Page 262 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

V
A
ST R T I N G T H E AD E N T U R E
-- THE --
Once the players are ready to begin, read or paraphrase
S M A � � � � Q U � S � l � W �
the following boxed text to them:
T
An orange glow covers the top of Lyrandar Tower as the
i
sun sinks n the sky. Above, the great airships of House AT H E
Lyrandar float like leviathans surrounded by brilliant
O
rings of elemental energy. Below, bridges crisscross at all M E RCY F
levels of the city, connecting Sharn's great towers. The
sounds of crying children, barking vendors, cursing sky­ M E R C E N A R I E S
coach drivers, and braying hippogriffs rise up to become
a unique din that can only be heard in the City of Towers.
Each of you carries a letter from your acquaintance It seems the Sham Watch is outsourcing more and more
of their jobs to contractors, also known as adventurers,
Sergeant Germaine Vilroy of the Sharn Watch that reads,
also known as mercenaries, which is what these blood­
" I ' m calling on you for a job. I can't write the details, but soaked hirelings are. While many of these second-rate
it pays well and requires your skills. Meet me at the air­ thugs act like they have the absolute authority of the
ship dock on top of Lyrandar Tower. Come armed." Sham Watch, know your rights! These sellswords can
get away with atrocities, including murder, but only
if such crimes are committed in the pursuit of their
Have the players introduce their characters to each contracts. Should one of these ruffians steal from or
other, if they aren't already acquainted. Ask characters harm you or your loved ones for no reason other than
who aren't from Sham how they arrived, perhaps on an their barbaric attitudes, report them to the Watch and
this publication immediately. The Sham Watch is bound
airship (likely paid for by Germaine whose Kundarak ac­ by law to arrest these hooligans when they show their
count is flush with Boromar gold) or a lightning rail. For criminal natures.
characters who are Sham natives, provide a brief de­
scription of various districts that fit the characters' back­
grounds if needed using the information in chapter 3. Germaine gives the characters the following
This is also a good time for characters to make per­ information:
sonal connections that might link them, such as having
the same birthplace, fighting for the same side in the Germaine has an appointment to meet with a war­
Last War, or having common backgrounds or interests. forged named Coal, who claims to have knowledge
Once the characters' relationships to one another have of a crime being committed in Old Sham. Germaine
been established, read or paraphrase the following wants the party to meet with Coal first and see if what
boxed text to the players: she says adds up. Germaine is worried that, with her
status as a Watch sergeant, her presence will call un­
due attention and endanger Coal.
As darkness descends on the city, you see windows light • Germaine can give the characters 25 gp each now and
up the towers around you from bottom to top. A cool another 50 gp each if they bring in Coal.
• If the characters consent to meet with Coal, Germaine
wind whisks between you, drowning out the other noises
provides the location of the Cog Carnival, a bar in
of the city. A nearby lift rises, carrying a human in her High Walls frequented by warforged, and the ap­
m i d-thirties with close cropped black hair and a glowing pointed meeting time.
pipe in her mouth. Germaine gives a wry smile as she • Germaine also provides a Sham Watch writ of en­
nods to you all, saying, "Thanks for coming." forcement. The writ authorizes the bearers to conduct
official duties of the Watch under Sergeant Vilroy's au­
thority. City workers and other members of the Watch
Sergeant Germaine Vilroy (neutral female Brelish respect the writ, sometimes grudgingly, as long as the
human veteran) greets the characters then gets down characters don't engage in flagrantly illegal activity.
to business.
Germaine tries to play up her concern for Coal as her
S
ROLEPLAYING E RGEANT VILROY reason for hiring the characters, but a character who
succeeds on a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the
Germaine is gruff and doesn't like wasting time. She Germaine's Charisma (Deception) check can sense that
gives the characters the information she has and tries she's holding something back. A character who talks to
to send them on their way before they can ask questions Germaine privately and succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma
about her involvement in the case. The sooner the char­ (Persuasion) check gets her to reveal that she some­
acters solve her problem, the sooner she can get back to times takes money from the Boromar Clan to look into
collecting extra money from the Boromar Clan for doing crimes, and the family is interested in Coal's informa­
nothing other than ignoring their crimes. tion (though Germaine also points out that the charac­
ters really are Coal's best shot at surviving this ordeal,

CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES
26I