Eberron Rising From the Last War

whether that's a bard's eloquent persuasion, a wizard's

words of power, or a rogue's careful threat. They give

an initial impression as friendly busybodies, always

ready to lend a hand or share a story, while asking ques­

tions that tend toward the slightly-too-personal. Often,

though, a cheerful and amiable gnome is methodically

adding to a mental storehouse of knowledge that might

one day provide important leverage.

GNOMES OF ZILARGO
To say that every Zil gnome is a ruthless schemer would
be a hurtful exaggeration. Intrigue is the favorite pas­
time of most Zil, though. Every gnome child of Zilargo
is taught to manipulate and deceive, and by the time
they reach adulthood most have been involved in dozens
of schemes and fe uds, some of which persist well into
adulthood. Even a gnome with a good heart and noble
goals-of which there are many-often still prefers to
use trickery and cunning rather than the unreliable
tools of honesty or brute force.
Most Zil gnomes belong to the forest gnome subrace.
Their natural talent for illusion aids them in trickery and
entertaining, and they often use small animals as mes­
sengers and guides.
When you're making a Zil gnome character, consider
what kinds of schemes you or your family might be
involved in. The Zil Schemes table offers some sug­
gestions, but you should feel free to elaborate on these
schemes, even to absurd extremes.

ZIL SCHEMES

dlO Scheme

Yo ur fa mily is working on a new fo rm of elemental

binding, but they need a lot of Khyber dragonshards.

2 You have an anonymous contact who sends you mis­

sions via the sending spell. When you do as you're

asked, you receive handsome rewards.

3 You've inherited a plot of land in Q'barra. If you don't

visit within a year, you'll lose the claim.

4 Due to an unusual twist of Triumvirate law, you share

the same name with a number of other Zil, and you're

all legally considered to be the same person.

5 You've acquired a spe/lshard (described in chapter 5)

that contains a vast amount of text in a strange code.

6 You know the location of a wanted war criminal, and

you've been trying to decide whether to turn them in or

try to get something in exchange for your silence.

7 You've been selling fa lse treasure maps, but now

you've found one that might be real.

8 You've acquired a controlling stake in a dragonshard

mine, which was abandoned long ago. But why? Ko­

bolds? Aberrations? There's only one way to fi nd out!

9 Your family is facing financial ruin, and they've taken

out a life insurance policy on you. It only pays out if

you die under unusual circumstances, and they're en­

couraging you to seek out more dangerous adventures.

10 You're peddling a life -extension scheme where clients

are petrified by a medusa and then restored later.

Additionally, consider your relationship to Zilargo:

why you have left, and what ties do you still have to it?

Yo ur scheme could provide a good reason for you to

leave. Or you could be a sage gathering information

for the Library of Korranberg or an investigator send­

ing stories of your adventures back to the Korranberg

Chronicle. Family is important to the Zil, and you could

be pursuing your family's interests. You could even be

working for the mysterious Trust, the conspiracy behind

the Triumvirate's throne that quietly maintains order

in Zilargo. If you are working for the Trust, you could

have a specific mission, but you could also be a sleeper

agent-gathering information and allies until you're acti­

vated and you are put to your intended use.

Zil Names. Zil society is divided into major houses,

each of which is composed of multiple fa milies. Each

gnome carries the name of a house and of a family in ad­

dition to a personal name. For example, Alina Lorridan

Lyrris and Tallian Talius Lyrris are members of differ­

ent families (Lorridan and Talius) within House Lyrris.

Gnome names are long and lyrical; a Zil proverb claims

"the sweetest song is the name of a friend." Personal

and clan names are usually at least three syllables long,

and there is a strong tradition of alliteration.

GNOMES OF THE FIVE NATIONS

As they have for countless generations, insatiable cu­

riosity and endless opportunity draw gnomes from

Zilargo into the wider lands of Khorvaire. Most of these

dispersed gnomes find new homes and integrate easily

into local cultures. Gnomes can be found in any walk

CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER CREATION

(^23)