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Dark Lanterns | Ep. 1 - City of Towers

Dungeons & Dragons・63 minutes read

A group embarks on a mission in the world of Eberron, led by Gaurav Gulati, with team members playing various characters like Pulver, Ghost, and Gadget with unique backgrounds and skills. The group is tasked with investigating a weapon plot in Sharn, encountering challenges, planning strategies, and navigating the city's crime-ridden environment to meet a key informant named Coal at the Cog Carnival.

Insights

The characters in the Dungeons & Dragons game are diverse, with unique backgrounds and abilities, such as Ghost's Changeling heritage and Gadget's knack for gadgets.
The mission in Sharn involves investigating a weapon plot and dealing with the local crime syndicate Daask, highlighting the city's complex and dangerous environment.
The team's approach to blending in and gaining information in Lower Sharn involves creative strategies, such as Ashlen disguising as a Warforged and Xander using his connections to navigate the area effectively.

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Recent questions

What is the setting and premise of the Dungeons & Dragons game in Eberron?
The game is set in the world of Eberron, a place of magic with dragon marks, great cities, and diverse heroes embarking on covert missions.
Who are the Dark Lanterns, and what is their role in the game?
The Dark Lanterns are the Intelligence Division of the King's Citadel in Breland, tasked with covert missions, intelligence operations, and safeguarding national secrets.
What is the mission briefing given to the group by Gold Nickel?
Gold Nickel briefs the group on investigating a weapon plot in Sharn, detailing the city's population, Sergeant Villeroy's description, and the meeting location at Lyrandar tower.
How do the team members prepare for their mission in Lower Sharn?
The team uses the Message spell for discreet communication, plans to meet Coal at the Cog Carnival, and Ashlen disguises as a Warforged to blend in with the district's inhabitants.
What happens during the group's infiltration of the Cog Carnival in Lower Sharn?
Meghan and Xander find a back entrance while Ashlen enters the bar, Xander creates a light show, Tyler attempts a dance performance, and a tense encounter with Coal leads to a chase sequence.

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Summary

00:00

"Heroes of Eberron: Dark Lanterns Begin"

Gaurav Gulati introduces himself as the Dungeon Master for a Dungeons & Dragons game set in the world of Eberron, previewing elements from the upcoming book "Eberron: Rising from the Last War."
Tyler Rhoades plays Pulver, a Warforged Barbarian with a dark past as a war criminal, now a member of the Dark Lanterns.
Ashlen Rose portrays Ghost, a Changeling with a family history tied to the Academy and a mysterious disappearance of her parents during the Mourn.
Xander Jeanneret embodies Milo, a Mark of Healing Halfling bard known as Waltz d'Jorasco, who uses dance as his art and cover for spying.
Meghan Caves embodies Helot Widget Voltwocket Turn, also known as Gadget, a gnome Artificer with a penchant for gadgets and a keen observational skill.
The world of Eberron is described as a place of magic, with great cities, dragon marks granting power, and heroes of various backgrounds and races.
The Dark Lanterns are the Intelligence Division of the King's Citadel in Breland, tasked with covert missions, intelligence operations, and protecting national secrets.
The story begins in Sharn, a bustling city in Eberron, where the characters, recent graduates of the citadel academy, receive their first mission location in a safe house in Middle Tavick's Landing.
Ghost arrives early at the safe house, investigates the surroundings, and sets up a minor illusion to disguise herself as a grandfather clock.
Gadget sneaks into the safe house, intrigued by the presence of a grandfather clock in an otherwise basic setting, and begins searching for trinkets.

12:27

"Clock, Creature, Gadgets: Mission Briefing in Sharn"

Meghan and Ashlen discuss a clock that looks suspicious, leading to a misunderstanding about potential theft.
Gaurav informs the group they can enter at any time, describing a large creature entering with a friendly demeanor.
Meghan and Ashlen interact with Pulver, discussing potential fixes and gadgets, with Xander surprising them by revealing his presence.
Xander and Tyler discuss Gadget's past issues and her current emotional state, with Tyler expressing excitement for the mission.
Ghost reveals her intense training background and top ranking in the class, with Meghan claiming credit for helping.
Meghan showcases her explosive gadgets to the group, leading to a discussion about a ticking watch and a duck in her bag.
The group settles into their rooms, discovering a sending stone on the dining table, which activates to reveal their handler, Gold Nickel.
Gold Nickel briefs the group on their mission in Sharn, detailing the city's population and the need to investigate a weapon plot with Sergeant Villeroy.
The group learns about Sergeant Villeroy's physical description and the meeting location at the top of Lyrandar tower at sundown.
Gold Nickel instructs the group to use the sending stone for communication, leaving it at the safe house for safety.

22:34

"Mission in Sharn: Team, Tokens, and Tasks"

Gaurav, Xander, and Meghan are part of a team embarking on a mission together.
Gaurav mentions requested items under the table, including a healing potion and a feather token essential for Sharn.
Each team member receives specific items under the table, tailored to their needs for the mission.
The team is given a sending stone and an expense account of 200 gold for mission expenses in Sharn.
Ghost is designated as the leader for the mission, holding the sending stone and managing the expense account.
Feather tokens are explained as items that activate when falling 20 feet or more, allowing safe floating until landing.
Feather tokens are common in Sharn due to the city's vertical structure and are used for security by many citizens.
Ghost adopts a standard identity as an Elf to blend in, as Changelings are distrusted for their deceptive abilities.
The team takes a lift to the top of a tower for a meeting with Sergeant Milo, a member of the Dark Lanterns.
The team members introduce themselves to Sergeant Milo, with Xander mentioning his recent wedding and Tyler's past war service.
Sergeant Milo briefs the team on a mission involving a Warforged named Coal and a crime in Lower Sharn.

33:11

"Warforged aids in infiltrating local crime syndicate"

Daask is a local crime syndicate in the city, mainly comprising monstrous creatures like goblins, gnolls, kobolds, bugbears, and occasionally humans.
Coal, a Warforged, contacts Gaurav, a former war comrade, fearing for her life and possessing crucial information about Daask's operations.
Gaurav trusts Coal deeply and wants to ensure her safety, suggesting meeting at the Cog Carnival, a Warforged bar in Lower Sharn.
Coal is not affiliated with any society or gang, residing in Lower Sharn due to financial constraints faced by Warforged in the city.
Gaurav provides a Sharn Writ to ensure safety, advising its use with caution and mentioning his favorite brand of smokes, Dragon Sticks, as a verification method.
Ashlen and Tyler plan to meet Coal at the Cog Carnival, with Ashlen disguising as a Warforged to blend in and avoid impersonating a Sergeant to maintain trust.
Xander suggests using connections to gain entry to the Cog Carnival, with Tyler potentially performing a dance to entertain, while Ashlen scouts the area.
The group uses the Message spell to communicate discreetly, preparing for the mission and traveling to Lower Sharn, a district segregated due to its high crime rate.
Xander attempts to identify contacts in Lower Sharn but lacks familiarity with the area, highlighting the stark contrast between Lower and Middle Sharn.
Ashlen transforms into a Warforged to blend in with the district's inhabitants, aiming to maintain a low profile while navigating the crime-ridden environment.

43:56

"Infiltrating Warforged Bar for Stealth Mission"

The building is approximately 40 feet by 40 feet with anti-Warforged graffiti on the walls.
A tall Warforged resembling a bouncer stands in front of the bar.
Ashlen plans to enter the bar while Xander and Meghan scout for a back entrance.
Meghan and Xander successfully stealth around the building and find a back door.
Meghan easily opens the back door while Xander distracts the bouncer.
Inside the bar, Warforged are engaged in various games and activities.
Ashlen orders ale from the bartender, Smelt, to blend in.
Xander creates a magical light show and introduces Tyler as "Mondo the machine man."
Tyler freezes up as all eyes turn to him, but Xander uses dancing lights to enhance his appearance.
Xander and Meghan successfully infiltrate the bar, joining Ashlen and Tyler inside.

53:37

"Warforged dance mishap leads to repair negotiations"

A faint blue arm reaches out and moves other body parts, initiating a dance with the aid of dancing lights.
Tyler, a Warforged, attempts a dance performance despite discomfort, rolling a low performance check.
Meghan awkwardly stands aside during the dance attempt, feeling out of place.
Xander encourages Tyler to loosen up during the dance, leading to a wall-punching incident.
Tyler accidentally punches a hole in the wall, leading to repair discussions with the bar owner, Smelt.
Xander poses as Tyler's manager, negotiating free wall repairs and potential future performances.
Tyler fixes the wall using scrap wood, supervised by Xander, showcasing his repair skills.
Meghan and Xander encounter a hostile Warforged, Bull, who claims ownership of the bar.
Pulver, Tyler's character, apologizes for the wall damage and introduces Meghan and Xander as his managers.
Ashlen interacts with a sad, one-armed Warforged at the bar, attempting to strike up a conversation.

01:03:07

"Coal Mistaken for Warforged Sparks Chase"

Warforged are products of war, built for that purpose.
Coal, a character, is mistaken for a Warforged by others.
A tense encounter occurs when Coal is approached by another character, leading to a chase.
The situation escalates as Coal throws a drink in someone's face and runs out, prompting a chase sequence.

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