Page 212 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

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FORTI I E D OUTPOST L O R D OF L A D E S
B
Military outposts across Khorvaire serve a variety Stalking the Mournland like a spectral juggernaut, the
of purposes during and after the war: rest stops for Lord of Blades has emerged from the turmoil of the
platoons on the move, garrisons for inactive troops, Last War as a symbol that calls to all the warforged of
armories where weapons are stored, staging points for Khorvaire. Regardless of what they have become, the
scouts and rangers who keep an eye on nearby enemy warforged were created to fight and die on the orders
movements, and defensive fortifications meant to protect of their creators. Some warforged accept their history
passes, bridges, or other key strategic locations. In an for what it is and look toward the future, but others hold
adventure, virtually anything can happen in or around it. a grudge because of how they were exploited by their
creators. Those warforged make up the followers of the
FORTIFIED OUTPOST FEATURES Lord of Blades.
This outpost, as shown on map 4.5, is a simple building The Lord of Blades preaches of an apocalyptic future
holding barracks, officers' quarters, and storage areas in which the warforged will destroy or enslave the na­
encased within multiple rings of fortification. A nor­ tions of flesh and blood. "We were made as weapons,"
mal approach to the inner compound involves passing the Lord of Blades has declared over and over. "Let us
through one of two gate houses (protected by arrow be weapons! Let the nations of the land reap what they
slits and murder holes), crossing an open courtyard have sown!"
(with more arrow slits and defenders on the rooftop Today, warforged roam the Mournland in service to
above), passing through another small gate area, and the Lord of Blades, patrolling the devastated terrain
traversing the training yard before finally reaching the and salvaging resources from the ashes of Cyre. Most
lone entrance. of these dissidents despise creatures of flesh, and any
An enormous magic weapon akin to a ballista is meeting with outsiders usually ends in blood being
mounted atop the outpost and supported by a massive spilled. Other disciples of the Lord of Blades launch
stone column. Depending on the outpost, this weapon attacks on targets across Khorvaire: destroying Can­
might launch ballista bolts with tremendous force nith workshops, killing nobles known for their abuse of
and speed, expel surges of lightning, hurl fireballs, or warforged, and seizing shipments of weapons or arcane
otherwise send devastating munitions at approach­ research to further deplete their enemy.
ing enemies. To the flesh-and-blood citizens of Khorvaire, the Lord
A basement area is dedicated to storage, including of Blades is a figure of terror and pain. But the war­
holding cells to contain prisoners of war while they wait forged under his sway (and some objective observers of
to be transported to dedicated prison camps. other races) believe that his rage is fueled by the injus­
tice heaped upon the warforged after their creation. The
FORTIFIED OUTPOST ADVENTURES warforged were treated as disposable soldiers, almost
The Fortified Outpost Adventures table provides some slaves, during the war, and the postwar arguments over
possibilities for adventures set in such a location.
what rights the warforged should be granted-as if fun­
damental rights were meant to be bestowed or withheld
FORTI F I E D OUTPOST ADVENTUR E S
by political authorities-gave the warforged themselves
d8 Adventure Premise no voice, as if they were still the property of their cre­
The Order of the Emerald Claw has seized the outpost ators. The Lord of Blades' call to action is appealing to
and is raising a legion of undead soldiers. many warforged because it is grounded in legitimate
2 The outpost is said to be haunted by the vengeful grievances, even if the proposed action is abhorrent.
Compared to the total number of warforged created
spirit of a former commander who was slain by their and deployed in combat during the Last War, the follow­
own troops. ers of the Lord of Blades are not especially numerous.
3 A tunnel beneath the outpost leads to a sealed portal His existence and message are well-known in the coun­
to Xoriat. tries bordering the Mournland (especially Breland), but
4 The outpost borders the Mournland, where mutant less familiar in the rest of Khorvaire. Hoping to swell
monstrosities emerge from the mists. the ranks of his followers, the Lord of Blades has agents
5 When a force of aberrations arises from Khyber, this spreading his apocalyptic message in every city with sig­
abandoned outpost is the adventurers' only chance to nificant warforged populations.
stop their advance. THE LORD OF BLADES N T H E W A R
I
6 The outpost is in a critical location, but it was dam­
aged during the war. It needs to be protected while it The Lord of Blades didn't appear in the world until after
is being restored. the Day of Mourning. Only he knows what his identity
7 The outpost is located on a manifest zone linked to was before then, but many suppositions have been put
forth. Some scholars say that he was originally a war­
Thelanis. It has been seized by a group offey, and the
forged named Bulwark, the personal bodyguard of King
locals want it reclaimed. Boranel of Breland. Others believe that he was the last
8 The outpost was built on the foundations of an an­ warforged to emerge from the creation forges at Eston,
cient goblin fortress, and treasures are rumored to lie completed in the last moments before the Mourning.
buried beneath it.

CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES