So you've been marked by Destiny, now what? (Players stay out)

[Raine_Sage]

So I'll be DMing a game over the summer, set in Ebberon and by level 9 all the PCs will receive Siberys marks as part of the plot in an incident that I have planned to hit around level 8.

I've decided this to be a landmark event in the Draconic prophecy that will essentially bring the world to a screeching halt for a week or so while everyone scrambles to figure out what this means. They'll face people who think they should be dead, new political pressures, the interest of several dragonmarked houses etc. So I have a general "what happens after the marks" roughed out. But I'm struggling with the "why" of the marks. Namely what they should be destined for. It doesn't help that the nature of the draconic prophecy is left intentionally vague as to what exactly it's supposed to be predicting.

I need ideas for what this means lore wise and why six Siberys marks might manifest all at once (the how is already figured out). If anyone could point me to resources about the Draconic prophecy and what it's ticking down to that would also be great.

[Maglubiyet]

Like you said, the Draconic Prophecy is intentionally left vague so that GM's can fill in their own reasons and meanings for it. Aside from the campaign setting book, Dragons of Eberron 3.5 has a few pages on the nature of the Prophecy and how to use it in game.

The manifestation of the Prophecy doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the interpretation. The six Siberys Dragonmarked might not be involved with whatever it is that their presence indicates. Though that would be pretty dull for your game if the PC's weren't somehow connected.

Are you asking what is this Prophecy prophesying -- isn't that what you worked out with you "what happens after the marks" question? Or is "what happens after the marks" just the fighting that goes on between all of the interested parties, unrelated to what the Prophecy actually means?

[Raine_Sage]

The latter.

What I have for directly after: A lot of turmoil and figuring out what to do with their sudden newfound status as dragonmarked rockstars.

What I need: Something for after all the dust settles that still ties in to their marks and the prophecy in some way.

The campaign will be starting at level 3, so I've got about 5 levels of breathing room before the main event. Mostly this will be characters forming bonds and solidifying as a party. I know the prophecy is left intentionally vague so as to let the DM come up with their own plots. But there's a difference between "Vaguely Defined" and "Not at all defined" and I'm terrible at inventing things out of whole cloth. Basically the options presented by the setting is "Prophecy bad, avert prophecy" or "Prophecy Good, uphold prophecy." Which is hard to do when there's no hint as to what it might be about.

I'm not asking people to give me a straight "what is it about" I just wondered if there was something I could work off of. Even if it's just "Well in my game we did X"

[Maglubiyet]

So, a sage of Draconic Prophecy lore sees the six characters with Siberys marks, goes "OMG!", and proclaims that this must mean X. You want to know what X is, right? Seems there was recently a thread on the topic of prophecies.

To make it relevant to the game you could have the prophecy be worded to reflect different outcomes based on PC actions. Like:

"If the six Siberys marks cross swords with the heirs of Dhakaani, a king will die; if they draw no goblin blood then House Medani will rise."

It gives the PC's as well as other factions a stake in what happens.

[goto124]

...What the bleep is the Draconic Prophecy? I heard it's not even a prophecy, but more like a religion/cult/belief/power/PrC/whatever?

[Keltest]

...What the bleep is the Draconic Prophecy? I heard it's not even a prophecy, but more like a religion/cult/belief/power/PrC/whatever?

As far as I am aware, its a fancy word for "Gm Contrivance." Its like a non-corporeal version of the Elder Scrolls.

[Maglubiyet]

As far as I am aware, its a fancy word for "Gm Contrivance." Its like a non-corporeal version of the Elder Scrolls.

That's a fair assessment. :smallwink:

The Draconic Prophecy is a series of omens and signs spread throughout the world of Eberron that have been occurring since the dawn of time. They are a record of things that have happened and predictors of things to come. These omens manifest in a variety of ways: odd configurations of clouds, flaming letters spontaneously appearing on cliff faces, alignments of celestial bodies, and recently the appearance of Dragonmarks on the younger races (basically PC races).

Due to their nature, only very long-lived races can acquire any depth of understanding into their meaning -- primarily dragons and demons. Others can interpret smaller sections of the Prophecy to manipulate events in the short term without understanding the greater trends at work.

None of the groups who study the Draconic Prophecy agree on what it is -- read "GM can use it in whatever way works for the campaign".

[goto124]

These omens manifest in a variety of ways: odd configurations of clouds, flaming letters spontaneously appearing on cliff faces, alignments of celestial bodies, and recently the appearance of Dragonmarks on the younger races (basically PC races).

So what are the omens? Is there a specific mark that glows red in the same of a rabbit up 100 feet on the Cliff of Whatever? Did the Oracle of the Southern Citysomething say No Weapon Forged Can Kill Blahguy?

Those things aren't made up by the GM are they? Are they copyrighted?

[Honest Tiefling]

Odd idea, but..What if the prophecy doesn't want them to do anything? See, what the prophecy wants is for people to fight over them, putting into motion a chain of events to...Something. I'd say, punish those who don't believe or work for the prophecy. Easier to get things done that way.

Through I must ask...1) Can someone HIDE this dragonmark? I would! 2) Does it have to be a definite number of Dragonmarks? What if a PC dies or a player isn't happy with the character? What if one is an NPC trying to convince/seduce/whatever the PCs?

[Raine_Sage]

Through I must ask...1) Can someone HIDE this dragonmark? I would! 2) Does it have to be a definite number of Dragonmarks? What if a PC dies or a player isn't happy with the character? What if one is an NPC trying to convince/seduce/whatever the PCs?


Unfortunately once you hit Siberys Level the mark is winding around your entire body and is more or less impossible to hide without stage makeup (or possibly a good disguise kit). Doable but pain in terms of upkeep.

[Honest Tiefling]

Given how many people probably want them dead or to use them, wouldn't investing in a lot of magic or disguise kits be a good idea? What if an NPC did it? What if the number of Dragonmarked of Siberys isn't 6, but 100. So ah...Where are the others? And if people die, you have a way to work them back in easily.

[Maglubiyet]

So what are the omens? Is there a specific mark that glows red in the same of a rabbit up 100 feet on the Cliff of Whatever? Did the Oracle of the Southern Citysomething say No Weapon Forged Can Kill Blahguy?

Those things aren't made up by the GM are they? Are they copyrighted?

I think the forms are roughly in the shape of characters/words in the Draconic language. They can be interpreted directly, if imprecisely, through use of Spellcraft (DC 30) if you speak Draconic. But the Prophecy also manifests in other, more traditional types of divination -- astronomical events, patterns of birds flying, etc.

There are scholars capable of reading and interpreting their meaning as well as oracles who have insights and visions about them.

Eberron sourcebooks and novels contain different parts of the Prophecy specific to the adventures they refer to. Since there's no single message (or if there is, that message is extremely long and convoluted) every GM creates their own signs and interpretations for their game. Basically it's a catchall for any divination and prophecy for this specific game world -- if something is foretold in Eberron, it's part of the Draconic Prophecy, just like in another game world they might all be related to revelations of the Gods or whatever.

[Sith_Happens]

Regardless of the PCs' role in the prophecy, the fact remains that they now have Siberys dragonmarks, which are rare and powerful and therefore the ultimate status symbol. Every major house is going to want them, everyone who wants to be someone is going to court their favor, and they'll probably end up celebrities if they aren't already. Suddenly they're embroiled in the continent's politics whether they want to be or not.

Heck, if you want the above to tie directly into "why" they got the marks, have the relevant portion of the prophecy be that good fortune will follow the PCs and those they favor wherever they go. That way EVERYONE wants them (or wants them dead).