The Oracle of War
The Oracle of War is the focal point of this campaign: a powerful arcane artifact that, although malfunctioning, interprets verses from the Draconic Prophecy. At this stage, the device still operable and can be used to perform its core function: the provision of tactical battlefield advice. Players should be encouraged to salvage the Oracle and return with it to Salvation without letting it fall into enemy hands!
The Oracle of War is a large, beautifully stained wood chest, set with cogs and gears. It is 3½ feet high, 4½ feet wide, 2 feet deep, and weighs 220 lb. When the device is functional, an operator can provide it with battlefield information by writing notes down on parchment and feeding it into holes in the device’s body. After a few seconds of processing, the Oracle of War provides detailed tactical advice for overcoming the enemy. The device has currently shut down and is repeating the phrase “Third protocol activated.”
The drawers contain the following items:
- 4 pots of black ink and a box of quills
- Folding telescope
- Theodolite (an optical instrument for measuring angles between points) with retractable tripod
- 50 feet of tin measuring tape in a retractable spool
- Roll of gridded parchment
- Card depicting a set of common symbols for military cartography
- 6 alchemical flares (2 green, 2 red, 2 yellow)
- Handout 3: A Letter to Rumeo
Welcome to Eberron!
Eberron embraces swashbuckling action and pulp adventure while adding a layer of noir
intrigue. Daring heroes battle villains in high-stakes instances of over-the-top action,
dealing with narrow escapes and ominous mysteries that threaten the world’s safety. But
stories don’t always end well, villains sometimes succeed, and there isn’t a perfect answer to every
problem. Magic is common, and weaved through everyday life. Blacksmiths use mending for minor
repairs, Continual flame lamps light the streets, and bound elementals power lightning rails and
airships. Magic is also harnessed for power, greed, and corruption. Eberron a world painted in shades
of grey, where both heroes and villains come in all races, classes, shapes and sizes. It’s just as likely
that the innkeeping gnome next door is an evil assassin and the tribal orc in the swamp is a holy
druidic guardian. A metallic dragon is just as likely as a red one to fall under evil’s influence and a
coven of hags brings more stability to a region, instead of chaos. Not even religion is black and
white: the gods don’t manifest physically, and wielding divine magic to keep evil at bay requires
faith in the unseen.
The Last War
The Last War ravaged the continent of Khorvaire, turned allies into enemies and destroyed
an entire nation. It began when the once-unified kingdom of Galifar split into The Five Nations,
eventually spawning a bitter struggle for continental control. It was a century marked by shifting
alliances, and periods of cold-war stalemates and intense battles and death. The grueling conflict left
deep scars on the land and the people, but was nothing compared to The Mourning. The nation of
Cyre was suddenly hit by a holocaust of grey fog and twisted magic. The mist spread quickly until it
stopped exactly at the edge of the Cryan border. More than a million died in that single Day of
Mourning. No one knows what caused the mourning, or how to stop it from happening again;
Fear brought the nations to the negotiating table and a treaty was finally signed.
Two years have passed, the peace is tenuous, and the continent is more divided than
before the war. Although many celebrated the end of the war, there was no winner and control of the
continent is still unsettled. People optimistically refer to it as “The Last War”, but distrust between
nations continues to rise and most believe that it’s only a matter of time until conflict begins again.
Meanwhile, refugees from the defunct Cyre are without a home, and the war’s end has left the
Warforged (sentient metal humanoids created for war) without a purpose. While others struggle to
survive, the Dragonmarked dynasties emerged from the war even stronger, more powerful than any
nation. Through it all, the forces of good struggle to contain the forces of evil that threaten to break its
chains.
In short, Eberron is a world that is in desperate need of heroes
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