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Eberron is a world like none you’ve seen before…
The world of Eberron is a place of magic and monsters, where arcane energy infuses the landscape and greatly influences society and industry. Traditional Dungeons & Dragons fantasy combines with swashbuckling action and dark mystery to create a world ripe for exploration. Nothing is exactly as it seems; alliances—and alignments—are blurred, and the continent of Khorvaire is just emerging from a hundred years of war that have significantly reshaped the geopolitical, economic, and even magical landscape. From the steaming jungles of Aerenal to the colossal ruins of Xen’drik, from the towering keeps of Sharn to the blasted hills and valleys of the Demon Wastes, you will be drawn into a world of intrigue and excitement, where something strange is always at work and mysterious forces play games beyond human reckoning. Expect the unexpected, for this is Eberron…
This document attempts to give you, as a player without any knowledge of Eberron, a broad grounding in the world. It contains more or less information that a typical adventurer would know, although of course your geographical origin or race could give you access to more or less information. Don’t worry about memorizing any of this, and if it looks like a long read you don’t even really need to do more than skim it. Mainly the idea is to give you the context in which you will be working, so when (for example) you need to get from point A to point B you might think of an Eberron-specific airship or lightning rail instead of the (rather rare in Eberron) teleportation circles.
Keep in mind that the party will generally be able to pick up any slack in your knowledge, and the DM will hopefully cater to your degree of engagement in the world. Most importantly, remember that in the end this is all about having fun—if you think this is too much information to be fun, that’s fine too.
Eberron is a setting that has not yet been officially updated for 4th edition. Thus, things like how eladrin (a new race in 4E) integrate into the world, or game mechanics for dragonmarks, don’t have any official answers. The document below contains “best-guess” updates, based on logic and the writings of certain Eberron authors, but it’s a far cry from having an official 4th-edition campaign setting. In any case, if something seems out of place, talk to your DM; I’m sure he or she can come up with something.
Sharn is a City of Towers rising high into the clouds, where races from all over Eberron meet and conduct business of varying degrees of legitimacy.
Pulp-action and magic-infused fantasy are prominent throughout an Eberron campaign.
Eberron has many powerful entities, all with their own agendas—both apparent and hidden.
Magically-enhanced technology in Eberron goes far beyond that of most Dungeons & Dragons settings.
The heroes of the Last War have had their time; now, it is yours.
Creation myths among the religions of Eberron are remarkably consistent. The story is one of three dragons named Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber who struggled for control of the world. In the end, Siberys was shattered and became the Dragon Above who circles the world in a great ring (somewhat like Saturn’s); Khyber was banished to the depths of the earth and became the Dragon Below; and Eberron healed the world from the struggle. Dragons are said to be the descendants of Siberys, fiends and horrors the spawn of Khyber, and all others the creations of Eberron.
The fighting between the coatl and the rakshasa-led demons was fierce.
Common knowledge holds that long, long ago demons ruled the world with iron fists. It is said that in time, the dragons and others of the world rediscovered arcane magic and overthrew their demon overlords, thus paving the way for the current world. The Church of the Silver Flame emphasizes the contribution of the coatls, who sacrificed most of their number to seal the ancient demon lords deep within Khyber for all time.
The Last War saw many clashes such as this one between warforged and Karrnathi undead.
The oldest records of the main continent, Khorvaire, go back to the goblinoid empire of Dhakaan, which ruled most of Khorvaire for nearly ten thousand years. While little remains in actual records of the empire itself, it is known that the hobgoblin rulers possessed sophistication at least equal to that of present-day Khorvaire. The empire ruled until the coming of the daelkyr invasion from Xoriat nine millennia ago, which decimated half the continent. Though the daelkyr were eventually forced down into the depths of Khyber, the war had weakened the Dhakaani Empire to the breaking point, and infighting caused it to shatter; the once-proud hobgoblins and their other goblinoid slaves reverted to barbarism.
Around three thousand years ago, human settlers led by the mythical explorer Lhazaar landed on the continent of Khorvaire and began spreading. At around the same time, the dragonmarks started appearing among the people of Khorvaire and their bearers began exerting influence upon the kingdoms in which they lived. Karrn the Conqueror was the first great ruler among the human kings, uniting a large swath of northern Khorvaire two thousand years ago. A thousand years later, a descendant of his named Galifar united all of Khorvaire under his rule, and gave the Five Kingdoms to his five children (Brey, Karrn, Thrane, Cyre, and Aundair—whose names were adopted as the kingdom names) as regencies.
Galifar’s kingdom lasted nearly 900 years, but in the year 894 YK (Year since the founding of the Kingdom, the basis for reckoning time for most of Khorvaire) King Jarot died. Rather than following the rules of succession by the oldest scion, the rulers Thalin, Kaius, and Wroann of Thane, Karrnath, and Breland respectively rejected the claim of Mishann, regent of Cyre. Wrogar of Aundair backed the rules of succession, and so the Last War began. The war saw a great deal of fighting between all the Five Nations with constantly changing alliances, and a number of new nations were created. The war ended with the Treaty of Thronehold, which established peace between the nations of Khorvaire and recognized several new nations. However, the end of the war also saw great sorrow with the utter annihilation of the nation of Cyre at the hands of a still-unknown force. Now, about three years after the war, the nations of Khorvaire are maintaining an uneasy peace—many say that a new war is inevitable.
Symbols of power and mystery, dragonmarks manifest on certain members of select bloodlines. They are colorful magical marks appearing on the skin that grant powers to their bearers. Over the last two thousand years, the families carrying these marks have organized themselves into mercantile dynasties known as the dragonmarked houses. Dragonmarks appear in three increasingly powerful aspects (least, lesser, and greater), as well as the extremely rare and relatively mysterious Syberis mark.
If the Five Nations are the political powers in Eberron, the dragonmarked houses are the economic power in Eberron. The Houses have major business interests throughout Khorvaire, and even more they are a source of price-reduction and quality assurance. The cheap services of many of the dragonmarked houses is responsible for such things as cheap medical care compared to a normal campaign setting, and some dragonmarked houses give marks of approval to unassociated businesses which pass quality exams. Due to their strong family ties, the dragonmarked houses are more loyal and enduring than would otherwise be possible for business conglomerates; their (in some cases extreme) age gives them a large amount of political power in governments across Khorvaire.
Not all members of the dragonmarked families actually manifest dragonmarks; in fact, only small portions possess the marks that define their House. Moreover, the Houses have a multitude of retainers and hirelings who are involved in the House businesses. Thus, dragonmarked individuals are highly prized by the Houses and are usually marked for great things.
The humans in possession of the Mark of Making are great worksmen, both magical and mundane. Both the Tinkers Guild and the Fabricators Guild arise from House Cannith. Good relations with House Cannith are critical for all nations and other Houses, making those with the Mark of Making quite powerful in Khorvaire’s politics. Unfortunately, the House made its headquarters in Cyre and lost most of its leaders on the Day of Mourning, so House Cannith is fractured between three leaders in different parts of Khorvaire, each of which seeks power over the entire House.
The human House Deneith has the most military power of any of the dragonmarked houses and is run accordingly. The House runs the Blademarks Guild and the Defenders Guild, the latter of which provides bodyguard services while the former contracts mercenaries for the highest bidder. It was the mercenary contracting of House Deneith that paved the way to the independence of Darguun; the House still holds great power in that region.
Composed of halflings, House Ghallanda is the prime mover in the traveling service industry. The Hospitalers Guild runs inns and restaurants across Khorvaire in order to support the continent’s mobile population. The Guild also has a major inspection branch, as the seal of approval from House Ghallanda is a much sought-after award among independent businesses.
Less tied to their ancestral homeland than House Ghallanda, the halflings of House Jorasco are the purveyors of healing services to all of Khorvaire. The Healers Guild hospitals use a combination of magical and mundane healing methods on all types of maladies, from wounds to disease and even mental patients.
The dwarven House Kundarak holds the greatest reserves of wealth in Khorvaire, and its banking empire is a mighty power on the continent. The Banking Guild operates like a modern-day bank, offering accounts, loans, letters of credit, and safe-deposit boxes accessible from any major branch. The House also runs a speculation business in a variety of areas that is available to wealthy clients. The House also maintains the Warding Guild, which peddles in magical and mundane security and runs several prominent prisons throughout Khorvaire, including the infamous Dreadhold. House Kundarak is closely tied to House Sivis, which provides scribing services, document verification, communication, and mediators.
Control over the weather has served the half-elves of House Lyrandar well. The Windrights Guild is responsible for a large portion of sea travel in the waters around Khorvaire (as long as almost all air travel using newly invented airships). Moreover, the House meets a completely different set of interests through the agricultural-boosting services of the Raincallers Guild.
The half-elves of House Medani oversee the Warning Guild, which offers services of skilled bodyguards ever watchful for imminent threats. It is closely tied to Breland, and tends to favor that nation in its dealings.
House Orien’s humans are involved in a great number of overland travel businesses, maintaining trade roads, caravan routes, and more recently lightning rails throughout Khorvaire. The Transportation Guild is responsible for these services, and travel in Eberron along any Orien road tends to be exceptionally safe. The Couriers Guild is responsible for moving messages, packages, and people across Khorvaire, and their discretion is famous.
Bearing the Mark of Shadow, the elven House Phiarlan are master entertainers. The Entertainers Guild maintains operations throughout Khorvaire and their performances go at high price, while the Artisans Guild provides great works of art for nobles and others willing to pay for their services. However, House Phiarlan is not the only House to bear the Mark of Shadow; during the Last War the House split and the other half, known now as House Thuranni, operates in direct competition with their previous housemates.
The gnomes of House Sivis are masters of the written and spoken word. They have carefully built a reputation of utter impartiality, which makes them popular as mediators and such. The Speakers Guild offers a number of services, including translators, mediators, and advocates to deal with other parties, as well as offering a network of magical communication across the continent. The Notaries Guild ties together much of the contract portion of society with arcane marks verifying important documents, and also offers scribing of letters which can only be read by certain individuals.
Springing from the Shadow Marches, the humans and half-orcs of House Tharashk (along with a sizable and respected but not dragonmarked orc population) are masters at locating many things. The Finders Guild runs a large variety of operations, including prospecting both for hire and for their own purposes, bounty hunting, and locating stolen goods. The House also maintains the small mercenary trade out of Droaam, where its orcs have an easier time dealing with inhabitants than House Deneith’s negotiators.
The schism of House Phiarlan during the Last War resulted in the creation of the rival elf House Thuranni, a smaller but still powerful competitor to House Phiarlan.
The humans of House Vadalis are masters of animal husbandry, fostering a great variety of animals and selling superb magebred animals to wealthier clients. The Handlers Guild also offers other services, including animal training and healing, stabling services in a great number of areas, relatively slow messenger birds for messages to isolated areas, and the like.
Dragonmarks are not limited to the Houses, where they are passed down by blood, and aberrant dragonmarks appear from time to time on member of dragonmarked races (humans, half-elves, half-orcs, dwarves, halflings, elves, gnomes). While aberrant dragonmarks confer similar powers to true dragonmarks, the aberrant marks are not hereditary and have never sprouted much organization. Long ago, the War of the Mark attempted to exterminate abberrant dragonmarks; these days they are mostly considered an oddity, although the true dragonmark families usually shun those with aberrant marks.
In addition, legend speaks of a thirteenth dragonmark, the Mark of Death, which was born by an elvish family long ago. Most, even within the dragonmarked families, discard this as a baseless rumor. This is supported by the fact that all previous “remanifestations” of the Mark of Death have turned out to be aberrant dragonmarks.
Aundair is ruled by Aurala ir’Wynarn of the line of Galifar along with various noble houses. Aurala is generally loved by the common people and has the loyalty of the nobles. Most of the rural areas fall under the control of vassal lords, while cities are ruled by royal governors. The people are mainly farmers, scholars, and magewrights, with Aundair’s fields supplying many crops for both internal consumption and export—but the universities and libraries also demand great respect across Khorvaire.
House Lyrandar makes its enclave on the island of Stormhome off the northern coast of Aundair, while House Orien has its ancestral home in the city of Passage; while both of these areas technically belong to Aundair, Stormhome is completely controlled by those bearing the Mark of Storm, and Passage has most of its population employed by House Orien. One of the branches of House Cannith is also located in Fairhaven, but it has far less influence. The Arcane Congress also has influence from its home in the city of Arcanix, though it has become more tied to the crown of Aundair than it once was through the Last War.
Breland is perhaps the most cosmopolitan and free of the civilized Five Nations, with a greater mix of peoples than other nations and the most people-oriented outlook of all of them. Breland is ruled by King Boranel and his vassal lords, along with a parliament of significant power, and it democratic tradition stretches back several centuries—with intention to spread it being one of the instigators of the Last War. Essentially everyone in Breland adores Boranel, a six-time war hero who has participated in two quests to the continent of Xen’Drik and personally fought the champion of Droaam to end a particularly bloody conflict between the two nations, but there is concern about what will happen after Boranel’s death, as none of his successors have shown themselves to be particularly stunning.
Breland has a significant agricultural output, but it actually imports food in addition to this to support its massive industrial machine in the southern cities. The parliament consists of both elected officials and representatives of noble houses, with elections occurring every two years and noble appointments every year. Several dragonmarked houses hold significant power in Breland, including one of the factions of House Cannith in Sharn that is known to hire adventuring parties to explore the Mournland for House Cannith relics. House Medani has its primary holdings in the capital at Wroat, and provides a small group of elite retainers to protect the king; Medani’s patriarch is an old friend of Boranel and somewhat aligned with Breland in general. House Phiarlan and has its matriarchal enclave in Sharn and is well known for its outstanding plays in its great theater hall in the city. House Vadalis has a major (though not primary) enclave in the village of Shavalant, from whence it provides high-quality animals to those willing to pay, as well as skilled services in animal healing and training. Sharn itself is the largest metropolis on Khorvaire, and the City of Towers is a sight to behold. Built on a Syrania manifest zone, Sharn’s towers stretch high into the sky, and floating walkways line all areas of the city. Another well-known city is New Cyre, an area given to the surviving prince of Cyre to gather refugees from the annihilated nation and build a new hope for his people.
During and after the Last War, Karrnath used undead such as this skeleton in its armies.
Of all the Five Nations, the one with the strongest military tradition is Karrnath. Ruled by King Kaius III, Karrnath suffered horribly during the Last War, with famine and disease nearly crippling the nation. Much like Breland, Karrnath has a growing industrial machine that outstrips the ability of its agricultural production, but unlike Breland, Karrnath has a strong military tradition. Every able-bodied man and woman serves a mandatory two-year term in the military, and the country is still a hereditary military dictatorship under martial law even after the Treaty of Thronehold. Another strange aspect of Karrnath is its blatant use of undead as soldiers; enhanced zombies and skeletons make up entire divisions of Karrnath’s armies, and its most important border forts are protected by undead garrisons.
Karrnath’s government is composed of an extended royal family ruling over nobles who have become its warlords over the course of the Last War, and unrest at the current peace is at times apparent. House Deneith makes its home in Karrlakton, and from here carry out their work as guards for hire and international police officers. House Jorasco also makes its home in Karrnath, with the Healers Guild operating out of a massive complex within Vedykar. The Twelve, the arcane academy set up centuries ago by the dragonmarked houses, floats above the capital at Korth; the once-prominent academy is currently at a crossroads after losing a large number of senior wizards to the Last War as they went to defend their respective homelands. Another important group is the once-sanctioned–but–now–illegal Order of the Emerald Claw, a group the represents the greatest in Karrnathi nationalism but has become a thorn in the side of the nation’s rulers in recent years.
Thrane is a theocracy dominated by the Church of the Silver Flame, as evidenced by this temple.
Thrane is a theocracy, a land where everything is controlled by the Church of the Silver Flame. Though it has a royal family like the other nations of Galifar, the Church has held significant political power for centuries as the primary state religion, and official political power since the start of the Last War. While other faiths do exist in Thrane, their followers tend to find limited opportunities in the country; moreover while the Church is one of the greatest bastions of Lawful Good ideals in Khorvaire, the laws and actions of the government tend to be stringent and limiting to freedom. As such, Thrane tends to have difficult relations with its allies and little trade, with none of the dragonmarked houses having particularly large operations within its borders. The reputation of the Church for ill-fated crusades and the fanaticism of many of its most vocal adherents also makes those not of the Church wary of Thrane.
Cyre is now the blasted Mournland, where many strange phenomena—even a warforged god—can be encountered.
Once the jewel of the kingdom of Galifar, Cyre was destroyed in an arcane catastrophe on the Day of Mourning two years before the end of the Last War. Now the ruins of old Cyre are a blasted wasteland, a country ringed in thick smoke and infested with monsters, where bodies never decay and neither natural healing nor most healing magic functions. While many rumors exist about the cause of Cyre’s fall, nobody knows the truth; in any case, only a few brave the mists to bring back relics of the fallen country.
One known power does exist in Cyre, however; a warforged warlord known as the Lord of Blades has been calling for warforged to come and build a nation without weak fleshlings. Everyone who’s not a warforged (and most warforged for that matter) considers the Lord of Blades a lunatic or even a myth.
Before the Last War, the majority of Khorvaire (and almost all of the habitable regions) were at least nominally under the control of the Five Nations. After the Treaty of Thronehold, however, a number of entities have been given recognition as independent; others are independent in practice, if not in name—with this disparity sometimes causing conflict.
Darguun is now an independent nation composed of goblinoids—a prospect which makes many uneasy.
The greatest civilization of the current age was the ancient Dhakaan Empire, which held power for millennia but shattered after the Daelkyr War nearly 6000 years ago. Darguun is a combination of ancient Dhakaani tradition and new mercenary spirit. Before the Last War, the goblinoids of Khorvaire were largely scattered tribes, but the demand for mercenaries during the Last War brought these tribes out into greater Khorvaire. Darguun declared its independence from Cyre ten years before the end of the Last War, when nobody was really in a position to stop them, though conflict did ensue between Darguun and its neighbors. Today the goblinoid nation is involved in mining operation and mercenary export, but it holds a tenuous position among the nations of Khorvaire with little trust lost on either side. House Deneith still holds significant power in Darguun, as the leader of the nation recognizes the need for such associations.
When the dragons and their couatl allies defeated the fiends at the end of the Age of Demons, binding their godlike leaders beneath the earth, many lesser fiends retreated to their nation’s capital in what is now called the Demon Wastes. The imprisoned fiends are openly worshipped here by the Carrion Tribes, which are composed of human barbarians and led by half-fiends and possessed warriors. The Lords of Dust is a powerful group of fiends who work to free their masters from their bindings beneath the earth.
Droaam is a monster kingdom. Split from Breland at the end of the Last War, Droaam was never very hospitable and became even less so with the coming of three powerful hags known as the Daughters of Sora Kell. Fighting free of Breland, Droaam is now known as a country ruled by hags, medusas, gnolls, lycanthropes, harpies, giants, ogres, and the like. These days the peace between Droaam and its neighbors is tenuous at best, and Droaam is mostly unwelcome to visitors.
Druidic traditions are a large part of life in the Eldeen Reaches.
While the eastern edge of the Eldeen Reaches is fertile plains, much of the country is covered in forest and has an ancient druidic tradition. Once part of Aundair, during the Last War the settlers in the Reaches were largely abandoned by the crown as it moved soldiers to the front. This in turn led to the rise of bandit lords in the eastern portion, which were put down by an army of druids and rangers from the deep forest. Angry at their abandonment, the people of the Reaches swore loyalty to the Great Druid Olian, an awakened oak who is said to be old beyond time itself.
The Eldeen Reaches have some of the most fertile farmland in all of Khorvaire, and export vast amounts of food to the industrial machines of Breland and Karrnath; animal husbandry under the wing of the entrenched House Vadalis also has a large part in the activities of the nation. Though not exactly cosmopolitan, the people of the Reaches are more accepting of certain races than Khorvaire as a whole; these include shifters (most of Khorvaire’s shifter population is found in the western part of the Eldeen Reaches) and orcs (the orcs of the Reaches have a druidic tradition older than human civilization on Khorvaire, and are thus respected in the area). House Vadalis has its primary holdings in the Reaches, and holds sway over several towns in the eastern portion.
The Lhazaar area, named after the mythical explorer who first brought humans to Khorvaire, has always been very independent. Even during the kingdom of Galifar, the Lhazaar principalities had only passing loyalty to the king, and during the Last War they reverted to piracy. These days the Lhazaar principalities have claimed complete independence, with the islands being divided among the area’s pirate/merchant leaders. While most of the dragonmarked houses shun the Principalities, House Kundarak (reluctantly) maintains a famous prison named Dreadhold on one of the islands and House Thuranni makes its headquarters on another.
The ancestral homeland of the dwarves, the Mror Holds were brought into the kingdom of Karrnath by the original Karrn the Conqueror. However, early in the Last War the Holds banded together and declared themselves an independent nation. The dwarves of the holds are primarily interested in the archetypal activity of mining, but they also have leveraged their vast amount of precious mineral resources into a major banking industry across Khorvaire, primarily seen in the banking power of House Kundarak. The dragonmarked house is one of the most powerful organizations in the area, wielding far more power than it should in the government considering its official neutral status. Others are the miners of Clan Mroranon and the bankers of Clan Soldorak, who have great influence in the Iron Council. House Sivis, with its close ties to Kundarak, and House Orien, with its skilled diplomats, maintain most of the trade roads within the Holds.
Lizardfolk in Q’Barra guard ancient ruins from the human settlers.
Created at the beginning of the Last War by those who felt a greater loyalty to the Kingdom of Galifar itself rather than their individual nation, Q’Barra was originally sought by those fleeing from the Last War and is currently has a major concentration of Cyran refugees. However, even though they avoided the Last War, the founders of Q’Barra encountered another conflict in their never-ending battle with the native lizardfolk. Today Q’Barra avoids most contact with the Five Nations that it sees as traitors to the old kingdom, and instead tries to forge ties to the independent nations and the Inspired of Riedra. House Tharashk is the only one of the dragonmarked houses with any presence in Q’Barra, and even they have trouble dealing with the less-than-enthusiastic settlers.
The Shadow Marches are home to fairly primitive settlements.
To most people, the Shadow Marches are seen as a land of savage humans and orcs in a fetid backwater. The area has a number of different clans and tribes and little real development; the only dragonmarked house with any presence here is the one that surfaced in the Shadow Marches, House Tharashk. They control the dragonshard trade from the area and represent the only real centralized power in the area.
Halflings retain their nomadic heritage on the Talenta Plains.
The halflings of the Talenta Plains are traditionally nomadic, and that spirit largely continues to this day. The warbands fought for independence from Cyre at the beginning of the Last War, and then largely avoided the conflicts that took place on the plains between enemy armies. The Treaty of Thronehold gave the Talenta Plains their independence.
The warbands are composed of between fifty and hundreds of individuals, and they have a deep tribal tradition involving hunting, herding, and war on their dinosaur mounts. The only permanent city in the area is the town of Gatherhold, maintained as the headquarters of House Ghallanda, though the House also maintains a traveling fair named the Wandering Inn which provides a gathering place for many tribes wandering the plains. House Jorasco also has a presence in the Talenta Plains, though some of the Talenta halflings see those with the Mark of Healing as traitors to ancient tradition as that House has become largely tied to the more “civilized” area of Khorvaire.
At the beginning of the Last War, the beleaguered Cyre found allies in the militant elves of northern Aerenal. Though they fought with Cyre in the beginning, forty years ago the mercenaries declared Valenar their own kingdom and forcefully broke from Cyre. Possessing the greatest cavalry in Khorvaire, the elves of Valenar have little interest in peace even after the Treaty of Thronehold and continue to raid Q’Barra, the Talenta Plains, Karrnath, and other areas. The Valenar elves have a great warrior tradition, and the elvish tradition of revering ancestors has been focused among them on the warriors of their glorious past. Few of the dragonmarked houses have influence in the region, with only the half-elves of House Lyrandar having any influence on the stern leaders of Valenar. The elven Houses of Phiarlan and Thuranni are banned altogether, as is House Vadalis due to horse theft.
The homeland of the gnomish people, Zilargo is a country booming with activity. Always somewhat sly, the gnomish people have a habit of avoiding most wars; when Galifar’s armies came toward Zilargo a millennium ago they managed to integrate themselves into the kingdom as an independent state without a drop of blood shed. During the Last War, Zilargo was at first neutral and then sided with Breland by providing arms and intelligence, resulting in the country being virtually untouched by the war and its western neighbor deeply in Zilargo’s debt.
While its libraries do not quite match the standards of Aundair’s arcane academies in magical knowledge, the gnomes are gifted artificers and the general knowledge found in Zilargo is unmatched in Khorvaire. As House Kundarak holds great influence in the Mror Holds, House Sivis holds great power in Zilargo; some allege that the dragonmarked house is the true power behind the entire country. House Kundarak, with its close ties to House Sivis, also has significant voice in Zilargo, and the great library of Korranberg is a powerful entity in its own right. To outsiders, Zilargo is an incredibly open society, with residents often seeking out news from travelers and a number of tabloids, most notably the widely distributed Korranberg Chronicle, which operates within Zilargo’s major cities.
There is more to Eberron than just Khorvaire.
Few on Khorvaire know much about the island kingdom of the elves. Its one major port admits trade, but very few are allowed into the interior and many of the reports that come back are very strange. A disturbing proportion of the rumors name the Aerenal elves as obsessed with death is many ways, with a large portion wearing visages of skulls and walking dead populating the land. In any case, Aerenal itself seems to have little interest in mainland Khorvaire, though the raiders who established Valenar did hark from the island kingdom.
If Aerenal is shrouded is shadow, the home of the dragons is shrouded in midnight. While both tradition as old as memory and current accounts of the (few) who approached near the continent and returned state that a vast number of dragons inhabit the continent, almost nothing is known about Argonnessen.
Sarlona’s rulers draw their power from unconventional sources.
The ancestors of modern humans came across the sea from Sarlona nearly 3000 years ago. Little is known about the current rulers of the continent, called the Inspired, save that they have come to control the entire land; their kingdom is known as Riedra. The somewhat-ephemeral kalashtar hail from Sarlona, and they don’t seem to like the current rulers, but your average person would be lost on the distinction. It is also known that the rulers of Sarlona have incredible psionic powers, and magic seems nonexistent from the tales.
Ancient ruins are only some of the many secrets Xen’drik hides in its interior.
Of all the lands outside of Khorvaire, the most is known about Xen’drik. Once home to a great giant civilization, the entire continent is filled with great ruins and vestiges of the ancient cultures, and barbaric tribes of giants roam the land. The elves trace their lineage back to Xen’drik, and dark-skinned elves called drow inhabit the continent. The Ring of Siberys lies above Xen’drik and the continent is the only known source of Siberys dragonshards. A major port by the name of Stormreach lies on the northern peninsula, and is serviced by all the dragonmarked houses. A large number of adventurers go in and out of Stormreach, seeking artifacts and Siberys dragonshards to bring back for profit on Khorvaire. Despite its nature as a common destination, Xen’drik is in many ways a “dark continent” full of unexplored wonders, treasures—and horrors.
The underdark in Eberron is given the name of Khyber, after the mythic Dragon Below. Down in the depths of the earth terrible creatures lay, including ancient malignant evils sealed there since the Age of Demons as well as the terrifying daelkyr and their creations, including mind flayers, beholders, and the like. There are few entrances to Khyber, and most are in hard-to-reach places, but some still venture down into the depths. Khyber is the only place where Khyber dragonshards can be found.
The influence of Eberron’s planes varies over time.
The planes that surround Eberron are at the same time closer and more remote than they are in other settings. With most people lacking both the capability and reasons for visiting them, very few natives of Eberron have even considered visiting another plane. The orbit of the planes about the Material Plane strengthens this pattern, as another plane is accessible only rarely.
However, at the same time, the planes of Eberron have much more direct effect on the prime material than in other settings. The other planes orbit the prime material, approaching and receding from it and waxing and waning in their influence upon the prime material plane. Any commoner can tell you that fire burns brighter and longer when Fernia is close, storms accompany the close approach of Kythri, and poor harvests occur when Lamannia is distant. Any common people could probably also name basic inhabitants of some planes (though this knowledge would be limited to generalizations like “fire things” from Fernia and so on). Moreover, Eberron has seen a number of extraplanar invasions over the millennia, and thus its people are not quite as surprised as they might be when strange creatures cross over from other planes into Eberron. While the daelkyr invasion from Xoriat occurred ten millennia ago, everyone has heard of it, and it is not unsurprising to find outsiders lurking in the strangest places throughout the world.
In terms of the planar names used in the Player’s Handbook, Eberron’s planes of Dolurrh—the realm of the dead—and Mabar—the endless night, a region of shadows and despair—are entered via the Shadowfell; the Feywild is an ancient name for Thelanis, the faerie court.
Manifest zones are places outside the typical planar cosmology where a plane’s energy pervades a certain location on the Material Plane, affecting the traits of the region. Well known manifest zones include the Syrania manifest zone within which Sharn is built, a Lamannia manifest zone deep within the Eldeen Reaches, and a massive Risia manifest zone in the Frostfell far to the north.
Elemental-powered airships are but one of the many magical marvels widely available in Eberron.
Low-level magic is very prevalent in Eberron, serving much the same purpose as simple appliances today. Everburning lanterns line the high- and middle-class neighborhoods in most major cities, while bound elementals support much faster transportation than would otherwise be available. Blacksmiths chant minor incantations over their forges to boost the quality of their work, while weavers draw threads of shadow into their fabrics. House Sivis’s sending rituals, boosted by dragonshards, allow for easy communication across the continent, and magical healing is relatively cheap and plentiful for those in the middle class and above. Seemingly impossible feats of magic are also well known and accepted, such as the floating towers of Sharn which rise high into the sky through a combination of magic enhancement and the manifest zone the city exists in.
However, at the same time most people distrust incredibly powerful spells, and thus powerful mages must be careful in the use of their flashier magic. Moreover, with the rise of artifice, the common people are likely to make distinctions between “magic” and “artifice” where on some level the latter is more trustworthy than the former.
Artificers excel at imbuing magic.
If magic replaces technology in Eberron, artificers replace inventors and tinkerers. While spellcasters specialize in certain forms or manifestations of magic, artificers work with with the essential nature of arcane magic itself, studying it as if it were technology. They are very proficient with magical and alchemical items, and in many ways keep Eberron running.
Artificers are a class first introduced in Eberron, and re-introduced in playtest form for 4th edition in Dragon #365. As an arcane leader, they manipulate arcane formulas to channel magical power into items in order to help their allies and hinder their enemies.
All three types of dragonshards are important sources of power and wealth for those who obtain them—or control their circulation.
Dragonshards are powerful magical stones that have a variety of functions. Among the most valuable of Eberron’s natural resources, dragonshards are translucent stones run through with veins that are similar in appearance to dragonmarks, with the colors of the veins depending on the dragonshard.
The rarest and most valuable dragonshards, Siberys shards are closely connected to the dragonmarked houses. They are used in various items which strengthen the natural powers of dragonmarks, and thus Siberys shards are much sought after by the houses and new finds are often hotly contested. Siberys shards are almost transparent but contain pulsing gold veins.
Smoky crystals shot through with oily black veins, Khyber dragonshards are rumored to be connected to the binding spells of ancient demons. Whether this is true or not, Khyber dragonshards are crucial pieces in the construction of elemental-binding items both for combat and mundane uses; the House Orien lightning rails use bound air elementals for locomotion, while House Lyrandar ships often have bound water elementals and their airships use fire elementals for propulsion.
Commonly known as bloodstones, Eberron dragonshards are translucent pink shot through with deep red veins. Eberron dragonshards act as very general magic amplifiers, and are often attuned to specific spells to improve their power when constructing magic items. In Eberron, items like rings of spell storing, rings of wizardry, and the like are made from Eberron dragonshards; some wizards have even taken up the practice of scribing their spells on Eberron dragonshards rather than in spellbooks.
While a number of gods are present in Eberron, people usually connect themselves with their churches rather than the gods they worship. Unlike other settings, the gods in Eberron do not have any known influence on the path that life takes on the Material Plane. They do not answer summons and do not send messengers; they do not dwell on the Outer Planes like in other settings, but are somewhere else altogether (if they exist at all). Magic that calls upon pacts with powerful beings appeals to outsiders aligned with the character’s religion, and contacts normally associated with deities often are picked up by powerful outsiders like archangels and archfiends.
The most popular church is that of the Sovereign Host, a group of nine deities forming a pantheon covering all the general needs for worship of common people. The Sovereign Host is a very accepting of other religions, such as the younger church dedicated to the obviously holy Silver Flame, seeing other (decent) religions as simply other aspects of the Sovereign Host. While the pantheon does have individual gods who are worshipped individually, most people recognized the entire pantheon in normal worship, only addressing one particular god when they need something specific, like a good harvest or successful birth. As such the Sovereign Host plays a small role in the politics of Khorvaire and often a minimal role in the lives of its people.
The Dark Six are the dark shadows of the Sovereign Host, a pantheon of (mostly) dark gods who thrive on slaughter and depravity. The Dark Six could actually be considered a part of the Sovereign Host pantheon in much the same way as Satan serves a purpose in Christianity: as the opposite of the ideal. Five of the Dark Six are directly connected to the Sovereign Host deities by bloodlines, while the last, a mysterious being known as the Traveler, does not seem to be connected to anything else and seems to be part of the pantheon mostly due to lumping.
In direct contrast to the Sovereign Host, the Church of the Silver Flame is a much more active and passionate religion that sees itself as the only right way. Legend has it that the undying pillar of flame for which the Church is named was created when a paladin and a coatl sacrificed themselves in an effort to prevent the release of an ancient demon from beneath Thrane. Now the ruling religion and political order in Thrane, the Church is perhaps the strongest bastion of good and law in Khorvaire. However, the Church’s teachings tend to be very stringent and restrict the actions of its adherents more than other religions, so most people outside of Thrane are not willing to submit to the Church’s rule. The Silver Flame has also committed a number of atrocities in the name of good, among them the famous crusade against lycanthropes that nearly exterminated the species. The Church also continues to battle corruption, as the significant power of the Silver Flame has drawn powermongers the likes of which other religions do not have the influence to attract.
Tribal peoples often take up worship of the Dragon Below, a more primitive religion than many others. These people have seen the aberrations that Khyber spawns and respect the powers of those creatures, and thus fear and worship that which comes from the ground. However, the worship of the Dragon Below ranges among different tribes from malignant to benign, as some tribes actively try to spread the evil of the Dragon Below and sometimes collaborate with the abominations therein, while others simply try to stave off destruction at the hands of that which dwells beneath the ground.
The kalashtar do not typically worship deities, but instead worship a universal force of light. Since most see the kalashtar as somewhat preachy and off their rocker but mostly harmless anyway, your average person simply ignores this religion.
Rather than deities, the elves practice ancestor worship. This comes in many forms, from the warsongs of the elves of Valenar to the elaborate plays and rituals of the Houses Phiarlan and Thuranni, to the rumored worship of walking dead among the elves of Aerenal.
A peculiar religion mostly centered in Karrnath, the Blood of Vol has faith in blood itself as the source of life and undeath as the path to divinity. They believe death must be conquered, not endured, and that the power inherent in oneself—in one’s blood—is greater than any god. Vol herself is a shadowy figure, sometimes known as the Queen of the Undead, who is known to actually exist and exert influence—but only in very subtle and mysterious ways. Most citizens of Khorvaire are indifferent to this strange and exotic cult; its influence is currently in a waning phase.
Racial stereotypes are different in Eberron than in other settings; in addition, several of the Monster Manual races are very prominent.
Dragonborn in Eberron are not descendants of a fallen empire as they are in the Player’s Handbook setting. Instead, they are evidence of the rare—but often far-reaching—influence of dragons in the world. Most are found in Argonnessen, but where dragons have ventured into Khorvaire, dragonborn can be found in small pockets. Some may also come to Khorvaire in the service of their dragon masters.
Others see the dwarves of Eberron more as bankers and speculators than miners. House Kundarak is the primary source of this reputation, with its powerful banking empire. This also leads to some stereotyping in the direction of money-grubbing and stinginess.
Eladrin are native to the plane of Thelanis, but this is one of the easiest planes to move to and from—there is a large and well-known manifest zone, the Twilight Demesne, in the Eldeen Reaches, and generally any place of fey mystery in the world is likely to allow such transitions. Their long lives also give them many opportunities for interplanar travel; perhaps your eladrin character came over seeking excitement during the Last War, but stayed after losing her heart to a human. As such, they are not common in Eberron, but are certainly not unheard of—even if many common folk would simply mistake them for elves.
There are two main groups of elves with which the people of Eberron have contact. The first is the elves of House Phiarlan and House Thuranni, who are popular among nobles and commoners, rural and urban people alike as master entertainers. On the other hand, the raiders from Valenar are seen as nothing but brigands and opportunists, and thus stain the reputation of the older elven clans. It is also believed that the island kingdom of Aerenal is inhabited by elves, but very little is known about them.
As opposed to the Player’s Handbook characterization of half-elves as people neither one way nor another, with no culture of their own, half-elves in Eberron are mostly a distinct race. Though elf-human pairings occasionally produce new half-elven lines, most half-elves have half-elven parents. They serve as much of a variety of roles in society as humans, although their distinctively charismatic and sociable personalities certainly incline them toward a different set of typical professions.
The halflings of Khorvaire are traditionally tribal hunters of the Talenta Plains. Most still have roots in the plains, though many others have moved into the cosmopolitan areas of the cities. In the cities, they serve many of the same roles as humans.
Humans are much as described in the Player’s Handbook. They are somewhat of a young race, having only arrived on Khorvaire (from destinations unknown) about three thousand years ago. But they have certainly made their mark on the continent; most of the political upheavals of the last two thousand years have been driven by humans.
Tieflings, like eladrin, are extraplanar in origin; also like eladrin, they live among human and other communities around the world. Instead of being the results of an ancient empire whose citizens were corrupted via fiendish pacts, they are simply the descendants of fiends. They are particularly common in the city of Graywall (in Droaam) and in the nation of Q’Barra, as well as near the Demon Wastes. Fiends in Eberron come from at least six different planes (namely Dolurrh, Fernia, Lamannia, Mabar, Risia, and Shavarath), so tieflings display a wide range of appearance and character traits depending in part on the planar origin of their fiendish heritage.
(Note that there is no canonical information on genasi in Eberron; the following is based upon a message board post that I took a liking to, made by someone with no connection to Wizards of the Coast.)
The scholars of Morgrave University often debate about the origins of the deva race, but almost all of them can agree that the mysterious beings who seem to life countless lives trace their origins back to the Age of Demons, at least 100,000 years ago. In this dark time, the fiendish offspring of Khyber roamed the earth, twisting the landscape to suit their hellish whims. Eventually, the dragons discovered their Prophecy, and using its guidance, rose up and fought the rakshasas, hags, and demons. The couatls would sacrifice most of their number to bind the most powerful of the demon lords underground, where they are now trapped in the depths of Khyber.
Some say that the devas are the conjoined spirits of certain couatls and rakshasas, endlessly fighting a battle of will over the bodies that they are trapped in. If the couatl spirit does not stay vigilant in its battle for good, its opposite will finally achieve release, and another rakshasa will be loosed to walk the lands.
Others say that devas are actually fiends who repented, and are still seeking redemption, tens of thousands of years later. It only shows how evil these beings were before their change of heart, that all these lifetimes later, they are still walking the knife's edge between the light and darkness.
A few even fear that the deva are fiendish spies, gone into hiding when their world was crumbling around them. Indeed, they may be so deep undercover that they themselves don't even know that there will come a day when they are called by one of their hellish masters to play an integral part in the resurgence of the Demonic Age. Until then, they are programmed to battle evil in all forms… other than the plans of their slumbering lords, which they somehow turn a blind eye to.
Of course, there's no way of knowing if any of these theories is correct, or if perhaps some combination holds the truth. Devas are rarely seen by most citizens of Khorvaire, and do not seem to have a homeland or even any cohesive culture. Indeed, most devas are just as mystified by their own origin as are those they interact with.
Gnomes in Eberron are consummate artificers and knowledge keepers, with a constant thirst for information. The most famous mediators and diplomats in Khorvaire are gnomes from House Sivis; indeed, that house was the one that provided the mediation for the Treaty of Thronehold to end the Last War. However, within their own society in Zilargo, gnomes are conniving tricksters who are constantly planning and scheming against one another.
(Like devas, there is no canonical information on goliaths in Eberron; the following is based upon a message board post that I took a liking to, made by someone with no connection to Wizards of the Coast.)
Goliaths are rarely seen in the civilized parts of Khorvaire, but are not unheard of, especially in cosmopolitan areas such as Sharn. There are vague rumors of goliath societies in the Byeshk mountains, where they are reported to act as guardians of the rare metal byeshk, and practice a strong druidic tradition— perhaps connected to the druids of the nearby Eldeen Reaches.
Most half-orcs seen outside of isolated areas are agents of House Tharashk and thus maintain a certain amount of professional behavior. Moreover, due to the difference in the view of orcs between Eberron and other settings, the half-orcs of Khorvaire have none of the negative connotations usually associated with orcs in a typical setting.
The descendents of lycanthropes, shifters are universally mistrusted and feared. People think of lycanthropes as horrid monsters and thus are wary of their offspring, so shifters are often shunned in society. Shifters are also connected to nature through their ancestry, so they often inhabit woodland and other isolated regions.
A number of races from the back of the Monster Manual and from other sources play a prominent role in Eberron’s history and society.
Also known as changelings, doppelgangers are the masters of espionage, theft, and assassination. Though they are valuable members of many thieves’ guilds and secret societies, nobody ever actually trusts doppelgangers. This is a self-fulfilling cycle of sorts; after all, if nobody trusts you, why bother to be trustworthy?
Drow are very rarely seen on Khorvaire; few would know what to make of a dark-skinned elf. Adventurers who come back alive from Xen’drik sometimes bring wild tales of such creatures, but few pay attention to such stories.
(Note that there is no canonical information on genasi in Eberron; the following is entirely fabricated by the author, based on various message board posts that Google revealed, plus an article from Dragon #367.)
An ancient tale tells of a brave band of human warriors, their names and identities long lost in the annals of time, who traveled to Kythri long before humans arrived on Khorvaire in order to steal the power of the oldest catastrophic dragons—direct descendants of the progenitor wyrms. Of the many who set out on this quest, only five survived to see it through to its end. The craftiest, most powerful, most cunning, and bravest of these heroes snatched the elemental power away from these great dragons, in the process becoming forever changed. These five heroes became the progenitors of the genasi race, and each one embodied a different manifestation and became revered by their descendants. Stories of their adventures are commonly told in genasi households to this day.
Over time, the growing society of genasi allied themselves with the ancient giant civilizations of Xen’Drik. However, many tens of thousands of years ago, the same unknown cataclysm that reduced the empire of giants to the wandering tribes of savage brutes that remain today drove the genasi from this plane entirely, back to Churning Chaos from which they were birthed. Only recently has the genasi race—scattered throughout an unstable and extremely hostile landscape, and possibly even subject to a collective mental assault of the same type as the giants underwent—begun to reestablish enough of its magical traditions to make forays back into Eberron. Needless to say, many are shocked by the changes they have found, as the world has been reshaped in many ways over the millenia since they were banished.
Small pockets of githyanki and githzerai communities remain on Khorvaire as remnants of the daelkyr invasion nine millenia ago; predominantly, however, both races are extraplanar, with the githyanki wandering the Astral Sea while the githzerai roam through Kythri. Neither race attempts to integrate into normal society, content to pursue their age-old vendetta against the illithids—and each other—alongside their own kind.
More than simply evil raiders, goblinoids (i.e. goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears) are common as mercenaries across Khorvaire. The kingdom of Darguun is ruled by hobgoblins, with normal goblins and bugbears as shock troops. However, goblinoids also serve as a lower class in several of Khorvaire’s major industrial centers and even as slaves in some areas; thus goblin relations sometimes become much more complicated than in settings where goblins are merely bandits.
The orcs of Khorvaire are traditionally a tribal people, but they also have a strong druidic tradition. Rarely seen in civilized areas, they are well respected in the Eldeen Reaches and other woodland areas. The orcs are a fading race who have contact with those in their direct vicinity but, unlike their goblinoid brethren, have little interest in adapting to the modern world.
Warforged are living constructs, often distant and unemotional but fully sentient and capable of developing emotions, personalities, and even gender identities. They are massive, powerful creatures built in a humanoid shape from materials such as iron, stone, obsidian, and darkwood, meshed into flexible plates connected by muscle-like fibrous bundles. They were created by House Cannith artificers to serve as soldiers during the Last War, and due to this are generally disliked by many people. Some see them as reminders of the Last War and hate them for it, while others see them only as tools. While the Treaty of Thronehold officially gave the warforged their freedom, they are still effectively slaves in some places. As a race, they are still trying to find their way and identity (as is evident in the machinations of the Lord of Blades).
The monstrous races, such as minotaurs and gnolls, are as distrusted in Eberron as in any other setting, and many gather in the monstrous kingdom of Droaam. The peace with Droaam is only barely kept by Breland, and monstrous races in other places are often directly at odds with civilized races.
One race which is an important part of Eberron history and society has not been upgraded to 4th edition yet, and so you will not find it in any of the existing books.
Kalashtar look like somewhat ethereal humans; indeed, before interacting with one, it would be easy to mistake him for human. But for most citizens of Khorvaire, interactions with kalashtar result in them coming across as quite an odd race. They are generally good natured and benevolent, and are often diplomats. They develop a fondness for certain races and it is not uncommon to find lone kalashtar among communities of other races. However, despite their friendly nature, kalashtar are not quite normal in their thinking. Most people find them to have quite odd, ephemeral personalities; their speech is littered with esoteric phrases and their way of thinking is alien. Because of their generally friendly nature the kalashtar are commonly seen just as odd and not dangerous.
The daelkyr, hailing from the plain Xoriat, are currently imprisoned in the depths of Khyber; their creations, however, are not so restricted.
Many of the creatures called aberrations by the common races are spawned by Khyber or are the creations of the daelkyr (aberration overlords from Xoriat), and inspire fear and terror where they emerge. Most are incredibly dangerous and are worshipped by those who follow the Dragon Below (either subserviently or appeasingly).
Demons in Ebberron are led by the rakshasas. They are a historical force that now seem to be biding their time, seeking to free their masters—the godlike rajahs—who are bound beneath Khyber.
Giants were once the great overlords of the continent of Xen’drik, creating an unmatched civilization. However, they have been mostly reduced to brutes and savages, their ancient civilization in ruins, for reasons unknown to the common races.
Dragons have inscrutable motives.
Dragons are mythical creatures in Eberron, creatures tied in with the creation of the world and many of the greatest legends of the past. Far from mere treasure hoarders, dragons are seen as almost divine in stature; a person would probably have about the same reaction to a dragon’s appearance as to that of an angel. Although everyone in their right minds believes in dragons (too much lore from too many places for their existence to be false), almost nobody in recent history has seen one. Of course, sometimes a dragon is just a dragon—cut off from their more advanced kin, barbaric dragons sometimes live just as one would expect; other times younger dragons leave Argonnessen to tour Khorvaire out of curiosity, hunger, or greed.
Note that unlike in other settings, chromatic dragons are not necessarily evil and metallic dragons are not necessarily good; instead, any dragon can take on any alignment.
Congratulations! You now know everything you need to about Eberron. Looks like fun, doesn’t it? It is.
For a more meta-game perspective, it can be interesting to browse Eberron’s Wikipedia entry and follow links from there; however, beware of spoilers!
You may also find the Wizards of the Coast Eberron site to be of use; highlights include the articles archive, the planar orrery, and the high-resolution poster map of Khorvaire.
Ultimately, the best source of information about Eberron is the books themselves. Although they are all from edition 3.5, and thus the rules within them are outdated, the information about the setting is still valid and rich:
Finally, very soon the 4th edition upgrades to the campaign setting and player’s guide will be available, so you might want to preordor those now!
Of course, the first step in joining any campaign is creating a character. Keep in mind the new and changed options, such as the artificer class and the races which are more prominent in Eberron than in most campaign settings. You will also probably want to figure out how your character fits in to the houses (if at all), where he or she (or it!) is from geographically, and how the Last War has affected your character. The Player’s Guide to Eberron has an excellent introduction to making a character that fits well with Eberron, as opposed to any generic Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But it is important to remember that anything that exists in Dungeons & Dragons exists in Eberron (at least mechanically—flavor adjustment might be needed, as with the races).
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Although in most cases your character will know almost all of the above information, certain races, classes, or situations could constrain his/her/its knowledge of the world. Fortunately, the Player’s Guide to Eberron contains handy sidebars on almost every page, wherein you can roll an appropriate Knowledge check (suitably modified for 4th edition rules) to find out how much you know about the topic currently under discussion. As per the 3.5-edition rules for which that book was written, you cannot know anything more than DC 10 (common knowledge) without taking ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
Similarly, your character may know more about certain topics than the above information. For example, if your character were a kalashtar or a Aerenal elf, he/she would certainly know more about that race’s peculiarities than the general populace to which the above knowledge is applicable. In cases such as these, you should probably read through the appropriate sections of the Player’s Guide to Eberron or even the Eberron Campaign Setting.
Based on a document originally created by David Sanford for use with his players. Small portions of this text come from The Player’s Guide to Eberron, the Eberron Campaign Setting, or the Grand History of Eberrron. All images were found on the Wizards of the Coast website. Last updated 2010-04-20 18:26:32Z.