Eberron One

Subject: Eberron One 15th October 2010, 10:29 pm

This is the main gameplay thread. We're starting out in the town of Vulyar, in southern Karrnath, near the border with the Talenta Plains.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 26th October 2010, 12:44 am

[OOC]
Do you want us to sandbox the beginning? Or how do you want to get started once Chaos gets his character all done?

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 12:27 am

Year of The King 998
Far (Friday) the 27th of Sypheros (October)
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/ec/index.htm

Vulyar is a fair sized Karrnathi town, with around a thousand people. It is big enough to have a train station, several taverns and probably more than the one inn you’ve seen near the train station. According to talk around the station, the train travels East, to Irontown (about 500 miles,) and from there on to Krona Peak, the capitol of the dwarves. You assume this is the reason why you see so many dwarves in town, looking around uncomfortably and seeming very out-of-place. You think in the short time you’ve walked around the major street, you’ve probably seen one dwarf for every 20 humans. You’ve seen no elves, and no other halflings.

The train also travels West, to the small fortified city of Vedykar, about 200 miles away.

It is night time, about two hours after sunset. Three moons are full tonight, but it’s very overcast, and only a bit of light glows through the heavy clouds here and there. You are amongst a small group of people outside the train station, looking at the the boards which detail the times and costs of train rides.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 1:42 am

Caby looks at the prices for rail tickets to Vedykar (which is the general direction she was originally planning on going). One hand goes to her coin purse and feels how little is in there and she sighs, "I won't be going to Vedykar any time soon." Thinking the best course of action at this point would be to find someplace to eat a meal and get some rest, she looks around for an honest-looking person to ask directions.

Spotting a man of the cloth, wearing several wooden crosses, she approaches him.

"Brother, do you know of an inn where I might find room and board for the night?"

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 6:28 pm

"I say, Father," says Ducats to the same fellow. "Where be the place of lodging that's got the finest women. That allow dogs."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 6:40 pm

As the holy man, apparently a proponent of the Sovereign Host, looks up from a parchment he was reading and looks around a bit before beginning to answer, a young boy approaches the three of you. He seems to be around 10 years of age, and you noticed him some moments ago petitioning a few other people around the station.

He says "does your hount bite?" in a thick Karrnathi patois.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 8:25 pm

Caby turns to the little boy and says, "A lesson you should learn soon than later in life, young man, is that ALL hounds bite."

She puts a restraining hand on his shoulder to make sure he doesn't get too close to the guard dog.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 8:43 pm

"That's right, lilttle man, the uh, lady, she's right, about strange dogs. Cash Money behaves, but a dog is on a leash for a reason, and, now you know, and, we've all learned...something...today."

Ducats pulls his dog closer to heel.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 9:03 pm

He seems a little confused, but keeps his distance. He then seems to remember he was going to say something!
"My fotter sent me to ask if someone could come help, but I don't have any silver anymore. First Sig and Pater went out to dee claw pit, but dey never come back, den Mr. Zeeg is gone, but maybe he went to look for Sig and Pater, but he's still gone, but then I saw lights in his house. And things keep going missing. And the soldiers say it's nothing, but fotter knows because he can feel it's someting bad. And fotter has lots of pumpkins and two goats and a great big pig named Hennrik, he's THiS big!" The boy stands on his tiptoes and stretches his arms out and skyward "and he could maybe give you dem."

It all came out pretty quickly, and you get the impression he's said pretty close to the same thing dozens of times. Now he looks up at the three of you, and wipes his nose on his sleeve.

Suddenly, he points across the street and says "the inn's over dere."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 9:09 pm

DM wrote:: He seems a little confused, but keeps his distance. He then seems to remember he was going to say something!
"My fotter sent me to ask if someone could come help, but I don't have any silver anymore. First Sig and Pater went out to dee claw pit, but dey never come back, den Mr. Zeeg is gone, but maybe he went to look for Sig and Pater, but he's still gone, but then I saw lights in his house. And things keep going missing. And the soldiers say it's nothing, but fotter knows because he can feel it's someting bad. And fotter has lots of pumpkins and two goats and a great big pig named Hennrik, he's THiS big!" The boy stands on his tiptoes and stretches his arms out and skyward "and he could maybe give you dem."

It all came out pretty quickly, and you get the impression he's said pretty close to the same thing dozens of times. Now he looks up at the three of you, and wipes his nose on his sleeve.

Suddenly, he points across the street and says "the inn's over dere."

Ducats stares blankly for a moment with his mouth open. "That's a very...grown up sentence, lil' man!" He hands the kid a silver piece.

He then turns to Caby and whispers "Beg pardon, what did he say? My Karrnesian isn't so good."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 9:18 pm

He's clearly thrilled by the silver coin. "Thank you sir, thank you" and he bows deeply.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 9:28 pm

"House Deneith is for the children."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 9:45 pm

Caby says, "I think he said... hold on."

She turns back to the boy and raises her eyebrows and opens her eyes wide, "Your dad needs help then, is it? Can you tell me more about this claw pit that Sig and Peter went to?"

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 10:46 pm

"Everybody says the claw used to haff men dere, and dey did unnatural tings. Some people don't like it when you talk about dee claw." He get's rather quiet, and looks around. "Fotter knows when tings are not goot, and he says dey are not goot. Why is dere a horse on the inn sign?"

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 11:45 pm

DM wrote:: "Why is dere a horse on the inn sign?"

Ducats looks over at the sign.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 29th October 2010, 11:51 pm

[OOC]
I would say that Caby bends down and puts her hands on her knees to talk to the kid, but... he's probably as tall as her.

[IC]
Caby looks over at the sign, as well. "Well," she says, "maybe the owner likes horses! Or maybe it has to do with the name of the inn. It could be called the Prancing Pony or some such thing."

She looks back at the boy and continues, "Who is the claw? And what kind of help does your father need?"

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 12:20 am

The sign on the inn bears a picture of a horse constructed of blue-black iron.

Posts : 20 Join date : 2010-10-24

Tagor looks back and forth at the exchange between the boy and the Halfling woman, then studies the inn's sign for a moment. "Ah, yes! 'The Iron Horse', I would guess. I think it's a slang term for the lightning rail - saw a poet use it in some sonnet once - really quite clever.

"I'm sure there might be other inns around, though, maybe even cheaper. Wouldn't know, though - I just got into town myself, tagged along with a caravan from Teryk. Not too bad a place, Teryk. I'd been thinking of traveling further by rail, but, I'm not quite sure where I'm bound for next.

"Oh, pardon me. I'm going off on a tangent while this brave young man's asking for help. What's your name, boy, and where're you from?"

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 2:27 am

"Oh, my name is Karl, fotter." He smiles. "I'm from Von."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 2:38 am

[rolling 3 d20s for something]

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 2:38 am

The member 'DM' has done the following action : Roll dice

'd20' :
Eberron One D20_510

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 2:49 am

As the three of you are talking with the boy, you also notice some old parchments posted up around the train station in a couple of places. Most of them look like they've been out in the weather for quite a while, and are quite tattered.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 10:00 am

Caby examines one of the pieces of parchment to see what it says.

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 12:28 pm

Sul, Dravago 22nd, 998 (this date is a little over 5 months ago)

Orien Offers Bounty on Lightning Rail Raiders

VULYAR, KARNNATH -- House Orien has announced a bounty of 5,000 gold coins on a gang that has been sabotaging lightning rail service between the Karnnathi cities of Vulyar and Irontown. The gang, known by the "Three Fingers" moniker, has robbed the lightning rail three times in the last six months, eluding House Orien guards each time.
Three weeks ago, House Orien blamed the Three Fingers gang for the temporary suspension of rail traffic between Vulyar and Irontown. The shutdown lasted for three days, then additional delays extended it for two days beyond that.
Citing security concerns, the leaders of House Orien refused to discuss the exact reason for the shutdown. But a villager in Yellow Pass, a hamlet near the rail route, stated that a lightning rail carrying ingots from the Mror Holds derailed after dozens of conductor stones were removed from its path. "The officials grabbed every horse and every able-bodied worker in Yellow Pass to help with the cleanup," said the villager, who asked that his name not be used. "Several rail cars were tipped over, and some of them were still on fire, but no ingots remained as far as I could tell."
The villager refused to speculate on how the ingots might have been removed. "If it took dozens of horses and a second lightning rail to haul off the wreck," he said, "I don't know how the Three Fingers could have gotten items as heavy as ingots away from the wreckage."
The bounty should substantially improve the chances of bringing the perpetrators to justice. If would-be bounty hunters don't capture the gang, one of the national armies or dragonmarked houses still might. Karnnath has dispatched extra patrols, including the Company of the Skull, into the area to search for the raiders.
In addition, several dwarf clans within the Mror Holds are negotiating with Korth to provide pursuit parties. "That lightning rail line is our primary connection to the rest of Khorvaire, and we take threats against it as threats against the holds themselves," said Baron Juri Deepspring of Mror.
Meanwhile, House Deneith has offered the services of its Sentinel Marshals to protect the rail line. House Orien officials have assured the public that the lightning rails running the Vulyar-Irontown route now have "unparalleled security."

Subject: Re: Eberron One 30th October 2010, 12:40 pm

Posted near the above, and looking even more weathered, is another parchment.

Sul, Olarune 1st, 998 (this date is nearly 9 months past)

Karrnath Decries New Elf Fortress in Talenta Plains

VULYAR -- Countess Xeria ir'Borutau called on the elves of Valenar to cease construction of a fortress southeast of Vulyar immediately, calling the structure "a provocation that mighty Karrnath cannot ignore." Speaking during a general court audience on Zor, the countess said she was planning to petition Korth for an immediate military response to the fortress.
"No elf community exists within a two-day ride of the fort they're building, so they can't trot out the tired old self-defense claim they're so fond of," she pointed out. "This fort, if completed, will be a dagger pointed directly at the heart of eastern Karrnath."
Vulyar's city militia is moving to a war footing at ir'Boratau's direction. The countess further stated that she's considering a supplemental levy to fund a mercenary cadre. "We can muster quite a bit of support locally right away, and I expect all of Karrnath to be behind us once word gets out," she said. "The Valenars have made a grave error, and the sooner they realize it, the better."
Warchief Shulach Miritarn in Taer Valaestas said that ir'Borutau was engaged in what he called provincial saber-rattling. "The Valaes Tairn have no designs on Karrnath," he said. "But we will defend our heritage to the death. And I hope this Karrnathi countess never has to learn the lesson inherent in those words."
Miritarn further stated that the fortress in question isn't being built so much as restored from its ruined state. "These forts -- we call them taers -- were guarding these lands long before humans ever conceived of Khorvaire, let alone Karrnath. The Karrnathis are the interlopers, not the Valeas Tairn," he asserted.
"The humans and halflings of eastern Karrnath and the Talenta Plains can go about their peaceful business with no interference from the elves," continued Miritarn. "But if the Karrnathis threaten the reconstruction of this taer, we'll paint the plains red with their blood."

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