Edgewalkers

Service in the Edgewalkers is not a choice. It is an honor and a duty, a calling from the Inspired themselves. Many Edgewalker soldiers are drawn from the other branches of the Harmonious Shield; these are among the most skilled and dedicated. Others are chosen to serve the corps at an early age and spend their adolescence in intensive training.

Edgewalkers are the shield of Riedra, and it would be almost unimaginable for a foreigner to be drawn into the service. As such, an Edgewalker PC is most likely a Riedran who already meets the entry requirements at the start of the campaign, and who can be assumed to have been raised as an Edgewalker.

Most Edgewalkers have levels in PC classes. The majority are rangers, with a number of psychic warriors and scouts. The corps also has a unit of psions, primarily nomads and seers, along with a handful of clerics of the Path of Inspiration. However, any class can find a place in the Edgewalkers. While the Inspired have purged arcane magic from the common populace of Riedra, when it comes to defending against extraplanar threats, they are willing to make exceptions. The Edgewalkers feature a few diviners and abjurers, and if a Riedran child develops the talents of a warlock or a sorcerer, he might be claimed by the Edgewalkers. Such characters believe that it is dangerous to use arcane forces, but that devoted service to the Inspired is a shield—an Edgewalker warlock should never use his powers for his own benefit, but as long as he uses them solely in defense of Riedra, his devotion should save him. 

DMs using Complete Psionic can add ardents and divine minds to the mix; Edgewalker ardents most often choose the mantles of Life and the Planes.

The Edgewalkers are an elite military force trained to deal with the myriad dangers of the wild zones and other supernatural and extraplanar threats.

Economics: An Edgewalker receives free room and board in any Riedran community.

Gear: Edgewalkers are assigned equipment. They do not have to pay for basic goods, and might even receive minor psionic or magic items at no charge—though they must account for such items at the conclusion of an assignment. Although they could receive free supplies, Edgewalkers have no access to nonstandard equipment, since Riedrans are not expected to purchase goods, and any unusual requests must be justified.

Services: For a Riedran, an Edgewalker has an unusual level of access to divine and arcane magic. Edgewalker spellcasters might be motivated by the needs of a mission or by friendship with a character, but their services cannot be purchased with gold.

Information: The Edgewalkers are the ultimate authority on the wild zones of Riedra. By consulting at an Edgewalker stronghold, a member can attempt a Knowledge (the planes) check with a bonus of +2 to gain information on any wild zone, or +5 on one of the zones specifically overseen by the fortress. Alternatively, he can call on an NPC sage to make a Knowledge (the planes) check with a modifier of +12, or a Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (psionics) check with a modifier of +8.

You are a warrior on the front lines of a war beyond imagination. Other soldiers of the Harmonious Shield chase dromites through tunnels or glare at the Adarans across mountain walls. You? It's your job to go toe to toe with demons and monsters shaped by forces of madness. You've stared into raw chaos, and felt the heat of elemental fire. You'll be lucky if you live ten years in the service, but you wouldn't have it any other way. These horrors can't be left to prey on the innocent.

As an Edgewalker, you know just how fragile the world is. The wild zones are permanent battlegrounds, but the walls of reality can be breached anywhere, at any time. Also, extraplanar threats are only the beginning. Vampires, ghosts, rakshasas—fiends, undead, and aberrations are all your concern. You are the sentinel who walks the line between the natural and unnatural world. Your greatest challenge is to hold to your faith, lest you become the darkness that you battle.

You have no use for humor and no time for leisure. Evil is out there, and every minute you spend at peace is a moment you could serve in battle. Study those around you for any signs of possession or corruption. Never lower your guard, and never pass up an opportunity to defend an innocent from harm.

Not all soldiers live up to this ideal. Perhaps you are a fallen Edgewalker, one who has seen the power that lies in the darkness and now pursues it. You have abandoned the Path of Inspiration, and you care nothing for innocents. You conceal your true motives from your comrades, but when you enter the wild zones, you aren't thinking of the safety of Riedra; your only interest is your own gain. You intend to be a demon prince, the equal of any of the Inspired . . . and woe betide anyone who stands in your way.

Fallen or true, you were indoctrinated from birth in the Path of Inspiration. You were taught to believe in the il-altas, to believe that the Inspired are guided by the spirit of Riedra itself. You have seen the good that the Inspired have done for your people; you have fought beside Inspired lords against aberrations and fiends. Nonetheless, of all the people in Riedra, you are best equipped to realize the true nature of your overlords. But what do you do if you determine your beloved masters are alien terrors? If you speak out, you will be denounced as a heretic and slain. Perhaps you can work from within, helping dissidents and gathering information. Or you might flee to a foreign land. You know that the battle of the planes stretches beyond national borders; if you decide to fight the quori, you can fight them anywhere in the world.

Some Edgewalkers remain loyal to the Inspired even after learning the truth about the quori. The quori might be alien spirits, but they have brought peace and security to the people of Riedra. In many ways, the kalashtar agenda is as selfish as that of the Dreaming Dark. Finally, you might decide that you can no longer work for the Inspired, and that you must find your own path, fighting both the kalashtar and the quori.

Combat: You are a mortal fighting fiends and horrors. You expect to be outmatched by your enemies, and you must look for every possible advantage. Study your enemy. Don't just charge into battle and fight until you fall. Study. Observe. Adapt. If need be, retreat and reequip. You are not afraid to die in battle, but if there's a possibility of buying a later victory with retreat, do so. You are always ready to do battle, but you know that violence is not always the best solution. Many spirits can be bound by oaths or flattery. In such situations, words can be far more effective than weapons. Know your enemy, and choose your tools wisely.

Advancement: Edgewalkers are divided into two orders, the sentries and the inquisitors. A sentry might spend his entire career at one fortress. You most likely follow the path of the inquisitor, a roaming agent who can be sent anywhere in Eberron. Edgewalker inquisitors are unlikely to ever get promoted: Your skills are too useful in the field. You go where the Inspired send you. If you are true to your cause, personal wealth and luxury mean very little. If you are a fallen Edgewalker, you hope to use your knowledge of the planes to gain personal power. If you are a rebel, you seek to protect the people from supernatural danger, but this struggle could bring you into conflict with your former masters.

Missions: An Edgewalker sentry guards a specific manifest zone. Often this duty involves patrolling the perimeter, which is slashed and burned to provide a clear line of sight. Other times, you might be sent into the zone itself, to recover valuable resources or monitor experiments set in motion by the Inspired.

Edgewalker inquisitors are constantly in motion, and might be called in to investigate any supernatural threat or flare in planar activity. Your duties are not limited to Riedra. You might be sent to Syrkarn to battle rakshasas or to Xen'drik to investigate the planar magic of the giants. You could even be sent to Khorvaire to uncover the secret of the Mourning. This sort of assignment would provide you with a solid base for traveling the world and working with Khorvairian adventurers, while still remaining loyal to the Inspired.

Responsibilities: Whether you are a sentry or an inquisitor, your duties are simple. Follow the orders of the Inspired. Defend the innocent people of Riedra from extraplanar and supernatural horrors. In many ways, you have much in common with a templar of the Silver Flame, but you serve the Path of Inspiration, not a flame whose own followers admit is tainted by demonic influences

Wild zones hold a wealth of opportunities for adventurers, and the Edgewalkers are the gatekeepers of these regions. They might oppose adventurers who seek to release or remove something held within a wild zone, or who seek to destroy an Inspired installation based in a wild zone. But Edgewalkers can just as easily be allies who come to the aid of adventurers who underestimate the danger of the planar breaches. Most Edgewalkers are good people who have sworn their lives to protecting innocents—even innocent foreigners.

Organization: The Edgewalkers were founded in 390 Unity (88 YK), in response to a disastrous planar incursion in the province of Nulakesh. However, the group has its roots in the nation of Khalesh. Before the Sundering, the couatl-worshiping people of Khalesh sought to eliminate all supernatural threats in Sarlona. Although most Khalesh were killed during the Sundering, their legacy lives on in the Edgewalkers.

The Edgewalkers are a military corps, but the hierarchy is simple and promotion is rare. The bulk of the members belong to the Order of Sentries, soldiers assigned to a specific region. All soldiers begin with the rank of sentry.

A sentry guide commands a squad of sentries. A sentry warden commands a small watchtower. These posts are generally held by Chosen, though a few gifted humans have risen to this rank.

A sentry lord commands a fortress. Chosen who advance to this rank are usually tsucora or du'ulora Inspired.

A lord commander coordinates efforts across an entire province. The posts are all held by Inspired.

The supreme commander of the order is Lord Kaltaresh, Keeper of Seals (LN male du'ulora Inspired nomad 13). Kaltaresh guides the Edgewalkers from the bastion of Dar Mun.

A fraction of Edgewalkers belong to the Order of Inquisitors. There are no ranks within this order; technically, an inquisitor stands between sentry guide and sentry warden, and the activities of the inquisitors are coordinated by the lord commanders.

Edgewalkers Headquarters: The seat of the Edgewalkers is the bastion of Dar Mun (large city, population 19,320) in the province of Nulakesh. Dar Mun is located between four separate wild zones; two are tied to Shavarath, one to Daanvi, and one to Dolurrh. Despite the Dar prefix (see Bastion Cities, page 71), the city is an inland community; the Riedrans view it as a "world port." In addition to holding garrisons and training facilities for Edgewalkers, Dar Mun has one of the finest arcane libraries and workshops in Riedra. A permanent psionic teleportation circle links the bastion to Durat Tal. The Inspired conduct most of their planar research in Dar Mun, and PCs could be sent to steal data from the bastion or to sabotage an eldritch machine (ECS 273) being constructed there.

NPC Reactions: Edgewalkers are heroes and always receive a friendly welcome in Riedran communities. Beyond Riedra, Edgewalkers are much less well known; even in Adar or Syrkarn, few can tell the difference between Edgewalkers and other Riedran soldiers, and they react accordingly. The exceptions are communities close to wild zones. Lord Kaltaresh has occasionally sent Edgewalkers to counter dangerous planar surges in Syrkarn and the Tundra. In these areas, locals might be friendly to Edgewalkers despite a general hostility toward Riedrans.

The wild zones predate the coming of the Inspired, and have posed a threat throughout history. Many of the Edgewalker techniques are derived from the Order of the Silver Blade, a league of Khaleshite knights wiped out when that kingdom was targeted in the Sundering.

Edgewalkers can serve as allies, enemies, or sources of information. If PCs are wandering through the Riedran wilds, an Edgewalker patrol might warn them of the dangers that lie ahead. Should the tide of battle turn against adventurers, Edgewalkers could show up to provide assistance. Alternatively, PCs could encounter embattled Edgewalkers and decide whether to aid them. Such encounters are most likely to occur in Riedra, but could occur in Xen'drik, the Frostfell, or even Khorvaire.

The Edgewalkers present a chance for PCs to deal with Riedrans who are not drones or servants of the Dreaming Dark agenda. Edgewalkers might be enemies or allies, but they show PCs that there are noble Riedrans— even among those who willingly serve the Inspired.

Adaptation: As presented here, the Edgewalkers are strongly focused on the wild zones of Riedra. However, they could be a more active covert strike force that has been engaged in international operations for centuries. In this scenario, the Edgewalkers would seek to curtail any supernatural force the Inspired see as a threat to order, including the daelkyr, the Lords of Dust, the Chamber, and the Undying Court. Such Edgewalkers should include changelings, rogues, lurks (Complete Psionic), and other character types suited to covert operation and observation.

Encounters: A first encounter with an Edgewalker is likely to be tense. PCs might assume the worst about a Riedran soldier, while the Edgewalker might jump to the conclusion that the PCs are doing the bidding of altavars. However, if level heads prevail, an Edgewalker can be a valuable ally in any environment.