name = The Chambre aliases = Calemaryx

alignment = Unaligned founded = 3,000-4,000 years ago caption1 = A gold dragon observes a captive Marqué par le Dragon from Marqué par le Dragon.

The Chambre (“Calemaryx” in Draconique) is a loose alliance of Dragons, no more than a hundred, that secretly attempt to manipulate events on Khorvaire.

The Chambre was founded less than four-thousand years ago as a response to the rise in Dracomarques across the Commun races of Khorvaire and the islands of Aérénal. Young dragons of all colors made an impassioned argument before the Conclave of Argonnessen to protect the Marqué par le Dragon, and to do their best to monitor and use them to serve the Prophétie Draconique.

The Chambre operates in contrast to the prevailing attitude of most dragons on Argonnessen, who are mostly obsessed with the Prophétie Draconique and not disrupting it.

The Chambre, while prone to taking an active hand in the affairs of Eberron, is not a body that works directly. Indeed, very few beings know of its existence. Instead, the Dragons of the Chambre operate through proxies in order to keep their involvement secret. But occasionally some of the dragons in the organization do take a direct approach and disguise themselves as one of the lesser races and offer their help as advisors to royalty or watching silently while manipulating from behind the scenes.

The Dragons of the Chambre were involved in tipping off the Conclave of Argonnessen of the activities of Minara Vol and the Draconique rogue known as Griffe d'Émeraude, which led to the ultimate extinction of Maison Vol.

The Chambre is a comparatively young organization by Draconique standards, with most of its members no older than mature adults (600 years). Some older members of the organization, such as the dragons present at its founding, guide the organization from The Tapestry in Argonnessen.

A member of the Chambre is known as a Chambre observer.

There are two main paths for the dragons of the organization: Shapers who attempt to actively guide the Marqué par le Dragon to fulfill conditions of the Prophétie Draconique, and Preservers who are content to sit passively let the branch of the Prophétie Draconique take its course.

The Chambre makes use of shared cover identities to monitor and influence events in Khorvaire to their own ends. They have infiltrated many established organizations in Khorvaire. They closely monitor the Église de la Flamme d'Argent and have infiltrated the organization. Other organizations they have compromised include the King's Lanternes Sourdes, the Royal Eyes of Aundair, Maison Phiarlan, and Maison Tharashk among others. They maintain mortal agents within the Tribus de Seren, among others.

The Chambre observers are opposed to manipulation of the Prophétie Draconique in order to honor Ourelonastrix and Hezcalipa's discovery during the Âge des Démons.

One of their fiercest opponents of late has been the forces of Bel Shalor, the Ombre dans la Flamme. Since his binding in 298 AR by Tira Miron, the Overlord has attempted to turn the Prophétie Draconique against the dragons. They often face-off against his prakhutu on the Conseil Sombre and chief servant, durastoran_le_broyeur_de_wyrm.

Additionally, Chambre observers and their agents sometimes work in opposition to one another based on their favored outcome for the specific branch of the Prophétie Draconique.

The Chambre is based out of Vorel'aurex in the Tapestry of Argonnessen. Beyond that they are decentralized and Draconique agents run their own operations.

The Chambre maintains safe-houses across the cities of Khorvaire and even in Cap-Tempête in Xen'Drik.

The Chambre is a loose alliance of dragons of all colors that share resources and aliases. Several members are notable. The Warders of Io'lokar in The Vast are critical supporters of the Chambre's continued existence.

• Sentinel Marshal Sorgan d’Garda is a cover shared between six dragons belonging to the Chambre.
• Coralonyn is a great wyrm gold Dragon of over 1,400 years who is said to have served alongside galifar_i at the founding of the Royaume de Galifar.
• Azalakardon was a blue dragon prophet of the Prophétie Draconique who grew increasingly reclusive after some great discovery before vanishing along with his Crystal Library.
• The Memory of the Prophecy was once a a red dragon named Iluvira. She was a member of the Chambre some six-hundred years ago. After being sent mysterious tablets containing undiscovered mysteries of the Prophétie Draconique she was murdered, and now haunts The Vast as a ghostly dragon, seeking out the worthy to return the tablets to her so she may rest.
• A Chambre observer sits on the Congrès Ésotérique of Aundair, and monitors the nation for Seigneurs Des Cendres activities.
• An unknown member of the Chambre sits on the Platinum Concord of L'Aurum, and works to gain access to the secretive Cabinet Fantôme.
• Haze-of-Death is a white dragon and former Chambre agent who was once active in Cyre that now haunts an area of Les Terres des Lamentations around the Gouffre Embrasé after falling prey to the Jour du Deuil.
• Veln is a Doppelganger from Aundair and agent of a Chambre observer in Khorvaire.
• Yllosavax is a silver Dragon Chambre observer focused on the advancement of arcane research on Khorvaire as it relates to the Prophétie Draconique.

The Chamber consists of dragons from Argonnessen who want to take a more active role in the world, and their servants, many of whom don’t realize they work for dragons. This secret organization watches for the emergence of dragonmarks on the lesser races, and believes that the draconic Prophecy should not just be studied and contemplated, but actively assisted so that its verses come to pass sooner rather than later.

The Chamber was formed by younger Argonnessen dragons who believed that the Prophecy demanded their participation in the world beyond their continent. Older dragons reluctantly allow the Chamber to exist, so long as it keeps a low profile and doesn’t do anything to endanger the Prophecy or the dragons themselves. To this end, dragons belonging to the Chamber either watch the activities of the lesser races from afar or use magical means to disguise their true nature when they move about in the world of humans.

The Chamber has little structure or organization. Members share knowledge as warranted, even keeping dragons that aren’t part of the group informed about their findings and observations. Some dragons of the Chamber spend decades disguised as members of the lesser races, serving as advisors to kings or silent observers. Only when a Chamber member reveals his true nature do the leaders of Argonnessen take an interest in their group’s activities, and if any dragon is believed to threaten the entire community, it is dealt with harshly.

Members of the Chamber or its agents among the lesser races may approach adventurers to help in some long-ranging scheme or plan to propel the Prophecy forward. Most often, the adventurers never realize that their patron in such situations is a dragon.

The Chambre

The Chambre consists of dragons from Argonnessen who want to take a more active role in the world, and their servants, many of whom don’t realize they work for dragons. This secret organization watches for the emergence of Marques du Dragon on the lesser races, and believes that the Prophétie Draconique should not just be studied and contemplated, but actively assisted so that its verses come to pass sooner rather than later.
The Chambre was formed by younger Argonnessen dragons who believed that the Prophecy demanded their participation in the world beyond their continent. Older dragons reluctantly allow the Chambre to exist, so long as it keeps a low profile and doesn’t do anything to endanger the Prophecy or the dragons themselves. To this end, dragons belonging to the Chambre either watch the activities of the lesser races from afar or use magical means to disguise their true nature when they move about in the world of Humains.
The Chambre has little structure or organization. Members share knowledge as warranted, even keeping dragons that aren’t part of the group informed about their findings and observations. Some dragons of the Chambre spend decades disguised as members of the lesser races, serving as advisors to kings or silent observers. Only when a Chambre member reveals his true nature do the leaders of Argonnessen take an interest in their group’s activities, and if any dragon is believed to threaten the entire community, it is dealt with harshly.
Members of the Chambre or its agents among the lesser races may approach adventurers to help in some long_ranging scheme or plan to propel the Prophecy fordistrict. Most often, the adventurers never realize that their patron in such situations is a dragon.

The Chambre is a loose alliance. Its members share resources (including their agents), and have established a network of safe houses and support across Khorvaire and Cap_Tempête. The dragons gather and share information, and those with Commun goals sometimes work together. Still, the dragons of the Chambre have divergent interests. Some wish to recover Perdu artifacts from the Age of Démon. Some want to observe the lesser races, to see the role they play in the unfolding Prophecy. Others oppose the Seigneurs Des Cendres and other forces who seek to manipulate the Prophecy. A few wish to manipulate the Prophecy themselves. All dragons of the Chambre are working in the interests of Argonnessen and the dragons as a race—the Eyes of Chronepsis quickly eliminate a dragon who threatens his homeland. But an outcome that is good for Argonnessen might be devastating for Khorvaire.
Although the dragons of the Chambre cooperate, each dragon has his own network of agents. Dragons of the Chambre rarely fight one another, but if they are competing over a particular turning point in the Prophecy, they have no difficulty setting their agents at odds.
The Chambre is a young organization by Draconique standards, fewer than four thousand years old. Most Chambre observers are mature adults or younger. Some older dragons are tied to the Chambre, including those who founded the organization. Most of these elders, however, have returned to Argonnessen to guide activities from the Tapestry, leaving their children to directly manage their interests.
The Chambre can be an excellent patron for adventurers, because its members possess wealth and the knowledge required to draw adventurers into the Prophecy. The key is that the Chambre is unpredictable even as a patron. These dragons are always looking to the distant goal, and even a friendly dragon might sacrifi ce nondragon lives for what she sees as the greater good.
Each DM must decide exactly how much influence the Chambre has had on the course of history, but any number of critical events could have been set in motion by the Chambre. It’s quite possible that a precursor to the Chambre instigated the migration of Humainity to Khorvaire because that group knew it was the only way Humains would develop Marques du Dragon. Likewise, the cabal might have encouraged the formation of Galifar to place limits on the power of the Maisons Marquées Du Dragon. Such discoveries are part of the tone of Eberron—how much of what you take for granted is the result of Draconique manipulation?

Here are a couple of ways to involve the PCs with the Chambre.
Conflict of Interest: The PCs have established a strong working relationship with a Chambre dragon, and they consider her a trustworthy patron. Then they discover that she is sponsoring another group of adventurers, who are performing massacres and assassinations. What do they do?
Hazard Pay: A Chambre dragon offers the party a fantastic redistrict in exchange for secretly destroying a Forge Créatrice purportedly hidden beneath Sharn. Can the PCs find the forge and then overcome the traps laid by Merrix d’Bombardier? And are they willing to risk the wrath of the Marqué par le Dragon lord?

Source: Dragons of Eberron
Related Articles: Marques du Dragon and The Chambre

Young adult silver
dragon; CR 14; Large dragon (cold); HD 19d12+79;
hp 202; Init +0; Spd 40 ft., fl y 150 ft. (poor); AC
27, touch 9, fl at_footed 27; Base Atk +19; Grp +29;
Atk +24 melee (2d6+6, bite); Full Atk +24 melee
(2d6+6, bite) and +22 melee (1d8+3, 2 claws)
and +22 melee (1d6+3, 2 wings) and +22 melee
(1d8+9, tail slap); Space/Reach 10 ft./5 ft.
(10 ft. with bite); SA breath weapon, frightful
presence, spell_like abilities, spells; SQ
alternate form, blindsense 60 ft., cloudwalking,
damage reduction 5/magic, darkvision
120 ft., immunity to acid, cold, magic
sleep effects, and paralysis, low_light vision,
vulnerability to fi re, spell resistance 20; AL LN;
SV Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +15; Str 23, Dex
10, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Balance +7, Bluff +14, Concentration
+18, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +23,
Heal +9, Hide –4, Intimidate +6, Jump +31, Knowledge
(arcana) +14, Knowledge (nature) +14, Listen +24, Perform
(act) +9, Search +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft
+16, Spot +24, Tumble +5; Ability Focus (breath weapon),
Flyby Attack, Hover, Multi attack, Power Attack, Toughness,
Wingover.
Languages: Commun, Draconique, Elven, Géant, one other.
Breath Weapon (Su): 40_ft. cone, 10d8 cold, Refl ex DC
25 half; or 40_ft. cone, paralysis 1d6+5 rounds, Fortitude
DC 25 negates.
Alternate Form (Su): This ability functions as the polymorph
spell, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for
changing form and can only assume the form of an animal
or Humainoid of Medium size or smaller. The dragon can
remain in its alternate form until it chooses to assume a
new one or return to its natural form.
Cloudwalking (Su): Silver dragons can tread on clouds
or fog as though on solid ground. This ability functions
continuously but can be negated or resumed at will as a
free action.
Frightful Presence (Ex): 150_ft. radius, HD 18 or fewer,
Will DC 23 negates.
Spell_Like Abilities: 2/day—feather fall. Caster level 5th.
Spells: As 5th_level sorcerer.
Sorcerer Spells Known (6/7/5; save DC 14 + spell level):
0—dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, mage hand, mending, prestidigitation;
1st—chill touch, expeditious retreat, protection from good,
protection from evil; 2nd—invisibility, web.

DRAGONS The dragons of Eberron are much more than mere monsters; adventurers will rarely barge into a dragon's lair in search of its treasure horde. Dragons in the world are either aloof and unapproachable, or they are curious and manipulative, pulling strings behind the scenes or trying to influence the world in arcane ways. Most dragons live on the mystery-shrouded continent of Argonnessen and avoid contact with those they see as lesser creatures. They are obsessed with the Draconic Prophecy, which is a map of possible futures rather than a clear-cut prediction. Its paths are revealed in the motion of planes and moons, in the actions of the dragonmarked houses, and in dozens of other more subtle manifestations. Most dragons that are active in Khorvaire are part of a cabal known as the Chamber. A dragon in Khorvaire that isn't part of the Chamber could be an exile driven from Argonnessen for some crime or a scholar pursuing independent research. Some orphaned dragons grow up in Khorvaire without contact with Argonnessen, and some dragons have been twisted by the daelkyr or corrupted by fiends; any of these could be an antagonist if the adventure you're crafting calls for a cruel dragon. The dragons of Eberron aren't restricted in alignment- good red dragons and evil gold dragons are equally common. Most dragons tend toward neutrality. Even those with good alignments often don't consider the impact of their actions on lesser beings; if a Chamber dragon must destroy a human village to foil the plans of a demon, it will do so without hesitation. THE C HAMBER Conspiracy theorists insist that a network o f dragons is hidden in Khorvaire, and these mighty creatures use powerful magic and humanoid agents to work their will across the continent and beyond. These claims are usually dismissed as madness, but they are in fact correct. The Chamber is a cabal of dragons that have monitored Khorvaire for thousands of years, treating humanoids as pawns in an ancient game. First and foremost, the dragons of the Chamber are observers, gathering information about new aspects of the Prophecy and sharing it with their elders in Argonnessen. They are also charged with stopping any creature that seeks to use the Prophecy for its own ends. This responsibility sets them against the Lords of Dust, who must manipulate the Prophecy in order to release their fiendish overlords. It also leads them to recruit or eliminate any humanoid who learns too much about the Prophecy. The Chamber is loosely organized. Each dragon monitors its own small corner of the world and maintains a network of humanoid agents. Although the mission of the Chamber is one of observation, individual dragons often have their own agendas. Some seek to manipulate the Prophecy personally, directing the future along a particular path. Others conduct experiments on dragonmarked humanoids, trying to understand the connection between these creatures and the Prophecy. Still others are obsessed with the Lords of Dust engage in century-spanning games of cat-and-mouse with their fiendish counterparts. In general, the Chamber seeks to maintain the status quo and opposes demons, so agents of the Chamber can often be useful allies or patrons. But ultimately humanoids are just pawns in the dragons' eyes, and they readily sacrifice any of those pawns to ensure the sanctity of the Prophecy and the defeat of the Lords of Dust. TH E CHAMBER AND THE WAR The lives of humanoids and the welfare of their nations mean little to the ancient dragons. A member of the Chamber who is friendly now might turn out to be little more than a war criminal, responsible for horrible atrocities while directing critical events of the war to ensure that a skirmish or an untimely assassination didn't derail some crucial stanza of the Prophecy. An even more disturbing prospect is that the Mourning might have been orchestrated by the Chamber, either as part of its struggle against the Lords of Dust or even directly in response to the dictates of the Prophecy. Whatever the truth, the Last War's impact on the Chamber was small in the grand scheme of things. Planar observatories were damaged here and there, humanoid servants died in droves, and the clash of armies derailed short-term plans. But even the effects of a hundred years of war are minor in the context of plans that span continents and millennia. PLANAR OBSERVATORY A planar observatory is a structure at the heart of the Chamber's efforts to divine the meaning of the draconic Prophecy. The observatory consists of great chambers of crystal and metal, lined with huge orreries that track and align with the planes and the Ring of Siberys. PLANAR OBSERVATORY FEATURES Map 4.2 shows what a planar observatory might look like. These immense locations are constructed by and for dragons. The orreries that surround the central space track the courses of the planes as they shift toward and away from Eberron. All about the observatory are enormous dragonshards of all three kinds (Eberron, Khyber, and Siberys). Each observatory must be built in a location that is balanced between Siberys and Khyber; finding such a site might take years of careful study and surveying, and these places are typically remote. Several are located in Argonnessen; those in Khorvaire are usually found in mountain ranges and hidden forest clearings. Many have crystal roofs, or domes that open with the aid of great mechanisms to allow an unobstructed view of the night sky, since the movements of Eberron's moons are thought to correspond to the shifting relationships among the planes. PLANAR OBSERVATORY ADVENTURES The characters might find their way to a planar observatory as unwitting minions of a Chamber observer, as a destination in their struggles against servants of the Lords of Dust, or even accidentally. The Planar Observatory Adventures table presents some possibilities.

P L A N A R O B S E RVATO RY ADVE N T U R E S d8 Adventure Goal A d isguised dragon requests assistance repairing a damaged orrery within the observatory. 2 One of the character's contacts is secretly the servant of a Cham ber dragon observer. When the contact goes m issing, their notes point toward a h idden “ l ibrary” in the mountains. 3 The planar observatory m ight offer a way to prevent or at least predict what seems to be an epidemic of destructive man ifest zones. 4 An observatory has been taken over by demonic cu ltists, and the characters m ust reclaim the facil ity or destroy it before the cult makes use of it. 5 A d ragon marked character has recu rring nightmares that lead them to the observatory. 6 A th ief or assassin has been using a derelict observatory as a h ideout, occasionally selling bits of the observatory's d ragonshards and equi pment. 7 A scholar h i res the characters to assist with studying and restoring a red iscovered observatory. 8 Several observatories across the region will prod uce a powerfu l effect if each is brought into a specific, s i m u ltaneous a l ign ment. C HAMBER NPCs The dragons o f the Chamber typically use magic to disguise their true nature and move unseen among humanoids. Although their goals of acquiring knowledge and opposing the Lords of Dust can make the dragons suitable as allies, their devotion to their long-term interests can blind them to the short-term impact of their actions. C H A M B E R N PCs d6 N PC A wizard agent of the Cham ber seeks to e l i m i nate all the people they worked with in the past to cover their tracks and preserve the Chamber's secrecy. 2 The Prophecy req u i res the eventual destruction of a h u manoid city. A d isgu ised silver dragon, cunning and su btle, works to destab i lize the city and bring about its ruin. 3 4 5 6 A local librarian is a d isgu ised gold dragon in the service of the Cham ber, who provides useful leads to send the characters down paths vital to the Prophecy. A d ragon becomes convinced that the dragon marked houses are corrupting the Prophecy. It m ight specifically target d ragonmarked heirs, or start a popular movement that seeks to destroy the houses. A royal advisor or p ro m i nent noble, secretly a servant of the Chamber, guides the leader in a d i rection vital to the Prophecy but disastrous to the region. A d isgu ised d ragon is convinced that an adventurer has a critical role to play in the Prophecy, but an agent of the Lords of Dust i s determined to d rive them down a different path. C HAMBER CAMPAIGN THE M E S I n a campaign featuring the Chamber, the adventurers might initially carry out simple tasks on behalf of a disguised dragon or secret Chamber agent, not necessarily doing anything shady or villainous, but maneuvering pieces into position so they can play their designated parts. As the campaign unfolds, the dragons of the Chamber might reveal that the adventurers have their own part to play-in particular, perhaps, any member of the party who bears a dragonmark. The Chamber begins interfering in the characters' activities, for good and for ill, and the Lords of Dust might also get involved. Unfortunately for the adventurers, the dragons are not necessarily any more concerned for their well-being than the Lords of Dust are, and the characters might have to consort or cooperate with demons in order to escape the clutches of the dragons. Throughout the campaign, the goals of the Chamber might not be readily apparent. Locations such as the planar observatory described here might be able to give the adventurers some insight into the substance of the Prophecy they have become tangled up in, and seers and sages might be able to offer further insight into the different ways that the demons and the dragons could be interpreting those words. Ultimately, the adventurers might be in the position of having to choose between an outcome that is bad for them but good for the world in the long term, or a short-term triumph that carries tremendous risk for the world in the distant (or not too distant) future. Another possibility is that the adventurers are openly working with the Chamber to gather information on the Prophecy and fight the Lords of Dust. In this case, the Chamber could act as a group patron; see the “Immortal Being” section of chapter 1 . C HAMBER MISSIONS The Chamber Missions table suggests several ways that adventurers might (knowingly or unknowingly) be asked to advance the Chamber's agenda, while the Chamber Adventures table offers a few more ways in which the activities of the Chamber could lead to an adventure. C H A M B E R M I S S I O N S d6 M ission 2 3 4 5 6 Gather pristine d ragonshard s to expand or repair an observatory. Seek out a gro u p of people who m ust be e l i m i nated in order to bring about the ful fi ll ment of a stanza of Prophecy. Discover who killed another m i nion of the characters' d ragon patron. Defend a Chamber safe house against a rival d raconic attack. Steal a local sage's research to prevent them from discovering the Cham ber's activities. Recreate an ancient ritual that will bring a new piece of the Prophecy to l i ght.

The Chamber By Keith Baker Illustration by William O’Connor

Dragons. It’s said that a single dragon can lay waste to an army. That dragons have forgotten more about magic than humanity will ever learn. Some even claim that the Sover- eigns themselves were once dragons. If all that is true, then why are they watching me? —Tora d’Lyrandar, speaking to her court-appointed Jorasco counselor The Draconic Prophecy doesn’t describe a single path for the future. Rather, it is a road map for all the paths that the future might take. Instead of saying, “A six-legged calf will be born in Varna,” a typical seg- ment of the Prophecy might state, “If Boran d’Vadalis builds a farm above the ruins of Shakaal and the calf is conceived when Eberron embraces Kythri, then a six-legged calf will be born in Varna.” The future isn’t set in stone, but part of it can be assured if the right dominos fall. For example, one path in the Prophecy leads to King Boranel’s death by natural causes in 999 YK, while in another he faces Sora Maenya in battle in 1002 YK. The fragments that player characters encounter are just tiny pieces of the whole, and often they are still mutable, but at a certain point events are fixed. Much of the art of the diviner is in seeing enough of the whole to know what paths are yet in flux and what are locked in. The dragon Ourelonastrix used the Prophecy to reveal ways to defeat rakshasa armies in the ancient war, and it showed the couatls the path they could take to bind the overlords and create the Silver Flame. Although it is a powerful tool even in its presently known state, pieces of the Prophecy are scattered across the world and the heavens, and new elements appear every day. The Lords of Dust, the Undying Court, and even the Twelve are working to manipulate it, but none are so skilled at this craft as the members of the Chamber.

Guardians of destiny The dragons of Argonnessen have studied the Prophecy for tens of thousands of years. Those early scholars rarely worked together, though. Greed and pride are powerful forces in a dragon’s heart, and Prophecy marks and personal systems of interpreting signs are among the most valuable treasures in a hoard. Dragon sages engaged in prophetic duels, competing to see whose interpretation of events was more accurate. They conducted most of their studies from their homeland, sometimes using scrying and other forms of magic to examine distant signs—and at other times simply ignoring those that were out of easy reach. No force on Eberron could truly threaten Argonnessen, or so the dragons believed. As a result, they saw no need to hunt down every possible thread. Two events derailed this train of thought. The first was the appearance of dragonmarks among the lesser races. The Prophecy had undergone a major evolution, and yet the dragons had been passed over. What did this mean? The second event was far more serious. In 298 YK the overlord Bel Shalor broke free from his prison and laid waste to Thrane before being bound once more by Tira Miron. The dragons who studied the event realized that the Lords of Dust had engineered Bel Shalor’s release using their own knowledge of the Prophecy. The Draconic Prophecy no longer belonged to the dragons alone: Demons, deathless, and others were unlocking its secrets and exploiting them. The dragons knew more about the Prophecy than any other creatures in Eberron, but unless they started using that knowledge, they could lose the future.

shapers and preservers

The Chamber was established following the appearance of the dragonmarks, and its first task was to study their meaning. The Chamber quickly solidi- fied its role when its reports led to the destruction of the line of Vol and of the Mark of Death. Since the release of Bel Shalor, pressure has been increasing on the Chamber to stop other forces from using the Prophecy as a weapon. However, it is not a monolithic organization. Although its members are united in the quest to discover as many threads of the Prophecy as possible, there are two major factions within the Chamber. The preservers believe that history should be allowed to take its own course, and that the Chamber should act only to prevent anyone from using knowledge of the Prophecy to determine the future. The shapers believe that the dragons need to take a proactive role in shaping the future. These two factions in turn comprise many lesser cabals. Some shapers seek what is best for Argonnes-sen; others are concerned only with personal power. Although dragons of the Chamber are bound not to fight one another directly, preservers often interfere with shapers’ plans, and any two shapers might have different plans for the future. The dragons unite against the Lords of Dust, the Undying Court, or others who engage in prophetic manipulation. Even then, a Chamber agent with a particularly long view of things might help a Lord of Dust achieve its goal, because this lesser victory is one of the dominos that has to fall for the dragon’s goal to succeed.

seekers of vectors

Spies and agents of the Chamber are scattered across Khorvaire. Allies within the Chamber share safe houses and even secret identities. For example, “Sentinel Marshal Sorgan d’Deneith” is a persona used by six different dragons; as a marshal, Sorgan can show up anywhere in Karrnath and receive cooperation from local forces. In some cases, these false faces belong to mortals who were killed so that the dragons could claim their identities; in others, the person is a willing participant in the masquerade. Some humanoid servant families have been working with draconic masters for generations. Family members rarely know the true nature of their patron, but they know it is a great being that has protected them from war and other misfortunes. The dragons also make use of existing intelligence networks. Members of the Chamber hold influen- tial positions in the Dark Lanterns, the Royal Eyes of Aundair, House Phiarlan, House Tharashk, and many more hierarchies. All these spies and agents use their positions to find new Prophecy marks, monitor the activities of dragonmarked heirs, and most of all, identify and track vectors. Vectors are the elements—living or inanimate—that play a role in a particular path of the Prophecy. Sometimes these elements are quite obvious; in the earlier example of the six-legged calf, Boran d’Vadalis is a vector. Typically, the Prophecy provides cryptic clues to vectors’ identities instead of names. For example, a vector called “the Child of Six Storms” is probably a Lyrandar heir, perhaps one with six generations of dragonmarked parents. But he or she could also be a storm sorcerer whose powers emerge after being struck by lightning six times. The dragon attempting to follow this thread has to consider all possibilities. Preservers fight to prevent outside forces from manipulating the vectors they are tracking, while shapers seek to control the vectors they identify. The challenge for the Chamber is that despite the drag-ons’ individual and collective power, the nature of their work forces them to remain in the background. They are like gardeners: Whether they actively choose which flowers to grow or simply try to keep vermin out, the effort is ultimately about the flowers. The Chamber can only watch and tend. Each agent of the Chamber wants to make a particular story come to pass, but the vector cannot change. If a story is about Duke ir’Kesslan founding Q’barra, then Kes-slan must complete that task: A dragon can guide him on the path to becoming king, but killing Kesslan and taking his place would only destroy that path. A dragon can help a hero find the tools he or she needs and provide information about the enemy, but if the path of the Prophecy depends on that hero winning a fight, he or she must win alone.

for the dM: adventurers as vectors Adventurers, by their nature, are key to Eberron’s unfolding destiny. Not every hero is vital to the Prophecy, but the player characters might be. If you, as Dungeon Master, want to make one or more player characters into vectors of the Prophecy, you should consider the following issues as you plan your campaign. What Is the Timeline? What are the key events of the Prophecy, and when will they occur in the scope of your campaign? Will a player character free an overlord or defeat it? Does the character have a role to play in an event that is still far off? For exam-ple, the Prophecy might indicate that if the party’s fighter and wizard have a child at the appropriate time, that child could grow up to defeat Bel Shalor. Of course, at the start of the campaign, the characters in question have only just met each other. What might cause romance to bloom? Who Knows About It? In the example given above, the Lords of Dust who serve Bel Shalor would obviously want to kill either or both of the adventurers in question—or, failing that, at least prevent them from having a child. However, fragments of the Prophecy are scattered, so the demons are a direct threat only if they discover this part of the Prophecy and identify its vectors. At 1st level, the adventurers can’t possibly take on rakshasas; their safety rests in the fact that the fiends don’t yet know who they are. On the other hand, if the Chamber learns their identity and role, its agents will be trying to manipulate events surrounding them. Who Wants What? Several factions might be working for different outcomes. Among the Chamber, shapers try to push vectors down certain paths, while preservers protect them from outside manipulation. In the example of the child, a shaper would work to create situations that could get the fighter and the wizard to fall in love, while a preserver would try to keep the Lords of Dust ignorant of that aspect of the Prophecy so that the adventurers can choose as they will. The Lords of Dust aren’t a monolithic force either. Perhaps the defeat of Bel Shalor would pave the way for the release of the Voice in the Darkness— causing servants of one fiendish overlord to fight those of the other. Alternatively, Bel Shalor’s minions might learn of another path in which the wizard and the cleric have a child who will free Bel Shalor. In this case, rather than trying to kill the adventurers, the mightiest forces in Eberron fight to control their love lives. What Are the Key Events? Most likely, the adventurers’ actions convince a Chamber observer that they are vectors. What are the critical events that will make the Prophecy come to pass? Does the fighter pull a sword from a stone? Is the wizard struck by lightning six times? The party might have to win a key battle or acquire a certain artifact; the pivotal event might be something as simple as a first kiss. How Much Do the Characters Know? At some point the adventurers need to find out what’s going on, and they likely realize that they are being manipulated. When and how do you want this to happen? Will the Chamber agent come forward and reveal that they are vectors? If not, do the player characters notice the disguised dragon? What happens if they mistake it for an enemy and kill it? In matters dealing with the Chamber, always remember to think as dragons do: To them, humanoids are puny creatures whose lives pass in the blink of an eye. Most dragons are concerned only with threats that endanger Argonnessen in some way, and they rarely take notice of what happens to a few mortals. During the Elf–Giant War, for example, the dragons didn’t intervene until the actions of the giants threatened all of Eberron—and their solution devastated elves and dragons alike. The return of Bel Shalor is a threat to both mortals and dragons, so player characters and the Cham- ber would find common cause in preventing it. Not all situations are so clear-cut, though. A Chamber shaper might know of a path in the Prophecy showing that an adventurer will cause a second Mourning that destroys Breland. However, this event paves the way for the ultimate defeat of Tiamat a century later, a vital goal for the dragons. The shaper can’t kill that character without losing the vector, but it will do its best to manipulate him or her into following the desired path. Even preservers might wish to support that outcome, while allowing the hero to make his or her own choices. The conflict between the long plans of the Chamber and the adventurers’ interests can drive interesting stories. the Role of dragonmarks Students of the Prophecy can learn things from observing interactions or chance encounters between dragonmarked individuals, but not everyone who bears a dragonmark has a role to play in the Prophecy. Think of dragonmarked heirs as Tarot cards or rune stones: tools that can be used to read the future. A cartomancer who loses a deck of cards can always get another, but each vector is unique. Even if you decide that all the vectors in your campaign are drag-onmarked heirs, not all such heirs should be vectors.

Random VEctoRs The issues discussed here assume that you decide which characters are vectors at the start of a cam- paign and how their story will tie into their role in the Prophecy. You might discuss the issue with the players of those characters first, to make sure they’re interested in the story. Another option is to come up with a path for the Prophecy and create a number of vector roles for it, then tie those roles to conditions that any player character could fulfill. Here are a few examples. ✦ He Who Slays Odalyth the Undying: The death of a particularly important villain is crucial to the outcome of the Prophecy, and the hero who defeats it is the vector. Which character strikes the killing blow? ✦ The One Who Wears the Crying Stone: A powerful artifact is a vector, and the first person who claims it forms a bond that shares its destiny. ✦ She Triumphs in Adversity: The Prophecy points to a hero who overcomes many misfortunes. That vector might be the first player who rolls twenty critical failures. ✦ Dolurrh Cannot Hold Him: The path shows that the vector is a soul who triumphs repeatedly over death. In your campaign, he or she could be the first adventurer who dies and is resurrected five times. The path of the Prophecy doesn’t begin until the conditions are met. At that point, the vector is identified, and the Prophecy unfolds!