Eberron - Thrane plot hooks?

[kraftcheese]

Hi everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone has any interesting plot hooks for a campaign that has started in Thrane in Eberron (or even just non-setting specific, interesting post-war rural encounters to have).

The characters are about to arrive in Shardukar (a town and forest burnt during a war) and from there the PCs are going north to cross over to another country (well that's their plan, they've only had one session so far), possibly staying outside of big towns cuz they're sort of on the run.

[Grek]

Shadukar, not Shardukar :P

You're going to want this Full Sized Map of Eberron because Eberron is a setting where the countries and the maps actually matter. In particular, you want to think about Thronehold. Shadukar may be just across the river from Flamekeep, Thrane's capitol, but it's also just across the sound from Thronehold, the center of international politics, Eberron's version of the UN. What happens there gets echoed across all of Khorvaire, and you know for a fact that everybody's interested in having their voice be heard at Thronehold. Shadukar, being an abandoned city full of undead and horrible curses which no sane person would be willing to chance without a very good reason, is one of the best place for secret operatives to lie low in between missions - especially Blood of Vol agents and Emerald Claw terrorism cells. The Silver Torch (Thrane's intelligence agency) is doubtlessly busy trying to root them out, while Rekkenmark agents and even the occasional Aundairese partisan out of Thaliost (which used to be owned by Aundair and is still culturally Aundairese in many areas) try to sabotage their efforts in order to stick it to Thrane. You'll also find House Deneith involved, being obliged under the Treaty of Thronehold to keep the Scion's Bay area secure. Every side is hiring, as long as you don't ask too many questions about who you're working for.

It may please you to know that I have a giant thread full of Eberron setting information, written with the aim of providing DM-useful demographic information and plot points. While the mechanics sections are intended for 5e games, the information on the individual houses is largely system agnostic and backed up wherever possible in the Eberron lore books.

[kraftcheese]

Shadukar, not Shardukar :P

You're going to want this Full Sized Map of Eberron because Eberron is a setting where the countries and the maps actually matter. In particular, you want to think about Thronehold. Shadukar may be just across the river from Flamekeep, Thrane's capitol, but it's also just across the sound from Thronehold, the center of international politics, Eberron's version of the UN. What happens there gets echoed across all of Khorvaire, and you know for a fact that everybody's interested in having their voice be heard at Thronehold. Shadukar, being an abandoned city full of undead and horrible curses which no sane person would be willing to chance without a very good reason, is one of the best place for secret operatives to lie low in between missions - especially Blood of Vol agents and Emerald Claw terrorism cells. The Silver Torch (Thrane's intelligence agency) is doubtlessly busy trying to root them out, while Rekkenmark agents and even the occasional Aundairese partisan out of Thaliost (which used to be owned by Aundair and is still culturally Aundairese in many areas) try to sabotage their efforts in order to stick to to Thrane. You'll also find House Deneith involved, being obliged under the Treaty of Thronehold to keep the Scion's Bay area secure. Every side is hiring, as long as you don't ask too many questions about who you're working for.

It may please you to know that I have a giant thread full of Eberron setting information, written with the aim of providing useful setting information. While the mechanics sections are intended for 5e games, the information on the individual houses is largely system agnostic and backed up wherever possible in the Eberron lore books.

Thanks so much! I'm actually playing in 5e, so this works out well!

[RedMage125]

Grek, your thread is amazing. I only scanned it, and was unable to get into it in detail, but I subscribed to it so I can really go through it later.

OP, I also recommend the 3.5e book "Five Nations" for some more ideas.

[Nifft]

You're going to want this Full Sized Map of Eberron because Eberron is a setting where the countries and the maps actually matter.

That seems to link to a thumbnail of the map.

Here's a link to the full-size map: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...evision/latest

[kraftcheese]

That seems to link to a thumbnail of the map.

Here's a link to the full-size map: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...evision/latest

That's a thumbnail too, sorry Nifft; I'm all good though, I have THIS 4800x2964 pixel map haha!

Also, I do have The Five Nations as well, thanks folks!

[Beleriphon]

Just as an aside, that big post map is good enough quality to get printed on outdoor poster grade vinyl. I got one done up and it looks awesome.

[Nifft]

That's a thumbnail too, sorry Nifft; I'm all good though, I have THIS 4800x2964 pixel map haha!

The one I linked appears to be 4575x3225 -- that's larger than yours in one dimension, and almost equal in the other.

Is that not the size which shows up for you when you click the link?

If so, then I guess I ought to re-host it.

[kraftcheese]

The one I linked appears to be 4575x3225 -- that's larger than yours in one dimension, and almost equal in the other.

Is that not the size which shows up for you when you click the link?

If so, then I guess I ought to re-host it.

I'm getting a 200x100ish image but I'm not sure why; where are you hosting it?

[Nifft]

I'm getting a 200x100ish image but I'm not sure why; where are you hosting it?

That's weird. I left it on the original source wiki:

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/...evision/latest

... because when I re-host on imgur the thing shrinks to half size:

Spoiler: re-hosted

Show

Let's try cutting bits off...

Spoiler: Without the /revision/latest postfix

Show

[Grek]

Fixed the image link.

[kraftcheese]

That's weird. I left it on the original source wiki:

... because when I re-host on imgur the thing shrinks to half size:

Spoiler: re-hosted

Show

Let's try cutting bits off...

Spoiler: Without the /revision/latest postfix

Show

Nice! Your map actually looks a bit more useful and less cluttered; there's national borders and everything!

[Nifft]

Nice! Your map actually looks a bit more useful and less cluttered; there's national borders and everything!

Grek gets all the credit for finding it, I just poked around the URLs a bit.


Anyway, regarding plot hooks, have you decided what happened to the Mournlands? If it's never going to be relevant to your game then that's fine, but if you have an idea about Cyre's downfall, then Shardukar is a fine place to plant a few clues.

Thrane itself is a theocracy, and interestingly one that doesn't mind converts in positions of power, for example the current top girl Jaela was formerly a Sovereign Host follower. Moving from a hereditary monarchy to a merit-based theocracy surely wasn't painless. There are probably people who honestly think the former nobility was a good thing, and they could be deceived by industry-standard wicked fallen nobles, or by foreigners hostile to the Silver Flame.

In terms of other plots that might be ongoing, consider how interested the Lords of Dust must be in the only recent Overlord escape -- the event which created the Silver Flame itself. Surely the agents of the Lords of Dust don't mind a few curses or undead.