When time permits, I like to answer questions from my Patreon supporters. This month someone asked for more information about Argonth, Breland's floating fortress. As it turns out, Argonth appears in Frontiers of Eberron: Threshold—so I decided to share another peek from chapter 2 of Frontiers. Enjoy the preview!

ARGONTH

Population: 1,600

In Brief: Brelish floating fortress

Key Inhabitants: Field Marshal Alain ir’Ranek (male human commander), Captain Devra ir’Lashan (female half-elf Citadel liaison), Big Bara (female warforged soldier), Magister Eera ir’Jaron (female human wizard), Magister Quill Carrayne (male gnome wizard)

For generations, the fortress Orcbone and its Westwind Riders have been the primary defense of the western frontier. That changed in 998 YK, when King Boranel assigned Argonth to the region. Once the most imposing weapon in Breland’s arsenal, Argonth is a floating fortress carrying over a thousand soldiers and enough arcane artillery to level a village. Its presence in the region shows that Boranel recognizes the growing power of Droaam and the potential for renewed conflict. Orcbone is too far north to be able to quickly respond to an attack against Threshold or the Westroad; Argonth guards the southern stretch of the border. While its mobility is useful, Argonth only has a sustainable cruising speed of 3 miles per hour and it can easily be avoided by mounted brigands or smugglers. But while it may not be able to intercept a small force of minotaur reavers, it can hold the Westroad against a force of thousands if it comes to war.

There is a second reason Boranel has assigned Argonth to the frontier. Impressive as it is, Argonth is almost eighty years old and it is one of the last of the floating fortresses. Breland stopped building the fortresses in 970 YK; military strategy has shifted, and Breland is currently following other paths (developing swift, mobile forces; improving artillery; developing air forces). On the Aundairian border, Argonth is something of a relic. But on the frontier, Argonth serves as a check on the Droaamite forces stationed at Graywall and as a symbol of Breland’s determination to hold the region.

Argonth is an active fortress. It has the population of a small town, but these people are soldiers. Over fourteen hundred crewmembers are combat-ready, with the remainder being dedicated solely to support and administration. It’s not open to the public, but if you’re a Brelish noble or soldier—or if you have legitimate business that concerns the commander—you may be able to arrange a visit.

Interesting Things About Argonth

• When stationary, Argonth hovers approximately 20 feet off the ground. It can rise to a maximum ceiling of forty feet if necessary. It ignores terrain and can float above the surface of water. This is important, as few bridges are wide enough for a floating town!
• Argonth has nine siege staffs: four blast staffs; three force staffs, and two focus staffs. The force staffs draw power from the elemental engine and don’t require breath of Siberys, but the others must be loaded normally. Argonth also has sixteen long rods, which can be removed and distributed to ground troops if necessary. This arcane artillery is described in Chapter 1 of Exploring Eberron.
• Argonth employs three bound elementals: earth, fire, and water. Pilots don’t have to have dragonmarks, but a side effect of this is that the binding and control process is more dangerous and demanding. Argonth requires a team of active pilots, and pushing the fortress to higher speeds takes a mental and physical toll on the pilots. During the Last War Argonth maintained a sustained speed of 12 miles per hour for two days to respond to an attack; three pilots died due to overexertion.
• Argonth was a joint creation of House Cannith, Zilargo, and Breland. Cannith didn’t just build the fortress and sell it to Breland; it worked with Breland and the Zil to produce it, which is one reason other nations didn’t have such fortresses.

Businesses and Locations

There’s only one actual business in Argonth, and that’s the Gold Dragon Inn. But there are a number of important locations.

The Prow. The lower front of Argonth is a massive, solid steel ram. Argonth may not be fast, but at its full speed it can easily crush light walls. A shielded gunnery bay holds a force staff and emplacements for four long rods, with three-quarters cover for the gunners. Behind the ram, the forward garrison is designed for rapid deployment of up to three hundred soldiers.

The Keep. A fortress atop the prow, this holds the bulk of Argonth’s arcane firepower: two blast staffs, two force staves, and two focus staffs. Each staff is mounted in a separate tower and has a 180 degree arc of fire. The force staffs can fire forward, while the others are mounted to the sides. Four smaller towers hold long rods, primarily to deal with boarders and close defense.

Siege Towers. Behind the Keep, Argonth has a series of extendable boarding towers. If Argonth wants to keep a structure or wall intact, it moves alongside it, allowing its soldiers to deploy from on high. Six long rod emplacements provide artillery support.

The Stern. The aft of Argonth is essentially a fortified town. It holds living quarters, mess halls, infirmaries, and the smithies and other facilities required to maintain the vessel and the equipment of the soldiers. Additional facilities include a temple dedicated to the Sovereign Host and a Gold Dragon Inn, which provides lodging for any visitors as well as a dining alternative for soldiers tired of the mess. The tallest spire is Cannith Tower, which serves both as the command center and contains the officers’ quarters. Cannith Tower is equipped with two blast staffs and a Sivis message station.

Important People

The majority of the personnel on board the Argonth are the members of the Argonth legion. This is a true army, including a regiment of archers, infantry, and even a cavalry regiment. These forces are prepared to defend Argonth from boarders, and to be deployed to seize and hold enemy territory. The legion also includes a corps of a hundred wandslingers trained to maintain and operate the siege staffs and long rods. Twelve hippogriff riders serve as aerial scouts and couriers. In addition to this, there are four separate units of Breland Rangers and a squad of operatives from the King’s Citadel. The Breland Rangers serve as rapid deployment scouts and skirmishers in wartime, which also makes them best equipped to serve as peacekeepers in this current mission; it’s the Rangers who patrol the region around Argonth and who are capable of intercepting smugglers or brigands. The Citadel operatives are an elite force under the direct command of Colonel ir’Lashan, and may undertake covert operations or gather intelligence. Here’s a few specific people on Argonth you may have heard of.

Field Marshal Alain ir’Ranek, Viscount Argonth. The captain of Argonth is a veteran who’s served Breland for three decades. Alain ir’Ranek is a true hero of Breland and is proud to command this symbol of its power. Boranel made ir’Ranek the Viscount of Argonth, asserting that the fortress is its own domain; as such, ir’Ranek and his troops aren’t subject to Count ir’Blis and the Marshal has the power to enforce Brelish law over civilians in addition to maintaining military discipline within his crew. Alain ir’Ranek is in his fifties and prefers to avoid physical confrontations, but he’s a clever strategist, a charismatic leader, and an honorable man—all things that differentiate him from Lord Veirner ir’Tajar of Orcbone. With that said, ir’Ranek has only been on the frontier for a few months and he doesn’t yet know the community leaders or the ins and outs of how things are done here.

Captain Devra ir’Lashan. While she is capable of commanding troops of the Argonth legion, ir’Lashan primary duty is to the King’s Citadel. She commands a small mixed unit comprised of members of all branches of the Citadel. Her team serves both to protect Argonth itself—providing counterintelligence and watching out for any infiltrators—and stands ready for covert operations in Droaam. Ir’Lashan is competent and calm. Her loyalty is to Breland above all else, and she will sacrifice anything and anyone in pursuit of her duty.

Magister Calas “Quill” Carayne, First Wand of Argonth. Argonth is one of Breland’s most devastating platforms for arcane firepower, and Quill Carayne is the man behind the magic. He’s one of Breland’s most capable field evokers and commands the regiment of wandslingers and magewrights who maintain and operate Argonth’s arcane artillery. In battle he generally operates one of the focus staffs, and his skill is so remarkable that he can actually spare a few allies (using Sculpt Spells) even when unleashing devastating blasts of magic. Quill is an energetic Brelish gnome. He is a clever arcanist and is studying the mystical techniques of the Venomous Demesne; this could bring him into contact with adventurers who make interesting discoveries.

Magister Eera ir'Jaron, Master of Magic. Quill Carayne maintains and directs the arcane artillery of Argonth, but the floating fortress relies on countless mystical systems beyond its siege staffs. Magister Eera ir'Jaron oversees the team of magewrights and aspiring wizards who keep Argonth in the air. Operating out of the base of Cannith Tower, Eera's corps includes both hirelings from House Cannith and devoted Brelish arcanists. Eera is an exceptional transmuter from a noble family and is proud to serve her nation, but where Quill Carayne delights in his job, Eera looks forward to one day returning to her studies and to teaching. In the meantime she tutors the members of her unit. Her most promising student is an enthusiastic warforged who's taken the name Finias Wandhand; though he was built to serve as an arcane technician, Finias yearns to become a swashbuckling wandslinger.

Big Bara and the Breland Rangers. The Breland Rangers are an irregular force, with less structure and discipline than the Argonth Legion. They’re used to operating in small squads, primarily as scouts and skirmishers. This independence is useful in the frontier. The Rangers patrol the region around Argonth searching for bandits, smugglers, and raiders. It’s always up to the Rangers how to deal with such forces; the Rangers are Brelish, and sometimes they’re willing let smugglers go on their way in exchange for a few casks of rotgut. Big Bara is the leader of Bara’s Breakers, one of the most distinguished Ranger units. There’s a total of 24 Breakers, though they usually operate in six person squads; twelve of the Breakers are warforged, including Bara herself. The Breaker warforged have chosen ongoing military service over civilian life. Some are devoted to Breland, while others simply enjoy fulfilling the purpose they were made for. Bara is surprisingly jovial; she may take pride in being a living weapon, but she also enjoys the flexibility of being a Ranger.

Keep in mind that there's 1,600 people on Argonth, and only a handful are mentioned here. There's two Sivis gnomes who manage the message station. There's Cannith hirelings who help Magister ir'Jaron maintain the arcane systems of the fortress. There's colorful cooks in the mess halls and a lovable bartender at the Gold Dragon Inn. All of the members of Devra's Citadel team are capable and interesting people. It's up to the DM to expand any of these NPCs if they play an important role in the story.

Argonth Connections

• (Brelish soldier) You served in the Argonth Legion during the Last War. How did you impress Alain ir’Ranek?
• (Sage or Wizard) You’ve dealt with Quill Carayne before. If you served in the Brelish military, he could have trained you or been a comrade in arms. Otherwise, you may have collaborated with him on research concerning unusual arcane traditions. Are you friends or rivals?
• (Frontier local) Argonth flattened part of your family’s farm when it first arrived in the region, and you want to see your parents compensated for the damage.

Thanks for your support! I'm not going to be answering questions, but questions posed here may be addressed in the book itself!