Dragonshards in Q'barra
In the world of Eberron, dragonshards are the life- blood of modern civilization. From the message stones of House Sivis and the airships of House Lyran- dar to the coldfire lanterns found on the streets of every city, dragonshards are an integral part of life in the Thronehold nations. With every year the demand for shards grows.
Humans came to Q’barra in search of sanctuary, not profit. Less than a decade ago, colonists in Pitch- wall found a patch of Eberron dragonshards while digging new wells. Drawn by the reports, Tharashk prospectors soon found that Q’barra had vast Eber- ron dragonshard deposits, including Eberron shards with qualities never before seen by the house. Com- bined with the end of the Last War, this discovery has drawn a host of new forces to Qbarra. The shard rush is on, and this is threatening to destroy the delicate balance of power that exists between the humans and the native races of the region . . . and potentially, to unleash horrors from the dawn of time.
Since Eberron shards are found in the upper earth, mining operations don’t involve deep shafts. The larg- est mines are vast open pits blasted into the earth. Smaller operations involve miners combing through the soil or searching riverbeds. The process is long and tedious, and the greatest skill involved comes in picking a promising location for prospecting. Q’barra is rich in shards, but it can still take weeks to find a promising shard site, and the mining is slow work. A geode worth 25 gp is a fortune to a simple farmer, but adventurers can find more excitement and rewards by exploring the ancient ruins scattered across Q’barra. So, characters can find a better life than that of the shard miner-hut the industry can still serve as the basis for many adventures.
Many of the richest deposits of dragonshards are in regions inhabited by the native races of Q’barra. Heavy deposits of shards are found around ruins dating back to the Age of Demons. The dragonborn treat these areas as sacred ground, and each dragon- born clan defends a number of ruins. Other shard deposits are found in the lands of the more primitive lizardfolk. Furthermore, House Tharashk has discov- ered that many tribes of the Cold Sun Federation have amassed large quantities of dragonshards. Although they appear to make no use of the shards aside from using them as decoration, the lizardfolk refuse to part with these shards.
King Sebastes has worked hard to earn the trust of dragonborn and lizardfolk leaders, and he has forbidden any shard mining in scale territory. Unfortunately, Sebastes’s reach is woefully limited, and what forces he has have been strained trying to protect his people from the increasingly aggres- sive actions of the Poison Dusk. On the surface.
House Tharashk respects Sebastes’s edict, though Lord Khalar continues to lobby for a free hand in the region. Despite this, many independent pros- pectors— many of whom are secretly working for Tharashk— continue to cross into forbidden territory. Bandits from the Five Nations raid lizardfolk caches and poorly guarded mining camps. The city of Hope has become a haven for bandit and rogue prospector alike, and the Tharashk enclave buys raw dragon- shards with no questions asked.
The scales have been quick to respond to these activities. The dragonborn show no mercy to anyone caught in their holy sites. Lizardfolk have struck both independent and Tharashk mines, venturing into human-held territory to sabotage mining operations and steal shards. Shards caravans are frequently ambushed by forces of the Cold Sun Federation and the Poison Dusk, and bandits from Hope take advan- tage of this to cover their own attacks. The Poison Dusk has struck innocent farms and villages, stirring greater anger against the scales. Greed and xenopho- bia have turned Q’barra into a tinderbox, and one good spark could ignite the fires of war.
Tharashk’s operations in Q’barra are controlled by the Velderan clan. Khalar Velderan d'Tharashk is a cunning and ruthless man. In his youth he was an inquisitive in Sharn, and he’s comfortable fighting with either words or steel. Khalar is human, but the majority of the Tharashk forces in the region are orcs or half-orcs. The house has also brought large numbers of monstrous mercenaries to Q’barra to serve as laborers and guards. Ogres and minotaurs are found at Tharashk sites, and gargoyles and harpies serve as messengers and scouts. Repurposed warforged titans perform the heavy mining operations at the largest pits. However, there is always room for cheap labor at a Tharashk mine.
Despite the success he has enjoyed so far. Lord Khalar is hungry to expand his operations and chafes at the restrictions imposed by King Sebastes.
Although he is careful not to endanger the posi- tion of his house, he is secretly funding a number of teams that are operating in forbidden territory. He doesn’t care if independent miners enjoy limited suc- cess, but if a lucky prospector found a remarkably rich deposit, Khalar might try to buy out his or her claim . . . and failing that, employ bandits or others to drive the settler from his or her claim.
The largest Tharashk mine is known as the Dragon’s Maw. Located east of Whitecliff, the Dragon’s Maw has an airship docking tower of its own. Although the pit is beginning to run dry, the Maw serves as a hub for Tharashk caravans and is a thriving community in its own right. Far from Newthrone, the Maw serves as a base of operations for Khalar ’s covert operations, and when Khalar isn’t lobbying in Newthrone, he stays here. Khalar is considering establishing a full refinery here to keep the Maw running when the shards finally run dry.
A significant portion of this new wave of prospectors is made up of soldiers discharged following the Last War. National tensions still run hot in some places, and many times Thranes and Karrns have battled over a new find. One of the most infamous sites is Gray Ash Pit, also known as the Gap. Manned largely by Karrns who follow the faith of the Blood of Vol, the Gap was established by Dure Lurran, a necro- mancer who served with the Order of the Onyx Skull. A handful of zombies and skeletons man the pit; a few of these are made from the corpses of bandits who have attacked the Gap, serving as a grisly warning to others who might have the same idea.
The Inspired have ways of influencing people, and Sebastes might have dreams of the threat posed by the scales— dreams that encourage him to accept further aid from Riedra, and to build up an army strong enough to seize land from the dragonborn and claim the kingdom his people deserve. Sebastes isn’t the only target for such influence; the Inspired can also further this goal by planting dreams in the minds of the dragonborn. Conflict in Q’barra serves the Inspired well, since it increases Sebastes’s need for Riedran troops.
Humans came to Q’barra in search of sanctuary, not profit. Less than a decade ago, colonists in Pitch- wall found a patch of Eberron dragonshards while digging new wells. Drawn by the reports, Tharashk prospectors soon found that Q’barra had vast Eber- ron dragonshard deposits, including Eberron shards with qualities never before seen by the house. Com- bined with the end of the Last War, this discovery has drawn a host of new forces to Qbarra. The shard rush is on, and this is threatening to destroy the delicate balance of power that exists between the humans and the native races of the region . . . and potentially, to unleash horrors from the dawn of time.
The Nature of the Trade
Dragonshards are divided into three primary categories. Siberys shards fall from the sky. Khyber shards are found deep below the ground or are hidden in the roots of mountains. Eberron shards are found in the upper soil of the earth. The mineral wealth of Qbarra is primarily Eberron shards. The most common of the three classes, Eberron shards are the basic fuel of the magical economy. A single Eberron shard is far less valuable than a Khyber shard or Siberys shard, but a patch of shards can still make a lone miner rich.Since Eberron shards are found in the upper earth, mining operations don’t involve deep shafts. The larg- est mines are vast open pits blasted into the earth. Smaller operations involve miners combing through the soil or searching riverbeds. The process is long and tedious, and the greatest skill involved comes in picking a promising location for prospecting. Q’barra is rich in shards, but it can still take weeks to find a promising shard site, and the mining is slow work. A geode worth 25 gp is a fortune to a simple farmer, but adventurers can find more excitement and rewards by exploring the ancient ruins scattered across Q’barra. So, characters can find a better life than that of the shard miner-hut the industry can still serve as the basis for many adventures.
Many of the richest deposits of dragonshards are in regions inhabited by the native races of Q’barra. Heavy deposits of shards are found around ruins dating back to the Age of Demons. The dragonborn treat these areas as sacred ground, and each dragon- born clan defends a number of ruins. Other shard deposits are found in the lands of the more primitive lizardfolk. Furthermore, House Tharashk has discov- ered that many tribes of the Cold Sun Federation have amassed large quantities of dragonshards. Although they appear to make no use of the shards aside from using them as decoration, the lizardfolk refuse to part with these shards.
King Sebastes has worked hard to earn the trust of dragonborn and lizardfolk leaders, and he has forbidden any shard mining in scale territory. Unfortunately, Sebastes’s reach is woefully limited, and what forces he has have been strained trying to protect his people from the increasingly aggres- sive actions of the Poison Dusk. On the surface.
House Tharashk respects Sebastes’s edict, though Lord Khalar continues to lobby for a free hand in the region. Despite this, many independent pros- pectors— many of whom are secretly working for Tharashk— continue to cross into forbidden territory. Bandits from the Five Nations raid lizardfolk caches and poorly guarded mining camps. The city of Hope has become a haven for bandit and rogue prospector alike, and the Tharashk enclave buys raw dragon- shards with no questions asked.
The scales have been quick to respond to these activities. The dragonborn show no mercy to anyone caught in their holy sites. Lizardfolk have struck both independent and Tharashk mines, venturing into human-held territory to sabotage mining operations and steal shards. Shards caravans are frequently ambushed by forces of the Cold Sun Federation and the Poison Dusk, and bandits from Hope take advan- tage of this to cover their own attacks. The Poison Dusk has struck innocent farms and villages, stirring greater anger against the scales. Greed and xenopho- bia have turned Q’barra into a tinderbox, and one good spark could ignite the fires of war.
House Tharashk
The dragonshard trade is the foundation of House Tharashk’s wealth and power. The Mark of Finding gives the house an unbeatable edge when it comes to prospecting. Shardfinders use mystical focus items that channel the power of the dragonmark to locate a specific class of object, allowing them to find the richest fields with ease. As a result, they can afford to bring vast resources to bear, since they know they will get a solid return for their mining. Thar- ashk mines are vast pits with dozens or hundreds of miners at work. Tharashk uses Lyrandar airships and elemental galleons to haul shards back to the Five Nations, but airships require docking towers and thus can’t reach most of the Jungle mines. As a result, a steady stream of Tharashk caravans travels across Hope. These caravans are well-guarded, but bandits and the Poison Dusk are a constant threat.Tharashk’s operations in Q’barra are controlled by the Velderan clan. Khalar Velderan d'Tharashk is a cunning and ruthless man. In his youth he was an inquisitive in Sharn, and he’s comfortable fighting with either words or steel. Khalar is human, but the majority of the Tharashk forces in the region are orcs or half-orcs. The house has also brought large numbers of monstrous mercenaries to Q’barra to serve as laborers and guards. Ogres and minotaurs are found at Tharashk sites, and gargoyles and harpies serve as messengers and scouts. Repurposed warforged titans perform the heavy mining operations at the largest pits. However, there is always room for cheap labor at a Tharashk mine.
Despite the success he has enjoyed so far. Lord Khalar is hungry to expand his operations and chafes at the restrictions imposed by King Sebastes.
Although he is careful not to endanger the posi- tion of his house, he is secretly funding a number of teams that are operating in forbidden territory. He doesn’t care if independent miners enjoy limited suc- cess, but if a lucky prospector found a remarkably rich deposit, Khalar might try to buy out his or her claim . . . and failing that, employ bandits or others to drive the settler from his or her claim.
The largest Tharashk mine is known as the Dragon’s Maw. Located east of Whitecliff, the Dragon’s Maw has an airship docking tower of its own. Although the pit is beginning to run dry, the Maw serves as a hub for Tharashk caravans and is a thriving community in its own right. Far from Newthrone, the Maw serves as a base of operations for Khalar ’s covert operations, and when Khalar isn’t lobbying in Newthrone, he stays here. Khalar is considering establishing a full refinery here to keep the Maw running when the shards finally run dry.
Independent Prospectors
Many people lost their livelihoods, homes, or even their homeland in the Last War. The stories of wealth waiting to be found in the soil of Q’barra are a beacon of hope for these people, and many seek to find a new beginning in Hope. Prospecting is one path to fortune, but others prosper off the rush itself, provid- ing services in the new communities that spring up around shard deposits.A significant portion of this new wave of prospectors is made up of soldiers discharged following the Last War. National tensions still run hot in some places, and many times Thranes and Karrns have battled over a new find. One of the most infamous sites is Gray Ash Pit, also known as the Gap. Manned largely by Karrns who follow the faith of the Blood of Vol, the Gap was established by Dure Lurran, a necro- mancer who served with the Order of the Onyx Skull. A handful of zombies and skeletons man the pit; a few of these are made from the corpses of bandits who have attacked the Gap, serving as a grisly warning to others who might have the same idea.
Riedra
Eberron dragonshards are as useful to the psions of Riedra as they are to the artificers of Khorvaire, and such shards are extremely rare in Sarlona. As a result, the Riedrans are extremely interested in Q’barra. The Inspired ambassador Lord Jhakanath has provided King Sebastes with a garrison of troops to help defend his young nation, and a Riedran quarter has sprung up in the city of Newthrone. Jhakanath is purchasing large quantities of shards from House Tharashk, but the Inspired have also secured permission to start their own mining operations. Nonetheless, the rich- est shard deposits lie in the lands of the scales, and Sebastes won’t let the Riedrans threaten his relation- ship with the lizardfolk or dragonborn . . . yet.The Inspired have ways of influencing people, and Sebastes might have dreams of the threat posed by the scales— dreams that encourage him to accept further aid from Riedra, and to build up an army strong enough to seize land from the dragonborn and claim the kingdom his people deserve. Sebastes isn’t the only target for such influence; the Inspired can also further this goal by planting dreams in the minds of the dragonborn. Conflict in Q’barra serves the Inspired well, since it increases Sebastes’s need for Riedran troops.
Type
Stone
