Session IV: The Dragonmarks

General Summary

11 Thaliak 996 YK   The adventurers return to the surface to find the goblin merchant Dopinder Gopinder waiting for them. Honoring their promise, they give their everbright lantern to the goblin much to his delight and he leads them out of the Cogs. During this time, Fives carries an unconscious Koko who seems to be radiating a prismatic aura of magic around her and a strange mark seems to be churning across her right forearm. Gideon, Kanye, and Xaris immediately recognize it as an aberrant dragonmark. Knowing the low chance of survival for those with nascent aberrant marks, they decide to leave Koko at Kanye’s unkempt apartment in Foundation before collecting their reward from Elaydren d’Vown at the Broken Anvil. Fives decides to stay behind and watch over Koko and Bobo as the rest of the party heads out.   They arrive at a sparsely populated Broken Anvil tavern and find Elaydren in the corner sitting across a spectacled man with wavy white hair and stern face. They instantly recognize the man to be Baron Merrix d’Cannith, one of the most renowned and brilliant artificers in Eberron. He introduces himself to the party as their mysterious benefactor and asks if the mission was successful. Gideon explains to the industrialist that the artifact that they found in the ancient Cannith Foundry is an ancient schema—a pattern used by Cannith artificers of old to craft unusual items. The schema appears as an adamantine plate shaped into a seven-pointed star, slightly more than six inches long from point to point and covered with strange, engraved patterns. It radiates a strong aura of transmutation magic. Gideon, after a bit research and decoding of the old Cannith codex, believes the schema is one of three parts of the whole pattern that depicts the instructions to create an Alexandrian Powerstone. Merrix ponders for a moment and says that he is impressed with the party’s resourcefulness and Gideon’s ingenuity. They have earned his trust. Till the remaining parts of the schema are recovered, he affirms his promise to fund future expeditions as they continue to recover the remaining pieces and rewards them as promised. Xaris quietly motions Gideon to ask Merrix about treating Koko’s condition. Gideon apprises Merrix about Koko and Merrix looks at the party with solemnness. He states that individuals with aberrant dragonmarks are usually consumed by the magic they possess rather quickly and die, but if Koko is still alive after this time then they will need to find a way to stabilize the magic before it runs amok. Furthermore, they need to make sure to hide Koko’s whereabouts due to the distrust and fear people have for those who possess the aberrant marks. With Koko in danger, they decide to congregate back at the Cloud Dragon and discuss next steps. Before leaving, Gideon tells the party he needs to speak with Merrix privately and will catch up with them once he is finished. Elaydren gives them a smile and wishes them luck in helping their halfling friend before departing as well.   Meanwhile back in Kanye’s apartment, the injured Koko wakes up after pleasant dreams of wading through meadows of tall grass and chasing unicorns. She cries in fear after finding herself in an unfamiliar place and the magic of her aberrant mark flares up. The wild magic goes rampant around the halfling as lightning and other evocation magics erupt from her mark causing a fire inside Kanye’s apartment. Fives quickly tells Koko to calm down and, after successfully doing so, they retrieve a scared Bobo and flee from the building. They look on in horror of the burning building as the residents of the complex do their best to douse the flames. The three decide to leave the scene of the crime and head to the Cloud Dragon in hope of finding the rest of the party.   Each of the adventurers arrive at Cloud Dragon around the same and find their friend and proprietor of the Cloud Dragon, Pierre Ghallanda, crying. The City Watch have surrounded the premises and Gaston Jr. and his father Gaston Gassedoff Sr. stand in front of the restaurant with smug satisfaction. Pierre explains to Koko that House Gassedoff used its connections with the Bank of Varley to expedite Pierre’s mortgage on the restaurant. Unable to pay the balloon payment, the bank immediately confiscated the restaurant and Gaston Sr. bought it as a foreclosure for a hefty sum. Angered, Koko’s wild magic flares as a terrible wind starts swirling around the Skyway when she confronts the vile Gassedoffs for their misdeeds. To avoid another incident with House Gassedoff and Koko’s burgeoning aberrant dragonmark being revealed, Kanye quietly knocks out Koko with the butt of his dagger while Xaris and Rias apologize to the Watch for the intrusion. They usher a crying Pierre and the rest of the group back to Kanye’s place.   Gideon reunites with the rest of the adventurers as they descend to Foundation and catch him up with the recent developments. Misfortune happens again when they arrive to see Kanye’s apartment in ashes. Kanye confronts Fives and Koko and the warforged confesses that Koko’s aberrant dragonmark flared causing the building to burn down. With very few options, the group decides to split up and figure out how to help stabilize Koko’s aberrant mark. Still angry at Koko, Kanye crashes at Xaris’ place for the time being while Rias and Fives take care of Koko back at her place in Sunrise inside Upper Tavick’s Landing.   A few weeks past as Koko’s condition deteriorates. The magic cascading from her aberrant dragonmark continues to consume her as she is bedridden and unable to function. Fives and Bobo take extra care of her as Rias begins to scour throughout the city for any knowledge to help with Koko’s condition. While staying with Koko though, Rias is plagued with dreams that do not make sense to her… dreams of traveling around the sun, walking on the surface of the moon, flying on top of a dragon chasing a giant eagle, and standing in the endless void of abyss. Unable to sleep, she doubles her efforts in finding a cure for Koko. After days of perusing around with adventurers at the Clifftop Guild and wining and dining with nobles of House Lamine, Rias uncovers a lead concerning esoteric research regarding aberrant dragonmarks conducted by arcanists inside the mysterious Circle of Starlight and Shadows. Now with a lead, Rias begins her search for a way into the circle.   Gideon seemingly disappears from the party’s purview, occasionally visiting Koko once a week to check up on her condition. According to Kanye who occasionally tracks the artificer’s whereabouts, Gideon has established a base of operations within the Cannith Forgehold inside Ashblack in the Upper Cogs, often leaving the enclave to test out his new mechanical weapon, walking his newly created clockwork dragon, and visiting Gears and Beers for drinks during happy hour.   After a successful busking endeavor in Upper Menthis, Xaris has a chance encounter with her close friend and sempai, Leliana ir’Demell (aka Lily), who arrives and gushes about Xaris’ performance. A crowd quickly forms around the two as fans of Bows and Roses ask for Lily’s autograph. They decide to lose the crowd and find a small private bubble tea shop to catch up and, after a bit of a nostalgia trip regarding the good old days, Lily invites Xaris to play with her band at the Hanged Man that evening given that they are only in Sharn for a couple nights. Excited to play with her sempai and idols, she happily accepts and the two head down to Middle Menthis for the show.   After crashing at Xaris’ place for a week Kanye, not wanting to endanger his friend, decides to move out worried that his former crew, House Tarkanan, might track him down. On the same night Xaris is to play with Bows and Roses, Kanye confronts a hooded figure who has been trailing him. The shady figure reveals himself to be Manveti Tarkanan, a former rival of Kanye’s when he was still part of the House. Manveti tells Kanye that “Mother” (Thora Tarkanan) misses him and wants to know when he plans to return home for dinner. Kanye, tired of the pestering gangster, tells Manveti off. The Tarkanan agent laughs and lets Kanye know that whenever he is ready to come home, Thora will be waiting for him in the towers. After Menveti disappears into the shadows, Kanye gives a sigh of relief and heads to one of his many watering holes, the Hanged Man, to drink and de-wind for the day.   Xaris and Lily arrive at the Hanged Man a few hours before the set begins and Lily introduces Xaris to the rest of the band: Rorobi Robi, the happy go-lucky halfling wizard and drummer, and Uruk “Lebron” Rogwump, the quiet and introverted half-orc valor bard bassist. They instantly connect during sound check and enjoy their time together before the start of the set. Eventually, Xaris and the band go on stage and give a rousing performance that stirs the hearts and minds of the crowd. At the same time, Kanye arrives to orders a few drinks with some acquaintances of his and sees Xaris performing. Being the cheeky and unflattering rogue that he is, Kanye decides to throw a lime from his drink at Xaris. Luckily for Xaris and Kanye, the rogue misses completely and the performance goes smoothly and spectacularly.   After Xaris, Lily, Roro, and Lebron finish their set, they decide to wind down with a couple of drinks and laughs. Lily enthusiastically praises Xaris' performance to the rest of the band causing the young bard to blush and, before she can thank her sempai, a mysterious figure looms behind the young bard. Both women turn around and see an older, more polished, and menacing figure of their past, Miklan ir’Cethleann. Xaris freezes at the sight of her older brother and Lily scowls and asks why he decided to reveal himself after so many years. The mage gives a slight smile and reveals a small everburning lantern inside his coat pocket with a black flame burning within, the sign of an agent of the Dark Lanterns. Miklan explains that he works for The King’s Citadel now and that as member of Breland’s intelligence office, he has the authority to talk to whoever he wants. Xaris tries to leave from the tavern but is blocked by two of Miklan’s subordinates. He informs his younger sister that he is currently looking for an aberrant user of small stature that she is familiar with and needs some information. If she were to leave now, then she would be disobeying a lawful order and would be severally punished for doing so. Xaris shakes in fear, unsure of what to do next, until Kanye emerges from the shadows as he always does to intervene and save her from the tense situation. Xaris quietly uses message to inform Kanye that Miklan tried to kill her when she youngers and she needs to run. Kanye, thinking quickly on his feet, tells Miklan that if he lets Xaris and the others go, he will tell him more about the other aberrants in the city. The Dark Lantern ponders for a moment before giving a wry smile and agreeing. Xaris immediately flees and, concerned about her friend, Lily rushes to console her and advises her that going home is not safe. Lily urges Xaris to come with her and the others to find shelter. Xaris, completely trusting of her sempai, nods and lets Lily lead the way.   After the others depart, Kanye offers to lead Miklan to the secret hideout of House Tarkanan if he agrees to help him find a cure to Koko’s aberrant mark and retake the Cloud Dragon from House Gassedoff. Miklan ponders for a moment and says it would be difficult, but if Kanye honors his word, he will do his best to assist. The two scoundrels shake hands and Miklan tells Kanye he will take him to the person that can help Koko with her condition. Kanye follows behind as Miklan takes him to an abandoned church on the outskirts of Middle Dura. Miklan tells Kanye that the cure for the aberrant is inside and to look for a priestess of Althaea. She will show him the way to salvation. As Kanye looks inside and looks back, Miklan has seemingly vanished. Convinced on his course of action, he enters.   Back in Deathsgate, Rias succeeded in conning her way into the Circle of Starlight and Shadows by pretending to be a wizard of great renown. After partaking in an ancient and secret ritual, Rias is given the name Stardust and initiated into the circle. With access to all the magical secrets of the circle at her disposal, she delves into the magical library of the inner sanctum to search for tomes regarding curing those cursed with aberrant marks. With some help from a skeptical librarian Rias and other wizards she recruited skim over a hundred volumes before finding a work written by the philosopher William Miller titled Aberrants: An Introspection. After some careful reading, Rias realizes curing Koko of her condition is possible and in the margins of the text there are clues pointing to a place in Sharn where a potential healer might be hiding. With the knowledge in her hands, Rias takes the text and immediately rushes back to Koko’s place where she encounters Gideon who just arrived to catch up on the halfling’s condition. Rias informs Gideon of the information she just uncovered, and, with the help of Gideon, conclude that the healer in question is a priestess of Althaea residing in the Chapel of the Traveler, an "abandoned" church dedicated to Ashelia, the daughter of Saint Althaea and simply known as "the Traveler". Fives rushes to pick up a weary Koko and they immediately rush off to help their halfling barbarian chef friend.   Unbeknownst to the other adventurers, Lily also takes Xaris and the other bard to the Chapel of the Traveler as it is the local outpost of the Circle of Song, an informal group of bards who come together to exchange news, stories, and songs, expanding their repertoires and base of knowledge around Khorvaire. Xaris takes some time to calm down as the sleepy priestess of Althaea, Sitri Nowi, offers the distraught bard a cup of tea and soothing smile. She quickly calms down being in the presence of the adorable small elf child with flowing auburn hair and strange brown antlers. Sitri patiently listens to Lily and Xaris explain the trouble they faced that evening and, an hour later, they hear the front door crash open. Rias, Gideon, Bobo, Fives, and an unwell Koko arrive at the scene. Rias quickly shouts inside the abandoned church for a priestess of Althaea to help cure Koko of her aberrant condition. Sitri rises from the floor and tells Rias to take Koko with her downstairs to her chambers to see what she can do. As Sitri, Rias, and Koko descend to the lower depths, the other adventurers anxiously wait upstairs in silence hoping and praying for Koko’s well-being.   Sitri takes Rias and the comatose Koko to her private chamber as the priestess starts muttering incantations and mixing alchemical ingredients together. The sorceress watches in curiosity as Sitri works and, feeling Rias wandering gaze, Sitri asks Rias if she knows anything about dragonmarks. Rias confesses that she does not. Sitri gives a dose of the concoction to Koko and sits next to the sorceress and asks if Rias would like to know more about dragonmarks as it will take some time before the potion begins to work itself inside Koko. A curious Rias sits down obediently and begins listening to Sitri. The priestess explains to Rias that dragonmarks are physical manifestations of the Draconic Prophecy, a record of things to come that has been playing out since creation. The dragons of old used to observe and record everything from the position of the moons and stars, to the position of the Ring of Siberys to physical manifestations of dragonmarks in the world, all of which they studied looking for portents and omens of things to come. The prophecy encompasses many volumes and is said to be as complex and unfathomable as the dragons themselves. A few among the Church of Althaea study snippets of the massive work, but only the dragons with their incredibly long lifespan and the eladrin of Aerenal had the ability and patience to see the prophecy for what it truly is. It is unknown what the Draconic Prophecy's nature is. Some argue it is a revelation of the end of the world, others of a new beginning. Whatever it means, it is obvious that the prophecy points towards the transformation of the world as we know it.   Thousands of years ago, the dragons made contact with the lesser races, teaching them the arcane arts, and watched them build their own civilization. The lesser races loved the dragons for their compassion and generosity and learned overtime that they too were also the children of Siberys and it is their responsibility as the dragon’s children to be this star’s caretaker and to fight the chaos that would dare threaten it. The Church’s founder and namesake, Saint Althaea, was said to have been given a revelation, a “gift to help guide the lost”, from Siberys herself who was watching over Eberron in the heavens. This gift would be the dragonmarks, words of power directly from the Draconc Prophecy itself, bestowed by Saint Althaea during the War of the Mark, a mighty war a thousand years ago wherein Saint Althaea Maferath, along with her draconic children (the Ten Elites) and her most loyal followers (the Five Saints), joined forces with the mighty King Galifar ir’Wynarn to unite the Five Nations under a single banner, the Kingdom of Galifar, to conquer parts of the eladrin Aerenal Empire in a bid to stamp out the chaotic forces of Seedism. The War of the Mark was a bloody conflict that lasted for several years spanning across the expanse of Eberron. It was at the end of the War of the Mark when both Saint Althaea Maferath and King Galifar ir’Wynarn slew the eladrin goddess Angharradh. In the aftermath, every eladrin woman in the world died, which quickly led to the collapse of the Aerenal Empire, and every dragon perished, leading to the mass extinction of the dragons. Including this, the nation of Karrnath became a massive dead magic zone. Common belief attributes Karnnath’s affliction to a curse lain by the dying goddess, in which she sacrificed millions of followers for a final act of spite. This tragic event would simply be known by the people of Eberron as The Great Malice and something so horrible would not be encountered again for another thousand years until the Day of Mourning which enveloped the nation of Cyre in a magical holocaust of unknown origins. From that day forth the Draconic Prophecy became obscured and more complex. Aberrant dragonmarks started to appear on others who were not blessed by Saint Althaea and, according to the Church, contradicted the Draconic Prophecy. Unlike true dragonmarks, aberrant dragonmarks were chaotic and uncontrollable causing destruction in its wake. The Church, in its attempt to preserve the legacy of Saint Althaea and their draconic teachers, marked those who possessed aberrant marks as anathema and were shunned and executed. Sitri is very solemn as she points this out. She remarks that, unlike her colleagues, she believes aberrants have been treated poorly and unfairly and do not deserve to be shunned for something they were born with, and she has dedicated her life to dampen and calm the chaotic magic of aberrant dragonmarks. She wryly comments that, because of this, she has been shunned by many members of the Church as well. Relegated to this abandoned church in Sharn, she continues her meditations and research to help those control their aberrant mark.   Rias is pensive during this time, reflecting on what she just learned and trying to digest everything. Before she can ask any questions, Sitri request that Rias pull out her spellbook as she will need it as a focus to finish the incantation to complete the spell to cure Koko. The sorceress realizes her con is about to be revealed and asks Sitri to wait since she left her spellbook upstairs. She quickly dots up to the chapel to hear Kanye and Xaris arguing about the bard’s vagueness and not revealing to the rogue the reason for Miklan trying to kill her, apologizing for interrupting them, and runs back down to Sitri’s chamber with the Cannith codex in hand. Again, Sitri asks Rias to put her hand on the book and recite with her in unison the incantation of freedom to complete the spell, but Rias attempt to play a pretend wizard fails. Sitri sighs and smiles at Rias, letting her know it is okay to be honest about herself, and asks if she bears a dragonmark. The sorceress nods, telling her she has an aberrant mark on her back too, and unbuttons her shirt to reveal her dragonmark. Sitri is surprised when she sees Rias’ mark and remarks to her that she does not have an aberrant dragonmark, but an unknown true dragonmark. Rias is surprised and asks Sitri what it means, and Sitri can only tell her that from what she can read, her destiny and Koko’s is tied together somehow through their marks. Sitri talks to her and quietly wonders if her vision will finally come true and if she will die tonight. Rias is taken aback and before say can say anything, the priestess puts her hand on Rias’ back and the sorceress’ mark activates in a blinding light. Sitri recites the incantation of freedom as the prismatic magic of Koko’s mark flashes in neon colors before dimming. She groggily wakes up, wondering what happened, and Sitri just smiles at the halfling and welcomes her back to the world of the living.   As Koko wakes up with partial control of her aberrant mark, a half-elf assassin with warforged grafted parts and his halfling Boromar clan henchmen burst upstairs inside the front of the chapel demanding for the aberrant halfling to be released to him. The strange man reveals himself as one of the Twelve, an organization of elite assassins tasked with eliminating both criminal and untethered aberrant dragonmark users. The number 12 is imprinted on his left shoulder. The adventurers, devoted to Koko, refuse his demands and initiate combat. An epic battle ensues as Kanye, Xaris, Gideon, Fives, Lily, Roro, and Lebron fight off Twelve and Clan Boromar as several Boromar mercenaries enter the chapel basement from the grates to surprise Rias, Koko, Bobo, and Sitri. The fighting is fierce as Kanye blinks back and forth throughout the chapel like a deadly red flash of daggers, Xaris engulfs the enemies in her illuminating fire, Gideon’s clockwork dragon rending the flesh off halflings while the artificer keeps trying to unjam his gun, Fives jumping straight into the thick of battle to save his friends, Lily commanding the battlefield like a maestro of battle, Roro deftly shooting off scorching rays left and right, and Lebron slam dunking enemies with his ironwood bandolier. Downstairs Rias helps contain the swarm of Boromar halflings with her array of magic missiles and Koko, finally in control of her wild magic, summons the feywild itself around her as vines, grass, flowers, and other vegetation surrounds her impeding the movement of the enemies below. Sitri shows her the power of Althaea as she reveals the Gift of the Prophet blindsiding the enemies with blessed heals and powerful beams of moonlight incapacitating those in their way.   The battle is arduous, but the adventurers push the Twelve and the Boromar to the brink giving them a little bit of hope… until Miklan ir’Cethleann enters the fray. Miklan slowly and dramatically enters the scene, disappointed that even with this many people the Twelve and Boromar cannot even push against a band of lowly adventurers. He tells them they can avoid further bloodshed if they agree to drop their weapons and cooperate with him, but before anyone can resp Xaris pops from behind the back room and yells at Miklan that she will never surrender. Miklan suddenly becomes furious at seeing the sight of Xaris defying him and berates the young bard for her insolence.  

YOU! YOU AND YOUR DAMNED MARKS! Time and time again the Dragonmark Houses use their marks to subjugate the poor and downtrodden. But no more. I will stop at NOTHING to break this wheel of pain and suffering! If you die by my hands so be it!

  Miklan’s arcane might is undeniable as he summons a bolt of lightning from his hands incapacitating Lebron, Fives, Xaris, and Roro in a single cast. The adventurers realize the battle is hopeless and muster all their tactical acumen and courage to heal up the fallen and run to survive. In a stunning turn of events, Fives yells at them to flee and blocks off the path from Miklan giving them time to escape. Koko and Xaris cry as Miklan stabs Fives’s machine heart with his rapier. As they flee Fives utters his final words, “Run… and remember me.”    Lily, through her tears, angrily yells at Miklan and asks why he would do this and confesses she once loved him. Miklan, shocked at first, turns cold and mutters that it is too late, and this is now his destiny.    Kanye is able to deal the finishing blow against the assassin who, with his dying breath, pulls Kanye by the scruff of his collars and whispers to him, "Welcome to the Twelve." As he dies a terrible burn etches onto Kanye's red-hued skin as the number "12" is now on his front left shoulder.    They look back as Sitri who decides to stay behind as well and motions the others to continue forward. “I’ll be back… don’t worry.” She gives a brave smiles and slowly turns around as she takes some of Koko’s wild magic and engulfs the entire chapel with roots and vines as the feywild begins to take over. They leave through the back door of the chapel and successfully flee with their lives barely intact.   The session ends with the adventurers and their allies looking down at nature engulfed chapel from the edge of a distant, raised tower as the City Watch arrives at the scene. Thanks to the sacrifice of Fives and Sitri they barely escaped… but at what cost? As they mourn for their friends, they can only look forward as their past continues to chase after them. Until then, next time on ZEITGEIST—

Character(s) interacted with

Miklan ir'Cethelan, Leliana ir'Demell, Rorobi Robi, Uruk "Lebron" Rogwump, Sitri Nowi, Twelve, Mechromancer