Eberron: The Grey Sea

Welcome to Khorvaire

Intrigue, magical technology, airships, and noir; these are all things that you can expect to find in the continent of Khorvaire, where this campaign is set. This site is pretty much just a lore dump and background information for you guys to use when making characters and backstories if you are so inclined. You don't need to know all of this by heart, but if you're curious about the setting then this is a good place to get a feel of what you can expect. This is a rather weird and out-there setting, and tends to deviate a lot from fantasy tropes found in the Forgotten Realms, Faerun, and a lot of Homebrew settings. If you are familiar with Eberron, then you should know that I am changing some of the cosmology and history of the setting to better work with the story, so this isn't exactly set in cannon Eberron.

The quick and dirty summary of this world is that a few years ago the Last War, a horrible and bloody civil war that lasted for 100 years, came to an end. What used to be a united empire of the mortal races has devolved into twelve squabbling countries that have reached a tenuous and uneasy peace. What ended the war was the complete destruction of the thirteenth country, Cyre, which was wiped off the map overnight by mysterious means. What is left of the once prosperous nation is a sea of dense fog that hides ruined cities and bizarre aberrations. Ten years later, the world is at peace . But tensions are high, and people around the continent fear that the slightest spark could ignite another terrible conflict.

If you want to know more about the setting, different houses, Dragonmarks, or countries, I would highly recommend reading up on them on the Eberron Wiki or finding a lore video on Youtube. I am a personal fan of WebDM for information. There is so much to this setting that it would take me ages to detail it all, so you might want to do research of your own when writing a backstory.

Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber: The Draconic Prophecy

Eons before the world was born, there were three dragons: Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber. According to legend, these three beings came together to form the world, using their incredible power to create reality from the empty void of space. However, once the world was near completion, Khyber betrayed the his siblings, seeking to take creation and the world for himself. He tore the body of Siberys apart and scattered the shards of the body, forming a ring around the planet. Eberron, shocked by her brother's betrayal, fought back against Khyber, eventually defeating him and sealing him away deep in the bowels of the Abyss. Her body formed the earth and waters of the planet which eventually gave birth to every race, and thus the world was named after her sacrifice.

The bodies of the three dragons, broken and shattered, were scattered across the world. These fragments have come to be known as dragonshards, fragments of incredible magical power. Shards of Siberys formed the glowing ring of crystals that surrounds the planet, occasionally falling down to earth. Eberron's shards are found in mines and rock in the mountains. Khyber shards are the most rare of the three, and are found deep within the twists and turns of the massive subterranean beneath the world.

Enraged by his defeat and the destruction of his body, Khyber created the Demon Lords, who conquered the surface word for thousands of years. However, the race of dragons discovered the the Progenitor Dragons had hidden the blueprints of creation throughout Eberron deep within the patterns of rock and locked away in forgotten temples. Naming their discovery The Draconic Prophecy, the dragons drove the Demon Lords and their legions back into the Abyss, leaving the world in control of the mortal races.

The Last War

The Five Kingdoms of Aundair, Breland, Cyre, Thrane, and Karrnath were once united as the Kingdom of Galifar, ruled by the Royal Galifar line. Under their rule, Khorvaire saw a time of peace and prosperity that lasted for hundreds of years. However, 112 years ago, the most recent king, King Jarot passed. The oldest child was poised to take the throne, when her other four siblings began to claim that the throne was theirs. The kingdom shattered soon after, and Khorvaire descended into a bloody succession war.

This war would become known as the Last War, and would last for 100 years, with no country being able to get a decisive advantage on the others. In the midst of the war, parts of the countries were able to splinter away and formed new countries, such as the monstrous nation of Droaam or the Druidic tribes of the Eldeen Reaches. Near the end of the war, thirteen countries now occupied Khorvaire.

The end of the war came with the destruction of Cyre. Ten years ago, the proud nation of Cyre vanished overnight, all that remained was a mist-filled wasteland. Everyone who was near the epicenter of whatever caused this destruction vanished without a trace. Others in the surrounding area perished in the mists. To this day no one knows what happened to Cyre, and the area that is now known as the Mournlands,

With Cyre refugees flooding into Breland and every nation shocked by the complete destruction of Cyre, a cease fire was called. Soon after, The Treaty of Thronehold was signed, and the Last War finally ended. The Warforged, living constructs designed to be soldiers in the Last War, were given the same rights as all mortal races. But tensions amongst the other nations remains high, and things are only getting worse.

Dragonmarks and the Great Houses

The Dragonmarks are mysterious, tattoo-like, birth marks that appear on certain races throughout Eberron. These marks allow the user to produce certain magical effects or have certain talents. Bearers of the Mark of Healing can mend wounds with just a touch, and those with the Mark of Hospitality can run an inn better than anyone else. As they are hereditary, these marks are limited to the relatives of the twelve Great Houses. The Great Houses have a near monopoly on a specific industry, as their unique abilities make them exceptionally good at one specific task. The Great Houses and their marks are:

The Mark of Detection (House Medani, half-elf)
The Mark of Finding (House Tharashk, half-orc, human)
The Mark of Handling (House Vadalis, human)
The Mark of Healing (House Jorasco, halfling)
The Mark of Hospitality (House Ghallanda, halfling)
The Mark of Making (House Cannith, human)
The Mark of Passage (House Orien, human)
The Mark of Scribing (House Sivis, gnome)
The Mark of Sentinel (House Deneith, human)
The Mark of Shadow (House Phiarlan and House Thuranni, elf)
The Mark of Storm (House Lyrandar, half-elf)
The Mark of Warding (House Kundarak, dwarf)
The Mark of Death (House Vol) (elf, currently "lost")

House Vol, the original thirteenth house and the bearers of the Mark of Death, were destroyed 500 years ago by the other houses during the War of the Mark. The leaders of Vol were discovered experimenting with fusions of different creatures, creating the only known hybrid of an elf and a dragon. The other houses were appalled by these pursuits, and thus House Vol was erased. In the aftermath of the Last War, the Great Houses have drastically increased their power and control over the continent, despite their history of remaining neutral in politics.

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