Kingdom of Breland

Capital: Wroat
Known for industry, manufactured goods, metalwork, processed ore; organized crime, subterfuge
In the wake of the Last War, Breland is one of the most powerful nations in Khorvaire. Possessing a large population and abundant resources, Breland leads the continent in industry.
The Brelish are known for their pragmatism and independence. They lack the discipline of Karrns and the faith of the Thranes, but they excel at finding innovative solutions to problems. The Brelish also have a talent for intrigue and subterfuge. The King’s Dark Lanterns is one of the finest intelligence agencies in Khorvaire, rivaled only by House Phiarlan and the Trust of Zilargo. The dark side of these aptitudes is a strong streak of cynicism, which allows crime and corruption to flourish in Brelish cities and temples. The Sovereign Host is the dominant religion of Breland, but in general the Brelish aren’t as devout as citizens of other nations.
King Boranel ir’Wynarn rules Breland in conjunction with an elected parliament. Boranel is a popular leader celebrated for his exploits during the Last War, but his children have yet to prove themselves, and a growing movement advocates for abandoning royal rule when Boranel passes.
The people of Breland have a strong tradition of independence and free thought. They are fiercely loyal to the kingdom and to the Brelish crown, but at the same time they don’t want the laws interfering with their daily lives. The Brelish always speak their minds, and while they treat aristocrats and officers with the respect due to rank, they still consider themselves to be the equal of any other person. While the Brelish expect their voices to be heard, they also take the time to listen to others, and they are known for their tolerance. There is also a strong strain of skeptical pragmatism in the Brelish character; the Brelish always try to find the catch in every deal, question what others take on faith, and look for a personal advantage in any situation. This attitude has its dark side, and the major cities of Breland have the highest crime rates in Khorvaire.
The Brelish are proud of the size and power of their nation. Where Aundairians are often smug and slightly condescending, the Brelish tend to be brash and loud. They know their nation is the greatest power in Khorvaire. This strength gives them a bit of an overbearing presence when traveling. They often like to visit other lands and see new sights, but they carry their nationality on their sleeve (sometimes literally), and won’t hesitate to compare the accomplishments of others to things “back home.”
In 986 YK, ten years before the Treaty of Thronehold, King Boranel forced the Brelish parliament to pass the Warforged Decree. This decree recognized warforged as sentient beings and granted them the rights afforded other Brelish citizens—once the Last War was over. This edict allowed Boranel to emancipate the warforged while still guaranteeing their service for the duration of the war. It had the secondary effect of making the Brelish warforged more committed to the Brelish cause, and it attracted warforged from other nations to rally to the Brelish banner—especially warforged from the northern nations of Aundair and Thrane. 

Aftermath of the Last War

Breland weathered the storm of the Last War amazingly well. The size of the nation, the strength and determination of its people, and its abundance of resources gave it the ability to carry on when others fell back, to choose its own course and not be dependent on allies of convenience. Breland did earn friends over those years, and ties between Breland and Zilargo remain strong now that the war has ended.
The central and southern regions of the nation saw little if any direct conflict over the century of battle, but no one in Breland made it through without losing a friend or loved one to the war effort. While the farms north of Wroat and Galethspyre never suffered the indignity of invasion, it was the sons and daughters of the farmers who went off to fight for Brelish honor and glory. They fought at the borderlands, repelling invaders, and they fought across the borders, taking the battle to whatever nation was considered an enemy that season.
Today, the borderlands of Breland remain strong and on the alert, even as reconstruction takes place to repair the ravages of battle. In the west, Orcbone and Shadowlock Keep watch for any incursions from Droaam. Drum Keep, in the north, watches the Eldeen border, where so many on both sides fell in some of the worst battles of the Last War. Sword Keep and Brey Crossing protect the borders with Aundair and Thrane, while Sterngate keeps an eye on the passes into Darguun. Perhaps the most active post in the current day is Kennrun, where knights and warriors must constantly deal with threats emerging from the dead-gray mist surrounding the Mournland. Breland is a progressive nation that welcomes all who come in peace with open arms and the promise of honest wages for honest work. Its progressive nature, however, provides a home for those who wish to engage in less-than-honest work, especially in the larger cities. The nation works hard to maintain the Treaty of Thronehold, for King Boranel believes that peace is a better road to travel than war.
King Boranel is well and truly loved by the majority of the Brelish people. Unfortunately, Boranel’s age is beginning to show, and none of his heirs have demonstrated even a modicum of his intelligence and charisma. Many believe that Breland’s strength relies on Boranel’s leadership, and many of his enemies beyond the borders of the nation can’t wait for him to fall. Will the hope of many who covet the Brelish countryside come to pass? When Boranel falls, so falls Breland?

Brelish Style

Breland combines the rich heritage of Galifar with the new ideas of its people. As is typical of a frontier nation, much of the Brelish countryside has a rustic, quaint feel that somehow finds a place even in the larger cities. The exception, of course, is Sharn, which has a style and feel all its own.

Art

The diverse nature of Breland’s people tends to create a diverse number of artistic styles, and one can fi nd almost anything if one looks long enough and hard enough. The Brelish spirit, however, is best demonstrated in the neo-Brelish renderings that advance the Galifaran form to a new level. Whereas traditional Galifaranpaintings use a flat, shadeless, two-dimensional rendering style, the paintings of the neo-Brelish have depth and a more true-to-life depiction of what the artist sees. Much of this has been influenced by the artisans of House Phiarlan, but the Brelish have taken the style and made it their own.
Brelish art tends to convey a sense of freedom and energy, no matter the subject matter. Artists often create scenes taken from life, though they prefer to create portraits that place the subject within the grandeur of the Brelish countryside, as well as scenes of the fantastic wildlife that roams the land. The Brelish also have a fondness for battle scenes, and while many show the power of Breland on the battlefield, some show the darker, less inspiring side of war. King Boranel, in particular, used images of the dead and dying, remarkably portrayed in the work of Saranven d’Phiarlan, to help gain support for his role in the Treaty of Thronehold.

Architecture

In the cities of Breland, from Starilaskur to Wroat to Sharn itself, Galifarn-style towers scrape the sky and buildings of stone connect one to another. In the countryside, however, the heart of Brelish architecture can be seen in the rustic houses and common buildings made of heavy logs and bricks.
Through the use of magic, Breland raises impossibly tall towers above its cities, reaching heights that are rarely seen in the cities of the other nations. “For all the space they have horizontally,” Kothin of the Mror Holds once commented, “you have to wonder why the Brelish like to build vertically. It’s a mystery.”
Even within many of the towers and stone buildings in the cities, the Brelish tend to use elements of their rustic heritage. Large rooms decorated with natural tree trunks and logs give the stone interiors a sense of life and warmth. In the countryside, especially in the southern climes, buildings are designed to keep the coolness in and the heat out, and windows are plentiful.
In New Cyre, in eastern Breland, the Cyran refugees have begun to fashion a city that harkens back to the wonders of lost Cyre. This makes the small city very different in look and feel from similarly sized settlements in other parts of the country.

Cuisine

Brelish cooking utilizes meats, vegetables, and hearty sauces to create filling and comforting meals. Northern Brelish cuisine tends to be simpler fare, with a sweet and savory flavor. This is the food of farmers, designed to satisfy even the most ravenous appetites before and after a day of work in the fields. Here one can find beef boranel, a favorite of the king, that features a bread and mushroom stuffing roasted inside a full side of beef. Other hearty meals from the northern and central regions of Breland include farmer’s stew, thrice-poached eggs and sizzling pheasant, and kettle fried spider and redeye berries.
Southern Brelish cooking is more adventurous, utilizing the spices and vegetables that grow in the more tropical clime. Food with a lot of heat dominates the menu, as do meals influenced by the diverse population of Sharn and then transported into the rest of the countryside.
Traditional southern Brelish cooking is spicy and flavorful, and often too hot for those used to simpler fare. Fire-wrapped golden fish, spiced pork and orange peppers, and hot-spiced chicken in panya leaves are considered high cuisine in the best inns and restaurants throughout Breland.
Sharn fusion, meanwhile, is a culinary experiment in combining traditional Brelish cooking with the exotic cuisine of the diverse people that regularly pass through or settle in the City of Towers. Taking ingredients and cooking styles from all over Khorvaire, the master chefs of Sharn combine these exotic dishes with their native presentation to make a totally new form of cuisine. Bold and exciting, Sharn fusion isn’t for everyone. But for those willing to try something new and a little different, this exotic culinary experience is worth the effort and expense (Sharn fusion tends to cost more than a traditional Brelish meal).

Fashion

Brelish fashions tend to be simple and comfortable. Because of the heat, the Brelish prefer lighter fabrics and open, airy designs in casual dress. It is quite rare for Brelish clothes to cover the shoulders, and women often wear detached sleeves to keep their shoulders bare.
The Brelish hate to be confined by rules, and aside from the demands of the weather, they follow few standards in dress. They do have one rule, however—cloth dyed with sayda. This rich sky-blue dye is made from shellfi sh found only in waters of the Dagger River near the Hilt. Sayda has become synonymous with Brelish national pride, making it more commonly known as “Brelish blue.” Natives of Breland traveling abroad make a point of always including at least a splash of Brelish blue in their clothes (unless traveling incognito).
When the Brelish dress up, they are as likely to wear more elaborate versions of their normal garb as to adopt styles from across Khorvaire; there have even been times when hobgoblin clothing has been in vogue in cosmopolitan Sharn.
Jewelry is common, even among the lower classes, with copper wire being used for many everyday adornments. Anklets and particularly armbands are the most common, although any sort of jewelry can be found among the wealthy.

Data based on parliamentary census records, 997 YK.

Population: 3.7 million
Area: 1,800,000 square miles
Sovereign: Boranel ir’Wynarn
Capital: Wroat
Major Cities: Sharn, Starilaskur, Galethspyre, Xandrar
Climate: Temperate in the north, tropical in the south
Highest Point: Erix Peak in the Blackcaps Range, elevation 13,256
Heraldry: A roaring bear surrounded by gold wyverns on a crimson shield
Founder: Wroann, fifth scion of King Jarot
National Motto: “We gain what we give.”

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Controlled Territories

• Vathirond

Interesting Things about Breland

• The great city of Sharn is the largest metropolis in Khorvaire. The City of Towers is almost a nation in its own right and is a hub for commerce and intrigue.
• The Boromar Clan is the oldest and most powerful criminal organization in Breland. The Boromar leadership are halflings with ties to the Talenta Plains. Other notable criminal organizations include the monsters of Daask and House Tarkanan, an alliance of assassins and thieves with aberrant dragonmarks.
• Breland’s major cities are especially cosmopolitan. Due to its proximity to Droaam, its cities include more monsters—ogres, orcs, goblins, and even sahuagin, harpies, and gargoyles—then are seen elsewhere in the Five Nations.
• Breland has accepted more Cyran refugees than any other nation. The largest refugee camp, New Cyre, has a population of over four thousand and is being converted into a town. Prince Oargev of Cyre considers himself a king in exile, but effectively he’s the mayor of this town.

Five Things that Every Brelish Knows

1. The Galifar Code of Justice. Every citizen of Breland learns at least the basics of the Code of Justice, especially as it pertains to the rights afforded individuals in any situation. This knowledge boils down to the right to defend yourself, the right to confront your accuser, and the right to open debate. Of course, the code contains many additional rights and laws, but these tend to be the most important for the average Brelish citizen.
2. That different is just different. Tolerant and accepting, the average Brelish believes that different isn’t better or worse, good or bad; it’s just different. Different races, different faiths, different cultures... the Brelish, on the whole, are the most accepting and unifying people in Khorvaire.
3. Something about the weather. Everyone in Breland has an opinion about the weather, and they love to discuss their views and share them with others. This is especially true in the southern portions of the country, where the weather seems to vary between two states—hot and wet, and hotter and wetter.
4. The virtues of democracy. Unique among the Five Nations, Breland has long been experimenting with a new form of government. While the monarchy remains in place, many other duties of government, including legislation, falls to a partially elected body—the Brelish Parliament. Thanks to town meetings where all citizens have a voice and the right to vote for the elected members of the parliament, the Brelish understand the rights, responsibilities of democracy, as well as the great gift they have to live in such a progressive nation.
5. The wisdom of Beggar Dane. Out of the pages of the Sharn Inquisitive, the simple lessons for living popularized by this anonymous street bard have become ingrained in the Brelish mindset. These include: “A copper piece in the cup is a copper piece earned,” “Never borrow, never lend,” “The silent man has no one to blame but himself,” and “A magewright in the town is worth an army in the wilderness.”