Eberron: The Metaphor

[William Ronald]

Mouseferatu, you make very intriguing observations that make me want to take a closer look at Eberron. (So, far a few of the concepts referred to in different threads -- such as elemental bindings -- have made me think of picking up Eberron.)

Like Von Ether, I tried to have members of my old gaming group play other games. However, I think that there was a reluctance to try other rules systems. I think different groups will have different interests, so some may want straight pulp games and others may want some of those elements in another game. As long as everyone at the gaming table is happy, there is no problem in my book. Of course, sometimes it pays to have more than one gaming table or group.

As someone with an interest in history, is there anything in Eberron like the "romance of the air" of the 1920s? There was a fascination with aviators, and aviators themselves sometimes felt that they were part of a common group -- despite their nationality. (If I recall correctly, did not Rudyard Kipling write some early science fiction where he viewed air travel as being a unifying factor among nations? I remember reading about such stories once.) Examples of popular figures who caught the public's imagination during this era were Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.

If you want to take the theme of parallels between Eberron and Earth from the post-WWI to pre-WWII eras, perhaps throw in some rampant economic speculation and boomtimes that go bust. A bad economy can create widespread misery and make some people listen more easily to people offering simplistic solutions to their problems -- and finding someone to blame.

 

[Von Ether]

As someone with an interest in history, is there anything in Eberron like the "romance of the air" of the 1920s? There was a fascination with aviators, and aviators themselves sometimes felt that they were part of a common group -- despite their nationality. (If I recall correctly, did not Rudyard Kipling write some early science fiction where he viewed air travel as being a unifying factor among nations? I remember reading about such stories once.) Examples of popular figures who caught the public's imagination during this era were Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.

If you want to take the theme of parallels between Eberron and Earth from the post-WWI to pre-WWII eras, perhaps throw in some rampant economic speculation and boomtimes that go bust. A bad economy can create widespread misery and make some people listen more easily to people offering simplistic solutions to their problems -- and finding someone to blame.

Well, if you are going to crib, steal from the best. But first ...

They mention that elemental airship has just come up in the last 10 years or so (pun intended), and what little they say so far gives two impressions. 1.) They come up with enough excuses for an airship to land in private hands (pirates and lone cargo ships and such) and 2.) they seem to lean more towards the 1700s and the romance of the age of pirates than the romance of avaition. That being said ...

One of my favorite board games was Crimson Skies, which is now on the Xbox. If you switch the metaphor of the sky ships = sailing ships to sky ships = zepplins, you could swing your game more towards a "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" feel.

The only big hurdle would be to detail the smaller flyers. The big advantage is that the core book doesn't detail this aspect much, so you are free to play with it.

Either way, perhaps the best place to set up a "flying" campaign would be in that big city with all the towers (forget it's name.)

 

[Shadowdancer]

I would see these relations:

Aundair - France (wine, etc.)
Breland - Great Britain (parliament, etc.)
Karrnath - Germany (Evil troops, an evil leader, beer,...)
Thrane - Maybe Italy/Vatican (religion, etc.)
Cyre - ???
This would fit with the enmity of Aundair and Karrnath and with some other characteristics and feels of the 5 Nations. I'm at loss concerning other lands in Eberron. (Okay, the Mror Holds are obviously Switzerland )

On reading about Thrane, I got the feeling it was a cross between Vatican City and Utah (Mormons dominate).

And upon reading the description about Aerenal, I find it to be a cross between Haiti and ancient Egypt.

 

[Shadowdancer]

One other interesting thing to note, The Treaty of Thronehold was signed on the 11th day on Aryth in 996. Aryth is the 11th month of the Eberron calendar. WWI ended on Nov. 11th, 1918. (The Treaty of Versailles was signed the next year.)

This was the detail that finally convinced me that the similarities with the post-WWI world were intentional and not just a product of my overactive imagination. The Treaty of Thronehold was signed on the Eberron equivalent of Armistace Day. Too bad it wasn't in a lightning rail car.

 

[Hawkshere]

Other useful post-war tropes abound, too. Besides the Great War parellels, WWII begat the Cold War, and the 'unfinished business' nature of the Treaty of Thronehold plays right into cold war intrigue. Berlin Airlift type jockeying wouldn't be out of place. Although there may be great tension held in abeyance by the Treaty, it exists for a reason and the new status-quo will grow to have its own staunch defenders.

One of the important elements of the Western is the post-Civil War setting. The belated SciFi Channel series Firefly made a scifi story from this western blueprint, where the protagonist is a surviving soldier of the losing side and ekes out a disallusioned but independent existance on the fringes of civilization. I've read of a playtest Eberron campaign (one of Hellcow's?) where the party consisted entirely of Cyre survivors and expats -- how cool is that? Stormreach (the 'gateway to Xen'drik' trade town) can be part Cairo, part St. Louis with a little imagination.

The destruction of Cyre can even bring some WWIII/post-holocuast themes to the table.

I think the Last War is the central thematic linchpin of the setting (with the extra-planar/abberant invasion cycle following just behind). I'm a little curious as which stage (1-pager, 10-pager, bible) the Last War emerged in the design.

.....

Irrelevant Aside: I am left to wonder just exactly when The Gneech is not bitter about something. Further speculation about the human body drowning in its own bile ensues. Yuck!

 

[John Crichton]

I think the Last War is the central thematic linchpin of the setting (with the extra-planar/abberant invasion cycle following just behind). I'm a little curious as which stage (1-pager, 10-pager, bible) the Last War emerged in the design.

That would be interesting to know. I have a feeling that it popped up earlier in the process than later. The question could be posed in the Q&A thread.

The belated SciFi Channel series Firefly >snip<

Nitpick: It was on FOX.

 

[Hawkshere]

Nitpick: It was on FOX.

D'oh!!! My bad -- I missed the original airings, and had to do my catching up via Netflix. Must. Fact. Check.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

No doubt there are huge parallels to the pulp era. One big difference I see is that in WWI there was a definite winning side and a definite losing side - with the winners forcing the losers to agree to extreme terms - and (though I haven't finished reading my copy of Eberron so I could be wrong) I don't think that's quite the way the Last War turned out. Of course no one ever said the parallels were complete and exhaustive; the ones that are there are definitely striking.

 

[LoneWolf23]

The only big hurdle would be to detail the smaller flyers. The big advantage is that the core book doesn't detail this aspect much, so you are free to play with it.

Either way, perhaps the best place to set up a "flying" campaign would be in that big city with all the towers (forget it's name.)

Pyramid Magazine, some time ago, came up with a "knights of the air" type fantasy campaign component, about simulating fighter pilot type war dramas by using Pegasi, Griffins, Rocs, Dire Bats and other such huge, ridable flying beasties instead of airplanes...

 

[Henry]

Other useful post-war tropes abound, too. Besides the Great War parellels, WWII begat the Cold War, and the 'unfinished business' nature of the Treaty of Thronehold plays right into cold war intrigue.

Actually, I would say think more "Treaty of Versailles" type of unfinished business post-World War I, but Cold War gives some fascinating parallels to work into an adventure, too.