Disclaimer

Dungeons and Dragons and Eberron are the property of Wizards of the Coast. This story is based upon the Dungeons and Dragons game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the new Dungeons and Dragons game designed by Johnathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. It also utilizes the Eberron campaign setting created by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek and James Wyatt. It utilizes the current campaign modules written by Keith Baker, Bill Slaviscek, David Noonan, Bruce R. Cordell, Nicolas Logue and Ed Stark.

The characters portrayed in this story are fictional and bear no resemblance to any real "live" person.

Chapter 7: All Aboard the Lightning Rail

A large vehicle stood before the group consisting of compartments joined together resting upon a series of strange stones. Upon its sides was inscribed the symbol of House Orien. A tall man wearing a strange uniform, buckled shoes, knee-breeches, waistcoat, justacourps, lace cravat and three-cornered hat, all in a dark shade of indigo. In his hands he bore a large register. "Anyone boarding rail Orien, bound for Sterngate, may I acquire your passes please." He bellowed out. Serrin walked over indicating his companions and showing their passes to the man. Pulling a large wooden stamp from his voluminous pockets, he abruptly stamped the tickets and handed them back to Serrin. Serrin now satisfied walked over to the door, to the iron monstrosity, HK dragging the still inebriated Boskov followed. At the door a similarly attired man perfunctorily viewed the tickets then sped of down the corridor, leading the trio on into the belly of the lightning rail. He stopped abruptly indicating a door, bowed and left.

"Well might as well go in then"

To their amazement however the room was already occupied. A young man, a vacant expression stamped across his features already occupied the cabin. Upon standing up to greet the newcomers however his tall frame was revealed. However he was not intimidating in the least as his tousled brown hair and warm brown eyes smiled at the newcomers. He turned to the staff, he was holding, "Look Staffy our new friends have arrived."

This proclamation addressed to the staff was met by general silence in the cabin.

"What's that Staffy, you think these are the people Lady Elaydrin told us about?"

"Umm, yeah, you're the member of House de'Cannith that Elaydrin said we would meet" Serrin asked hesitantly.

"The tall man paused for a moment, his ear bent to his staff, "Okay Staffy, I'll trust them" he proclaimed nodding to the staff, turning back, he bowed to Serrin and HK, "Pleased to meet you, My name is Staffy Junior, but you can just call me Junior, and this here is Staffy, he can speak."

Again his announcement was met by astonished silence, it's Boskov who broke it , by suddenly jerking fully awake, "Talking staffs, ha, never heard of it."

Serrin, ever more circumspect than his companions, said "I can't hear him speak".

"Oh, well he is kinda shy, maybe he'll talk to you when he gets to know you better", this was followed by another vacant smile, as the strange youth returned to his seat.

"Right, another weirdo joins the party." sighed Boskov.

"Wierdo? I think it's cool that the staff, talks to him, it's like the fairy inside my head that whispers advice to me" said HK happily.

"What, you hear voices in your head?"

"Yep, it tells me all kinds of information about the world and stuff, it's a really useful voice. It's really, really clever."

"That sounds just like Staffy" piped up Junior quickly, "he tells me all about stuff, although sometimes what he's saying sounds really familiar."

"Is your name really Staffy Junior though?" asked Serrin inquisitively.

Junior paused listening to the staff again, "Nope, but I can't remember my real name."

"So where are you from?"

"Ahh", Junior scratched his head further ruffling his hair, "Don't know that either"

"So what do you know about yourself?"

"Umm, I like chocolates, I have a strange ring," he holds up his finger which bore a House de'Cannith signet ring and a strange tattoo like mark, which was emblazoned upon the back of his hand.

"Hey, that's a dragon mark, a lesser mark of making, you can wield artificer magic then?" piped up HK suddenly.

"Umm, magic, I don't know."

It's just then that a heave of static electricity surged through the rail, a strange crackling noise starting up below them.

"Ahh, what is that?" screamed out HK.

"Just the lightining rail getting ready to depart," said Serrin with a grin, it does run of lightning after all"

"Lightning where?"

"The rail is made of iron but there are resistable levistones underneath the carriages. Power from the lode stones beneath us is then transferred to the carriages levistones, depending on whether the charge is AC or DC determines which direction we move in. AC or alternating current moves us forward, and DC or Direct current moves us backwards. The charge is released between the levistones and lodestones and looks like lightning hence the name lightning rail." Junior verbosely replies.

"Wow, do you really know all that?" Serrin and HK turn towards Junior in awe.

"Yeah, isn't it common knowledge?" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Hell no, but then I suppose you are from House de'Cannith and would know about all these mechanical things"

Junior stares at him blankly, "Oh never mind" Serrin turned away.

HK looking confused then asked, "but what powers the levistones"?

"Oh, that would be the air and lightning elementals that draw on the power of the levistones to make the charge flow, the levistones power is unuseable otherwise" Junior looked happily around the room, at his astonished silent companions.

The journey continued in relative silence until a loud knocking disturbed everyone from their repose.

"Dinner served" a scrumpy old lady announced as they opened the door. It was a relatively simple meal of chicken and various vegetables, not that appetizing but good enough.

After a short while Junior announced, "Look what I can do" immediately the spoon he was holding burst into flame, with a yelp Junior dropped the spoon to the floor, causing the wooden flooring to catch alight. Boskov recovered from his previous nights escapade muttered a quick spell, water channeled from his hands fell to the floor quickly dousing the flame, but leaving a sizeable puddle in the middle of the room. HK pulled his legs up afraid to get near the water in case he began to rust.

"Idiots, don't waste your magic again" Serrin growled, "Save it for when we need it, and HK your adamantine, you can't rust."

The whole party looked sheepishly at Serrin, uncomfortable silence descended over the group and an uncomfortable night was spent by all in the damp cabin.

Author's Note

New character, Staffy Junior, he's suffering from amnesia, but more about that later…

Dragonmark Houses of Eberron

House de'Cannith: responsible for creating magic items, they are builders, fixers and creators

House Denieth: warriors and mercenaries hail from this house, they operate both as defenders and blades for hire.

House Ghallanda: House of hospitality, make excellent foods and are in charge of maintaining quality of inns and restaurants.

House Jorasco: The house of skilled healers, they maintain enclaves in most cities dedicated to helping heal the sick and tend to the wounded.

House Kundarak: The house of the wealthy merchant lords who control the banking enterprises of Eberron.

House Lyrander: Excellent transporters across the ocean they are skilled at controlling the weather and are often called upon by farmers to allow their crops to grow.

House Medani: A house often involved in uncovering plots and deceptions, they operate not only as bodyguards but also as highly skilled inquisitors.

House Orien: The transporters, providing supply chains and communication across the continent of Khorvaire.

House Phiarlan: Posing as entertainers, they are in fact skilled at espionage and surveillance.

House Sivis: The great scribes of Eberron, they specialize in communication, mystical and mundane, as well as offering translation services.

House Tharashk: Inquisitives and bounty hunters hail from this house which is skilled at finding anything be it person or object.

House Thuranni: a breakaway from House Phiarlan, their activities are similar dealing in information brokering, espionage and surveillance.

House Vadalis: Skilled with handling animals, House Vadalis sells and trains animals for all purposes, be it a warhorse to a simple cow, their animals are the finest in all Khorvaire.