{"data":{"id":33647,"name":"Xen'drik","entry":"\n
In the distant past, Xen\u2019drik was home to the civilizations of the giants. Now it is a place of mysteries and ruins. The giants were destroyed by the dragons of [location:108295], and the epic magics unleashed in that battle warped the land. Space and time are unreliable in Xen\u2019drik. But it is a land that holds untold treasures, and the richest source of rare Siberys dragonshards. In addition to savage giants, Xen\u2019drik is home to the enigmatic drow\u00a0and many other races and creatures never seen in [location:108202].<\/p>\n
The port city of [location:162850] serves as the gateway to Xen'drik. It's proven difficult to maintain colonies within Xen\u2019drik, though the end of the Last War has created a new interest in exploration.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n
In the distant past, Xen\u2019drik was home to the civilizations of the giants. Now it is a place of mysteries and ruins. The giants were destroyed by the dragons of Argonnessen<\/a>, and the epic magics unleashed in that battle warped the land. Space and time are unreliable in Xen\u2019drik. But it is a land that holds untold treasures, and the richest source of rare Siberys dragonshards. In addition to savage giants, Xen\u2019drik is home to the enigmatic drow and many other races and creatures never seen in Khorvaire<\/a>.<\/p>\n The port city of Stormreach<\/a> serves as the gateway to Xen'drik. It's proven difficult to maintain colonies within Xen\u2019drik, though the end of the Last War has created a new interest in exploration.<\/p>\n","tooltip":null,"image":null,"focus_x":null,"focus_y":null,"image_full":"","image_thumb":"https:\/\/d3a4xjr8r2ldhu.cloudfront.net\/images\/defaults\/locations_thumb.jpg","has_custom_image":false,"image_uuid":null,"header_full":"","header_uuid":null,"has_custom_header":false,"is_private":false,"is_template":false,"is_attributes_private":false,"entity_id":108279,"tags":[],"created_at":"2019-01-28T08:11:23.000000Z","created_by":7082,"updated_at":"2023-11-03T16:05:33.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"urls":{"view":"https:\/\/app.kanka.io\/w\/eberron\/entities\/108279","api":"https:\/\/app.kanka.io\/api\/1.0\/campaigns\/6529\/locations\/33647"},"location_id":33622,"attributes":[],"posts":[{"created_at":"2019-08-12T15:39:44.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Xen\u2019drik was home to Eberron\u2019s first mortal civilization during the Age of Giants. Giant ruins are common, but explorers who seek them must survive the perils of that land. Pirates on the Thunder Sea have made Xen\u2019drik their base of operations for centuries, and it was only 100 years before the Last War that the Five Nations routed these corsairs and raised the city of Stormreach on the site of a pirate outpost. This port is now the gateway through which virtually all visitors to Xen\u2019drik pass.<\/p>\n Scholars are divided as to whether the giants of Xen\u2019drik forged a single empire or maintained an alliance of independent kingdoms. Some claim that the giants\u2019 inherent rivalries would have prevented the creation of a unified society, while others maintain that the different strains of giants in the world today developed only after their empire\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n Dragon magic was the foundation of the Age of Giants, but slavery was its lifeblood. Captured eladrin from [location:216072] were the precursors of the original elves and drow\u2014slave races whose labor allowed the giants to erect the great cities and temples that survive only as ruins in the present day.<\/p>\n The power of the giants was broken by the arrival of the quori, and a protracted war laid ruin to the giant nation. In the end, the conflict was halted when the giants used dragon magic to destroy the planar gateway, but the power of this magic destroyed what was left of the giants\u2019 domain.<\/p>\n Even as the giants attempted to rebuild in the aftermath of destruction, they faced open revolt by their drow and elf slaves. That war of rebellion thwarted the reconstruction of the empire and drove the giants to seek the elves\u2019 destruction with the same dragon magic that had crushed the quori.<\/p>\n Before that drastic step could be taken, the dragons of Argonnessen attacked, determined to thwart the potential cataclysm that the giants\u2019 single-minded fury might wreak. In a brutal campaign, Xen\u2019drik was laid waste and the giants\u2019 civilization was destroyed.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Xen\u2019drik was home to Eberron\u2019s first mortal civilization during the Age of Giants. Giant ruins are common, but explorers who seek them must survive the perils of that land. Pirates on the Thunder Sea have made Xen\u2019drik their base of operations for centuries, and it was only 100 years before the Last War that the Five Nations routed these corsairs and raised the city of Stormreach on the site of a pirate outpost. This port is now the gateway through which virtually all visitors to Xen\u2019drik pass.<\/p>\n Scholars are divided as to whether the giants of Xen\u2019drik forged a single empire or maintained an alliance of independent kingdoms. Some claim that the giants\u2019 inherent rivalries would have prevented the creation of a unified society, while others maintain that the different strains of giants in the world today developed only after their empire\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n Dragon magic was the foundation of the Age of Giants, but slavery was its lifeblood. Captured eladrin from Taer Lian Doresh<\/a> were the precursors of the original elves and drow\u2014slave races whose labor allowed the giants to erect the great cities and temples that survive only as ruins in the present day.<\/p>\n The power of the giants was broken by the arrival of the quori, and a protracted war laid ruin to the giant nation. In the end, the conflict was halted when the giants used dragon magic to destroy the planar gateway, but the power of this magic destroyed what was left of the giants\u2019 domain.<\/p>\n Even as the giants attempted to rebuild in the aftermath of destruction, they faced open revolt by their drow and elf slaves. That war of rebellion thwarted the reconstruction of the empire and drove the giants to seek the elves\u2019 destruction with the same dragon magic that had crushed the quori.<\/p>\n Before that drastic step could be taken, the dragons of Argonnessen attacked, determined to thwart the potential cataclysm that the giants\u2019 single-minded fury might wreak. In a brutal campaign, Xen\u2019drik was laid waste and the giants\u2019 civilization was destroyed.<\/p>\n","id":11331,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"History","permissions":[],"position":5,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-08-12T15:40:22.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n The continent of Xen\u2019drik lies south of Khorvaire, across the Thunder Sea. The most common routes between the continents go through the dangerous archipelago known as Shargon\u2019s Teeth. The journey to Xen\u2019drik can be as dangerous as any expedition in the continent\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n The folk of Khorvaire speak of the jungles of Xen\u2019drik, but the continent is home to a wide variety of terrains and environments. Although tropical jungle does cover the northern and eastern reaches of the continent, its western half is dominated by a blistering desert. Towering mountain ranges and active volcanoes scar the landscape, and the continent\u2019s southern coast is an icy wasteland that merges with the Icemaw Sea and the Everice.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The continent of Xen\u2019drik lies south of Khorvaire, across the Thunder Sea. The most common routes between the continents go through the dangerous archipelago known as Shargon\u2019s Teeth. The journey to Xen\u2019drik can be as dangerous as any expedition in the continent\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n The folk of Khorvaire speak of the jungles of Xen\u2019drik, but the continent is home to a wide variety of terrains and environments. Although tropical jungle does cover the northern and eastern reaches of the continent, its western half is dominated by a blistering desert. Towering mountain ranges and active volcanoes scar the landscape, and the continent\u2019s southern coast is an icy wasteland that merges with the Icemaw Sea and the Everice.<\/p>\n","id":11333,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Environment","permissions":[],"position":6,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-08-12T15:41:06.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Xen\u2019drik is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including plants and animals found nowhere else in Eberron. All the varieties of giants are common here, including some not found in Khorvaire. However, these barbaric tribes are mere shadows of the giants that once ruled this land.<\/p>\n The drow are Xen\u2019drik\u2019s most notable humanoid race. Unlike their elf cousins, these former slaves lingered in Xen\u2019drik after their giant masters were struck down. The drow build vast underground cities, but are more commonly encountered as they travel the jungles in hunting parties that kill Khorvairians on sight.<\/p>\n The waters around Shargon\u2019s Teeth are home to sahuagin clans that make sorties against ships running between Stormreach and Khorvaire. Captains who regularly sail the route across the Thunder Sea make arrangements with the sahuagin whose underwater territories they pass through, paying guides to guarantee a peaceful passage and to help navigate the treacherous waters of the Teeth.<\/p>\n Though originally native to Sarlona, the yuan-ti fled that land centuries ago and spread across Khorvaire. Most are found in Xen\u2019drik now, living in dark cults that ambush travelers and explorers, using them for food and as the subjects of dark rituals.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Xen\u2019drik is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including plants and animals found nowhere else in Eberron. All the varieties of giants are common here, including some not found in Khorvaire. However, these barbaric tribes are mere shadows of the giants that once ruled this land.<\/p>\n The drow are Xen\u2019drik\u2019s most notable humanoid race. Unlike their elf cousins, these former slaves lingered in Xen\u2019drik after their giant masters were struck down. The drow build vast underground cities, but are more commonly encountered as they travel the jungles in hunting parties that kill Khorvairians on sight.<\/p>\n The waters around Shargon\u2019s Teeth are home to sahuagin clans that make sorties against ships running between Stormreach and Khorvaire. Captains who regularly sail the route across the Thunder Sea make arrangements with the sahuagin whose underwater territories they pass through, paying guides to guarantee a peaceful passage and to help navigate the treacherous waters of the Teeth.<\/p>\n Though originally native to Sarlona, the yuan-ti fled that land centuries ago and spread across Khorvaire. Most are found in Xen\u2019drik now, living in dark cults that ambush travelers and explorers, using them for food and as the subjects of dark rituals.<\/p>\n","id":11334,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Inhabitants","permissions":[],"position":26,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-08-12T15:41:49.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Xen\u2019drik is thought to be considerably larger than Khorvaire, but no accurate surveys of this land exist. A mysterious force covers the entire continent like a shroud, defying logical or magical explanation. Commonly called the Traveler\u2019s Curse, this effect twists time and distance. If two parties of explorers set out for the same destination along an identical path, one group might make the trip in two days, while another spends nearly a week to cover the same ground. Explorers might search in vain for a well-documented and commonly visited site, and another group might discover previously unknown ruins a day\u2019s walk from Stormreach.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse is thought to be a lingering remnant of the powerful arcane forces that destroyed the continent. Whatever its source, this effect makes mapping Xen\u2019drik all but impossible, and it is notably stronger on creatures not native to this land.<\/p>\n The shifting zones make Xen\u2019drik a wildly unpredictable realm, but they are not the only challenge facing travelers and cartographers. A force is at work in Xen\u2019drik that defies even magical explanation\u2014an effect that seems to encompass the entire continent and yet does not behave in any predictable fashion. The consensus of the Morgrave scholars is that this is a lingering effect of the ancient cataclysm that ended the quori invasion, but the first human explorers of this land had a different explanation. They called it the Traveler\u2019s Curse, blaming the capricious deity of the Dark Six for the unpredictable nature of exploration in Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse twists time and distance, both in perception and reality. Two parties of explorers set out from Stormreach in search of a specific ruin, but though both follow the same path, it might take the first group one week and the second group three weeks to make the journey. No logical explanation exists. The first group might find that it has covered the distance in an impossibly short time. The second might perceive a reasonable length for the journey, only to find on their return to Stormreach that far more time has passed. Under some circumstances, this effect can be a blessing, speeding a party through dangerous terrain. However, the Traveler\u2019s Curse can just as easily lead explorers into unexpected danger or cause them to arrive at a different destination than the one they sought. This phenomenon is one reason why no reliable maps of Xen\u2019drik exist, and why it is always possible to stumble into new ruins within striking distance of a settlement or in areas the party has explored before.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse ebbs and flows, but it seems to have the strongest effect on those not native to the land. Parties led by a drow or giant guide are more likely to reach their intended destinations. Scholars have also noticed that the effects are weaker on the few established roads in Xen\u2019drik\u2014the paths connecting Stormreach to the closest trading outposts. Some believe that aspects of intent are at work: Knowledge of a destination holds back the effect, and a strong-willed individual might resist or even control it.<\/p>\n The curse has no specific game mechanics associated with it. It is an optional effect left entirely to the DM\u2019s discretion and could change from adventure to adventure. If the PCs know their exact destination, perhaps they\u2019ll make it there without difficulty. Simply remember that Xen\u2019drik is a land of mystery\u2014and that when explorers stumble onto a hidden city that has remained undiscovered only miles from Stormreach itself, the Traveler\u2019s Curse is what makes it possible.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Xen\u2019drik is thought to be considerably larger than Khorvaire, but no accurate surveys of this land exist. A mysterious force covers the entire continent like a shroud, defying logical or magical explanation. Commonly called the Traveler\u2019s Curse, this effect twists time and distance. If two parties of explorers set out for the same destination along an identical path, one group might make the trip in two days, while another spends nearly a week to cover the same ground. Explorers might search in vain for a well-documented and commonly visited site, and another group might discover previously unknown ruins a day\u2019s walk from Stormreach.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse is thought to be a lingering remnant of the powerful arcane forces that destroyed the continent. Whatever its source, this effect makes mapping Xen\u2019drik all but impossible, and it is notably stronger on creatures not native to this land.<\/p>\n The shifting zones make Xen\u2019drik a wildly unpredictable realm, but they are not the only challenge facing travelers and cartographers. A force is at work in Xen\u2019drik that defies even magical explanation\u2014an effect that seems to encompass the entire continent and yet does not behave in any predictable fashion. The consensus of the Morgrave scholars is that this is a lingering effect of the ancient cataclysm that ended the quori invasion, but the first human explorers of this land had a different explanation. They called it the Traveler\u2019s Curse, blaming the capricious deity of the Dark Six for the unpredictable nature of exploration in Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse twists time and distance, both in perception and reality. Two parties of explorers set out from Stormreach in search of a specific ruin, but though both follow the same path, it might take the first group one week and the second group three weeks to make the journey. No logical explanation exists. The first group might find that it has covered the distance in an impossibly short time. The second might perceive a reasonable length for the journey, only to find on their return to Stormreach that far more time has passed. Under some circumstances, this effect can be a blessing, speeding a party through dangerous terrain. However, the Traveler\u2019s Curse can just as easily lead explorers into unexpected danger or cause them to arrive at a different destination than the one they sought. This phenomenon is one reason why no reliable maps of Xen\u2019drik exist, and why it is always possible to stumble into new ruins within striking distance of a settlement or in areas the party has explored before.<\/p>\n The Traveler\u2019s Curse ebbs and flows, but it seems to have the strongest effect on those not native to the land. Parties led by a drow or giant guide are more likely to reach their intended destinations. Scholars have also noticed that the effects are weaker on the few established roads in Xen\u2019drik\u2014the paths connecting Stormreach to the closest trading outposts. Some believe that aspects of intent are at work: Knowledge of a destination holds back the effect, and a strong-willed individual might resist or even control it.<\/p>\n The curse has no specific game mechanics associated with it. It is an optional effect left entirely to the DM\u2019s discretion and could change from adventure to adventure. If the PCs know their exact destination, perhaps they\u2019ll make it there without difficulty. Simply remember that Xen\u2019drik is a land of mystery\u2014and that when explorers stumble onto a hidden city that has remained undiscovered only miles from Stormreach itself, the Traveler\u2019s Curse is what makes it possible.<\/p>\n","id":11335,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"The Traveler's Curse","permissions":[],"position":7,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-08-12T16:45:44.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n The ancient legend of the couatls sacrificing themselves to imprison the fiends within the earth is depicted in the earliest ruins and inscriptions discovered in Xen\u2019drik. Through the millennia, this tale has formed the foundation of many religions among the native races of that continent. These so-called serpent cults took root among the giants, their elf and drow servitors, other underground races, the goliaths of the Titan\u2019s Teeth mountains, the raptorans, and the catfolk.<\/p>\n Most of these serpent cults espoused high ethical ideals, often much loftier than those prevailing in the dominant culture. The cults typically deny the divinity of contemporary gods, claiming that the primordial couatls are the only truly divine beings. These factors have combined to ensure that serpent cults remain small, countercultural movements with little lasting power or infl uence.<\/p>\n About three thousand years ago, an unknown researcher compiled a number of writings related to the sacrifice of the couatls and assembled them into a loose collection now known as the Serpentes Fragments. These fragments are thought to represent the beliefs of a variety of serpent cults, widely scattered geographically and historically. They are also an important source of information about the sites and civilizations of ancient Xen\u2019drik, making the Serpentes Fragments extremely important to Xen\u2019drik archeology. Copies and translations of the fragments are rare because the bulk of their subject matter is so obscure.<\/p>\n Some, however, would argue that the fragments are not obscure in the least. Perhaps he is just being intentionally provocative, but Provost Dannad Mourain of Morgrave University recently published a paper arguing that the Church of the Silver Flame is itself the contemporary form of a Xen\u2019drik serpent cult.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The ancient legend of the couatls sacrificing themselves to imprison the fiends within the earth is depicted in the earliest ruins and inscriptions discovered in Xen\u2019drik. Through the millennia, this tale has formed the foundation of many religions among the native races of that continent. These so-called serpent cults took root among the giants, their elf and drow servitors, other underground races, the goliaths of the Titan\u2019s Teeth mountains, the raptorans, and the catfolk.<\/p>\n Most of these serpent cults espoused high ethical ideals, often much loftier than those prevailing in the dominant culture. The cults typically deny the divinity of contemporary gods, claiming that the primordial couatls are the only truly divine beings. These factors have combined to ensure that serpent cults remain small, countercultural movements with little lasting power or infl uence.<\/p>\n About three thousand years ago, an unknown researcher compiled a number of writings related to the sacrifice of the couatls and assembled them into a loose collection now known as the Serpentes Fragments. These fragments are thought to represent the beliefs of a variety of serpent cults, widely scattered geographically and historically. They are also an important source of information about the sites and civilizations of ancient Xen\u2019drik, making the Serpentes Fragments extremely important to Xen\u2019drik archeology. Copies and translations of the fragments are rare because the bulk of their subject matter is so obscure.<\/p>\n Some, however, would argue that the fragments are not obscure in the least. Perhaps he is just being intentionally provocative, but Provost Dannad Mourain of Morgrave University recently published a paper arguing that the Church of the Silver Flame is itself the contemporary form of a Xen\u2019drik serpent cult.<\/p>\n","id":11346,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Serpent Cults","permissions":[],"position":27,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-05T04:09:49.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Some eighty thousand years ago, Xen\u2019drik was home to Eberron\u2019s first civilized race\u2014the giants, towering beings possessing tremendous strength and intellect. By studying the continent\u2019s ruins, sages have been able to develop a general sense of the lives and history of this lost age, but the precise nature of its people remains a mystery. Scholars believe that the first giants were of a type unknown in the modern age, both wiser and more powerful than the giants of the present day. Some who study them refer to these mighty founders as \u201ctitans.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Xen\u2019drik has likely always been a dangerous land, over the course of twenty thousand years, the giants rose from savagery to create a stable and advanced civilization. The lesser races and creatures of Xen\u2019drik were all brought under giant dominion in time. Among the giants\u2019 slaves were the elves, who became common throughout their masters\u2019 cities and settlements.<\/p>\n Sixty thousand years ago, something happened that would change the giants and the fate of Xen\u2019drik forever. Giant explorers made contact with the dragons of Argonnessen, and a group of dragons took a great interest in the fledgling kingdoms. Flights of dragons migrated to Xen\u2019drik to take up residence among the giants, sharing their knowledge of magic with the younger race. The giants quickly mastered these mystical arts, creating artifacts and wondrous locations still beyond the knowledge of modern civilization. The giant nations even taught their elf slaves to use magic, with the elves\u2019 talent for the arcane arts allowing them to overcome the limitations of their size. For a time, dragon and giant lived in harmony, but conflict in Argonnessen eventually drew the dragons away from Xen\u2019drik. In centuries to come, the dragons became insular and broke off contact with the giants; they would not return for thousands of years.<\/p>\n The civilization of the giants prospered for another twenty thousand years, and its empires spread across the continent. Then, forty thousand years ago, the collapse of Xen\u2019drik was set in motion by an extraplanar invasion from Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams. Living nightmares tore into the nations of the giants, and reality itself was scarred by their battles. In the end, an alliance of giant arcanists drew on cataclysmic powers to sever the connection between Dal Quor and Eberron\u2014an action that unleashed destruction nearly as disastrous as the war it sought to end.<\/p>\n For almost a thousand years, magical curses and plagues swept through the land, civil war raging even as the giants\u2019 elf and drow slaves seized the opportunity to throw off their chains. Desperately weakened, the giants prepared to call again on the powerful magic that had banished the quori\u2014magic that might have destroyed Eberron if not for the intervention of the dragons. No one knows the full extent of the power the lords of Argonnessen brought to bear, but in the aftermath, the Xen\u2019drik of old was no more. Eldritch energy spread across the land, leaving a twisted environment and bizarre monsters in its wake. The giants were reduced to savagery and have never recovered, their cities falling to ruin.<\/p>\n For almost forty thousand years, Xen\u2019drik has been a land of mystery, but in recent times the people of Khorvaire and Sarlona have begun to probe its depths. Many fantastic treasures have been recovered from its ruins, but its greatest secrets remain hidden still, waiting for bold adventurers to unearth them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Some eighty thousand years ago, Xen\u2019drik was home to Eberron\u2019s first civilized race\u2014the giants, towering beings possessing tremendous strength and intellect. By studying the continent\u2019s ruins, sages have been able to develop a general sense of the lives and history of this lost age, but the precise nature of its people remains a mystery. Scholars believe that the first giants were of a type unknown in the modern age, both wiser and more powerful than the giants of the present day. Some who study them refer to these mighty founders as \u201ctitans.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Xen\u2019drik has likely always been a dangerous land, over the course of twenty thousand years, the giants rose from savagery to create a stable and advanced civilization. The lesser races and creatures of Xen\u2019drik were all brought under giant dominion in time. Among the giants\u2019 slaves were the elves, who became common throughout their masters\u2019 cities and settlements.<\/p>\n Sixty thousand years ago, something happened that would change the giants and the fate of Xen\u2019drik forever. Giant explorers made contact with the dragons of Argonnessen, and a group of dragons took a great interest in the fledgling kingdoms. Flights of dragons migrated to Xen\u2019drik to take up residence among the giants, sharing their knowledge of magic with the younger race. The giants quickly mastered these mystical arts, creating artifacts and wondrous locations still beyond the knowledge of modern civilization. The giant nations even taught their elf slaves to use magic, with the elves\u2019 talent for the arcane arts allowing them to overcome the limitations of their size. For a time, dragon and giant lived in harmony, but conflict in Argonnessen eventually drew the dragons away from Xen\u2019drik. In centuries to come, the dragons became insular and broke off contact with the giants; they would not return for thousands of years.<\/p>\n The civilization of the giants prospered for another twenty thousand years, and its empires spread across the continent. Then, forty thousand years ago, the collapse of Xen\u2019drik was set in motion by an extraplanar invasion from Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams. Living nightmares tore into the nations of the giants, and reality itself was scarred by their battles. In the end, an alliance of giant arcanists drew on cataclysmic powers to sever the connection between Dal Quor and Eberron\u2014an action that unleashed destruction nearly as disastrous as the war it sought to end.<\/p>\n For almost a thousand years, magical curses and plagues swept through the land, civil war raging even as the giants\u2019 elf and drow slaves seized the opportunity to throw off their chains. Desperately weakened, the giants prepared to call again on the powerful magic that had banished the quori\u2014magic that might have destroyed Eberron if not for the intervention of the dragons. No one knows the full extent of the power the lords of Argonnessen brought to bear, but in the aftermath, the Xen\u2019drik of old was no more. Eldritch energy spread across the land, leaving a twisted environment and bizarre monsters in its wake. The giants were reduced to savagery and have never recovered, their cities falling to ruin.<\/p>\n For almost forty thousand years, Xen\u2019drik has been a land of mystery, but in recent times the people of Khorvaire and Sarlona have begun to probe its depths. Many fantastic treasures have been recovered from its ruins, but its greatest secrets remain hidden still, waiting for bold adventurers to unearth them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","id":12216,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"The Shattered Land","permissions":[],"position":29,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-05T04:28:23.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Whether you\u2019re a player or a Dungeon Master, what does Xen\u2019drik have to offer? Why make the trek across the Thunder Sea? Consider the following.<\/p>\n The Undiscovered Country:<\/strong>\u00a0Khorvaire holds its share of dark places (including the Demon Wastes, the jungles of Q\u2019barra, and the Shadow Marches), but Xen\u2019drik is almost completely unexplored. Anything could be hidden in its interior: a lost city of gold, a dragonshard the size of a mountain, or a fountain of youth. Xen\u2019drik is an unknown land that offers PCs the chance to be explorers as well as adventurers.<\/p>\n Pursuit of Legends:<\/strong>\u00a0An ancient elf war prince, said to be the forebear of Vadallia of Valenar, once turned whole lakes red with the blood of giants\u2014or so the stories say. It is rumored that the secretive elven sect of the Qabalrin gave birth to the fi rst vampires, and that these undead lords still sleep in hidden vaults. Some say that the titans shattered the lost thirteenth moon on a vast altar of obsidian and brass. Xen\u2019drik is a land of legends, allowing characters to take on challenges that are larger than life.<\/p>\n An Untamed Land:<\/strong>\u00a0Travel within the Five Nations is relatively safe. Characters wandering the trade roads of Breland are unlikely to encounter hydras or manticores. Xen\u2019drik, on the other hand, is completely wild. Anything could be lurking in the shadows: feral drow, ancient constructs, rogue dragons, or worse. Xen\u2019drik is the place for any hero in search of a challenge, or for a Dungeon Master who wants to test a party with some new and fearsome beast.<\/p>\n Forgotten Lore:<\/strong>\u00a0From the fallen empires of the giants to the nomadic drow, each of the cultures of Xen\u2019drik has its own martial and magical traditions. Whether a party seeks to wrest long-lost secrets from the ruins of Bazek Mohl or to master the arcane Ritual of Binding, Xen\u2019drik provides explorers with opportunities they could never fi nd in Khorvaire.<\/p>\n Untold Power:<\/strong>\u00a0The lost magic of the Age of Giants exceeds even the wildest dreams of the Arcane Congress or the Twelve. The titans of Xen\u2019drik could forge artifacts and even shift the orbits of the planes. Expeditions to Xen\u2019drik provide a chance to seek treasures far beyond the capabilities of the wizards and artifi cers of Khorvaire\u2014artifacts that could alter the course of history.<\/p>\n The Evil Mastermind:<\/strong>\u00a0A journey to Xen\u2019drik might not be a matter of choice. The lich-queen Vol, the Dreaming Dark, the Lords of Dust\u2014all the forces of darkness on Khorvaire hunger for the power hidden within the mysterious continent. PCs bound for Xen\u2019drik might not be doing so for themselves, but to keep some artifact or secret out of the hands of those who would turn its power to evil ends.<\/p>\n War and Peace:<\/strong>\u00a0Danger can arise from mundane sources as easily as dark cults and conspiracies. The Treaty of Thronehold is an uneasy truce, and many believe that it is only a matter of time before war begins again. Every nation in Khorvaire is preparing for the possibility of violence\u2014and what better way to prepare than by laying claim to the mighty artifacts of the ancient giants? Adventurers might be hired by kings and queens or dispatched by agents of the Chamber to stop others from claiming weapons too dangerous to be wielded by mortal hands.<\/p>\n Neutral Ground:<\/strong>\u00a0Stormreach stands outside the authority of any of the Five Nations, and the wilds of Xen\u2019drik are governed by no one. The free city can be an excellent place to wait for trouble with the law in Khorvaire to blow over, and it offers the opportunity to deal with traditional enemies more openly.<\/p>\n Anything Goes:<\/strong>\u00a0Any element in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game can be found in the EBERRON setting, and more than any other location, Xen\u2019drik shows the truth of that statement. Between the strange magical forces that have warped the continent and the vast arcane power of its fallen civilizations, almost any spell, object, or creature could be hidden in the depths of the shattered land.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Whether you\u2019re a player or a Dungeon Master, what does Xen\u2019drik have to offer? Why make the trek across the Thunder Sea? Consider the following.<\/p>\n The Undiscovered Country:<\/strong> Khorvaire holds its share of dark places (including the Demon Wastes, the jungles of Q\u2019barra, and the Shadow Marches), but Xen\u2019drik is almost completely unexplored. Anything could be hidden in its interior: a lost city of gold, a dragonshard the size of a mountain, or a fountain of youth. Xen\u2019drik is an unknown land that offers PCs the chance to be explorers as well as adventurers.<\/p>\n Pursuit of Legends:<\/strong> An ancient elf war prince, said to be the forebear of Vadallia of Valenar, once turned whole lakes red with the blood of giants\u2014or so the stories say. It is rumored that the secretive elven sect of the Qabalrin gave birth to the fi rst vampires, and that these undead lords still sleep in hidden vaults. Some say that the titans shattered the lost thirteenth moon on a vast altar of obsidian and brass. Xen\u2019drik is a land of legends, allowing characters to take on challenges that are larger than life.<\/p>\n An Untamed Land:<\/strong> Travel within the Five Nations is relatively safe. Characters wandering the trade roads of Breland are unlikely to encounter hydras or manticores. Xen\u2019drik, on the other hand, is completely wild. Anything could be lurking in the shadows: feral drow, ancient constructs, rogue dragons, or worse. Xen\u2019drik is the place for any hero in search of a challenge, or for a Dungeon Master who wants to test a party with some new and fearsome beast.<\/p>\n Forgotten Lore:<\/strong> From the fallen empires of the giants to the nomadic drow, each of the cultures of Xen\u2019drik has its own martial and magical traditions. Whether a party seeks to wrest long-lost secrets from the ruins of Bazek Mohl or to master the arcane Ritual of Binding, Xen\u2019drik provides explorers with opportunities they could never fi nd in Khorvaire.<\/p>\n Untold Power:<\/strong> The lost magic of the Age of Giants exceeds even the wildest dreams of the Arcane Congress or the Twelve. The titans of Xen\u2019drik could forge artifacts and even shift the orbits of the planes. Expeditions to Xen\u2019drik provide a chance to seek treasures far beyond the capabilities of the wizards and artifi cers of Khorvaire\u2014artifacts that could alter the course of history.<\/p>\n The Evil Mastermind:<\/strong> A journey to Xen\u2019drik might not be a matter of choice. The lich-queen Vol, the Dreaming Dark, the Lords of Dust\u2014all the forces of darkness on Khorvaire hunger for the power hidden within the mysterious continent. PCs bound for Xen\u2019drik might not be doing so for themselves, but to keep some artifact or secret out of the hands of those who would turn its power to evil ends.<\/p>\n War and Peace:<\/strong> Danger can arise from mundane sources as easily as dark cults and conspiracies. The Treaty of Thronehold is an uneasy truce, and many believe that it is only a matter of time before war begins again. Every nation in Khorvaire is preparing for the possibility of violence\u2014and what better way to prepare than by laying claim to the mighty artifacts of the ancient giants? Adventurers might be hired by kings and queens or dispatched by agents of the Chamber to stop others from claiming weapons too dangerous to be wielded by mortal hands.<\/p>\n Neutral Ground:<\/strong> Stormreach stands outside the authority of any of the Five Nations, and the wilds of Xen\u2019drik are governed by no one. The free city can be an excellent place to wait for trouble with the law in Khorvaire to blow over, and it offers the opportunity to deal with traditional enemies more openly.<\/p>\n Anything Goes:<\/strong> Any element in the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game can be found in the EBERRON setting, and more than any other location, Xen\u2019drik shows the truth of that statement. Between the strange magical forces that have warped the continent and the vast arcane power of its fallen civilizations, almost any spell, object, or creature could be hidden in the depths of the shattered land.<\/p>\n","id":12217,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Why Go?","permissions":[],"position":8,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T02:07:52.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Xen\u2019drik is a vast land of harshly contrasting environments, from the burning wastes of the Menechtarun Desert to the deep jungles of the west. However, nature is not the only force that has shaped the continent. The arcane forces used to sever the ties between Eberron and Dal Quor created mystical shockwaves that rippled out from manifest zones and quori beachheads, causing reality itself to buckle in their wake. In many ways, Xen\u2019drik is a land drawn from dreams, and the laws of nature bend and break across the continent. Adventurers might crest a desert dune to find a vast expanse of arctic tundra stretching out before them. For the most part these regions are fixed, but in areas where the magical effects of the forty-thousand-year-old war between giant and quori still linger, reality is never entirely stable. A tropical river passing through such an area might freeze solid one day, then transform into molten lava or a sheet of glass the next. Travelers in such areas are generally unaffected, but flora and fauna native to a shifting zone often become transformed with the environment. When a jungle becomes an ice plain, a tiger might transform into a smilodon without even noticing the change.<\/p>\n The existence of these shifting zones is one of the main reasons explorers hire native Xen\u2019drik guides. Identifying a shifting zone requires a successful DC 30 Survival check, with characters who have served at least five years as a Xen\u2019drik guide receiving a +5 bonus. Of course, simply knowing the location of a shifting zone might not allow a party to avoid it; some zones are dozens or even hundreds of miles across. Ultimately, Xen\u2019drik\u2019s shifting zones are a tool for DMs seeking to challenge players with unusual and deadly environments.<\/p>\n Different wilderness environments can prove as great a challenge as any dungeon, and this is especially true in a land where adventurers are typically far from the safety of civilization. Individual DMs can decide how much of a role they want the environment to play in a Xen\u2019drik adventure. Calculating the effects of hypothermia adds a level of complexity to a game, but also creates a sense of realism in the challenge of venturing deep into uncharted territory. By the same token, characters who insist on wearing +2 full plate of heavy fortification in the desert should run the risk of heatstroke. If the DM and the players prefer to keep things moving, though, these rules can be easily ignored.<\/p>\n The wild and uncivilized nature of Xen\u2019drik also makes food and water a significant concern. With so few villages or outposts in the south, a party that loses its supplies to raiders, monsters, or ration rot moss (page 43) has to rely on the Survival skill or divine magic to ensure their safe return to Stormreach. The hliska (page 54) pose no physical threat to adventurers, but they have doomed many an expedition by stealing into a party\u2019s saddlebags at night.<\/p>\n In a realistic game, the outfitters of Stormreach can be an adventurer\u2019s best friends. Dalun Havulak can recommend cold-weather or warm-weather clothing, educate parties on the threats posed by the environment, and provide substances such as vermin ointment (page 139). If your game makes use of the Frostburn or Sandstorm supplements, Havulak Prospecting is an excellent source for the new equipment presented in those books.<\/p>\n The primary resource for environmental hazards is the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide. Pages 302\u2013304 discuss general environmental dangers, including the effects of starvation and thirst. Pages 86\u201398 provide extensive information about adventuring in different wilderness environments, and any DM running adventures in Xen\u2019drik should review this material when preparing for a game. Chapter 2 of this book provides detailed information on a number of specific environments and sites, which can be used as guidelines when conducting adventures in similar areas.<\/p>\n One key factor to bear in mind while creating adventures in Xen\u2019drik is the wondrous and often primeval nature of the land itself. Terrible magic and extraplanar forces were once unleashed here, and the shattered continent has passed through tens of thousands of years of savagery. The King\u2019s Forest in Breland is wilderness, but it remains part of Breland: Wroat and Sharn are not so far away, and the worst horrors of the woods were defeated long ago by the ancient knights of Galifar. However, no one truly knows what lurks in Xen\u2019drik, and even the trees themselves are twisted and angry. The ruins of the giants are scattered everywhere, and explorers never know when they might stumble over a massive stone face staring up out of the dirt\u2014a fallen monument of an empire long forgotten.<\/p>\n Any or all of the following environments might challenge a party seeking the secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n Jungle:<\/strong>\u00a0While Xen\u2019drik is home to glaciers and deserts, the majority of those who return from it speak of its vast jungles and rain forests. Dark elves lurk in the boughs of enormous trees, and ancient ruins are hidden beneath shrouds of choking vines. Forests can encompass a vast range of environments, from chill woodlands where every tree seems to have a twisted human shape, to dense rain forests where the heat can be a threat as deadly as the creatures that hide in the shadows.<\/p>\n Forest environments are described on page 87 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide. Sidebars discussing jungle environments can be found on pages 43 and 54 of this book.<\/p>\n Desert:<\/strong>\u00a0The eastern desert of Menechtarun is over a thousand miles in length, and its deadly heat has long hindered adventurers seeking to claim its secrets. Smaller deserts and burning wastes can be found across the continent. The Desert Canyons site (page 31) can be used to represent any of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s desert regions.<\/p>\n The Sandstorm supplement can be used to add additional levels of detail to adventures in Menechtarun. This vast desert is home to the bhuka and asherati races from that book, in addition to the thri-kreen of the Expanded Psionics Handbook.<\/p>\n Volcanic Fields:<\/strong>\u00a0Ties to Fernia, tectonic instability, and the work of ancient magic create regions where lava flows like water and scalding heat can kill the unwary. Xen\u2019drik also includes a number of active volcanoes, one of which might tempt a party of adventurers with rumors of ancient treasure hidden in its depths. The Volcanic Fields map (page 47) details one example of such an adventure site; see page 303 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide for the dangers of extreme heat.<\/p>\n Marsh:<\/strong>\u00a0From humid coastal regions to murky inland fens, marshland is common in Xen\u2019drik. Much of the ancient continent was flooded in the fall of the giants, leaving fantastic ruins and countless bodies half-buried in silt and soil. Other swamps have existed since the dawn of time, home to all manner of monstrous vermin and terrible creatures.<\/p>\n The Dreary Marsh site (page 33) is one example of a Xen\u2019drik swamp. Additional information on marsh terrain can be found on page 88 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide.<\/p>\n Crystal Waste:<\/strong>\u00a0At first glance, a crystal waste appears to be a plain of smooth, glittering ice except for its coloration, often a deep red or pale purple. Closer examination reveals such plains to be massive sheets of solid crystal. Crystal wastes are inhospitable environments, even more unforgiving than deserts. They hold no oases, no place for vegetation to flourish, and no shelter for animal life. However, the Riedrans prize the crystal of the plains for its psionic resonance, and the slabs they mine there form the base of Riedran crysteel (ECS 127). Riedran mining camps dot the edges of crystal wastes, where workers quarry blocks out of the plains and prepare the material for transport to Dar Qat.<\/p>\n The smoothness of a crystal waste makes it treacherous terrain. Each square counts as 2 squares of movement, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks in the area increases by 5. A successful DC 10 Balance check is required to run or charge through a crystal waste.<\/p>\n A crystal waste shares many of the features of a desert. If you are using the Sandstorm supplement, the information on glass seas provides additional details. The most dangerous places in a crystal waste are the fields where Siberys shards have struck the glass, shattering the crystal and creating fields of razor shards that can be whipped up to create a deadly fl aywind. Such a storm deals 1d4 points of damage each round to those caught within it (Sandstorm 22).<\/p>\n Arctic Environs:<\/strong>\u00a0Xen\u2019drik stretches to the southern pole of Eberron, and these far reaches are lands of endless ice and snow. At the same time, glaciers can be found in high mountains throughout the continent, and a shifting zone could bring an ice fl at into existence in the center of Menechtarun itself. Perhaps a city of ancient giants remains perfectly preserved within the heart of a glacier, the result of a desperate attempt at mystical selfpreservation in the last days of the empire.<\/p>\n Arctic environments are harsh and deadly. The Mountain Glacier site (page 39) offers a general setting for arctic encounters in Xen\u2019drik, while page 302 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide provides information on the dangers of extreme cold. The Frostburn supplement contains a host of resources for arctic adventures, and the numerous hazards and creatures presented in that book make excellent additions to Xen'drik's frozen wastes<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Xen\u2019drik is a vast land of harshly contrasting environments, from the burning wastes of the Menechtarun Desert to the deep jungles of the west. However, nature is not the only force that has shaped the continent. The arcane forces used to sever the ties between Eberron and Dal Quor created mystical shockwaves that rippled out from manifest zones and quori beachheads, causing reality itself to buckle in their wake. In many ways, Xen\u2019drik is a land drawn from dreams, and the laws of nature bend and break across the continent. Adventurers might crest a desert dune to find a vast expanse of arctic tundra stretching out before them. For the most part these regions are fixed, but in areas where the magical effects of the forty-thousand-year-old war between giant and quori still linger, reality is never entirely stable. A tropical river passing through such an area might freeze solid one day, then transform into molten lava or a sheet of glass the next. Travelers in such areas are generally unaffected, but flora and fauna native to a shifting zone often become transformed with the environment. When a jungle becomes an ice plain, a tiger might transform into a smilodon without even noticing the change.<\/p>\n The existence of these shifting zones is one of the main reasons explorers hire native Xen\u2019drik guides. Identifying a shifting zone requires a successful DC 30 Survival check, with characters who have served at least five years as a Xen\u2019drik guide receiving a +5 bonus. Of course, simply knowing the location of a shifting zone might not allow a party to avoid it; some zones are dozens or even hundreds of miles across. Ultimately, Xen\u2019drik\u2019s shifting zones are a tool for DMs seeking to challenge players with unusual and deadly environments.<\/p>\n Different wilderness environments can prove as great a challenge as any dungeon, and this is especially true in a land where adventurers are typically far from the safety of civilization. Individual DMs can decide how much of a role they want the environment to play in a Xen\u2019drik adventure. Calculating the effects of hypothermia adds a level of complexity to a game, but also creates a sense of realism in the challenge of venturing deep into uncharted territory. By the same token, characters who insist on wearing +2 full plate of heavy fortification in the desert should run the risk of heatstroke. If the DM and the players prefer to keep things moving, though, these rules can be easily ignored.<\/p>\n The wild and uncivilized nature of Xen\u2019drik also makes food and water a significant concern. With so few villages or outposts in the south, a party that loses its supplies to raiders, monsters, or ration rot moss (page 43) has to rely on the Survival skill or divine magic to ensure their safe return to Stormreach. The hliska (page 54) pose no physical threat to adventurers, but they have doomed many an expedition by stealing into a party\u2019s saddlebags at night.<\/p>\n In a realistic game, the outfitters of Stormreach can be an adventurer\u2019s best friends. Dalun Havulak can recommend cold-weather or warm-weather clothing, educate parties on the threats posed by the environment, and provide substances such as vermin ointment (page 139). If your game makes use of the Frostburn or Sandstorm supplements, Havulak Prospecting is an excellent source for the new equipment presented in those books.<\/p>\n The primary resource for environmental hazards is the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide. Pages 302\u2013304 discuss general environmental dangers, including the effects of starvation and thirst. Pages 86\u201398 provide extensive information about adventuring in different wilderness environments, and any DM running adventures in Xen\u2019drik should review this material when preparing for a game. Chapter 2 of this book provides detailed information on a number of specific environments and sites, which can be used as guidelines when conducting adventures in similar areas.<\/p>\n One key factor to bear in mind while creating adventures in Xen\u2019drik is the wondrous and often primeval nature of the land itself. Terrible magic and extraplanar forces were once unleashed here, and the shattered continent has passed through tens of thousands of years of savagery. The King\u2019s Forest in Breland is wilderness, but it remains part of Breland: Wroat and Sharn are not so far away, and the worst horrors of the woods were defeated long ago by the ancient knights of Galifar. However, no one truly knows what lurks in Xen\u2019drik, and even the trees themselves are twisted and angry. The ruins of the giants are scattered everywhere, and explorers never know when they might stumble over a massive stone face staring up out of the dirt\u2014a fallen monument of an empire long forgotten.<\/p>\n Any or all of the following environments might challenge a party seeking the secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n Jungle:<\/strong> While Xen\u2019drik is home to glaciers and deserts, the majority of those who return from it speak of its vast jungles and rain forests. Dark elves lurk in the boughs of enormous trees, and ancient ruins are hidden beneath shrouds of choking vines. Forests can encompass a vast range of environments, from chill woodlands where every tree seems to have a twisted human shape, to dense rain forests where the heat can be a threat as deadly as the creatures that hide in the shadows.<\/p>\n Forest environments are described on page 87 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide. Sidebars discussing jungle environments can be found on pages 43 and 54 of this book.<\/p>\n Desert:<\/strong> The eastern desert of Menechtarun is over a thousand miles in length, and its deadly heat has long hindered adventurers seeking to claim its secrets. Smaller deserts and burning wastes can be found across the continent. The Desert Canyons site (page 31) can be used to represent any of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s desert regions.<\/p>\n The Sandstorm supplement can be used to add additional levels of detail to adventures in Menechtarun. This vast desert is home to the bhuka and asherati races from that book, in addition to the thri-kreen of the Expanded Psionics Handbook.<\/p>\n Volcanic Fields:<\/strong> Ties to Fernia, tectonic instability, and the work of ancient magic create regions where lava flows like water and scalding heat can kill the unwary. Xen\u2019drik also includes a number of active volcanoes, one of which might tempt a party of adventurers with rumors of ancient treasure hidden in its depths. The Volcanic Fields map (page 47) details one example of such an adventure site; see page 303 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide for the dangers of extreme heat.<\/p>\n Marsh:<\/strong> From humid coastal regions to murky inland fens, marshland is common in Xen\u2019drik. Much of the ancient continent was flooded in the fall of the giants, leaving fantastic ruins and countless bodies half-buried in silt and soil. Other swamps have existed since the dawn of time, home to all manner of monstrous vermin and terrible creatures.<\/p>\n The Dreary Marsh site (page 33) is one example of a Xen\u2019drik swamp. Additional information on marsh terrain can be found on page 88 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide.<\/p>\n Crystal Waste:<\/strong> At first glance, a crystal waste appears to be a plain of smooth, glittering ice except for its coloration, often a deep red or pale purple. Closer examination reveals such plains to be massive sheets of solid crystal. Crystal wastes are inhospitable environments, even more unforgiving than deserts. They hold no oases, no place for vegetation to flourish, and no shelter for animal life. However, the Riedrans prize the crystal of the plains for its psionic resonance, and the slabs they mine there form the base of Riedran crysteel (ECS 127). Riedran mining camps dot the edges of crystal wastes, where workers quarry blocks out of the plains and prepare the material for transport to Dar Qat.<\/p>\n The smoothness of a crystal waste makes it treacherous terrain. Each square counts as 2 squares of movement, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks in the area increases by 5. A successful DC 10 Balance check is required to run or charge through a crystal waste.<\/p>\n A crystal waste shares many of the features of a desert. If you are using the Sandstorm supplement, the information on glass seas provides additional details. The most dangerous places in a crystal waste are the fields where Siberys shards have struck the glass, shattering the crystal and creating fields of razor shards that can be whipped up to create a deadly fl aywind. Such a storm deals 1d4 points of damage each round to those caught within it (Sandstorm 22).<\/p>\n Arctic Environs:<\/strong> Xen\u2019drik stretches to the southern pole of Eberron, and these far reaches are lands of endless ice and snow. At the same time, glaciers can be found in high mountains throughout the continent, and a shifting zone could bring an ice fl at into existence in the center of Menechtarun itself. Perhaps a city of ancient giants remains perfectly preserved within the heart of a glacier, the result of a desperate attempt at mystical selfpreservation in the last days of the empire.<\/p>\n Arctic environments are harsh and deadly. The Mountain Glacier site (page 39) offers a general setting for arctic encounters in Xen\u2019drik, while page 302 of the Dungeon Master\u2019s Guide provides information on the dangers of extreme cold. The Frostburn supplement contains a host of resources for arctic adventures, and the numerous hazards and creatures presented in that book make excellent additions to Xen'drik's frozen wastes<\/p>\n","id":12281,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Lands of Xen'drik","permissions":[],"position":9,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T02:09:16.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Khorvairian adventurers come to Xen\u2019drik in search of ancient treasures and fantastic wealth, but a much wider range of commodities drives a healthy merchant trade between the continents. Precious mineral wealth flows north from its mines and dragonshard fields, and a variety of animals and plants are hunted and harvested in Xen\u2019drik. Here are a few of the more notable trade goods of the mysterious continent.<\/p>\n Eternal Rations:<\/strong>\u00a0Xen\u2019drik is home to many exotic forms of flora and fauna, two of which share the same unnatural trait. Both the long corn plant and the gurk\u2019ash beast possess a supernatural quality that slows their initial decomposition after death or harvest, allowing them to be processed into rations that never spoil. Farming and herding in Xen\u2019drik can be a dangerous way to make a living, but such crops can earn a healthy price abroad.<\/p>\n Dragonshards:<\/strong>\u00a0Xen\u2019drik possesses the richest fields of Siberys dragonshards anywhere on Eberron, along with deep deposits of Khyber shards.<\/p>\n Crysteel:<\/strong>\u00a0The key material in crysteel\u2014a psionically resonant substance that the Riedrans use both as a building material and to create tools\u2014is found in the crystal wastes of Xen\u2019drik. To date, the people of Khorvaire have found little use for this crystal, but the Riedrans devote much effort to quarrying it.<\/p>\n Kuryeva:<\/strong>\u00a0The berries of the kuryeva bush can be used to produce a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, most notably the gin typically called kuryeva. This drink is popular with sailors across Eberron, and it is in great demand in the taverns of Sharn and Zarash\u2019ak.<\/p>\n Dream Serpents:<\/strong>\u00a0These rare magical beasts (see page 76) have many fantastic properties. Nonnative hunters typically take only the skin and teeth of the serpent. The drow, who have hunted dream serpents for thousands of years, have also learned to extract the venom glands from the creature and to detoxify its meat. They remove the eyes and grind the serpent\u2019s bones to powder, using both components in tribal rituals.<\/p>\n Tilxin Blood:<\/strong>\u00a0The tilxin bird feeds on the nectar of magical plants, and its blood has potent properties. It is a useful component for the creation of any magic item, but it is particularly useful for haste spells. The blood of an adult tilxin can allow a character to create a potion of haste without expending experience points, or it can take the place of the haste spell (allowing a creator to make the potion without casting or emulating the spell). If it is used as an additional material component for haste, tilxin blood grants a +3 bonus to the user\u2019s effective caster level. House Cannith pays 100 gp for live tilxin birds; as a result, the creatures have been hunted ruthlessly and are hard to find around Stormreach.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Khorvairian adventurers come to Xen\u2019drik in search of ancient treasures and fantastic wealth, but a much wider range of commodities drives a healthy merchant trade between the continents. Precious mineral wealth flows north from its mines and dragonshard fields, and a variety of animals and plants are hunted and harvested in Xen\u2019drik. Here are a few of the more notable trade goods of the mysterious continent.<\/p>\n Eternal Rations:<\/strong> Xen\u2019drik is home to many exotic forms of flora and fauna, two of which share the same unnatural trait. Both the long corn plant and the gurk\u2019ash beast possess a supernatural quality that slows their initial decomposition after death or harvest, allowing them to be processed into rations that never spoil. Farming and herding in Xen\u2019drik can be a dangerous way to make a living, but such crops can earn a healthy price abroad.<\/p>\n Dragonshards:<\/strong> Xen\u2019drik possesses the richest fields of Siberys dragonshards anywhere on Eberron, along with deep deposits of Khyber shards.<\/p>\n Crysteel:<\/strong> The key material in crysteel\u2014a psionically resonant substance that the Riedrans use both as a building material and to create tools\u2014is found in the crystal wastes of Xen\u2019drik. To date, the people of Khorvaire have found little use for this crystal, but the Riedrans devote much effort to quarrying it.<\/p>\n Kuryeva:<\/strong> The berries of the kuryeva bush can be used to produce a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, most notably the gin typically called kuryeva. This drink is popular with sailors across Eberron, and it is in great demand in the taverns of Sharn and Zarash\u2019ak.<\/p>\n Dream Serpents:<\/strong> These rare magical beasts (see page 76) have many fantastic properties. Nonnative hunters typically take only the skin and teeth of the serpent. The drow, who have hunted dream serpents for thousands of years, have also learned to extract the venom glands from the creature and to detoxify its meat. They remove the eyes and grind the serpent\u2019s bones to powder, using both components in tribal rituals.<\/p>\n Tilxin Blood:<\/strong> The tilxin bird feeds on the nectar of magical plants, and its blood has potent properties. It is a useful component for the creation of any magic item, but it is particularly useful for haste spells. The blood of an adult tilxin can allow a character to create a potion of haste without expending experience points, or it can take the place of the haste spell (allowing a creator to make the potion without casting or emulating the spell). If it is used as an additional material component for haste, tilxin blood grants a +3 bonus to the user\u2019s effective caster level. House Cannith pays 100 gp for live tilxin birds; as a result, the creatures have been hunted ruthlessly and are hard to find around Stormreach.<\/p>\n","id":12283,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Trade Goods","permissions":[],"position":10,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T03:48:54.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Forty thousand years have passed since the cataclysm that destroyed the civilization of the giants. Scholars have long wondered why greater civilizations have failed to emerge in Xen\u2019drik and why the giants have never risen above their savagery to reclaim the glory of the past. Many giant factions seek this power in the present day. What has held them back?<\/p>\n The following ideas are based on conjecture and legend, not fact. They could be true\u2014or they might be nothing more than fanciful stories.<\/p>\n It is said that the first giants of Xen\u2019drik were titans, immortal creatures of almost godlike power. When one looks at the modern hill giant, it is clear how far the mighty have fallen. The proponents of this theory claim that the giants of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s past suffered a magical deterioration that continues to this day, with each new generation of giants inferior to the last. These sages claim that the giants will never match the deeds of the past, because they can never attain the intellectual or mystical capacity of their ancestors.<\/p>\n One belief found among both giants and drow is the legend of the Du\u2019rashka Tul\u2014\u201cthe madness of crowds.\u201d According to this tale, the forces that destroyed the ancient civilizations laid a curse on the land to prevent any nation in Xen\u2019drik from rising to a position where it could once again threaten the world. The legend states that as soon as any Xen\u2019drik civilization reaches a certain size and sophistication, its people are gripped by a homicidal rage. They spread out, killing every creature they encounter until they themselves are slain. Fear of the Du\u2019rashka Tul has kept the followers of Vulkoor and the giant tribes small and nomadic. They believe that settling and allowing their numbers to increase might lead to madness. In support of the truth of the Du\u2019rashka Tul, Xen\u2019drik explorers have discovered lost civilizations that are clearly quite recent\u2014ruins only a few thousand years old whose builders vanished without a trace.<\/p>\n If the legends are true, some fear that any of the giant factions spread across the shattered land could suddenly succumb to this bloody rage. Likewise, the Sulatar drow might fall to madness should their numbers increase, bringing a burning army out of the wilds to strike at Stormreach. As more and more people come to Xen\u2019drik, some fear that even Stormreach might be gripped by the Du\u2019rashka Tul\u2014its residents transformed into bloodthirsty, savage beasts.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Forty thousand years have passed since the cataclysm that destroyed the civilization of the giants. Scholars have long wondered why greater civilizations have failed to emerge in Xen\u2019drik and why the giants have never risen above their savagery to reclaim the glory of the past. Many giant factions seek this power in the present day. What has held them back?<\/p>\n The following ideas are based on conjecture and legend, not fact. They could be true\u2014or they might be nothing more than fanciful stories.<\/p>\n It is said that the first giants of Xen\u2019drik were titans, immortal creatures of almost godlike power. When one looks at the modern hill giant, it is clear how far the mighty have fallen. The proponents of this theory claim that the giants of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s past suffered a magical deterioration that continues to this day, with each new generation of giants inferior to the last. These sages claim that the giants will never match the deeds of the past, because they can never attain the intellectual or mystical capacity of their ancestors.<\/p>\n One belief found among both giants and drow is the legend of the Du\u2019rashka Tul\u2014\u201cthe madness of crowds.\u201d According to this tale, the forces that destroyed the ancient civilizations laid a curse on the land to prevent any nation in Xen\u2019drik from rising to a position where it could once again threaten the world. The legend states that as soon as any Xen\u2019drik civilization reaches a certain size and sophistication, its people are gripped by a homicidal rage. They spread out, killing every creature they encounter until they themselves are slain. Fear of the Du\u2019rashka Tul has kept the followers of Vulkoor and the giant tribes small and nomadic. They believe that settling and allowing their numbers to increase might lead to madness. In support of the truth of the Du\u2019rashka Tul, Xen\u2019drik explorers have discovered lost civilizations that are clearly quite recent\u2014ruins only a few thousand years old whose builders vanished without a trace.<\/p>\n If the legends are true, some fear that any of the giant factions spread across the shattered land could suddenly succumb to this bloody rage. Likewise, the Sulatar drow might fall to madness should their numbers increase, bringing a burning army out of the wilds to strike at Stormreach. As more and more people come to Xen\u2019drik, some fear that even Stormreach might be gripped by the Du\u2019rashka Tul\u2014its residents transformed into bloodthirsty, savage beasts.<\/p>\n","id":12286,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"A Legacy of Doom","permissions":[],"position":30,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T04:05:17.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Xen\u2019drik is home to a wide assortment of strange plants and creatures shaped by the powerful forces that have twisted this land. While adventurers are likely to come into confl ict with the scorrow and the dream serpents, they must be just as familiar with Xen\u2019drik\u2019s other flora and fauna. The properties of these plants and animals appear connected to the lingering magic of the land, since they fl ourish only in Xen\u2019drik. Explorers and academics have tried to import gurk\u2019ash and long corn to farms on Khorvaire, but these crops do not live for long in other lands.<\/p>\n Tilxin Bird:<\/strong>\u00a0This small, colorful hummingbird is astonishingly swift and capable of amazing feats of aerial acrobatics. It feeds on the nectar of various magical plants, which give it an unnatural metabolism. Its statistics are similar to those of a bat, but instead of blindsense it possesses a permanent supernatural haste effect, as the spell. Its modified fl y speed is 70 feet, with perfect maneuverability.<\/p>\n Long Corn:<\/strong>\u00a0This magical plant is one of the primary crops cultivated by settlers. Long corn is imbued with supernatural qualities that slow its natural decomposition. Along with gurk\u2019ash meat, it is the primary component of eternal rations, a boon for long voyages.<\/p>\n Hliska:<\/strong>\u00a0These tiny scavengers are much like the rats they resemble. However, the fur of a hliska shifts in color to match its surroundings, a supernatural effect that grants the creature a +5 circumstance bonus on Hide checks. Hliska are pests infamous for eating adventurers\u2019 rations.<\/p>\n Gurk\u2019ash:<\/strong>\u00a0A thick-skinned beast that resembles a bison with the hide of a rhinoceros, the gurk\u2019ash is used as a beast of burden and raised as livestock. Like long corn, it is imbued with a supernatural quality that slows the decomposition of its meat and milk. A gurk\u2019ash has the statistics of a bison, increasing the natural armor bonus by 2.<\/p>\n Firepeppers:<\/strong>\u00a0These rare plants grow only on the burning plains tied to Fernia, but gourmands across Khorvaire covet them for their exquisite flavor and strength. A single firepepper can command up to 10 gp in the markets of Sharn.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Xen\u2019drik is home to a wide assortment of strange plants and creatures shaped by the powerful forces that have twisted this land. While adventurers are likely to come into confl ict with the scorrow and the dream serpents, they must be just as familiar with Xen\u2019drik\u2019s other flora and fauna. The properties of these plants and animals appear connected to the lingering magic of the land, since they fl ourish only in Xen\u2019drik. Explorers and academics have tried to import gurk\u2019ash and long corn to farms on Khorvaire, but these crops do not live for long in other lands.<\/p>\n Tilxin Bird:<\/strong> This small, colorful hummingbird is astonishingly swift and capable of amazing feats of aerial acrobatics. It feeds on the nectar of various magical plants, which give it an unnatural metabolism. Its statistics are similar to those of a bat, but instead of blindsense it possesses a permanent supernatural haste effect, as the spell. Its modified fl y speed is 70 feet, with perfect maneuverability.<\/p>\n Long Corn:<\/strong> This magical plant is one of the primary crops cultivated by settlers. Long corn is imbued with supernatural qualities that slow its natural decomposition. Along with gurk\u2019ash meat, it is the primary component of eternal rations, a boon for long voyages.<\/p>\n Hliska:<\/strong> These tiny scavengers are much like the rats they resemble. However, the fur of a hliska shifts in color to match its surroundings, a supernatural effect that grants the creature a +5 circumstance bonus on Hide checks. Hliska are pests infamous for eating adventurers\u2019 rations.<\/p>\n Gurk\u2019ash:<\/strong> A thick-skinned beast that resembles a bison with the hide of a rhinoceros, the gurk\u2019ash is used as a beast of burden and raised as livestock. Like long corn, it is imbued with a supernatural quality that slows the decomposition of its meat and milk. A gurk\u2019ash has the statistics of a bison, increasing the natural armor bonus by 2.<\/p>\n Firepeppers:<\/strong> These rare plants grow only on the burning plains tied to Fernia, but gourmands across Khorvaire covet them for their exquisite flavor and strength. A single firepepper can command up to 10 gp in the markets of Sharn.<\/p>\n","id":12287,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Strange Flora and Fauna","permissions":[],"position":31,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T04:21:43.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Artificers and wizards always seek rare monster parts to use as optional material components for their magical formulations. What creatures are they looking for, and why? Some suggestions follow.<\/p>\n Aberrations:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in transmutation items. Examples: beholder eyestalk, chuul claw, mind flayer tentacle.<\/p>\n Animals:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in items that bolster physical statistics. Examples: bear paw, tiger whiskers, snake venom.<\/p>\n Constructs:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in creating other constructs, items that provide damage reduction or spell resistance, and mechanical items (such as an apparatus of Kwalish). Examples: iron golem arm, retriever eye.<\/p>\n Dragon:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in artifacts and evocation items. Examples: dragon scales, dragon claw.<\/p>\n Elementals:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in evocation items, items that summon creatures, and items that produce weather effects. Examples: earth elemental hide, thoqqua tail.<\/p>\n Fey:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in enchantment items and items that grant bonuses to Charisma. Examples: pixie pipes, satyr horns, a lock of nymph hair.<\/p>\n Giant:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in items that bolster physical statistics or that increase size. Examples: a lock of frost giant hair, a cloud giant\u2019s fingernail.<\/p>\n Magical Beast:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in items that mimic the creature\u2019s abilities or reverse its special attacks. Examples: a displacer beast tentacle for a cloak of displacement, cockatrice feathers for stone salve, stirge beaks for a potion of lesser restoration.<\/p>\n Outsider:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in items that mimic a particular alignment. Examples: angel feathers for a holy avenger, devil horns for an axiomatic longsword. Components for good-aligned items generally must be given freely.<\/p>\n Undead:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in necromantic items. Examples: skeleton knucklebones, mummy bandages<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Artificers and wizards always seek rare monster parts to use as optional material components for their magical formulations. What creatures are they looking for, and why? Some suggestions follow.<\/p>\n Aberrations:<\/strong> Used in transmutation items. Examples: beholder eyestalk, chuul claw, mind flayer tentacle.<\/p>\n Animals:<\/strong> Used in items that bolster physical statistics. Examples: bear paw, tiger whiskers, snake venom.<\/p>\n Constructs:<\/strong> Used in creating other constructs, items that provide damage reduction or spell resistance, and mechanical items (such as an apparatus of Kwalish). Examples: iron golem arm, retriever eye.<\/p>\n Dragon:<\/strong> Used in artifacts and evocation items. Examples: dragon scales, dragon claw.<\/p>\n Elementals:<\/strong> Used in evocation items, items that summon creatures, and items that produce weather effects. Examples: earth elemental hide, thoqqua tail.<\/p>\n Fey:<\/strong> Used in enchantment items and items that grant bonuses to Charisma. Examples: pixie pipes, satyr horns, a lock of nymph hair.<\/p>\n Giant:<\/strong> Used in items that bolster physical statistics or that increase size. Examples: a lock of frost giant hair, a cloud giant\u2019s fingernail.<\/p>\n Magical Beast:<\/strong> Used in items that mimic the creature\u2019s abilities or reverse its special attacks. Examples: a displacer beast tentacle for a cloak of displacement, cockatrice feathers for stone salve, stirge beaks for a potion of lesser restoration.<\/p>\n Outsider:<\/strong> Used in items that mimic a particular alignment. Examples: angel feathers for a holy avenger, devil horns for an axiomatic longsword. Components for good-aligned items generally must be given freely.<\/p>\n Undead:<\/strong> Used in necromantic items. Examples: skeleton knucklebones, mummy bandages<\/p>\n","id":12288,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Monstrous Trade Goods","permissions":[],"position":11,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T13:41:38.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n 1. Pata Anka 1. Pata Anka Few predators that dwell in Xen\u2019drik are fiercer than bulettes. Surrounded by a veritable banquet of prey, they rarely go hungry, rampaging through the jungle as they hunt. Many bulettes in Xen\u2019drik have grown so accustomed to hunting through dense jungle undergrowth that they no longer lurk underground. These bulettes lose their burrow speed and instead ignore difficult and hindering terrain from plants.<\/p>\n As dangerous as any creature of Xen\u2019drik but far more subtle, the plants of the mysterious continent have been known to attack and even kill those who wander into their domain, adding their fl esh to the compost heap.<\/p>\n One particular group of plants has become very adept at killing trespassers. Where they root along a heavily traveled path, they have littered the area around them with bones and scraps of armor from drow and explorers alike. The drow have learned to avoid this area, but inexperienced explorers might not notice the signs of danger. These plants are a trio of assassin vines (MM 20) growing in the trees around a pair of tendriculoses (MM 241). Although they often fight over food, their combined strength allows them to take down nearly any prey.<\/p>\n Xen\u2019drik\u2019s magical nature and its wide range of terrain and climate have resulted in animals spreading far outside their natural environments. Dire apes lope along the dunes of the Menechtarun Desert. Giant pythons with stony hides slither among the rock-strewn trails of the Skyraker Claws. Green-striped gray tigers with webbed paws prowl through the Marsh of Desolation.<\/p>\n In a Xen\u2019drik campaign, DMs should feel free to ignore the environment line in an animal\u2019s stat block. A few minor cosmetic changes (as suggested in the sidebar on the facing page) can produce a creature that is both familiar and disturbingly different.<\/p>\n The fearsome two-headed tyrannosaurus, based on the original tyrannosaurus (MM 61), is a vicious and bloodthirsty predator native only to Xen\u2019drik. Few of these mutated specimens exist, to the great relief of explorers. Their twin heads, rather than increasing their intelligence, seem to make them twice as stupid.<\/p>\n Xen\u2019drik is home to hives of insectile creatures such as abeils (MM II 22) and formians (MM 108). The center of such hives is the court. PCs must be exceptionally diplomatic to gain entry to a hive court. Those who enter by force of arms must contend with angry guards willing to fight to the death.<\/p>\n Abeil courts (EL 15) form around a queen. Four abeil soldiers and two elite soldiers (abeil soldiers with two levels of fighter) surround the queen, aided by four specially bred guardian wasps (giant wasps advanced to 13 HD; MM 285).<\/p>\n Formian courts (EL 19) form around a queen. Her ranks of guardians include four myrmarchs (MM 110), each commanding eight formian warriors.<\/p>\n In Xen\u2019drik, formian queens often make deals with powers from Dolurrh. Maruts (MM 159) possess a love of law equal to that of the formians and are known to frequent Xen\u2019drik in search of oathbreakers and other criminals fleeing the law of Khorvaire. A single marut often serves as a guardian to a formian queen.<\/p>\n The Marsh of Desolation is home to uncountable swamp predators that hunt and feed on each other. Of these, few are higher on the food chain than the hydra.<\/p>\n One crafty nine-headed pyrohydra (MM 156) uses the swamp environment to its advantage. The territory around its lair is riddled with pockets of fl ammable gas. The hydra has learned the location of these pockets and uses its breath to ignite them, creating a firestorm and roasting potential meals. Whenever the pyrohydra breathes a jet of fire, it has a 25% chance to ignite one of these gas pockets, creating an explosion of fl ame in a 10-foot-radius burst centered on one of the targets of the jet. The target creature and all others in the area take 8d6 points of fire damage (Refl ex DC 15 half).<\/p>\n Led by a clever displacer beast, this pack of four panthers roams the jungles of Xen\u2019drik at night in search of prey. The displacer beast (MM 66) evaluates potential targets, preferring to attack only when the pack outnumbers its intended victims. The displacer beast prowls on the ground, while the panthers (MM 274, use leopard statistics) follow in the trees. A thick canopy of branches provides plenty of footholds for the agile panthers, while heavy foliage combined with their natural stealth allows them to remain well hidden. Treat a panther hidden in treetops as having concealment (20% miss chance).<\/p>\n The displacer beast hopes that frightened victims mistake the panthers for more displacer beasts, so that they either flee or forgo ranged attacks. The pack\u2019s preferred tactic is to creep up on a party. The displacer beast attacks first and draws the party into the trees, where the panthers then pounce. Each panther targets a different individual when possible, attempting to grapple and rake. Killing the displacer beast causes the pack to flee.<\/p>\n For a higher-level threat, use the tactics above but replace the displacer beast with a displacer beast pack lord (MM 66) and replace the pack with dire panthers (MM 65, use dire tiger statistics).<\/p>\n Deep in the Xen\u2019drik jungles, a girallon (MM 126) rules over its monkey court. The powerful girallon drank from a pool of water tainted with giant magic and was blessed with a modestly increased Intelligence of 4. Over the last few years, the creature has drawn retainers to itself and formed a primate society. It wears gold and jewelry taken from moldering chests in the ruins the court inhabits. The girallon is served by four dire apes (MM 62), four apes (MM 268), six baboons (MM 268) and six monkeys (MM 276).<\/p>\n The monkey court is vicious but mischievous. Its members are just as likely to throw rotten fruit at adventurers as they are to attack, and the monkeys love filching shiny items from trespassers to bring to their girallon king. The monkey court favors quick, coordinated attacks and sudden retreat, leading travelers farther into the ruins until they stand before the girallon king.<\/p>\n Explorers set upon by the monkey court can be overwhelmed by the deafening din as monkeys chatter, baboons bellow, apes screech, and the girallon king roars and beats its chest.<\/p>\n The cliff-dwelling raptorans (detailed in Races of the Wild) live in scattered pockets throughout Xen\u2019drik. A hunting party includes four raptoran youth pilgrims (1st-level barbarians on the Walk of the Four Winds) and a single raptoran sentry (a 5th-level ranger). These NPCs are detailed on pages 183\u2013184 of Races of the Wild. They are not initially hostile unless the PCs have intruded upon their territory.<\/p>\n Monstrous scorpions can be found in nearly any environment. Desert, jungle, mountains, forests, and even near-arctic climes are home to these versatile predators.<\/p>\n These monstrous scorpions (MM 287) respond to the call of Vulkoor\u2019s clerics. When summoned, they march toward a signal only they can sense. A group of explorers might stumble across a scorpion march and be forced to deal with these deadly pilgrims.<\/p>\n Explorers traveling the waterways of Xen\u2019drik have reason to fear the strange blue glow that rises from the riverbanks at night. Shocker lizards are not uncommon across the vast continent, lurking in marshes and along rivers and streams.<\/p>\n A group of eight shocker lizards (MM 224) has taken to hunting along the riverbanks, using their powerful lethal shock to bring down mighty prey (including the occasional giant). The bones of one such unfortunate hill giant have created a home for this colony. Its rusting patchwork armor provides cover (+4 AC) to any shocker lizard hiding inside it, but it does not prevent the creatures from sending shock attacks through it.<\/p>\n Though falling into a pit might be little more than embarrassing for a seasoned explorer, Xen\u2019drik veterans know that swarm pits are the most repulsive traps in existence. Any animal or vermin capable of forming a swarm can fill a swarm pit. Hundreds or thousands of these creatures (most commonly centipedes, spiders, or vipers) fill the bottom third of a pit. Creatures with a fly speed never fill a pit, for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n Giant insects are common across Xen\u2019drik, and the continent\u2019s giant wasps (MM 285) are particularly tenacious. A typical nest occupies the tops of two or three large trees and is filled with winding passageways large enough for adult wasps to crawl through with ease. A normal nest holds up to twenty adults and a large number of young, while some nests feature advanced wasps of unusual size and ferocity. Such monsters often guard the nest\u2019s entrance or hunt large prey.<\/p>\n A violent storm coinciding with a fading manifest zone once opened a small gate in the Thunder Sea to Lammania. Before the gate could close, a gang of water mephits (MM 185) swam through and became trapped in Eberron. The mephits soon came to the attention of a local water naga (MM 193), who amused herself by convincing the creatures that she had summoned them to serve her.<\/p>\n The naga always keeps one or two mephits patrolling her territory. The mephits spy on any intruders, using their excellent Hide and Move Silently skills to follow them. Should trespassers appear to merely be passing through, the mephits let them go. However, should any creatures seem hostile or head for the naga\u2019s lair, the mephit scouts attempt to slow them down with their stinking cloud ability. They then return to the naga and report.<\/p>\n If the naga knows that enemies are coming, she protects herself with invisibility, shield, and protection from energ y (fire). If she has time, she makes one or two of the mephits invisible. Invisible creatures underwater create a bodyshaped bubble that grants them concealment instead of true invisibility. Underwater combat: DMG 92.<\/p>\n PCs aware of the naga\u2019s presence might be able to approach her diplomatically. Although vain and proud, the water naga is not evil, and the PCs should be able to flatter her into negotiations.<\/p>\n A race of sinister yak folk (MM II 200) inhabits the snowy peaks of the Fangs of Argarak. While most keep to their mountain homes, enslaving only travelers or explorers who pass too close, several yak folk sorcerers have infiltrated giant tribes in the area. A yak folk puppeteer chooses a target who holds some power in the tribe but has a lower profile than the tribal leaders, then uses body meld to assume the target\u2019s place in the tribe.<\/p>\n Short of using a true seeing spell, PCs who encounter such a tribe have no way of seeing through the puppeteer\u2019s subterfuge. The puppeteer attempts to steer PCs toward the yak folk tribes (if the PCs would make good slaves) or away from the mountain (if the PCs seem too powerful for the yak folk to handle).<\/p>\n Missing Missionaries<\/p>\n A group of Silver Flame adepts recently decided to bring the grace of the Flame at last to the souls eking out an existence in darkest Xen\u2019drik. The missionaries arrived in Stormreach two months ago and spent some time working for the established temple there. After learning of a prospecting camp five days\u2019 journey into the jungle, three of the missionaries set out with healing kits and supplies for the miners. They planned on spending a few days in camp before returning to Stormreach.<\/p>\n Three weeks have passed since they left, and the remaining missionaries grow nervous. Surely their companions will return soon\u2014unless they have met with disaster.<\/p>\n The PCs face three major challenges in this scenario. First, they must locate the missionaries, who stumbled into the path of a wild boar two days after leaving the prospectors\u2019 camp. Forced to flee from the savage creature, the trio wandered lost in the jungle for some days before being ambushed and captured by a tribe of grimlocks. Once they find the captive missionaries, the PCs must rescue them. Finally, the PCs need to deal with a missionary who was infected with lycanthropy by the wereboar they believed was a regular wild boar.<\/p>\n The remaining missionaries in town\u2014a human couple named Corak and Tibari\u2014know that their companions entered the jungle three weeks ago. The group\u2019s intent was to follow a trail for several days until they reached a river, then follow the river upstream to the prospecting camp.<\/p>\n Even if the PCs arrive in time to save the missionaries from their untimely fate, they still must transport the shaken trio home. Of the three, Chaed (LG male human adept 1) and Liria (LG female half-elf adept 1) are nothing more than they seem. The third, however, harbors a deadly infection. Eustech (LG male human [shapechanger] adept 1) contracted lycanthropy from the wereboar\u2019s attack. Unaware of his own condition, Eustech is taken by surprise when he changes form during the next full moon.<\/p>\n Party's ship crashes against the shore, and they have to survive against hostile natives while the crew repairs the ship.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Few predators that dwell in Xen\u2019drik are fiercer than bulettes. Surrounded by a veritable banquet of prey, they rarely go hungry, rampaging through the jungle as they hunt. Many bulettes in Xen\u2019drik have grown so accustomed to hunting through dense jungle undergrowth that they no longer lurk underground. These bulettes lose their burrow speed and instead ignore difficult and hindering terrain from plants.<\/p>\n As dangerous as any creature of Xen\u2019drik but far more subtle, the plants of the mysterious continent have been known to attack and even kill those who wander into their domain, adding their fl esh to the compost heap.<\/p>\n One particular group of plants has become very adept at killing trespassers. Where they root along a heavily traveled path, they have littered the area around them with bones and scraps of armor from drow and explorers alike. The drow have learned to avoid this area, but inexperienced explorers might not notice the signs of danger. These plants are a trio of assassin vines (MM 20) growing in the trees around a pair of tendriculoses (MM 241). Although they often fight over food, their combined strength allows them to take down nearly any prey.<\/p>\n Xen\u2019drik\u2019s magical nature and its wide range of terrain and climate have resulted in animals spreading far outside their natural environments. Dire apes lope along the dunes of the Menechtarun Desert. Giant pythons with stony hides slither among the rock-strewn trails of the Skyraker Claws. Green-striped gray tigers with webbed paws prowl through the Marsh of Desolation.<\/p>\n In a Xen\u2019drik campaign, DMs should feel free to ignore the environment line in an animal\u2019s stat block. A few minor cosmetic changes (as suggested in the sidebar on the facing page) can produce a creature that is both familiar and disturbingly different.<\/p>\n The fearsome two-headed tyrannosaurus, based on the original tyrannosaurus (MM 61), is a vicious and bloodthirsty predator native only to Xen\u2019drik. Few of these mutated specimens exist, to the great relief of explorers. Their twin heads, rather than increasing their intelligence, seem to make them twice as stupid.<\/p>\n Xen\u2019drik is home to hives of insectile creatures such as abeils (MM II 22) and formians (MM 108). The center of such hives is the court. PCs must be exceptionally diplomatic to gain entry to a hive court. Those who enter by force of arms must contend with angry guards willing to fight to the death.<\/p>\n Abeil courts (EL 15) form around a queen. Four abeil soldiers and two elite soldiers (abeil soldiers with two levels of fighter) surround the queen, aided by four specially bred guardian wasps (giant wasps advanced to 13 HD; MM 285).<\/p>\n Formian courts (EL 19) form around a queen. Her ranks of guardians include four myrmarchs (MM 110), each commanding eight formian warriors.<\/p>\n In Xen\u2019drik, formian queens often make deals with powers from Dolurrh. Maruts (MM 159) possess a love of law equal to that of the formians and are known to frequent Xen\u2019drik in search of oathbreakers and other criminals fleeing the law of Khorvaire. A single marut often serves as a guardian to a formian queen.<\/p>\n The Marsh of Desolation is home to uncountable swamp predators that hunt and feed on each other. Of these, few are higher on the food chain than the hydra.<\/p>\n One crafty nine-headed pyrohydra (MM 156) uses the swamp environment to its advantage. The territory around its lair is riddled with pockets of fl ammable gas. The hydra has learned the location of these pockets and uses its breath to ignite them, creating a firestorm and roasting potential meals. Whenever the pyrohydra breathes a jet of fire, it has a 25% chance to ignite one of these gas pockets, creating an explosion of fl ame in a 10-foot-radius burst centered on one of the targets of the jet. The target creature and all others in the area take 8d6 points of fire damage (Refl ex DC 15 half).<\/p>\n Led by a clever displacer beast, this pack of four panthers roams the jungles of Xen\u2019drik at night in search of prey. The displacer beast (MM 66) evaluates potential targets, preferring to attack only when the pack outnumbers its intended victims. The displacer beast prowls on the ground, while the panthers (MM 274, use leopard statistics) follow in the trees. A thick canopy of branches provides plenty of footholds for the agile panthers, while heavy foliage combined with their natural stealth allows them to remain well hidden. Treat a panther hidden in treetops as having concealment (20% miss chance).<\/p>\n The displacer beast hopes that frightened victims mistake the panthers for more displacer beasts, so that they either flee or forgo ranged attacks. The pack\u2019s preferred tactic is to creep up on a party. The displacer beast attacks first and draws the party into the trees, where the panthers then pounce. Each panther targets a different individual when possible, attempting to grapple and rake. Killing the displacer beast causes the pack to flee.<\/p>\n For a higher-level threat, use the tactics above but replace the displacer beast with a displacer beast pack lord (MM 66) and replace the pack with dire panthers (MM 65, use dire tiger statistics).<\/p>\n Deep in the Xen\u2019drik jungles, a girallon (MM 126) rules over its monkey court. The powerful girallon drank from a pool of water tainted with giant magic and was blessed with a modestly increased Intelligence of 4. Over the last few years, the creature has drawn retainers to itself and formed a primate society. It wears gold and jewelry taken from moldering chests in the ruins the court inhabits. The girallon is served by four dire apes (MM 62), four apes (MM 268), six baboons (MM 268) and six monkeys (MM 276).<\/p>\n The monkey court is vicious but mischievous. Its members are just as likely to throw rotten fruit at adventurers as they are to attack, and the monkeys love filching shiny items from trespassers to bring to their girallon king. The monkey court favors quick, coordinated attacks and sudden retreat, leading travelers farther into the ruins until they stand before the girallon king.<\/p>\n Explorers set upon by the monkey court can be overwhelmed by the deafening din as monkeys chatter, baboons bellow, apes screech, and the girallon king roars and beats its chest.<\/p>\n The cliff-dwelling raptorans (detailed in Races of the Wild) live in scattered pockets throughout Xen\u2019drik. A hunting party includes four raptoran youth pilgrims (1st-level barbarians on the Walk of the Four Winds) and a single raptoran sentry (a 5th-level ranger). These NPCs are detailed on pages 183\u2013184 of Races of the Wild. They are not initially hostile unless the PCs have intruded upon their territory.<\/p>\n Monstrous scorpions can be found in nearly any environment. Desert, jungle, mountains, forests, and even near-arctic climes are home to these versatile predators.<\/p>\n These monstrous scorpions (MM 287) respond to the call of Vulkoor\u2019s clerics. When summoned, they march toward a signal only they can sense. A group of explorers might stumble across a scorpion march and be forced to deal with these deadly pilgrims.<\/p>\n Explorers traveling the waterways of Xen\u2019drik have reason to fear the strange blue glow that rises from the riverbanks at night. Shocker lizards are not uncommon across the vast continent, lurking in marshes and along rivers and streams.<\/p>\n A group of eight shocker lizards (MM 224) has taken to hunting along the riverbanks, using their powerful lethal shock to bring down mighty prey (including the occasional giant). The bones of one such unfortunate hill giant have created a home for this colony. Its rusting patchwork armor provides cover (+4 AC) to any shocker lizard hiding inside it, but it does not prevent the creatures from sending shock attacks through it.<\/p>\n Though falling into a pit might be little more than embarrassing for a seasoned explorer, Xen\u2019drik veterans know that swarm pits are the most repulsive traps in existence. Any animal or vermin capable of forming a swarm can fill a swarm pit. Hundreds or thousands of these creatures (most commonly centipedes, spiders, or vipers) fill the bottom third of a pit. Creatures with a fly speed never fill a pit, for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n Giant insects are common across Xen\u2019drik, and the continent\u2019s giant wasps (MM 285) are particularly tenacious. A typical nest occupies the tops of two or three large trees and is filled with winding passageways large enough for adult wasps to crawl through with ease. A normal nest holds up to twenty adults and a large number of young, while some nests feature advanced wasps of unusual size and ferocity. Such monsters often guard the nest\u2019s entrance or hunt large prey.<\/p>\n A violent storm coinciding with a fading manifest zone once opened a small gate in the Thunder Sea to Lammania. Before the gate could close, a gang of water mephits (MM 185) swam through and became trapped in Eberron. The mephits soon came to the attention of a local water naga (MM 193), who amused herself by convincing the creatures that she had summoned them to serve her.<\/p>\n The naga always keeps one or two mephits patrolling her territory. The mephits spy on any intruders, using their excellent Hide and Move Silently skills to follow them. Should trespassers appear to merely be passing through, the mephits let them go. However, should any creatures seem hostile or head for the naga\u2019s lair, the mephit scouts attempt to slow them down with their stinking cloud ability. They then return to the naga and report.<\/p>\n If the naga knows that enemies are coming, she protects herself with invisibility, shield, and protection from energ y (fire). If she has time, she makes one or two of the mephits invisible. Invisible creatures underwater create a bodyshaped bubble that grants them concealment instead of true invisibility. Underwater combat: DMG 92.<\/p>\n PCs aware of the naga\u2019s presence might be able to approach her diplomatically. Although vain and proud, the water naga is not evil, and the PCs should be able to flatter her into negotiations.<\/p>\n A race of sinister yak folk (MM II 200) inhabits the snowy peaks of the Fangs of Argarak. While most keep to their mountain homes, enslaving only travelers or explorers who pass too close, several yak folk sorcerers have infiltrated giant tribes in the area. A yak folk puppeteer chooses a target who holds some power in the tribe but has a lower profile than the tribal leaders, then uses body meld to assume the target\u2019s place in the tribe.<\/p>\n Short of using a true seeing spell, PCs who encounter such a tribe have no way of seeing through the puppeteer\u2019s subterfuge. The puppeteer attempts to steer PCs toward the yak folk tribes (if the PCs would make good slaves) or away from the mountain (if the PCs seem too powerful for the yak folk to handle).<\/p>\n Missing Missionaries<\/p>\n A group of Silver Flame adepts recently decided to bring the grace of the Flame at last to the souls eking out an existence in darkest Xen\u2019drik. The missionaries arrived in Stormreach two months ago and spent some time working for the established temple there. After learning of a prospecting camp five days\u2019 journey into the jungle, three of the missionaries set out with healing kits and supplies for the miners. They planned on spending a few days in camp before returning to Stormreach.<\/p>\n Three weeks have passed since they left, and the remaining missionaries grow nervous. Surely their companions will return soon\u2014unless they have met with disaster.<\/p>\n The PCs face three major challenges in this scenario. First, they must locate the missionaries, who stumbled into the path of a wild boar two days after leaving the prospectors\u2019 camp. Forced to flee from the savage creature, the trio wandered lost in the jungle for some days before being ambushed and captured by a tribe of grimlocks. Once they find the captive missionaries, the PCs must rescue them. Finally, the PCs need to deal with a missionary who was infected with lycanthropy by the wereboar they believed was a regular wild boar.<\/p>\n The remaining missionaries in town\u2014a human couple named Corak and Tibari\u2014know that their companions entered the jungle three weeks ago. The group\u2019s intent was to follow a trail for several days until they reached a river, then follow the river upstream to the prospecting camp.<\/p>\n Even if the PCs arrive in time to save the missionaries from their untimely fate, they still must transport the shaken trio home. Of the three, Chaed (LG male human adept 1) and Liria (LG female half-elf adept 1) are nothing more than they seem. The third, however, harbors a deadly infection. Eustech (LG male human [shapechanger] adept 1) contracted lycanthropy from the wereboar\u2019s attack. Unaware of his own condition, Eustech is taken by surprise when he changes form during the next full moon.<\/p>\n Party's ship crashes against the shore, and they have to survive against hostile natives while the crew repairs the ship.<\/p>\n","id":12300,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Encounter pitches","permissions":[],"position":13,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:01:32.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n One or two small mechanical changes can make an animal\u2019s statistics better suited for a new climate, but physical changes should always accompany these mechanical tweaks. A number of sample changes are presented here for DMs to use or gain inspiration from.<\/p>\n One or two small mechanical changes can make an animal\u2019s statistics better suited for a new climate, but physical changes should always accompany these mechanical tweaks. A number of sample changes are presented here for DMs to use or gain inspiration from.<\/p>\n The last time Thelanis was coterminous to the Material Plane, a faerie queen and her retinue passed through a portal to Xen\u2019drik. Transfixed by the wild beauty of the mysterious continent, the queen chose to stay for a time and enjoy this new place.<\/p>\n Ellida the nymph queen (MM 197) is an achingly lovely woman with silver hair like moonlight on water, eyes the color of violets, and lips the shade of ripe cherries. She cherishes beauty above all else, and handsome mortal men especially fascinate her. Those who wish to gain her favor present her with pretty baubles and elegant trinkets. Ellida is fl ighty and selfish in the manner of all fey, but she has a sweet disposition, and her court is infatuated with her.<\/p>\n Tioboid the satyr (MM 219) is Ellida\u2019s champion. Sick with love for his queen, he bears a scarred face from a confrontation with a rude mortal warrior. Ellida never looks at Tioboid as a romantic prospect, but Tioboid still devotes himself to his queen\u2019s defense. She allows him to serve her because he is clever and charming and pipes divinely, even if he is less than handsome. Two satyrs, six grigs (MM 235), and three pixies (MM 236; one can cast Otto\u2019s irresistible dance) make up the rest of the court<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The last time Thelanis was coterminous to the Material Plane, a faerie queen and her retinue passed through a portal to Xen\u2019drik. Transfixed by the wild beauty of the mysterious continent, the queen chose to stay for a time and enjoy this new place.<\/p>\n Ellida the nymph queen (MM 197) is an achingly lovely woman with silver hair like moonlight on water, eyes the color of violets, and lips the shade of ripe cherries. She cherishes beauty above all else, and handsome mortal men especially fascinate her. Those who wish to gain her favor present her with pretty baubles and elegant trinkets. Ellida is fl ighty and selfish in the manner of all fey, but she has a sweet disposition, and her court is infatuated with her.<\/p>\n Tioboid the satyr (MM 219) is Ellida\u2019s champion. Sick with love for his queen, he bears a scarred face from a confrontation with a rude mortal warrior. Ellida never looks at Tioboid as a romantic prospect, but Tioboid still devotes himself to his queen\u2019s defense. She allows him to serve her because he is clever and charming and pipes divinely, even if he is less than handsome. Two satyrs, six grigs (MM 235), and three pixies (MM 236; one can cast Otto\u2019s irresistible dance) make up the rest of the court<\/p>\n","id":12307,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Thelanian Court","permissions":[],"position":15,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:40:55.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Alchemy beetles are mindless constructs that do not eat, sleep, or breathe. Created as guardians, they cannot speak or comprehend languages. They follow their original programming until destroyed.<\/p>\n Environment: Though originally constructed for guard duty in giant settlements, alchemy beetles have wandered into every corner of Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: An alchemy beetle is 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. It has a black iron head similar to a stag beetle\u2019s, but with a flared ridge behind the skull reminiscent of that of a triceratops. Six jointed black iron legs, the front two tipped with hooks, support a metal framework. A glass hemisphere sits in the framework, fused to the beetle by what look like black metal veins.<\/p>\n The glass hemisphere is filled with an alchemical mixture such as alchemist\u2019s fire, alchemist\u2019s frost, alchemist\u2019s spark, or acid. When the alchemy beetle attacks, this liquid drips from its mandibles.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n Alchemy beetles are mindless constructs that do not eat, sleep, or breathe. Created as guardians, they cannot speak or comprehend languages. They follow their original programming until destroyed.<\/p>\n Environment: Though originally constructed for guard duty in giant settlements, alchemy beetles have wandered into every corner of Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: An alchemy beetle is 4 feet long and 2 feet wide. It has a black iron head similar to a stag beetle\u2019s, but with a flared ridge behind the skull reminiscent of that of a triceratops. Six jointed black iron legs, the front two tipped with hooks, support a metal framework. A glass hemisphere sits in the framework, fused to the beetle by what look like black metal veins.<\/p>\n The glass hemisphere is filled with an alchemical mixture such as alchemist\u2019s fire, alchemist\u2019s frost, alchemist\u2019s spark, or acid. When the alchemy beetle attacks, this liquid drips from its mandibles.<\/p>\n","id":12309,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Alchemy Beetles","permissions":[],"position":16,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:42:21.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n This great green serpent bears a strange pattern of glistening silver scales down the length of its back. Its eyes shine even brighter\u2014two great pools of silver peering out above a gaping, fanged maw<\/em><\/p>\n Renowned for their shimmering scales, pearly fangs, and hallucinogenic venom, dream serpents are hunted by explorers throughout Xen\u2019drik. Boats leaving for Khorvaire often carry the dried leather and carved fangs of these mysterious jungle predators.<\/em><\/p>\n The drow, who call the dream serpents qulashtaq, view these creatures as a vital part of their lives and culture. They use the skin for armor, the fangs for weapons, the bones and eyes in rituals, the flesh for food, and the venom as a deadly weapon. The venom, when diluted, also serves in their religious ceremonies. Both the drow and the yuan-ti (who venerate dream serpents as aspects of the Devourer) indiscriminately attack explorers who indulge in what they see as wasteful slaughter of these noble creatures.<\/p>\n Normally solitary, dream serpents gather in communal nesting grounds to incubate and hatch their eggs.<\/p>\n Environment: Dream serpents inhabit Xen\u2019drik\u2019s warm forests, particularly areas of tall trees and sheltered clearings.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: A dream serpent grows to a length of 15 feet and can weigh up to 200 pounds.<\/p>\n Woodlings inhabit forests and jungles throughout Khorvaire and Aerenal. Aerenal elves keep woodling apes and baboons as pets, while Valenar elves hunt woodling lizards for sport (using their skins to fashion clothing and armor). A tribe of wild woodling halfl ings called the Feryk inhabit the jungles of Xen\u2019drik. The Feryk, who revere a group of ancient treants known as the Viridian Grove, used to meet and trade with visitors, but a foul plague of unknown origin has corrupted the Viridian Grove and turned the Feryk savage and feral.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n This great green serpent bears a strange pattern of glistening silver scales down the length of its back. Its eyes shine even brighter\u2014two great pools of silver peering out above a gaping, fanged maw<\/em><\/p>\n Renowned for their shimmering scales, pearly fangs, and hallucinogenic venom, dream serpents are hunted by explorers throughout Xen\u2019drik. Boats leaving for Khorvaire often carry the dried leather and carved fangs of these mysterious jungle predators.<\/em><\/p>\n The drow, who call the dream serpents qulashtaq, view these creatures as a vital part of their lives and culture. They use the skin for armor, the fangs for weapons, the bones and eyes in rituals, the flesh for food, and the venom as a deadly weapon. The venom, when diluted, also serves in their religious ceremonies. Both the drow and the yuan-ti (who venerate dream serpents as aspects of the Devourer) indiscriminately attack explorers who indulge in what they see as wasteful slaughter of these noble creatures.<\/p>\n Normally solitary, dream serpents gather in communal nesting grounds to incubate and hatch their eggs.<\/p>\n Environment: Dream serpents inhabit Xen\u2019drik\u2019s warm forests, particularly areas of tall trees and sheltered clearings.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: A dream serpent grows to a length of 15 feet and can weigh up to 200 pounds.<\/p>\n Woodlings inhabit forests and jungles throughout Khorvaire and Aerenal. Aerenal elves keep woodling apes and baboons as pets, while Valenar elves hunt woodling lizards for sport (using their skins to fashion clothing and armor). A tribe of wild woodling halfl ings called the Feryk inhabit the jungles of Xen\u2019drik. The Feryk, who revere a group of ancient treants known as the Viridian Grove, used to meet and trade with visitors, but a foul plague of unknown origin has corrupted the Viridian Grove and turned the Feryk savage and feral.<\/p>\n","id":12310,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Monsters","permissions":[],"position":17,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:49:05.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n The scorrow\u2019s physical kinship to the drow is obvious, but they are not simply transformed drow. Rather, they are a race that breeds true. Scorrow live long lives and reproduce infrequently. Their young hatch fully formed and are expected to travel with the colony from birth. Those who are unable to keep up with their elders are left to fend for themselves, for the scorrow abhor weakness in any form.<\/p>\n Clawborn scorrow are otherwise identical to normal scorrow. They are treated no differently by their fellows and often rise to power within their clans.<\/p>\n Environment: The migratory scorrow can be found in any part of Xen\u2019drik, always in pursuit of prey.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: An adult scorrow stands some 7 feet tall and weighs about 2,300 pounds.<\/p>\n Although their true origins are lost to time and the depths of the jungle, the scorrow claim that they were once the most skilled tribe of drow hunters in all Xen\u2019drik. Their god Vulkoor admired their skill and sent to them a great gift. A colossal scorpion came to the village and stung every member of the tribe. Although the poison brought great pain, it also brought about a transformation, changing these drow into the first scorrow. The scorrow speak of the great scorpion with reverence and say that it lurks in the jungle still, appearing only to those worthy of its gifts.<\/p>\n The scorrow\u2019s predatory and migratory nature means that they have no central leadership or culture. Each individual or small clan lives according to its own whims, though scorrow\u2019s mutual disdain for other races mean that they rarely come into conflict with each other.<\/p>\n The drow of Xen\u2019drik respect the scorrow and treat them as divinely favored, but no great alliance exists between the two races. They sometimes work together, but only if the scorrow view the drow as being deserving of their company.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The scorrow\u2019s physical kinship to the drow is obvious, but they are not simply transformed drow. Rather, they are a race that breeds true. Scorrow live long lives and reproduce infrequently. Their young hatch fully formed and are expected to travel with the colony from birth. Those who are unable to keep up with their elders are left to fend for themselves, for the scorrow abhor weakness in any form.<\/p>\n Clawborn scorrow are otherwise identical to normal scorrow. They are treated no differently by their fellows and often rise to power within their clans.<\/p>\n Environment: The migratory scorrow can be found in any part of Xen\u2019drik, always in pursuit of prey.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: An adult scorrow stands some 7 feet tall and weighs about 2,300 pounds.<\/p>\n Although their true origins are lost to time and the depths of the jungle, the scorrow claim that they were once the most skilled tribe of drow hunters in all Xen\u2019drik. Their god Vulkoor admired their skill and sent to them a great gift. A colossal scorpion came to the village and stung every member of the tribe. Although the poison brought great pain, it also brought about a transformation, changing these drow into the first scorrow. The scorrow speak of the great scorpion with reverence and say that it lurks in the jungle still, appearing only to those worthy of its gifts.<\/p>\n The scorrow\u2019s predatory and migratory nature means that they have no central leadership or culture. Each individual or small clan lives according to its own whims, though scorrow\u2019s mutual disdain for other races mean that they rarely come into conflict with each other.<\/p>\n The drow of Xen\u2019drik respect the scorrow and treat them as divinely favored, but no great alliance exists between the two races. They sometimes work together, but only if the scorrow view the drow as being deserving of their company.<\/p>\n","id":12313,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Scorrow","permissions":[],"position":18,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:51:35.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n As the civilization of the giants collapsed in the aftermath of the war against the quori, the drow deployed warforged scorpions against their renegade elf kin and their giant masters alike. Sent into battle as fast as they could be constructed, the warforged scorpions were instrumental in allowing the drow to establish a foothold of control in Xen\u2019drik as the empire of the giants fell.<\/p>\n Today, a small group of drow maintains the secret of creating these powerful constructs and have a number of warforged scorpions in their service. However, the majority of warforged scorpions are now free-willed, wandering the jungles since the demise of their original masters in ages past. These construct predators hunt the unwary, sometimes responding to the remnants of their original instructions in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n Warforged scorpions understand Common, Drow, and Giant but cannot speak. They communicate with their masters through crude gestures and tail motions.<\/p>\n Environment: Warforged scorpions can be found in any part of Xen\u2019drik. Their construct immunities allow them to travel through the most inhospitable and unlikely terrain.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: A warforged scorpion is approximately 10 feet long, with a tail that curves some 6 feet overhead. It stands 4 feet above the ground and weighs 4,000 pounds. From a distance or in shadow, a warforged scorpion resembles a Large monstrous scorpion<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n As the civilization of the giants collapsed in the aftermath of the war against the quori, the drow deployed warforged scorpions against their renegade elf kin and their giant masters alike. Sent into battle as fast as they could be constructed, the warforged scorpions were instrumental in allowing the drow to establish a foothold of control in Xen\u2019drik as the empire of the giants fell.<\/p>\n Today, a small group of drow maintains the secret of creating these powerful constructs and have a number of warforged scorpions in their service. However, the majority of warforged scorpions are now free-willed, wandering the jungles since the demise of their original masters in ages past. These construct predators hunt the unwary, sometimes responding to the remnants of their original instructions in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n Warforged scorpions understand Common, Drow, and Giant but cannot speak. They communicate with their masters through crude gestures and tail motions.<\/p>\n Environment: Warforged scorpions can be found in any part of Xen\u2019drik. Their construct immunities allow them to travel through the most inhospitable and unlikely terrain.<\/p>\n Typical Physical Characteristics: A warforged scorpion is approximately 10 feet long, with a tail that curves some 6 feet overhead. It stands 4 feet above the ground and weighs 4,000 pounds. From a distance or in shadow, a warforged scorpion resembles a Large monstrous scorpion<\/p>\n","id":12314,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Warforged Scorpion","permissions":[],"position":19,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:52:06.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n The secrets behind the creation of the warforged go back nearly forty thousand years to the war between the giants and the quori. During that conflict, the quori created prototypical warforged, crafting a host of constructs that bear a resemblance to modern warforged but are distinctly different.<\/p>\n Some of these quorcraft warforged still lurk today in the deepest recesses of the continent. Left to guard some forgotten outpost or wandering without purpose, these constructs are a danger to those who encounter them. All who are not quori are enemies to the quorcraft, and they attack without mercy or compassion.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The secrets behind the creation of the warforged go back nearly forty thousand years to the war between the giants and the quori. During that conflict, the quori created prototypical warforged, crafting a host of constructs that bear a resemblance to modern warforged but are distinctly different.<\/p>\n Some of these quorcraft warforged still lurk today in the deepest recesses of the continent. Left to guard some forgotten outpost or wandering without purpose, these constructs are a danger to those who encounter them. All who are not quori are enemies to the quorcraft, and they attack without mercy or compassion.<\/p>\n","id":12315,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Quorcraft Warforged","permissions":[],"position":20,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T17:57:16.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n Old magic and angry spirits suffuse Xen\u2019drik, hidden in its\u00a0unexplored reaches and waiting for unfortunates to stumble across them. Characters who meddle with such forces might end up with a taint or curse that sticks with them until they can set matters straight. Here are some examples of the types of curses faced by unwary Xen\u2019drik explorers. The means to remove a curse might be an adventure in itself.<\/p>\n Old magic and angry spirits suffuse Xen\u2019drik, hidden in its unexplored reaches and waiting for unfortunates to stumble across them. Characters who meddle with such forces might end up with a taint or curse that sticks with them until they can set matters straight. Here are some examples of the types of curses faced by unwary Xen\u2019drik explorers. The means to remove a curse might be an adventure in itself.<\/p>\n A number of the adventures in this chapter (SoX chapter 4) turn on recovering four legendary weapons of the war between the giants and the quori. These so-called destiny arms are the glaive of the darkest depths, the maul of the glacial heights, the spear of the desert winds, and the staff of the magma falls. The Inspired are desperate to make sure these weapons are never turned against them again. Linking all these adventures together forms an entire mid-level to high-level Xen\u2019drik campaign arc, spanning a good deal of the continent and giving PCs a number of chances to fight against these psionic masterminds. But what happens after all the weapons are recovered? Some suggestions follow.<\/p>\n Scattered rumors over the course of the adventure might indicate that the destiny arms, when brought together, somehow show the way to the heart of Dal Quor. Once they have located all four of the destiny arms, the PCs travel to the Quori Outpost (page 44) or Old-Growth Ruins site (page 41). There, they find a massive camp of Inspired agents attempting to reopen a gate to Dal Quor and bring the remote plane coterminous to Eberron once more. The PCs have only one chance to use their powerful weapons against the Inspired before the Dreaming Dark\u2019s diabolical plans come to fruition.<\/p>\n Once in possession of any of these weapons, the PCs will likely become targets of the Inspired and the Dreaming Dark. At the same time, they might well be courted by any number of institutions, organizations, and dragonmarked houses that would pay handsomely to own or display the artifacts. In the end, the PCs might find that possessing any of the destiny arms is more trouble than it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n A number of the adventures in this chapter (SoX chapter 4) turn on recovering four legendary weapons of the war between the giants and the quori. These so-called destiny arms are the glaive of the darkest depths, the maul of the glacial heights, the spear of the desert winds, and the staff of the magma falls. The Inspired are desperate to make sure these weapons are never turned against them again. Linking all these adventures together forms an entire mid-level to high-level Xen\u2019drik campaign arc, spanning a good deal of the continent and giving PCs a number of chances to fight against these psionic masterminds. But what happens after all the weapons are recovered? Some suggestions follow.<\/p>\n Scattered rumors over the course of the adventure might indicate that the destiny arms, when brought together, somehow show the way to the heart of Dal Quor. Once they have located all four of the destiny arms, the PCs travel to the Quori Outpost (page 44) or Old-Growth Ruins site (page 41). There, they find a massive camp of Inspired agents attempting to reopen a gate to Dal Quor and bring the remote plane coterminous to Eberron once more. The PCs have only one chance to use their powerful weapons against the Inspired before the Dreaming Dark\u2019s diabolical plans come to fruition.<\/p>\n Once in possession of any of these weapons, the PCs will likely become targets of the Inspired and the Dreaming Dark. At the same time, they might well be courted by any number of institutions, organizations, and dragonmarked houses that would pay handsomely to own or display the artifacts. In the end, the PCs might find that possessing any of the destiny arms is more trouble than it\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n","id":12331,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Destiny Arms","permissions":[],"position":22,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-08T16:26:46.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n PCs who wish to destroy an artifact in Xen\u2019drik might explore the following options.<\/p>\n PCs who wish to destroy an artifact in Xen\u2019drik might explore the following options.<\/p>\n \"Our kind loved this land once, and godlike we reveled in our power here. We shared our secrets with the giants. We gifted them with wonder beyond their wildest dreams. We thought to create a paradise, but fate twists cruelly. The seeds we planted among the giants grew rank and malformed, until we had no choice but to weed them out and poison their roots. Now this scornful place is nothing\u2014a stain upon Eberron\u2019s repose, a shadowed memory of better times, a constant reminder of our arrogance. If I had led the charge against the giants on that day, I would have destroyed them to the last and broken this accursed continent to pieces just to watch it crumble into the sea. But the elders claim its purpose in the Prophecy has yet to be fulfilled . . .\"<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014Varistorkaan, Beacon of Siberys<\/p>\n The dragons\u2019 stormy romance with Xen\u2019drik began tens of thousands of years ago and, as tumultuous affairs often do, it ended in tragedy. Sixty millennia ago the dragons gazed across the Thunder Sea at the glorious empire the giants wrought and decided to share the splendor of arcane power with them. Upon the steps of a towering white ziggurat deep in the Menechtarun desert, dragons appeared before the titan overlords and opened their eyes to the untold mysteries of magic.<\/p>\n A golden age unrivaled by any era in Eberron\u2019s history followed. Giant and dragon stood side by side, creating a utopia without hunger or crime. They cheated death, touched the stars, and kept the Lords of Dust securely sequestered below the ground. Under the dragons\u2019 patronage, the giants crafted sky-scraping monuments and wonders of surpassing beauty that would eventually draw the envious eye of Dal Quor. The dragons reveled in the giants\u2019 successes and then returned to Argonnessen, drunk with pride and secure in the belief that the choice to teach the giants arcane magic was a good one. Time would prove them wrong.<\/p>\n The utopia the giants took twenty thousand years to perfect came crashing down almost overnight. Dal Quor\u2019s vile caress brought with it an unspeakable alien doom. Nightmares erupted from the earth and sky. After years of hard-fought battle failed to stem the quori tide, the titan overlords resorted to a desperate gambit. They corrupted the dragons\u2019 beautiful gift of magic with foul blood rites and brutal sacrifices, tapping a dread power far beyond their means to control. The ultimate result of their depraved efforts was a cataclysm unlike any the world had ever before known. The baleful power they unleashed did drive off the quori\u2014but nearly destroyed Xen\u2019drik in the process. Whole pieces of the continent shattered and drowned in the sea. Mountains toppled, and gaping wounds the size the whole cities opened in the earth. The sun went out for a decade as blood rained from the sky in torrents.<\/p>\n The dragons watched it all, weeping to see their blessed gift so polluted with evil. They observed from afar as the aftermath of the giants\u2019 congress with blood sacrilege gave rise to plagues and curses. Their joy at the giant\u2019s once-glorious achievements turned to woe. But the worst was yet to come. As Xen\u2019drik wheezed and gasped with sickness, the elf slaves of the giants rose up against their masters. The giants, threatened so soon after having cast the quori back to the Plane of Dreams, were wholly unprepared for another war. Faced with losing the tattered remnants of their empire to the elves, the giants decided to unleash their grotesque blood rites upon the continent once more. This choice sealed their doom.<\/p>\n The dragons had no tears left to shed. Their compassion and pity spent on the giants\u2019 first blunder, they were left only with their fury. The dragons did not permit the giants to repeat their cataclysmic mistake. In a display of power not seen since, the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis drafted thousands of other dragons into a military force beyond mortal comprehension. Draconic might descended on Xen\u2019drik. Flights of dragons blocked out the sun, and for the first time since the epic war with the fiends, the awesome might of Argonnessen was brought to bear. In less than a week, the dragons cast down the last of the giants and expunged the titans\u2019 empire with elemental fury and epic magic. After their wrath was spent, the dragons had wreaked almost as much havoc as they intended to avert. They lamented their choice to share arcane power with the giants. To this day, that dreadful error is a stain on the memory of dragonkind, and it is one the masters of Argonnessen intend never to repeat.<\/p>\n Now Xen\u2019drik is called the \u201cforsaken continent,\u201d and older dragons still refer to the giants as \u201clost children.\u201d The glorious giant empire is now evidenced only by shattered ruins and broken dreams.<\/p>\n\n Few dragons entertain the idea of visiting Xen\u2019drik\u2019s savage shores. Tales of the Great Fall are burned into the minds of young dragons, leaving many with the mistaken impression that the forsaken continent is a desolate wasteland of bleached giant bones and blasted earth. The thought of visiting this reminder of their race\u2019s greatest disgrace remains repugnant.<\/p>\n Only two paths lead dragons to Xen\u2019drik today\u2014duty and dishonor. Since the rise of the Inspired threat in Sarlona, the Eyes of Chronepsis are no longer willing to exile criminal dragons into the waiting arms of the quori. Xen\u2019drik is now the nesting ground for castoffs, malcontents, and criminals; most dragons found there are rogues. The majority are evil or neutral delinquents who were banished to the forsaken continent by mandate of the Eyes.<\/p>\n Other dragons are stationed in Xen\u2019drik to patrol the crumbled ruins and to ensure that the secrets of the giants\u2019 dread blood rites remain forever lost. These guardians are called Watchers, and the title is often passed down among members of the oldest dragon families. Ten special posts were created after the Great Fall, one for each color of dragon. Originally these posts were highly sought after, serving as springboards into powerful positions among the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis. As the millennia wore on and the giants continued to pose no credible threat, the honor associated with these posts eroded. Now, being chosen as a Watcher is viewed by many dragons as little better than a sentence of exile. On occasion, the posts are assigned to troublesome dragons to remove them from Argonnessen for a time.<\/p>\n There is one reason beyond exile and guardianship for dragons to end up in Xen\u2019drik. Although the Vast serves as a proving ground for young dragons and offers them the freedom to exercise power over lesser creatures, some dragons\u2019 fantasies of domination are too grotesque to enact among their own kind. Such depraved dragons choose self-exile to Xen\u2019drik in exchange for the right to play god among giant rabble and other groveling tribes of natives. Chafing at the closeness of other dragons in the Vast, these wyrms head to the wide expanses of the forsaken continent, where they might spend a thousand years never crossing paths with another of their kind.<\/p>\n\n The abhorrent blood magic unleashed by the giants not only left their continent in shambles, but also tainted the land with many dangerous curses.<\/p>\n The Travelers\u2019 Curse (SX 25) warps distance and terrain, making a journey from one point to another in Xen\u2019drik extremely unpredictable. The same trip could take days on one occasion and months the next. In addition, terrain simply changes clime and condition randomly. A patch of earth hosting a steamy, overgrown jungle one night becomes a misty coniferous forest by the morning sun. Glaciers melt into lakes in hours, and deserts sprout temperate flora overnight.<\/p>\n This curse poses numerous problems for the continent\u2019s dragons. A bronze dragon could leave her underwater lair at the bottom of a tremendous lake on a hunt only to return a few hours later to a dry, sunscorched crater. The inconvenience of losing a suitable lair aside, strange shifts in terrain often provoke battles over territory. The distance between two dragons\u2019 lairs might be hundreds of miles one day and a stone\u2019s throw the next.<\/p>\n The Du\u2019rashka Tul or \u201cmadness of crowds\u201d (SX 53) is a curse leveled by the dragons themselves\u2014a powerful ward to ensure that the giants never rise to prominence again. According to legend, the curse affects any group of creatures able to establish a sizable civilization on the forsaken continent, so that they are suddenly gripped by homicidal rage and spread out to kill everything in their path (including each other). The curse is a double-edged sword for dragons living on Xen\u2019drik soil. On one hand, it allows them to maintain a stranglehold on their territory. Giants, drow, and other locals are terrified of the curse and avoid organizing into cities or larger social groups. Thus, dragons preying on such creatures can never be opposed by a native military force of any size. On the other hand, if a civilization arises and becomes affected by the Du\u2019rashka Tul, the resultant chaos could cause significant problems for Xen\u2019drik\u2019s dragons as crowds of homicidal maniacs beset their lairs, slay their minions, and cause all manner of headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n In Eberron, dragons are highly organized creatures with a stratified society that has birthed a unique and mysterious culture stretching back longer than that of any other race. The iconic image of the lone wyrm in a remote mountain cave atop a heaping pile of gold and jewels does not fit the average sophisticated Argonnessen dragon, nor the cosmopolitan draconic movers and shakers of Khorvaire. Xen\u2019drik is where solitary dragons find a home. Far from the concerns of Argonnessen, the \u201ccivilized\u201d bustle of Khorvaire, or the intricate machinations of the Sarlonan Inspired, many dragons of Xen\u2019drik are content to recline in their lairs and await anyone foolish enough to try to filch their hoards. Others rule tiny fiefdoms of lesser creatures and prey on all who intrude upon their territory.<\/p>\n Although a few dragons residing in Khorvaire or Sarlona were born there, most are imported from Argonnessen. Even aberrant rogues who abandon their homeland possess at least a rudimentary comprehension of the Prophecy, and a passing familiarity with their people\u2019s expansive culture. Most of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s dragons, though, are native to the continent and know nothing of the Prophecy. Some Xen\u2019drik natives, intrigued on learning of a motherland filled with dragons, visit Argonnessen. Just as many could care less.<\/p>\n\n\n Xen\u2019drik dragon hoards are similar to those of dragons in any classic setting: a heaping mountain of gold; the jewel-encrusted chalices of hobgoblin kings; entire veins of silver torn from mountainsides; golden harps whose strings are formed from the hair of angels; ancient blades imbued with epic magic and inlaid with soul gems containing the essence of emperor, archmages, and demons; tapestries of unicorns prancing in bright meadows woven by nymph queens of Thelanis; statues of adventurers petrified in foolish attempts to steal the treasure; and the like.<\/p>\n Exceptions to classic choices include: relics of the giant culture collected by dragons with an interest in history; early warforged prototypes developed by the quori; blood rite altars used by cabals of necromancers, and other items of note connected to Xen\u2019drik\u2019s specific (and turbulent) history<\/p>\n\n\n","entry_parsed":"\n \"Our kind loved this land once, and godlike we reveled in our power here. We shared our secrets with the giants. We gifted them with wonder beyond their wildest dreams. We thought to create a paradise, but fate twists cruelly. The seeds we planted among the giants grew rank and malformed, until we had no choice but to weed them out and poison their roots. Now this scornful place is nothing\u2014a stain upon Eberron\u2019s repose, a shadowed memory of better times, a constant reminder of our arrogance. If I had led the charge against the giants on that day, I would have destroyed them to the last and broken this accursed continent to pieces just to watch it crumble into the sea. But the elders claim its purpose in the Prophecy has yet to be fulfilled . . .\"<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014Varistorkaan, Beacon of Siberys<\/p>\n The dragons\u2019 stormy romance with Xen\u2019drik began tens of thousands of years ago and, as tumultuous affairs often do, it ended in tragedy. Sixty millennia ago the dragons gazed across the Thunder Sea at the glorious empire the giants wrought and decided to share the splendor of arcane power with them. Upon the steps of a towering white ziggurat deep in the Menechtarun desert, dragons appeared before the titan overlords and opened their eyes to the untold mysteries of magic.<\/p>\n A golden age unrivaled by any era in Eberron\u2019s history followed. Giant and dragon stood side by side, creating a utopia without hunger or crime. They cheated death, touched the stars, and kept the Lords of Dust securely sequestered below the ground. Under the dragons\u2019 patronage, the giants crafted sky-scraping monuments and wonders of surpassing beauty that would eventually draw the envious eye of Dal Quor. The dragons reveled in the giants\u2019 successes and then returned to Argonnessen, drunk with pride and secure in the belief that the choice to teach the giants arcane magic was a good one. Time would prove them wrong.<\/p>\n The utopia the giants took twenty thousand years to perfect came crashing down almost overnight. Dal Quor\u2019s vile caress brought with it an unspeakable alien doom. Nightmares erupted from the earth and sky. After years of hard-fought battle failed to stem the quori tide, the titan overlords resorted to a desperate gambit. They corrupted the dragons\u2019 beautiful gift of magic with foul blood rites and brutal sacrifices, tapping a dread power far beyond their means to control. The ultimate result of their depraved efforts was a cataclysm unlike any the world had ever before known. The baleful power they unleashed did drive off the quori\u2014but nearly destroyed Xen\u2019drik in the process. Whole pieces of the continent shattered and drowned in the sea. Mountains toppled, and gaping wounds the size the whole cities opened in the earth. The sun went out for a decade as blood rained from the sky in torrents.<\/p>\n The dragons watched it all, weeping to see their blessed gift so polluted with evil. They observed from afar as the aftermath of the giants\u2019 congress with blood sacrilege gave rise to plagues and curses. Their joy at the giant\u2019s once-glorious achievements turned to woe. But the worst was yet to come. As Xen\u2019drik wheezed and gasped with sickness, the elf slaves of the giants rose up against their masters. The giants, threatened so soon after having cast the quori back to the Plane of Dreams, were wholly unprepared for another war. Faced with losing the tattered remnants of their empire to the elves, the giants decided to unleash their grotesque blood rites upon the continent once more. This choice sealed their doom.<\/p>\n The dragons had no tears left to shed. Their compassion and pity spent on the giants\u2019 first blunder, they were left only with their fury. The dragons did not permit the giants to repeat their cataclysmic mistake. In a display of power not seen since, the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis drafted thousands of other dragons into a military force beyond mortal comprehension. Draconic might descended on Xen\u2019drik. Flights of dragons blocked out the sun, and for the first time since the epic war with the fiends, the awesome might of Argonnessen was brought to bear. In less than a week, the dragons cast down the last of the giants and expunged the titans\u2019 empire with elemental fury and epic magic. After their wrath was spent, the dragons had wreaked almost as much havoc as they intended to avert. They lamented their choice to share arcane power with the giants. To this day, that dreadful error is a stain on the memory of dragonkind, and it is one the masters of Argonnessen intend never to repeat.<\/p>\n Now Xen\u2019drik is called the \u201cforsaken continent,\u201d and older dragons still refer to the giants as \u201clost children.\u201d The glorious giant empire is now evidenced only by shattered ruins and broken dreams.<\/p>\n\n Few dragons entertain the idea of visiting Xen\u2019drik\u2019s savage shores. Tales of the Great Fall are burned into the minds of young dragons, leaving many with the mistaken impression that the forsaken continent is a desolate wasteland of bleached giant bones and blasted earth. The thought of visiting this reminder of their race\u2019s greatest disgrace remains repugnant.<\/p>\n Only two paths lead dragons to Xen\u2019drik today\u2014duty and dishonor. Since the rise of the Inspired threat in Sarlona, the Eyes of Chronepsis are no longer willing to exile criminal dragons into the waiting arms of the quori. Xen\u2019drik is now the nesting ground for castoffs, malcontents, and criminals; most dragons found there are rogues. The majority are evil or neutral delinquents who were banished to the forsaken continent by mandate of the Eyes.<\/p>\n Other dragons are stationed in Xen\u2019drik to patrol the crumbled ruins and to ensure that the secrets of the giants\u2019 dread blood rites remain forever lost. These guardians are called Watchers, and the title is often passed down among members of the oldest dragon families. Ten special posts were created after the Great Fall, one for each color of dragon. Originally these posts were highly sought after, serving as springboards into powerful positions among the Light of Siberys and the Eyes of Chronepsis. As the millennia wore on and the giants continued to pose no credible threat, the honor associated with these posts eroded. Now, being chosen as a Watcher is viewed by many dragons as little better than a sentence of exile. On occasion, the posts are assigned to troublesome dragons to remove them from Argonnessen for a time.<\/p>\n There is one reason beyond exile and guardianship for dragons to end up in Xen\u2019drik. Although the Vast serves as a proving ground for young dragons and offers them the freedom to exercise power over lesser creatures, some dragons\u2019 fantasies of domination are too grotesque to enact among their own kind. Such depraved dragons choose self-exile to Xen\u2019drik in exchange for the right to play god among giant rabble and other groveling tribes of natives. Chafing at the closeness of other dragons in the Vast, these wyrms head to the wide expanses of the forsaken continent, where they might spend a thousand years never crossing paths with another of their kind.<\/p>\n\n The abhorrent blood magic unleashed by the giants not only left their continent in shambles, but also tainted the land with many dangerous curses.<\/p>\n The Travelers\u2019 Curse (SX 25) warps distance and terrain, making a journey from one point to another in Xen\u2019drik extremely unpredictable. The same trip could take days on one occasion and months the next. In addition, terrain simply changes clime and condition randomly. A patch of earth hosting a steamy, overgrown jungle one night becomes a misty coniferous forest by the morning sun. Glaciers melt into lakes in hours, and deserts sprout temperate flora overnight.<\/p>\n This curse poses numerous problems for the continent\u2019s dragons. A bronze dragon could leave her underwater lair at the bottom of a tremendous lake on a hunt only to return a few hours later to a dry, sunscorched crater. The inconvenience of losing a suitable lair aside, strange shifts in terrain often provoke battles over territory. The distance between two dragons\u2019 lairs might be hundreds of miles one day and a stone\u2019s throw the next.<\/p>\n The Du\u2019rashka Tul or \u201cmadness of crowds\u201d (SX 53) is a curse leveled by the dragons themselves\u2014a powerful ward to ensure that the giants never rise to prominence again. According to legend, the curse affects any group of creatures able to establish a sizable civilization on the forsaken continent, so that they are suddenly gripped by homicidal rage and spread out to kill everything in their path (including each other). The curse is a double-edged sword for dragons living on Xen\u2019drik soil. On one hand, it allows them to maintain a stranglehold on their territory. Giants, drow, and other locals are terrified of the curse and avoid organizing into cities or larger social groups. Thus, dragons preying on such creatures can never be opposed by a native military force of any size. On the other hand, if a civilization arises and becomes affected by the Du\u2019rashka Tul, the resultant chaos could cause significant problems for Xen\u2019drik\u2019s dragons as crowds of homicidal maniacs beset their lairs, slay their minions, and cause all manner of headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n In Eberron, dragons are highly organized creatures with a stratified society that has birthed a unique and mysterious culture stretching back longer than that of any other race. The iconic image of the lone wyrm in a remote mountain cave atop a heaping pile of gold and jewels does not fit the average sophisticated Argonnessen dragon, nor the cosmopolitan draconic movers and shakers of Khorvaire. Xen\u2019drik is where solitary dragons find a home. Far from the concerns of Argonnessen, the \u201ccivilized\u201d bustle of Khorvaire, or the intricate machinations of the Sarlonan Inspired, many dragons of Xen\u2019drik are content to recline in their lairs and await anyone foolish enough to try to filch their hoards. Others rule tiny fiefdoms of lesser creatures and prey on all who intrude upon their territory.<\/p>\n Although a few dragons residing in Khorvaire or Sarlona were born there, most are imported from Argonnessen. Even aberrant rogues who abandon their homeland possess at least a rudimentary comprehension of the Prophecy, and a passing familiarity with their people\u2019s expansive culture. Most of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s dragons, though, are native to the continent and know nothing of the Prophecy. Some Xen\u2019drik natives, intrigued on learning of a motherland filled with dragons, visit Argonnessen. Just as many could care less.<\/p>\n\n\n Xen\u2019drik dragon hoards are similar to those of dragons in any classic setting: a heaping mountain of gold; the jewel-encrusted chalices of hobgoblin kings; entire veins of silver torn from mountainsides; golden harps whose strings are formed from the hair of angels; ancient blades imbued with epic magic and inlaid with soul gems containing the essence of emperor, archmages, and demons; tapestries of unicorns prancing in bright meadows woven by nymph queens of Thelanis; statues of adventurers petrified in foolish attempts to steal the treasure; and the like.<\/p>\n Exceptions to classic choices include: relics of the giant culture collected by dragons with an interest in history; early warforged prototypes developed by the quori; blood rite altars used by cabals of necromancers, and other items of note connected to Xen\u2019drik\u2019s specific (and turbulent) history<\/p>\n\n\n","id":14386,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Dragons","permissions":[],"position":23,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-10-17T18:38:07.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n The mirrors located in the upper branches of the Abandoned Orrery were created by visionary dragon prophets of old who believed Xen\u2019drik\u2019s role in the Prophecy was far from fulfilled. They crafted these mirrors with epic magic, planting them all across the forsaken continent. The scant few who know of their existence believe that if the mirrors are all configured properly, a beam of galactic light generated by a multiple lunar eclipse will descend and ricochet from mirror to mirror. The pattern formed will blazon a continent-sized Prophecy mark visible in its entirety only from far above Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n The PCs could be charged with the task of aligning these mirrors or take it upon themselves to do so in pursuit of their own agenda. Such a daunting quest provides a unique opportunity to stage a continent-spanning campaign. Mirrors are strewn across Xen\u2019drik, requiring the PCs to brave its farthest reaches. The party must explore giant ruins, ascend volcanic mountain heights and glacier crags, penetrate old-growth jungles, and explore other exotic locales to find and configure every mirror. Any or all the adventure locations detailed in this chapter, including the lairs of Zartarxis and Ketheptis, can be drawn upon to weave this entire chapter into one overarching campaign.<\/p>\n Aside from facing the worst Xen\u2019drik has to offer, the PCs draw the attention of several powerful factions. Any number of dragons could appear to interfere with the party. Perhaps the \u201cproper\u201d configuration of these Prophetic mirrors is a matter of debate, with proponents of different interpretations sending agents to meddle with them. Enemies of dragonkind seek to avert this important event\u2014the Lords of Dust, the Inspired, or other dire foes accost the party at every turn.<\/p>\n Those who succeed at this monumental task stand to earn great respect and greater rewards from draconic patrons, not to mention an indelible place in history. The party faces competition from other adventurers and explorers seeking to steal the glory.<\/p>\n In addition to locating and aligning the mirrors, the PCs need to create a unique elemental-bound observatory platform capable of hovering far above Xen\u2019drik to view this titanic event of the Prophecy. They might need to orchestrate a massive conspiracy to maneuver House Lyrandar into constructing such a vessel. If the PCs endeavor to craft it on their own, the party must somehow keep this project under wraps lest Lyrandar or any other interested party attempt to steal it.<\/p>\n This observatory provides a truly unique setting for the climax of this campaign arc. Various factions interested in the Mark of Xen\u2019drik converge there for a final, mile-high showdown above the forsaken continent. Fiends, dragons, quori, and competing teams of adventurers square off against the PCs and each other in an aerial battle of epic proportions. The fate of the Prophecy hangs in the balance.<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n The mirrors located in the upper branches of the Abandoned Orrery were created by visionary dragon prophets of old who believed Xen\u2019drik\u2019s role in the Prophecy was far from fulfilled. They crafted these mirrors with epic magic, planting them all across the forsaken continent. The scant few who know of their existence believe that if the mirrors are all configured properly, a beam of galactic light generated by a multiple lunar eclipse will descend and ricochet from mirror to mirror. The pattern formed will blazon a continent-sized Prophecy mark visible in its entirety only from far above Xen\u2019drik.<\/p>\n The PCs could be charged with the task of aligning these mirrors or take it upon themselves to do so in pursuit of their own agenda. Such a daunting quest provides a unique opportunity to stage a continent-spanning campaign. Mirrors are strewn across Xen\u2019drik, requiring the PCs to brave its farthest reaches. The party must explore giant ruins, ascend volcanic mountain heights and glacier crags, penetrate old-growth jungles, and explore other exotic locales to find and configure every mirror. Any or all the adventure locations detailed in this chapter, including the lairs of Zartarxis and Ketheptis, can be drawn upon to weave this entire chapter into one overarching campaign.<\/p>\n Aside from facing the worst Xen\u2019drik has to offer, the PCs draw the attention of several powerful factions. Any number of dragons could appear to interfere with the party. Perhaps the \u201cproper\u201d configuration of these Prophetic mirrors is a matter of debate, with proponents of different interpretations sending agents to meddle with them. Enemies of dragonkind seek to avert this important event\u2014the Lords of Dust, the Inspired, or other dire foes accost the party at every turn.<\/p>\n Those who succeed at this monumental task stand to earn great respect and greater rewards from draconic patrons, not to mention an indelible place in history. The party faces competition from other adventurers and explorers seeking to steal the glory.<\/p>\n In addition to locating and aligning the mirrors, the PCs need to create a unique elemental-bound observatory platform capable of hovering far above Xen\u2019drik to view this titanic event of the Prophecy. They might need to orchestrate a massive conspiracy to maneuver House Lyrandar into constructing such a vessel. If the PCs endeavor to craft it on their own, the party must somehow keep this project under wraps lest Lyrandar or any other interested party attempt to steal it.<\/p>\n This observatory provides a truly unique setting for the climax of this campaign arc. Various factions interested in the Mark of Xen\u2019drik converge there for a final, mile-high showdown above the forsaken continent. Fiends, dragons, quori, and competing teams of adventurers square off against the PCs and each other in an aerial battle of epic proportions. The fate of the Prophecy hangs in the balance.<\/p>\n","id":14387,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Campaign Arc: The Mark of Xen'drik","permissions":[],"position":24,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-10-18T14:28:48.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\n\n Any Level<\/p>\n When the son of a powerful member of House Tharashk secretly leaves his family\u2019s enclave to brave the dangers of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s interior, it is up to the PCs to return him home safely. Larmok ir\u2019Tharashk is not on a joyride through the jungle, however. Plagued by strange dreams, the young half-orc heads for the Oasis of Blood, urged on by his secret tryst with an aberrant-marked elf beauty named Terina. Larmok\u2019s dreams are manufactured by Terina, who plans to sacrifice her lover on the altar of blood and gain unthinkable power. The murderous elf plans to rise high in the assassin [organisation:254221], then avenge the slaughter of her family during the War of the Mark.<\/p>\n\n Here are a couple of suggestions for involving the PCs. Finders Lost: Larmok is first in line for his family\u2019s seat in Stormreach, and the eldest of his siblings, named Kitan, is happy he fled. Larmok\u2019s youngest brother, Mekrin, realizing that Kitan is sending Finders Guild teams on wild-goose chases, secretly hires the PCs to bring his brother back. Aberrant Lady: One of the PCs or an associate of theirs has crossed paths with Terina before, and now they hunt her for other crimes committed in the name of House Tarkanan.<\/p>\n\n\n The [location:365033] is ideal for this adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n The party must track down Larmok. If they interrogate his servants, they learn of his secret love affair with Terina, as well as the pair\u2019s flight to the Oasis of Blood. The party must venture into the dread desert of Menechtarun and brave the swirling crimson sands surrounding the oasis. Finally, when they reach the White Ziggurat, they must avert Larmok\u2019s sacrifice and capture or slay Terina.<\/p>\n If Larmok is returned to Stormreach unharmed, the PCs earn a valuable ally in House Tharashk. Larmok might see to it that the party is rewarded with dragonshards or magic items. He could also grant them special writs allowing them to demand protection and care from any members of House Tharashk in Stormreach or the Xen\u2019drik interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any Level<\/p>\n Two gold dragon brothers bear a tragic tale. Jarldraz was devoted to the Chamber\u2019s purpose, but his sibling Karzrov is a sinister double agent in the employ of the Chamber\u2019s secret enemy\u2014Zenobaal. The brothers shared the love of another member of the Chamber, a beautiful silver dragon named Vatriss. Karzrov\u2019s heart turned black with jealous rage, and he sent his brother Jarldraz on a mission to Xen\u2019drik, taking measures to ensure the young dragon met his demise there. Jarldraz\u2019s tragic death pushed Vatriss into Karzrov\u2019s embrace (as he planned), but soon the duplicitous gold dragon intends to betray his silver consort and her beloved Chamber just as he did his brother. Dragons do not die easily, though, and when Jarldraz perished, his spirit lingered on in one of his teeth.<\/p>\n\n One of the following might be used to introduce the PCs to the adventure. Chamber\u2019s Agents: The PCs are hired by Vatriss or another member of the Chamber to recover Jarldraz\u2019s remains so that his spirit might rest easy. Dreams of the Dragon: One of the PCs who bears a dragonmark, or some other connection to dragonkind, experiences strange dreams in which a gold dragon cries out for vengeance. In her dreams, she sees flashes of the dragon\u2019s death, and she is drawn to investigate his demise.<\/p>\n\n\n If the party is low-level, Jarldraz could be the skeleton detailed in the Dragon\u2019s Demise section of the [location:365028]. For a higher-level party, Karzrov dispatched his brother to the [location:365033] or [location:365030] on a doomed mission. Karzrov\u2019s agents might seek either to destroy Jarldraz\u2019 tooth in the superheated magma of the Devil\u2019s Cauldron (high-level; page 139), or hide it in the Dragons\u2019 Boneyard [location:365032].<\/p>\n\n The PCs must first brave the alleys of Stormreach to find Karzrov\u2019s agent, a scurrilous wererat named Yulo, who sent Jarldraz on a fool\u2019s errand. After interrogating Yulo, the party heads into Xen\u2019drik\u2019s interior and locates Jarldraz. Once they find the gold dragon\u2019s remains and discover his tooth (now an intelligent magic dagger), agents of Karzrov catch up with them, steal the tooth, and make for Darkfire Crater (where they intend to destroy it in the Devil\u2019s Cauldron) or the Dragons\u2019 Boneyard (to lose it among the remains of hundreds of dragons). The PCs must retrieve the tooth and defeat Karzrov\u2019s minions, eventually even facing the gold dragon himself.<\/p>\n If the PCs save the spirit of Jarldraz and slay or expose his evil brother, they earn Vatriss\u2019s (and the Chamber\u2019s) favor. Jarldraz vows to serve them as a powerful magic dagger for the rest of their days. He might also bequeath a hefty portion of his hoard to the party in gratitude for avenging his death. The party could also earn the enmity of Zenobaal, setting up the mighty dragon as a dangerous nemesis for future adventures. Edge of<\/p>\n\n\n Mid-Level or High-Level<\/p>\n When dragon and giant stood side by side against fiendish threats, powerful artifacts were entrusted to the titan lords of Xen\u2019drik. After the cataclysm, the dragons turned their back on giantkind and reclaimed these gifts so that they would never fall into the wrong hands. All but one\u2014a mighty obsidian longsword named Ebony\u2019s Edge. The Edge tasted the blood of thousands of demons and devils, and more than a few rakshasa overlords in its time. Before the cataclysm, the blade was sundered. With its power undone, the dragons never bothered to claim it after the giant empire fell.<\/p>\n One of the artifact\u2019s two pieces, a jagged short sword called Blackshard, recently came into the possession of an evil warlock named Sarakel Darkeye the Fiend-Wearer. Sarakel plans to reforge the broken blade in the fires of Devil\u2019s Cauldron, and with this dread artifact in his grasp, bring doom wherever he treads.<\/p>\n\n One of the following might be used to entice the PCs into this adventure. Revenge on Darkeye: Blackshard belonged to a patron or friend of the party. Sarakel broke into that person\u2019s estate and slew him before absconding with the short sword. Loremaster\u2019s Dread: One of the PCs or a contact has recovered an ancient tablet or tome detailing the dreaded Ebony\u2019s Edge, and learns that one of its two pieces has been claimed by Sarakel. The tablet or tome speaks of certain doom if the artifact is reforged.<\/p>\n\n\n The [location:365030] is perfect for this adventure. For an campaign that is larger in scope, begin by having the PCs travel to another site to learn the location of the remaining piece of Ebony\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n\n\n Before they can find Sarakel, the party must learn the location of the broken blade. The lore of Ebony\u2019s Edge does not bode well for the party, revealing that the blade was sundered while embedded in the back of a great tiger-fiend named Cyl-Maaldrake during a titanic battle. The party then heads to Darkfire Crater to face Cyl-Maaldrake and retrieve the other half of the blade. If they arrive too late, Darkeye has already made a terrible compact with the fiend, promising to free him in exchange for the blade buried in his back. Then the PCs must face Sarakel, potentially armed with Ebony\u2019s Edge, as well as Cyl-Maaldrake and his loyal servitors.<\/p>\n Destroying Ebony\u2019s Edge earns the gratitude of powerful draconic patrons and proves the party\u2019s worthiness. The dragons might even entrust the PCs with powerful magic weapons (up to 150,000 gp value) or even minor artifacts, as they once did the giants. Weather<\/p>\n\n\n Mid-Level or High-Level<\/p>\n Long has Stormreach survived in the shadow of the wild continent. Over the years, it has repelled attacks by sahuagin, drow, and giants. But when a blue dragon named Xarkon turns his gaze toward the city, only the PCs stand in the way.<\/p>\n The reason for Xarkon\u2019s sudden interest is linked to a group of unscrupulous treasure-hunters who absconded with his ancestor\u2019s battle helm from the Hoard Memoriam in the Dragons\u2019 Boneyard. The treasurehunters, transformed into piles of gems and gold, have since been stolen by a tribe of drow.<\/p>\n\n The following suggestions could begin the adventure. In the Path of Destruction: If the PCs live in Stormreach or have business interests, friends, or colleagues there, they might wish to protect the city. Missing Adventurers: One of the treasure-hunters was a friend or associate of the PCs and hinted at a great adventure involving the helm of a long-dead mighty blue dragon. The group did not return, and now the PCs are tracking it down.<\/p>\n\n\n The [location:365032]\u00a0is the ideal site for this adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n The PCs must weather the initial assault on Stormreach and learn the motivations behind Xarkon\u2019s attack. Then they must race to find the blue dragon\u2019s ancestral war helm and return it to the Hoard Memoriam in the Boneyard to appease Xarkon and deflect his attack.<\/p>\n If they succeed, the PCs earn the gratitude of Stormreach and might receive hefty rewards from various city factions for their heroics. In addition, Xarkon is grateful to have his family heirloom restored to its rightful resting place and might aid the PCs in the future out of respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","entry_parsed":"\n\n Any Level<\/p>\n When the son of a powerful member of House Tharashk secretly leaves his family\u2019s enclave to brave the dangers of Xen\u2019drik\u2019s interior, it is up to the PCs to return him home safely. Larmok ir\u2019Tharashk is not on a joyride through the jungle, however. Plagued by strange dreams, the young half-orc heads for the Oasis of Blood, urged on by his secret tryst with an aberrant-marked elf beauty named Terina. Larmok\u2019s dreams are manufactured by Terina, who plans to sacrifice her lover on the altar of blood and gain unthinkable power. The murderous elf plans to rise high in the assassin House Tarkanan<\/a>, then avenge the slaughter of her family during the War of the Mark.<\/p>\n\n Here are a couple of suggestions for involving the PCs. Finders Lost: Larmok is first in line for his family\u2019s seat in Stormreach, and the eldest of his siblings, named Kitan, is happy he fled. Larmok\u2019s youngest brother, Mekrin, realizing that Kitan is sending Finders Guild teams on wild-goose chases, secretly hires the PCs to bring his brother back. Aberrant Lady: One of the PCs or an associate of theirs has crossed paths with Terina before, and now they hunt her for other crimes committed in the name of House Tarkanan.<\/p>\n\n\n The Oasis of Blood<\/a> is ideal for this adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n The party must track down Larmok. If they interrogate his servants, they learn of his secret love affair with Terina, as well as the pair\u2019s flight to the Oasis of Blood. The party must venture into the dread desert of Menechtarun and brave the swirling crimson sands surrounding the oasis. Finally, when they reach the White Ziggurat, they must avert Larmok\u2019s sacrifice and capture or slay Terina.<\/p>\n If Larmok is returned to Stormreach unharmed, the PCs earn a valuable ally in House Tharashk. Larmok might see to it that the party is rewarded with dragonshards or magic items. He could also grant them special writs allowing them to demand protection and care from any members of House Tharashk in Stormreach or the Xen\u2019drik interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any Level<\/p>\n Two gold dragon brothers bear a tragic tale. Jarldraz was devoted to the Chamber\u2019s purpose, but his sibling Karzrov is a sinister double agent in the employ of the Chamber\u2019s secret enemy\u2014Zenobaal. The brothers shared the love of another member of the Chamber, a beautiful silver dragon named Vatriss. Karzrov\u2019s heart turned black with jealous rage, and he sent his brother Jarldraz on a mission to Xen\u2019drik, taking measures to ensure the young dragon met his demise there. Jarldraz\u2019s tragic death pushed Vatriss into Karzrov\u2019s embrace (as he planned), but soon the duplicitous gold dragon intends to betray his silver consort and her beloved Chamber just as he did his brother. Dragons do not die easily, though, and when Jarldraz perished, his spirit lingered on in one of his teeth.<\/p>\n\n One of the following might be used to introduce the PCs to the adventure. Chamber\u2019s Agents: The PCs are hired by Vatriss or another member of the Chamber to recover Jarldraz\u2019s remains so that his spirit might rest easy. Dreams of the Dragon: One of the PCs who bears a dragonmark, or some other connection to dragonkind, experiences strange dreams in which a gold dragon cries out for vengeance. In her dreams, she sees flashes of the dragon\u2019s death, and she is drawn to investigate his demise.<\/p>\n\n\n If the party is low-level, Jarldraz could be the skeleton detailed in the Dragon\u2019s Demise section of the Abandoned Orrery<\/a>. For a higher-level party, Karzrov dispatched his brother to the Oasis of Blood<\/a> or Darkfire Crater<\/a> on a doomed mission. Karzrov\u2019s agents might seek either to destroy Jarldraz\u2019 tooth in the superheated magma of the Devil\u2019s Cauldron (high-level; page 139), or hide it in the Dragons\u2019 Boneyard Dragon's Boneyard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n The PCs must first brave the alleys of Stormreach to find Karzrov\u2019s agent, a scurrilous wererat named Yulo, who sent Jarldraz on a fool\u2019s errand. After interrogating Yulo, the party heads into Xen\u2019drik\u2019s interior and locates Jarldraz. Once they find the gold dragon\u2019s remains and discover his tooth (now an intelligent magic dagger), agents of Karzrov catch up with them, steal the tooth, and make for Darkfire Crater (where they intend to destroy it in the Devil\u2019s Cauldron) or the Dragons\u2019 Boneyard (to lose it among the remains of hundreds of dragons). The PCs must retrieve the tooth and defeat Karzrov\u2019s minions, eventually even facing the gold dragon himself.<\/p>\n If the PCs save the spirit of Jarldraz and slay or expose his evil brother, they earn Vatriss\u2019s (and the Chamber\u2019s) favor. Jarldraz vows to serve them as a powerful magic dagger for the rest of their days. He might also bequeath a hefty portion of his hoard to the party in gratitude for avenging his death. The party could also earn the enmity of Zenobaal, setting up the mighty dragon as a dangerous nemesis for future adventures. Edge of<\/p>\n\n\n Mid-Level or High-Level<\/p>\n When dragon and giant stood side by side against fiendish threats, powerful artifacts were entrusted to the titan lords of Xen\u2019drik. After the cataclysm, the dragons turned their back on giantkind and reclaimed these gifts so that they would never fall into the wrong hands. All but one\u2014a mighty obsidian longsword named Ebony\u2019s Edge. The Edge tasted the blood of thousands of demons and devils, and more than a few rakshasa overlords in its time. Before the cataclysm, the blade was sundered. With its power undone, the dragons never bothered to claim it after the giant empire fell.<\/p>\n One of the artifact\u2019s two pieces, a jagged short sword called Blackshard, recently came into the possession of an evil warlock named Sarakel Darkeye the Fiend-Wearer. Sarakel plans to reforge the broken blade in the fires of Devil\u2019s Cauldron, and with this dread artifact in his grasp, bring doom wherever he treads.<\/p>\n\n One of the following might be used to entice the PCs into this adventure. Revenge on Darkeye: Blackshard belonged to a patron or friend of the party. Sarakel broke into that person\u2019s estate and slew him before absconding with the short sword. Loremaster\u2019s Dread: One of the PCs or a contact has recovered an ancient tablet or tome detailing the dreaded Ebony\u2019s Edge, and learns that one of its two pieces has been claimed by Sarakel. The tablet or tome speaks of certain doom if the artifact is reforged.<\/p>\n\n\nThe Hostile Land<\/h4>\n
The Hostile Land<\/h4>\n
The Curse of the Titans<\/h4>\n
The Du'Rashka Tul<\/h4>\n
The Curse of the Titans<\/h4>\n
The Du'Rashka Tul<\/h4>\n
2. Dal Olam
3. Tlelbek
4. Stone Wing Cliffs
5. Mesa Utanda
6. Canyon of Razor Rain
7. Nerepan
8. Scora Bael
9. Burnt Flower Plateau
10. Illandyano
11. Xatepec Ridge
12. Hakeb Eza
13. Fifteen Blunted Spearpoints
14. Palen dal Caten
15. Ammultun
16. Sentan Falt
17. Queltatir
18. Ek Lamyl
19. Caverns of Coatlapec
20. Crystal Tree Plaza
21. Yaoteco
22. Kalnak
23. Say-bekna
24. Quor\u2019tan
25. Gallina dal Sop
26. Caern of Stone Hearts
27. Maan Ulta
28. Zenzzir
29. Floating Leaf Lake
30. Xalxen Xuna<\/p>\n","entry_parsed":"\n
2. Dal Olam
3. Tlelbek
4. Stone Wing Cliffs
5. Mesa Utanda
6. Canyon of Razor Rain
7. Nerepan
8. Scora Bael
9. Burnt Flower Plateau
10. Illandyano
11. Xatepec Ridge
12. Hakeb Eza
13. Fifteen Blunted Spearpoints
14. Palen dal Caten
15. Ammultun
16. Sentan Falt
17. Queltatir
18. Ek Lamyl
19. Caverns of Coatlapec
20. Crystal Tree Plaza
21. Yaoteco
22. Kalnak
23. Say-bekna
24. Quor\u2019tan
25. Gallina dal Sop
26. Caern of Stone Hearts
27. Maan Ulta
28. Zenzzir
29. Floating Leaf Lake
30. Xalxen Xuna<\/p>\n","id":12295,"is_private":false,"layout_id":null,"name":"Thirty Ruin Names","permissions":[],"position":3,"settings":{"collapsed":true},"updated_at":"2022-11-28T21:38:21.000000Z","updated_by":7082,"visibility_id":1},{"created_at":"2019-09-07T14:00:55.000000Z","created_by":7082,"entity_id":108279,"entry":"\nDream Serpent<\/h3>\n
Woodlings<\/h3>\n
Dream Serpent<\/h3>\n
Woodlings<\/h3>\n
Society<\/h4>\n
Society<\/h4>\n
Dragons of the Forsaken<\/h3>\n
Cursed Landscape<\/h4>\n
Wild Dragons<\/h4>\n
Hoards in Xen\u2019drik<\/h4>\n
Dragons of the Forsaken<\/h3>\n
Cursed Landscape<\/h4>\n
Wild Dragons<\/h4>\n
Hoards in Xen\u2019drik<\/h4>\n
Lost Scion<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0The Sandstorm supplement provides a number of encounters appropriate to any party level. Otherwise, consider using a band of gnoll slavers or jann accompanied by a pack of howlers or dust mephits, as well as their efreeti master and his lamia consort.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Terina is an aberrant dragonmarked sorcerer or blood magus (CAr 26).<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Kitan\u2019s agents include NPCs with appropriate levels and classes drawn from the DMG, bounty hunters (DMG2 163), or any of the rival adventurers detailed in Secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\nRewards<\/h4>\n
Tooth of the Dragon<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
The PCs interrogate the wily wererat to learn where Jarldraz went. If they are particularly persuasive, they learn that Yulo was under orders to mislead the gold dragon, though the wererat does not know who paid him to do so.\u00a0
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Carrion crawlers, chokers, and a foul-tempered chuul infest the sewers, along with swarms of rats under Yulo\u2019s command. Yulo could be a member of the Bilge Rats (SX 19) or have allied himself with a group of sahuagin raiders. He might work for skum agents of Xoriat who scout the sewers as a possible invasion point.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0The PCs encounter drow, giants, dinosaurs, or other vicious monsters on the way to the adventure site. Secrets of Xen\u2019drik details many encounters.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Karzrov\u2019s minions include NPCs with appropriate levels and classes drawn from the DMG or any of the rival adventurers, yuan-ti, or drow parties detailed in Secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Select an appropriate age for Karzrov, who can have class levels or be joined by minions to create a more dynamic final battle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\nRewards<\/h4>\n
DEVOURING DARKNESS<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Sarakel could send fiendish agents against the PCs if he learns they are out to foil his plan. Any number of demons, devils, or rakshasas might harry the party\u2019s travel or ambush the PCs onsite.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters<\/strong>: Include nasty foes from the Fiendish Codex series if you have these books. Sarakel is particularly dangerous as a warlock\/ acolyte of the skinCM or a wizard\/ thaumaturgist. If reforged in Devil\u2019s Cauldron, Ebony\u2019s Edge is a challenge in itself. The blade now possesses a fiendish ego that corrupts those who seek its destruction.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\nRewards<\/h4>\n
THE STORM<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Roleplaying challenges abound as the PCs seek to unite the city. The party could come to blows with mobs of panicked citizens. Agents who seek to turn this dire situation to their advantage might even send minions to eliminate the pesky PCs in their way.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0Xarkon\u2019s advance force includes flights of manticores, an assault force of ogres, and a tunneling team of trained ankhegs. The assault is spearheaded by an elite unit of bluespawn godslayers (MM4 140) and a half-dragon hill giant.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong>\u00a0A plethora of drow foes can be found in Secrets of Xen\u2019 drik or Monster Manual IV. The drow are afflicted with the curse of the Hoard Memoriam (page 141); the PCs become cursed as well once the helm is secured.<\/li>\nRewards<\/h4>\n
Lost Scion<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> The Sandstorm supplement provides a number of encounters appropriate to any party level. Otherwise, consider using a band of gnoll slavers or jann accompanied by a pack of howlers or dust mephits, as well as their efreeti master and his lamia consort.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> Terina is an aberrant dragonmarked sorcerer or blood magus (CAr 26).<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> Kitan\u2019s agents include NPCs with appropriate levels and classes drawn from the DMG, bounty hunters (DMG2 163), or any of the rival adventurers detailed in Secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\nRewards<\/h4>\n
Tooth of the Dragon<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n
Adventure<\/h4>\n
\n
The PCs interrogate the wily wererat to learn where Jarldraz went. If they are particularly persuasive, they learn that Yulo was under orders to mislead the gold dragon, though the wererat does not know who paid him to do so.
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> Carrion crawlers, chokers, and a foul-tempered chuul infest the sewers, along with swarms of rats under Yulo\u2019s command. Yulo could be a member of the Bilge Rats (SX 19) or have allied himself with a group of sahuagin raiders. He might work for skum agents of Xoriat who scout the sewers as a possible invasion point.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> The PCs encounter drow, giants, dinosaurs, or other vicious monsters on the way to the adventure site. Secrets of Xen\u2019drik details many encounters.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> Karzrov\u2019s minions include NPCs with appropriate levels and classes drawn from the DMG or any of the rival adventurers, yuan-ti, or drow parties detailed in Secrets of Xen\u2019drik.<\/li>\n
Suggested Encounters:<\/strong> Select an appropriate age for Karzrov, who can have class levels or be joined by minions to create a more dynamic final battle.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\nRewards<\/h4>\n
DEVOURING DARKNESS<\/h3>\n
Hooks<\/h4>\n
Sites<\/h4>\n