Poisons, Drugs and Plants

A compilation of Poisons, Drugs and Plants that are prevalent in Eberron.

Helmsbane

A subterranean root plant similar to the potato only it grows downward from the ceilings of caverns, draping its leaves downward to extract nutrients from the various gases present deep underground. The tubers are difficult to extract from the fine rock fractures from which it grows.

When ground and dried it becomes a cakey yellow powder which upon ingestion removes all higher thought from its victim, they would not eat if they were not told to. The eyes turn milky white and the victim is highly susceptible to suggestion, some have even taken their own life at the request of their poisoner.

This drug is particularly employed by evil denizens of Khyber who like to keep their food fresh, it is worth noting that those who eat the flesh of a poisoned victim experience no effects of secondary poisoning.

This poison is particularly difficult to purge from the system, its effects lasting days or even weeks to wear off, and many of those poisoned actually die from their “cold turkey”. There is no known antidote.

Dreamlily

Healers first used essence of Dreamlily, a powerful opiate from Sarlona, during the Last War. Once the Brelish Crown realised the dangers of addiction, use of this elixir was quickly outlawed.

This has not erased the demand for the drug, and the control of the dreamlily trade is a source of significant strife in the Lower-City.

Essence of dreamlily is an iridescent, psionically active liquid. It draws on the mind of the user, and tastes like his favorite beverage. Each use of the drug can potentially lead to an overdose, especially for those addicted to it.

Icewild Lichen Paste

Icewild, or muqqa, is a stimulant that produces a feeling of energy and euphoria lasting 2d4 hours. Consumption of one dose confers immunity to the effects of fatigue or exhaustion from running, forced march, altitude, or temperature (although nonlethal damages still taken). One dose also removes one step of fatigue from any other source (an exhausted character becomes fatigued, and a fatigued character recovers).

At the end of the effect's duration, the character is fatigued for 2d4 minutes.

Icewild can be used once per day. Anyone who takes more than one dose within 24 hours immediately overdoses, taking 1d4 points of Constitution damage per additional dose, and gains none of the usual benefits.

Icewild can be purchased in the less reputable sections of Whitetooth and Winterstead.

Tashana Lichen Pastes

Tashana shamans can create a wide variety of magic substances from the native rock lichens that approximate the effects of standard potions and oils. The lichen pastes use natural materials and processes such as sun-drying, but otherwise have the same creation costs and requirements of a potion or oil, including spellcasting ability, the Brew Potion feat, and the XP and gp costs (DMG 286).

In the coastal ports of Whitetooth and Winterstead, lichen pastes can be purchased at normal cost (DMG 230). In addition, individual tribes encountered in the inland of Tashana might be willing to sell or barter lichen pastes. The DM should set price and availability, considering the size and disposition of the tribe.

Physical Description: Tashanan lichen pastes differ in consistency and appearance depending on whether they're intended to be applied (as an oil) or consumed (as a potion). Consumable pastes appear as very small and thin wafers of shredded leaves. Oil-type pastes have a greasy or butteryconsistency. Taste and smell also vary among types, and experienced characters can learn to identify a lichen paste by remembering particular attributes—for example, a minty taste might indicate curative properties, while a particularly pungent odor specifies barkskin. Lichen pastes are typically stored in small hide pouches. Pouches have AC 13, 2 hit points, and hardness 2. The relative portability and durability of lichen pouches give them an advantage over ceramic or glass potion vials.

Activation: Consumable pastes are heavily concentrated, relative to potions, and dissolve almost instantly when placed under the tongue. Applicable pastes can be smeared just as traditional oils. Activating a paste is a standardaction that provokes attacks of opportunity, and the effect takes place immediately. Incorporeal characters cannot use lichen pastes of either variety. Curative lichen pastes can be administered to unconscious creatures as a standard action (a potion requires a full-round action).

The Tashana region also produces some lichens which contain natural magical/psychoactive properties. These lichens do not require any preparation and can be harvested and ingested raw. The most notorious of these is the blood-red rock lichen known as icewild.

Slow Sap

Slow sap, a clear, odorless contact poison (DC 18, 1d6 Str/2d6 Str), has been used in the Red Ring arena for years because of its slow-acting quality. The poison’s primary damage does not take effect until 10 minutes after a would-be victim has been exposed. Poisoners in the employ of a rival stable often coat the interior of armour or a weapon’s grip with slow sap.

Striped Toadstool

These inocuous fungi get their name from their peculiar patterns. They have a series of concentric rings or stripes upon their cap. These stripes can vary greatly in colour depending on environment and the substrate from which they are gaining nutrients. They are found all across Eberron and they range in size from a few centimetres across to the huge huge specimens found deep in the Eldeen Reaches or the Jungles of Xen'drik, which are reportedly several feet in diameter.

(ingested poison, DC11 1 Wis/ 2d6 Wis + 1d4 Int. 180 gp/dose)

White-Flower Vine Wine

This Q’Barran is known for its properties of breaking down the resolve of those who drink it. It’s effects are similar to Zone of Truth, but more painful. Of course many lizardfolk enjoy this wine as they are immune to the acidic effects that it has, but anyone without acid resistance is sure to get a case of heartburn if they don’t tell the truth. 

Upon first drinking the wine the imbiber experiences a rush of pleasure as the sweet liquid intoxicates the senses. A wave of relaxation washes over the drinker and they feel a light tingling in their extremities. This quickly fades as their thirst is quenched remarkably effectively. Unfortunately this quenching does not last long. 

Moments later their stomach begins to churn and nausea washes over them along with profuse sweating and disorientation as the acid within the wine begins to find its way into the bloodstream. 

(This sickly feeling gives a -1 penalty to all attacks, skill chacks and saves - a DC 21 fortitude save negates this and every other effect) 

One glassful will cause these effects and for each glass another save must be made. 

Each time they lie, or evade the truth they must make a fortitude save (DC 21) or the acid wine in their veins flushes through their system dealing them 1d4+1 points of acid damage. 

The wine stays in the system for 1d6 hours and it is effective for the full duration.

The Deathsgate Guild

Taken from "Sharn - City of Towers"

Deathsgate Guild, Grey Embers Tower, Deathsgate, Middle Tavick's Landing, Sharn.

Established 200 years ago, this is a guild for adventurers and soldiers of fortune - a place for people with talent and courage to hone their skills and enjoy the company of like-minded folk. Deathsgate Guild adventurers are mostly 2nd-5th level characters [cut], and most seved in the Last War. The adventurers of Deathsgate Guild have a strong rivalry with the adventurers of the Clifftop Guild, and Deathsgaters often start fights with their counterparts, both in Sharn and while out on adventures.
[cut]

Joining
To join the guild a character must gain the approval of at least five current members and must pay the annual dues of 12 gp. In exchange he gets access to the guildhouse and the companionship of fellow adventurers. Aside from simple cameraderie, this provides the following benefits:

While at the guildhouse a character receives a +2 bonus on any Knowledge (dungeoneering) check or Knowledge check involvong Xen'drik.

• The guildhouse provides average accomodations for members at the cost of 5 sp/day. However the guildhouse has the same security precautions as an upscale inn.
• The guild will store items for its members. it has two voluminous vaults, one of adamantine and one of steel. If objects need to be stored for over a week, the guild charges 5gp per object/week.
• The guild maintains a list of references for hirelings and inquisitives that have worked for guild members. As a result, if the party has connections with the guild, any hirelings they employ should be honest and reliable.
• In addition, members share information and may help one another find jobs or expeditions.

The Guildhouse
The premises that the guild meet in are somewhat similar to a gentlemen's club or lounge.
There are always two guards on the door and they will only permit entry to guild members or those under invite of a member.
Upon entering the air is warm and gently scented with the gentle aroma of fine food, drink and the musty scent of books. A fire burns in the hearth through the cooler months which creates a welcoming atmosphere. Large and exotic potted plants convey a sense of exploration to the lounge and the mahogany panelled walls are adorned with the stuffed heads and skins of strange and perhaps unnatural monsters. Statuettes and ornaments from across Eberron stand as tribute to the diversity of the members travels and well used bookshelves hold tomes on Xen'drik, natural lore, religeous lore and Khyber as well as several well written expedition field notes. Members are free to peruse these at their leisure, however guests leafing through these works are politely asked to refrain.

The Draconic Prophecy

By Keith Baker (taken from here)

The scrying pool was a mirror of the sky, and the glittering Ring of Siberys stretched across its surface. Tielanthraxa whispered and the image grew, moving closer and closer until she could see the individual stones that made up a particular section of the ring. The shards were silhouetted against the lunar sphere of Rhaan, and the image was unmistakable: Khyber's Claw, surrounded by the light of the crimson moon.

The dragon hissed in frustration. For days, she had watched the signs appear in the heavens, cross-referencing the omens with the Codex of Alaraxus and the movement of smoke and water. This was the final piece in the puzzle. The Lord of Fire would rise again in the City of Illusions, and only three could return him to his prison: the child of storms, the shaper of steel, and the hand of the Keeper. Tonight she would head to Khorvaire; tomorrow she would begin the search for her soldiers of destiny.

The most ancient legend is the tale of the three progenitor dragons: Khyber, Eberron, and Siberys. Some say that Khyber slew Siberys, only to be bound by Eberron; the three dragons became the world (Eberron), the darkness within (Khyber), and the ring in the sky (Siberys).

Most people are familiar with this legend; most religions commonly accept it, with other deities and powers rising in the age that followed. But few tales explain the reason behind the legend. Some scholars say that Khyber and Siberys learned of a secret tied to the fate of the universe itself, and that they fought to control this power.

No human knows the truth of this legend. But the dragons of Argonnessen are far older than humanity. They are the true children of Siberys, and they have devoted tens of thousands of years to studying the ancient mystery -- the Draconic Prophecy.

While the Prophecy illuminates the future, it rarely presents a single path. Take the example at the beginning of this article. After considering various signs, the sage Tielanthraxa concludes that "The Lord of Fire will rise again in the Demon Wastes, and only three can return him to his prison." Only three people can defeat the demon described in this piece of the Prophecy.

However, the Prophecy doesn't say whether they SHOULD defeat the demon -- only that they can. Most dragon scholars collect this knowledge but do not act upon it; the elders believe that the purpose of the draconic race is to chronicle the Prophecy. The younger dragons of the Chamber wish to shape the future, but they don't always agree on the path it should take. As a result, one faction within the Chamber may try to guide the three destined warriors in the defeat of the demon. Another may work to handicap the three; these wyrms have unearthed a different passage in the Prophecy that ties to the demon, and the dragons want the fiend to remain free until this prediction has come to pass. Neither faction cares about the demon, or for that matter the warriors; the main questions are who controls the future and whose interpretation will become fact.

This allows the DM some latitude when using the Prophecy to drive a storyline. According to the Prophecy, the player characters are the only people who can defeat this rakshasa rajah. But this particular example doesn't say exactly how or when they will defeat it. This sets the wheels of adventure in motion -- but leaves room for interpretation and failure. If the party fails in their first attempt, they'll simply have to try to come up with a new approach. Perhaps they can't beat it alone -- but they can play a key role in uniting the Church of the Silver Flame and the paladins of Dol Arrah against this common foe. The DM must decide how detailed the relevant section of the Prophecy is -- which in turn determines how creative the party can be while still fulfilling the needs of destiny.

Pieces of the Prophecy
No character -- or Dungeon Master -- will ever find a complete text of the Draconic Prophecy. Through interaction with the Serens and dragons themselves, sages have learned that the dragons do have dragonshard texts recording pieces of the Prophecy, the most notable of which are the Codex of Alaraxus and the Talash Siberys. However, to a large degree, these are accounts of events that have already come to pass or incomplete fragments that are useless on their own. The keys to completing these fragments are written on the world. The Prophecy unfolds in the sky -- in the movement of stars and shards. It reveals itself in the depths, when strange markings are found on the walls of chambers untouched by any living creature. And these are simply the most obvious signs. A dragon sage may draw inspiration from the whispering wind, the patterns of an avalanche, or the shifting sands of a desert. The level of complexity is almost unfathomable to the human mind, and even for a wise and cunning dragon it takes centuries to learn to read these signs.

Over the past three thousand years, the Prophecy has found a new canvas: the inhabitants of Khorvaire. The dragonmarks resemble the designs that previously appeared only in bones of the world: on cavern walls and ocean reefs. Dragon sages have devoted millennia to determining the meaning of these manifestations. Some believe that each house has a role to play in the Prophecy, while others see each dragonmarked individual as representing a specific variable. A member of the Chamber who is attempting to enact a particular passage of the Prophecy may feel that a reference to "Storm" requires the involvement of all House Lyrandar, any member of House Lyrandar, or to a particular heir of the house, whom he has identified as the "Child of Storms."

Player characters may encounter pieces of the Prophecy in a variety of forms.

Translated Text: The party receives an intact (though undoubtedly cryptic) section of the Prophecy. A member of the Chamber may relate a specific passage to the party to justify her actions. A character could intercept a scroll being transported by a Seren courier -- who might be killed by Aereni spies, agents of the Lords of Dust, or even opposing members of the Chamber. In this situation, interpretation of the Prophecy could be critical to survival.

Landmarks: Before the first dragonmarks ever appeared on living beings, they appeared on the land itself. A mark could be carved into a cavern wall, a coral pattern shaped as a mark could form on the ocean floor, or the path of a twisting river could form a mark. These marks appear only at certain times and become visible only under the light of a certain conjunction of moons; a mark might even appear in a lava flow that lasts for only a few hours.
These landmarks are complex patterns that resemble the dragonmarks found on living creatures. Interpreting the general meaning of such a mark requires knowledge of Draconic and a successful DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) check. However, the deeper meaning can be understood only when it is placed in context with the geographic location of the mark, its relationship to the moons and the Ring of Siberys, and the lore collected by the seers of Argonnessen over the course of eons. When an adventure involves a landmark, the goal is rarely to translate it. Instead, the challenge will be finding the mark, duplicating it or moving it, and quite possibly destroying it before it can fall into enemy hands.

Living Prophecy: While any player character may have a role to play in the Prophecy, characters with dragonmarks are integrally tied to it. By simply moving around the world, a dragonmarked character is serving as a living parchment. Whenever he meets another dragonmarked character, that interaction may have oracular significance. As a result, the Chamber could stage elaborate scenarios just to get two dragonmarked characters in a particular location at the same time. This is especially relevant if the party has a recurring villain or rival with a dragonmark -- perhaps an unknown destiny links hero and villain together.

False Prophecy: The Lords of Dust despise the dragons of Argonnessen, and they have had tens of thousands of years to scheme. A cunning fiend may create a false passage of the Prophecy. While an elder wyrm might see through the deception, a naïve younger member of the Chamber could be led astray, and a party of adventurers could be caught up in this treachery.

The ShapersMany scholars have heard of the Draconic Prophecy, but many believe it of interest only to the dragons -- that only the seers of Argonnessen can decipher its many twists and turns. In fact, a number of different groups are watching the Prophecy, and any of these could be the driving force behind an adventure.

The Chamber: These dragons are the most active agents of prophecy. The members of the Chamber are determined to bring the events of the Prophecy to fruition -- even if this takes eons to accomplish. However, different factions within the Chamber may support different interpretations of a given section -- and a party of adventurers could be caught between these warring wyrms. Likewise, the Chamber has little regard for human life: Members of the common races are simply tools that the dragons are required to use. As a result, a Chamber patron may assist the party one day and send them into a death trap the next.
The Chamber has emerged only recently. Few of its members are over 600 years old, and most are considerably younger. Bronze, silver, and gold dragons are the most common agents, since the alternate form power allows these dragons to move among humans unseen, but other dragons can use polymorph to accomplish the same effect. The Chamber also operates through Seren agents or employs members of other races -- so not every Chamber operative will turn out to be a dragon.

The Elder Wyrms of Argonnessen: As a rule, the great wyrms of Argonnessen believe that dragons should record the outcome of the Prophecy. They willingly let the children of the Chamber push the future in one direction or another -- but if they feel that any force is truly placing the outcome of the Prophecy in jeopardy, they act decisively and with terrible force. While the elders may act directly, they also make use of Seren agents and observers.
The Undying Court: The deathless elves of the Undying Court are among the only beings old enough and wise enough to decipher the Draconic Prophecy. What remains unclear is whether the elves wish to use the Prophecy for their own ends -- or to destroy it to cripple the destiny of the dragons. This is thought to be the cause of the perennial conflicts between the dragons and Aerenal.

The Lords of Dust: These immortal fiends are the oldest beings on Khorvaire. The ancient dragons defeated the rakshasa rajahs, and the remaining Lords of Dust enjoy nothing more than interfering with the descendants of their enemies.

Independents: Flamewind the sphinx (Sharn: City of Towers, page 72)and Sora Teraza (Eberron Campaign Setting, page 166) may reveal pieces of the Draconic Prophecy to party members, setting them on a particular path. Powerful wizards like Mordain the Fleshweaver (Eberron Campaign Setting, page 167) or Erandis d'Vol(Eberron Campaign Setting, page 186) could uncover specific fragments of the Prophecy relating to their plans. In particular, Vol could be working with rogue elements of the Chamber in her quest to restore the Mark of Death.

Essentially, the Draconic Prophecy is a living changing fortune telling device plastered all over Khorvaire in many forms. The way it works is it sets out a few conditions, and if those are met, a specified result is ensured. So, the future is not set entirely in stone, but there are a finite amount of paths that it can go down, and the prophecy acts as a map.For example; if you want to rule over Droam, harvest all tidbits of the prophecy until you find the one relating to Droam. It says something along the lines of "In the twentieth cycle of Barrakas, after the great disaster, the hags will leave Droamm. If the dragon killer hero, son of the forge is killed before they return, the Horned one shall rule." So, when the time comes, if the hags do indeed leave droam, any adventurer who has killed a dragon and bears a Cannith bloodline better watch their backs because the Horned One, if he has any knowledge of this particular piece of the prophecy, is going to have him killed to ensure his plans of succession pass. The reason for this coming true may be simple or quite complicated. Perhaps the d'Cannith Dragonslayer had a magic item that the Hags needed to be immortal and rule over Droam forever, and by killing him the Horned One denies the hags that which they might have stolen for themselves.The Prophecy has other mystical powers as well, which are as many and as varied as it's own manifestations. Some people, through their understanding of the prophecy, actually gain mystical abilities and a clarity that normal men can't imagine.

Using the Prophecy
A strange pattern appears on the wall of a deep cavern — a spiraling series of lines, vaguely reminiscent of Draconic characters.

A child is born to two full-blooded members of House Cannith, but even at birth she bears an aberrant dragonmark.

The moon Aryth eclipses Lharvion at the precise moment that the plane Thelanis becomes coterminous with Eberron.

When a dragon sage gathers all these facts, she nods. With a few words, she records her conclusions in the spellshard that lies before her. One more path to the future — one more piece of the draconic Prophecy — has been revealed.

The Prophecy is a core element of the Eberron campaign setting. Dragon and fiend battle over its outcome. It might call for a reluctant adventurer to take on the mantle of hero — or it might warn of dire consequences if adventurers slay a hated foe.

Few outside the dragon lands of Argonnessen know of the draconic Prophecy. Most common folk of Khorvaire view the long-lived dragons with fear and mistrust, when forced to think of them at all. However, the dragons shepherd vast and intricate plans toward fulfillment, plans that have at their heart the sacred Prophecy. Some enlightened individuals among the “lesser races” have gained an understanding of the Prophecy, or at least of its existence. A rare few scholars have even attempted to study the Prophecy. Such research is typically shortlived, however, because dragons do not tend to look kindly on those seeking to meddle in any fashion with the Prophecy. Some of these researchers simply disappear, while others develop a sudden interest in some other project.

A few members of the lesser races have learned something of the Prophecy. After the emergence of dragonmarks, the dragons realized that, just perhaps, humanoids have some important role to play in the unfolding Prophecy. Many dragons believe that observation of the bearers of dragonmarks, especially those that find some greater purpose in life, is enough. But a few dragons decided several hundred years ago that they desired an insider’s perspective.
But what is the draconic Prophecy? And what are effective ways to use it in a campaign?

Source and PurposeNone can question the power of the draconic Prophecy. Its power as a tool of divination has been proven time and again. But philosophers and sages — human and dragon, celestial and fiend — have long debated the source of its power. How can the paths of the future be mapped out on stone and sky? Is this proof of divine intervention … or does such a concrete cosmic plan defy the existence of free-willed gods?

Tens of thousands of years of debate and divination have produced no clear answers. Here are a few of the popular theories; only the DM can decide if any of these are true.

The Prophecy is a reflection of the ongoing struggle between Khyber and Eberron. The Progenitors shaped reality at the beginning of time, and the Prophecy reflects their divergent desires for their creation. This is the central belief of the dragon religion Thir.

The Prophecy is the work of the dragon deity Chronepsis, master of fate. The core doctrine of Thir says that Chronepsis is the scribe of the Progenitors. However, certain dragons believe that Chronepsis alone chooses the path of the Prophecy.

The Prophecy is the creation of Aureon, Sovereign of Law and Lore. This is the popular theory of followers of the Sovereign Host. The doctrine of Thir acknowledges Aureon — Ourelonastrix — as the first prophet, but not as the creator of the Prophecy.

The Prophecy is a divine force, not unlike the Silver Flame. It draws its power from all living beings. It is shaped by their desires, and it channels their wants. This is how it can predict the future, because it influences people to act in accordance with its predictions.

Each of the thirteen Outer Planes has an underlying consciousness. Eberron is where the planes converge, and the Prophecy is the result of the debate between these planar voices.

The Prophecy is the ultimate source of magical energy. Magic has the power to reshape reality, and the draconic Prophecy is the ultimate expression of this. Even those who agree on the nature of the Prophecy argue about its purpose. For much of the history of Argonnessen, the followers of Thir have held to the belief that the Prophecy is the record of creation, and that the purpose of the dragons is to watch and record until creation runs its course. This means they can prevent others from tampering with the course of destiny, but should not manipulate it themselves.

The dragons of the Chamber counter that Ourelonastrix and Hezcalipa used their knowledge of the Prophecy to defeat the Overlords in the Age of Demons. These dragons claim that the Prophecy is a tool, a gift to allow those wise enough to read it some control over the future. In their view, dragons should be on guard against other forces who seek to control this power. The Lords of Dust have always sought to use the Prophecy as a weapon against their foes. The elves of the Undying Court have unraveled many of its mysteries. Now, some among the lesser nondragons seek to use the Prophecy as a tool, if they can only master its secrets.

Ultimately, the Dungeon Master must decide if mortals are meant to tamper with the Prophecy. The consequences of this decision are explored below.

The Nature of the Prophecy
The draconic Prophecy has existed since the dawn of time. Dragons and demons have sought its power. But what is the Prophecy? What form does it take? How can people fight over its outcome? And how can an infallible prophecy work in a game that is, ultimately, defined by player choices?

The key is that the draconic Prophecy is a living thing. It has never been fully recorded because it is constantly growing and evolving. The Prophecy is a map showing many paths that the future might take, and revealing dependencies. Consider the following:

If the King of Breland is assassinated on the day of the gargoyle's first victory, there will be war in the west. If there is war between Droaam and Breland, and if the last child of the storm faces the three daughters, the first hag will return.

This is the nature of the Prophecy. It is a web that is constantly unfolding, and the future is formed by threads from thousands of evolving events. This is how the Chamber and the Lords of Dust use the Prophecy as a weapon. Find an outcome you desire, then trace back the path of events that will make it happen. If the Lords of Dust want Sora Kell to return, they must see to it that King Boranel is slain on the same day that Carralag the gargoyle wins the Race of Eight Winds in Sharn. This will lead to war … and that paves the way for the next convergence they wish to control. Meanwhile, if the Chamber can prevent Carralag's victory or Boranel's death, it has staved off this fate … though it might have set another path in motion. This is the trick to dealing with the Lords of Dust and the Chamber; both groups are often working toward long-term goals that can't even be seen without the use of the Prophecy. The Chamber might help stop a massacre, or it might cause a massacre — in either case the dragons care nothing about the victims. They are concerned only with the chain of events that are set in motion, and it might take years, decades, or longer for matters to play out.

Form of the Prophecy
Typically, adventurers encounter the Prophecy in one of three ways.

Signs and Portents: A convergence of moons and planes. A symbol revealed by an earthquake. Three dragonmarked heirs slain by fire. These are some of the ways in which the Prophecy is made manifest. But taken alone, none of these manifestations have meaning. It's like glancing at tea leaves or seeing two crows on a dead oak tree — without proper training, the omen cannot be interpreted. And the draconic Prophecy is far more complex than tea leaves or tarot cards. In the examples given above, all three of the events could be linked together. Moon, rune, and deaths are all pieces of the puzzle, and knowledge of past events might be just as crucial to success. Most creatures require decades to learn to interpret the simplest signs of the Prophecy, and it takes centuries to truly understand it. Even among the long-lived dragons, few have the patience and intelligence required to become true prophets. As such, adventurers rarely find a piece of the Prophecy that they can interpret on their own; instead, they need to find someone who can help them understand its meaning.

In the past, the symbols that appeared on the earth were called dragonmarks. These days, they are usually called Prophecy marks. The design of these marks is quite similar to those found on flesh, but every mark is different; each line has meaning to one who knows how to read them. If a character who speaks Draconic makes a DC 30 Spellcraft check, she gains a hint about the meaning of a mark, to a maximum of five words. For example, she might recognize the concepts of "king," "victory," and "moving stone." Although interesting, this hint rarely provides full meaning, and might actually be misleading.

A small Prophecy mark might be the size of a human fist. The largest marks are so big that they can be seen properly only from a great height. All marks radiate a strong aura of universal magic and occasionally shimmer with a blue-green radiance similar to the color of dragonmarks. Prophecy marks slowly repair themselves if damaged. It's possible to remove a small mark whole, but if a mark is simply damaged, it eventually re-forms.

The true nature of Prophecy marks is as mysterious as the Prophecy itself. In Xen'drik, explorers have found eldritch machines from the Age of Giants that seem to use Prophecy marks as a source of power, and many forces in Khorvaire — notably House Cannith, the Twelve, and the elemental binders of Zilargo — are working to unlock this secret.

Translations: A Prophecy mark on a cavern wall won't provide much insight into the Prophecy. The personal notes of a dragon scholar who has spent centuries collecting pieces of the Prophecy? That's another matter. The challenge for humans is that dragons typically use spellshards (ECS 265) to record knowledge. A spellshard formed for a dragon is the size of a small boulder. Some dragons prefer to carve their thoughts in stone; many lairs have a chamber of words, and adventurers could find insights about the Prophecy written there. Although few mortal nondragons have truly mastered the draconic Prophecy, a number of sages have studied it, and collected the writings of dragon prophets. Adventurers might find useful translations in the journal of, say, a dead cataclysm mage (EH 58).

The dragons of Argonnessen have created many records about the Prophecy. A translation could simply record events of the past — the shape the Prophecy finally took — but even this can be an important tool for interpreting future signs. Some records reveal possibilities — multiple paths that the future can take, depending on what events come to pass. Other dragon writings focus on a single chain of possibility — the path that the writers are working to achieve.

The precise form of these writings varies based on the author. A translation of the Prophecy could take the form of poetry, a formal treatise, or a few cryptic words. It has meaning to the author, but it might still puzzle the random reader.

Prophets: The simplest way to read meaning into the Prophecy is to know someone who can read its signs. The role of the dragon prophet has already been discussed, but other options exist. A deathless elf or disguised rakshasa could offer insight into a path of the Prophecy. A scholar might piece together a translation — imperfect, but something to work with. Or a dragonmarked character could have a sudden and vivid prophetic dream. A gift of Chronepsis? Insight flowing directly from the source of the Prophecy and through his dragonmark? Or part of a devious quori scheme?

The Prophecy As Adventure HookHaving considered the origin of the Prophecy and the forms it takes, a question remains. Why use it? What does it bring to an adventure?

Destiny: The draconic Prophecy is one way to establish certain adventurers as people who have a special destiny. The fact that player characters possess action points already suggests that they are favored by fate; the Prophecy can take this a step farther, cementing the fact that they are the only ones who can accomplish certain tasks. This helps even low-level adventurers stand out in the world. They might not be ready to take on the tarrasque now, but they know that some day, they are destined to battle it.

Control: The Prophecy is a tool that holds mighty forces in check. Both the Lords of Dust and the dragons of Argonnessen possess power that dwarfs that of most adventurers. But their knowledge of the Prophecy handicaps them in many ways. For example, the Prophecy could reveal that if the dragons defeat the Dreaming Dark, Tiamat will be released; but if the adventurers accomplish the same task, the Daughter of Tiamat will remain bound for another thousand years.

Choice: The Prophecy can be a tool to help the Dungeon Master choose the direction of a campaign. A prophet seeks out the adventurers and reveals that they are at a crossroads of fate. If they follow one path, war arises between Droaam and Breland. If they take the other path, they discover a lost kingdom in Xen'drik, and one among them dons a crown. So … do the players want a war campaign? Or an extended adventure in Xen'drik? The prophet doesn't tell them how events will play out — who will wear a crown, or if they will all live or die — but she gives them the opportunity to pick a direction for future adventures.

Battling Fate: Another possible path for a campaign is to reveal a piece of the Prophecy that the adventurers want to prevent from coming to pass. A warrior is destined to kill the one he loves the most. A wizard will unlock the secret of the Mourning … and destroy the Five Nations. Is it possible to avoid this fate? Or will the adventurers' attempts to change their destinies actually be the cause of their undoing?

In working with prophecy, ambiguity is a powerful tool. An adventurer will wear a crown … but does this mean he will rule a kingdom, or could it be a cursed crown that will give an undead spirit possession of his body? Likewise, a DM could rely on cryptic titles instead of being obvious from the start. The Prophecy might mention the "child of the crimson storm" … but it could take time to prove that this is in fact the Lyrandar heir in the party.

INCEPTION OF THE DRAGON PROPHETS
Overtures were made to specific individuals the dragons had observed for some time. Some bore dragonmarks themselves, but most did not. The individuals in question were all of an arcane bent, much like dragons themselves, and they were tasked with being the eyes and ears of their draconic masters, seeking signs of the Prophecy and occasionally acting on behalf of the dragons in causes in which the dragons were interested. In every case, these individuals acted to further the dragons’ understanding of the Prophecy. In the process, they gained some insight into its mysteries themselves and began to manifest strange new abilities reminiscent of the great dragon deities. These individuals collectively came to be known as dragon prophets (see page 63 for information on the dragon prophet prestige class).The dragon prophets have learned much from their draconic mentors (or masters, depending on the specific relationship involved), many dealing directly with a greater understanding of the draconic Prophecy. These abilities focus on the insight of the complex Prophecy, as well as a greater understanding of the world at large. As a prophet gains more of a grasp on the Prophecy, she begins to see everything around her in a different light. Many find themselves able to predict the future, while others simply become more aware of their surroundings.

DRAGONSHARDS AND THE PROPHECYThe dragons of Argonnessen are convinced that dragonshards are essential to understanding the Prophecy. The dragons read the true meaning of the marks within the shards, and realize that some marks are only truly understood when combined with or exposed to other marks.

Eberron shards, in particular, seem responsible for the manifestation of dragonmarks on the humans, elves, and other races of Khorvaire. Many sages believe that the dragonmarks were brought about due to long exposure, over many generations, to the Eberron dragonshards that lie just beneath the ground. Of course, those sages are unable to explain why no dragonmarks manifested among the orcs of the Eldeen Reaches or the goblinoids of the great Empire of Dhakaan during the millennia that passed before human, elf, and dwarf colonization.Many dragons spend every night for centuries looking up at the Ring of Siberys. The ring shifts subtly over time, as some of the dragonshards that comprise the ring fall to Eberron as Siberys showers. The dragons feel that signs and portents from the ring represent omens from the spirit of Siberys, guiding the dragons so that they can be prepared if the spawn of Khyber once again emerge to dominate the world.

Tales are told of great Khyber caverns, whose walls are covered in markings of all sorts, and yet those markings shift and fluctuate if a strongly attuned dragonshard is carried through the cavern. Some of the markings seem to shirk away from Eberron shards, yet they crowd toward a powerful Khyber shard. The effect is subtle, however, and only those possessing the great patience and attention of the dragons can truly appreciate these mark manifestations. Only the dragons and those versed in the Prophecy, such as dragon prophets, can gain any insight from the sigils deep within Khyber.

A few nondragons have been exposed to slivers of the Prophecy. Some deranged Dragon Below cultists who worship Khyber, the progenitor wyrm, believe that Khyber dragonshards bind the ancient dragon within the depths of the world. These cultists strive to remove or destroy Khyber shards through magical rituals designed to break the binding forces. Still another cult faction believes that the dragonshards represent the physical form of the dragon itself. These cultists are convinced that if a large enough concentration of Khyber dragonshards were collected, Khyber could find the strength to rise again. These cultists have amassed secret caches consisting of tens or hundreds of Khyber shards.Other, more scholarly types have suggested that the dragonmarks represent the dragon Eberron expressing its will through the dragonmarked races—races Eberron has chosen. What the races have been chosen for is unclear. Perhaps a cataclysmic showdown is inevitable, with the dragonmarked races battling the aberrations, fiends, and other forces of Khyber, as well as the dragons, the chosen of Siberys. This theory is but one of many regarding the relationship of dragonshards with the Prophecy.

The Street-Kind Charity

The charity itself was founded some seven years ago by Evix ir'Marasha, the councillor for Skyway. It was devised as part of her campaign to get the seat on Sharn's council. Regardless of the actual motivations behind the charity, it has actually done much for the impoverished citizens of Sharn, soup kitchens and fund-raising events have fed many who would have otherwise gone hungry, orphanages have taken desperate children off the streets and city guard patrols have been increased in some of the more dangerous residential neighbourhoods.

The Street-Kind Charity Ball
Once a year on the 7th of Therendor the Street-Kind charity ball is held at the residence of a wealthy Sharn noble. It is an event designed with the pretense of doing good for the community, yet it seems to be more about social networking. This years event (998 Y.K.) is being hosted by Corven ir'Salhmer, in her residence 'Crystal Springs', Mithral Tower on the Central Plateau.

The official purpose of the ball is to recognise those who have made a difference to impoverished families and communitites, to recognise acts of bravery and determination among the people who live in areas ravaged by crime and brutality, and to recognise the funds raised throughout the year via various functions and events hosted by patrons of the charity.

The proceeds of all the years events are then used to improve the areas that need it most...... Supposedly.

Usually at the ball there are some 200 people of varying social, political and economic castes. The function is for charity so all are welcome, although some of the aristocracy gaze upon the less fortunate as though they were vermin.
Tickets to the event are sold throughout the upper and middle classes in order to raise money for the charity and they range in price from 25 gp to 150 gp each.
Throughout the lower classes tickets are raffled off and the winners get an all expenses paid evening in luxurious surroundings. Obviously this makes winning the raffle quite a prize to those nefarious types who wish to exploit the kindness of strangers, and these people wil go to any lengths to get one.
The lowest of the social order wander the event in wide-eyed wonderment, occasionally slipping something, be it food or silverware, into their clothing. This is politely ignored by the Host and the upper classes and the security is asked to do the same.
Awards are presented later in the evening after a lavish banquet, folllowed by dancing and making merry until the early hours. The ball concludes with a raffle of goods donated by the wealthy. Tickets for this raffle are 1 sp each and are sold several months before the actual event, it is usual to sell several thousand tickets before the event and possibly several thousand on the night itself.

This years prizes are as follows:
1st - A Diamond Tiara with a magical aura
2nd - 3 Rings of Communication
3rd - A Rod of Sure Striking
4th - A Wand of Blur
5th - Least Crystal of Adamant Armour

Runners up
4 x 6th - 500 gp
10 x 7th - 100 gp
20 x 8th - 25 gp

The Order of the Long Arm - A Monastic Tradition

Quoted from the the Player's Guide to Eberron

Two centuries ago, a performing troupe of dancers and acrobats fell under persecution. To protect themselves as they traveled, they developed a unique brand of combat that emphasized their athleticism and grew naturally out of their dances. The form proved effective and popular, and now the Long Arm has schools throughout Khorvaire's major cities. Its practitioners favor the quarterstaff and can take Weapon Focus (quarterstaff) as their bonus feat at 2nd or 6th level. The school's tradition of performance persists, and its uniform includes bright colors and flowing scarves. Its martial moves are impressive, involving spins, leaps, and flips. Those who follow the Long Arm take Weapon Focus (quarterstaff) and Two-Weapon Fighting, and focus their skill ranks in Perform and Tumble.

Sudden Willow Strike
Your monastic training allows great precision with your quarterstaff. You can lash out swiftly and strike foes in vulnerable areas, stunning them.This feat is taught and practiced by members of the Long Arm monastic tradition.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (quarterstaff).
Benefit: You can use your Stunning Fist feat with quarterstaff attacks.Normal: You can use Stunning Fist only with unarmed attacks.

Long Arm
Knowledge (history)DC 20: The Long Arm school of martial arts evolved from a group of travelling performers.
Knowledge (nobility and royalty)DC 25: The Long Arm has close ties to House Phiarlan and House Thuranni.
Knowledge (religion)DC 20: Long Arm monks wield black quarterstaffs. Their combat style is flashy and impressive.

Home-Brew:
History and Traditions of the Order
The Long Arm"Remember the flame that burned the innocent."Most think that the Long Arm gained their name from their ability to seem quite inocuous before springing into a devastating strike with their trademark quarterstaff that they wield like an extension of their own arm, and this is quite true. However it also refers to the extent of their influence across the five nations due to their nomadic nature.

The Willow Path is the philosophy specific to the order and focuses specifically on the use of the quarterstaff. It implies flexibility in both combat and society and as initiates progress along the path they learn to become as the willow, standing firm on the earth, supple in the wind and reflecting upon oneself in the mirrored lake.They are an order of entertainers, spies and on occasion assassins. The Long Arm are a reasonably secretive order, their "Hostels" often disguised as simple bunk-houses for the poor and needy, and obviously many entertainers fall into this category. Due to the often nomadic nature of the initiates of this order these "Hostels" are rarely filled with monks, they instead provide services for the city's needy.

History Of the Long Arm
A tale by Darien Windsong- Disciple of the Word

"It was over 200 years ago when the "The Salix Spectacle" first gathered, although they did not travel by that name then, they were called "Willow's Carnival" back then. They travelled the length and breadth of Khorvaire performing their amazing acrobatic feats, dazzling spectators with their wonderful acts and terrifying them with their strange side-shows. It was one of these side-shows that would change the path of the carnival forever."

"Willow Greymane was a wonderfully visionary woman with a heart that was warmer than the fires of Fernia. She employed the lost, the lonely and the abandonned giving each and all a sense of purpose. This was a trait few have even today especially when you consider that many of her acts would be considered too risky to hire these days. One of her most popular acts in those days was a werewolf called Loret Belmar, a man who Willow was particularly fond of, who went by the stage-name "Mad-Howl". He would lock himself in a silver gilded cage before drawing back the curtain to gaze upon the moon, terrifying onllokers with his macabre transformation. There were also many shifters working for her in those days, all treated as equals and cared for just as she would care for her children."

"Then came the dark times. While no one knows how lycanthropy began, most know of the purge that almost brought it to an end. Around 800 YK, the power of the curse began to grow. The scholars of Aundair sought an answer in planar conjunctions or the influence of unknown fiends, while deep in the Eldeen Reaches shifter moonspeakers bemoaned the growing power of the unseen moon. Evil lycanthropes - always the most numerous of the shapeshifters - became even more vicious, and many good and neutral lycanthropes were corrupted and drawn down to the darkness. Afflicted lycanthropes gained the ability to pass the curse to their own victims, allowing lycanthropy to spread with terrifying speed. By the early years of the ninth century, packs of werewolves were roaming across western Khorvaire and wererats had established warrens beneath the greatest cities of the age. Farmers lived in fear of wolves that walked like humans. What was once a superstition used to frighten children was now horrifying reality. The Church of the Silver Flame declared ALL changers to be anathema and waged a war against the lycanthropes, they began to purge the land of all those suspected of carrying the disease."

"It was during these dark days that "Willows Carnival" was travelling through Thrane, the home of the Flame, at the time Thrane was neck deep in the fervour of the Silver Flame, and of course they did not take kindly to anyone harbouring fugitives of their God's laws. So they declared the carnival and all of it's employees to be infidels and a danger to Khorvaire. They hunted the carnival relentlessly. Willow moved her carnival through secluded territories, always with an eye to the horizon and an ear to the ground. Scattered villages became their havens for a few days at most, until word of the Silver Templars caught their ears, then they would move on. Each time the carnival fled the Templars would follow, their scouts gradually reducing the carnival's numbers until they were little more than a band of outlaws. In the following years persecution was all that Willow and her companions knew but they learned to grow and adapt to their new situation, and when Mad-Howl was eventually killed by the pious Silver Flame warriors she urged her followers to take up arms with deadly discipline and focus and take the fight to the Flame. Her grief was channeled through the darkened wood of her quarterstaff. As the years passed Willow continued to collect the waifs and strays of society, teaching them the same path of discipline she had learned and some fifty years after the first attacks the carnival was reformed as the religious fervour of the purging began to wane."

"The weapon that Willow alway prefered was the quarterstaff, it was the tool of her trade, her dance routines involved spins and kicks that incorporated the flexible yet strong wooden pole. As a result most of her combat teachings revolved around this simple weapon, she always scorched the wood to a pitch black before laquering it with the intent of hardening the wood, and in later times it would come to represent the fires of the purging making her stronger."

"As the years passed and Willow grew old she renamed the carnival "The Salix Spectacle" and asked that all initiates of her discipline carry a black staff of willow that they will alway remember the suffering caused by the narrow mind. She died a proud and happy woman aware of what she had achieved and hopeful that her philosophy would be continued."

"As the decades passed her disciples carried her tradition in their hearts and the carnival continued to travel the land. Not all who joined the circus wished to follow a martial path and so they simply continued their employment as entertainers. However the Willow Path was a powerful discipline and many still wanted to practise the arts. In order to differentiate between the two mind-sets the disciples of the Willow Path began to call themselves the Long Arm. Their passion fuelled by the injustices that the Silver Flame infilcted upon the people of Khorvaire. They knew that the key to their survival was not only a strong arm but also an informed mind and so they began to focus on gathering allies, information and news with each stop the carnival made. Soon the order had intergrated themselves into some of the finest courts and noble venues in Khorvaire, their arms stretched from north to south, east to west and they gathered friends and knowledge wherever they performed."

In time the entertainers guilds of Houses Phiarlan and Thuranni began to take notice of the order, utilising their unique blend of performance and combat prowess in order to infiltrate courtly functions or private parties and deal with enemies of the House, or fulfil contracts.

Now, some 200 years after the crafting of the first blackened quaterstaff the order is somewhat different, although the lifestyle is similar and the teachings have changed little, the purpose of the order has become warped and twisted by the influence of the dragonmarked Houses.

The Long Arm as an Organisation
The initiates of the order tend to be relaxed and easy going with a remarkable ability to party, gods and arcane mysteries are not a concern to the order in general, although an individual may still honour a deity or dabble in the mystic arts. An initiate seeks to become one with the ethos of living life to the full, seeking extreme highs and enjoying all the fruits that Eberron has to offer. Emotionally they tend to experience the highs and lows of life with equal relish, revelling in the glory of victory or breathing in the sweet pain of loss. However an initiate alway remains on his guard and focused to his task regardless of how inebriated he may seem to others. They are taught to accept the differences of others and understand that everyone seeks something different in life.
To learn the ways of the order the initiate must have abandonned all ties to any specific place, they must be gregarious when the need arises and most importantly they need to have some kind of people skills, or performance art form. Travellers, circus performers, vagabonds, charlatans, orphans and opportunists are all good choices for the order to initiate, but above all each must show some sense of discipline and direction in their decadence.

Organisation:
A student of the Willow Path carries the title of Wanderer. On completion of his training, the monk takes the title of Discple of the Willow or Disciple of the Word depending on whether his primary focus is combat or espionage.
Wanderers are generally 1st-level monks.

To attain the title of Disciple of Willow a character must be a 2nd-level monk or 1st-level monk/1st-level rogue with 5 ranks of Jump and Tumble
To attain the title of Disciple of the Word a character must be a 2nd-level monk or 1st-level monk/1st-level bard with 5 ranks of Diplomacy and Perform.

Desicions of the order are made by a single elders who holds the title Grand Master of the Dancing Willow. The Grandmaster has a circle of advisors and is considered to be most benevolent.

Monasteries
The Long Arm have spread across Khorvaire over the past two centuries, and the Disciples of the Word have eyes hidden in many of the great cities of the Five Nations. Any major city may contain a Long Arm monastery, or "Hostels" as they prefer to call them. They tend to be simple affairs that charge a few copper for a safe nights sleep to any traveller or needy person. They tend to have names that reflect their association to the entertainer's profession , such as "The Dancers Den" or "Face-paint and Fabric", while others wish to keep their association obscured and choose names relative to their location such as "Joy Street Hostel" or "The Five-Piers Bunk-House". Due to the nature of trust, these Hostels can not always operate openly and as such they tend to follow a similar layout. They almost always have a communal bunk-room for guests, and several small rooms for the initiates. Every Hostel has a dojo that is only open to initiates, in the more discreet Hostels this room is hidden away behind a secret door, in others it is simply locked.The initiates are expected to perform duties as requested but the master of the House tends to take care of most duties himself. These buildings are occasionally funded by either House Phiaran or Thuranni as the order itself is not a wealthy one, although this funding is almost always covert.

The Salix Spectacle
However, only one true monastery exists: Travelling across the face of Khorvaire a circus carnival known as "The Salix Spectacle". The procession itself is the monastery. Everything is taught within the great tents that are pitched each week or so and on the road the initiates train with the masters, learning the disciplines of the Willow Path. The route that the carnival takes deviates little from year to year and the Grand Master of the Dancing Willow has final desicion on every aspect of the circus.They have dozens upon dozens of employees, performers, and initiates, they also have one of Khorvaires largest travelling menageries with animals ranging from the everyday to the magnificent and exotic.
Once a year they meet up with the "Carnival of Shadows" of House Phiarlan and several other large travelling circuses and they descend upon a major city in Khorvaire for a week long period of festivities that is known as "The Long Dance". This festival is usually during the last week of Rhaan.

Character Development
The majority of the Long Arm initiates divide their character levels between bard* (or rogue) and monk, using the Monastic Training feat. Others follow the pure monastic path and some revel in the entertainment value that an illusionist can provide. The Long Arm rely on wit and charm, using their charisma to distract an opponent before launching into a devastating attack. Traditional feats include the following: Monastic Training (Rogue or Bard), Skill Focus (Perform), Stunning Fist, Weapon focus (Quarterstaff) and Willow Strike. Monastic skill training focuses on Diplomacy, Jump, Knowledge (local), Perform and Tumble; Bluff, Disguise, and Gather Information are also considered to be important talents.

*Bards of the Long Arm tradition must be lawful, their gathering of knowledge and tales MUST be precise as they consider themselves to be the keepers of the Tradition. The entire philosophy of the Long Arm's discipline rests upon their shoulders, so a flighty mind is not accepted.

Knowledge (local) and Knowledge (history) are class skills for Long Arm monks. These take the place of Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion).


The Joy Street Hostel
Joy Street, Lantern Tower, Firelight, Middle Menthis, Sharn.

This unassuming single level doss-house has a simple hand-painted sign above the door. It sits amidst the bars and brothels of the red-light district like an island of tranquility in a continually raging storm that is Firelight. By the door hangs a sign stating the room prices and a notice that "All entertainers welcome here. Trouble is not tollerated."Primarily a hostel for entertainers with nowhere to stay, the Joy Street Hostel is also a safe-house for monks who follow the Willow Path.It costs 1 sp/night or 1 gp/month to stay here and a warm, if not particularly appetising, meal is included with the price.

The House Patron is a monk of the Long Arm known as Sorewyn, and at the moment there are also four monks who could be considered residents, these are Loric, Maddar, Kogan and Asirav. The only person not resident here is Junara, the cook. She works from 7.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then later on from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. She lives locally and Sorewyn will often walk her home or if he is not available he will ask one of the monks to.
Any of these residents can be absent from the hostel for days or even weeks at a time and this is in part due to the prolonged drunken states that many of the monks get themselves into in the surrounding district.

Interior
A small foyer greets the visitor upon entry, a door ahead is kept locked at all times (residents are given a key when they have paid). The walls are covered in posters and advertisments of shows that are currently playing, taverns with special offers, places to meet people, guides and the like.
Once inside the first room to be encountered is a comfortable lounge, the soft scent of spices drift from the nearby kitchen. A warm fire burns in the hearth when the nights are cold and soft chairs and cushions are dotted around the place with side-tables adorned with potted plants giving a homely feel. Sorewyn plays a most gracious host and will offer new visitors drinks and a bite to eat while they relax here. Much of the time there are residents here, relaxing, playing instruments, writing poetry, practising dance routines or simply passing the day away in conversation.
The bunk room is where most visitors will stay, there are 15 bunk beds, each with a small lock-box. This is a communal room where both men and women sleep. Generally there are between 5 and 10 guests styaing here, but during festivals and other special occasions the bunk room can be full to capacity and beyond as people unroll mats and sleep on the floor. Upon request there are 6 private rooms (2 of which have double beds), these cost double the normal rate to the public. These private rooms are where monks of the Long Arm stay, they have priority over normal guests and only pay the standard rate.

Each monk is given a key to the Dojo (or studio as Sorewyn prefers to call it) upon arrival, here they can meditate, practice their katas, spar with one another or train in other ways as they wish.
Beyond the studio is Sorewyn's quarters. An alarm here is linked to the front door, any who enter without a key will trigger the alarm and alert Sorewyn that there are customers entering.

Introduction

This blog is intended to be a resource for the "Point of Infinity" campaign that i'm currently running.
It will hopefully be filled with information that is relevant to the game and the characters within and it should grow as the plot progresses.
Much of the work here may appear as notes and ideas or works in progress. Please feel free do do with the material as you see fit, unless it involves making money - in that case i want some....

The following is an excerpt from Dragons of Eberron and the article can be found here.

A HISTORY OF DRAGONS
The history of dragons stretches back to the dawn of time. Each flight has its own heroes, triumphs, and defeats, and over the course of tens of thousands of years much truth has been lost or consumed by legend. This section addresses events Khorvairian historians have studied, no doubt but a few glittering coins in the vast hoard of draconic history.
The Progenitor WyrmsThe wisest dragons contend that the world was born in battle. According to myth, the emptiness before creation was the domain of three mighty dragons. Golden Siberys was the source of all magic. Gentle Eberron was the fountain of life. Cruel Khyber was the master of secret knowledge, and of the powers that lurk in the darkness. Together, they held dominion over the fate of all, and they pondered the proper shape of the universe.
In the beginning, the Progenitors worked together. They started with the thirteen planes, but as they molded reality, rifts began to form between them. Dark Khyber grew greedy, and noble Siberys responded by becoming more forceful; each sought greater influence in the work. Daanvi, Fernia, and Irian bear the prevailing mark of Siberys. Kythri, Mabar, and Xoriat show the dominant touch of Khyber. Eberron sought to mediate but could not bridge the divide.
When it came time to create the final, central plane, the tensions between Siberys and Khyber could not be contained. The dark one tore into her sibling, mortally wounding the gold dragon and scattering his scales across the sky. Although not powerful enough to defeat her, Eberron knew that Khyber could not be allowed to benefit from her deeds. The gentle one refused to fight Khyber with claw and tooth. Instead, Eberron embraced her, trapping Khyber within her smothering coils. Eberron called on the powers of life, giving birth to soil, tree, and ocean, and so transformed herself into a living prison that Khyber could never escape.
Thus Eberron became the world on which all life grew. To this day, she nurtures and sustains all. Siberys's remains became the ring around the world; his scattered scales became the stars. Khyber remains trapped within -- the Dragon Below, the Mother of Monsters, the source of all darkness -- forever struggling to escape and bring an end to it all.
The First AgeIn the wake of the battle of the Progenitors, life emerged on the new world. Siberys had fallen in battle, but power remained within his blood. Filled with the purest essence of magic, that blood fell on Eberron, merging life and magic to produce new creatures with the strength of both Progenitors: dragons. Where the blood of Siberys struck the clouds, silver dragons were born. It fell on the cold peaks, and white dragons rose from the ice. It struck the swamps, and black dragons emerged from the dark depths. And so all the dragons were born, mighty and proud, possessing the mystical power of Siberys and the vibrant life force of Eberron.
Few of the creatures of the modern age existed at the dawn of time. The titans of Xen'drik were in their infancy, possessed of power but lacking knowledge. The lesser races had not been born; the dark creatures had not been spawned. So it was that wild flights of dragons soared above the world, reveling in their might.
The dragons' only true match were the couatls, the feathered serpents of Sarlona. For all their power, dragons are mortal creatures. They reproduce, they grow old, and in time they die. The couatls stood outside the cycle of life; legends say that the couatls were formed from the pure blood of Siberys before it struck Eberron, and that, as a result, they were truly immortal. They were reborn only after death, so that their numbers remained constant. Though powerful, the couatls kept to Sarlona, leaving the dragons to explore the world.

THE BLOOD OF KHYBER
For untold millennia, the dragons were the sole lords of Eberron. Then a new threat emerged. Khyber was bound in the depths of Eberron, but this did not eliminate the dark dragon's power. In time, a host of horrors spawned in the depths. Rakshasas, aboleths, and other terrors emerged to lay claim to the world above. The greatest were the Overlords, fiends with such power that they could almost be called gods. At that time, the dragons were organized into simple flights, which fought with one another as often as not. Scattered and wild, they were no match for the Overlords of Khyber.

THE DRACONIC PROPHECY
The discovery of the draconic Prophecy changed the course of history. After the mighty fiends consolidated their hold on the surface world, they ruled over a nightmare kingdom for hundreds of thousands of years. The once-proud dragons were forced into slavery and servitude. The fiendish dominion might have continued until the end of time, if not for the couatl Hezcalipa and a blue dragon named Ourelonastrix. Working together over the course of centuries, these two visionaries studied the sky and stars, and compared their findings with mysterious patterns that appeared on the earth. They became convinced that such study could reveal a map of the future, an outline of the myriad paths history might follow. Ourelonastrix believed it to be the wisdom of the Progenitors, the very blueprint of reality. He called it the draconic Prophecy, authored by Eberron and Siberys themselves.
THE GREAT WARThe draconic Prophecy gave Ourelonastrix insights into the weaknesses of the demonic Overlords. Even more, it gave the dragon and his kin a sense of hope, the belief that dragons were part of something greater. Following the path of prophecy, Ourelonastrix and Hezcalipa rallied their peoples against the children of Khyber, setting in motion a war that would continue for thousands of years. Despite their raw power -- or perhaps, because of it -- the Overlords were scattered and overconfident. This allowed the combined might of the dragon-couatl alliance to defeat them one by one.
Despite this advantage, the war seemed hopeless. The Overlords were truly immortal. The defeat of an Overlord was temporary at best, and no simple spell could bind them. Then Hezcalipa's studies uncovered a path to victory. Indeed, the outcome appeared ordained. Still, the cost was terrible. Led by Hezcalipa, the couatls sacrificed almost their entire race, forging their immortal essence into a pure force that could hold the Overlords and their dire followers. A few demons escaped, but the war was won.
Although the dragons fought fiercely, some believe they abandoned the couatls at the end, refusing to share the cost of the final sacrifice. It's possible that this was a matter of fear, although that seems unlikely. It might be that, being mortal, the dragons simply didn't have the spiritual energy required. Perhaps the dragons survival was a calculated decision. The sacrifice of the couatls removed both celestials and fiends from Eberron, leaving the dragons as masters of the Prophecy and the most powerful beings in the world.