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Hi everyone! This is the fifth installment of my Obscure Eberron Lore series, highlighting little-known elements of the Eberron campaign setting only found in obscure corners of canon. Today, I’ll be featuring the I.W. Society, a secret organization of bards and other performers outlined in Morgrave Miscellany. I've read between the lines of that text and expanded a bit on the group's activities in the below summary.

The clandestine I.W. Society is a loose alliance of performers and artists spread across the Five Nations, with outposts in back rooms of taverns and inns. Like Sharn's Circle of Song, the I.W. Society offers resources and lodging to its members at no cost (or in exchange for a performance, or a reciprocal favor), and acts something like a bards' union, helping struggling artists find work and share knowledge. But in contrast to the Circle of Song, the I.W. Society keeps a very low profile; you could be close friends with a member for decades and have no idea the group even exists, until that member offers an invitation to you as your sponsor. Those who do know the organization exists have no idea what "I. W." stands for; some believe it might be the initials of the group's founder, or a hint at some kind of password used by high-ranking members.

That said, the so-called "Socialites" can be a useful source of aid or information even to non-members. A person in need might be able to make contact with I.W. agents through an interlaced network of taverners, stage managers, and barkers; if the Socialites hear the person's plea and offer a favor, they typically expect a favor in exchange at a future time.

But why the secrecy? And what kind of favors are we really talking about?

The I.W. Society has a pure and noble goal: to make the world a better place through story and song. But this abstract ideal is about more than singing around campfires; members of the Socialites include many smugglers, burglars, and even vigilantes. The organization was active throughout the Last War, using its resources to bring hope to the people of the Five Nations—through extralegal means, if necessary. This might mean breaking into the house of a corrupt local official, stealing evidence of an outrageous love affair, and then writing a play about it. When the official can't convincingly deny the allegation, perhaps his powerful allies who shield him from consequences quietly cut their ties. Thus, through the joy of storytelling (and just a touch of breaking-and-entering), justice is served.

Historically, Socialites who skirt the edge of the law have avoided actions which actively cause harm or spread terror. The sinister techniques of the College of Whispers are rejected in favor of those of Eloquence or Glamour. However, in the wake of the Mourning, the I.W. Society has begun to take its mission more seriously. Fostering collaboration and hope in this time of despair has become more challenging, and the Socialites hotly debate the prospect of taking more extreme measures.

In your campaign, the I.W. Society might fill the role of a well-meaning thieves guild, or even a stand-in for something like the Harpers from Forgotten Realms.

Next time: Sarmondelaryx, the Red Wyrm!

Hi everyone! This is the third installment of my Obscure Eberron Lore series, highlighting little-known elements of the Eberron campaign setting only found in obscure corners of canon. Today, I’ll be featuring Horas Calt, better known as the Bandit King of the Whistling Woods, who was only briefly outlined in the glossary for Keith Baker's 2005 novel City of Towers. I will be supplementing that source with some details about firbolgs from Chronicles of Eberron, since the description of the "Whistling Woods" most closely matches that of the forest of Greenhaunt.

In an officer's chamber in the Daggerwatch garrison of Sharn, a wall is draped with a tapestry depicting a famous battle. In it, the Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith square off against a powerful sorcerer and his band of rogues and fey allies. This battle, the defeat of the infamous Bandit King of the Whistling Woods in 872 YK, is still celebrated today as a great victory for House Deneith. But the focus of their assault is himself celebrated throughout Breland as a roguish folk hero and friend of the fey.

Born in Breland in 845 YK, Horas Calt developed sorcerous powers in his young adulthood which he used to pursue a life of crime. He gathered a crew of bandits and brigands, and eventually became the first person to rob the lightning rail—a caper which cemented his place in the songs of bards. The so-called Bandit King eventually made his stronghold in the depths of the Whistling Woods, a forest more commonly known as the Greenhaunt today. Calt's band continued to grow, and according to the songs, he even made alliances with the fey spirits of the wood and the "children of the Forest Queen"—also known as firbolgs.

Finally, in 872 YK, the Deneith Sentinel Marshals led a great assault against the Bandit King. They left a trail of destruction in their wake as the battle pushed further into the heart of the forest. When the Marshals finally cornered Calt, it is said that the Bandit King leaped into a great fire, preferring death before capture. But some bards still sing tales that Horas Calt was whisked away by his fey friends, and that the great fire was a doorway to the Moonlit Vale of Thelanis, where the Bandit King continues to dwell.

The Whistling Woods were once part of the great Queen's Wood, which stretched from the Blackcaps to Scions Sound before the age of Dhakaan. Over many generations, empires, and nations, humanoids slowly hacked away at the vast forest, until all that was left were three pockets of woodland suffused with great primal and fey power: the Harrowcrowns, the Imistil Forest, and the Greenhaunt (the Whistling Woods). A community of firbolgs dwell in each of these forests, having protected these lands from outsiders (and vice versa) for millennia. It is likely that the Greenhaunt firbolgs allied with the Bandit King in the 860s, and as firbolgs can live for centuries, many of those firbolg allies are likely alive today. If you are a firbolg adventurer, perhaps you remember battling the Sentinel Marshals alongside the Bandit King and his company!

Next time: the Sovereign Swords!

Hi everyone! This is the second installment of my Obscure Eberron Lore series, highlighting little-known elements of the Eberron campaign setting only found in obscure corners of canon. Today, I'll be featuring Loyal Daison, Aurum Concordian and slum king of Karrlakton, who was featured in the article Eye On Eberron: The Aurum in Dragon Magazine #415.

"Loyal" Daison is a powerful Concordian of the Aurum who owns a full one-eighth of the property in Karrlakton, Karrnath. Having earned his first fortune as a contractor during the Last War, Daison invested his wealth primarily in property damaged in battle or abandoned by those fleeing the war. When refugees poured out of Cyre in the aftermath of the Mourning, Daison was poised to offer them shelter... at steep prices. His wealth skyrocketed as families offered him what remained of their life's savings to live in his slums, even offering treasures and heirlooms the refugees had managed to salvage. Those who couldn't afford his exorbitant rent could choose to enter into predatory service contracts, and are now bound to Daison, working off a debt that will take decades to repay. Some say that more Cyrans serve Loyal Daison than Oargev, the king-in-exile of New Cyre.

Daison is a human in his early forties, heavyset with a resonant voice and booming laugh. He wears a distinctive gold and steel prosthetic as a replacement for his left hand, which he lost many years ago in an industrial accident. He developed strong ties with many of the southern warlords of Karrnath during the Last War, which he has strengthened in recent years with generous donations.

Since the signing of the Treaty of Thronehold, Loyal Daison has continued to invest his profits in a variety of ventures; a common joke in Karrlakton is that an unlikely event will occur "When Daison stops spending." In addition to his continued investments into city property, he has also begun purchasing property rights in the Mournland from his Cyran subjects at bargain rates, and sponsored salvage crews to recover valuables there. But his interest in the Mournland is more complex than just picking its bones. He has assembled a well-funded think tank of sages and arcanists called the Daison Institute to study the Mournland's effects, and perhaps find a way for Cyre to recover from the Mourning. Is this pursuit merely financial, a way for Daison to raise the value of his holdings? Or does he have other motivations?

Loyal Daison, like many Aurum Concordians, could serve as a patron or enemy—or both—over the course of a campaign. Consider the following hooks:

• Cyran characters might begin their adventures with a personal connection to Loyal Daison. Either they themselves or their family members might be under a service contract to him; Daison could offer to free them from the contract, in exchange for performing a dangerous task.
• A destitute Cyran family seeks the adventurers' aid in retrieving a precious family heirloom from the Mournland. However, Daison also has his eyes on the artifact, and has sent his own team to procure it. Can the adventurers get there first?
• The Daison Institute can serve as a resource for the player characters, perhaps funding expeditions into the Mournland or paying for recovered relics. The sages of the institute hope to find a way to push back the dead-gray mists, a noble endeavor to be sure. But what will the adventurers do when they discover that Loyal Daison has directed the institute's engineers to find a way to harness and weaponize the Mourning's power?

Next time: Horas Calt, the Bandit King of the Whistling Woods!

Hi everyone! I thought I'd start a little series of posts about little-known elements of the Eberron campaign setting only found in obscure corners of canon. There are lots of interesting tidbits to be found out there that haven't made their way into more recent editions, but some are more usable than others; many authors of Eberron content over the years really whiffed it, so I'm going to be focusing on the good or salvageable stuff. I'm gonna try to make a new obscure lore post each week.

Today, I'll be highlighting the Ninth College, an organization within House Sivis that is only mentioned in the Dragonmarked book to my knowledge.

“You’re quite the sight, with your polished armor and your fearsome sword. But I’ll wager I can reduce you to ashes with just five words. Care to put it to the test?” —Syla Syrralan d’Sivis

The Ninth College is an arcane order within House Sivis which includes the greatest arcanists of the house. The gnome wizards and artificers of the Ninth College, sometimes known as "unbound scrolls," study the transformative (and destructive) power of the spoken and written word, as amplified by the Mark of Scribing. The techniques used by members of the Ninth College are a carefully guarded secret, and cannot be learned without training from a current member of the order.

The Ninth College is based in the Labyrinth, the great Sivis enclave in Korranberg, Zilargo. It receives funding from the Hidden Word (a division of the Notaries Guild) and Tasker's Dream, and members of the order are prominent in both of those organizations. The Ninth College is a center for linguistic studies, and its members have a reputation for eccentricity. Philologist Harlus Haskal d’Sivis once spent twenty years trying to devise the perfect single-word greeting, while Syla Syrralan d'Sivis has spent a fortune crafting inks from the blood of rare and deadly aberrations. Generally, members of the Ninth College spend much of their time crafting spell scrolls and other magic items on behalf of House Sivis, in between researching the words of power which bind reality.

Admission into the Ninth College is extremely selective. After a grueling battery of tests evaluating an applicant's scrollcraft, mastery of the Mark of Scribing, and dedication to the art of language, the admissions board typically assigns applicants a task set by the viceroy of the order himself, Kendal Santor d'Sivis. This might involve anything from creating a new word to recovering a book of forgotten spells from a ruined library in Xen'drik. Any heir of House Sivis can undertake the tests, but only once. Should you fail, the doors of the Ninth College are closed to you forever.

The organization's name is something of an in-joke among House Sivis; the famous Library of Korranberg has eight colleges, and Sivis's legendary scholastic order of magic is "the ninth college."

Notable people in the Ninth College:

• Viceroy Kendal Santor d'Sivis is the head of the Ninth College and a lord seneschal of House Sivis, advising the Doyenne (Lysse Lyrriman d'Sivis) on matters of magic. He is also a skilled wizard, with a specialty in divination.
• Syla Syrralan d'Sivis is a gifted artificer who labors in the arcane workshops of the Ninth College. She has a great interest in the Draconic Prophecy, and has become convinced that vital clues to understanding it can be revealed by the manner in which the kobolds of the Seawall Mountains use the Draconic language. Unfortunately, most kobolds have no great love for the gnomes of Zilargo, and Syla is often looking for adventurers to protect her as she ventures into the depths to debate with scaled mystics.

Next time: Loyal Daison, Aurum Concordian of Karrlakton!

I'm in the process of fitting Reavers of Harkenwold into my Eberron campaign, and it's a lot of fun to separate the elements that work perfectly within the world from the ones that don't, and create new Eberron-unique stuff to fill in the gaps. Has anyone else run or played an adventure that originated in another campaign setting? How did it go?

I've found ChatGPT to be pretty useful for generating ideas for adventure/campaign planning. Here's the question I asked it, feeding in details I took from canon sources as well as a few personal additions (Dreygu and Kahnebor are from "Domains of Dread: Sunderheart, the Funeral City"):

In the Eberron Campaign Setting, there is a magical city-state hidden in Droaam called the Venomous Demesne. It is ruled by four families of tiefling warlocks and wizards, the "Venom Lords," who wield powerful magic and craft dark wonders. To most outsiders, their traditions seem arbitrary and cruel. The price of magic is often paid for in pain and blood. Duels are an important part of their culture—never to the death, but always with a painful cost for the loser. The mages of the Venomous Demesne are brilliant, and over the last century have even begun to dig deeper into the mysteries of the Astral Sea.

Two of the four ruling families of the Council of Four are named Dreygu and Kahnebor. Please help me invent details about these houses, and the remaining two. What makes each of the four houses unique? Which house does Lord Bal Molesh, leader of the Venom Lords, belong to?

And here's what ChatGPT said:

Certainly! Let's create details for the four ruling families of the Council of Four in the Venomous Demesne:

1. House Dreygu is known for its mastery of infernal contracts and dark pacts. They have an uncanny ability to forge agreements with powerful extraplanar beings and demons, often trading in souls and forbidden knowledge. Dreygu warlocks are charismatic negotiators, adept at bending others to their will through charm and deception. They also possess a unique talent for binding outsiders to their service, harnessing their arcane abilities to enhance their own powers. The family's estate in the Venomous Demesne is a sprawling labyrinth filled with hidden chambers and wards protecting their prized infernal contracts.
2. House Kahnebor specializes in elemental magic and has a deep connection with the forces of nature. They are known for their control over the elements and the ability to summon and command powerful elemental creatures. Kahnebor wizards are often seen as guardians of the natural world, but their methods can be ruthless, seeking to dominate and harness the raw power of the elements. Their estate is built upon a series of floating islands in the Demesne, each one representing a different element, and visitors must navigate these unstable platforms to reach the heart of their domain.
3. House Vralkul is steeped in necromantic arts and shadow magic. They revere death and view it as a source of power rather than something to be feared. The Vralkul family has mastered the art of manipulating shadows and the undead, raising powerful wraiths and specters to serve them. Their dark spells are feared even among other tieflings, and they are known for creating deadly traps within their estate, guarded by undead sentinels. The Vralkul family's home is a grand, eerie mansion enveloped in perpetual twilight, with spectral guardians patrolling its grounds.
4. House Zaelora is known for their expertise in mind-altering magic and illusions. They are skilled at manipulating perceptions, creating illusions so convincing that they can alter the reality of those who fall under their influence. Zaelora enchanters are masters of subtle manipulation and are often involved in espionage and covert operations. They have developed secret chambers and passages within their estate, making it difficult for outsiders to navigate without succumbing to their enchantments. The family's domain is a multi-layered fortress of illusions, with shifting walls and deceptive architecture.

As for Lord Bal Molesh, the leader of the Venom Lords, he belongs to House Vralkul. He is a powerful necromancer and has a commanding presence in the Demesne. Lord Molesh has, over the years, perfected the art of raising and controlling undead, and his family's mastery of death magic has granted him a strong grip on power within the council. His residence, the Vralkul mansion, serves as the central seat of the Council of Four, where the ruling families convene to make decisions that shape the future of the Venomous Demesne.

I had some thoughts about its choices of words, like "Kahnebor wizards are often seen as guardians of the natural world"... absolutely not lol. Also, "Vralkul" is a bit too close to the nearby city of "Vralkek" for my liking. But I like the idea of the four houses having specialties in infernal contracts, elemental binding, necromancy, and illusions. I also like that it independently decided these four houses have complicated, labyrinthine, booby-trapped estates; sounds perfect for a cultural tradition that originated in Ohr Kaluun with its war mazes.

A thread to discuss goings-on in your roleplaying campaign set in the world of Eberron!