Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Red Hammer

Here is the information about the inn I mentioned. I had also said it was a place that was friendly to the Lord of Blades, similar to an Irish pub that supports the IRA, however that was a mistake. The attitudes of the propietors will come out in the campaign.

Excerpt from: Sharn. City of Towers.

Blackbones (in the Cogs level, under Tavick's Landing)
District Type: Industry district
Buildings: Temple (Onatar), poor lodging (2),
poor food (7), poor trades (60), poor services (30)

First Impression: Heat and the smell of smoke fills
the air. The long passages are dimly lit and coated
with soot, and the inhabitants are dour folk focused
on their work.
Social Class: Lower class

Blackbones is located under Tavick’s Landing, and
stretched west toward the center of Sharn. In most
respects it is similar to Ashblack; it is slightly newer,
and the corridors are a little wider and better lit. Like
Ashblack, there are a considerable number of warforged
laborers in this district, and a few businesses
have sprung up around these constructs.

The Pool of Onatar’s Tears: When the engineers
were building Blackbones, they discovered a bizarre
phenomenon—a small pool of cool, crystal-clear water
surrounded by a larger pool of blazing lava. In addition
to surviving the heat, the water actually seemed to
be replenished by an unseen source. Curious, a dwarf
priest ordered a forge set up near the pool. A skilled
smith, he found that if he used the heat of the lava and
then tempered his work in the cool water, his work
was far better than what he was used to producing. He
declared the site to be the work of the sovereign lord
Onatar. Today, smiths and metalworkers from across
Khorvaire come to Sharn to be blessed at the pool. A
temple has been built around the pool, and services
to Onatar are held within. Those who seek a special
blessing are allowed to dip their hands into the water,
which is said to enhance their own talents.
The powers of the pool may be largely legendary,
but they are not completely false. Anyone who
tempers a metal item using water from the pool
receives a +2 bonus on the associated craft check,
though the priest rarely allows anyone to take water
from the pool. And if a priest or adept casts a spell
from the Artifice domain within 10 feet of the pool,
his effective caster level is increased by 2.
The current caretaker of the pool is actually a
warforged—one of the few warforged priests on Khorvaire.
Smith served in the Last War; along the way he
developed a deep faith in Onatar, who he believes
guided humanity to create the warforged race. Smith
believes that the god has a plan for the warforged,
and he has done his best to get other members of the
warforged community to embrace his vision. Smith
is deeply opposed the violent ideology of the Lord of
Blades, and firmlybelievesthatthewarforgedandthe
creatures of flesh are meant to live together.

The Red Hammer: This unusual business is an
inn—for warforged. Warforged do not need to eat,
drink, or sleep, but they can still hunger for camaraderie.
The Red Hammer is a place for warforged to
gather, make new friends, and exchange stories. The
Hammer is owned by two warforged, Blue and Crucible. The official
story is that Blue bought the Hammer with a cache
of gold he found during the Last War. Blue and Crucible
are on good terms with Smith, and both support his
views as opposed to those of the Lord of Blades.
In addition to companionship, the Hammer is a
source for repairs and cosmetic improvement for warforged;
costs are equivalent to those of a house of healing.
Warforged characters receive a +1 circumstance
bonus on any Gather Information or Knowledge
(local) checks made in the Red Hammer.

No comments: