not cost effective. The magic at work here is largely necromantic, apparently altering an area around it to greatly enhance interactions with the spirits of the dead. Dragonshards are embedded in the circle on the floor and the magic spreads from there to other parts of the eldritch machine and back again, feeding on itself in a loop. Black Khyber shards seem to be used to bind to Dolurrh while the pale Siberys shards are amplifying the effect. The pink Eberron shards are stabilising the magic. This is just part of the whole though. It would appear that the entire tower is an eldritch machine and you are inside it.

Edited April 26, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On warforged titans:

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Before the Last War golems were constructed on King Jarot ir'Wynarn orders for a war that he expected to occur in his lifetime. They were too expensive and unreliable so House Cannith were charged with improving the design. After a number of failed attempts, House Cannith (under the guidance of the first Merrix d'Cannith) developed the first warforged titans in 959 YK, decades after King Jarot's death. After releasing twelve in the first year of production, House Cannith managed to step up manufacturing quite quickly, releasing 23 in 960 YK and 47 in 961 YK. The majority of these titans were purchased by the nations of Cyre and Breland for use in the Last War. By 964, House Cannith had produced four-hundred of the monstrous titans. However, by 965 YK, House Cannith perfected and released the warforged, shifting the role of the warforged titan to support warforged and be used in sieges and to breakthrough enemy lines. Breland and Cyre initially placed the titans in the most heated engagements, causing large losses for the first titans. Of the first 400 titans created, only 79 were still in service in 965 YK. Though huge in size, the warforged titans proved vulnerable to massed troops, especially the forces of Thrane. After the development of warforged, titans continued to serve in armies; for instance, in 970 YK, Breland used warforged titans during the Battle of Marguul Pass. Warforged titans were usually used in siege-breaking assaults, and had accompanying human troops and repair artificers. In later years, warforged titans were supplemented by warforged troops as well. The creation of the warforged titans helped make Merrix d'Cannith's name in the eyes of the House. His son, Aaren d'Cannith, used the designs of the warforged titans, especially their articulated joint mechanisms and internal structures, to perfect the warforged. They are smarter than most undead or constructs but nowhere near as smart as warforged or people. They are huge and were sometimes used as platforms for archers or siege weapons. Think of them as the elephants of the battlefield or tanks. Basically they are sentient war machines. It is common knowledge that warforged titans exist and were devastating in battle but few people have actually seen one. The history of them is less well known, much like the history of undead in Karrnath. Any House Cannith member would know it and anyone with knowledge of Arcana or History would too. (DC 5 Knowledge check, DC 10 for the specific dates and creators). To know more about their strengths and weaknesses would require a Knowledge (Arcana) check. To'Nari knows that a warforged titan has Damage Reduction 10/Adamantine and resistance 10 to fire, acid, cold, and sonic attacks. An intact titan has reinforced legs that allow it to jump and fall huge distances without damaging them, always taking minimal damage from a fall of any height. Remi knows that generally speaking a warforged of any kind, even the early models such as the titan, know their military ranks and the chain of command exceptionally well. They learn who can give them orders and whose orders supersede others. If a colonel tells them to smash a wall down and a sergeant tells them to stop, they'll smash the wall down. Written orders take precedence and a warforged is typically given an officer in charge, often a non-combatant like a Cannith engineer, who can override or interpret an officer's orders in certain circumstances. Later in the war this interpretation was trusted to warforged officers themselves. No warforged needs to sleep. In the Last War the fact that a unit of warforged could march all night to reach a battle and arrive as fresh as when they started out was a huge asset.

Edited April 26, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On the Broken Tower:

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The Broken Tower is a famous landmark in the south western part of Cyre. The site of several battles in the early part of the Last War the tower was destroyed and rebuilt three times. It gained the nickname of the Broken Tower and eventually repairs and rebuilding were abandoned in favour of less permanent and expensive fortifications. Once the warforged were used as the primary military force in Cyre the need for barracks was abandoned for the site There were many battles around the site. Cyre was unwilling to cede any land to Breland and the army of the Bear were keen to make inroads into the symbolic first nation of Khorvaire. Once the goblinoid warlords seized a homeland for themselves Cyre built up vast defences to ensure no further incursions were made and no further land lost. On the Day of Mourning massive numbers of goblinoids had already passed Broken Tower and crossed the Great Canal. Their retreat was being cut off and the invasion force was under attack but Broken Tower was occupied by the goblinoids at the time. Broken Tower is about 120 miles east from the Dead Grey Mists outside of New Cyre though if you travel to Olkhaan in Darguun you only need to travel about twenty miles.

Quote:

He looks over the note that Remi shows him, "I know where the Broken Tower is. It's a a ruin in the southern Mournland, not far from the Glass Plateau. Olivia was a summoner so the bond in the note is probably the the bond between summoner and eidolon. Do you think that this Olivia II is a...I don't know what to call it, an untethered eidolon?" "'Nobody who died on the Day of Mourning is truly dead?'" he reads out loud, "How could that be?"

Edited April 26, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On Esther Chaurin, found in the mysterious tower by the charcoal burners:

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The portraits, as Nox can tell you, are of Esther Chaurin. The other people are her children and husband though Nox and Remi don't know their names. The military pictures are of Esther Chaurin with her commando unit. They would attack Karrnathi undead forces, inflict maximum damage on them and then withdraw. If pursued they would use guerrilla tactics to reduce the enemy further. They were something of a celebrity group in Cyre and hated in Karrnath but not well known by others. You unfortunately cannot remember the names of her allies though you do recall that everyone else in the group died on the Day of Mourning except Esther Chaurin. Esther arrived in New Cyre about three years ago and spent at least two of those organising missions into the Mournland, joining them herself on several occasions. Many of those who are sent to investigate, don't return and those who do, don't like to speak of the horrors they have seen. By all accounts she has returned there at least a dozen times and brought many treasures out with her.

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Padraic returns after about a quarter hour, long enough for you to sample a few drinks if you wish. He wastes little time in getting down to business, "Friends, the Prince would like you to find Esther Chaurin and bring her back to deactivate her infernal machine." "Your company will require outfitting for a journey. Her journal gives some clue as to where she will go. This page indicates her old farm." He holds the book open to show you, "The control rod she mentions is more important that she is though. If you can't bring her back, at least bring this control rod back."   "During the Last War, Esther married a farmer. In between attacks and sorties she raised a family there. We're not entirely sure where the farm is but you could ask around her known associates to get the details. Have any of you ventured into the Mournland at all? If not there are some things that you'll need to know. First, I need to know if you're agreeable to being hired for this work and negotiate your fee. How does one thousand Galifars a piece sound? Less any equipment provided, payable upon completion, of course."

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"Known associates? Ah yes. All old soldiers, I'm afraid, every one of them loyal to her. Edgar Carnicero and Jose Ramos are traders in the market. Enzo Castañeda is somewhere in the tents. Aimar Catalá was her sergeant major. I know he's now in the town guard. Antonio Jose Torres works in the Cannith forge." It is almost as if he'd looked up these names before coming into the study to talk to you.

Quote:

"Esther was my CO, we didn'd socialise. She had a close group of friends. Olivia and her Eidelon, Captain Vasques, this weedy Khorovar guy by the name of Donkey. I don't know why he had that as a name but everyone called him that. Er, she had an artificer working with her, Alejandro d'Cannith. He was the only non-Cyran in the group, not that uncommon really, I spoke to him a few times. He was Aundairian but, you know, loyalty to House over country is ingrained from birth." "Doesn't matter really, they're all dead on the Day of Mourning," Antonio suddenly grabs Nox's warforged arm, "I'm sensing something odd about your prosthesis, was this a battlefield surgery or was it done later? It has a portion of the warforged consciousness, you know? Are you able to access it?" He let's go as suddenly as he made the movement, somewhat apologetically. "Sorry, the old farm? She had a family in Metrol, her husband was a plant guy, botanist, not my field really. Anything else? Did you say travel?"

[FrancisJohn]

The Crown and Bell Charter:

Quote:

Company Name: The Crown and Bell Members: in this order Remi Bréagach To'Nari the Dreamless Nox Roderick Purpose: free citizens aiding goals of the crown and defense of New Cyre Terms: - Letter of Marque will allow accrual of found goods and treasure - No fines may be levied on the sale and trade of such products - Padraic is offered first refusal on items found - Guaranteed fair market price must be honored - Equal found gold share between members - Regarding items, when traveling together it belongs to the group, not individuals - Individuals may borrow group items until they are sold - When items are sold, equal gold share between members - In case of disagreement, group decisions will be voted on, plurality is the winner - No abstaining from votes - In the case of a tie, a discussion must be had until a plurality is reached - In the case of a group vote and member takes an opposite course of action, said member is no longer considered part of the group. - The Crown and Bell only exists as a charter with current members' signatures. Note: The document seems pretty solid although it is written in much more legalistic language than provided here.

[FrancisJohn]

On the Mournland:

He leans up against the door to the study, taking on a somewhat lecturing tone, "Right then. Where shall I start? Healing, as you asked for that? Conventional healing doesn't work in the Mournland. You cut yourself shaving in the morning and the cut will still be there a week later or a month later if you stay in the Mournland. A priest channelling their healing power won't heal you either. All spells and wands and potions and such that heal injuries don't work at all. There are apparently zones where this isn't the case but I can tell you nothing about that because folks that find them are keen to keep that information private." He pauses to stride across the room and help himself to a drink, "The Dead-Grey Mist itself. You've seen it, obviously, but few have walked in willingly. Immediately after the Mourning people tried to go back to rescue people and the Mist killed them, just drained them of live and left them dead. A few weeks later, after it had stopped at Cyre's border, it became safer. Nobody really knows how thick it is. You can't see through it and when you're in there you lose track of time. Estimates vary between a few hundred yards and half a dozen miles. People get lost in the Mist. Rope yourself together when you're going through otherwise you'll come out of the other side wondering where one of you is and you'll have no way to find them. There are patches of the Mist throughout the Mournland, best avoid them." "When you get to the other side there are dangers around. The Mourning didn't touch constructs or undead for some reason and many of them have made it their home. There are also creatures who have been mutated that roam the countryside. What else?" he sips at his whiskey, "Living spells, you don't even want to see them. Someone throwing a fireball on the Day of Mourning, and it turns into a living creature, wandering around burning everything. Not just fireballs, all sorts of spells came alive. You don't want to meet a living Cloudkill."

---

"The Mourning did something to some creatures here. You have some really odd mutations of normal animals and, of course, there are bands of Valenar who roam the Mournland hunting them. I think the weirdest thing you'll see are living spells though. The theory is that spells cast on the Day of Mourning have come to life and wander around feeding off the living. That's not such a problem if we find a Living Light spell but it becomes a real issue if we stumble onto a Living Fireball or Living Cloudkill."

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

A brief world history:

Quote:

The continent of Khorvaire was once united as a single nation. The King or Queen ruled from Thronehold and the Five Nations, Breland, Cyre, Aundair, Karrnath, and Thrane, were ruled by his or her children. King Jarot died about a century ago. His heir, Princess Mishann of Cyre, was supposed to take the throne but Prince Thalin, Prince Kaius, and Princess Wroann rejected the appointment of their older sister. Only Aundair's Prince Wrogar supported the claim. This led to a hundred years of war. It wasn't a continuous, five sided battle, and there were periods of alliance and peace but the war always resumed with no clear winner. In that time several kingdoms experienced civil war or rebellion giving rise to new nations who were also involved in the Last War. During this time the great Dragonmarked Houses became very wealthy, by staying ostensibly neutral in the war and supplying all sides with goods and services. This includes warforged, sentient constructs made by House Cannith, and elemental powered ships controlled by House Lyrandar. The Last War came to an abrupt halt four years ago when the Jewel of Khorvaire, Cyre, was suddenly engulfed in a Dead Grey Mist, killing the entire population and anyone inside. The only survivors were those not in the country at the time and those who managed to flee over the border while the Mist followed them. The Mist halted at Cyre's borders. Cyre became known as the Mournland after that. Two years later the Treaty of Thronehold secured an end to hostilities but it is widely assumed that this is temporary and war will resume at some point. New Cyre is where most survivors of The Mourning have ended up, it is an old barrack town and camp on the former border of Breland and Cyre and where you are now.

[FrancisJohn]

On Metrol

Metrol, also known as the rising City, was the capital of Cyre, the Jewel of Galifar. Cyre was also home to House Cannith and benefited most from the technomagical advances of the house. The capital featured many permanent magical additions, one of which was the floating gardens.

Unlike Sharn, which stands in a permanent manifest zone to Syrania, Metrol's huge towers had stronger magics build into them to keep them erect. Some of that magic was used to create floating platforms which were used to grow fruit and vegetables for the cities occupants. These floating gardens were also visited by the city's residents who would walk and enjoy the ambiance. Without magewrights and artificers to maintain them it is likely that these "gardens" have fallen since 994 YK although the Mournland is a strange place so who really knows.

Terry and Nox have heard rumours about the city in the final weeks of the Last War. In 994 YK, weeks before the Mourning, Metrol itself was threatened by Karrnathi armies. At this time, the first warforged colossus was produced and swiftly sent north to reinforce the capital.

On the Day of Mourning on 20th Olarune, 994 YK, according to eyewitness reports of those who got out of the city in time, the dead-gray mists of the Mournland billowed out of the royal palaces of Vermishard and blanketed the unprepared city of Metrol. During the calamity, citizens crowded aboard the lightning rails to evacuate the city, yet hundreds were forced off the last, Cyre 1313, to make way for an unknown VIP, causing a critical delay. Cyre 1313 was enveloped and lost to the mists. Metrol fell swiftly, and from there the mists engulfed the whole of Cyre, causing the annihilation of the realm. This seems to be the mists' first appearance, leading some to theorize Metrol was the source and center of the Mourning, yet others placed it in Making. Queen Dannel ir'Wynarn is presumed to have died in Metrol.

In the aftermath, magebred humanoids escaped from Clifftop arrived in Metrol and occupied the government buildings and other key areas, including the royal palaces of Vermishard. Over the next few years, they excavated tunnels linking Metrol and Clifftop and gave the ruins the appearance of being haunted.

Recently, in 998 YK, it's been reported that powerful "restless spirits" (or living humanoids to a few witnesses) emerged from the Mournland near Metrol and raided camps and small settlements in the lands just outside, in Karrnath and the Talenta Plains, kidnapping folk and leaving few survivors.

How much stock can be put in these rumours is another matter but perhaps they will be useful in your preparations.

---

"Your arm, Nox, I can sense the energy matrix that keeps it animated which tells me it is alive but beyond a stiffening in the thumb all seems fully functional. The floating gardens won't be floating any more, or at least few of them are. Whatever magic was unleashed on the Day of Mourning untethered them and without anyone to renew the magic they must have fallen by now. Unlike Sharn there isn't a manifest zone in Metrol to make the magic work. I'd like to go back and see for myself. I spend a lot of time their in my youth."

---

The Orien road passed through the city heading to Metrol and Making in Cyre as well as to Gatherhold in the Talenta Plains. The Lightning Rail also passed through from Gatherhold to Metrol.

---

Metrol was once a thriving metropolis with towers rising high into the sky and draped with greenery. Atop each tower were farms operating for the city's benefit, vast and wondrous gardens where rich and poor alike could walk. The clear blue of the Cyre River split the city in two and it was common for people to walk across the river from the floating gardens high above.

Now the magic that held the gardens aloft has failed. Some sag on the towers and others have collapsed entirely, the sky bridge between east Metrol and west now rubble in the river. Slumped against one of the towers is the warforged colossus, Norr, apparently inactive since the Day of Mourning. Mist hangs over the remains of the city, like some smog of heavy machines that the wind has failed to dissipate. The Rising City has fallen.

 

Edited May 7 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On the warforged:

"Bonesetter, the designs for warforged improved year on year. The thirty year designs are little more than intelligent war machines but the later models were much more nuanced. I didn't know that you'd been built as a medic but I'm not surprised. House Jorasco medics had an ongoing cost but your services were considerably cheaper once the design was perfected. It's a shame we can't keep making you. Who knows how far we could go? Two years before the end of the war was around the Day of Mourning. Did you see combat at all?" He seems genuinely curious as to Bonesetter's experiences.

---

"I should remind you of the dangers if you don't already know. Warforged come here to escape and many have formed roaming bands who hate the people who fought against them during the Last War, no matter what side they were on. There's apparently a warforged who leads them, called the Lord of Blades. We should avoid them if we can."

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On Alejandro d'Cannith:

Quote:

Antonio opens up his note pad again and scribbles something down. It looks like it is packed with neat but indecipherable shorthand, "Alejandro is either dead on the Day of Mourning or back in Aundair. I'm afraid I don't know which. House members move around a lot but beyond our own work and marriage prospects, we tend not to keep in touch. At least I don't. I was assigned to repair warforged on the Valenar front before the Day of Mourning. By sheer luck I was across the border with my unit when disaster struck. Colonel Chaurin apparently escaped on the day using teleportation magic but I don't know who she took with her, if anyone."

[FrancisJohn]

On dragonshards:

Quote:

"As for dragonshards, there's a rare thing. As you no doubt know the Ring of Siberys is generous and shards fall from the sky relatively often. unfortunately not anywhere near here. The nearest deposits are located on Xen'drik and transported here, usually via Sharn as it is the closest port. Eberron shards though are more numerous on Khorvaire. Swamps or loose topsoil are the best places to find them. Now the Khyber shards, those are tricky. You have to go deep underground for them. Mountainous regions are the best. We're lucky that the Seven Caves in Darguun are the closest source. If you can contend with wyverns and less than friendly dhakaani, though we're on good terms with Darguun really. Thanks to Prince Oargev for that." "I'm assuming you don't want to go digging around yourself?" Byrnid asks, "I can't say I blame you for that. The best place to buy them is from House Cannith, mainly because they buy them from the miners themselves, but you might get lucky and find a group of miners with a fresh haul. Cannith has a pretty strong monopoly on purchasing but they don't pay too well for them. I know a group of miners, recently returned from Darguun who might be willing to cut out the middle man and sell to you directly. I say miners but they are much the same as your group, explorers, free booters, privateers. They call themselves Aryth's Children, you know, after the moon."

[FrancisJohn]

On Aryth, the Gateway (moon):

Quote:

Aryth, the Gateway, is the orange-red moon that can be seen in the sky. It is the smallest of the twelve moons that circle the world. Legend has it that the black dragon, Vvarrak, told the first druids that Aryth has a similar effect on manifest zones as Zarantyr has on tides, and that particularly weak manifest zones appear only when Aryth is in its full moon phase. Some say that those born under this moon are restless folk, driven to travel and explore; Lhazaar, who led the first great migration from Sarlona to Khorvaire, is said to have been a child of Aryth.

[FrancisJohn]

On the Lord of Blades:

"I should remind you of the dangers if you don't already know. Warforged come here to escape and many have formed roaming bands who hate the people who fought against them during the Last War, no matter what side they were on. There's apparently a warforged who leads them, called the Lord of Blades. We should avoid them if we can."

---

As far as Remi remembers, this Lord of Blades is some sort of cult leader that attracts warforged, like the disaffected weapon smuggler, Junk, from the charcoal camp who have a dislike of those made from bone, flesh and blood. Like many a cult those who are members are fanatical and disinterested in talking at all.

It occurs to him that their attitude to a warforged working with fleshies might vary from a desire to free him from oppression and punish the people to destroying him as a collaborator.

---

I've heard of warforged who reject all human contact, who have made the Mournland their home. There are more than one faction apparently. Those who serve the Lord of Blades, a mythical leader and messiah for them, and those who serve the Becoming God. I'm not even sure what that is but they view it as divine somehow.

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)

[FrancisJohn]

On the Last War:

"I should remind you of the dangers if you don't already know. Warforged come here to escape and many have formed roaming bands who hate the people who fought against them during the Last War, no matter what side they were on. There's apparently a warforged who leads them, called the Lord of Blades. We should avoid them if we can."

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by FrancisJohn (see edit history)