Factions 1: Governments and Politics

[David]

_Brelish Crown_

Known Goals:

Maintain the integrity of Breland and strengthen it against the possibility of the Next War.

Put the Kech Volaar into power in Darguun to stabilize Breland's southeast border.

Conduct trade negotiations with Karrnath, trading food for armaments.

Known actors:

Bren ir'Gadden, Lord Marshal (Former party member)- A decorated Soldier of Breland during the last war. Was betrayed by his steward Aric Blacktree on the day of Mourning and rescued by the other party members. Suspicion fell on him due to the actions of Valna at the trade meeting with Karrnath, and he was detained by Captain Kalaes for a time. After the party cleared his name with Kalaes, he resumed his Brelish commission, and led an expedition west to secure the area around Five Kings against the aberrant incursion there.

Lord Darek ir'Tain- A young country nobleman seen eating with Lord Ruken before the bar fight, he was a player in the trade negotiations with Karrnath. He expressed gratitude toward the party after the fight, saying he owes them a favor. The trade negotiations at his estate fell apart when undead attacked and apparently made off with the Karrnathi princess.

Gydd Nyphret- Professor of Archeology at the University in Sharn. She's shown interest in the Ashen crown, and in Aeron'eth. After being resurrected by the party, she has returned to her job at the university. The party entrusted her with Karruuk's circlet, a piece of the Ashen Crown.

Holma (Deceased)- A wealthy merchant seen in the company of Lord Ruken. He was murdered by parties unknown and replaced by the opportunistic doppleganger Mercus Rye. He had obtained a trove of Cannith artifacts purported to have come from within the Mournland. He hired Kara d'Orien to transport some of the items, and stored others within a Kundarak vault in Sharn.

Captain Kalaes of the King's Citadel- Recruited the party to aid the Kech Volaar in obtaining the Ashen Crown. After suspecting the party of treason because of the actions of Tikulti and Valna, Kalaes finally believed the party's story when Tikulti's betrayal was confirmed. He sent them out of Sharn to help him find the cause of attacks on travelling airships, and to get them out from under the eyes of various houses, who were clamoring for their heads for various reasons

Jozan (party member)- Jozan's original party was sent to investigate Five Kings by Captain Kalaes. This party fell when Jozan was taken in by a Spirit Devourer. He watched, helpless within the creature's belly as his team was destroyed. He was rescued days later by the current party. His experience has left him with an apparent cowardly streak bested only by his loyalty and courage in the face of threats to his friends.

Sir Ramus, King's Sword- Wanted the contents of Kara's parcel for unknown reasons. Disavowed by Kalaes. Attacked the party before their meeting with Kara and escaped.

Lord Ruken ir'Clarn-A powerful member of Breland's House of Lords, Ruken is considered by many to be a "man of the people." (Bren has a lower opinion of him.) He has often agitated for more power to be given to the Brelish parliament rather than the King. The party has saved his life at least once, perhaps twice. He has expressed suspicion that the bar fight and the attack at Bren's gathering were attempts on his life.

Mercus Rye, doppleganger- A fence, currently in prison on suspicion of murder after impersonating the mechant Holma.

Tikulti, doppleganger- Kalaes' agent within the Kech Volaar. He was a traitor secretly in the employ of Demise and the Emerald Claw.

Valna ir'Tasrin- an artificer who worked for Bren as a messenger during the Last War. Helped the party explore Ashurta's Tomb. She disappeared during the talks with Karrnath after it was revealed that she bore an aberrant dragonmark. She is suspected of involvement in the disappearance of the Karrnathi princess. She later appeared via a transposition spell of some sort in the Garden of Graves, and helped the party defeat the Ivy Heart at the center of the Garden. She claimed that Gydd had sent her. Before disappearing once more, she gave Watcher a cloaked dagger and instructions to take it with them to Sharn and "cut through." (See Session Summary thread)

Watcher, warforged (party member)- Fought for Breland in the Last War until his cohort disappeared on the Day of Mourning. Wandered out of the Mournland on his own years later, and may have taken a piece of it with him. He has discovered that he was held and experimented upon in the interim by a rogue construct/forge called Calmachia. After this discovery, Calmachia did not last long.

_Karrnathi Crown_

Known for using undead in battle, the militaristic Karrnathi society has fallen on hard times after the Last War, as much of the fighting took place in their centers of agriculture and destroyed their farmland. The Crown of Karrnath broke with their most fanatical soldiers, The Emerald Claw, near the end of the Last War. The Crown went into the trade talks with Breland at something of a disadvantage, as many of their people are starving. The disappearance of the Karrnathi princess at the trade negotiations has greatly increased tensions with Breland. She had been a hostage in Breland to assure peace with Karrnath.


_The Feyspires_

Home of the Eladrin, these wandering cities have been stuck on this plane since the Day of Mourning.

Known goals: find a way to return to the Feywild.

Known actors:

Aeron'eth (party member)- Sent to Eberron after having a vision of the fall of his homespire (and him with it), he has no idea whether that fall has yet occurred. His homespire is lost somewhere within the Mournland. (see Aeron'eth thread).
Lately it seems that Aeron'eth has been set on his path by a Rakshasha, who has been posing as the Medani Inquisitive Caldur.



_Kech Volaar_

These "Wordbearer" goblins are more reasonable than their cousins, according to Captain Kalaes.

Known goals: recover the Ashen crown, gain power in Darguun through the collection of Dakaani artifacts. Restore the honor and glory of the Dakaani Empire.



_Kech Sharaat_

These "Bladebearer" goblins are enemies of the Kech Volaar, and of Breland, according to Captain Kalaes.

Known goals: recover the Ashen crown, gain power in Darguun through any means. Restore the honor and glory of the Dakaani Empire.



_Llesh Haruuc_

The current ruler of Darguun was a mercenary during the Last War. He rebelled and carved his current nation out of land that used to belong to Cyre. He owes loyalty to neither the Kech Volaar nor the Kech Sharaat.

He started printing his own currency. The exchange rate is 2:5.

Known goals: Maintain power in Darguun. Assure his fledgling nation's continued existence.

Known actors:

Brinjin (Former party member)- left the party after receiving an urgent message. Described it as "a matter of honor"



_The Swords of Liberty_

An extreme faction in Breland who believe the Last War should not have ended until Breland was victorious.

Known goals: Overthrow the Brelish Monarchy. Incite the Next War.



_Wardens of the Wood_

This committee of druids and wardens rules the Eldeen reaches, as much as anyobdy does.

Known goals: prevent the incursions of the Spawn of Xoriat into Eberron

Known actors:

Mummyjohn (party member)- This druid bears the Mark of Making, a legacy, perhaps, of his birth parents, whom he has never known. He has discovered that his father, at least, was a member of house Cannith who worked in the creation forge where Calmachia was constructed. Haestes d'Cannith, a forgewraith, claimed that Mummyjohn's father was killed during the Last War by Karrnath.

[David]

_House Cannith_

Human house of artificers and weapons designers, created the warforged race. Their creation forges have been ordered shut down as part of the Treaty of Thronehold, which ended the last war. The house currently lacks central leadership, as their largest conclave was in Cyre and destroyed on the day of Mourning. Numerous artifacts of the house were lost as well.

Known Goals: Recover the contents of Kara's parcel

Known actors:

Edwin d'Cannith, artificer- Offered 400gp to the party for aid in recovering the parcel. Hired Caldur d'Medani, a private investigator, to do the same.

_House Deneith_

Human house of soldiers and bodyguards. They acted as mercenaries during the Last War, working for any side, but never accepting contracts that would put on both sides of the same battle. They are currently believed to possess the strongest non-governmental military force on the continent, although they may be rivaled by the Emerald Claw.

Suspected goals: Some in the house are thought to desire the unification of the continent under a Deneith king.

Known actors:

Sigur d'Deneith- A power broker in the house with the stated goal of uncovering the cause of the Mourning. Currently suspects House Cannith. He sent Julian and his partner to recover Kara's parcel, claiming it held the key to what caused the Mourning.

Julian d'Deneith- Assigned by Sigur to recover the contents of Kara's parcel. Fought with the party against an attack lead by an agent of the Storm, and a subsequent attack by a group of Warforged (later determined to be parts of Watcher's old cohort under the control of Calmachia). Julian hid out with Kara in Bren's estate, swearing to protect her against repercussions from her house. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

_House Ghallanda_

Bearers of the Mark of Hospitality, these halflings will protect their guests from all comers, even governments, provided those guests can pay. Their Sharn conclave has a reputation for harboring those who might make their living somewhat "extralegally."

_House Medani_

A house of humans who bear the Mark of Finding. The are good at sniffing out secrets and spies and comprise a large segment of the private investigation profession. They are known for their ties to the Brelish government, which makes them somewhat suspect to the other houses. They also maintain the "Western Mournland Working Group," which keeps an eye out for threats on the border of Cyre. The faces of those who come back from this duty has lead to another apellation: The Thousand Yard Stare.

Known goals: Keep watch for threats to the realm coming from the Mournland

Suspected goals: Gather secrets, acquire the associated power, possibly to benefit Breland.

Known actors:

Caldur d'Medani, Inquisitive for hire- This private investigator working out of Sharn was hired by Edwin d'Cannith to help recover the contents of Kara's parcel. He pointed the party toward the Swords of Liberty cell holding the fake Holma. It has now been revealed that Caldur himself is an imposter, a Rakshasa working behind the scenes to manipulate the party, particularly Aeron'eth, toward unknown ends.

_House Kundarak_

This house of dragonmarked Dwarves runs most banks on the continent. Their vaults are said to be impregnable.

_House Lyrander_

Half-Elf Bearers of the Mark of Storm, they control commerce by air and by sea. Their ships use bonded elementals to drive them and protect them from the elements.

Known actors:

Gwen d'Lyrander (party member)- Gwen was a member of a Lyrander "outer house," one of a group suspected to be a potential mark bearer due to family heritage, but who hadn't manifested a mark within the past generation. She was sent with a Lyrander expedition to investigate the attacks on airships by dragon constructs. She grew suspicious, though, when her team refused the help of the party and seemed more interested in finding the source of the attacks than actually stopping them. She joined the party for its trip to Calmachia's forge and helped them fight their way to the forge's heart. She realized too late that the Brelish agent they freed was actually a Lyrander spy, and rushed back to find him and her former party conducting a ritual to drain the Forge's power. With the excess power given off by this ritual, her own mark finally manifested, leading to a period of unconsciousness for Gwen. Currently, she feels somewhat caught up in the party's problems, and wants to find the escaped Marus and return home with her new Mark.

Marus d'Lyrander/The Storm Front
(see "Definite bad guys," below)

_House Orien_

Half-elf house of messengers and bonded couriers, they control the rail lines.

Known actors:

Kara d'Orien- Hired by Holma the merchant to carry a package from New Cyre to Sharn, she looked inside when she suspected that the Holma who hired her and the one she met in Sharn were not the same man. What she saw scared her enough that she went into hiding even from her own House. She has entrusted the parcel's contents to the party and disappeared with Julian d'Deneith.

_House Sivis_

Bearers of the Mark of Scribing, they act as notaries and scribes.
They have recently begun encroaching on Orien's turf with the introduction of sending stations that allow instantaneous communication across long distances.

[David]

_The Emerald Claw_

A fanatical sect of the Blood of Vol religion, the Emerald Claw served as elite soldiers for Karrnath during the Last War, but were rejected by their government before the war ended. They often use the undead in combat.

Known goals:

Establish a foothold in Sharn.

Known actors:

Mellora, Necromancer (not quite Deceased)-Mellora attacked the party on the Day of Mourning after they had rescued Bren from the aberrant creatures that held him and Aric Blacktree. She later returned as a spectre in the caverns beneath Sharn, directing the excavation of the tomb of Ashurta. She left before combat was complete, declaring she had more important duties.



_The "Presence"_

Something sent warforged from Watcher's old cohort (but apparently bereft of free will) after the party in an attempt to recover Kara's parcel. Who or what that something was has yet to be determined, but it makes claim to both the parcel and Watcher. (See Watcher's thread for details)



_The Spawn of Xoriat_

Aberrant creatures from the Far Realms. Include dolgaunts and dolgrim.

Known goals: Invade the Realm of Eberron

Known actors:

Aric Blacktree (Deceased): Promised power by the dolgrim, he arranged his own kidnapping and that of his patron, Bren ir'Gadden. Later, in Sharn, he enacted a plan that likely would have destroyed much of the city, but was stopped and killed by the party (see Aric Blacktree's Journal).



_The Storm_

The party's associating with the Storm began with the prophesy:
"Four on the edge of desolation shall stand as one against the tempest's roar."

Aric Blacktree believed that the prophesy referred to him, and so tried to kill the party. (See Aric Blacktree's Journal, and Spawn of Xoriat)

Known Goals: Steal Kara's parcel.

Known actors:

Agent of the Storm (Deceased): Amongst the Swords of Liberty holding the doppleganger pretending to be Holma was a swordsman who was clearly far better trained. He showed no loyalty to his comrades and fled after striking a few perfunctory blows. He later ambushed the party at their meeting with Kara. He almost escaped with the parcel but was struck down. His dying words: "This changes nothing, the Storm is still coming." He bore the Mark of Storm.

[earthwizard]

Thank you

[kore]

I've copied everything in this thread, as well as Aric Blacktree's Journal, into a single document and will be printing copies out for everyone this Sunday.

I took the liberty of reordering to show some of what I consider the more obscure relationships. It's nothing big, but I think it's helpful.

[David]

Thanks. That would be helpful, and my printer's out of order.

[kore]

Well, we have 4 weeks to the next session. David, when you have a chance, would you update this thread with the information we learned today; new actors in the Kech Volaar and the elvish woman and her bodyguard.

Also, I don't see anything about Demise, the mysterious person mentioned during the encounter with the Emerald Claw (I think it was that one, I didn't note it).

[David]

Some updates made, more coming.

[David]

Updated post 2, added Jozan and Gwen entries.