Thrane

Capital: Flamekeep Sovereign: Jaela Daran, Keeper of the Silver Flame Population: 2,300,000 (70% human, 10% half-elf, 9% dwarf, 4% elf, 4% halfling, 3% other) Area: 500,000 square miles Exports: Fine crafts, wool, textiles, missionaries, fruit, livestock Languages: Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Halfling Climate: Temperate Highest Point: Trumpet Mountain in the Starpeak Range, elevation 10,965 Heraldry: A silver sword set beneath the symbol of the Silver Flame Founder: Thalin, second scion of King Jarot National Motto: “Glory to the Silver Flame.” Thrane Map
MAJOR SETTLEMENTS All of Thrane’ s population centers are located in the nation’s eastern regions, along the waterways that spill into Scions Sound.
Flamekeep (Metropolis, 150,000): Flamekeep grew as the Church of the Silver Flame gained prominence. Built around the impressive Cathedral of the Silver Flame, the city displays Flamic architecture at its grandest and most inspiring. As the capital of the nation’s secular and religious authorities, Flamekeep is a place of power and influence. Aruldusk Sigilstar Thaliost
IMPORTANT SITES Thrane’s sites include a number of holy landmarks, war monuments, and historical locations.
The Chamber of the Flame: Located deep within the Cathedral of the Silver Flame, this is the place where the holy light of the Silver Flame burns and the Keeper of the Flame comes to commune with the Voice of the Silver Flame. Pilgrims devoted to the faith travel to this holy site to pray, pay homage, and hope for miracles.
Shadukar: The ruins of the city of Shadukar, and the Burnt Wood around them, bear witness to one of the most terrible defeats suffered by Thrane during the Last War. When it was overrun and set ablaze by the combined might of Karrnathi and Cyran forces, more than seven thousand Thranes lost their lives.
History The spirit of the Silver Flame took hold of the hearts and souls of the people of Thrane seven hundred years ago, and this religious fervor remains the driving force behind the nation. Thrane was one of the original Five Nations founded by the human settlers of Khorvaire; the culture and heritage of the region goes back millennia. It was absorbed into the Kingdom of Galifar and remained a pillar of that celebrated kingdom for almost a thousand years. While the rest of the Five Nations followed the tenets of the Sovereign Host, a new religion found life in Thrane before spreading far and wide across Khorvaire. In the wake of the Last War, Thrane stands as a theocracy devoted to the Silver Flame. Thrane ir’Wynarn, third scion of King Galifar I, was appointed to oversee the nation that would eventually carry his name shortly after his father united the kingdom. As with the other nations, the name was changed to match that of its regent by popular decree in 32 YK. Thrane, and the greater kingdom to which it belonged, prospered as the decades grew into centuries. In 299 YK, the event that started the religion of the Silver Flame took place. In that year, a terrible eruption split the ground and a great pillar of crimson fire emerged from the resulting chasm. No one understood the significance of the blazing column of flame, but most who dared approach it felt unrelenting malevolence in its radiating heat. Tira Miron, a paladin dedicated to Dol Arrah, received a powerful vision about this strange fire while exploring the western reaches of the realm. In her vision, a great rainbow-winged serpent warned her that a terrible evil was emerging in the east, riding crimson fire from the depths of Khyber itself. Tira rallied the forces of Thrane and defeated the dark creatures that had come to venerate the crimson fire and help free the malevolent entity trapped within its f lames. With her great sword Kloinjer, its pommel capped with a Khyber dragonshard, Tira turned to face the emerging demon just as the great serpent with the rainbow-feathered wings of her vision appeared and dove headfirst into the fire. Tira watched as the serpent and the demon struggled in the flames. The battle within the fire seemed to last for an eternity, and as she watched the demon began to overcome the serpent. Horrified, she saw the demon strike a crippling blow. The serpent, calling on its last reserves of power, encircled the demon and buried its fangs into the fiend’s fiery throat. At the same moment, it sent a mental plea to Tira, and the paladin didn’t hesitate. She leaped into the fire, plunging Kloinjer through the writhing serpent and deep into the demon’s flesh. Then, the legend says, a powerful explosion rocked the entire kingdom of Galifar. The hot crimson fire became a cool silver flame. Tira remained within, now part of the divine fire that had replaced the evil conflagration. She became the Voice of the Silver Flame, and a new religion was born. Flamekeep, a simple stone castle, was erected around the everburning pillar of silver fire. Deep within the chasm, at the point where the fire erupts from the earth, it is said that mighty Kloinjer’s blade is buried almost to the hilt, binding demon, serpent, and paladin together forever. In time, the castle became a cathedral, and a city grew around it. By 400 YK, the Church of the Silver Flame was the dominant religion in Thrane. The Sovereign Host, accepting of most faiths, saw the Silver Flame as just another expression of the divine pantheon on Eberron. The Silver Flame, on the other hand, tolerated the Host but had little love for faiths that didn’t accept the cleansing light of the Silver Flame. Over the centuries, the kings and queens of Galifar, and their sons and daughters who governed the Thrane realm, have had a mixed relationship with the faith of the Silver Flame. As the Thrane people began to turn to this faith in droves, the royal family was forced to accept the Church of the Silver Flame as a force within the kingdom. Early on, they tried to restrict it to Thrane, but the faithful were zealous, and missionaries soon appeared to bring word of the Silver Flame to the rest of Khorvaire. More than one scion over the centuries, while governing in Thrane, adopted the faith. One particularly dark episode occurred in 558 YK, when Queen Joliana reached the throne after serving as Thrane’s regent. She was a devoted follower of the Silver Flame, and decided that under her rule all of Galifar would accept the Silver Flame as the one true religion. A few bloody clashes almost led to civil war before Joliana died suddenly and mysteriously before the second year of her reign had ended. When Jarot died and the scions broke with tradition and started the Last War, Thalin of Thrane saw another opportunity to spread the Silver Flame to the entire kingdom. While the other scions had more personal or philosophical reasons for refusing to honor the traditional rights of succession, Thalin believed that he had a divine right to the crown. This tendency on the part of Thrane to place itself above the rest of the shattered kingdom led to some of the most terrible battles of the Last War. In 914 YK, with the death of King Thalin, Thrane’s people rejected Thalin’s heir’s claim to the throne and turned to the Church of the Silver Flame for leadership. Thrane became a theocracy. The Keeper of the Flame, the head of the Church of the Silver Flame, took control of the temporal as well as the spiritual reins of the nation. This turn of events has led to tensions that go beyond the nation’s borders, as the leaders of the remaining Five Nations see the mingling of church with crown as unnatural and potentially dangerous to their own plans and ambitions. Today, Jaela Daran serves as the Keeper of the Flame. She assumed power when she was six years old, identified by the Silver Flame as the successor to the church’s previous Keeper. Now eleven years old, Jaela helped guide Thrane through the peace talks and has developed into a caring and forceful leader despite her young age. It isn’t unusual for a Keeper so young to be selected, but it hasn’t happened since the nation became a theocracy. War remains a primary preoccupation for the nation of Thrane. To Jaela’s advisors and the other leaders within the theocracy, the current peace presents a chance to rest and prepare for future conflict. Until all nations have accepted the Silver Flame, there will always be enemies at their borders waiting to exploit the first show of weakness or hesitation. Jaela believes that, with the exception of wiping out true evil, war is a futile endeavor. The Silver Flame doesn’t call for war; indeed, she believes that the Flame is saddened by the conflict that has pitted brother against brother. Her power within the theocracy isn’t as ironclad as some believe, however, and she has learned to negotiate her course carefully and with much deliberation. As long as most of the spiritual and secular leaders of Thrane want war, the best Jaela can hope to accomplish is to delay the start for another day, week, or year.
INDUSTRIES Thrane has attempted to develop a closed economy since the start of the Last War that allows it to rely on itself and not require goods or services from beyond its own borders. The Thranes have not been entirely successful. They continue to make use of the services of the dragonmarked houses, and some amount of trade occurs between this nation and its neighbors. Thrane exports wool and textiles, some fruits, livestock, and fine crafts. Perhaps the most prominent export of Thrane is the missionaries of the Silver Flame. The followers of the Flame tenaciously promote their faith throughout the Five Nations and beyond. Most preach a tolerant version of the faith, but some zealous missionaries see little difference between true evil and those religions that don’t venerate the Silver Flame.
LIFE AND SOCIETY Thrane’s citizenry consists of farmers, clerics, adepts, and a city-dwelling middle class. Most of the metropolitan centers are clustered in the eastern portion of the nation, along the waterways that empty into Scions Sound. Central and western Thrane feature mostly open fields, forests, and rolling farmland. Religion, primarily the tenets of the Church of the Silver Flame, dominates life in the nation. In many towns and cities, devout followers of the Silver Flame outnumber the rest of the population, and in places such as Flamekeep they constitute an even larger majority. In the smaller villages and outlying hamlets and thorps, roughly half of the townsfolk are active church members. The Church of the Silver Flame is of two minds when it comes to doctrine and practices: the dominant, more or less tolerant side, embodied by the Keeper of the Flame and her bishops and priests; and the small but vocal minority who fervently follow the Voice of the Silver Flame and take every pronouncement to its literal and extremely intolerant conclusion. On one hand, the church has developed into one of the strongest pillars of lawful good virtues in the world. On the other hand, its fanatical side has inspired inquisitions, crusades, and some of the worst atrocities ever committed in the name of a lawful good deity. The Church of the Silver Flame influences everyday life across Thrane. Rituals, ceremonies, and codes of conduct inspired by the Voice of the Silver Flame direct the actions of the nation and its inhabitants. Even those few living in or visiting Thrane who don’t subscribe to the tenets of the faith must deal with its ramifications. Priests and devout followers gather three times a day to celebrate the Mass of Silver Fire, and the faith starts every week with the Day of Cleansing Fire—a daylong devotion that includes prayer, fasting, and a recitation of the Nine Miracles of the Silver Flame performed in the Draconic tongue. During these various rituals and ceremonies, most nonessential activities in the nation stop so that everyone can meditate and reflect on the power and glory of the Silver Flame. The cities and towns of Thrane witnessed a proliferation of art and architecture designed to pay homage and glorify the Silver Flame. Between 325 YK and 700 YK, the Flamic style was pioneered and perfected. Visions of the Silver Flame and Tira Miron dominated the work of painters and sculptors, and later prominent and influential Keepers of the Flame also began to be immortalized in artwork. Architects, meanwhile, used light and soaring spaces to symbolize the nation’s devotion to the Silver Flame. Such construction techniques give the urban centers of Thrane a distinct religious look and are unparalleled anywhere else in Khorvaire, a style and presence that constantly reminds the population that Thrane worships the Silver Flame. The relatively few people in Thrane society who aren’t religious or who happen to follow a faith other than the Silver Flame (the Sovereign Host still has a few worshipers in Thrane) experience more than a few hurdles as they seek to find happiness and prosperity in the nation. While not overtly persecuted or ostracized, those who don’t proclaim the faith of the Silver Flame as their own find closed doors, confining fences, and low ceilings in their path more often than not. The average priest or practitioner of the Silver Flame holds his faith supreme over all others, but doesn’t necessarily ridicule or attack the beliefs of others. Only truly evil cults and creatures, usually those associated with the ancient demons that were long ago sealed away by powers related to the Silver Flame, come under the direct assault of the average follower of the Silver Flame. These followers might inadvertently and subconsciously promote their own faith and those who keep it above others, but not in any overt and conscious manner. The fervent Flamers, however, although few in number, vocally and with great hostility attack every philosophy and outlook that doesn’t bask in the glow of the Silver Flame.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS The royal family and secular authority of the crown has been replaced in Thrane by a theocracy in league with the Church of the Silver Flame. The Keeper of the Flame, currently eleven-year-old Jaela Daran (LG female human, cleric 3 Silver Flame, cleric 18 in the confines of Flamekeep), sits on both the spiritual and worldly thrones of the nation. The Council of Cardinals aids the Keeper in overseeing the functions of government and church. Both secular and religious authorities follow a reporting structure atop which sit the Cardinals, who in turn report to the Keeper of the Flame. Archbishops serve as governors and mayors throughout the realm, while bishops and archpriests run individual cathedrals and churches within Thrane and abroad. For more information on Jaela and the Church, see page 229 of ECS. The secular nobles who once paid homage to the royal family and provided taxes and troops to the crown continue to serve the theocracy. Those noble families who strictly embrace the tenets of the Silver Flame have risen to the top of the secular order, while those with weaker ties or even other faiths have lost power, influence, and even position over the years. The royal family remains in place, serving merely as a figurehead in present-day Thrane. The current heir to the crown, Diani ir’Wynarn (NG female human, aristocrat 4), smiles and appears at the Keeper’s side as ceremony and occasion warrant, but she secretly seeks to return her family to power and glory—and she has begun to make overtures to foreign powers to help her accomplish this. All the dragonmarked houses have a presence in Thrane, but none of them use the nation as a headquarters due to the restrictions placed upon them by the religious laws of the theocracy. Still, as long as there is money to be made, the houses will continue to play a part in Thrane society.
POWER GROUPS The Church of the Silver Flame holds all power in Thrane. While this power may appear to be held firmly by the Keeper of the Flame, in truth her Council of Cardinals wields much of it and sometimes operates in conflict with the wishes and pronouncements of the Keeper. Council of Cardinals: This group of powerful church leaders administers both the workings of the church and the functions of the government. In theory, the cardinals answer to the Keeper of the Flame. In practice, they run the church and the government, only dealing with the Keeper on issues that require divine attention and interaction with the Voice of the Flame. The cardinals believe that they know best when it comes to running the government and the church, and they leave the Keeper to deal with the well-being of the spirit of the nation. This arrangement has led to problems between the Council and the Keeper in the past, but the current Keeper seems interested more in divine and spiritual matters than the intricacies of secular administration. This is not to say that every member of the council is corrupt and has personal interests at heart, but many of them are, especially High Cardinal Krozen (LE male human, cleric 12 Silver Flame), who treats Thrane as his personal kingdom. Knights of Thrane: The Crown Knights, also known as the Knights of Thrane, pledged to defend crown and country when the order was established during the time of Regent Thrane, son of King Galifar I. Over the centuries, this order of knights has served the regents of Thrane faithfully. When the Church of the Silver Flame refused to acknowledge the authority of the crown and turned the nation into a theocracy, the Knights of Thrane were ready to battle on behalf of the crown. The heir apparent defused the situation by bowing to the Keeper of the Flame, realizing that Thrane would be destroyed if it succumbed to internal strife while the Last War raged on. Today, the Knights of Thrane continue to work for the nation, serving Queen Diani in name but answering to the Council of Cardinals in practice. Captain Otherro (LG male human, paladin 8 Silver Flame) commands the Knights of Thrane. His heart belongs to Diani, but his immortal soul belongs to the Silver Flame, and he hopes he is never forced to choose between the two.
RELIGION The Church of the Silver Flame holds sway throughout Thrane. The Sovereign Host has a small presence, particularly Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn.
ADVENTURING IN THRANE Perhaps the most repressive and least welcoming of the Five Nations, the theocracy of Thrane stands as a contradiction that many adventurers will find frustrating to deal with. It proclaims to be a bastion of lawful good ideals (and it is), but it fosters as much corruption as any secular nation. The average Thrane is religious and proud of his faith and nation, but he isn’t a fanatic. As long as you do no obvious evil, you won’t find trouble in Thrane. However, Thrane’s religious-based laws tend to be more stringent than the Code of Galifar, and punishments more brutal. Arcane magic isn’t given as wide a venue in Thrane, but divine magic more than takes up the slack.
Roleplaying a Thrane Thrane culture demands restraint and control, but when a Thrane shows emotion, everyone knows it. Offended or upset, a Thrane may very well respond like a focused blast of fire, either incinerating what invokes his displeasure or smoldering for a long, long time. It is considered rude to shout or rant, so Thranes show their opposition in very brief and very precise displays. Thrane citizens grow up learning exactly where the boundaries of propriety and modesty lie, but the wise ones learn how to defy such rules without explicitly breaking them. When rules are circumvented, success can justify forgiveness. Some foreigners see this as a double standard, but natives consider such behavior a very precise code of conformity. When dealing with elders or authority, young Thranes are reverent, obedient, and proper, but when left to their own devices—as is often the case among Thrane adventurers—they burn with passion and intensity, either resolving problems with the swiftness of an inferno or searing all opposition until it melts away. Thranes do not typically see themselves as zealous, fanatical, or hypocritical. While these extremes do exist in Thrane society, such attitudes are more villainous than heroic. Thranes are certainly very passionate, and that passion applies to all aspects of life, not just religion. Many learn about heroism from an early age, including a few notable stories of spectacular failures that are now seen as heroic. Boys and girls play at being paladins, and in recent years, many young women go through a “Jaela Daran” phase. The nation’s heroes are not reckless or stubborn in battle—those who are don’t survive for very long. However, the average Thrane has an instinctive sense of right or wrong, just as a paladin has a supernaturally strong sense for what is good and evil. Many are dedicated to preserving what they know is right, and more important, supporting those who are willing to make that same sacrifice. THRANE SPEECH The following turns of phrase are uniquely Thrane. “Crooked!” An expletive, similar to “drat!” “Flame forgive me.” An expression usually preceding or following a nasty curse or insult. “What filth!” An expression of discontent or an indication of nonsense, similar to “hogwash!”
Thrane Style While Thrane continues to show the cultural influence of its Galifaran roots, the attitudes and influences of the Church of the Silver Flame have overlaid the old with the new, giving much of the country a decidedly different feel from its neighbors.
ART The people of Thrane embrace the tenets of the Silver Flame in all of their forms of expression. From fine art to sculpture, the most popular artistic style remains Kree-Flamic, a stylized form of rendering that uses cubes and triangles to create all shapes and images. Jesp Kree pioneered the style; he served as the Church Art Master for Keeper Traelyn Ghelios and helped establish the principles of the Flamic style. From stained glass in the great cathedrals that present stylized images of great moments in the faith’s history to the three-sided, stained-glass flame boxes found in the homes of many followers of the Silver Flame, almost all Flamic-style art pays homage to the Church and its significant figures. Of course, not everyone in the country adheres to the tenets of the Silver Flame. A small but growing artistic counterculture has taken root in Thrane. Called Pre-Kingdom style by critics and practitioners alike, the form harkens back to the art created before the coming of Galifar and the united kingdom. It is a raw, humanistic form that draws on strong emotions, primal urges, and topics more grounded than the religious ideals depicted in Flamic art. Although it is not outlawed, some Church leaders and the most conservative of the faithful dismiss Pre-Kingdom art as frivolous, distracting, and in some extreme cases even perverse.
ARCHITECTURE Thrane architecture features Galifar-style towers and keeps, deep-wood long homes, and Flamic-style cathedrals and public buildings. In some places, the older-style construction has been modifi ed to incorporate Flamic elements, while newer buildings fully embrace the Flamic style from the ground up. Flamic architecture features tall windows and open arches to let in light, and incorporates an open, soaring use of space to revere the power of the Silver Flame. From urban centers to the larger villages in the countryside, Thrane surrounds itself with religious symbols, edifices, and art that makes the entire country feel like an extended church. The Last War caused much damage to the infrastructure of the country, and today the Keeper of the Flame and other Church officials have begun to put programs in place to repair what has been damaged and replace what has been destroyed. The newly appointed Art Master, Kenra Deel, has been charged with updating the Flamic style for the new generation. Her first project, the impressive Tower of Cardinals, now under construction in Thaliost (much to the dismay of Aundair), shows signs of taking the Flamic style in new but wholly appropriate directions.
CUISINE While the heart and soul concentrates on the Silver Flame, the collective stomach of Thrane looks to the country’s unique cuisine for a different kind of religious experience. Many find that secular life in Thrane is stifled by the theocracy, but few who come to the country find the food to be disappointing. “It is like a breath of fire in the cold of a dark winter’s night,” said Princess Wroya of Breland during a diplomatic visit to Thrane, after partaking in the Feast of the Silver Flame. Utilizing thrakel spices cooked in thick sauces, Thrane cuisine tends to be heavy, filling, hot, and delicious. Thrakel-seared beef in red sauce, three-thrakel fish stew, and the traditional silvered vegetable skewers are particular favorites in Thrane and beyond. The people of Thrane also enjoy their desserts, but here they take a different tack. To counter the spicy nature of the main meal, Thrane desserts tend to be sweet and served cold. Beesh-berry sorbet on top of silverfruit pie is considered the best of many tempting desserts.

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