Setting Vibes
Mid-late victorian, yet still feudal. On the Cusp of an industrial revolution, but with magic instead of machines. Almost everyone can do SOME sort of magic, but very FEW people can do high-level magic.
What makes Eberron unique?
Wide Magic. Science and Technology are synonymous with magic in Eberron, which asks the question "if magic existed, how would we have harnessed it to solve problems?". Magic is pervasive in Eberron, it's present and used in every city in some way. Airships and lightning rails allow for rapid travel, and a working class of mages called Magewrights use magic to provide goods and services.
Religion. The deities of Eberron are intangible, they do not walk the land or take an active role in people's lives. It is debatable whether the gods themselves even exist, as their existence if improvable. This makes faith very important in Eberron, as Divine spellcasters exist despite the lack of evidence of their gods existence. The gods may not manifest in any tangible way, but faith still shapes peoples lives and brings communities together.
Shades of Grey. Everything that can be found in D&D has a place in Eberron, but that place might not be where you expect. Eberron largely does away with fixed alignment, especially for mortal creatures, which are the products of their culture and circumstances more than their ancestry. You can't necessarily assume good or evil intentions or methods based on a creature's appearance, a gold dragon may be evil and a beholder could be a harmless philosopher. Alignment is only a given in the case of celestials, fiends, and certain other creatures who's behaviour is being influenced by magic (such as lycanthropes). Otherwise, there are no biologically evil humanoids, even gnolls (who still have fiendish heritage). Goblins had an empire that spanned the entire continent!
The Last War
For the last century or so a brutal war of succession has wracked the continent of Khorvaire. The Kingdom of Galifar has fallen, the lands that once made it up split between various nations. Almost everyone alive today grew up during the war, and the borders that are in place now are very different to when the war began (even the number of nations has changed dramatically!).
How did the war impact you? Did you fight in it? Did you lose anyone?
The Mourning
The beginning of the end of the war occured when Cyre, the most central of nation, was subject to a mysterious tragedy called the The Mourning. Deadly grey mists spread from some unknown origin point and blanketed the nation, killing or mutating everything caught in its wake and changing the history of the continent forever. The war ended two years later, the question of what caused the Mourning hanging over everyone's heads. That fear keeps the war from beginning again, for now.
It also displaced an entire nation, who are now forced to seek refuge among those they called enemies.
Dragonmarked Houses
The Dragonmarked Houses (click for details) are mega-guild-like organisations founded by people whose bloodlines manifested magical marks on their bodies, granting them inherent magical abilities. Each mark was specific to a bloodline and granted specific abilities, causing those lineages to be on the cutting edge of various industries and technologies that have largely allowed them to form pseudo-monopolies. They are not corporations, though many people treat them as if they are.
Even independent businesses are typically licensed by one of the houses and conform to the standards they set.
Religions
- Sovereign Host. The most common religion on Khorvaire, worshipping a pantheon of 9 gods of civilisation and 6 gods of the wild.
- Church of the Silver Flame. The most common religion in Thrane, but found everywhere. All about defending people from supernatural evil.
- Blood of Vol. A minority religion largely relegated to Karrnath, believes that the gods are either cruel or don't exist, so we have to help each other. They believe everyone has a spark of divinity within them. Known for use of necromancy.
- Cults of the Dragon Below. A blanket term for all manner of cults worshipping dark powers. You can altruistically feed your nan to a gibbering pile of flesh and teeth.
Nations of Khorvaire
The Last War split apart the Kingdom of Galifar. The Five Nations are those are correspond to the 5 Provinces of Galifar, and most closely match the culture of the Kingdom of Galifar. The Greater Khorvaire nations are those that emerged during the war, and they tend to be more varied in culture and traditions.
- Aundair. One of the Five Nations. The most magical of the nations, ruled by Queen Aurala and her council. Has a wizard school.
- Breland. One of the Five Nations. Very industrial. Has a King and a Parliament, and is known for corruption. Has the highest concentration of Cyran refugees.
- Cyre. Once One of the Five Nations, was the cultural center of Galifar. Now a nation-sized ruin.
- Darguun. Nation of Goblinoids who seceded from Cyre during the war. Warlords lead clans of goblinoids, who all answer to the high warlord.
- Droaam. Nation of Monsters, ruled by a trio of hags. If Khorvaire asks "what would a society with magic look like?", Droaam asks "what does a society of monsters actually look like?"
- Eldeen Reaches. Ancient woodlands ruled by druids (the leader of which is a tree). Used to be part of Aundair, seceded during the war.
- Karrnath. One of the Five Nations. Gothic vibes. During the war, they turned to necromancy after suffering a famine.
- Lhazaar Principalities. Collection of island states ruled by pirates.
- Mror Holds. Home of the Dwarves, controlled by a council. Seceded from Karrnath during the war.
- Q'barra. A Nation built in the jungle by Ex-Cyrans. Heavy themes of colonialism, as the jungle was already inhabited by lizardfolk.
- Shadow Marches. Bogs and Swamps, homeland of the Orcs. Has no real central government, as the various tribes are largely independent, but the largest settlement is run by House Tharashk.
- Talenta Plains. Nomadic halflings riding dinosaurs.
- Thrane. One of the Five Nations. Center of the Church of the Silver Flame and a theocracy.
- Valenar. Elves from another continent who travelled as mercenaries, stole the land from Cyre during the war. Constantly picking fights with its neighbours.
- Zilargo. Home to the Gnomes. A surveillance state where gnomes have turned espionage into an art form.
Ancestries Unique to Eberron
Most ancestries you can find in D&D can also be found in Eberron, but the following ancestries are unique to Eberron.
- Changeling. Shapeshifting humanoids, basically weaker doppelgangers.
- Kalashtar. Humans who became bonded with psychic spirits called Quori 1800 years ago, becoming something new.
- Shifter. Humanoids with bestial features, which reflect their inner beast. Inner beasts reflect their personality, and are not hereditary.
- Warforged. Artificial constructs created by House Cannith and used as soldiers in the war. Now that the war is over, they have to find a new identity and way of life.