[Age of Wyrms] Things That Are and Will Be
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Jareel [GM]
All Patched Up and Ready to Go …
Patch is back having been freed from the Soul Gem around Hosenpfeffer's neck and placed in a new warforged-like body, courtesy of Raphael Saenger. This "re-animation" was part of a tri-partite pact between the Bishop, Saenger and Hosenpfeffer. Saenger seems immensely pleased with himself about the whole thing, Hosenpfeffer much less so and the Bishop changes the subject when it is brought up in conversation.
Currently Patch is on his way to Karrnath, along with Widget, Drayton and a contingent of the People (a/k/a The Cranium Rats of NIMH), to find and restore the Grand Cathedral of the Three that legend and prophecy says is there.
Where's d'Artagnon?
While Patch was otherwise occupied, Widget was left to her own devices along with Drayton, Dev and all of their combined wealth. Recipe for disaster you say? One would think so, but through sheer luck, determination, friendship and the occasional good idea, the three have not only survived but thrived. Dev, most of all, has come into his own, having become an apprentice (of sorts) to Hosenpfeffer. [Dev is now a 2nd level sorcerer.]
Under Hosenpfeffer's guidance the trio has formed Triune Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shroomdrake Enterprises, which is making some decent money in backing expeditions into Xen'drik and acquiring mining interests across Khorvaire. Some of their investments were suggestions by Hosenpfeffer, which at the time seemed odd, but have so far, panned out. Widget worries that Dev is too easily influenced by Hosenpfeffer, while Drayton doesn't see it as a problem since Dev still thinks that Hawk is the most fascinating thing on two-legs.
Prophets of the One
Monotheism has gripped the realm of Droaam. Cloaked beings who call themselves the Prophets of the One have been seen traversing the realm, preaching the doctrine of the One. Clans, tribes and towns, even Dragons and Giants in the region, are given a simple choice, give them selves wholly to the One and reap the rewards of her favor or perish before her divine wrath. There was some resistance in the beginning, but after the Hill Giant community of Green Gorge was slaughtered to the last by a handful of the Prophets, the rest of the region seems likely to swear their devotion to the One. Even the Daughters of Sora Kell seem powerless to stop the tide of conversion.
Mushroom? Nay, Darguun!
The massive, new Grand Cathedral to the Three (mostly Dol Kazaar) in Darguun proceeds a pace. It should be complete in 3-5 years, unless Vyn or somebody else decides to expand it (again). Apparently the goblinoids across Khorvaire were looking for a new religion since conversion to the Three in Darguun is going nearly as well as the Church of the One in Droaam, the Church of the Three had a head start, but Vyn or any of his Darguunish disciples have yet to slaughter a whole community of giants to make their ecclesiastical point. Although, the newest wrinkle in the missionary work is that the Darguun worshippers of the Three want to wage a holy war against the Droaam worshippers of the One, just to see whose god(s) are mightiest. The idea has some appeal, because there is nothing like a good war to get the goblinoid blood to boiling. Of course, the Brelish crown is less than enthusiastic about the possibility.
The Hand grips Sharn
Open warfare has broken out in the streets of Sharn between the three major crime "Families", ever since a faction known as the Hand, took over the reigns of the Dhaask. Their goal, according to the Dire Weasel Weekly, is not to seize territory but to slaughter the Boromir Clan, the Cabinet of Faces and their members. Martial law has been declared in every region below the middle tier, but the City Watch is hard pressed to enforce it. Brelish troops have been dispatched from Wroat to help deal with the situation, but some fear it will be too little, too late.
Nemesis d'Orien
Nevin has been busy collecting his odd books and sending out expeditions to remote places in Eberron including Sarlona, Argonessen, Xen'drik and the Frostfell. Meanwhile, his edicts to the House members in Sharn have become more and more eccentric over the past few months, and he has been seen less and less outside of his personal tower in the House Orien compound. Rumors abound as to what he is up to in there.
Storm Hawks
Hawk along Laszlo Stormhammer and the crew of the Cyre's Folly have been chasing the Apothecary and his black ship across Khorvaire, never quite catching him. They got close a couple of times, once as he was heading into the Demon Wastes, a flight of dancing vrocks on your deck tends to slow things down a bit, and again when heading into the Mournland, where a Living Cataclysm interrupted their pursuit.
In the meantime, between finding, losing then re-acquiring the Apothecary and his minions (especially his "special forces" unit – the Knights Tableau), Hawk has been busy around Sharn dealing with folks messing with "his" people (most people "in the know" in Sharn now have a very good idea of who Hawk's "people" are now, and the price that needs be paid should you desire to hurt them); doing missions for the Dark Lanterns (Hawk is now Agent Extraordinary for the Citadel in Sharn); doing the occasional job for paying customers (Hawk having two reputations worth noting – he gets the job done, he always does what's right; the latter curtailing some of the potential clients in Sharn); doing "favors" for Ixtilton (some of them ridiculously easy, some of them excruciatingly difficult, but none of them boring); and winding down at the Silver Swan or 13th Moon, depending on his mood.
Books, Balls and Things That Go Boom
Ethan of Sharn has been very busy man throwing lavish galas for the power elite of the city, although none have been as memorable as his first, for good or for ill. He has slowly learned that a lot of information can be gathered at these functions if one knows how to ask the right questions at the right time. Through subtle use of information brokering, Ethan has been able to amass a fairly large amount of wealth, property and most precious of all, favors. Most of the subtlety comes from his circle of "advisors" – Jareel, Widget, Drayton, Chandramar and Slashbeard – who give him a sanity check before he embarks on one of his "clever" plans. He still is Ethan, after all.) Fortunately for Ethan, some of the galas even count as a "favor" to Ixtilton, although not all of them and why some count and others don't is still a mystery to Ethan.
When not throwing parties or profiting from them Ethan spends his evenings thwarting Nevin's plans within the city (Ethan now has three of the thirteen books that Nevin is trying to acquire, plus another book from a different set that his cousin wants – badly), publishing the Dire Weasel Weekly (now the third most read publication in Khorvaire) and getting his Investigative license. He's actually up to journeyman status now. He's probably the most powerful journeyman Investigative on the continent, but as far as the Guild is concerned, rules are rules.
Dragonmark Plague
All across Khorvaire and parts of Xen'drik, Gnomes and civilized Halflings have been dying due to a strange illness. The symptoms have been well documented – an intense headache followed by hot and cold flashes in the beginning, and then comes the delirium and jumbled words, and finally death. The plague progresses more rapidly in those that possess a Dragonmark, proportional to the strength of the mark. However, those that possess Heir of Siberys Mark's seem, for the moment, to be immune, as do the tribal Halflings of the Talenta Plains. So far, only House Jorasco and House Sivis, among the Dragonmarked Houses seem to be affected by this plague.
Additionally, it has been noticed by a few that areas struck by the plague have seen an increase in the appearance of aberrant dragonmarks.
The Bane of Thrane
Reports in the Dire Weasel Weekly state that the Thrane government says that communities in western Thrane have been savaged by shifter marauders and other beasts from the Eldeen Reaches. Of course, the communities within the Eldeen Reaches and the Gatekeepers deny any involvement in such attacks. More radical members of the Church of the Silver Flame have begun to call for a second jihad against all lycanthropes, shifters and beast men.