About Eberron

Themes of Eberron

The five sister-nations of Khorvaire were at war for a century. Today, a mere two years since a peace treaty was signed, the old wounds are still healing. People are hard at work rebuilding what can be rebuilt and mourning what has been lost for good. Many have known in their lifetimes nothing but the War, and they now find themselves cast adrift, searching for a new purpose and a new identity in this changed world. 

Life goes on and at an ever-quickening pace. The War, among other factors, has sparked an industrial revolution in Khorvaire. This is a time of invention and innovation, where one must either engage in the magi-technological race or risk becoming obsolete. Foremost in this race are the twelve dragonmarked houses, whose magical conveniences have left no area of life unchanged. The power of those families transcends nations and borders. They guard their secrets jealously and strive to crush all competition. In a divided Khorvaire, the future is theirs. 

The Last War may be over, but tensions persist. Rulers’ motivations remain cryptic in their game of geopolitical chess, as agreements are signed during the day and spies are sent out at night. Among the populace there is a sea of clashing opinions: warmongers and peacekeepers argue constantly, as some cling to their national pride, while others call for unity above all. 

There is little guidance to be found in this chaotic world. The gods, if they exist at all, are silent. Amid the many cruelties of life, it takes great faith to believe in them. True belief is scarce. Morality is relative. Even priests struggle to discern good from evil. The temples of the land offer no ultimate truth, but instead try to provide a path for those lost in their search for meaning. 

This is Khorvaire.
A battlefield for many conflicts, both seen and unseen. 
A stage for great achievement and great ruin.
A land entering a new age.

Eberron Reference

POLITICS

  • Khorvaire – one of the continents of Eberron; where this story is set
  • Galifar – an old kingdom that once encompassed the entirety of Khorvaire
  • The Last War – the one-hundred-year succession war that began after the death of King Jarot, the last ruler of Galifar; it ended in the year
  • 996 YK (two years ago) with the Treaty of Thronehold
  • The Five Nations – Breland, Aundair, Karrnath, Thrane and Cyre were the former five provinces of Galifar. They became sovereign nations after the death of King Jarot, and fought each other in the Last War. Four of them survive to this day.
  • The Mournland – the ruins of Cyre, after it was completely destroyed in the year 994 YK (four years ago)
  • The Mourning – the mysterious eldritch disaster that destroyed the nation of Cyre in a single day

INDUSTRY

  • Dragonmarks – unique, hereditary arcane sigils (similar to tattoos) that manifest on individuals within certain families, granting them limited but very useful magical abilities of constructive nature
  • Dragonmarked Houses – twelve extended families which hold complete monopoly over certain types of commerce
  • Magical Conveniences of Eberron – the Lightning Rail, airships, elemental galleons, sending towers, magecrafted items, magebred animals, etc.; all provided exclusively by the Dragonmarked Houses
  • Dragonshards – valuable crystals used to fuel the various magical industries of Eberron; a much sought-after resource

NEW RACES

  • Warforged – sentient constructs created by House Cannith in 965 YK (33 years ago); designed to fight in the Last War
  • Changelings – half-human, half-doppelgangers; can change their appearance at will
  • Shifters – half-human, half-lycanthropes; can shift into a hybrid bestial form

RELIGION

  • The Sovereign Host – the Sovereign Host is a pantheon of nine deities which govern different aspects of life
  • The Dark Six – the Sovereign Host’s malicious counterparts; not worshipped traditionally but part of the same pantheon
  • The Silver Flame – a divine force; its followers wage war on supernatural evil, while approaching human evil with compassion; the dominant religion in the nation of Thrane
  • The Blood of Vol – a nihilistic religion that claims that there is no life after death and the only divinity worth pursuing is the divinity within

ABOVE, BELOW AND BEYOND

  • The Moons – Eberron has twelve moons; each of the calendar’s months is named after a moon
  • The Ring of Syberis – the planetary ring that surrounds Eberron; the source of Syberis dragonshards
  • Khyber – Eberron’s underworld; demons are bound within it; the source of Khyber dragonshards
  • Dolurrh – the place where souls go after death and before reaching their ultimate unknown destination

OTHER NATIONS

  • Zilargo – a nation of gnomes; famous elemental binders
  • The Talenta Plains – a nation of halflings; known for their nomadic tribal culture and their saurian mounts
  • Valenar – a nation of elves; horse warriors of incredible martial prowess; worship their ancestors by reenacting their deeds
  • Darguun – a nation of goblionoids; the remnants of an ancient goblinoid empire
  • The Mror Holds – a nation of dwarves; providers of banking services
  • Eldeen Reaches – a verdant forested land; formerly a part of Aundair; centre of agriculture and druidism
  • The Lhazaar Principalities – a seafaring nation with a reputation for piracy
  • Droaam – a nation of monsters; gnolls, harpies, minotaurs, madusas and ogres live here, led by the Daughters of Sora Kell
  • Q’Barra – a nation of refugees who fled from the Last War and settled in this remote, dangerous jungle land
  • Aerenal – a small continent to the south of Khorvaire; home to a nation of elves, who preserve their ancestors as “deathless” and worship them in the Undying Court