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Nations of Khorvaire
Native Races: Gnomes, Goblinoids, Half-Elves, Orcs, Warforged
The Five Nations
Once all provinces of the great human Kingdom of Galifar, the Five Nations tore each other apart in a 100-year-long conflict known as the Last War. Now, with the Kingdom of Galifar shattered, the Five Nations each try to make their ways in this new, post-war world. The Five Nations as a whole
- Egopolis: Besides the Kingdom of Galifar itself, the existing states that became the Five Nations were all renamed after the children of Galifar who became their first governors: Taliost became Aundair, Daskara became Thrane, Metrol became Cyre and Wroat became Breland note . Karrnath was ruled by Prince Karrn and thus kept its name.
- Fantastic Racism: All over the place: Many war grudges exist between the Five Nations, many goblinoids and "monsters" face it in the cities and many view the warforged as nothing more than mindless warmachines, now useless in a time of peace.
- Fantasy Character Classes: Exploring Eberron chooses to explain the mentalities and characteristics of the pre-War nations as this. Aundair is a wizard (intellectual but extravagant), Breland a rogue (smart but shady), Cyre a Bard (versatile and artistic but whimsical), Karrnath a fighter (martial and tough, but also spartan and harsh) and Thrane a Paladin (devoted and steadfast, but zealous).
- Fantasy Conflict Counterpart : The Last War is reminiscent of World War I, with its rather whimsical cause and unprecedented bloodshed caused by industrialized (or rather magicalized) warfare.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Five Nations as a whole vaguely resembles post-World War I Europe, with the individual nations bearing traits of some specific countries.
- Founder of the Kingdom: Galifar I., "the Unifier", who united the Five Nations through the means of diplomacy.
- Great Offscreen War: The standard start of an Eberron campaign is two years after the Last War's end.
- Humans Are Diplomats: Galifar I, "the Unifier", founded his kingdom by means of diplomacy, not military conquest.
- Humans Are Warriors: Although it was peacefully founded, the groundwork for the Kingdom of Galifar were centuries of human conquests in Khorvaire, especially by Galifar Ist's ancestor, Karrn The Conqueror.
- Royally Screwed Up: The Five Nations are all ruled by the same dynasty, the Wynarns. They now rule entirely different countries, pursue largely incompatible goals, and mostly do not get along at all. Even worse when The Last War was started by siblings.
- Succession Crisis: Due to Galifar's shaky succession system, these were quite frequent: five children of the sitting ruler would govern the Five Nations. Upon a ruler's death, the governor of Cyre would become the next King or Queen, with their children replacing the old governors. As one can imagine, this left many opportunities for rebellions and crisis, with the Last War simply taking this pattern to unparalleled heights.
- Vestigial Empire: The Kingdom of Galifar used to encompass basically all of Khorvaire, with the five Nations as mere provinces ruled by the current ruler's children. They now are war-torn shells of their former selves, with Cyre, the old Kingdom's heartland, having been completely destroyed, and the other four nations having all lost a substantial amount of lives and territory.
Aundair
Aundair
Crest of Aundair
Capital: Fairhaven
Head of State: Queen Aurala ir'Wynarn
"What we sow in effort, we harvest in good fortune."
Located in the north-west of central Khorvaire, the nation of Aundair is Khorvaire's leading center of magic. Aundair lost its western parts due to an uprising during the Last War. These lands are now the Eldeen Reaches. It was also forced to cede its former capitol of Thaliost and its surrounding lands to Thrane. Many Aundairans wish to take back what once was theirs.- Fantastic Racism: Aundair's western parts struggled heavily with lycanthropy, leading to the Silver Crusade and a lot of resentment against Shifters. Besides their bestial looks, a lot of the original lycanthropes fought during the crusade actually were Shifters. This strain of lycanthropy first appeared in the Towering Wood, which is mostly inhabited by Shifters.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Downplayed, but Aundair's flair for the extravagant, revanchist sentiments of the populace, the problems with religious zealotry, and Fairhaven's nickname, "The City of Lights," are all reminiscent of France. On the other hand, its relationship/conflict with the Eldeen Reaches is more reminiscent of Britain's relationship with Ireland.
- The Fundamentalist: The sizable minority of followers of the Silver Flame in Aundair is dominated by the so-called "Pure Flame", a militant sect that arose in the aftermath of the Silver Crusade against lycanthropes.
- Foil: Towards Karrnath. Aundair has a strong magical tradition, as opposed to Karrnath's martial one. Aundairans favor finesse and splendor, whereas Karrns favor strength and a more spartan lifestyle. Aundair lost its western territories (forming the Eldeen Reaches) and Karrnath its eastern vassals (the Dwarves of the Mror Holds). And, lastly, Aundair is ruled by an (officially) good-aligned Queen seeking to reignite last war, whereas Karnnath is ruled by an (officially) evil-aligned King who seeks to preserve the peace.
- The High Queen: Queen Aurala is beautiful, compassionate, competent, and beloved. She also actively seeks to start the next great war.
- Impoverished Patrician: Many western nobles of Aundair lost their lands when the Eldeen Reaches seceded. These families are now known as the "Lost Lords".
- Magic Knight: Various types of those are common among Aundair's military.
- Magitech: Magic/Magical devices is generally widespread in all of Eberron, but especially so in Aundair.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: Aundairan culture and society encourage style and aesthetic over pragmatic/spartan approaches.
- Military Mage: While all five nations utilized magic in warfare, Aundair, as the nation of magic, did so to a larger extent, allowing them to hold their own against the others. Parts of the population even feel like they could win another war.
- Royal Rapier: Favored among Aundairian fighters.
- Shining City: Fairhaven, Aundair's capital, is known for its stunning display of magical lights. It is also built in a strangely orderly manner
, leading many to theorize that it was constructed within a manifest zone of Daanvi, the plane of order. - Secret Police: The "Royal Eyes", a group of Wizards utilizing magic for the purposes of espionage.
- Wizarding School: Aundair houses the floating towers of Arcanix, Khorvaire's leading academy of magic.
Breland
Breland
Crest of Breland
Capital: Wroat
Head of State: King Boranel ir'Wynarn
"We gain what we give."
Located in the south-west of Khorvaire, Breland has emerged as the most industrious nation in post-war Khorvaire. It also contains the biggest city of Khorvaire, Sharn. Ruled by the immensely popular but old King Boranel alongside an elected parliament, it has lately seen a growing republican movement.- City of Adventure: Sharn could house entire campaigns, including the intro-mission from Rising from the Last War.
- Corrupt Church: The Brelish branch of the Church of the Silver Flame, headed by Archierophant Ythana Morr, is often accused of operating in such a way. Exploring Eberron even suggests taking the criminal background as a Brelish cleric to better reflect these... local connections.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- Similar to Britain, it is a parliamentary monarchy with a huge industrial power. Its tensions between parliament and the crown bring to mind the lead up to the English Civil War. And, lastly, the Brelish army is even called the "Redcloaks".
- It also has elements of the United States, with King Boranel being an Expy of Theodore Roosevelt, Sharn being more akin to New York City than to London note and the Brelish being very enthusiastic about "spreading democracy" during the Last War.
- Hub City: Sharn is strongly predisposed to be one.
- It Belongs in a Museum: Often invoked by the Adventurer Archaeologists of Morgrave University in Sharn, although the faculty's well-known ties to smugglers stain its reputation.
- Layered Metropolis: Sharn, the aptly named "City of Towers".
- Knight in Sour Armor: How the Brelish mentality is described. The shifting alliances of the Last War made them highly cynical and pragmatic people, yet they still believe in humanoid rights and dignity, having taken in a large number of Cyran refugees.
- The Mafia: Not exactly helping Breland's image as a Wretched Hive, is has numerous crime syndicates operating within its borders, such as the halflings of the Boromar Clan, the Droaamish Daask, the dragonmarked killers of House Tarkanan, and the changeling Tyrants.
- Monster Town: Downplayed, but due to its proximity to (and former reign over) Droaam, a lot of Brelish cities have a sizable population of races which elsewhere would be considered monstrous, such as ogres, kobolds, or minotaurs.
- State Sec: Alongside its army, the Redcloacks, King Boranel has his own security force, the King's Citadel, which dates back to pre-war Galifar. It is made up of four branches: The King's Swords, an Elite Army, the King's Shields, who guard the royal family and other high-ranking officials, The King's Wand, and elite magical force, and the King's Dark Lanterns, Breland's Secret Police.
- Succession Crisis: Breland is up for one, should King Boranel die. The King himself is adored by the public, but a growing number of people are advocating for turning Breland into a republic upon his death. The worst-case scenario could be a Civil War.
- Wretched Hive: Downplayed, but the Brelish have a reputation for being slightly shady.
- You Say Tomato: The Brelish themselves actually pronounce it as "Breyland".
Cyre/The Mournland
Ruins of Metrol
Capital: Metrol (formerly), New Cyre (Unofficial)
Head of State: Prince Oargev ir'Wynarn (self-proclaimed)
"What our dreams imagine, our hands create."
Formerly the heart of the Kingdom of Galifar, Cyre was mysteriously destroyed by an event called the "Mourning". Now surrounded by magical fog it is known as the Mournland, a nearly inaccessible wasteland filled with magical apparitions and isolationist warforged. The remaining Cyrans are left to struggle in the post-war world without their home. Many of them live in the Brelish town New Cyre, headed by Oargev ir'Wynarn, the last prince of Cyre.Cyre and New Cyre
- Badass Cape: Various capes and cloaks are staples of Cyran fashion.
- Bodyguard Betrayal: During the war, Cyre had large swathes of its territory stolen by mercenaries it had hired itself. Twice.
- Culture Chop Suey: Invoked In-Universe. When Galifar was founded, the customs of old Metrol were pushed aside and Cyre was created to combine the best of the Five Nations. Deconstructed as this left them a Master of None during the war.
- Ethnicity Monarch: Oargev ir'Wynarn is de jure only the mayor of New Cyre, yet as the last Prince of Cyre, many Cyrans still look to him for leadership.
- Fantastic Racism: Cyrans often face discrimination due to old war grudges.
- Fighting for a Homeland: Prince Oargev does so non-violently with his immense political skills, but some Cyran patriots may take this even further.
- Humans Are Diplomats: Many surviving Cyran aristocrats make their living as diplomats in Thronehold. And some of them even work as a Diplomatic Cover Spy.
- Master of None: What hampered their war-effort: They tried to have the best of everything, but their wizards were worse than Aundair's, their soldiers worse than Karrnath's, and their spies worse than Breland's.
- Parental Favoritism: Cyre was traditionally the region governed by the heir apparent to the Throne of Galifar. This, in a strange mix with the kingdom's internal politics, lead to the crown favoring Cyre over the other nations. This was especially bad under Galifar's last king, Jarot.
- Quirky Bard: Pre-War Cyre had a larger focus on culture and art, giving many this as an image of the average Cyran
- Shining City: Pre-Mourning Metrol is said to have rivaled even Fairhaven.
- War Refugees: Basically all of Cyre, from its last prince down to even the poorest survivors.
- Widow's Weeds: Some Cyrans have taken to wearing "Mourning wear", Cyran cut clothing all dyed black, to signify their grief.
- You Can't Go Home Again: The Mournland is now shrouded in magical mist and very dangerous to traverse.
The Mournland
- Corpse Land: On some of the old battlefields lay the corpses of the soldiers, eerily absent of rot.
- Doomed Hometown: More like doomed homeland.
- Fantastic Fallout: The Mournland is a vast swathe of land that was destroyed in a Fantastic Nuke, the origins of which is unknown, that has left it filled with unnatural mutations and events.
- Field of Blades: The Mournland covers some of the greatest battlefields of the last war, and its magic strangely seems to preserve their remains.
- Humongous Mecha: Of the Seven remaining warforged colossi, three are spread throughout the Mournland, all damaged by the Mourning, but maybe salvageable.
- Mordor: Nothing can live in the Mournland, except for creatures caught in the Mourning that have been hideously mutated. No plants grow, and the bodies of the dead lie on the ground without rotting.
- Ominous Fog: It surrounds the Mournland. Most scholars agree that it is magical in nature, although its effects seem to vary.
- Robot Religion: The Mournland houses two different groups of religious warforged: The followers of the Becoming God, who are in the process of building their own Physical God, as well as the followers of the Lord of Blades, who is worshiped by some as a god.
Karrnath
Karrnath
Crest of Karrnath
Capital: Korth
Head of State: King Kaius ir'Wynarn III
"Death holds no terror."
Located in the North-East of central Khorvaire, Karrnath suffered heavily during the last war. Having turned to the Blood of Vol in desperation, it disavowed the faith near the end of the war. This, in combination with King Kaius III's pro-peace policies in the face of Karrnath's proud martial tradition has left its internal affairs unstable.- 24-Hour Armor: Reflecting its martial nature, Karrnathi fashion includes various armored parts, with many wearing full armor off the battlefield as well.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Karrnath is a grim nation of gloomy warriors with harsh conditions and a strong influence of necromancers. Still, Karrns are overall not eviler than people from other nations.
- Foil: Towards Aundair: Aundair has a strong magical tradition, as opposed to Karrnath's martial one. Aundairans favor finesse and splendor, whereas Karrns favor strength and a more spartan lifestyle. Aundair lost its western territories (forming the Eldeen Reaches) and Karrnath its eastern vassals (the Dwarves of the Mror Holds). And, lastly, Aundair is ruled by an (officially) good-aligned Queen seeking to reignite last war, whereas Karnnath is ruled by an (officially) evil-aligned King who seeks to preserve the peace.
- Founder of the Kingdom: Karrnath was founded when Galifar I's ancestor, Karrn The Conqueror, conquered the city-state of Korth and the dwarves of the Mror Holds, albeit his other campaigns fell short of unifying the Five Nations.
- Germanic Depressives: The Karrns don't live an easy life. Between famine, still ongoing rationing, religious extremism, and roaming zombies, Karrnath is hardly a happy place.
- Hidden Backup Prince: How Kaius III claimed the throne of Karrnath.
- Kaiserreich: Downplayed, but Karrnath's status as a militaristic state suffering famines during the war, a class of militaristic nobles feeling betrayed by a government making peace and its struggles with extremism is reminiscent of Imperial Germany and its successor, the Weimar Republic.
- Magically Inept Fighter: Karrnath's lack of magical support prevented it from just overrunning its enemies during the early stages of the Last War, leading to their turn towards the Blood of Vol's Necromancers. After their disavowal of the faith, Karrnath's traditional military has rapidly moved to include more conventional Military Mages.
- Mighty Glacier: Karrnathi fighters favor this fighting style, with a preference for heavy weapons and armor.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: Between the two political blocks of "The Blood of Vol did nothing wrong!" and "The King is a coward for making peace and also he might be a vampire!", King Kaius III still can lean on a third block of loyal Karrns who choose their King over tradition or religion.
- The Order: Although knight-orders are present in all nations, Karrnath's Bone-Knight-Orders were the most well-known. The Order of the Emerald Claw is now a Renegade Splinter Faction, but others followed the order by King Kaius to disband, like the Order of the Onyx Skull.
- Proud Warrior Race: Deconstructed. Karrnath has a very strong martial tradition going back to Korth's days as a city-state. This pride drove them into the Last War and all resulting hardships. Even now it greatly hampers Kaius III's pro-peace policies, fostering opposition among Karrnath's more traditionally minded warlords.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Karrnath is not really evil, but these are its national colours.
- Religion of Evil: Downplayed. The Blood of Vol still has a large following in Karrnath, but it is neither the national religion (anymore), nor is it an evil religion per se. Still, some suspect that the faith's higher-ups had a hand in causing the famines Karrnath suffered during the war.
- Renegade Splinter Faction: Ranging from the Order of the Emerald Claw seeking to "reclaim Karrnath's glory" (read: empower Lady Illmarrow), to Drago Thul and his allies in Stormreach trying to proof that King Kaius is a Vampire Monarch, Karrnath has one for everybody
- Überwald: Many Vampires and other Undead are found within the Blood of Vol, giving Karrnath this feeling in combination with its Germanic elements. There is also the matter that it might be ruled by a Vampire Monarch.
- Vampire Monarch: Invoked Trope. It is a common conspiracy theory among some people that King Kaius III is actually his own Grandfather, Kaius I, who got turned into a vampire after embracing the Blood of Vol. The popularity of this conspiracy has led King Kaius to do numerous things to disprove it, such as publicly cutting his hand, greeting nobles in the open sun, etc. Still, some nobles, led by a warlord named Drago Thul, actually fled to Stormreach and vowed to depose the "Vampire King". The thing is that they are right. The real Kaius III is locked up in Dreadhold. Although in 5e the situation is left more ambiguous
Thrane
Thrane
Capital: Flamekeep
Head of State: Keeper of the Flame Jaela Daran
"Glory to the Silver Flame."
Located between Breland and Aundair, Thrane is the cradle of the Church of the Silver Flame. During the Last War, the church took over the actual ruling of the Country, reducing the Monarch of Thrane to a mere "Blood Regent". The real power now lies with the Keeper of the Flame and the council of Cardinals.- A Child Shall Lead Them: The formal head of state is 11-year-old Keeper of the Flame Jaela Daran. Most political power, however, lies with the Council of Cardinals.
- Church Militant: Its elite forces are made up of numerous clerics and paladins of the Silver Flame, but even its regular army is called the "Templars".
- Corrupt Church: Given that in Thrane the Church of the Silver Flame is the state, Thrane as a whole is plagued by the same problems as the overall church, maybe even worse.
- Evil Chancellor: How many people have come to view High-Cardinal Kozen, the council's {and thus, Tharne's} de-facto leader.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Downplayed, but the Church's parallels to the Catholic church invoke the Italian papal states as Thrane's counterpart.
- Holy City: Its capital, Flamekeep, is this to the Church of the Silver Flame as a whole. It houses both a manifestation of the Silver Flame, as well as the biggest Cathedral of the Church (built around this manifestation).
- Illegal Religion: Downplayed with the Sovereign Host. While vassals of the Sovereign Host are free to practice their Religion in Thrane, they still face discrimination. Played Straight with the Blood of Vol and the Cults of the Dragon Below.
- Master Archer: Archery is considered a devotional practice by the Church, and so many Templars favor the bow.
- Physical Religion: The Silver Flame itself is more of a cosmic force, but its largest manifestation is located in Thrane.
- Sinister Minister: Given the amount of corruption the Church is struggling with, this is somewhat given.
- The Theocracy: Thrane's current political system, although parts of the populace see the Church's role in worldly affairs very critically: Many view political power as below the Church's dignity. The "Throneholders" are a group of royalists actively pushing for the restoration of the Monarchy, a goal shared by the current blood regent, Diani ir'Wynarn. Some people on the other hand advocate a co-rule between church and crown. The theocrats' position is probably not helped by the fact that the current Keeper of the Flame is an 11-year-old girl.
Other/Non-Human Nations & Regions of Khorvaire
Darguun
Darguun
Capital: Rhukaan Draal
Head of State: Lhesh ("High Warlord") Haruuc Sharaat'kor
A nation of Goblinoids controlling what used to be southern Cyre. During the last War, Cyre and Breland hired increasing numbers of the Ghaal'dar-Goblinoids as mercenaries. Recognizing Ghaal'dar dominance over the region, the hobgoblin-warlord Haruuc Sharaat'kor broke it off from Cyre and formed the Goblinoid state of Darguun. They were recognized as a nation under the Treaty of Thronehold, but many wonder if Darguun's complex web of alliances and treaties will survive its aging ruler.- Bodyguard Betrayal: Emulating Valenar's founding, this is how Lesh Haruuc established Darguun.
- Proud Warrior Race: Common with the Goblinoids. This actually hampers Haruuc's ambition, as a group of Bugbear-dominated tribes called the Marguul still resist him.
- Religion of Evil: The Ghaal'dar traditionally worship the Dark Six, although ample contacts with House Deneith saw the introduction of the Sovereign Host in Darguun, with Lesh Haruuc promoting its worship.
- Resurgent Empire: Invoked. Many people view Darguun as a springboard for reestablishing the Goblinoid Empire of Dhakaan.
- Slave Race: The goblinoids still practice slavery (which is outlawed in the Five Nations), enslaving non-goblins, with a possible origin for a non-goblinoid from Darguun being to have been Born into Slavery, although it is possible to be freed if one wins the respect of the Ghaal'dar.
- Vestigial Empire: Not only for the kingdom of Galifar, but also the old Goblinoid Empire of Dhakaan. Many groups within Darguun believe that their former glory can be reforged.
Demon Wastes
The Demon Wastes
Capital: None, Ashtakala (unofficial)
Head of State: None
A region in the far north-west of Khorvaire, on the outskirts both geographically and socially. It is a realm of dust and ash, barren except for the last remnants of the ancient Rakshasa civilization that still make their home here. Even at the height of Galifar's power, there were no attempts at bringing the Demon Wastes into the fold in any tangible way. Even now, the nations of Khorvaire are content to pretend it never exists.- Ancient Order of Protectors: The Ghaash'kala, a group of mainly orcish tribes who worship their own version of the Silver Flame -Kalok Shash, "the Binding Flame"- and try to keep the Demons and Carrion tribes within the wastes.
- Barbarian Tribe: The two major non-demonic inhabitants are the orcish Ghaash'kala, who guard the borders against the demons, and their Evil Counterpart, the mainly human Carrion Tribes. The latter are sometimes lead by tieflings.
- Genius Loci: According to Word of God, the city of Ashtakala is itself an Overlord.
- Grim Up North: Played with in that Khorvaire is not a northern continent, so even though the Demon Wastes are on the far north of the continent, it isn't particularly cold except for the very northern edge. It is still a northern region inhabited by savage demon worshipers, though.
- Mordor: A barren volcanic wasteland that is inhabited by demons, about as straight as an example can get.
- Our Orcs Are Different: The Ghaash'kala are tribes of holy warriors dutifully guarding the canyons leading to the rest of Khorvaire.
- The Remnant: The Demon Wastes contain the last vestige of the Age of Demons, still clinging to existence and planning to reconquer the world.
Droaam
Droaam
Capital: The Great Crag
Head of State: the daughters of Sora Kell
A nation of Monsters, Droaam broke off territories under (at least nominally) Brelish control and created a state basically out of nowhere. Ruled by the Daughters of Sora Kell, the three legendary hags Sora Katra, Sora Maenya and Sora Teraza, Droaam is not recognized under the Treaty of Thronehold. It still is a fully functioning state in all but name.- Blind Seer: Sora Teraza, with some speculating that she is such a powerful diviner because she is blind. In Eberron, the fey represent stories, meaning that this aspect of her could essentially be an In-Universe representation of this very trope.
- Bread and Circuses: The very reason Droaam is capable of functioning is due to a clever use of troll regeneration to provide an endless supply of food that obligate cannibals can digest without killing anyone. See Mundane Utility.
- Crippling Overspecialization: The nation is very new, and entirely reliant on the Daughters to hold it together. Sora Maenya is the most replaceable; Sora Kell has many daughters, and they could find another who is both strong and clever. If they lost Sora Katra, though, the nation might collapse immediately. And if they lost Sora Teraza, the nation would collapse inevitably; there is simply no one who can replace her sight.
- The Face: Sora Katra, and her followers, Katra's Voice, serve as diplomats and envoys of Droaam.
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: Sora Katra typically takes the form of a beautiful human woman, rarely showing her true hag form.
- Genius Bruiser: Sora Maenya may seem like a perpetual hungry brute, but she is actually a cunning strategist befitting her role as head of Droaam's armed forces.
- Hidden Agenda Villain: No one knows why the Daughters created Droaam. It could be that it's exactly as they claim, that they wish to give "monsters" a place to call their own. Or it could be something more sinister, or entirely esoteric. Sora Teraza's prophecies mean the entire nation could be nothing but a stepping stone for something that happens in a thousand years. This makes them good for Mysterious Backer plots.
- Hidden Elf Village: The Venomous Demesne, inhabited by the human and tiefling descendants of the Sarlonian kingdom of Ohr Kaluun. Its tiefling lords hide it via magic.
- The Mafia: The Daask, operating outside of Droaam. It is left open, as to what degree the daughters hold sway over them.
- Monster Mash: Its population is made up of different kinds of monsters, such as goblins and kobolds, gnolls, minotaurs, medusas, or harpies. Different kinds of monsters still dominate regions of Droaam, but its bigger cities are fairly cosmopolitan.
- Monster Town: A full-blown Monster State, although it also includes "non-monstrous" races such as Sarlonian humans, shifters, tieflings, and changelings.
- Mundane Utility: Just as how the rest of Eberron uses Magitech, the monstrous citizens of Droaam use their supernatural abilities for daily life. The most blatant example is grist - trolls who need the money, are being punished for crimes, or bred for the task have bits of their flesh nonlethally removed and allowed to regenerate while the flesh is processed to remove carcinogens and toxins, becoming a supply of meat that comes from a species sentient enough for forced man-eaters to digest. The taste of the grist leaves something to be desired, but Droaam isn't going to starve any time soon.
- Mysterious Past: Sora Katra and Sora Maenya are legendary figures who were largely thought of as myths. Sora Teraza, on the other hand, was basically unheard of until she showed up with her sisters. There are a number of possible explanations for this, from the basic "she tends to keep to herself" to "she's secretly Sora Kell herself in disguise."
- Mysterious Stranger: Sora Maenya likes to pretend to be a stranger, a beggar or a widow, and ask people for help. Then she kills them, typically leaving at least one survivor to spread the tale.
- Naytheist: The gnolls of the Znir pact reject all forms of worship, ranging from the only possibly real gods to the very real Overlords. They were enslaved by the Overlords for countless eons, and they refuse to go back to that.
- Our Goblins Are Different: An In-Universe example: the Goblins of the Barrens are culturally distinct from the ones among Darguun's Ghaal'dar, instead forming a culture with another small, downtrodden people: the kobolds.
- Our Orcs Are Different: Played With, in that there are two different orcish cultures within the Barrens: The Gaa’aram note are pretty typical brutal, nomadic raiders, but also contain a large group of Shifters, known as the taarka’vanote . There are also the Gaa’ran note who are peaceful farmers that are largely left alone by other peoples.
- Religion of Evil: Played With. The different sub-cultures of Droaam all worship different beings, with most of them being aspects of the Dark Six (e. g. Harpies worship a more benevolent aspect of the Fury). The Minotaurs are an interesting case: They all worship the "Horned Prince", often taken to be a stand-in for the overlord Rak Tulkhesh. But different tribes worship other aspects more closely in line with other deities: The Red Hooves worship "he who walks behind" (the Mockery), the Blade Breakers venerate "One Horn" (Dol Dorn), and the now destroyed tribe of the Dawn Harvest followed the "Dawn Gorer", a being encouraging honor and protecting the weak, similar to Dol Arrah. The gnolls of the Znir Pact instead reject all worship.
- Secret Police: Teraza's Eye, an organization directly serving Sora Teraza, is made up of numerous agents and spies, often changelings or tieflings.
Eldeen Reaches
Eldeen Reaches
Capital: Greenheart
Head of State: Oalian
Formerly part of Aundair, the Eldeen Reaches declared independence during the Last War after the lords of Aundair failed to protect them against banditry. The Eldeen Reaches also encompasses the Towering Woods and its druidic faiths. Different druidic orders have a large influence in the Reaches, with the archdruid Oalian being considered its spiritual leader.- Animal Wrongs Group: Some druids of the Ashbound-Order view all civilization as weak and try to eradicate arcane magic.
- Druid: The class most commonly associated with the Reaches, with different orders playing roles of various importance. In the reaches, druidic magic is as widely applied as arcane magic in other nations.
- Enchanted Forest: The Towering Wood, inhabited by wild beasts and giant plants. Some humanoids (mostly shifters, humans, elves, and half-elves) live there, but they need to heavily adapt to the circumstances of the Wood.
- The Fair Folk: The fey have a strong presence in the Towering Wood. Their main seat, the Twilight Demesne, is located within, alongside numerous manifest zones of Thelanis. Their druidic servants, the Greensingers, have a sizable following among the Reachers.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The heavy influence of druidic elements and the Reacher's desire for independence are reminiscent of Ireland, with Aundair playing the part of Great Britain.
- In Harmony with Nature: The mantra of the biggest druidic order, the Wardens of the Wood. Some settlements influenced by their teachings are trying to build an eco-friendly industry.
- Nature Hero: Probably the place of origin best suited for this type of character.
- Wise Tree: Archdruid Oalian, the country's spiritual leader, is an awakened greatpine.
Lhazaar Principalities
Lhazaar Principalities
Capital: Regalport
Head of State: High Prince Ryger ir'Wynarn
A confederation of merchants, pirate lords, and sea barons, the Lhazaar Principalities are home to the finest sailors of Khorvaire. Fiercely independent, the other princes reject High Prince Ryger ir'Wynarn's calls for greater unity.- The Alcatraz: The prison-island of Dreahold, which is run by House Kundarak. Notable prisoners include a petrified false Speaker of the Flame and the ''real'' Kaius III.
- Genius Loci: The Hammer, an "island" located between the Dreadwood Isle and the gnomish principality of Lorghalen, is actually a giant earth elemental.
- King of Thieves: High Prince Ryger ir'Wynarn is more like a first among equals among the princes. He is also probably not a Wynarn...
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: The Bloodsails, a principality founded by exiled followers of the House of Vol, consists of elven undead pirates.
- Privateer: The princes' main role during the war, serving all sides.
- Rebellious Princess: Gender Flipped. The Wind Whisperers, a principality including many half-elves bearing the Mark of Storm, are led by a runaway heir of House Lyrandar.
- Sky Pirate: Invoked. The Wind Whisperers try their best to get their hands on a House Lyrandar airship, although they haven't been successful yet.
- Our Gnomes Are Weirder: The island/principality of Lorghalen is populated by exiles from Zilargo. They manipulate the island's native elementals via Stonesinging, a blend of bardic and druidic magic.
Mror Holds
Mror Holds
Capital: Krona Peak
Head of State: Arbiter of the Iron Council, Torlan Mroranon
"Gold is the gift of the mountains, but iron comes from blood and bone. "
A confederation of twelve dwarven clans located in north-eastern Khorvaire. The Mror Holds threw off their Karrnathi overlords during the war and gained independence after the treaty of Thronehold, but now face the challenge of the Eldritch Abominations living in the ruins below them. It is also home to the Jhorash'tar, an orcish alliance of tribes, with many on both sides trying to mend their historical bad relationship.— Mror Proverb
- Dug Too Deep: Whilst unearthing the ruins of the Realm Below, they came upon the creations of an ancient Eldritch Abomination.
- Feuding Families: Pretty much every clan has one or two rivals within the holds, with the Clans Mroranon and Soldorak being the driving factions. It is especially bad, however, with the brother-clans of Lanarak and Londurak.
- The Face: Clan Kolkarun has produced many skilled negotiators. Their diplomacy even persuaded Karrnath to accept Mror independence.
- Founder of the Kingdom: The origin story for the Mror Holds depicts the ancestors of each ruling clan as a band of heroes exiled from the Realm Below note , with each hero's role mapping onto their Clan's unique traits (e.g. Mroranon was The Leader, Soldorak a Commander Contrarian, Narathun being a wizard, etc.}.
- Proud Merchant Race: The dwarves overall became merchant lords after being subjugated by the Kingdom of Galifar. Especially Clan Kolkarun produced many wealthy merchants. Many influential members of the Aurum are Kolkarun.
- Proud Scholar Race: Clan Narathun has a greater focus on the pursuit of knowledge and secrets than the typical dwarf.
- Proud Warrior Race: Clan Doldarun and Clan Droranath have a more martial focus than the other clans, with the Doldarun being more of The Paladin and the Droranath being more of The Berserker.
- Our Dwarves Are All the Same: As opposed to most other races in Eberron, the Mror are pretty typical dwarves: Clan-based, mountainous, love alcohol, telling stories, mining and trading, they clash with orcs, etc. note Eberron's twist on them is their struggle with the Eldritch Abominations of the Realm Below. In addition, the dwarven clans were further elaborated on in Exploring Eberron, with each of them receiving their own hat.
- Our Orcs Are Different: Atypically for the setting, this is Averted with the Jhorash'tar, who fit more neatly into typical orcish tropes (tribal culture, Proud Warrior Race, shamanism, etc.), although they are more "revisionist" Warcraft-style orcs than "traditional" tolkienesque orcs.
- Sibling Team: As opposed to clans Lanarak and Londurak Sibling Rivalry, the Brother-Clans Toldorath and Tordannon are harmonious almost to a fault.
- Ultimate Blacksmith: The smiths of Clan Soranath are legendary, unmatched among even dwarves.
- Uncertain Doom: Originally, there were 13 dwarven clans. To one of them, Clan Noldrun, contact was lost about 400 years ago, with conflicting reports on its whereabouts.
- Vestigial Empire: The Mror Holds are built atop the ruins of the Realm Below, an old and vast dwarven empire, that is said to have exiled the founders of the ruling clans. The dwarves started to explore it, only to find out first-hand what lead to its demise...
- We ARE Struggling Together : Internal division kept the Dwarves from effectively resisting the armies of Karrn The Conqueror, resulting in their conquest.
Q'Barra
Q'Barra
Capital: Newthrone
Head of State: King Sebastes ir'Kesslan
A frontier nation in Khorvaire's south-east, it became a home to many refugees and deserters during the war. This stream of new settlers only grew stronger when prospectors discovered massive deposits of dragonshards. King Sebastes tries to maintain peace with the "scales", local confederations of Lizardfolk and Dragonborn, but this peace is often tested by greedy prospectors.- Ancient Order of Protectors: The black dragons, the dragonborn they brought with them, and the lizardfolk were all originally intended to guard the seals in the region. Unfortunately, the last black dragon has been corrupted into the Voice of Masvirik, and the dragonborn have forgotten their duties. The Cold Sun Federation of lizardfolk still holds to their task, but some of them are corrupted, and even the ones still doing their jobs are causing problems by being utterly incapable of interacting with outsiders.
- Culture Clash: The Cold Sun Federation are all bound to a single Shared Dream that teaches them everything they need to know. They are therefore absolutely terrible about recognizing that outsiders might not know those things. One possibility for the reason between the rise in hostilities is that settlers have been unknowingly interfering with the seals in the region, and the lizardfolk immediately kill them without warning because they can't conceive of doing something like that on accident.
- Fantastic Racism: The natives consist of the Cold Sun Federation lizardfolk (white-scaled lizard people), the Poison Dusk lizardfolk (green-scaled corrupted lizard people with black-scaled champions), kobolds (small brown dragon people), troglodytes (squat, smelly dragon people), and Trothlorsvek dragonborn (dragon people of many different colors). The settlers typically lump all of them into "scales," and utterly fail to tell the difference between them. This is one of the many reasons conflict is brewing; if the settlers can't tell the difference between the rogue dragonborn clan that has been raiding them and the Cold Sun outpost that is guarding a shrine, there are going to be problems.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Q'Barra is basically a fantasy version of The Wild West in a more jungle-like region, with Dragonshards replacing gold, and the "scales'" role being reminiscent of Native American confederations. Rising from the Last War suggests it even as a western-like setting with Western Characters, such as a Sheriff-Paladin or a Preacher Man-cleric.
- Gold Rush: Well, dragonshard rush, but the rest is basically the same.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Q'Barra is the site of the seal on Masvirik, the Cold Sun, an Overlord with power over all things reptilian.
- Vestigial Empire: The dragonborn of Ka'rhashan started out as an outpost of Argonnessen, but conquered themselves a nation. In time, their actions stirred an imprisoned overlord, causing the destruction of their state.
Shadow Marches
Shadow Marches
Capital: Zarash'ak (unofficial)
Head of State: None
Less of a nation and more of a region, the Shadow Marches are a backwater populated by human-orcish clans and purely orcish tribes. Only the recent discovery of Dragonshards has led to a growing interest in the region.- City of Canals: The Marches' unofficial capital, Zarash'ak, the city of Stilts, is built atop a swamp.
- Druid: The druidic sect of the Gatekeepers, which once sealed away the Daelkyr, originated in the Shadow Marches and still has a following there.
- Gold Rush: Downplayed, as most of the mining of Dragonshards is handled by the native House Tharashk.
- Insistent Terminology: The marcher clans consist of humans, orcs, and half-orcs, whereas the tribes are purely orcish. The clans are generally more open to outsiders and modernity, whereas the tribes are more isolationist and tradition-focused.
- Invented Linguistic Distinction: Some clans of the Shadow Marches speak Azhani instead of regular Goblin. A blending of Goblin, Riedran, and Orc, it is treated like a special accent of Goblin in-game.
- Our Orcs Are Different: While some of them are still somewhat tribal and isolationist, the orcs of the Marches are overall more peaceful and spiritual than most of their counterparts.
- Religion of Evil: Many marchers belong to Cults of the Dragon Below, venerating especially the Daelkyr. For some it's following traditions, for some it's genuine madness.
Talenta Plains
Talenta Plains
Capital: Gatherhold
Head of State: Lathon Halpum (officially)
"Zombies? Minotaurs? They don’t scare me a bit. But a howling halfling warrior charging in on a clawfoot raptor? Most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen."
The Homeland of Khorvaire's Halflings, the Talenta Plains are roamed by different nomadic tribes who temporarily united during the Last War to defend their ways of life. Recognized as a nation under the treaty of Thronehold, many halflings wish to return to their traditional ways, but in the aftermath of the war, this might prove impossible. They also tame dinosaurs...— Sir Danton ir'Lain, Brelish Knight
- Barbarian Hero: A halfling warrior from a Talenta tribe is very suited for this type of character.
- Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": Due to Latin and Greek not existing in Eberron, all of the Plains' dinosaurs have different names. For example, "Clawfoots" are an unspecified type of raptor.
- Domesticated Dinosaurs: A staple of Talenta life is the domestication of the plains native dinosaurs.
- Elephant Graveyard: This one is for dragons.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The halflings of Talenta are inspired by the native American nations of the Great Plains region.
- Hobbits: The Plains are the ancestral homelands of Eberron's halflings, although most of them are very different from other settings' halflings.
- Horse of a Different Color: They ride on tamed dinosaurs.
- Lilliputian Warriors: Relatively big for this trope, but they overall fit the bill.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Barbarian Hobbits riding on dinosaurs.
- Noble Savage: They are often portrayed like this.
Thronehold
Thronehold
Capital: None (city-state)
Head of State: None (truce zone)
Galifar I. built his capital on an island between the five nations, in order to avoid favoritism. After the Last War, it became an independent Truce Zone. Housing spies and diplomats as well as common thieves and thugs, Thronehold has become a treacherous place to navigate.- City of Spies: A side-effect of being Khorvaire's main hub for diplomacy.
- Hub City: Invoked with its location and independent status before the war.
- The Neutral Zone: Thronehold is kept neutral and free from the overruling authority of any other nation. It is also flush with spies.
- Praetorian Guard: The Throne Wardens, a special detachment of House Deneith guards, still stand watch over the old castle.
- Wretched Hive: The town of Throneport, located in the Castle's shadow, houses many criminals.
Valenar
Valenar
Capital: Taer Valaestas
Head of State: High King Shaeras Vadallia
"Put up your swords and talk of peace, or hide behind your walls of stone. When the host of Valenar thunders forth, neither will save you."
Serving as a template for Darguun's founding, Elvish mercenaries from Aerenal seized eastern Cyre and thus founded the kingdom of Valenar, giving the Tairnadal Elves a permanent foothold in Khorvaire. Due to no one contesting their claim (based on an ancient war with the Dhakaan empire), they were recognized under the Treaty of Thronehold. Besides the Tairnadal, many Khoravar (half-elves), headed by House Lyrandar, seek to make Valenar a home for their people.— Shaeras Vadallia, High King of Valenar
- "Arabian Nights" Days: Due to a large part of their country being covered by the Blade-Desert, a lot of Valenar warriors wear armor and wield weapons fitting this aesthetic.
- Bodyguard Betrayal: How Valenar was founded. Years later, it served as a template for the founding of Darguun.
- The Chosen Many: How the Spirits of the Past, the Tairnadal's religion, works: Each elf is declared by a priest as being a "revenant" of a hero of the past, and has to emulate their deeds. Multiple elves can be chosen by the same spirit, often leading to fierce rivalries.
- Fantastic Race Weapon Affinity: Overlapping with National Weapon. Tairnadal elves are infamous for their use of the double-bladed scimitar, which they themselves consider to be only their weapon. Any non-Tairnadal carring one will be assumed to have stolen it.
- Foreign Ruling Class: For the human population of Valenar, both pre- and post-war. Its human population is mostly made up of Sarlonians from the Khunan region. During the founding of the Kingdom, Galifar I gave eastern Cyre (now Valenar) to the old nobles of Metrol, Cyre's predecessor state. Already alienated from their ruling class, the people of Valenar didn't fight when the Tairnadal took over. In their eyes, a class of foreign rulers was simply replaced by another.
- Proud Warrior Race: In a major example of Our Elves Are Different, war is a core part of the Tairnadal/Valenar identity. With many of them being chosen by the spirits of war heroes, they constantly raid their neighboring territories, hoping to provoke an invasion. note
Zilargo
Zilargo
Capital: Trolanport
Head of State: the Triumvirate
"Five words can defeat a thousand swords."
A nation of gnomes in southern Khorvaire, Zilargo, like many others, gained its independence under the Treaty of Thronehold. Its orderly appearance belies its darker aspects.— Zil Proverb
- City of Spies: Zilargo is an entire nation of spies.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Scheming is many a Zil's favorite pastime, and each and every family is caught up in numerous feuds. "Your mother is a gnome!" is a dwarvish insult meaning Opportunistic Bastard.
- False Utopia: Downplayed. Zilargo is fairly liberal, with democracy, free speech, and scientific progress on an unparalleled level. It also is rife with Gambit Roulette, nearly everybody is Manipulative Bastard and all is watched over by a nearly all-powerful Secret Police - however, the Trust is very much The Fettered, and it has an extremely strict series of ethical guidelines. As a result, if you can tolerate the schemers, and don't cause mass damage, Zilargo is genuinely a much nicer place to live than much of Khovaire.
- Had to Be Sharp: The Trust is one of the best and most efficient intelligence agencies in the continent, if not the best. This is born from an utterly mundane remit of, like most police forces, maintaining order and peace - it just happens to be they are the police force of Zilargo, so they had to learn to out-scheme their countrymen just to keep up.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: According to Keith Baker, the Trust can dispose of even high-level adventurers. But that's expensive, and players are rarely happy with having their entire party dumped into a sphere of annihilation. Another possibility is for the party to simply wake up in the morning with whatever they were looking for sitting on their dresser with an attached note saying "Here's what you wanted. You can leave now."
- Manipulative Bastard: Nearly everyone to some degree.
- The Plan: The nation's favorite past-time.
- Proud Scholar Race: Other than its feuds, Zilargo is a haven for science in Khorvaire, with the Zil gnomes being the first to replicate the ancient technique of elemental binding, thus enabling much of the setting's Magitech.
- Secret Police: The "Trust" reports directly to the Triumvirate and is supposedly the best secret police in all of Khorvaire. Troublemakers in Zilargo have a habit of quietly disappearing...
Other Nations/Regions of Eberron
Aerenal
Aerenal
Capital: Shae Cairdal
Head of State: Balaereth and Tezaera, the Sibling Kings
-> Native Races: None known
-> Native Races: None known
An Island nation located to the south of Khorvaire, Aerenal is the homeland of most elves in Eberron. It is inhabited by two distinct Elven cultures: The isolationist Aereni and the war-like Tairnadal, who recently established the nation of Valenar on Khorvaire.
- Ancestor Veneration: The two elven cultures both pratice variations of this: Whereas the Tairnadal venerate the Spiritis of their ancestors and believe it their holy duty to emulate a specific ancestor, the Aereni worship their undead ancestors and ancient heroes.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The Aereni nobilty consists of different noble lines. Membership in these lines is not granted by birth, but one is adoped into such a line by virtue of merit.
- Church Militant: The Areni have the Deathguard, a special group of clerics and paladins hunting Mabaran undead.
- Friendly Zombie: The Undying Court is made up of the elves' greatest heroes turned into undead. They are also worshiped and sustain themselves on a mix of worship and energy from the plane of hope and light.
- Hidden Elf Village: While Aerenal isn't hidden, it is still strictly isolationist, with most outsiders only having access to the port city of Pylas Talaear.
- Hordes from the East: The Tairnadal are a war-like steppe-people with a heavy focus on cavalry and archery. They also are organised into smaller war-bands and engage in raids. Although, instead of conquest, they are more into assymetrical warfare.
- Immortal Ruler: The Undying Court, depending on how strong its influence on the Sibling Kings really is.
- Mayincatec: Aereni architecture heavily invokes mesoamerican empires with its step-pyramids.
- The Necrocracy: Played With. The Undying Court only advises the (living) Sibling Kings, who take care of the day-to-day ruling of the nation. The Court still is tremendously influential.
- Our Elves Are Different: Played With, interestingly. The Aereni are isolationist, engage in Cultural Posturing towards Khorvaire, and process bronzewood, a magical type of lumber equal in strength to steel. They also practice necromancy and worship an undead council. Played Straight with the Tairnadal, who are an aggressive Proud Warrior Race.
- Secret Police: The Cairdal Blades are a military and espionage organisation in direct service to the Sibling Kings. Areni foundlings who manifest the Mark of Shadow are quickly inducted into its ranks.
- She Is the King: The Sibling Kings traditionally consist of a man and a woman from the same noble line.
- Sons of Slaves: The elves of Eberron started out as slaves to an empire of giants in Xen'drik, but after a rebellion they fled to Aerenal and soon formed their distinct cultures.
Argonnessen
Argonnessen
Native Races: Dragons, Dragonborn
A continent to the south-west, Argonnessen is ruled by dragons, with other races populating its fringes. Not much is known of Argonnessen, because it is inaccessible both in person and via magic.
- All-Powerful Bystander: Justified like with the Camber, as too much open draconic activity strengthens the Daughter of Khyber, the draconic Overlord bound within the Pit of five Sorrows.
- Ancient Order of Protectors: The Chamber, agents of the dragons' operation outside of Argonnessen.
- Barbarian Tribe: The Seren Islands off Argonnessen's north-western coast are populated by tribes of various dragon-worshiping humanoids, theorized by some to have been collected by the dragons.
- Benevolent Conspiracy: Their goal to keep the Overlords bound is massively benevolent. Their means of achieving this can... ''vary''.
- Either/Or Prophecy: The Dragons as a whole follow the Draconic prophecy, albeit many pursue different goals. The prophecy itself only lays out certain chains of events, yet never specifies if they will come to pass.
- Here There Be Dragons: It is the main seat of Dragons in Eberron.
- Hidden Elf Village: Even more so than Aerenal, Argonnessen can't even be observed magically.
- The Plan: Very much the Dragons' main shtick.
Everice
Everice
Native Species: None known
Eberron's south pole is home to escaped frost giants of Xen'drik, who plot to retake their empire, with a clan of white dragons keeping them in check. It also houses the domain of the Queen of Winter, a mysterious archfey living in a glacial palace.
- An Ice Person: Nearly everybody living in Everice: The giants use ice magic, the Queen of Winter commands soldiers of living ice, and the white dragons breathe ice instead of fire.
- Mysterious Antarctica: Both poles aren't really explored, although no one who set foot in Everice ever returned.
- The Remnant: The frost giants escaped Xen'drik's fall and now hone their ice magic, longing for revenge.
- Winter Royal Lady: The Queen of Winter, who lives in an Ice Palace and is said to bestow boons on those who manage to reach her.
Frostfell
Frostfell
Native Races: Dwarves
Eberron's north pole, which often assumed to be the dwarves' original homeland. Many also theorise of a once verdant land, buried under frost by an overlord of ice.
- Hidden Elf Village: Some people believe there still is a dwarven nation buried under the ice.
- Mysterious Antarctica: Both poles aren't really explored, although people at least returned from expeditions to Frostfell.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Dral Khatuur, the Heart of Winter, is an Overlord embodying the terrors of winter, and is bound under the Frostfell. It is said to be the cause of its climate.
Sarlona
Sarlona
Native Races: Humans, Kalashtar, Inspired
The continent of Sarlona lies to the west of Khorvaire. It is the cradle of humanity in Eberron, with the first humans in Khorvaire having been Sarlonian explorers. Originally comprised of numerous kingdoms, many of them have coalesced into the isolationist Unity of Riedra. The other Sarlonan Countries include Adar, the homeland of the Kalashtar, the rugged frontier of Syrkarn and the frozen Tashana Tundra.
Sarlona as a whole
- Background Magic Field: Sarlona is much closer to the planes of existence, with their permanent influence marking so-called wild zones. They had a profound influence on the mentality of the old nations of Sarlona. For example, Nulakesh was influenced by the planes of war and order, leading to an oppressive militaristic regime.
- Extradimensional Power Source: Sarlonian magic draws on the energy of the other planes, who have a significantly stronger influence in Sarlona. The first Khorvarian wizards had to essentially reverse-engineer much of their magic with a different power source, finding one in the Ring of Syberis.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: It is very vaguely reminiscent of Asia, with Riedra being a more totalitarian imperial China and Adar being a stand-in for Tibet. However, the former Sarlonian Kingdoms (now Riedran provinces) all had different counterparts, with, for example, Kalesh being a Crusader-State and The Empire of Nulakesh having been a darker version of The Roman Empire.
- Great Offscreen War: Sarlona was home to over a dozen kingdoms but the Sundering, 200 years of upheaval and wars, allowed the Inspired to take control.
- Immune to Fate: Due to an artifact protecting Adar, all of Sarlona is not even once mentioned in the Draconic Prophecy, scaring the Dragons of Argonnessen to no end. As a result, they kind of pretend it doesn't exist...
- Power Crystal: Like other D&D settings, psionics in Eberron are connected to crystals, with many Sarlonian magic items being made of crystal.
- Psychic Powers: In Sarlona, both Riedra and Adar, psionics is similarly ingrained into society as arcane magic in Khorvaire.
Adar
Capital: Kasshta Keep (unofficial)
Head of State: Speaker of the Light Chanaakar
A mountainous region in Sarlona's south, Adar is the last hold-out against Riedran conquest. It is comprised of a chain of hidden mountain-monasteries, with only the de-facto capital, Kasshtar Keep, proudly showing itself to the world. It also is the homeland of the kalashtar.- All Monks Know Kung-Fu: Probably best suited as the place of origin for a monk character. Even large parts of the laity know a few martial arts routines.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: It is heavily inspired by Tibet, in both culture and geopolitics.
- Hidden Elf Village: Except Kasshta Keep itself, Adar's monasteries are magically and psychically obscured.
- Psychic Powers: Given with the kalashtar. Exploring Eberron also includes the Mind Domain, a psychic-themed cleric subclass basically written for their religion, the Path of Light.
- Un-Sorcerer: Downplayed in that Adar is roughly made up equally of Kalashtar and normal humans note . Curiously however, the current Speaker of the Light is a human.
The Unity of Riedra
Capital: Durat Tal
Head of State: The Inspired Lords of the Unity
The Empire of Riedra has conquered all of Sarlona with the exception of Adar. Ruled by the Inspired, the human vessels of "celestial spirits", it rose among the warring nations of Sarlona and united them all under its religion, the Path of Inspiration.- Black-and-Grey Morality: No state of Khorvaire is really evil (not even Droaam), but Riedra is the most unambiguously evil nation of Eberron.
- Empire with a Dark Secret: The Inspired are humans possessed by the Quori. Riedra is the Dreaming Dark's way of influencing the Material plane.
- False Utopia: Riedra knows no hunger, no poverty, and no (internal) war because it is ruled by a bunch of Eldritch Abominations who control its people via their dreams.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: It is reminiscent of Imperial China as regionally expansive, but globally isolationist. Its totalitarianism may be inspired by modern Dictatorships like North Korea.
- Mega City: All of Sarlona's cities seem to be huge. The port city of Dar Jin is described as "larger than any city in Khorvaire". Note that this includes Sharn!
- Never Learned to Read: Most Riedrans are illiterate, because they've never needed to read—writing is largely replaced with minor psionic devices that provide information telepathically. This is, of course, yet another way to control citizens, as it renders the commoners largely helpless outside of Riedra (not to mention the propaganda embedded into the telepathy).
- Oni: They live in the province of Borunan, led to believe that they are housing fiends they need to redeem through service. The best of them join the Horned Guard, an Elite Army in service of the Inspired. According to Keith Baker, this is actually correct, and the oni are essentially the ogre/fiend version of the human/quori. Originally the oni and the ogres were fighting a never-ending war to keep the fiends of Shavarath contained in the manifest zones scattered across their nation. When the Inspired conquered them, they reformatted this legacy of service to service to the Inspired.
- Portal Network: The main cities and fortresses of Riedra are linked by a series of teleportation cycles. Unlike the spell however, each portal can only be linked to one other, leading to less flexibility.
- Secret Police: Everyday order among the citizens is upheld by the Thousand Eyes. The Riedran military, the Harmonious Shield also includes the Sleeping Sword, a special force unknown to most Riedrans. For foreigners, there is also the Iron Gate, Riedra's Border Patrol.
- Shared Dream: The inspired control the people of Riedra by manipulating their dreams through monoliths.
The Thunder Sea
The Thunder Sea
Natice Races: Sahuagin, Merfolk, Locatah
South of Khorvaire's Mainland, the Thunder Sea is home to a number of aquatic civilizations Its major factions are the Sahuagin of the Eternal Dominion, the Kalamer merfolk, and the elven-led Valrean Protectorate.
The Thunder Sea as a whole
- Awesome Underwater World: The Thunder Sea is home to ancient, still existing civilizations, even predating the Giants.
- Fish People: Basically every aquatic people within the Thunder Sea: The Sahuagin, the Locathah, the Karakala Merfolk, and the Sea Elves, to a lesser extent.
- Proud Warrior Race: The Sahuagin of the Eternal Dominion view life as only conflict. The Valraean Protectorate is similarly martial in nature, having been created as a buffer to the Sahuagin.
- Space Cold War: Between the Sahuagin of the Eternal Dominion and the sea-elves of the Valrean Protectorate.
- The Woobie: It's hard not to feel for the Locathah, who are basically sandwiched between two aggressive states that both oppress them and try to erase their culture.
The Eternal Dominion
An empire of Sahuagin covering large swathes of the Thunder Sea. Centering their civilizations around the kar'lassa, gigantic sleeping sea-creatures, they plan to conquer the entire Thunder Sea.
- Cannibalism Superpower: They venerate the Devourer as Sha'argon, a God-Eating sahuagin. Based on this, many of them dream of devouring the gods or the Overlords. The Malenti are specially transformed Shauagin who turn into humanoids they eat.
- The Empire: An underwater, militaristic and expansionist state.
- Fantastic Racism: They view surface-dwellers ("dryskins") as nothing more than pathetic barbarians.
- Kraken and Leviathan: The cities of the Eternal Dominion are built around the kar'lassa, giant dreaming sea monsters tied to the planes of existence (sans Dal Quor). The sahuagin harvest the biomatter of these creatures (which have an enormous Healing Factor) and use it to fuel their industry. The krakens live isolated within the Thunder Sea, afraid of provoking greater threats by forming alliances with one another. Five krakens once bound together and devastated the sahuagin civilization predating the Eternal Dominion.
- Proud Warrior Race: They view life only as a conflict.
- Shared Dream: The kar'lassa pull all sleeping people around them into a dream on the plane they are connected to. Given that most Shahuagin of the Dominion live in cities built around the kar'lassa, this happens to most of them.
- Tyke Bomb: The Eternal Dominion utilizes magebreeding like no other society in Eberron, making every sahuagin this trope in a specific field.
Karakala
A culture of nomadic merfolk calling themselves the Kalamer. Hailing from the waters of the plane of nature, Lamannia, they travel the Thunder Sea to contain the manifest zones of Lamannia, which would otherwise have devastating effects.
- Nature Lover: The Karakal Merfolk remain neutral in the larger politics of the Thunder Sea, and most travel between the manifest zones of their home plane Lamannia, performing various rituals to stabilize them. Exploring Eberron calls them "nomadic gardeners".
- Our Mermaids Are Different: They generally look more aquatic than most merfolk, with bluish skin and fins instead of hair or ears. They also perform important rituals vital to keeping the manifest zones in check. Some of them undergo a ritual to grow legs, becoming playable tritons.
- Sirens Are Mermaids: Played With in that "siren" is simply the name given to traveling merfolk bards.
The Valrean Protectorate
A buffer-state between the Eternal Dominion and Aerenal lead by the Sea Elves of line Valraea . Its non-Elven inhabitants (mostly Sahuagin and Locathah) are encouraged to view Elves as higher, almost semi-divine beings while having their own cultures supressed.
- Black-and-Grey Morality: The Eternal Dominion is an expansionist, oppressive empire. So the elves naturally built an equally oppressive buffer-state.
- Fantastic Racism: Elven supremacy is deeply ingrained into the Protectorate structure, with its non-elven cultures being heavily suppressed.
- White Man's Burden: How many Sea Elves rationalize their oppressive treatment of the Protectorate's non-elven population.
Xen'drik
Xen'drik
Native Races: Giants, Elves
Once the homeland of the Giant empire, until their elven slaves rebelled and the Quori of Dal Quor invaded. The war marked the landscape with curses and strange magic, but the true end of Xen'drik came when the giants tried to use epic magic to sever Dal Quor from the physical plane. To stop them, the dragons of Argonnessen brought their full might to bear upon Xen'drik, destroying every civilization and cursing the land itself, so that even now it is impossible to traverse, as one road might lead many places. Today Xen'drik is inhabited by what few giants remain of their old glory, and the drow, who split into three separate cultures. The only Khorvarian settlement to stand the test of time is the city of Stormreach.
- Advanced Ancient Acropolis: The lands of Xen'drik are littered with the ruins of numerous ancient, magically advanced giant civilasations. The techniques of elemental binding was originally practied extensively, and Zil explorers recovered it from ancient giant ruins and texts.
- Archaeological Arms Race: Provides the page quote. What could happen if a single nation unlocks bigger pieces of the giants' Lost Technology.
- Apocalypse Cult: The Sulatar drow believe that they are destined to cleanse the world in fire.
- Classical Hunter: The Vulkoori drow who live in the jungles.
- Devolution Device: One of the Draconic curses is believed to have devolved the giants from their former glory into their modern forms.
- Ensalved Elves: The Elves, theorised by some to be the descendants of a Feyspire's conquered Eladrins, are first recorded as slaves to the Giants.
- Hub City: Stormreach may serve as this for campaigns in Xen'drik.
- Lost Technology: The giants pushed arcane knowledge to unparalleled heights. The discovery and replication of elemental binding brought Khorvaire a huge amount of progress.
- Tyke Bomb: The first drow were mage-bred elves intended as Super Soldiers.
- Vestigial Empire : Xen'drik is littered with the ruins of the giant empire. The Sulatar drow still live within the old cities.
