The world of Eberron has a rich history built on heroic deeds, evolving magic, unspeakable evils, and the wounds of a
long, devastating war. Action, adventure, good, evil, and a thousand shades of gray paint the landscape in broad strokes. Intrigue awaits in every corrupt official and forgotten organization. The regrets and anguishes of individuals and nations alike sculpt an image of a bleak future for a world at its tipping point...and its fate rests in the hands of the hero or villain who manages to give it a push.
Magic is built into the very fabric of the world. It pervades everyday life. It provides comforts and conveniences that one outside of Eberron could hardly dream of. Great cities where the castles scrape the sky prosper throughout the continent of
Khorvaire, and a thriving
aristocracy of merchant families controls much of the world's economy thanks to the edge given to them by the mysterious and rare dragonmarks. Its people harness magic as a tool- to build cities, to sail ships through the skies, to fashion innovative technologies, and to create both wonders and weapons.
Nations
Almost 1,000 years ago, the
Kingdom of Galifar was founded, creating the era YK: Year of the Kingdom. The Five Nations -
Aundair,
Breland,
Cyre,
Karrnath, and
Thrane coexisted in harmony. The
Last War, however, tore this peace to shreds. In the midst of the almost century-long war, seven new nations emerged: The
Talenta Plains,
Darguun,
Zilargo,
Mror Holds,
Valenar, the
Eldeen Reaches, and
Droaam. Some are recognized as nations by name only, such as
The Demon Wastes, the
Shadow Marches, and
Q'Barra. The
Lazhaar Principalities have existed independently even before the Kingdom was formed, and now operate with full autonomy. Tensions are still high between almost all nations, and outside of large metropolises such as
Sharn, people of different nations tend to regard each other with suspicion, with the
War still fresh in their minds.
There are other continents within Eberron besides
Khorvaire, but very little is known about them. There is Haleth, the origin of the mighty elves of
Valenar, Vrigan, the land of the giants, and Zyddrydem, the home of the enigmatic dragons and other ancient beings. Only the most daring travelers even make it to these continents, let alone return to tell the tale. Who knows what mysteries could lurk upon these mysterious continents?
Last War
The Five Nations once lived in peace, but that came to an end over a dispute over rightful claims to the throne that led to the
Last War. It has been only two years since
The Mourning completely wiped out the nation of
Cyre, marking the end of the tremendous conflict. Do not be mistaken, it is not amity that keeps the battle from re-ensuing. There are plenty of government officials, soldiers, and commonfolk who wish to commence fighting once again, since no nation emerged victorious from the war. Nay, it is fear that has kept the nations at bay, for no one knows what caused
The Mourning. Was it a tremendous display of power from a currently anonymous group? Could it soon be used again? No nation knows, nor wants to take the risk.
The war has shaped life in a way that no one could have imagined. The nations of
Khorvaire are now trying to build a new age of peace and prosperity. Nations compete on many levels- over economic dominance, political influence, territory, magic power, and more- each looking to maintain or improve its status by any means short of all-out war. Is there a possible peaceful solution, or is continental conflict inevitable?
Languages
In Eberron, languages reflect culture and geography; a dwarf raised in
Breland might not know Dwarvish, but a halfling raised in the
Mror Holds might. The historical development of languages and cultures also explains the scripts used to write various languages. For example, the Orc language is written using the Goblin script (rather than Dwarvish).
Common is the language of the Five Nations and the language of trade in Khorvaire, known by most of its people. Goblin serves as the primary language in
Darguun,
Droaam, and the
Shadow Marches. Goblin displaced the Orc language; the people of the Shadow Marches typically speak Goblin, and Orc is an exotic language. Abyssal is the common tongue of all fiends. Abyssal is sometimes called "
Khyber's Speech," while Celestial is "the tongue of
Siberys."
Names and Surnames
The naming conventions among the people of
Khorvaire tend to follow language, rather than being linked to race. A
Brelish dwarf who doesn't speak Dwarvish might also carry a name with a human origin rather than a traditional Dwarvish name.
Most citizens of Khorvaire have a given name followed by a surname. A surname associated with the Common language is usually either a family name or related to an occupation or region of origin. So Sorn Fellhorn, Kara of Windshire, and Tellan Magewright are all names you might find among the common folk.
The noble families of
Galifar - along with those granted land and titles by one of the sovereigns of the
Five Nations - add the prefix ir' to their surname. The name Darro ir'Lain tells you that this individual is a landed noble. The Wynarns were the royal line of Galifar, and the current rulers of
Aundair,
Breland, and
Karrnath are all heirs of the Wynarn bloodline. Thus, Queen Aurala of Aundair is Aurala ir'Wynarn.
Another common prefix is d', used by any heir of a
dragonmarked house who has manifested a
dragonmark. So Merrix d'Cannith is a member of
House Cannith who has manifested the Mark of Making.
Calendar
Currency
Merchants and nobles use letters of credit to handle large transactions, drawing on the reserves of the dwarven banks of the Mror Holds. But most day-to-day transactions use coins of precious metal. With the collapse of the kingdom of Galifar, each of the Five Nations began to mmt its own currency, along with the Mror bankers. However, while the designs imprinted on these coins vary based on the source, each of these factions has continued to use the same metals, weights, and denominations set forth in the days of Galifar, maintaining a simple standard for commerce across Khorvaire.
The copper crown (cp) traditionally depicts the crown of Galifar on one face. The crown is the lowest denomination of coin minted under the rule of Galifar, which spawned the saying, "In Galifar, even the beggars have crowns."
The silver sovereign (sp) bears the face of a living or recent ruler. An unskilled laborer can expect to earn a sovereign for a day's work.
The gold galifar (gp) bears the image of Galifar I, the founder of the old kingdom.
The platinum dragon (pp) bears the image of one of the dragons of legend. With a value of one hundred sovereigns, these coins are used only by the wealthiest citizens of Khorvaire, and the average peasant might never see such a coin.
A number of other coins remain in circulation, such as the double crown of
Breland (2 cp) and the silver throne of
Cyre (5 sp). However, all the major nations of Khorvaire make use of the four basic coins described above.
Races of Eberron
Eberron is a world of rich diversity, hosting dwarves, elves, half-elves, gnomes, humans, halflings, half-orcs, orcs, and even some exotic races, such as triton, tieflings, tortles, lizardfolk, and dragonborn. However, unique to Eberron are the races of
shifter,
warforged, and
changelings. These unique races are not ubiquitous; one can go an entire lifetime without meeting one. However, their existence is common knowledge, be it through sympathetic conversation or fearful whispers. One peculiarity of Eberron is the role of the orcs: in other worlds, orcs are seen as dumb, bloodthirsty raiders that prey on weak travelers. While some of these types of orcs do exist, most are of an ancient and wise temperament. Orcs were one of the first primitive species to live on Khorvaire, and even comprise some of the most primeval druidic sects on the continent.
Role of Magic
Magic permeates almost every aspect of life in
Khorvaire. Airships and rail transport make rapid travel across the continent possible. A working class of minor mages, called magewrights, uses spells to provide energy and other necessities. Advances in magic item creation have led to everything from self-propelled farming implements to sentient, free-willed beings created in artificer's forges. With the aid of rare crystals called
dragonshards, elementals can be harnessed and controlled,
dragonmarks can be made more powerful, and magic items can be crafted and shaped.
Population
Estimated to be about 60,000,000, after several millions of lives were lost in the
Last War.
Comments