1. Organizations

Order of the Emerald Claw

Terrorists

First appearing in Karrnath a few years into the Last War, the Order of the Emerald Claw came to the aid of beleaguered Karrnathi troops, bolstering the nation’s defenses against the invading armies. In the decades since its formation, the order has vigorously set itself to numerous tasks, no matter how base, in the pursuit of its goals. Its members have been praised for bravery, innovation, and toughness as often as they have been accused of flaunting tradition and fomenting treason. Late in the war, Regent Moranna dissolved the order and cast it out. Though driven underground, soldiers of the Emerald Claw remain a powerful force for evil in the world, and they continue to work for hidden masters, furthering the plots of terrible forces.

Source:

The Order of the Emerald Claw began as an elite military force comprised of devoted Seekers. When Regent Moranna turned on the Blood of Vol, the Emerald Claw refused to stand down. Today, members of the order include both Seeker extremists and Karrnathi patriots furious at Kaius III for embracing peace. The ultimate leader of the Emerald Claw is the lich known to most as the Queen of the Dead, though those in the inner circle know her to be the infamous Lady Illmarrow of Farlnen. She claims that her violent actions are for the good of Karrnath and the Blood of Vol, but in truth, they primarily benefit her and serve to spread terror.

The Order of the Emerald Claw is full of villains whose actions have cast all Seekers in a bad light, and most Seekers despise the Emerald Claw. If you have ties to the Emerald Claw, you could have served with them before realizing that the Queen of the Dead is pursuing her own evil agenda; if so, you could be determined to find some way to destroy the lich and restore honor to the order. Or you could be convinced that Lady Illmarrow truly does have the best interests of your people at heart. Has she been unjustly vilified? Or are you simply a tool? If you wish to play a Seeker veteran without the villainous ties of the Emerald Claw, the Order of the Onyx Skull was another elite unit comprised of Seekers, but disbanded on Moranna’s orders. As a paladin of the Blood of Vol, you could be a knight of the Onyx Skull who has taken up adventuring after being cast aside by your nation. Are you still loyal to Karrnath? Or do you believe Kaius III is a traitor to your people?

Source: Exploring Eberron

Player's Guide to Eberron

In the beginning of the Last War, the agents of the Order of the Emerald Claw were the heroes of Karrnath. Their devotion to their nation was matched only by their cunning and skill at arms. The knights of the order were instrumental in Karrnath’s military success, and it is now believed that certain acts of espionage and sabotage that occurred in other nations were their secret handiwork.

As time passed, though, the King of Karrnath began to have his doubts about the order. The knights of the Emerald Claw were fiercely devoted to Karrnath, but few outside the order’s highest levels knew that their devotion masked service to another master—the Blood of Vol. Ultimately, edicts were passed condemning the order for its violent activities, and by 980 YK it was formally disbanded and outlawed by Moranna, the regent of Karrnath. But while the Emerald Claw no longer has any ties to the government of Karrnath, it continues to operate in the shadows across Khorvaire. The order claims to still be dedicated to Karrnath, but makes known its belief that Kaius III is weak and that he betrayed the country when he sought peace.

Few outside the most high-ranking members of the order understand and appreciate the true connection between the order and the Blood of Vol. Most assume that since the order consists of loyal Karrnathi, it is understandable that some of its members follow the teachings of the Blood. The truth is, however, that Vol created the order not to help Karrnath, but to help herself. The Emerald Claw represents the claw of a green dragon, a connection to Vol’s heritage as a half-dragon. It has members, both recognized and hidden, operating throughout the Five Nations and beyond. These members serve as Vol’s eyes and ears, her devoted army, and her trusted hunters of arcane relics of power.

When dealing with the Order of the Emerald Claw, it is easy to dismiss them as zealots and extremists. Of all the villains in Eberron, they are perhaps the most straightforward—where you fi nd the order, you can usually assume that evil is afoot. Never underestimate the Order of the Emerald Claw, though, for it can attract skilled wizards and warriors to its banner, and the organization’s combination of patriotism and (secret) religious fervor wins it many allies among the common folk. The order might invariably be dedicated to evil, but it can still dupe good people into serving its ends.

You might be dealing with the Order of the Emerald Claw if your foes include intelligent undead such as vampires or liches, if they reveal Karrnathi accents, or if they display high levels of military or magical training. Naturally, if you see the symbol of the order displayed on shields or helmets, it’s a dead giveaway that the order is involved. Outside Karrnath and particularly beyond Khorvaire, members of the order do not always take pains to conceal their affi liation.

July 21st, 2020

Rising

What arose as an order of militant knights within the nation of Karrnath fell into disgrace and became a shattered remnant. The Order of the Emerald Claw now operates as a collection of cells of fanatical warriors, necromancers, and spies. On the surface, its members seem to be driven by Karrnathi patriotism, and they purport to be adherents of the Blood of Vol. The most cursory investigation reveals that claim to be a facade.

The truth behind the Emerald Claw is that they serve the lich Lady Illmarrow, and in her name they carry out acts of destruction, murder, and necromantic terrorism. They have been linked to the theft of powerful items imbued with necromancy magic, and they often employ vicious undead minions that make even other Karrns uncomfortable. Most worshipers of the Blood of Vol are quick to point out that they don’t accept the order’s claim to membership in their faith, and those true worshipers vehemently reject the Emerald Claw’s violent fanaticism.

The Emerald Claw and the War

During the Last War, Karrnath was forced to embrace the practice of necromancy to bolster the ranks of its army. At the same time, a number of chivalric orders were founded by devoted worshipers of the Blood of Vol. These groups included necromancers and bone knights that were trained to raise and command the undead troops used during the war. The Order of the Emerald Claw was one of the most infamous of these groups, renowned for its fighting skills but often sanctioned for its brutal treatment of enemy soldiers. The Emerald Claw were also accused of slaughtering civilians so they could be raised as skeletons or zombies — behavior that was strictly forbidden by the Karrnath commanders.

When King Kaius III came to power near the end of the war, he turned against the Blood of Vol. The orders were disbanded, and many members of the Emerald Claw were condemned as war criminals. While the other orders complied with the king’s edict, many knights of the Emerald Claw refused to surrender. The order fragmented as its original members scattered, but a number of those rebellious knights started their own cells, rallying all who wanted to see Karrnath achieve its rightful glory. The order experienced a surge in membership following the Treaty of Thronehold because many Karrns thought that Kaius III had betrayed their nation by embracing peace.

Six years ago, shortly after Kaius’s accession, a figure known as Lady Illmarrow emerged as the leader of the Order of the Emerald Claw. Few of her followers know anything about her, other than her great skill as a necromancer; many members of the Order refer to her as Queen of the Dead. Some members of the order believe she will ultimately raise Karrnath above all other nations. Others simply trust that she will grant them personal power. They believe that she is poised to become a god of death, and that when she ascends to divinity, they will be granted immortality or at least the eternal life of undeath.

January 16th, 2020

NPCs

Given the undeniable nature of the order, villains associated with the Emerald Claw present an opportunity to provide characters with adversaries that are memorably evil, and that revel in their villainy.

Emerald Claw NPCs

d6 NPC
1 Though mortal, this fanatical warrior drinks the blood of those he slays in battle.
2 A cleric tries to convince her enemies to embrace the order, promising eternal life through undeath.
3 A noble with sympathies toward the order hides a cell’s library vault within the grounds of their estate.
4 A suave vampire would rather charm its enemies than crush them in battle.
5 An artificer is obsessed with infusing necromantic curses into their construct creations.
6 A changeling necromancer often poses as a vampire or a mummy, even though it’s still alive.
January 16th, 2020

Campaign Hooks and Adventure Ideas

Emerald Claw Campaign Themes

At low levels, adventurers can clash with Emerald Claw skeletons and zombies. As the characters grow more capable, the threats escalate. They might have to protect a village from a necromancer who is sucking the life out of the land, or race through a dungeon to acquire a necromantic relic before the Claw can claim it. The Emerald Claw is ideally suited to pulp action; it’s a force that is blatant in its villainy and has hordes of evil minions to do its bidding. Defeating the schemes of the Emerald Claw should always feel like the right thing to do.

Although many members of the Emerald Claw believe that they are fighting for Karrnath, they are truly serving the lich Lady Illmarrow (see chapter 6). The greatest necromancer of the age, she seeks to unlock the secrets of her inactive dragonmark, the Mark of Death. If she succeeds, she could come to possess unimaginable power. This makes her a formidable villain to drive the action of an entire campaign.

Emerald Claw Adventure Hooks

The Emerald Claw Adventure Hooks table offers some options to kick off adventures featuring the Emerald Claw that take place outside their sanctuaries.

Emerald Claw Adventure Hooks

d8 NPC
1 What at first appears to be a renegade group of Aundairian soldiers turn out to be undead under the order’s control.
2 The order strikes at a small keep, demanding the inhabitants surrender a particular volume from their library.
3 Investigating strange lights and sounds emanating from a crypt in the dead of night reveals the Emerald Claw experimenting on the corpses within.
4 The Emerald Claw violates graves near a small village, animating the corpses into undead laborers to help build an eldritch machine.
5 The Emerald Claw claims a village’s town hall for its own use, and any who come near are attacked. The sounds of torture ring out from within the building.
6 Investigating disappearances among an elf community reveals that the Order of the Emerald Claw has been attempting to inscribe something like a dragonmark in their skin, then reanimating the failed experiments as zombies.
7 While searching for a magic item in Dhakaani ruins across southern Khorvaire, the characters discover that Emerald Claw agents are looking for the same thing and seem to have access to information the adventurers lack.
8 A large force of Emerald Claw knights offers the characters a choice: join the order, or submit themselves to death and an eternity of servitude from beyond the grave.
January 16th, 2020

Library Vault

Map 4.9 shows a library vault maintained by the Order of the Emerald Claw. The order collects dark materials and forbidden magic and holds them for safekeeping in these heavily defended locations. Each vault also functions as a chapter house or a sanctuary for a local cell.

Library Vault Features

Library vaults can be found in a variety of locations. Some of them are crypts or dungeons secreted away underground, while others are hidden in plain sight inside a home or a business. Whatever its specific location, a vault is always equipped with defensive features, some of which remain active even after the outer door is breached.

map49_libraryvault.jpg

Map 4.9: Library Vault

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Library Vault Adventures

The Library Vault Adventures table outlines some possibilities for adventure involving one of these locations.

Library Vault Adventures

d6 Adventure Goal
1 Destroy a scroll containing an incantation that allows even non-spellcasters to animate the dead.
2 Steal the journal of a powerful necromancer that’s being held in the vault’s collection.
3 Trade a powerful dark magic weapon in return for the rescue of important hostages taken by the order.
4 Steal a suit of armor that contains the soul of a hero slain during the Last War.
5 Search the collection for information on the Queen of the Dead, or “Lady Illmarrow,” as she is known.
6 Infiltrate the vault to get close to a new Emerald Claw recruit, then convince them to come to their senses and return to their family.
January 16th, 2020

ECS

The reputation of the knightly Order of the Emerald Claw has gone from one extreme to the other. When it was established, the order was considered the ultimate expression of Karrnathi patriotism. Today, it has been outlawed and is seen as a terrorist organization working at crosspurposes to the legitimate government of the nation. The secret truth beyond the origin of the order and the evil it serves is terrifying.

On the surface, the Order of the Emerald Claw appears to consist of a small number of fanatics dedicated to the military superiority of a Karrnath that doesn’t want their devotion. In reality, the order has no interest in promoting or elevating Karrnath. Its true master, hidden to all but the top leaders within the organization, is Vol, the self-styled Queen of the Dead.

This seemingly small group is like an iceberg; the tip that rises above the surface is nothing compared to the mountain of ice hidden beneath the waves. The Order supports a vast network whose tendrils wind through all levels of Khorvairian society. It has eyes and ears in the halls of government, churches, dragonmarked houses, and private institutions. Some of its agents never reveal their true nature; others appear proudly in the knightly garb of the order.

Vol uses the Order of the Emerald Claw to incite fear and terror, to cast suspicion on the actions of Karrnath and its leaders, to foment unrest, and to perform military missions that go beyond the capabilities of her followers within the Blood of Vol. Knights of the order scour the world for relics and artifacts of powerful magic, and aren’t above stealing arcane research from wizards and artificers to churn out new magic weapons for the order or for Vol.

The garb worn by the knights of the order includes a distinctive helmet with a half faceplate, a tabard with a claw insignia over chainmail, and a powerful flail.

August 10th, 2019

Members

5