Page 15 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

of mist, and anything caught within the mists was horrif­ prefer not to dwell on such things? If you're religious,
ically transformed. Over a million Cyrans were killed on did the shocking tragedy of the Mourning cause you to
the day of Mourning. Those who survived were soldiers question your faith, or did it reinforce it? If you're an
fighting in enemy territory, those living on the borders artificer or a wizard, are you interested in studying its
who were able to flee from the advancing mists, and effects more closely. Might you even hope to unravel its
those few who were able to escape the interior through mysteries yourself? Do you see it solely as a tragedy, or
magical means. On 20 Olarune 994 YK, the nation of do you hope that this awesome power could somehow
Cyre ceased to exist. be harnessed?
The Mourning threw Khorvaire into a state of shock. Perhaps you were caught in the Mourning and sur­
Who could unleash such power? Was this a weapon, vived the experience, but its effects remain with you.
and if so, when would those responsible issues their de­ Consider the following aftereffects of your experience:
mands? Were the borders of the lingering walls of mist • As a barbarian, you could have been a simple peasant
stable, or could they expand at any moment? What was caught in the Mourning. Everyone else in your com­
to be done with the Cyran refugees surging into every munity was killed, but their spirits were bound to you.
adjacent nation? Fear of the Mourning ended the war. Your barbarian rage represents you channeling these
But all those questions remain unanswered. vengeful ghosts. Is there a way to lay these spirits to
Breland opened its borders to refugees, and Prince rest? Do they have unfinished business they want you
Oargev serves as de facto ruler in the area now called to resolve?
New Cyre. Despite its grand name, New Cyre is little • As a sorcerer, your magical powers could be the result
more than a vast refugee camp. Other refugees scat­ of your exposure to the Mourning. Were you physi­
tered across Khorvaire; some are treated with pity, oth­ cally transformed as well, or are your powers the only
ers with suspicion or anger. And fear of the Mourning manifestation of the Mourning? Are you comfortable
hangs like a shadow across Khorvaire. Could it happen using your abilities, or are you afraid that you might
again? Is this how the world ends? be increasing the power of the Mourning with each

THE MOURNLAND spell you cast?
A wall of dead-gray mist surrounds the remnants of • As a warlock, your patron could be interested in the
Cyre. Beyond the mists lies a land twisted by magic, a Mourning and drive you to learn more about it. Your
patron could even be part of the Mourning-perhaps
wound that will not heal. The blasted land is strangely a collective of spirits killed on the Day of Mourning,
transformed. In some places, the ground has fused into
jagged glass. In others, it is cracked and burned. Broken or a dark and enigmatic power that might have been
bodies of soldiers from various sides litter the land­ responsible for this tragedy. If you take the latter ap­
scape-soldiers whose dead bodies refuse to decom­ proach, do you feel that by using your warlock magic
pose. The Mournland is a vast open grave. you are serving the Mourning? Or do you believe
In that horrific landscape, vile magical effects linger, that you siphon power from it and weaken it with
and monsters mutate into even more foul and horrible your actions?
creatures. Magical effects continue to rain upon the land • As a member of an unusual race, you could say that
as storms that never dissipate. Stories speak of living you are actually a creation of the Mourning. Perhaps
spells-war magic that has taken physical form, sentient your dragonborn was an actual dragon transformed
fireballs and vile cloudkills that endlessly search for on the day of Mourning. Or maybe your tiefling is
new victims. And angry ghosts continue to fight their touched by the dark power of the Mourning instead of
final battles. by an infernal power.
The only thing predictable about the Mournland is WHAT CAUSED THE MOURNING?
that nothing is predictable; any sort of monster or horror A DM running an Eberron campaign can decide the
could lurk within its borders. And yet it also holds the cause of the Mourning or leave it as a mystery that will
wealth and treasures of an entire nation, along with the never be solved. People in Eberron have many theories
secrets of House Cannith and everything else that was about the cause of the Mourning. It's up to the DM to de­
left behind. It's dangerous. It's mysterious. But it's also cide if any of them are correct:
a dungeon the size of a nation, with opportunities for
those brave enough to enter the mists. • The Mourning was the result of a century of extensive
use of war magic. If the nations continue to use this
THE MOURNING AND You magic, the Mourning will expand.
In making an Eberron character, think about the impact • The dragonmarked House Cannith made a fortune
the Mourning had on you. If you're from Cyre, did you selling magical weapons to all sides during the Last
lose all your family and friends? Are there heirlooms War. The Mourning was caused by research gone
lost in the mists that you're determined to regain, or horribly awry. The secrets can be found in a Cannith
loved ones you hope to someday see again? Do you feel research facility within the Mournland. If this knowl­
loyalty to your nation and hope to see it restored, or have edge could be recovered and refined, it could produce
you burned Cyre out of your heart? a terrifying weapon.
Even if you're not from Cyre, the Mourning may have • The Mourning was triggered by the release of an an­
had a profound impact on you. Are you afraid that the cient demon overlord trapped since the dawn of time.
Mourning could consume all of Khorvaire, or do you This mighty fiend is lurking in the Mournland and
building its power, but soon it will be ready to act.

WELC OME TO EBERRON
14