Eberron Character Options — page 20
Eberron Character Options rules and reference.
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Lea Ving The Mr Or Holds
d8 Reason for Leaving A feud with a rival clan has gotten out of hand, and it's best that you spend a few decades away from the Holds while things cool down. 2 You come from a large family and ther e's no room for you to shin e in your hold, so you hope to make a name for your self in the wider world. 3 Your clan has arranged your marria ge and your futur e, and you've decide d to have a few adventu res before you settle down. 4 You'r e pursu ing a vendetta with a perso nal rival, seeking to defeat them either in battle or in bus iness. 5 You' re sear ching for a leg endary dwarven artifact, stolen centuries ago by a Karrn ish noble. 6 You want to assemble champions who can help you explore the ancient ruins beneath your ancestral home. 7 You've rejected your clan's attitude toward dael kyr magic, earn ing the enmi ty of powerful dwarves. 8 You want to under stand how the other peoples of Khor vaire- especial ly the gobl ins and ores-have fought the dael kyr.
Dwarves Of The Five Nations
Dwarves are spread across Khorvaire. Dwarf soldiers and engineers were part of the armies that united the Five Nations, and dwarf masons laid the foundations of the greatest cities of Galifar. Traditionally loyal to family and clan, dwarves who were born outside the Mror Holds tend to transfer their fierce clan loyalty to their new homes-and particularly to the edifices of stonework that symbolize the permanence and stability of those places.
A Brelish dwarf might feel a deep, personal connection to the towers of Sharn or the great walls of Wroat; some dwarves love the great Cathedral of the Silver Flame in Thrane more than devout followers of the Silver Flame. Ultim ately, the typical dwarf in wider Khorvaire is more patriotic than the average human of the Five Nations, and man y dwarves fought for their nations in the Last War, at least for a time. When creating a dwarf character from the Five Nations, consider both your national loyalty and the role your family plays in your life. Do you live near family?
What kind of work do your closest family members pursue, and is that reflected in the background you choose? Are you close to your relatives, or have you had a falling out? Did you lose kin in the Last War?
Dwarves And Drag On Marks
The Mark of Warding appears on dwarves of House Kundarak, which had its origins as one of the clans of the Mror Holds. Kundarak dwarves live across Khorvaire while maintaining close ties to the Mror Holds and their loyalty to the house over any particular nation. In addition to providing all manner of security, House Kundarak dominates Khorvaire's banking industry. As a dragonmarked house, it is obliged to remain neutral in the politics of all nations, including its homeland. As a result, Clan Kundarak is no longer represented on the Iron Council that rules the Mror Holds.
However, it wields an influence over the other clans that reflects its wealth and its status in the world beyond the Holds, and the voice of Kundarak members arguing against the use of daelkyr magic carries significant weight.
Elves
Put Up Your Swords And Talk Of Peace, Or Hide
behind your walls of stone. When the host of Valenar thunders forth, neither will save you. -Shaeras Vadallia, High King ofValenar Tens of thousands of years ago, the elves of the distant continent of Xen'drik rose up against the giants who ruled over them. This rebellion is the defining event in elf history. As the ancient war progressed, the magebreeders of the giants bound magic into the elves who remained loyal to them, forming the drow-assassins bred to prey on their other kin.
Ultimately, the elves fled from Xen'drik and settled the island nation of Aerenal, where they split into two distinct cultures: the introspective Aereni and the warlike Tairnadal. Thus, a war nearly forty thousand years ago established the pattern of how elves live today. Neither the Aereni nor the Tairnadal (which include the elves of Valenar) have much interest in human activities, but small numbers of elves have imm igrated to Khorvaire over the centuries and have more or less integrated with the cultures of the Five Nations. The drow, though, are virtually unknown on Khorvaire.
As a whole, elves are driven by tradition and respect for the past. Where humans value innovation, elves strive to master and perfect the techniques of their ancestors over the course of studies lasting centuries. Elf society has changed little over the last five thousand years, while Khorvaire is constantly evolving. Whatever the origin of your elf character , consider your relationship wit.h the past: Do you value the traditions of your ancestors? Or do you fear that your people are too mired in the past, and need to find a way to adapt and move forward?
Hi Gh El Ve S: The Aereni
For thousands of years, the island nation of Aerenal has been ruled and protected by the godlike power of the Undying Court, a council of undead high elves. The greatest heroes of the Aereni join the Undying Court after death, joining their heroic ancestors in immortali ty. The Aereni are isolationists who have little interest in the world beyond their island. The Five Nations area place of chaos and war, so why would any sensible elf venture into that madness? As you make an Aereni elf character, decide what has caused you to leave your island home and the protection of the Undying Court in order to wander the world.
Are you in search of a power that could earn you your place in the Undying Court? Have you been given a quest by one of your own deathless ancestors? Or are you an exile, banished from your homeland for some crime against your people's rulers?