Eberron - Rising from the Last War

�08

CYRE AND THE WORLD

Cyrans maintain that they alone were in the right during

the Last War, which began when the other nations

refused to acknowledge the Cyran queen's rightful

claim to the throne of Galifar. Proud until the end, Cyre

clashed with all the other nations. Now Cyre is de­

stroyed, and Cyran refugees everywhere are dependent

on the kindness of their former �nemies. But many of

those people believe that Cyre deserves no mercy, and

that the refugees should be treated as enemy combat­

ants rather than offered charity and compassion.

KARRNATH AND THRANE

The enmity between these two nations runs far deeper

and longer than what was wrought by the Last War.

Thrane is the bastion of the Church of the Silver Flame,

while Karrnath resorted to necromancy in the course of

the war. Thranes accuse Karrns of being morally bank­

rupt; Karrns say that the Thranes are arrogant and na­

ive. This long-standing rivalry led to intense conflict in

the early days of the war, and it only grew worse. When

Thrane became a theocracy, Karrns seized on this act

as proof that the nation had abandoned the traditions

of Galifar. When Karrnath integrated undead into its

armies, Thrane swore it would never be at peace with

those who would use such foul magic. Both nations have

accepted the terms of the Treaty of Thronehold, and the

Karrnathi king has forsworn the creation of new undead

soldiers, but the treaty has done nothing to ease the en­

mity between the two.

TuALIOST

The ancient city of Thaliost was once part of Aundair,

and it has many proud ties to the history of that nation.

It was seized by Thrane during the Last War, and the

Treaty of Thronehold ratified its occupation of the

place. Thrane placed an Aundairian archbishop, Solgar

Dariznu, in charge of the city, and it has become a haven

for Aundairian followers of the Silver Flame. But many

of its citizens consider themselves to be Aundairians,

and many prominent citizens of Aundair are putting

great pressure on Queen Aurala to retake the city. The

tension has been exacerbated by Archbishop Dariznu,

who has taken brutal action to suppress Aundairian op­

position to Thrane's occupation of the city.

VA LEN AR

The elves ofValenar have broken the terms of the Treaty

of Thronehold on several occasions. They regularly

antagonize their neighbors, raiding and provoking ev­

eryone in reach of their war bands; some independent

war bands have even crossed the Talenta Plains to raid

across the borders of Karrnath and Q'barra. High King

Vadallia insists that these are the actions of individual

soldiers, but he refuses to take action against the perpe­

trators. Some scholars believe Vadallia and the Valenar

are trying to provoke a full-scale conflict-by the stric­

tures of their religion they don't want to be conquerors,

but they want a powerful enemy to attack their nation. If

this hypothesis is true, they might continue to escalate

their activity until Karrnath or another powerful nation

is forced to react.

CHAPTER 4 I BUILDING EBERRON ADVENTURES

Though the Valenar regularly raid their neighbors,

these attacks rarely target civilians. The elves aren't

interested in wealth or territory; they are looking for

challenging battles. They might attack military outposts,

patrols, adventurers, or other brigands-any force that

seems like it could put up a good fight.

EVERYDAY IMPACT

There's no place in Khorvaire that escaped the Last War

unscathed. Even villages that were never attacked lost

their children to conscription or suffered from short­

ages. Some towns far from the front lines suffered dam­

age from long-distance magic weapons or terror attacks.

Any time you are setting a scene, you could add some

element that speaks to the ongoing impact of the Last

War. The Everyday Impact table offers some suggestions

for these elements.

EVERYDAY IMPACT

d6 Impact

A supply shortage is causing tension in the commu­

nity. This shortage could be of a basic commodity

(such as bread), a luxury item (such as wine), or an

important service.

2 Demonstrators in the streets are protesting against

refugees or warforged, urging a return to war, com­

plaining about shortages or neglect, or drawing atten­

tion to the needs of veterans, refugees, or others.

3 A disabled veteran shares war stories while begging

for copper.

4 A crowd has gathered around two people engaged in

a heated discussion about the war.

5 A street vendor is selling unusual souvenirs from the

war-pieces of a warforged titan, shards of an airship,

and other curiosities.

6 A memorial has been raised to commemorate mem­

bers of the community lost in the war.

THE COLD WAR

No one knows what caused the Mourning, and the fear

of repeating this cataclysm-not the Treaty of Throne­

hold-is what keeps potential combatants at bay. No one

is happy with the outcome of the war, but no one dares

to continue fighting, since all believe that renewed full­

scale conflict could result in utter destruction. That said,

the general belief is that the mystery of the Mourning

will eventually be solved. Either someone will learn how

to control the power that caused the Mournland, or the

precise cause will be determined and people will be able

to tell if it still poses a threat.

Many people truly hope that the Last War will live up

to its name forever. But others prepare for more war

even as they pursue peace. First and foremost, every

nation wants to unravel the mystery of the Mourning; a

nation that could learn how to use this power would be

unstoppable. Other forces are searching for weapons or

forgotten powers that could turn the tide if another war

breaks out. Adventurers could find themselves racing

through ruins in Xen'drik, trying to destroy a weapon of