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6 years ago ::
Oct 17, 2007 - 2:09PM
#21
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Could you do something on the Eldeen Reaches?
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6 years ago ::
Oct 19, 2007 - 7:23PM
#22
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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@Khadmus: I could try to. Honestly, the Reaches aren't on my list for a while, I was going to do the Five Nations' capitols first and then work from there. There're some Eldeen plots in the Fairhaven material already here, though, and more to come. Buuut, if you have a suggestion for an Eldeen town that I could tackle after Fairhaven, I could adjust the schedule. They're all pretty small, so it should throw things off too much. As much as I'm organized, which is pretty small after all. :D
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6 years ago ::
Oct 22, 2007 - 12:37PM
#23
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Naaah, go on with your normally assigned cities. It's a small priority.
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6 years ago ::
Oct 25, 2007 - 8:23AM
#24
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Date Joined:
Oct 14, 2007
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This is awesome! The hardest part of running an off the shelf setting I have is that I like to really "know" the areas my pcs are running in- -to try to do it off the cuff without really plotting it beforehand increases the likelihood details and deviances are skipped, at least with me. Unfortunately by the time RL lets me focus on the game it becomes more about encounter plotting and less about the subtleties, leading to the "well there is a Sharn book so let's stick it in Sharn" game.  It is inspiring to see someone put so much attention to somewhere other than Sharn, and to do it well!
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6 years ago ::
Nov 01, 2007 - 9:50PM
#25
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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Locations in Shangha
Ashta il-Leashur:The “Temple of the Lanternbearer” is the center of Adaran culture and religion in Fairhaven. It draws its name from the image of Taratai, the first prophet of il-Yannah, as the bearer of a light and a mural respresenting this is found on the walls inside. Few visitors see this mural, though, because it is separated from the main part of the temple by a series of semi-transparent curtains in an old tradition called the Procession. Worshipers pause for meditation and reflection at the curtains, stopping for longer intervals with each one. After meditation, they step past the curtain, closer to the mural and are able to see the mural more clearly. Even in Adar, though, the Procession has fallen out of practice and it is only because of the conservative movement within Shangha that the Ashta il-Leashur has restarted it. The Venerated Ishakhad (LN male kalashtar divine mind 9; Dream of Insight feat, see Secrets of Sarlona 116) is the leader of the temple and the motivating force behind the conservative elders of the Shangha community. Though not a seer, Ishakhad does receive visions that occasionally prove to be true. His latest one is a disjointed image of Riedran scheming and the shifter seer Rava Moonshadow from the Grangehall Ward. Though nothing new has come to him in over a month, the elder feels that the events in this vision are rapidly approaching. Rather than comraderie, the elderly kalashtar often expresses disapproval for Novakri’s visions and has suggested that more than one might be an overactive imagination rather than true prophecy. Other elders have warned that this is causing the schism within Shangha to widen, but the Venerated Ishakhad remains uncharacteristically obstinate on the topic. Chammanau Blades: The kalashtar Laanaskai (N male kalashtar expert 5; Craft (weaponsmithing) +13) who runs this simple and elegant shop is an excellent weaponsmith. His items are of beautiful craftsmanship and exotic Adaran design, including long, curved swords, beautiful polearms decorated with exotic feathers, polished bows that seem to hum with strength, and ornate daggers with careful gilding on them. The weapons are generally ornamental in appearance and more than a few Nealford aristocrats have some of Laanaskai’s work, claiming they had it shipped “all the way from Riedra.” The weapons are deadly and fully functional, however, and most are in fact masterwork weapons. Laanaskai’s family has run the shop for generations, closing only briefly during the worst years of the war, and they pride themselves on making “beautiful weapons, not beautiful trinkets,” as Laanaskai puts it. The word “Chammanau”, which means “true to self” in Adaran, is their family motto in life and in smithing. In the back of the shop, Laanaskai even has a few crysteel weapons, some made in Aundair and some brought over from Adar. He also has a +1 crysteel longsword just inside the back room in case of trouble. Though he is an unassuming man and a fair business man, Laanaskai provides a fair amount of weaponry to the enclave in Shangha and is convinced that the Royal Eyes will find out some day. This is all part being kalashtar, though, in the master smith’s eyes. For adventurers, Laanaskai is an excellent contact for someone looking for items crafted from Riedran crysteel or any of the special materials in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. He also has cultural weapons from Adar and other parts of Sarlona, some originals and some crafted in Fairhaven, and Chammanau Blades attracts a fair number of martial artists searching for the exotic weapons of Adar’s monks. Cliffs of Dvaarnava: Named for the famous hidden port of Adar, the last sight that many kalashtar fleeing the Riedrans see of their homeland, this restaurant is decorated in a very traditional manner for an Adaran building. Rich tapestries create smaller sections of the large main room so that the spaces can be adjusted for parties of varying sizes. Cushions on the ground provide low seats for the round tables which are scattered throughout the room and the subtle smell of exotic Adaran spices wafts throughout it. The cuisine served at the Cliffs of Dvaarnava is not nearly as traditional as the décor, however. Rhaakri (CG female kalashtar monk 2/fighter 3) and Novakri (CN female kalashtar psion 3/favored soul 2) inherited the business from their mother, a strict traditionalist who taught the girls all about Adar. To her dismay, Rhaaki and Novakri took only some of her lessons to heart and ascribe to the sheshantol politics to a degree that most of the elders in Shangha see as dangerously radical. The two sisters are only one year apart in age, and look similar enough to be twins. They are very close and seem to feed off of each other’s radical philosophies. Both spend most of their time at the restaurant, either cooking, maintaining the business, or engaging other sheshantol in political discussions. Though they were only teenagers during the embassy bombing ten years ago, the sisters make no secret of the fact that they would have helped if they had the chance. Novakri in particular is an outspoken voice among the sheshantol, as an oracle of the Path of Light. She has had several dreams over the past few years where she received visions of Taratai urging her to action against the Dreaming Dark. Rhaaki is more quiet and spends an increasing amount of her time at the Far Horizon training house (see below) where she trains. Far Horizon: This training house, which opened only eight years ago, is a simple affair with unpainted stone walls and rough wood floors. The owner is Jiulaan, a swarthy Syrk with impressive martial abilities who runs classes teaching young Aundairians eastern dueling skills. While courtly duels are illegal now in Aundair, swordplay is still considered essential to a well-bred education. A fair amount of adventurous aristocratic youth find their way to the Far Horizon to learn to fight in a style with more flair. What none of the students at the Far Horizon realize is that Jiulaan is not what he sees. He is not from Syrkarn at all but an agent of the Thousand Eyes (LE changeling rogue 3/swordsage4) assigned by the Riedran lords at the embassy to gather information on the kalashtar of Shangha. Jiulaan is a master of disguise and, while he has made little headway with the elders of the community, he has forged friendships with several young shadow watchers eager to learn about Syrkarn and its long resistance of the Inspired rule. In particular he has gotten very close to Rhaaki (see the Cliffs of Dvaarnava restaurant above) and the two have become lovers in the past year. Jiulaan has even “confessed” why he is in Fairhaven, an invented story about hiding his “magical abilities” from the Thousand Eyes. In truth, the changeling’s swordsage abilities were taught to him as part of his Thousand Eye training, though he uses none of his martial adept maneuvers in the training house. In revealing this “secret” to Rhaakri, though, he has successfully fooled the woman and blinded her to any other suspicions. Novakri does not approve of Rhaaki and Jiulaan’s relationship and the sisters bicker increasingly about it. Jiulaan for his part uses this to draw more information out of Rhaaki about sheshasol activity in Fairhaven. See Also: The psionic artificer class can be found in Magic of Eberron pages 42-43. Information on Dvaarnava can be found in Secrets of Sarlona page 33, the Thousand Eyes are detailed on pages 36-37, and information on the divide in kalashtar society between lightbringers and shadow watchers on page 22. The swordsage class is found in Tome of Battle and the divine mind class is from Complete Psionic. And information on Sarlonan weapons can be found in Secrets of Sarlona pages 135-136.
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6 years ago ::
Nov 01, 2007 - 10:06PM
#26
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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Sorry, I was reading the posts, but didn't respond. I'll keep up the dialog now...
@Khadmus: Hopefully the Eldeen Reaches stuff in the Grangehall Ward will keep you going until I get to more sections. That's really the nexus, but there's no telling what may crop up in the future. (Seriously, even I don't know...)
@Aokami: I totally agree. That's the main reason I wanted to do this. In Sharn players can just go crazy anywhere they want in the city and the DM can even form a campaign based on locations that have existences and character outside of the plot. You can only go to so many inns that are full of dour, silent patrons except for the one guy you want to find. How much more refreshing to visit the Glitterdust in Sharn and find your own story weaving through a lot of other subplots, or go to the Gorsethorn here in Marble Halls and contend with the Saverne while you're trying to Gather Information.
@Thot (anticipatory): Here's your kalashtar, buddy! There's going to be a plot involving the Riedran Embassy; you see hints here... essentially there was a bombing during the war. I'm thinking that it set back Aundair-Riedra relations a few years and meanwhile the Riedran intrest shifted to Sharn which is why the population is so much bigger there. Ironically, Aundair's pandering to keep the valuable Riedran trade may have increased the Dreaming Dark's presence in Fairhaven while it had little effect on the Inspired government's. Whoops.
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6 years ago ::
Nov 12, 2007 - 2:24PM
#27
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My man, I am seriously impressed with the sheer amount of information you have given out. I haven't had the time to read it all, but it is great to have an alternative to Sharn that I don't have to build from scratch. So hats of to you, and keep up the good work. Ill be here sucking it inn.
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6 years ago ::
Nov 13, 2007 - 9:49PM
#28
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Don't get to the boards much, first time I've seen this thread.
Impressive! I will wait patiently for information on Korth, Rekkenmark, Flamekeep and Trolanport! Oh, the intrigue!
Also, despite your bias against Breland (I kid, I kid) will you do Wroat as well? I love me some King's Citadel/Dark Lanterns would love more info on the city they call homebase.
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6 years ago ::
Nov 23, 2007 - 12:12PM
#29
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Date Joined:
Dec 12, 2003
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Hey Sports Fans, Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it and Horrible Thanksgiving to all who don't. I don't like to exclude people. Just wanted to say that Marble Halls is officially done, with a map and everything. Next stop: Sovereign Ward to see some richy-rich people. Sweet. ~MJ
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6 years ago ::
Nov 24, 2007 - 4:24AM
#30
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Once again great work. I'm seriously impressed with the amount of info.
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