Page 34 - Wayfinders Guide to Eberron
P. 34
THE SHADOW MARCHES INTERESTING THINGS
Capital: BIZI[P¼IS ]VWٻKQIT ABOUT THE MARCHES
Noted for Eberron dragonshards, herbs
• <PM /I\MSMMXMZ[ are a druidic tradition
that began in the Shadow Marches. The
When most people think of the Shadow
defeated the daelkyr in the past, and
Marches, they imagine a fetid backwater where
they are sworn to protect Eberron from
illiterate humans mingle with orcs and other foul
]VVI\]ZIT IVL M`\ZIXTIVIZ \PZMI\[
creatures, practicing strange rites by the light of
\PM UWWV[ ?PQTM ÆI_ML \PQ[ ^Q[QWV Q[V¼\ MV\QZMTa • The Cults of the Dragon Below are wildly
inaccurate. The Shadow Marches are a desolate diverse, and often driven by madness.
land of swamps and moors. The homeland of the Many worship daelkyr or have ties to
WZK[ Q\ _I[ [KIZZML QV \PM IVKQMV\ KWVÆQK\ _Q\P aberrations.
\PM LIMTSaZ <PM[M ÅMVL[ TMN\ \_Q[\ML KZMI\]ZM[
and aberrations in the swamps, and sowed seeds MARCHER CHARACTERS
of madness that linger to this day. There are
indeed moonlit rituals in the Marches: some to As a character from the Shadow Marches,
honor the daelkyr, others to maintain the wards you could choose to carry the Mark of Finding
that keep them trapped in Khyber. Humans regardless of whether you have ties to House
KIUM \W \PM 5IZKPM[ TWVO IOW ZMN]OMM[ ÆMMQVO Tharashk.
a war in the distant land of Sarlona. Over time As a Marcher, a critical question is whether
the two cultures merged, forming the Marches as you have ties to one of the orc tribes or the
\PMa M`Q[\ \WLIa integrated clans.
<PM 5IZKPM[ PIL TQ\\TM KWV\IK\ _Q\P /ITQNIZ WZ The Clans blend the traditions of human and
the east until a few hundred years ago, when a orc, building towns and working with steel. They
0W][M ;Q^Q[ M`XMLQ\QWV UILM \_W LQ[KW^MZQM[" \PM still rely on skilled hunters, and they have their
region contained valuable dragonshards, and a own unique traditions of art and music. Rangers,
number of clans had manifested the Dragonmark rogues, and bards all have a place in the clans,
of Finding. This led to the foundation of House and there are gatekeeper druids among them.
Tharashk, as these clans joined together to Some in the clans worship a limited form of the
master the economic potential of their mark and Sovereign Host focused on Balinor, Boldrei, and
leverage their mineral wealth. Arawai; this is a sound path for a Nature cleric.
The Shadow Marches aren’t a nation. No one The Tribes maintain traditions that
voice speaks for the clans and tribes, and most predate humanity. They’re nomadic hunter-
of the tribes have no interest in dealing with gatherers, and don’t work metals; they make
outsiders. House Tharashk is the largest faction their tools from stone, hide, wood, and bone.
in the region, and their city of Zarash’ak is the Tribal Marchers are mostly orcs, but there
center for commerce. are a few humans and half-orcs among them.
House Tharashk is the main point of contact <ZQJIT 5IZKPMZ[ IZM ÅMZKM _IZZQWZ[ IVL [SQTTML
between the Shadow Marches and the outside hunters with a close bond to the natural world;
world. Tharashk aside, it remains a collection barbarians, druids, and rangers all have a place
of tribes and cultists following their ancient here. Outlander and hermit are both appropriate
traditions in the shadows of the swamps. backgrounds for a tribal Marcher.
34 CHAPTER 2 | THE SHADOW MARCHES
