In this instalment of our ongoing Eberron series we reveal the secrets of the Magebred army that threatens Khorvaire from just within the Mournland, and we meet a Warforged Sentinel Marshal who knows secrets about House Cannith that they will kill to keep secret.

Today Dungeon’s Master welcomes guest poster Alton (a.k.a. Marc Talbot) author of the gaming blog 20ft Radius. Alton shares our passion for D&D as well as the Eberron setting. When he proposed writing an instalment of “The Secrets of Eberron Revealed” we were happy to let him make his contribution to this ongoing look at our favourite campaign setting. If you enjoyed this article, I encourage you to visit 20ft Radius and check out more or Alton’s work. – Ameron

Click on the Eberron tab above the Dungeon’s Master banner to find the previous installments in this ongoing series as well as many other great Eberron articles and resources.

Magebred in the Mournland

Before the Day of Mourning, House Cannith had a monopoly supplying all sides of the war with mechanized, artificial beings – Warforged. House Vadalis realized the potential for profit and began creating their own artificial soldiers, Magebred people. However, before Vadalis could reap the benefits of their latest enterprise the Day of Mourning changed everything. With the only Magebreeding facilities located inside the Cyrian boarder, House Valais assumed that their venture was destroyed. It was not. Today the Magebred are led by Empress Donata (herself a Magebred being), and she is not content to remain hidden behind the Mournland’s mists any longer.

Frustrated since the Day of Mourning, Empress Donata has not been able to replicate the successes of her Vadalis predecessors and create viable Magebred soldiers. She’s had her people scouring the remains of Metrol for any knowledge or information that might help her refine and exploit the process for creating Magebred and increase the size of her armies.

Recently, an expedition returned with news of a hidden intact library found in the lower levels of Easton. The tomes are part of a collection of banished books that detail the Mark of Death, the lost Dragonmark. Donata tried using this knowledge and the spells contained within to imprint her latest batch of Magebred soldiers with the Mark of Death. The results were mixed.

The Magebred did end up with Dragonmarks, but not the obsolete Mark of Death. Instead they soldiers all manifested an Aberrant Dragonmark on their right arm. Every one had the exact same Dragonmark in the exact same location. It made the soldieries stronger and viable. Donata is finally able to create her army and can start her plans to invade the rest of Khorvaire.

Adventure Hooks

• The heroes are hired by one of the Dragonmarked Houses to disprove rumours that the Mark of Death has returned to Khorvaire. They can confirm rumours that a band of soldiers, all bearing a Dragonmark that looks like the Mark of Death on their right arm, has been attacking towns and villages along the border of the Mournland. If the Mark of Death has resurfaced it seems like the Mournland is the place to find answers.
• While camped near the Mournland’s boarders; the PCs discover the bodies of two Elves, their Dragonmarks removed from their skin. There are signs that the Elves fought their assailants and that the victors fled into the Mournland. Evidence suggests that the Dragonmarks were removed before the Elves were dead. A History check reveals that this was a common practice by the House of Vol but has not happened since the Mark of Death was eradicated from Khorvaire.

Ferrous the Warforged Secret-keeper

Ferrous was created in 974 YK. He spent the majority of the war serving as a guardian for House Cannith’s highest officials. His need to be close to those he protected allowed him to see and hear some of House Cannith’s most private dealings. Cannith built Ferrous to be loyal and instilled within him orders never to divulge any information he heard.

Just before the war ended, something incredible happened. Ferrous manifested the Mark of Sentinel on his chest. The Cannith household was stunned. Never in all their years of creating Warforged did any ever manifest a Dragonmark. No one though it possible, yet in their midst stood a Warforged with a Dragonmark.

Realizing the potential benefits and hazards this might present to House Cannith and House Deneith, Ferrous was to be studied and eventually destroyed. However, he was saved by the events on the Day of Mourning. His dismantling was put on hold and after the Treaty of Thronehold was signed he was given his freedom along with all Warforged. As soon as he was released from Cannith’s service he disappeared.

Years later Ferrous resurfaced as a Sentinel Marshal employed by House Deneith. Does House Deneith know about his Dragonmark? What other secrets might Ferrous have revealed to House Deneith to earn the privilege of becoming a Sentinel Marshal? Has he remained loyal to House Cannith? House Cannith is unwilling to take any chances and has put out a sizable bounty for the head of the Warforged called Ferrous.

Adventure Hooks

• House Cannith asks the party to apprehend a Warforged thief names Ferrous. This Warforged used to be a guard and was able to bypass several wards undetected. House Cannith seems less interested in what the Warforged stole than seeing him punished for his crime. The party is told that Ferrous is currently posing as a Sentinel Marshal and is trying to infiltrate House Deneith.
• The heroes see a lone Warforged being beaten by a gang of Warforged thugs. The assailants flee when the party approaches. The Warforged victim thanks the party and introduces himself as Ferrous. He explains that he’s working for House Deneith and trying to capture a runaway criminal, a member of the Warforged gang that was assaulting him. He offers to split the bounty with the party if they help him capture the fugitive. [The Lord of Blades has heard that Ferrous has a Dragonmark. He mistakenly believes that it’s a Mark of Making. The Warforged runaway has sought refuge with the Lord of Blades’ army which will make capturing him considerably more difficult and dangerous.]

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The lightning rail changed the way people and good were transported across the Five Nations. It’s become such an important and integral means of cheap and reliable transportation across Khorvaire that it would be hard to image life without it.

House Orien takes great steps to ensure that the trains run on time. They work with House Cannith engineers to keep the mechanics and magic in check, and they employ House Deneith Marshals to maintain order onboard the vehicles. All aspects of running the lighting rail happen so efficiently that most people forget all the work that goes into keeping the train running on time – and that’s just the way House Orien wants it.

The last thing House Orien wants is negative publicity. Although the lightning rail is one of the safest means of travel there are occasional problems. However, when issues arise they are dealt with quickly and quietly.

The Desperadoes

The Desperadoes (as they’ve been dubbed by the Sentinel Marshals) are a group of train robbers that have plagued House Orien and the lightning rail for over a year. They specialize in robbing moving trains – getting on and off before anyone realizes what’s happened. The Desperadoes have successfully robbed over 20 trains in the past year and so far no one has yet been caught or charged for these crimes.

Over two years ago an Artificer employed by House Cannith accidentally and inadvertently damaged a series of connected conductor stones while performing regular maintenance. The stones remained functional, but trains passing over the affected stones slowed to half their speed. The slowdown happened gradually and after the trains had passed the affected areas they were able to accelerate back to their regular speed.

The Artificer realized that knowing how to replicate the disruption might be valuable information. He spent the following few months attempting to duplicate the accident before he finally figured out how to do it in a controlled manner. However, during his test he affected the regular operation of numerous lightning rails and was eventually dismissed from his job before he could share his knowledge with House Cannith.

Without a job or reference from House Cannith, the Artificer was without funds. He grew desperate he quietly spread the word that he was selling a device that could stop the trains from running. His timing was perfect. An Eladrin adventuring party hired to steal valuable cargo from a lightning rail were struggling with a way to accomplish their task, the idea of stopping the train between stations had never occurred to them. They enlisting the Artificer’s help and agreed to cut him in on the commission in exchange for his secret. When he explained that he couldn’t actually stop the trains, just slow them down, they were disappointed but still believed that this was an advantage they could work with.

It didn’t take long for them to come up with a workable plan. The Artificer would slow the train and the Eladrins would Fey Step onboard. Once onboard they’d recover the goods and then before the train accelerated back to full speed they’d Fey Step or jump off. It was simplistic, but it worked.

Realizing the potential for huge profit after their first successful mission, the Eladrins decided to rob another lighting rail a few weeks later. They got on and off the trains so quickly that they met little resistance. Continued success encouraged more robberies. They rarely engaged anyone while on the train and when they did they never hurt anyone. They were thieves, not ruffians or murderers. Within a few months they’d accumulated substantial treasure.

House Orien kept word of the thefts quiet and demanded House Deneith stop the Desperadoes and keep the trains safe. However, since the bandits hit trains randomly it was impossible for the Sentinel Marshals to know when or where they’ll strike next. House Deneith realized it was cheaper to reimburse House Orien for material losses than bring in additional resources to counter thieves that strike so randomly and infrequently. The Marshals continue to try to stop or capture the Desperadoes with the resources they already have onboard the lighting rail. Unless the Desperadoes become violent, House Deneith is unlikely to spend any more time or resources perusing them.

The Orien Desperado

After the Desperadoes successfully robbed their fifth lighting rail in two months House Orien demanded the Sentinel Marshals do something to stop them. When it became clear to House Orien that House Deneith was unwilling to put any real effort into stopping the thieves they decided to take matters into their own hands. After all, the lighting rail is a huge source of pride to House Orien, not to mention the means by which the House generates the majority of its revenues. If people stopped shipping goods by lighting rail for fear of theft, House Orien could face serious financial hardship.

Sparing no expense House Orien sought information about the Desperadoes and quickly discovered that they were all Eladrins. House Orien then enlisted the aid of an Eladrin adventurer who had recently manifested the Mark of Passage. Normally the House would have nothing to do with a non-human bearing their House’s Dragonmark, but they felt the situation required it. They agreed to acknowledge the Eladrin as a member of House Orien, complete with full House privileges if he could infiltrate the Desperadoes. He agreed.

The Orien agent easily managed to join the Desperadoes. He leaned how they operated and reported his findings back to House Orien. As the Desperadoes became wealthier they started recruiting new members as the original members sought to relax and live a more comfortable life supported by their ill-gotten gains.

House Orien realized that there was value in keeping their agent in place and letting the Desperadoes continue robbing the lighting rail. Now that House Deneith was reimbursing them for lost cargo, House Orien could insure goods for substantially more than their actual value and have their undercover agent direct the Desperadoes to steal them from the train.

The Orien Desperado is still active and climbing his way up the ladder of seniority and leadership among the group. Until the Sentinel Marshals get more serious about stopping them, House Orien plans to let the Desperadoes function with their agent reporting back on everything they do.

Adventuring Hooks

• The PCs are onboard a lighting rail when the Desperadoes strike and witness them stealing goods from the train. The Desperadoes refuse to engage in combat if engaged and instead flee.
• House Deneith hires the PCs to ride the rails in an attempt to capture one of the Desperadoes.
• An Eladrin PC hears about an opportunity to make some easy money by robbing a lighting rail.

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The affairs of Eberron’s surface dwellers are well known and well documented, but very little is known or recorded about the intelligent life that thrives beneath Eberron’s seas. Anyone who’s travelled by sea from Khorvaire to Xen’drik has likely dealt with the Sahuagin, but very few know about the vast underwater society of which they are but a small part. Beneath Eberron’s seas lie vast civilizations as complex and filled with as much intrigue as the cities of the surface world the largest and most cosmopolitan of which is Madidus.

Madidus is the undersea equivalent of Sharn. All intelligent aquatic races live, play and do business here. It’s the centre of underwater commerce. Much like Sharn, Madidus was built around a manifest zone. Where Sharn’s connection to the plane of Syrania allows building to reach heights that seem impossible, Madidus is connected to the plane of air which crates permanent pockets of breathable air. This allows surface dwellers to live in Madidus comfortably. The area of the city enveloped with breathable air is home to hundreds of people from the surface including Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Halflings. Few who end up here make any effort to leave.

The existence of Madidus is known only to select few surface dwellers. Many members of House Lyrandar are aware of the city’s existence. Captains travelling the waves above Madidus with any regularity are informed of its existence so that they can pay appropriate tribute and take advantage of possible trading opportunities.

The Daughters of Sora Kell along with a many of Droam’s populace are aware that a vast underwater civilization exists if not the specific details of where such cities are located. Representatives from Madidus have even sent diplomats to Droam asking for the monstrous nation’s assistance in facilitating introductions with the leaders of the other surface nations.

Madidus may be unknown to most surface dwellers but it is a very welcoming place once discovered. Many adventurers have come to the city in the past decade. Some have sought Madidus out for no other reason than to prove its existence. Others find the idea of interacting with such a foreign culture exhilarating. Some seek to leave behind their past and begin anew in a place where their problems will never catch up to them.

Adventure Hooks

• We’re on a diplomatic mission
  A contingent of diplomats from one of the surface nations which includes the PC and a team of Warforged bodyguards accept an invitation to visit Madidus. While touring the section of the city overlapping the manifest zone one of the dignitaries recognized some of the city’s inhabitants as deserters. During the war those fleeing the violence and carnage managed get to Madidus. Here they found a safe haven away from scrutiny or punishment undersea. Although presumed dead, many of Madidus’s residents are still wanted criminals. Should their existence and whereabouts become common knowledge, the leaders of Madidus will have a diplomatic nightmare on their hands and they can forget any peaceful relationship with the surface worlds.
• The missing undersea vessel
  Members of House Cannith and House Orion have created new vessels capable of traveling underwater. While they continue testing the vessels’ capabilities they strive to keep its existence a secret, especially from House Lyrandar. With a fleet of five working vessels, they are almost ready to announce their latest venture to the world and give House Lyrandar some real competition. Unfortunately one of the vessels has disappeared. It was on a survey mission, mapping the undersea floor and was supposed to return to port days ago. Some fear that the vessel might have been attacked; others believe that House Lyrandar is somehow involved. The PCs are asked to join the rescue mission and accompany they search party just in case hey run into any trouble. During the third day of searching for the missing vessel the search party discovered the underwater city of Madidus. What is this place? Could this be where the missing vessel ended up?
• Trapped inside a sinking ship
  Following a battle that doomed their ship, the PCs find themselves trapped in the hull as their vessel sinks. Superior craftsmanship has kept the hull intact, trapping enough air within for the heroes to survive in the short term. However, if a rescue is not forthcoming the PCs may end up in a watery grave. Shortly after the ship touches down on the seafloor the PCs are beset upon by Sahuagin. However, these normally aggressive and dangerous sea creatures explain that they were sent from the undersea city of Madidus to rescue the PCs. Can the PCs trust them? Do they have any other choices?

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Today Dungeon’s Master returns to Eberron and reveal more secrets. We explore a new power group out of Xen’Drik and speculate how this new presence might affect the region and the Five Nations. House Tarkanan also rears its ugly head with a powerful member who’s manifested an aberrant Siberys Mark.

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A New Player

Stormreach has been the gateway to Xen’Drik for years. The city, also known as the City of Dungeons, was built on the ruins of an ancient city of giants. Many of the caverns and dungeons that exist below the surface of Stormreach have never been fully explored. Each year adventurers, hoping to find their fortune, enter the tunnels and discover newer, deeper caverns.

It is within one of these deep tunnels that Jorkhail was slumbering. An ancient Beholder, Jorkhail awoke when a group of adventurer’s stumbled into his lair. Having been startled awake, Jorkhail inadvertently trained his death ray on the adventurers and disintegrated the lot of them. However, their intrusion awoke the curiosity of this ancient eye.

Jorkhail followed the tunnels to the surface, eager to learn more about the culture of the adventurers. To be sure Stormreach looked different than the last time Jorkhail ventured to the surface. It wasn’t long before the Coin Lords became aware of Jorkhails presence. What amazed them was that Jorkhail seemed peaceful and displayed the opposite behaviour of most others of his kind.

Upon learning of the recent war on Khorvaire between the Five Nations. Jorkhail decided to travel to Breland and offer his services as a mediator, to ensure that future conflicts don’t break out. Jorkhail is honest in his intentions, as a lawful good Beholder, he only wants to see others prosper and an end to needless suffering.

How others will react to him is yet to be seen. Will his motivations be trusted or will others assume that his objectives are far more devious than they first appear?

Adventure Hooks

• The PCs are asked to find a missing adventuring party that was lost in the caverns beneath Stormreach. They find the bodies of the adventurers, clearly destroyed by a Beholder. One party member however was turned to stone. If the PCs can revive him, he might be able to provide more details about the encounter and the identity of the Beholder.
• A war vet now turned adventurer hires the PCs to accompany him on a mission to kill a Beholder. He explains that this Beholder is loose in the city of Breland and that the people are at grave risk. If the PCs investigate or talk to Jorkhail when they encounter him they’ll realize that not all is as it seems.
• The PCs are invited to a high-class social party. During the evening a Beholder enters the room and no one bats an eye or seems scared. Any PC that fails an Insight check is convinced the this Beholder has beguiled the guests. Now the heroes have to figure out how to rescue the party goers and take out the Beholder.

The Aberrant Siberys Heir

Dragonmarks are rare. Siberys Marks are rarer still. A Siberys Mark manifesting as an Aberrant Mark means trouble for the Dragonmarked Houses and the nations of Khorvaire. An individual with this much power is a threat to the fragile peace that has been established.

Born in a gypsy caravan, Luc Vanderbein lived an insignificant life. His life-long ambition was attempting to climb in social status. However, he failed miserably. All that changed when his Dragonmark manifested. Luc came to the attention of the House Tarkanan leaders. Seeking to gain control of this powerful individual the leader’s of House Tarkanan made Luc an offer he couldn’t refuse. Work with them and they would provide him access to the society he had craved for so long.

Of course Luc’s ambitions grew with his newly found power. He has kept House Tarkanan in the dark as to his Dragonmarks true potential. The ability to absorb the latent magical energy that exists within every Dragonmark.

Luc has silently begun eliminating minor members of the various Dragonmark Houses.With each death his power grows. Luc doesn’t have any clear goals on how to use his power, he only knows that he desires more.

Recently Luc has discovered an ancient cavern, full of statues covered in Dragonmarks. He believes that he can use this cavern and the statues to increase his power. He has recently let knowledge of his whereabouts slips, in hopes that the Dragonmarked Houses will seek him out. For now Luc waits patiently, biding his time.

Adventure Hooks

• A PC with a true Dragonmark is asked to deliver a package for an incredible fee. The package is a ruse and the PC is actually bait. The house masters hope to lure Luc out of hiding when he attempts to attack the PC.
• The PCs stumble upon a man being attacked by a dozen thugs. If they help, the thugs eventually run away. The man (Luc) has a strange Draongmark on his face that he tries to keep hidden. He thanks the party and slips into the shadows. When the PCs investigate the bodies of any thugs they defeated they find evidence that they are all employed by House Deneith. Who was this man and why were they attacking him?
• A Changeling PC is approached by a man and asked to be his stand in for a meeting. The man explained that he recently manifested an Aberrant Dragonmark. If people discover this, the man’s life will be ruined. If the PC agrees to to play the part and take the meeting, the man will give him access to his accounts at the Kundarak bank where he’ll be able to withdraw a large payment.

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The Thronehold Tournament is the most mysterious and lucrative gambling tournament in Eberron. It happens every year in the very castle that once housed the Five Nations’ one true king. Today we reveal the history of the card tournament that according to the castles’ guardians, House Deneith, doesn’t exist. Are you ready to learn about the fastest way to earn a fortune in Eberron?

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The Thronehold Tournament

Thronehold is the island in Scion Sound that was home to the king of the Five Nations for centuries – until the last war began. Since that time Castle Thronehold has remained empty of everyone but the House Deneith soldiers guarding it while they await the return of a one true king. Although the castle remained empty during the war, the nearby town of Throneport continued to thrive. Under no nation’s jurisdiction the town became a haven for illicit activity, smugglers and criminals of all kinds. It was hear that the Thronehold Tournament began.

Over twenty years ago a chance encounter between a high ranking Deneith captain with a love for card games and an opportunistic gambler led to the very first Thronehold Tournament, a card game with some of the highest stakes ever imagined. The gambler was looking for a way to launder a sizable amount of gold pieces, while the Deneith captain searched desperately for a way to make his mundane task of guarding an empty castle more exciting. The two realized that they could help each other.

Together they organized a card tournament. The Deneith captain would supply the location, an unused room in the abandoned Thronehold Castle, while the gambler would find other like-minded participants looking for a way to legitimize their unlawfully obtained spoils.

Each participant in the tournament had to provide a considerable entry fee. The top five finishers would each collect a share of the total pot, notarized by House Deneith and thereby legitimizing the payout. House Deneith charged a minimal fee for handling the transaction, but considering the incredible stakes, even a small percentage was a very large amount.

After the first tournament two things happened. The Deneith captain’s actions were discovered by a very high ranking member of his house and everyone who participated in the tournament started asking when the next one would take place.

The Deneith captain expected to loose his post (at best) and be excoriated from the house (at worst). However, the House realized the incredibly boons that this kind of event could yield if handled properly. The captain was made the lifetime commander of Deneith’s solders at Thronehold Castle and charged with running the Thronehold Tournament each year.

It didn’t take long for the word of the Thronehold Tournament to spread among the rogues and ruffians. With so much interest, filling the seats for subsequent tournaments would be easy. In fact, they had to raise the stakes because demand for the limited seats in the tournament became so fierce.

Although the tournament itself was kept very hush-hush, the rumour mill could not be kept in check. People from across the Five Nations began hearing about a high-stakes tournament held annually inside Castle Thronehold. House Deneith officials have always denied that such an even happens in the castle under their watch, but the rumours continue.

As the years passed and the tournament’s entry fee continued climbing the Thronehold Tournament became more and more prestigious. Although House Deneith publically denied the tournament, in actuality they realized that they had so much more to gain by keeping it alive.

After the first year, House Deneith arranged for a select number of seats in the tournament to be made available to their own people at no charge. Suddenly every Deneith soldier wanted to sever a tour at Thronehold Castle since only those assigned to Thronehold were eligible to participate. Deneith now actively promoted a rotation at Thronehold as something their members could earn through exemplary service to the house.

The rumours of the Thronehold Tournament still persist. No one has ever publicly admitted to participating in the tournament, let alone winning it. House Deneith laughs off any suggestion of their involvement in such a tournament or any accusation that they let anyone other than authorized House Deneith soldiers into Castle Thronehold.

Adventure Hooks

• The PCs overhear a drunkard in a tavern talking about how years before he participated in the Thronehold Tournament. No one is taking him seriously, but some of the details he has about the interior of Castle Thronehold seem a little bit too accurate for just drunk talk.
• The PCs are in Throneport on business (legal or otherwise). One of them sees a gentleman in fancy clothes being attacked by a gang of hoods. The man is killed just as the PCs arrive. After they deal with the street thugs (or chase them away) they find an envelope in the victim’s jacket with the House Deneith seal upon it. The only information within is a time and a seat number.
• One of the PCs has a knack for gambling and games of chance. He is approached by a questionable character. The man wants to stake the PC in a very exclusive and high-stakes card tournament. He’s willing to split the PC’s winning 50/50.
• A PCs with the Mark of Sentinel is rewarded by House Deneith for exemplary service. His reward is a short, mandatory rotation as part of the guard unit at Thronehold Castle.

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Warforged, and by extension constructs, are the most difficult races to play. But it’s this difficultly makes them extremely appealing to many gamers. The Warforged represents the best physical qualities that humanoids have to offer, yet they lack their fundamental weaknesses. They are, to put it bluntly, superior by design.

Today marks our 600th post. When we’ve hit significant milestones at Dungeon’s Master in the past we’ve tried to relate the number of that milestone into that article. Our 100th post was a list of 100 Great Things About D&D. For our 300th post Wimwick and I each created King Leonidas from the movie 300. Post 404 was all about Errors I’ve Made as a DM. With the 500th post looked at extreme wealth, the Fortune 500 of D&D.

Inspiration for 600 hit me when I was watching Terminator: Salvation on DVD. One of the Terminators they fought was the T-600 – an extremely powerful combat model. I’ve always believed that Keith Baker came up with his idea for Warforged after watching one of the Terminator movies. So with that in mind the 600th post seemed like the ideal time to take a closer look at Warforged in 4e D&D.

Ever since I first read the original Eberron Campaign Setting I fell in love with Warforged. I was fascinated by the idea of a race of artificial soldiers constructed for one purpose – to fight. Yet now they find themselves redundant in a world without war.. Living people already have an extremely difficult time establishing an identity for themselves, but imagine how much more difficult it must be for these constructed beings.

When it comes to role-playing a Warforged in search of his identity, I’ve always felt that they fall into two distinct groups. They either want to become more like their creators, more Human and life-like, or they want to forsake the idea that they are anything like their creators and seek meaning in their artificiality.
 

More Human Than Human

When most of us play Warforged characters we likely fall into this first category. The Warforged understands that he is an artificial being made to fit into the world of humanoids. Although many Warforged will strive to develop a sense of self-identity and independence they are still willing to work within the confines of the world that man have created.

The level and degree to which Warforged try to assimilate will vary depending on the character’s goals, history and class. Warforged with superior strength and size are more likely to find acceptance fulfilling roles where these advantages are more beneficial. However, the advantages provided by their physical design can also be problematic in other circumstances.

Take for example a Warforged soldier built for melee combat. His body resembles that of a man in heavy plate armor. As a soldier, body guard or labourer his size is a great advantage. However, this same Warforged may find social interaction more difficult because his size is intimidating. A humanoid soldier can remove his armor when not in battle, thereby fitting in during peacetime. The Warforged cannot do likewise. However, the Warforged does have options for changing.

A Warforged can make modification to their body given the proper resources. When they find that their physical appearance no longer suits their long-term goals, they can make drastic alterations.

Take for example a Warforged who strives for social acceptance. Since most Warforged were designed to excel in physical melee combat they have bulky, armored bodies. This can be disconcerting and off-putting to other living people when the Warforged tries to immerse himself in a social setting. Should a Warforged decide that his bulky exterior is no longer advantageous for his new goals he can have his body reconstructed and manipulated to better suit his needs.

Regardless of what the Warforged strives to accomplish with any outward changes, he is always conscious that he lives in the world of men. In order to establish himself within the Human community, he must take steps to ensure that his form still resembles the normal and acceptable form that all humanoids have. Even though adding two more arms may provide a significant combat advantage, this is not something that a Warforged with this mentality will opt to do if he hopes to blend in. Deep down he still realizes that it’s a Human world and that any place he hopes to carve out for himself needs to happen within the established social standards.

Sometimes Warforged searching for identity that fall into this first classification find it hard to understand their freedom. Many will look for a “master” to provide guidance. Some opt to remain in the military, taking comfort in the rigid hierarchy. Others may find direction through religion. Some still may end up as hired goons working for less savory individuals. I’ve seen a few great Warforged characters that join adventuring parties simply to have someone else make the decisions.

Steel is Strong, Flesh is Weak

On the other end of the Warforged identity spectrum are the radical and extreme thinkers. They want to embrace everything that their artificiality allows. Although they were created by men, resemble men and live in a world of men, they don’t feel that they have to fit into the definitions created by men. Why limit yourself to just two arms, two legs or even one head? Why even take a humanoid form at all?

This type of Warforged will not hesitate to replace limbs with weapons if they feel it will give them an edge in combat. They’ll make whatever physical alterations to their body that they want. Most will opt to retain the humanoid form simply to take advantage of the things Humans have created, but that’s likely the only reason for doing so.

Once these Warforged received the spark of life that granted them sentience there was no looking back. They often see themselves as superior to their creators. After all, flesh is weak. Men need to sleep, eat and breathe. Eventually a man will die form old age or disease. The Warforged represents only the best qualities of men and isn’t limited or restrained by men weaknesses.

The Lord of Blades certainly falls into this end of the spectrum. He believes he’s a god, chosen by divine right to lead the Warforged race. The Lord of Blades has made radical alterations to his appearance by adding blades all over hit body.

Playing a Warforged

Obviously some of the examples I’ve presented above are quite radical and deliberately extreme. From the point of view of your PC, some of these concepts just aren’t going to work at most gaming tables. If you’re a Warforged extremist who feels superior to all living creatures and strives to make the world a better place for your brethren at the expense and sacrifice of breathers, you’re going to find it difficult to maintain any kind of positive relationship with the other non-Warforged members of the party. In fact you’re going to need a pretty good reason to explain why they’d even accept you into the party in the first place.

But that’s not to say that less extreme versions of these characters won’t work. In fact some of the best role-playing I’ve experienced has been between Warforged and breathers. Some of the best Eberron novels include this kind of identity struggle at the heart of the story. I strongly recommend you pick up James Wyatt’s Draconic Prophecies trilogy for an excellent example of a Warforged who does some serious soul-searching.

The thing that I find most challenging when playing a Warforged is that they’re not alive as we understand it. They are sentient, but their perspective of the world is bound to be different from living races. Although Humans, Elves and Dwarves are all different races, they are all still living creatures and share basic similarities. No matter what kind of background characters from these races may have experienced they still share some common understandings as living beings. Warforged can try to emulate and imitate these characteristics, but they are still artificial.

Any discussion about the identity of an artificial creature is bound to be lengthy and complicated. I’ve admittedly only touched the surface. For most players, this is about as much of a philosophical debate as they’re interested in having when it comes to fleshing out their character. After all D&D is just a game. As long as you, the player running the Warforged, have an idea of who he is and at least a general idea of his ambitions and goals that should be enough. For some of the more hardcore gamers running Warforged character, this kind of debate just helps you get into the character better.

Despite my own opinions of Warforged characters, the final call on how to play him is yours to make. If you’re playing a Warforged, run him as you see fit for your game. If my look at the Warforged identity helps you better define your character then I’ve done my job.

Where do you stand on Warforged? Do you think that they are (or can be) as radically different as I’ve described? Or do you think that they are more like their creators than I’ve given them credit for? What interesting character quarks have players at your table come up with for their Warforged?

Click on the Eberron tab above the Dungeon’s Master banner to find all of our great Eberron articles and resources.

Related reading:

• Secrets of Eberron Revealed: The Mournland Express
• Skill Challenge: Find and Repair the Warforged Scout
• The Shardmind

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The Mournland is one of the great mysteries of the Eberron campaign setting. It was created by some arcane accident that will never be explained. One of its more intriguing elements are the living spells that now haunt the land. Representing the spells being cast at the time of the Mourning, these spells gained some semblance of sentience and attack when the opportunity is presented.

Eberron is the campaign setting that the Dungeon’s Master team uses for our home game. During a recent stint of encounters the party was investigating strange disturbances that mirrored the effects of the Mournland. In an attempt to keep the party off balance and provide them with a new challenge, some some new Living Spells were created.

The monsters that are listed below have gone through some play testing. The Living Magic Missiles used to do a substantial amount of damage and has been adjusted down to a more reasonable level. I hope you enjoy them and look forward to hearing how you may work them into your own campaign. Original Living Spells designed by Bauxtehude (Liam Gallagher).

Living Magic Missile

Heroic Tier

Paragon Tier

Epic Tier

Living Greater Hammerfall Step

Living Flaming Sphere

Have your experimented with custom monsters in your campaign? How was the experience received by your players?

Related Reading:

• What Happened On The Day of Mourning?
• Secrets of Eberron Revealed (Part 2)

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The Last War ravaged Khorvaire. The Five Nations drew the entire continent into a war that lasted a century. An uneasy peace has kept open conflict from flaring up, but signs of tension are present and it may take only the smallest altercation to set off open warfare.

The common people gave and suffered the most during the war. Border towns frequently found themselves under the rule of different nations several times throughout the war. With the constant changing of allegiance most commoners lost interest in the origins of the conflict. Since the signing of the Thronehold Accord a small and silent group has grown amongst the populace, their goal to ensure that their sons and daughters don’t die in any future conflict.

Click on the Eberron tab above the Dungeon’s Master banner to find the previous installments in this ongoing series as well as many other great Eberron articles and resources.

The League of Remembrance

The small communities within the Five Nations gave and lost a great deal during the war. Their crops were taken to feed armies and cities, and their young were sent off to fight. When the war ended all that returned were broken bodies. Most soldiers didn’t return home to the fields, they were either dead or flocked to the cities drawn there by the promise of a more stable future.

In the aftermath of the war villagers began to talk. What had they gained from the war? Increased taxes, lives lost, futures destroyed. Small villages require their young to continue to grow, to maintain their way of life. The war robbed all of that from the common folk of Khorvaire.

As the years have passed a small group of villagers have begun to do more than just talk about the loss sustained. Led mostly by the women of the village they have started to band together, forming an informal society known as the League of Remembrance. Their objective, should war break out again, is to deny the nobility the very things it requires: food and soldiers.

The League is unique as it has spread across national boundaries. Villages in all lands are willing to stand up for themselves and deny the noble class soldiers for a future war. The resolve of the League hasn’t yet been tested and only time will tell if it will be successful. Should war break out once more will the rulers send the armies against their own people to force them into obedience?

Plot Hooks

• Rumour of the League has reached the ears of the nobles. They are rightly concerned that there traditional place of power is being threatened by the very people they rule. The PCs are hired to investigate the League and report back as to whether it is a serious threat.
• The League of Remembrance approaches the PCs and requests there services. The League is hoping to make an overture to the nobles and ask that the PCs bring a proposal forward reinforcing the Thronehold Accords.
• The PCs have become aware that the Blood of Vol has become aware of the League and is using it as a way to spread its grasp on the people of Khorvaire. With every new convert more blood is collected and new initiate identified. Soon Vol will have her own army of faithful servants and obedient undead. With the people resisting the efforts of the nobility Vol will be able to exert her will directly on the leaders of the Five Nations.

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Taint of the Black Brigade
The Chronicles of Abraxis Wren
Paul Crilley

An Eberron Novel

If you like a little bit more than the typical hack and slash in your fantasy fiction then you’re in for a treat. At its heart, Taint of the Black Brigade is a detective story. Even though it takes place in Eberron and the characters use magic it’s not your typical D&D novel. The focus of this story is a mystery and the lengths that a detective will go to solve it.

Taint of the Black Brigade is Crilley’s second novel featuring Abraxis Wren. The first, Night of the Long Shadows, was part of the Inquisitives series and although it took place before Taint of the Black Brigade it’s not necessary for you to read it first. I know that I read it when it was first released but all I remember about it besides that it was set in Eberron and featured an Inquisitive was that I really enjoyed it. So when I began reading Taint of the Black Brigade I was coming to it without any detail from the first book.

Plot Summary

The story begins in Wroat where Lyra, a House Medani agent, takes a job as a bodyguard. She’s ambushed and forced to watch the murder of the man she was supposed to be protecting. She realizes that she’s been framed for his murder so she flees to Sharn seeking help from Abraxis Wren, her ex-husband.

Wren meanwhile has become a social joke. Since the events from the Night of the Long Shadows he’s been unable to find work as an inquisitive. However, his fame and notoriety have made him popular in certain social circles. We get a first-hand example of his exceptional deductive reasoning as well as his obliviousness to social etiquette as he makes a spectacle of himself during a dinner party.

When Lyra shows up on Wren’s doorstep he reluctantly agrees to help her after some prodding from Torin. The three of them travel back to Wroat where they investigate the murder and uncover details of the victim’s past.

The man Lyra was hired to protect was part of an elite, black-ops team called the Black Brigade. They worked for Breland during the last war. The 10-member squad reported directly to the king. No one else knew of their existence. They were sent to do the jobs that regular troops weren’t equipped to handle or that might result in political backlash. Towards the end of the war the Black Brigade realized that they could easily be hung out to dry after the war. They’d have nothing to fall back on. No recognition for a job well done and no military pension to live off of. So they decided to do something about it.

When the Black Brigade found a priceless treasure during one of their final ops, they decided to keep it. They realized that if they cashed it in immediately there would be questions. So they decided to bury the treasure, and dig it up years later, after the war was over. However, some of the members of the Black Brigade disagreed on this course of action and they turned on each other. With only four members remaining they agreed to a truce.

One of the remaining members swore an oath to the Silver Flame that he’d forever denounce his share of the treasure. The others agreed to let him hide the treasure on their behalf. He would then create a treasure map, divide it into three pieces and give each of the remaining members a section. He did as agreed and handed each man a sealed envelope. Before he could explain what was in the envelope they killed him. Opening their envelopes they realized that they’d been double-crossed. Inside the envelopes wasn’t three pieces of a map, but rather three riddles. The riddles, when deciphered, would lead each man to his piece of the map. For years each man struggled to solve his riddle.

In order to absolve Lyra of a murder she didn’t commit, Wren must solve the riddles and find the treasure before the other surviving members of the Black Brigade.

Review

I really enjoyed this book. I find that the Eberron novels are a step above most other D&D novels. The setting is so rich and the authors find the perfect balance between just showing us the setting and using it as a part of their story.

Crilley did a wonderful job of introducing (or in my case re-introducing) the readers to his main characters: Wren and Torin. Abraxis Wren is a confident detective (called an Inquisitive in Eberron). Because he’s almost always right, he comes off as arrogant. He lacks social graces but doesn’t seem to notice or be bothered about it. He’s highly observant and uses logic to deduce the most likely conclusions. Torin provides Wren with someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of. He’s also is the first to point out when Wren’s plan will ruffle feathers, alienate his peers, cause future headaches or is outright dangerous.

Wren and Torin are clearly reflections of the popular Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson archetypes (or Dr. Gregory House and Dr. James Wilson if you’d prefer a more modern example). The banter between these two seems real and natural. You believe that these guys are friends even though they often disagree. Beneath the frustration of these arguments is sense that both men enjoy the debate a great deal.

Wren, Torin and Lyra are all such believable characters. It’s their weaknesses and vulnerabilities that really made them feel real to me. Throughout the course of the story we learn more about what Lyra and Wren’s relationship was like when they were together and we learn the painful reasons for their divorce. Knowing that someone as aloof as Wren was capable of feeling this kind of passion and pain helped me overlook and forgive his abruptness.

There is also a great deal of humour in this story. The back and forth between Wren and Troin, and Wren and Lyra, make for great comedy. You really believe that these characters are long-time friends and have a tremendous amount of shared history.

I’m always fascinated when we get see a part of Eberron that hasn’t previously been explored in great detail. In this case Crilley describes the inner workings of the secretive House Medani and how they keep records they’re not supposed to have. We also learn that Wren, once a member of the house, dissolved his relationship under less-than-favourable conditions.

We’re given a look inside a House Lyrandar luxury air liner, a ship that can hold hundreds of passengers and caters to the very rich. A battle between Wren and a murderer on the deck of the moving airship was very exciting.

The real treat for me was to get an idea of how the Dwarves of House Kundarak keep treasures safe within their magic vaults. When Wren and his companions need to break into the impenetrable bank we are shown how an observant and intelligent Inquisitive can apply logic to defeat even the most impressive defenses.

If you’re looking for a good read then I highly recommend Taint of the Black Brigade. Read it as a stand-alone, Eberron adventure or, if you can find Night of Long Shadows, you read that one first. Either way you’ll be happy you did.

Taint of the Black Brigade: 8 on a d10

Listen to Paul Crilley read a chapter from his book, Taint of the Black Brigade by downloading the podcast from the Wizard of the Coast website.

Download sample chapters of Taint of the Black Brigade and Night of the Long Shadows courtesy of Wizards of the Coast.

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King Boranel an impostor? Impossible. Or is it? And just how are so many criminals avoiding the well trained soldiers of House Deneith. In this installment of the Secrets of Eberron Revealed we look into a possible conspiracy within the royal house of Breland where a king might in fact be a changeling and House Deneith tries to solve the mystery of how its soldiers are being detected. Is there a traitor within the house or is it something else all together?

Click on the Eberron tab above the Dungeon’s Master banner to find the previous installments in this ongoing series as well as many other great Eberron articles and resources.

The King and the Changeling

King Boranel has always been considered a radical thinker. He, more than any of the other monarchs, pushes for a democratically elected government. He’s been called radical, progressive, liberal and a visionary. But many are starting to also call him impostor. A man living in the slums of Sharn and bearing a striking resemblance to King Boranel claims to be the actual king.

Known only as Canty, this Boranel look-a-like does not seek power. He’s a docile man who only wants to be left alone. He claims that as a teenager he and a changing swapped places on occasions so that he could meet secretly with a woman. But the changeling grew too comfortable in the seat of power and refused to give up his new identity. The changeling became Boranel permanently while the real Boranel was forced to flee to the slums of Sharn to avoid death at the hands of the changeling’s assassins.

Anyone who’s met Canty realizes that he’s not just a common beggar or down-on-his-luck criminal. He exudes a radiance of Charisma that immediately makes people like him. He gives hope to the downtrodden simply by acknowledging them and shaking their hand. King or not, there is certainly something majestic about Canty.

Many fiercely loyal soldiers who love and respect their king disagree with his political agenda and long to go back to war. These men would never act against their king, but if he turned out to be a changeling in disguise… Seeking to undo the social and political changes that King Boranel has introduced during his reign, a group of Brelish soldier are now actively seeking Canty in hope to put him on the throne, real king or not.

• The PCs discover soldiers harassing a beggar and intercede. One of the PCs recognizes the beggar as King Boranel (Canty)
• The PCs are hired by the throne to find and eliminate a changeling called Canty who is parading around the slums of Sharn claiming to be the King.
• The PCs need to get into a posh party. They realize that if they clean Canty up he can pretend to be the King and get them inside. Of course, when the real King arrives there could be trouble.

Deneith Detection Device

Not long after the Day of Mourning, while House Cannith was in turmoil, a prospector met with a junior house member to try and sell the rights to the minerals he discovered in his mine. The prospector explained that he purchased the mine years ago with the hope of finding Dragonshards or gemstones. After the Day of Mourning, he discovered a vein of strange metal. He felt that Cannith might be interested in owning the rights to this rare find.

The junior house member examined the samples the prospector provided and discovered that the metal was stronger than any she’s ever examined. She immediately purchased exclusive rights to this find and Cannith has used this metal to make some of the finest blades in Khorvaire ever since.

What the prospector failed to tell Cannith during his dealings is that the metal has another unique property besides its unusual strength. When the prospector discovered the metal, he also discovered small, spider-like bugs nesting near the metal. Whenever the bugs were near the metal they glowed. The prospector also learned that if he held one of these bugs in his hand, he could feel it getting warmer as the bug got closer to the metal.

The prospector made a good deal of money when he signed on with house Cannith, but he makes even more money these days by selling the bugs. It turns out that House Cannith uses the metal in weapons sold exclusively to House Deneith. Now the criminal elements can get an early warning whenever Deneith soldiers are approaching, as long as they’ve got one of these little bugs touching their skin. When the bug gets warm, Deneith is on the way.

• The PCs are on the run from House Deneith. They learn that there’s a way to avoid detection and seek the prospector for aid.
• House Deneith realizes that many criminals are being tipped off and eluding capture. The PCs are hired by House Deneith to investigate.
• One of the PCs finds a magic blade made of the rare metal. He doesn’t understand why so many people assume he’s a member of House Deneith working undercover.

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