Where in Khorvaire would Arkham-like city and neighboring villages/towns could be located? Something along the coast, with a lot of strange occurrences. Does any of the Nations have a good location for that?
I'd argue anywhere that's relatively isolated from the general populace while still being close enough for regular supply drops and troop shifts on a sane level. A place where the criminally insane are stashed away, out of sight, out of mind, too powerful to risk leaving in a mundane prison but too valuable for study to simply kill.
Maybe it is a prison deep under the water, accessible only via an enclosed train-line on the bottom of the ocean. If the prisoners overpower the guards and try to escape, shatter the connection and the prisoners either drown if they can't close the pressure-gates in time, or starve to death. Also specific Anti-Magic relics scattered in crucial places around the prison to lock down the heavy hitters, the ones with magical powers that could allow them to escape or do significant damage if they could escape their wings.
The players are sent in to oversee a shipment of food, fresh troops and magical reagents to keep the anti-magic and anti-teleportation wards charged, but as they're trundling down the line, there's sirens, alarms, the flicker of flames ahead and the blood-chilling thoom thoom thoom behind the train of bulwarks being sealed to prevent escape.
Nobody is leaving until the prison is secured.
Players then have to deal with supernatural, mutant and insane enemies and allies, find proof that the Prison Warden has been corrupted and is taking bribes/has become the lover/disciple/servant of an insane cult leader trapped in the Prison years ago who does not care if the prisoners escape or the whole complex gets crushed by the ocean pressure, so long as they have fun. The encounter should be run as both a murder-mystery scenario, with nobody exactly what they seem, and a timed event, with the players having 10 days to lift the lockdown or they run out of air. Finding a way out, be it an emergency escape pod that is only big enough for the number of the PCs -1, just to twist the knife and put the strain on the characters' bonds with each other.
Complete Victory is either eradicating all the prisoners and rebellious guards, re-activating the anti-magic and anti-teleport wards and signalling the mainland that all is clear. For every enemy that escapes, ally that dies, clues missed, the players have plot-hooks to deal with later down the line as these cretins were locked away at the bottom of the ocean for a reason, You've either earned their ire or drawn their attention, and that's not a fun prospect.
Failure is the players all die, the prison floods, the prisoners all escape or the players escape without dealing with at least 50% of the challenges down there.
@HalfOrcHeavyMetal: Nice! It seems you interpreted my question as Arkham Asylum from Batman, but I meant the Arkham city from H.P. Lovecraft stories. I like the idea of a supernatural prison in Eberron, potentially for war criminals. Thanks for the thoughts!
@CharlesThePlant: I am a little hesitant of placing it near Mournland, because it's fairly expecte that strange things might came out of it. I was curious about less obvious places that would fit.
Knowbody@: I'm curious, why do you think north of Karrnath seems like a good place?
Why not both? The prison was built in a place where the flow of magic twists and curls in on itself in a way that renders teleportation and other magics that allow things and beings to pass from one plane to another inert. The builders didn't realize they'd stumbled across a sunken ruin from back when the Orcs were fighting against the aberrant forces that plagued Eberron back before Humanity rose to prominence, and the 'effect' they were so enamoured with is actually a inverted Gate to prevent Xoriat's invasion from yet another stronghold.
Because nobody listens to Orcs and it happened so long ago, most of the Gatekeepers don't know about this place and those that do are powerless to get those in control of the prison to understand the danger.
Inverted Gate to Xoriat, plus magical psychopaths and sociopaths, mutant experiments from the Last War, corrupt prison guards and a shadowy overseer who'd rather see everyone die that let the truth of what is happening ever getting out to the public could be a fun twist.
Knowbody@: I'm curious, why do you think north of Karrnath seems like a good place?
Mostly because it's another coastal area of Khorvaire, and I get the feeling it would be appropriately bleak and creepy for the intended ambiance. All the undead don't hurt, either.
@HalfOrcHeavyMetal: I really like the idea of having the prison over the gate! I would add that the architect was Daelkyr servant (potentially unwilling) and chose this place at their urging.
Where in Khorvaire would Arkham-like city and neighboring villages/towns could be located? Something along the coast, with a lot of strange occurrences. Does any of the Nations have a good location for that?
Dreadhold Prison, run by the Dwarves.
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"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Where in Khorvaire would Arkham-like city and neighboring villages/towns could be located? Something along the coast, with a lot of strange occurrences. Does any of the Nations have a good location for that?
Dreadhold Prison, run by the Dwarves.
There was an excellent article on Dreadhold in Dragon #344. If you can find a copy, read that. It gives a look at a few of the more unique prisoners, some of which fit with the whole horror atmosphere. I believe one of them was a captured lich held in a perpetual antimagic zone. Nobody wants to kill this lich because its phylactery is unharmed, but missing.
Alternatively, the Forest of Flesh could be appropriately creepy. Plenty of disturbing things already, and it's been proven via a Dragon article (don't remember which one, dammit) that Mordain can do some very creepy things with dead people...Dolurrh's Dawn is one of my favorite locations in Eberron ;D
Mordain's influence/experimentation could create all sorts of Lovecraftian horror scenarios, and if you really want to kick it up a notch, make a daelkyr's realm/demiplane come close to the Material Plane in that area.
Where in Khorvaire would Arkham-like city and neighboring villages/towns could be located? Something along the coast, with a lot of strange occurrences. Does any of the Nations have a good location for that?
You could place it near the edge of the Mournlands. You'd probably see a lot of strange/unexplained phenomena wandering out of there.
Southern coast of the Mournlands or maybe north of Karrnath seem like good possibilities to me.
I'd argue anywhere that's relatively isolated from the general populace while still being close enough for regular supply drops and troop shifts on a sane level. A place where the criminally insane are stashed away, out of sight, out of mind, too powerful to risk leaving in a mundane prison but too valuable for study to simply kill.
Maybe it is a prison deep under the water, accessible only via an enclosed train-line on the bottom of the ocean. If the prisoners overpower the guards and try to escape, shatter the connection and the prisoners either drown if they can't close the pressure-gates in time, or starve to death. Also specific Anti-Magic relics scattered in crucial places around the prison to lock down the heavy hitters, the ones with magical powers that could allow them to escape or do significant damage if they could escape their wings.
The players are sent in to oversee a shipment of food, fresh troops and magical reagents to keep the anti-magic and anti-teleportation wards charged, but as they're trundling down the line, there's sirens, alarms, the flicker of flames ahead and the blood-chilling thoom thoom thoom behind the train of bulwarks being sealed to prevent escape.
Nobody is leaving until the prison is secured.
Players then have to deal with supernatural, mutant and insane enemies and allies, find proof that the Prison Warden has been corrupted and is taking bribes/has become the lover/disciple/servant of an insane cult leader trapped in the Prison years ago who does not care if the prisoners escape or the whole complex gets crushed by the ocean pressure, so long as they have fun. The encounter should be run as both a murder-mystery scenario, with nobody exactly what they seem, and a timed event, with the players having 10 days to lift the lockdown or they run out of air. Finding a way out, be it an emergency escape pod that is only big enough for the number of the PCs -1, just to twist the knife and put the strain on the characters' bonds with each other.
Complete Victory is either eradicating all the prisoners and rebellious guards, re-activating the anti-magic and anti-teleport wards and signalling the mainland that all is clear. For every enemy that escapes, ally that dies, clues missed, the players have plot-hooks to deal with later down the line as these cretins were locked away at the bottom of the ocean for a reason, You've either earned their ire or drawn their attention, and that's not a fun prospect.
Failure is the players all die, the prison floods, the prisoners all escape or the players escape without dealing with at least 50% of the challenges down there.
@HalfOrcHeavyMetal: Nice! It seems you interpreted my question as Arkham Asylum from Batman, but I meant the Arkham city from H.P. Lovecraft stories. I like the idea of a supernatural prison in Eberron, potentially for war criminals. Thanks for the thoughts!
@CharlesThePlant: I am a little hesitant of placing it near Mournland, because it's fairly expecte that strange things might came out of it. I was curious about less obvious places that would fit.
Knowbody@: I'm curious, why do you think north of Karrnath seems like a good place?
Why not both? The prison was built in a place where the flow of magic twists and curls in on itself in a way that renders teleportation and other magics that allow things and beings to pass from one plane to another inert. The builders didn't realize they'd stumbled across a sunken ruin from back when the Orcs were fighting against the aberrant forces that plagued Eberron back before Humanity rose to prominence, and the 'effect' they were so enamoured with is actually a inverted Gate to prevent Xoriat's invasion from yet another stronghold.
Because nobody listens to Orcs and it happened so long ago, most of the Gatekeepers don't know about this place and those that do are powerless to get those in control of the prison to understand the danger.
Inverted Gate to Xoriat, plus magical psychopaths and sociopaths, mutant experiments from the Last War, corrupt prison guards and a shadowy overseer who'd rather see everyone die that let the truth of what is happening ever getting out to the public could be a fun twist.
Mostly because it's another coastal area of Khorvaire, and I get the feeling it would be appropriately bleak and creepy for the intended ambiance. All the undead don't hurt, either.
I’d also consider the southern coast of Lake Galifar, between the arcane research of Arcanix and the sinister influence of The Gloaming.
@HalfOrcHeavyMetal: I really like the idea of having the prison over the gate! I would add that the architect was Daelkyr servant (potentially unwilling) and chose this place at their urging.
@Knowbody: I like it! Thanks!
Dreadhold Prison, run by the Dwarves.
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
There was an excellent article on Dreadhold in Dragon #344. If you can find a copy, read that. It gives a look at a few of the more unique prisoners, some of which fit with the whole horror atmosphere. I believe one of them was a captured lich held in a perpetual antimagic zone. Nobody wants to kill this lich because its phylactery is unharmed, but missing.
Alternatively, the Forest of Flesh could be appropriately creepy. Plenty of disturbing things already, and it's been proven via a Dragon article (don't remember which one, dammit) that Mordain can do some very creepy things with dead people...Dolurrh's Dawn is one of my favorite locations in Eberron ;D
Mordain's influence/experimentation could create all sorts of Lovecraftian horror scenarios, and if you really want to kick it up a notch, make a daelkyr's realm/demiplane come close to the Material Plane in that area.
Stella Diamant, Human Rogue 17 (Swashbuckler), The Exploits of Misfit Company
Kat, Medtech, Cyberpunk: Red
Shi, Changeling Bard 4 (College of Spirits), Tyrant's Grasp
Dani, Human Artificer 9 (Armorer), Skulls and Starships
DM, Project Point (Teams Scimitar and Longsword)
Everything Else!