Starting an Eberron game, with a big twist - could definitely use suggestions...

[Blind Azathoth]

I'm starting up an Eberron game for some friends who are pretty familiar with the setting (more familiar than me, in fact), but I'm making some major changes to it. The game takes place somewhere between 1010 and 1020 YK, more than a decade after the assumed starting date, and in that time, pretty much every bad thing that could have happened to Khorvaire has.

Aberrations from Xoriat and fiends from Khyber have begun to war over control of the surface world; the Inspired have apparently crushed the Adar resistance and begun invasions, both subtle and not-so-subtle, in the eastern nations; and, for good measure, some Grell in mechanical tripods with Scorching Ray emitters have invaded from space. Almost all of the Gatekeepers are dead, after failing in their task, and most nations have fallen beneath the feet of one conqueror or another. It is a dark, grim world--in many regions stable, but controlled by vile fiends and the like; in other areas a bloody battlefield; but in all too few places is it a truly free land.

My players seem very receptive to the concept, and I have a number of my own ideas, but I must admit that my creativity is nothing compared to what I have seen here at ENWorld. So I wonder--what can the minds here come up with for such a world? Which nations and cities still stand, and which have fallen (and to whom)? Does Vol give orders from the shadows for her minions to perform terrorist attacks against oppressive Inspired "governments"? Is the Lord of Blades still kicking around in the Mournland, assembling an army--and whose side will he take if he strikes? Is Sharn the last city standing in ruined Breland, an emblem of hope for the pockets of resistance elsewhere on the continent? Is it a new capital for a nation run by devils, surrounded by a great gate on which are impaled the preserved corpses of great heroes? Or is it a wasteland haunted by the tortured spirits of all those who died seeking to control or defend it?

I beg you for your advice and your suggestions, oh noble ENWorlders, and in return for this aid, I shall grant you all my undying gratitude... and cookies*.



*offer of cookies not valid outside of the Principality of Sealand and dread R'lyeh, iä!

 

[Merkuri]

The Mournland, still with all the hostile qualities with which it was created (preventing healing and everything), has become a haven for the resistance. Some strange quality prevents both aberrations, and outsiders from entering. As the campaign goes on it's discovered that Cyre was destroyed by a group of dragons who read about this great war in the Prophesy and knew that they could increase their chances of survival (and those of the humaniods, but that was an afterthought) by creating such a region. The death and fear the destruction of Cyre caused was considered an acceptable loss.

 

[The Lost Muse]

Even with a ten-year timeline, Aerenal would likely be under seige, as the Undying Court does their best to defend the elves against extra-planar, extra-terrestrial, and psionic invaders.

The Valenar would be living it up. Seriously, this group of elves lives for war, and they'd be mounted and fighting, except for a minimum of time needed to rest. (They might also all be dead by 1010 or 120 YK...)

The primary goal of the aberrations from Xoriat is simply the destruction of the world, whereas the fiends from Khyber probably are striving for dominance, so this might create situations where it's better to HELP the demons than it is to stop them, as they keep the lords of Xoriat in check.

Given the proper circumstances, Vol might have initaited a hostile takeover of Karrnath, although in her arctic stronghold, she is far more secure location to operate from the shadows. And given the (in my campaigns anyway) "Greenshirt" nature of Emerald Claw agents, they might be trying to subvert governments and whatnot.

Now a couple of other thoughts:

1) What is the chamber up to? How desperate are they to stop the invasions by demon-lords and aberrations? Desperate enough to "betray" their heritage and form an alliance with Aerenal? Desperate enough to begin kidnapping promising individuals and transporting them to the island where their talents can be developed? (Dragonmarked individuals would be of particular interest, as they have bits and pieces of the prophesy implanted on their skin.) What are the dragons of Argonessen doing? They fought in the Age of Demons, they would fight the Lords of Xoriat to prevent the destruction of their home, and they might fight the quori. (Aside: Imagine a telepath, feeling a wave of death spreading across Sarlona...)

2) What happened to the Five Nations? Aundair, Breland, Karrnath, and Thrane are all strong enough that they would survive at least the initial assaults. Are there any "safe" refuges on Khorvaire? Sharn springs to mind, if only because House Cannith is there, and a steady supply of wands and "Use Magic Device" classes would provide a fairly good defense, not to mention a new, improved warforged corps (think LA +8 or so, bigger, faster, stronger, possibly able to carry a medium sized creature inside them). The capital of Thrane would probably also stand with so many clerics and knights of the Silver Flame concentrated there (although, if the fiends are loose, the Silver Flame might have been extinguished)

3) How are the gnomes involved?

Edit: Re-read original post

Aundair has many mid-level wizards. Karrnath has wizards who specialize in battle-related magic. Breland has fewer wizards, but a stronger population. Some of the logical effects of a protracted war of the nature you've described might be:

1) Most of the rural population has either been killed off, or moved to urban centers. For rulers this makes the most sense, as they can concentrate their forces.

2) If there is travel, it's done at high altitude on elemental vessels, or on the water with the fastest ships available. Smugglers may choose to use mundane vessels to better avoid detection, but unless you want to run a nautical themed campaign, there won't be a lot of them.

3) Lots of people are dependant on spellcasters for food. Without the ability to work the land, more of the population is freed up to join in the defense efforts, but they are all eating whatever their local caster can conjure up. The market price for garden vegetables and fresh meat sky-rockets, as does the price of any dairy products. Eggs might be readily available. Any relatively large estates within cities should be put to agricultural use, but try telling their noble owners that.

4) With the necessarily cramped living conditions, disease becomes more common.

In Aundair: Queen Aurelia attempts to take advantage of the situation, and spreads her forces too thin. The armies are routed, and some refugees make their way to Sharn or Karrnath.

In Breland: King Boranel dies leading a charge, the parliament takes over after his death, and royally screws everything up. Sharn is effectively run by the Boramars and House Cannith. Wroat lies in ashes.

In Thrane:
-If the Silver Flame isn't extinguished: The church of the Silver Flame experiences a massive growth in followers, because they are the only ones able to effectively deal with the invasion. They exorcise the possessed in all major centers, and bind those demons they can catch. A disturbing trend is the new order: The Hand of the Flame (think The Questioners from Wheel of Time, companion order to the Children of the Light). In this scenario, Thronehold is the capital of the Daemon Empire, supported by massive numbers of slaves.

-If the Silver Flame is extinguished: Flamekeep was one of the first locations to be attacked by the demon forces, and the whole of Thrane was razed and the ground was tilled with salt. The demon capital is built on the ruins of Flamekeep, and it resembles Tolkien's Dark Tower crossed with Monte Cooke's spire. Again, massive numbers of slaves.

In Karrnath:
-The Undead aren't afraid of anything, and the country is able to hold for a reasonable amount of time, until the Lords of Xoriat come calling. (Wanting to disrupt the orderly nation with their chaotic ways.) With the [sblock]actual[/sblock] death of King Kaius III, the country falls apart, into about 100 little kingdoms, each one easily defensible, but none strong enough to drive back the invaders.

The Lord of Blades would probably attempt to capture/train enough artificers to reconstruct his Creation Forge, and fortify his position in the Mournland.

 

[Doug McCrae]

A lot of the 'bad guy' organisations might become good guys. In the face of invasion by daelkyr, demons and grells, its likely the other inhabitants of Eberron would unite to try to drive off the invaders. PCs could easily ally with the Riedrans/Inspired and the Order of the Emerald Claw. The five nations might reunite as the great country of Galifar once more. Maybe that's not dark enough?

 

[Anti-Sean]

With this much darkness all around, the Silver Flame will burn all the brighter.

I see a massive influx of Silver Flame adherents converging on Thrane and Flamekeep, particularly those of a more martial bent. Fighting supernatural evil is *what they do*. Flamekeep would become both a bastion dedicated to protecting the innocent and the most holy site of the faith, as well as a staging ground for strikes against the various forces invading Khorvaire. It may be one of the last few free places left on the contient. At this point in time, the current Keeper of the Flame will be an adult. Does she remain within Flamekeep directing the war from there? Or does she lead the charge against evil from the front lines? If Flamekeep falls, what happens to the faith as a whole, and what happens to the Keeper? She receives a staggering boost of power when within close proximity to the heart of the church. If Flamekeep is overrun, does she lose this power, or does it become centered on her instead, following her as she travels? She would be one of the greatest weapons of freedom, and one of the largest targets sought by the invading forces.

If the Dragonmarked Houses fall, most of Khorvaire falls along with them. With no lightning rail, airships, or communications network, society will be altered dramatically. Entire lines could be close to dying out; the Houses may have observed that none of their scions have manifested a mark in several years. This could be accompanied by a dramatic increase in the number of aberrant marks appearing upon the 'marked races. If Sharn still stands, it may be wracked with an internal war as House Tarkanan releases its newly gathered strength against the weakened remnants of the houses that have mistreated their kind for so long.

As Lhesh Haruuc gets older, the Dhakaani may take the opportunity to attempt to seize control of Darguun; this may have the tragic consequence of weakening them as the invasion begins. If Haruuc is still in power at the time of invasion, though, the return of enemies from the ancient past could inspire the Dhakaani to put their ambitions on hold in order to wreak bloody vengance upon the spawn of the Daelkyr.

 

[Merkuri]

With this much darkness all around, the Silver Flame will burn all the brighter.

Actually, if you're going for a dark, apocalyptic feel then it'll be more appropriate (and be a very visual sign to the players that the world is not the same) if the physical appearance of the Flame has changed. Perhaps it's dulled from a bright silver to a sickly blue, transparent at the center, almost like a propane torch. The church and its followers are being overwhelmed by the evil surrounding them, and the physical representation of the Flame has been effected. Perhaps the Flame has even stopped speaking, though the Keeper has kept this information to herself to keep from further demoralizing her troops.

Edit: A good reason for the change in the Flame's appearance and lack of communication would be if the demon trapped inside it is actually close to overpowering Tina and the coatl. No one knows what the Flame would look like were this to happen, so they aren't suspecting anything. The Keeper may suspect, but may not be able to do anything about it except keep it secret. She'll insist that the flame's darker blue color is because it's burning hotter in their time of need.

 

[blargney the second]

Grell in mechanical tripods with Scorching Ray emitters have invaded from space.

Oh my god, that's beautiful!

It looks like you've got the beginnings of a wicked campaign. It's like Midnight Eberron.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Actually, if you're going for a dark, apocalyptic feel then it'll be more appropriate (and be a very visual sign to the players that the world is not the same) if the physical appearance of the Flame has changed. Perhaps it's dulled from a bright silver to a sickly blue, transparent at the center, almost like a propane torch.

I like this idea a lot, but if I were a player in this campaign, it'd be impossible for me not to giggle like an idiot (ok, even more than usual) about lighting farts every time the Church of the Blue Flame was mentioned.

 

[Vorput]

This whole thing actually does sound pretty cool

 

[Doug McCrae]

The grell as Martians is very cool, but I'm wondering if it's appropriate to Eberron? It feels more Spelljammer-y.

If I was going to run something like this I think I would stick with just one invader, the daelkyr, cause I like 'em, and have the game revolve around the effort to repel them. Much in the style of War Of The Worlds, actually, in that there's a single foe, but with Cthulhoid monstrosities instead of Martians.

What you've got is a world where Martians, the Cthulhu mythos, Yellow Peril (original Buck Rogers style!) and demons from Hell invade simultaneously.

Maybe a bit much, though if it works for you, go for it. One thing's for sure, you won't be short of bad guys.