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.
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.
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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