airwalkrr
Adventurer
I have never used the Tarrasque in my 15+ years of DMing, and I figured it is finally time.
This is a brainstorming thread for ideas about my current Eberron campaign. In this thread which was partly related, I talked a bit about what has been going on in my campaign, if you care to read it. The short version is my players previously completed the Shackled City Adventure Path and I am using the Ebon Triad (which I have converted to the cult of The Three from Faiths of Eberron, page 28) as villains in my current campaign. My idea is that The Three cult views the Tarrasque as the ultimate incarnation of war and view it as an avatar of their god. While most cultists simply revere the Tarrasque as a symbol, some cultists have taken this belief to the extreme and have sought ways to awaken the Tarrasque. Towards that end they have sent agents to Xen'drik where they have heard of an unusual spiritual belief that has taken root in many areas of the continent. The cultists of The Three seek to use this spiritual belief and its adherents to help them awaken the great monster and usher in a new world of persistent war.
History
The Tarrasque is a cyclical creature. That is, it awakens, devours, and slumbers, then repeats. It has appeared at the end of each Age, and has always been a sign of great changes to come. It first awakened at the end of the Age of Dragons, perhaps the final creature spewed out by Khyber, although it may have been an embodiment of Eberron itself, a way of "cleansing" the world. Many know Eberron healed the world between by becoming one with it, but what exactly does that mean? Perhaps the Tarrasque devoured the weaker Progenitor Wyrms (aside from Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber) to make way for a new age. The next time the Tarrasque appeared was at the end of the Age of Demons. The Three cult believes this was the result of the couatl's sacrifice, and that the Tarrasque devoured so many fiends the Overlords retreated to Khyber, imprisoning themselves willingly to escape its hunger. And so on throughout the ages. Now, The Three cult believes Eberron is nearing the end of another age and the Tarrasque must be summoned again to bring about total war and usher in a new age.
Xen'drik Spirituality
Within Xen'drik, I have introduced my players to a series of spiritual beliefs among the natives as well as some other unusual coincidences. The single unifying aspect is the colors red, blue, and green. Although much of the original symbolism has been lost and perverted to other uses, the symbolism is an ancient one wherein the colors each represent a different aspect of the Tarrasque. The first, blue, represents the lair of the Tarrasque, the deep blue sea. Which sea? That's something which is still a matter to be resolved, but since my current campaign is set in Stormreach, and I want to develop a sense of urgency, I think somewhere in Shargon's Teeth might be a good spot. The second, red, symbolizes the blood that is spilled during the Tarrasque's rampage as it swallows up all it can find. The third, green, symbolizes the rebirth of a new age. The juxtaposition of red, blue, and green in various symbols, totems, and even creatures the PCs have encountered so far has been a constant foreshadowing of events to come. The cult of The Three are searching for the truth behind these ancient spiritual beliefs in Xen'drik in hopes that it will lead them to the key to awakening the Tarrasque.
So what are your thoughts on the Tarrasque in Eberron? What would you do to gradually introduce the concept of an impending Tarrasque awakening to the players? Would the awakening of the Tarrasque even be a process that someone can accelerate? Or is it an unstoppable, immutable force that acts on its own time regardless of the acts of others? Do you have any suggestions for the approach I have taken so far?
This is a brainstorming thread for ideas about my current Eberron campaign. In this thread which was partly related, I talked a bit about what has been going on in my campaign, if you care to read it. The short version is my players previously completed the Shackled City Adventure Path and I am using the Ebon Triad (which I have converted to the cult of The Three from Faiths of Eberron, page 28) as villains in my current campaign. My idea is that The Three cult views the Tarrasque as the ultimate incarnation of war and view it as an avatar of their god. While most cultists simply revere the Tarrasque as a symbol, some cultists have taken this belief to the extreme and have sought ways to awaken the Tarrasque. Towards that end they have sent agents to Xen'drik where they have heard of an unusual spiritual belief that has taken root in many areas of the continent. The cultists of The Three seek to use this spiritual belief and its adherents to help them awaken the great monster and usher in a new world of persistent war.
History
The Tarrasque is a cyclical creature. That is, it awakens, devours, and slumbers, then repeats. It has appeared at the end of each Age, and has always been a sign of great changes to come. It first awakened at the end of the Age of Dragons, perhaps the final creature spewed out by Khyber, although it may have been an embodiment of Eberron itself, a way of "cleansing" the world. Many know Eberron healed the world between by becoming one with it, but what exactly does that mean? Perhaps the Tarrasque devoured the weaker Progenitor Wyrms (aside from Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber) to make way for a new age. The next time the Tarrasque appeared was at the end of the Age of Demons. The Three cult believes this was the result of the couatl's sacrifice, and that the Tarrasque devoured so many fiends the Overlords retreated to Khyber, imprisoning themselves willingly to escape its hunger. And so on throughout the ages. Now, The Three cult believes Eberron is nearing the end of another age and the Tarrasque must be summoned again to bring about total war and usher in a new age.
Xen'drik Spirituality
Within Xen'drik, I have introduced my players to a series of spiritual beliefs among the natives as well as some other unusual coincidences. The single unifying aspect is the colors red, blue, and green. Although much of the original symbolism has been lost and perverted to other uses, the symbolism is an ancient one wherein the colors each represent a different aspect of the Tarrasque. The first, blue, represents the lair of the Tarrasque, the deep blue sea. Which sea? That's something which is still a matter to be resolved, but since my current campaign is set in Stormreach, and I want to develop a sense of urgency, I think somewhere in Shargon's Teeth might be a good spot. The second, red, symbolizes the blood that is spilled during the Tarrasque's rampage as it swallows up all it can find. The third, green, symbolizes the rebirth of a new age. The juxtaposition of red, blue, and green in various symbols, totems, and even creatures the PCs have encountered so far has been a constant foreshadowing of events to come. The cult of The Three are searching for the truth behind these ancient spiritual beliefs in Xen'drik in hopes that it will lead them to the key to awakening the Tarrasque.
So what are your thoughts on the Tarrasque in Eberron? What would you do to gradually introduce the concept of an impending Tarrasque awakening to the players? Would the awakening of the Tarrasque even be a process that someone can accelerate? Or is it an unstoppable, immutable force that acts on its own time regardless of the acts of others? Do you have any suggestions for the approach I have taken so far?
