A dragons longest day

Sixty thousand years ago, dragons and giants were friends. More than friends; the teachers of the giants, their fathers and their gods. They have given them everything, too much, as it turned out. Dal Quor, the plane of dreams was source of the first invasion. The first wave of war, that spread across the face of Eberron.

The dragons could not let their children drown in that invasion and they feared that this invasion would spread across Eberron, to reach their precious Argonessen. So they joined the giants in their struggle and researched a ritual that would tear apart the connection of Dal Quor and Eberron. It would end the invasion of the Dream Plane creatures, but it ended a lot more.

A ripple in the magical fabric spread across Xen'drik in those days, it did not only tear apart the connection between the planes, it destroyed half of Xen'drik and left the giants and their civilization in ruin. Plagues spread across the land and the giants slaves, the drow and the elves, used that opportunity to free themselves from their chains and wage yet another war against their masters. Crippled through the first magical cataclysm, the giants struggled and their doom was certain.

And then they remembered. Something that should have never again be brought up on the face of Eberron. They wanted to use the same ritual, to save their doomed civilization and stop the civil war against their slaves, that brought hell on Eberron so many years ago. But this time, the dragons would not repeat their failure, they would not let Eberron and everything that existed, be torn apart by a bunch of power hungry children.

High above Xen'drik in the clouds, forty thousand years ago. There he was. A dragon, flying to his own longest day. It was the longest day in the history of Xen'drik, a day that would never end, for some. Just like them, he was thinking, thinking about the past, the why, the how.

The history of a race, the destiny of the giants. Was it meant to be a failure? Was the error they made, by teaching them, more of a failure, than what the giants wanted to do now? Should the giants be punished for wanting to save themselves? Or was it the dragons that deserved punishment?

All thought was blown away by the strong winds that pulled on his face, as he turned towards the earth. With a nauseating flush of clouds in his eyes, he broke through the heavens gate and saw the destruction and the war that was waging beneath him. The roaring of giants and powerful magic filled the air. The very fabric of being was twisted in this fight.

A ruined land, a destroyed city, sunken into the rock and crumbled to dust. The dust of the greatest giant city on Xen'drik lay beneath him. On the far horizon he could see something coming, could feel the power building, but they needed more time. They had to buy some time, to stop the giants from destroying not only Xen'drik but all of Eberron in their foolish attempt to save their doomed civilization.

Chaos was upon him. He had left the safety of the clouds and instantly a bolt of lightning struck past him. He tumbled to the side nearly breaking his wing bone, but quickly gained control over his flight. He raced towards the giant that tried to kill him. As he flew by with dazzling speed, a quick lash of his tail was all that was needed to bring the giant down. The gigantic humanoid hit the ground and the dragon flew a wide circle to gather speed for his next attack. The giant surprisingly got up again, he was tougher than the dragon had thought and now he was ready to battle the attacking dragon with his big two handed sword. The dragon came in full speed and with a mighty forward flap of his massive wings he nearly instantly stopped right in front of the giant. He was flapping right above ground, standing still. The giant was blinded by the dust, charged forward forward through the cloud of debris and crushed into the dragon and left him tumbling back. As he came to a halt, he tried to get up on his feet, the giant already came charging. Now was the time, the dragon thought, it was time to leave this plane of existence, as he saw the sword of the giant coming down, a flash of purple light, that was brighter than the sun, blinded his eyes and then there was silence...

* * * *

... forty thousand years later, there he still was. Awaiting the killing blow of the giant with his jaws wide opened to scream. Awaiting the destruction of the world. Lost and forgotten by the sands of time. His fight meaningless and his flesh transformed to purple stone. All his thought and being frozen back in time, to be a silent watchmen, over what was upon the world yet again. Before him, his ancient adversary standing just as still, frozen, delivering his victory blow. Both forever bound in the endless thought of struggle, both souls forever trapped.

Around them, the drums of war echoed across the purple plains again. The giants, or what was left of them after that fateful day, were moving again. The children of the past, have not grown up over the years, they still make the same mistakes and bring others with them. Other children, other races, that do not learn from the mistakes of the past. Amongst the children of men though, a beacon of hope glows as bright as the light of destruction in the past. The fire of Stormreach, it's magical lighthouse attracting others to right future wrongs. A story untold. A story unwritten. Your story.

The Cerulean Hills - Alabaster Stoneheart: Freedom

A little guest story about the Cerulean Hills and its missing background story and integration into the world storyline. Its a great new area, though lacking a lot of "flesh" in my taste. Thats why i've written a little story about it.


The days of raining. The subtle sound of dropping heaven tears, that hit the ground and dissolve into nothingness. Soaking wet earth, that started to become water itself. Nothing you would expect coming to a near tropical environment. You'd expect sun and warmth. That's exactly what Alabaster thought, when he arrived in Stormreach just three weeks ago. Alabaster is Warforged. One of those forsaken warriors that roam Eberron in search of meaning since the last war. His hearth was filled with confusion and hope. Hope of a better life, a real life, a life that has meaning.

In the first days, the days without raining, he found hope in the trust of some humanoids, that gave him a reason to live. They begged him for help. They tossed him around. They told him what to do. He felt needed and guided by the call for help just as much as by the orders, that he so willingly accepted.

But then everything changed. The rain had cleared the streets and the taverns were full of babbling adventurers. Now the humanoids, the fleshlings, they seemed rather focused on asking other fleshlings for help. Alabaster was standing outside, right next to the Wayward Lobster, a local tavern. With no need to sleep, no need to breathe and no need to rest, he just stood there, hoping that the rain would wash away the tears he could not cry. In his hearth he was a barbarian, a hard warrior that knew only fighting. Always guided by violence, he followed his axe wherever it led him.

Pushed by in inner impulse he started walking. Walking away, away from the city, away from all those laughing humans, that just like him, or so he thought, have no meaning in their life but they don't realize it. He walked outside of the city into an outer area called the Cerulean Hills. He never went there before, but gave no second thought on the matter. He went just outside of the false protection of the city walls. Storming through the city gate, he did not even realize, that the days of raining had come to an end.

Just outside the gates a wide field of green grass and lush jungle trees was opening before him. The sun, that was gone for so long, had come back from the dead. It broke through the clouds and fell on him, but he did not notice it. He was still just walking, when a rush of adrenaline sharpened his senses. His blue crystals were glowing even in the bright sunlight and he felt the sensation of battle rising up. But the battle was already here, he dodged a thrown spear just by an inch and started running forward towards the enemy he analysed while running.

Bugbear. Cloaked. 45 feet away or 2 seconds of running.

He charged blindly now, the rage burning in his wooden body. But before he even reached his enemy, he felt something try to get a hold off his foot. With barely a slowdown, he chopped the wolf in two. Six feet away from the bugbear, he jumped into air and let his axe come down on the poor creature. The bugbear tried to dodge his axeswing, but was caught by the stunning blow of the Warforged. That was the last mistake this creature would ever make. Its body dropped lifeless like a lump of meat.

Now the heat was growing and it was not the sun burning in his eyes. The sight of orcs in the nearby woods released him on another blind charge. Swing after swing he pushed away his thought, his fear and his doubt. Every chop, every drop of blood made him happy, gave him meaning again. Then he stopped.

He had been running away from the city for quite a while now and the only thing he could spot, that made him recognize his position, was the Stormreach light tower. The golden light beam was always there on the horizon. A light of hope when he first arrived in Stormreach and a beacon to go back to now.

This was the first time he really looked around in this overgrown place of murder. The blood was dripping from his axe and dozens of orcs, bugbears and wolves had fallen to his rage. He felt a strange sensation, something that his old masters called "guilt". But then he remembered a story he heard in the city about the orcs and their ruthless approach against the farmers of the city. The hills were not just only the outside of the city, they were a farming area. He heard the people and some farmers, that have left their fields, talking about the orcs, who claimed the ruins to be sacred and not to be approached nor used as farming ground.

He never understood the fleshlings focus on believe and gods. He was looking down on the ruins, the white marble pillars and broken walls, that were scattered around the landscape. Inside the city everything was brown stone, but out here, all was white and green and full of life. A nearby shrine of Arawai was the reason for that, or so the farmers believed. They had been praying there to Arawai to get rid of the undead, that arose from time to time out of their fields and threatened their families.

Slowly but steadily he was walking back towards the city, past walls that had been broken apart by time and its power, or by water and the ever growing jungle, that was taking back what once was his. A new river had found its way through the ruins. It ran past the walls, past the pillars, towards the city, just like the lonely Warforged, that was cooling his feet in the slowly flowing waters.

The jungle wanted to take back the land it once owned. The orcs claimed their ruins to be sacred and untouchable. The lions were roaring their demand for lordship over the landscape. The river was taking more and more of Eberron's body, digging its way deeper down into the land. And just like all those, that were demanding something... Alabaster desired, like nothing else, freedom.

Low Road – Entax

They call me Warforged. But there is no war I could be forged for. They say it is over for two years now. They say they don’t built Warforged any more. But I don’t remember a war or that I was built and when and where and who ... All I remember is that there was Sharn and I was right in it. Well Sharn did not get in me though. I felt useless there. I saw other Warforged like me looking for something. Then I saw this one Forged who took up guard duty in the Morgrave Museum. He was standing besides this vase under glass becoming a relict as he guarded them. They could have built the glass around him letting the vase stand guard. Then I knew that I had to go. I heard about this place Stormreach far away. Far away ... that was exactly where I wanted to go.

The people on the ship where all quite like me, forged or not. They had no place to go and nothing to do or they wanted to make a fortune in the ancient ruins. I don’t need a fortune. But if it comes my way way should I turn away? And so I came to Stormreach. Did not quite look like Sharn. Not so high. Not so dark. No Rain. But something was quite the same. The humies. Running around like they knew where to go. And something elso was the same: I did not! The humies from the ship all went getting a room in the inn. I do not need that. I do not sleep. So I went along the streets picking up conversations. There had to be something interesting here!

A Guard stepped in my path. I almost did not see the small man. He asked me if I were one of the new adventurers coming to Stormreach looking for Gold in the Ruins and Fame and something like that. He was partly right so I grumbled and nodded to him. He then told me something about a ‘Low Road’. A connection between the Harbor and the aspirants corner through the old ruins underneath Stormreach filled with hideous monstrosities. He told me he made a bet with one of the other guards about newcomers going that way alive. I did not really see the point in it as going through the gate directly to the aspirants corner seemed so much easier. He asked me if I was afraid. I heard that before: Fear. Someone explained to me that fear is the need to avoid all things that pose a threat to damage or even destroy you. I agree with that. But then I learned that humies are also afraid of things of little threat like spiders or mice. I will hang on to the first explanation as it suits me. But in this case I saw no immediate threat since I did not know what was down there and I had nothing better to do. Besides the guard mentioned some coins for the first to go that way and I had a few scratches on me that needed to get fixed. So down I went.

As I took my first steps in the sewers I saw a Kobold. There are Kobolds in Sharn too. My definition of fear works on Kobolds. Kobolds are afraid of everything and everything poses a thread to a Kobolds health. This one was armed and obviously standing guard. I chuckled as I imagined him talking to some other Kobold about a ‘High Road’. The rattling of my armor plates alarmed him and as I thought he ran away. “This will be easy” I thought just before I heard the gong sound. He came back with another armed Kobold. The two of them really thought they could take me down. They could not!

After I finished the second one I advanced further down the tunnel which split into two tunnels leading down each with a door blocking further sight. The door to the right was guarded by another Kobold. The guarded way seemed more promising so I advanced that way finishing the guard with ease. But he left a new scratch on me. “This better pays off!” I thought. I entered the room beyond only to see that I stepped into a trap! The doors closed and two Kobolds emerged from their hiding places. I have to admit these Stormreach Kobolds are a better breed than those of Sharn. They managed to scratch me once more. I had to be more careful if this should not leave me in a worse state than I was before.

Leaving the small room I entered a huge chamber filled with greenish water. A little jump and I was down in it. When I get out I would have to wash this off. Humies tend to act funny when I am soaked up with slimy stuff like this. I noticed a Pipe leading further east. Which by all I knew was the right direction. But that way was blocked by a gate. On both sides of the chamber where ladders leading up to ledges. “Maybe there I can open the Gate” I thought and I was right. Half way up the first ladder I heard a snorling sound. More Kobolds! But unaware of my presence and fully asleep. “Easy pray” I thought as I sneaked up to the creature but I never was a good sneak. Before I reached the beast it jumped up and attacked me. Not that it posed any threat but it made me angry. As I flew in a rage I remembered the words of my commanding officer while I tried to apply for the Sharn watch. “Watch your temper” He always told me “you are leaving your guard down when you get angry” I never agreed. Why keep your guard up and let your foe beat you when you can take him down with some forceful blows. So this is what I did. Angry I jumped up the second ladder grabbed a crate next to me and threw it at the half-awake Kobold. This send him stumbling back and I charged him against the Wall. Right through the wall if the creature were any more solid that the glibbering slime down in the water. And he was even softer now. After I used the controls on the ledges the way in the pipe was free and since I do not need to breathe getting through was no problem at all.

There it was: light. Finally through. Now I could collect the money and get my repairs done. But one more Kobold was blocking my way. All adorned with pearls and bones and ragged clothing probably markings of his rank. Battling him could result in further damage, so I tried another approach. I walked directly towards him and as he readied for combat I gestured to clam him. I approached him and held my hammer up for the creature to see. “See that? All soaked in Kobold blood. Want yours on it too? I’m just passing through here. Now get out of my way or I’ll smash you” That worked! The Kobold ran past me and dived in the water out of sight. A high ranking Kobold? A lair of a high ranking Kobold? Well that could give me some extra loot to pay for my repair needs. I found a worn piece of leather armor and some gold pieces. Good enough to begin with. That covered my expenses and the next day I was good as new. The guard gave me a new shiny hammer well balanced and good fitting.

That was my first Day in stormreach. Promising but not even close to what was waiting for me. But that my friends is another ... no actually many many more stories.