Session 78: World Updates

For a lot of the lore given below, there isn’t a source or method of information delivery. If you want to make up a cool in-game method of learning the information, please feel free — you’re all more than powerful and well-established enough.

The World

• The Brelish politicians murdered in the dragon attack on the 594th Annual Congressional Discourse — 58 deaths, 27 of them politicians — have yet to be replaced. Even many of the politicians that survived have stepped down or were forced to resign, all of them clearly suffering from the trauma of the attack. They witnessed dozens of gruesome deaths and many of their families were caught in the dragon’s wrath. Replacing everybody has obviously been a governmental priority, but word is there’s a bureaucratic hangup in their replacement within the highest offices of Breland.
• The Loft, the headquarters of the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild, has closed down, and its interim leader, Torfe Korranor, has disappeared. There was little news about the event and no public announcement from the Guild. It’s been around for over 150 years and has done plenty of good for its city, and gave many people a sense of security in their city. Such a feeling was already in short supply in the current world’s climate, and this development only makes things worse. The people that saw CAG as a protector of Sharn now have only the Crew — and they’ve been away for quite some time.

What is the current national attitude towards going to war with Droaam?

• While the Crypt Crew was away on their heroic pursuits, there was another attack on a Brelish city. Not Sharn this time, but Wroat, the capital of Breland. (If Sharn is NYC, Wroat is Washington D.C.) The attack was similar in nature to the attack on Lower Dura in Sharn, with giants and ogres breaking down the city gates. Unfortunately, Wroat does not have a Crypt Crew, and the destruction was even more devastating than Sharn’s. The King’s Citadel, the most elite military force of Breland, is the only reason Wroat is still standing.
• While the city is not as populated as Sharn, the attack was much more of an outrage to the nation. Wroat is the center of Breland’s history and attacking it is a personal incursion. If it wasn’t for the bombing of the Droaamic embassy to mitigate the harshness of Brelish attitude towards Droaam, the nations might already be at war.
• For the first time, the Daughters of Sora Kell have spoken out on the tension between Breland and their own nation. Despite the severity and complexity of the situation, the statement from the Daughters was brief and cryptic: “Droaam is not your enemy. Do not be blinded by subterfuge.”
• While the Crypt Crew was traveling back to Sharn, they received a vulture messenger addressed from Sorata Lavyn, the Granddaughter of Sora Kell and Keeper of White Plume Mountain. In this letter, she explains the aforementioned situation and why the Daughters have not spoken out before. The Crew knows Droaam does not want to fight Breland, and that they are preparing for the coming storm — why not try to convince the government and people of Breland of this? Sorata Lavyn tells the Crew about Sora Teraza and her study of the Draconic Prophecy, and she’s convinced notifying Breland would only accelerate the process of war. Her two sisters recognize that the situation is becoming dire, however, and the Daughters settled with the message they delivered to Breland.

How does Sharn react to Dooturr' return?

• Sharn witnessed the death of two of its beloved heroes. The ceremony to honor them both was one of the most solemn days in the city’s recent memory. It would come as no surprise, then, to learn that the return of Dooturr was a cause of great fanfare. Especially as no announcement was made and his return to Sharn seemed out of the blue.
• It was an oddly victorious moment for the skeleton race. They’d been oppressed since their birth, and now nearly an entire city was celebrating the return of one. There were parades of bones, flags of skulls, and city-wide 50% off white chocolate martinis — heavy on the milk.
• The celebration was not entirely joyous. The topaz dragon slew two Crew members. Ronnie Padovana was devastated to learn only one had returned to life.

How is Ardev doing?

• As a very small fishing village, Ardev was heavily impacted by the intervention of the Crypt Crew. Residents of Ardev rarely leave, and few ever emigrate inwards. Thus, a group of adventurers swooping in to break the curse of a hag on their governing family will be talked about for generations.
• As far as general welfare, Ardev is struggling. Demand for their fishing exports have diminished. The Dragonmarked Houses did not have a major hold on the food industry, so there was not a void to fill. And since everyone else in the nation is pinching their own pennies, fish is not high on the list of priorities for many.
• Before the economic downfall, the Turis decided to expend a substantial amount from the town’s coffers to build the statue of the Crew. None in the town objected, and even now that funds are tight, few citizens regret the time and money spent dedicated to the heroes that saved their small town.

What happened to the Sixth Platoon?

• The Cannith Tank that The Sixth Platoon traversed Khorvaire in has been taken into the custody of Morgrave University for study. It was a great curiosity that it had been corrupted by the Mourning, since it began exclusively accepting dead bodies as its fuel source. It was known that nonliving entities like buildings were damaged by the Mourning, but not “corrupted” like living creatures were. The current prevailing theory at the University is that this version of the Cannith Tank contained early versions of mechanisms and systems that would go on to become the docent core of the warforged. Simply put, researchers think this Tank has some kind of primitive consciousness.
• Their story also spread across Sharn, as they may be some of the only “living” creatures — besides the skeleton race — to have escaped the Mournland. They described how they learned of the Turi’s pendants by consulting with a demonic creature that resided in the Mournland. The Platoon refused to say what they gave to the creature in return for the information.
• It’s clear that whatever the Crew said to the members of the Platoon was extremely effective. Where they once derided their necromantic nature, they have now embraced it. They’ve created the Half-Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the welfare of creatures like skeletons, warforged, and even the undead. They are known to beat up those that speak poorly of the Foundation.

What is the state of Sharn politically and financially?

• Sharn is currently in the oddest state of financial limbo it’s ever been. The Dragonmarked Houses had some of its deepest roots in Sharn and tearing them out was particularly painful. Plenty of people are fleeing to other countries to withdraw from the Kundarak banks. Those that are staying, however, are finding themselves in a chaotic sea of bankruptcy and wealth. It’s a frenzy to populate the vacuum left by the houses. Few are as successful as some of the big players — the Boromar Clan, the Dragon’s Elite, the Council, the Anvilbenders, just to name a few.
• Politically, things are strained. The dragon’s murder of dozens of powerful Brelish politicians has made things precipitous for those in power in Sharn. Some are afraid, some are trying to lobby for the open offices, some are making accusations about the attack. The government’s control over Sharn is slippery — the influence of independent individuals and organizations is quickly catching up to the power of the government.
• The greatest divide lies between Skyway and the rest of the city. The wealthy ir’Tains and the Sixty Families have all but quarantined in Sharn’s cloud-topping district. The only ones who have the resources to reach Skyway and have the reputation to enter likely belong there anyway. The richest of Sharn seem more than happy to wait out the chaos and try and reap the benefits from afar.

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• The Harbingers of Aegis have been a great help to the recent turmoil of Khorvaire. In fact, the number of individuals joining their ranks has slowly increased, but not at a substantial rate. They’re still considered a fringe religion, but few people that know of them would deny the good they have done in recent months.
• Drondur the Simple was a college friend of Maleakos. He met with Ashpin, Maleakos, and N’nchyk on the airship casino. He had been hiding something, but the group had mostly shrugged it off. As it turns out, he had joined the Harbingers of Aegis. Some time around Maleakos’ passing, he had urgently been trying to reach out to Maleakos, to no avail. The Sharn Watch reports he had been murdered in his own home. Word never reached Maleakos, and now whatever he wanted to say will go unknown.

Ronnie Padovana

• Ronnie Padovana, father of Maleakos, was chased from his vineyard in Aundair by the thugs of the Boromar Clan. In an attempt to find his son, knowing he was walking into the den of those chasing him, he traveled to Sharn, a place he knew his son frequented. He arrived in the city, and in a moment of utter bittersweetness, learned that his son had become one of the greatest heroes in recent memory— and had died upholding this gallantry.
• The Boromar were thrilled to find an arm of leverage fall into their laps, but were unaware that the arm struck back. They pursued Ronnie, but he evaded their capture with insulting ease. One day, however, Ronnie had had enough, and snapped. The Boromar after him that day received the sternest talking-to they’d ever received and left with hurt pride and welts on their wrists. The Boromar quickly stopped pursuing Ronnie.
• Ronnie became something of a novelty in Sharn. The older man was full of stories and magic tricks, and represented something of an anchor of whimsy in a world of anarchy and uncertainty. Now that he had set those doggone mafiosos straight, he longed to return to his vineyards, but hoped to speak to his late son’s friends so that he might say one last goodbye to Maleakos’ remains.
• Ronnie still carries with him a letter to Maleakos that was never delivered. It was a simple check-in with his son to make sure he was okay and a reminder that Maleakos was loved, but Ronnie will always carry it with him as a simple gesture to honor his son.

Death of the Pope

• In life, Pope Falzrael was a controversial figure amongst the Sovereign Host. It is ironic, then, that his death was so uniting. Those that dissented the pope’s actions were vindicated, and those that supported the pope were disgusted by his duplicitous nature. There was a small but vocal minority that spoke out against the Crew’s actions, citing vigilantism and disrespect of a celestial creature, but this group’s voice quickly went silent.
• The Brelish Council of the Most Divine Host, of which the pope was the sole member, was quickly dissolved.
• There were whispers of the pope’s interest in the Silver Flame — which was not something Ashpin mentioned in his speech. These whispers deeply unsettled a lot of people. Breland, and Khorvaire in general, was very tolerant of other religions, but mixing religions in this way was an affront to the natural law. Even worse, there were rumors of the Brelish government covering something up related to the Silver Flame, which was the very thing the pope was interested in. This combination of mingled religions and secular intervention made people so uneasy that the whispers died of their own accord despite the complete lack of clarity.
• The false pope’s plans to attack other Sovereign Host churches was startling, to say the least. The public’s love for the Crypt Crew has thus far remained mostly secular and practical, in the sense that their heroic deeds have helped everyone equally. But in this action, the Sovereign Host has explicitly expressed their thanks and support for the Crew.
• Pope Falzrael's motivation — revenge on the Sovereign Host for attempting to prevent the Mourning — was hotly debated. People of Eberron are always dying for information on the Mourning, some for personal closure, others simply to investigate this millennium's greatest mystery. Prominent figures in the Sovereign Host were quick to dispel any rumors of this potential Mourning prevention. Even if it was true, they said, the agenda of the beings in the celestial realm are different and unattached to those of us in the mortal realm. Others said that raising discord against an age-old religion on the word of an immortal con artist is foolish. Despite these points, there are plenty who remain wary of the Sovereign Host because of this news.
• Ashpin’s speech given on one of the Shardcast’s most popular channels was all anyone in Breland talked about for weeks. If the Crypt Crew was not a household name before, it was now. It was only a year ago that the public had not known one Crew member, but now there was something of a Crypt Crew mania. People wanted to know who they were, what they’ve done…word spilled from Sharn, as that was the epicenter of most of the Crew’s deeds. Their stories were told and retold nationwide. Before the Last War, the peace of the Five Nations gave little opportunity for heroes to arise. During the Last War, bleakness and despair was far more powerful than courage and tenacity. After the Last War, the people seemed desperate to latch onto some long-forgotten ideal of a champion; some bulwark of heroism.

Okeanos Tsitak

• Despite the disbanding of the Dragonmarked Houses, Viscount Okeanos Tsitak has not eased his campaign against them. He is adamant that they never be reinstated, and has even begun to lobby for other countries to replicate Breland’s action. He says he has been put in charge of replacing the Houses’ economic presence in Breland, and assures the citizens of Breland that the current economic turbulence is only temporary.
• Viscount Tsitak says the abrupt removal of the Houses was a necessary evil. The Houses have spent centuries growing their power, making themselves seem like an indivisible part of Breland. Such a dependency grows incredibly dangerous when the dependency is upon an organization that commits genocide to keep their business a monpoly.
• Every year, there is a shipment of ragonshards sent from the headquarters of The Twelve to the government of Breland. It’s partially a payment for the purposes of real estate and taxes, but it has always been a sign of good will between the Houses and Breland. Before the announcement of the Houses’ disbanding, but after Viscount Tsitak announced his aberrant dragonmark, the annual shipment was not delivered. When Breland questioned the Houses, they finally sent the shipment — but this one was rigged with explosives. Three government officials and eleven guards died in the resulting blast.
• The Houses have denied any such accusations, and said they sent the annual shipment the first time, the same as every year. But of course they would deny everything — what else would you expect from a genocidal monopoly?

Culprits of the Mourning

• Prince Cornelius ir'Wynarn is the son of King Boranel and the rightful heir to the throne of Breland. He has been a respectful prince for over 20 years, never causing drama nor controversy, always studying his father and past kings to ready himself for the throne. He’s never been known to disobey his father or act in any way against him. That all changed on the 5th anniversary of the Mourning when he made a shocking announcement on the Royal Family’s official Shardcast channel:

“My fellow citizens,Today, we gather to mourn the tragic loss of our beloved country, Cyre. It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that the responsible party for this heinous act was none other than the Brelish government and my father, King Boranel.
Before 993 YK, it appeared as though Breland was on the path to victory in the Last War. However, everything changed when the warforged colossi were created and Cyre managed to obtain them. Suddenly, Cyre became the greatest threat to Breland's supremacy.
Considering the lack of progress in traditional warfare over the last century, Breland felt it necessary to take drastic action. My father unleashed The Mourning on an unsuspecting Cyre. It was the Harbingers of Aegis who provided the vital information that prevented the Mourning from spreading to other countries.
We cannot allow such atrocities to go unpunished. As a nation, we must stand together in solidarity against those who seek to bring about destruction and chaos. The memory of Cyre will forever be etched in our hearts, and we will honor them by ensuring that justice is served.
Together, we will emerge stronger than ever before, and we will not rest until those responsible for the Mourning are held accountable for their actions. Let us unite in our grief and turn our sorrow into action, for the future of our great nation depends on it.
Thank you, Prince Cornelius.”

• Above is available as Prince Cornelius’ Announcement in Roll20; Handouts → Lore
• Rumors of illusory magic, or a false Prince Cornelius, were the first reaction of the Brelish people. Surely this announcement could not be! How could Breland do this? How could King Boranel do this?? And yet, word began to spread from the highest offices of Breland — it was, in fact, the true Prince Cornelius that made the announcement, and King Boranel has since fled his office.
• No details were given on how exactly the Mourning was unleashed. Perhaps the Prince does not know — but it would be unlikely to discover the culprits without knowing their weapon. Perhaps the Prince did not want there to be any chance of the weapon being replicated. Perhaps the knowledge was too dangerous. Or perhaps it was too terrifying.
• This news came only days before the Crew arrived back in Sharn.

Maximus Marius

• Maximus Marius served as Master Sargent under Breland in the Last War. He found great success and rose quickly through the ranks, mostly due to his ruthless and bloodthirsty nature. Despite his means, he was considered a war hero because of the ends he achieved. Recently, though, he has become known by the words he speaks against the government he once served.
• His rousing speeches and inspiring sentiment had already been uniting people behind him. In the uncertainty of the current day, people were desperate to unite behind a common cause. But now, now that the Brelish government has been ousted as the culprits of the Mourning, he’s begun to amass a real following.

“People of Breland,
I stand before you today as a warrior, a leader, and a patriot. I have seen the worst horrors of war, and I have fought for the freedom and independence of our great nation. But now, I stand before you not as a soldier, but as a revolutionary.
For too long, our country has suffered under the tyranny of a monarch. We have been oppressed, enslaved, and subjected to the whims of a single individual. The whims of one King Boranel. This must end, and it must end now.
I have seen firsthand the devastation that a corrupt government can wreak upon its people. I have seen cities burned to the ground, families torn apart, and children left to die in the streets! I have seen the blood of our brothers and sisters spilled in the name of power and control!
But I have also seen the strength and resilience of our people. I have seen the fire in their eyes, the determination in their hearts, and the courage in their souls! And I know that together, we can rise up and overthrow the tyrants that seek to rule us!
It will not be easy. We will face opposition, we will face violence, and we will face death. But we must be willing to make that sacrifice. We must be willing to fight for what is right, for what is just, and for what is true!
I am disgusted with King Boranel’s involvement in The Mourning. They have shown a complete disregard for the lives of others. Their incompetence and corruption have led to the suffering of countless individuals and families. They have failed the world, and they must be held accountable for their actions.
We will not stop until the monarchy is overthrown, and a new government is established. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people. A government that values freedom, justice, and equality above all else.
So I call upon you, my fellow citizens. Rise up with me! Join me in this fight! Let us take back our country and our freedom. Let us show the world that we will not be ruled by a single person or family, but by the will of the people!
This is our time, our moment, and our chance to make history. Let us seize it with all our might and make our ancestors proud.
For the revolution! For the Republic! For our freedom!”

• Above is available as Maximus Marius’ Speech in Roll20; Handouts → Lore

The Crew

How has public perception of the Crypt Crew changed?

• The early deeds of the Crew made them local celebrities in Sharn. Their heroics in battling the attack on Lower Dura spread the word further across Breland, even into Wroat. But now, it would be difficult to find someone in Breland that didn’t know the Crypt Crew’s name.
• The word of the Crew spread quickly, efficiently; not only through word of mouth, but also through publication and the Shardcast. There seemed to be some sort of uncanny unanimous national push to spread the word of the intrepid Crypt Crew and their heroics.
• The dissolution of CAG. The chicanery of Pope Falzrael. The destruction wreaked upon Wroat. The fall of the Dragonmarked Houses. The tension with Droaam. The revelation of the Mourning’s culprits. The spread of the Crypt Crew’s name. All of this has compounded into an uneasy thought: is the Crypt Crew the last bastion of heroism in Breland?

The Crew was also contacted by an individual they had not seen in a long while. House Sivis may have shut down, but such things clearly did not affect associates of the dragons of Zyddrydem — the Crew awoke one morning to an illusory Theobald Evans in their presence.

• Theobald greeted the Crew as his usual jovial self, and introduced himself to those that did not know him. He described his departure to the continent of the dragons to study the Draconic Prophecy. He knew it was a risk, but he wasn’t going to make much further progress on the Prophecy while in Khorvaire. But while Theobald may excel amongst his mortal peers on Khorvaire, he arrived in Zyddrydem on the lowest possible rung on the draconic academic ladder. A young human among ancient dragons.
• Dragons operate on much longer timescales than fleeting races like humans, so they do not understand the “hurry” of years-long study. But slowly, very slowly, Theobald has begun to earn motes of respect from the dragons. He’s taken up residence in the Observatory of Cridulex, an upstart planar observatory. The dragons’ insights into the Prophecy have allowed him to make more progress in the last months than he has in his lifetime.
• Much of what he has discovered is simply incomprehensible, but he has managed to divine two things. He explains that the Prophecy is beyond full comprehension by any but gods, and distilling its meaning into a construct as primitive as language will inevitably create confusion and inaccuracy.
  • “Hope. Many and varied were the demons of old. Hope. United and distraught, ancient and crude, permanent and fleeting. Hope. A thousand-yard string weaved into the tapestry of fate. Hope…The dawn comes, dark as the day. Despair. Hope..Ruin. Hope.”
  • “Amidst the unseeable darkness, bolts that may be, come out from nowhere. Nowhere. Nowhere, here. Like the mystery of the beyond is brushing your soul in strokes of lumination, hinting at something you can't see, see with the eyes of your mind.”
• In addition, he has spent time pursuing the perfection of his very own spell — Battlemage's Edge. Upon a piece of illusory parchment, he transcribes the magical runes necessary to learn the spell. He encourages its use and constructive criticism.
• In a more somber vein, Theobald mentions the downfall of the CAG. He deeply regrets that he could not have been present or available to prevent it happening. He has been in correspondence with Torfe. The rowdy dwarf is safe, but devastated that he failed his family’s legacy, and feels without purpose. Nothing dramatic happened that led to the Guild’s downfall, just subtle subterfuge, gradual departures, and embezzlement. Evidently the Guild had enemies on the inside that were biding their time. The Guild’s collapse could not have come at a more inconvenient moment, as Sharn could have used its resources now more than ever.
• Theobald also makes a bleak confession. He admits it is something that he had not planned to ever tell the Crew, but he’s heard about their incredible rise to heroism and recognizes their importance. He explains that his magic does not come without a cost. He studied to learn his spells, the same as any wizard, but every spell he casts takes time off his life. The stronger the spell, the steeper the cost. Every spell spent defending Sharn, or helping the Crew, or killing the undead mind flayer, meant his demise drew ever closer. He apologizes that he had not shared this information prior, but he had only ever confided in Torfe. Theobald had quickly realized that if he was to study the Prophecy, the progress he was making on Khorvaire was insufficient with the time he had remaining. Humans must be ambitious to realize their goals — doubly so when their ambitions are accelerating the sands of time.

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• Each of you that dream continues to have the occasional odd dream. Sometimes for days in a row, sometimes not for weeks. But they always return, and you always know when the dream isn’t right. It always feels more real. It feels like you won’t wake up, like you will spend the rest of eternity in that miraged landscape. The dreams aren’t always the same — and they’re almost impossible to remember — but there is always the same dark figure lurking closely. And one night, in all of your dreams, the dark figure speaks: “Help.”
• In the later parts of the Crew’s adventures, they started to notice some odd things. Most often, there were snacks missing from the hut and individuals’ packs. Sometimes, things would be out of place, or seemingly tampered with, but not in a harmful manner. Rarely, the Crew would swear they heard faint lullabies before sleeping, but ever so faintly. The observant among the Crew would often notice small wisps of smoke associated with these strange happenings.

Philip

• Philip reached out to the Crew very briefly, only assuring the Crew that he was well, and that he had found what he had been searching for — the Soul Rock. Anything further was too dangerous to share from afar. He also mentions that his family is safe — he had moved them from Sharn to Wroat to be safe from the attacks, but that did not go according to plan.
• He offers the Crew their condolences about Maleakos. He says he has been praying each and every night for his soul to reach a peaceful rest.
• He promises to be back soon and to share his story and wishes each and every one of them well.

WorldAnvil Updates

• Mournland updated, thanks to Dooturr
• Mror Holds updated, thanks to Bagan
• Sora Teraza created
• Planar Observatory created
• Battlemage's Edge created