During the age of demons, the spawn of Khyber relished twisting and torturing the children of Eberron. Troglodytes are an accursed reminder of this era, vicious and regressive predators responsible for some of the worst rumors about the scales of Q’barra.
Troglodytes are cursed by millennia of fiendish influence and as a result struggle to make long term plans or engage in prosocial behavior. Almost all troglodytes are members of the
Poison Dusk, and the few that escape Masvirik’s clutches still struggle to integrate into the other scale communities, typically living as hermits instead. Two centuries ago, a small tribe of troglodytes succeeded in breaking free of Masvirik’s grasp, but—if they have survived—their current whereabouts are unknown. While troglodytes are armed only with weapons they find or steal and use primitive combat techniques, their strength makes them a serious threat. A small tribe of troglodytes can be a formidable foe even to the more fortified settlements of the region, let alone the vulnerable villages of
Hope.
Khyber Below
Troglodytes rarely take up residence on the surface of Q’barra, instead preferring to lurk in the network of Khyberian tunnels that undergird the region. Within the swamps of Q’barra, ancient caves and ruins act as portals providing access to the realms below. Unlike regions such as the Seawall Mountains, the tunnels of Khyber connected to Q’barra are a poor source of Khyber shards, explaining both why
House Tharashk hasn’t more thoroughly explored them and why, long ago, the couatl used Eberron shards to bind
Masvirik’s servants.
Ordinarily, the troglodytes and Irvhir kobolds stick to the near-surface tunnels, benefitting from the unimpeded travel and sometimes strange twisting of space that would make
House Orien jealous. However, adventurers who get lost in the tunnels might find themselves in a full on Khyberian demiplane. Below are some ideas:
The Dead Sun. The heart domain of Masvirik, this is the overlord’s home. Here, tropical plants grow in the chilly light of a dim sun that hangs in the sky. Without the pure warmth of the true sun, the flora and fauna subsist on and are tainted by Masvirik’s fell energies. Life here is engaged in a constant fight for survival, scrapping for every piece of energy it can consume before being reanimated to fight again. This domain is permanently under the effects of thestage four doom sign of the Cold Sun.
The Valley of False Death. The ruins of
Mar'saval overlooking Stormwreck Bay are the origin of many ghost stories. While sailor’s tales often attribute the dangers of Mar’saval to a
Mabaran or
Dolurrh manifest zone, the truth is that the ancient ruins provide an open portal to a Khyberian demiplane. Seawater has flooded the sunken city, where only a few towers and the brass capstone of a temple poke above the water line. Those who venture below the surface find an abundance of air pockets—and might even be able to track bubbles down to a whirlpool near the center of the city. This whirlpool leads into the Valley of False Death, where the undead are living and the living are undead. While this demiplane is not directly tied to Masvirik, many of his reanimated servants have found a comfortable living here.
