Page 6 - Eberron -Rising from the Last War_Neat

2. Dragonmarked Dynasties. The great dragonmarked merged with human hosts, giving them telepathic
families are the barons of industry and commerce abilities. Shifters developed from the mixing of hu­
throughout Khorvaire and beyond. Their influence mans and lycanthropes, a union that grants them lim­
transcends political boundaries, and they remained ited bestial abilities and feral instincts. The warforged
mostly neutral during the Last War. Not technically are a constructed race created during the Last War,
citizens of any nation, the matriarchs and patriarchs seeking to find its place in a post-war world.
of each house live in splendor within their enclaves 7. Dl9-D with a T w ist. Every race, monster, spell, and
and emporiums located throughout Khorvaire. These magic item in the Player's Handbook, Dungeon
dynastic houses of commerce derive their power from Master's Guide, and Monster Manual has a place
dragonmarks-hereditary arcane sigils that manifest somewhere in Eberron, but it might not be the place
on certain individuals within the family, granting you expect. Eberron has a unique spot in the D&D
them limited but useful magical abilities associated multiverse, and many familiar elements of the game
with the trade guilds each family controls. play different roles in the world. In particular, mortal
3. Lands oflntrigue. The war is over, and the nations creatures are products of culture and circumstances,
of Khorvaire now try to build a new age of peace and rather than the direct influence of the gods. As a re­
prosperity. Ancient threats linger, however, and the sult, you can't assume that a gold dragon is good or a
world needs heroes to take up the cause. Nations beholder is evil; only in the case of celestials, fiends,
compete on many levels-over economic dominance, and certain other creatures whose identity and world­
political influence, territory, magical power, and view are shaped by magic (such as the curse of lycan­
more-each looking to maintain or improve its status thropy) is alignment a given.
by any means short of all-out war. Dragonmarked
houses, churches both pure and corrupt, crime lords, H I STORY OF E B E R R ON
monster gangs, psionic spies, arcane universities,
secret societies, sinister masterminds, dragons, and Every child knows the story of the Progenitor Dragons:
a multitude of organizations and factions join the Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber. In the dawn of time,
struggle for position and power in the aftermath of these three cosmic beings created thirteen planes of
the Last War. existence, each embodying a concept. Their final work
4. A Continent of Adventure. From the jungles of was the Material Plane, where all ideas would become
Q'barra to the blasted hills and valleys of the Demon manifest: a realm that could know war and peace, life
Wastes, from the skyscrapers of Sham to the dino­ and death, order and chaos. But cruel Khyber sought
saur-filled Talenta Plains, Eberron is a world of ad­ ultimate dominion over this new reality. She struck Sib­
venture. Adventures can draw heroes from one exotic erys without warning and tore him apart. Eberron wres­
location to another across the continent of Khorvaire. tled with Khyber and bound the traitor in her coils but
The quest for the Mirror of the Seventh Moon might could not defeat her. So Eberron became a living prison,
a world that would forever contain Khyber's evil.
take the heroes from a hidden mountain shrine in
Almost every culture in the world shares this story as
Darguun to a ruined castle in the Shadow Marches a myth that explains the world. Shattered Siberys be­
and finally to a dungeon deep below the Library of
Korranberg. Through the use of magical transporta­ came the ring of golden dragonshards wrapped around
the planet, said to be the source of magic. Eberron is
tion, heroes can reach a wide range of environments the world, the source of all natural life. And Khyber is
over the course of an adventure, and thus deal with a
diverse assortment of monsters and other challenges. the Underdark and the source of aberrations and fiends,
5. A World of Magic. The technology of Eberron has forever struggling against her bonds and yearning to de­
developed not through the advance of science but by stroy the world above.
the mastery of magic. The widespread use of magic Another tale shared across cultures describes one
pervades life in the cities and towns. Airships and more conflict that occurred in the first age of the world.
rail transport make rapid travel across the continent Long ago, powerful archfiends known as the Overlords
possible. A working class of minor mages, called and their armies of rakshasa and lesser fiends domi­
magewrights, uses spells to provide energy and other nated Eberron. Forces of light-some versions of the
necessities. Advances in magic item creation have led story say the nine gods of the Sovereign Host, others
to everything from self-propelled farming implements say an alliance of dragons and celestials-eventually
to sentient, free-willed beings created in artificers' defeated the Overlords. But these fiends couldn't be de­
forges. With the aid of rare crystals called dragon­ stroyed; instead, their immortal essences were bound in
shards, dragonmarks can be made more powerful, el­ Khyber. Whatever the true details of this tale, this much
ementals can be controlled and harnessed, and magic is true: if the Overlords ever break their bonds, the con­
items can be crafted and shaped. sequences would be catastrophic.
6. New Races. In addition to the common player charac­ Over the course of millennia, numerous civilizations
ter races found in the Player's Handbook, players can rose only to fall. Giants built mighty kingdoms on the
choose to play ore or goblinoid characters in Eberron. continent of Xen'drik that were devastated by a war
Or they can choose one of four new races: change­ with the dragons of Argonnessen. The goblin empire of
lings, kalashtar, shifters, am;! warforged. Changelings Dhakaan ruled Khorvaire until its reign was shattered
have minor shapechanging abilities similar to those by an invading army of mind flayers, beholders, and the
of doppelgangers. Kalashtar are planar entities foul creatures that created them. Today these civiliza­
tions are known only through the remnants left behind.

W E LCOME TO EB ERRON
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