At a glance, the inhabitants of Dolurrh’s Dawn can fit into any village in the Five Nations. While mostly human, the village has a scattering of other races, including a handful of dwarves, elves, gnomes, and even orcs, spread among the community. Most are dressed in homespun clothing, and the calluses and dirt on their skin tell the tale of their struggle to survive. They are all roughly the same age, once racial deviation is taken into account; the humans are in their mid- to late-twenties, with the other races at an age that would bring them to a similar level of maturity. But there are no village elders and no children—and so far, only one pregnancy (that of Aundair Wynarn). The people know absolutely nothing about the outside world. Those few who have set out in search of a greater civilization have never returned; presumably they fell prey to the many dangers of the Forest of Flesh or the equally hostile environs of Droaam. As a result, a number of theories are circulating around the village. Some believe that this is a form of afterlife. Those who have memories of arcane lore believe they have been transported to another plane of existence—either the madness of Xoriat or a sort of Quori dreamscape. In any case, all the villagers are surprised and thrilled to encounter travelers from the outside world. Some might treat strangers with suspicion, fearing that this is a trick of the forest, but the majority begs for tales of the world beyond the woods and anything that can fill the gaps in their memories
Most of what the villagers know comes to them as instinct. Aside from their names, most of them have only vague memories of their former lives, glimpses seen in half-remembered dreams. Malleon is a brutal soldier, but he doesn’t remember how he learned to use the greataxe; likewise, he remembers nothing about Lhazaar, but he feels a basic loyalty toward her. The dwarves in the village have rallied around Kordran Mror. The Wynarns know from their family name and broad physical resemblance that they must be related, but they don’t know exactly how; lacking any evidence to the contrary, they’ve assumed that they are all siblings or cousins. If the PCs reveal the true relations between these people—including the fact that Karrn is a distant ancestor of Galifar—it could improve relations, or it could make them much worse.
Here are a few of the more remarkable inhabitants of the village.
Galifar Wynarn (male human warlord). This is Galifar I, the man who united the Five Nations and created a kingdom that lasted for a thousand years. Even in this village of generals and kings, his charisma and ingenuity are truly remarkable. Galifar brought order after the villagers first awoke, and he coordinated the construction of the stockade wall. He has become the de facto leader of Dolurrh’s Dawn, but many envy his influence, especially Karrn, Dorius, and Malleon.
Ashalyn Vol (female elf cleric). An Aereni necromancer born five thousand years ago, Ashalyn laid many of the cornerstones of the faith that has evolved into the modern Blood of Vol. While a cleric, she was once also a wizard who possessed knowledge of a vast array of rituals, especially those involving necromantic magic. Either she doesn’t remember her past . . . or she’s choosing to hide it from her companions.
Aundair Wynarn (good female human wizard). A daughter of Galifar Wynarn, Aundair was one of the greatest wizards in Galifar’s army. Kind and gentle by nature, she is working with Ashalyn and Dorius to try to reconstruct their memories of magical rituals. She and Cael Vadallia fell in love, and Aundair is six months pregnant with Cael’s child . . . which could be the first half-elf in Dolurrh’s Dawn.
Cael Vadallia (good male elf ranger). A legendary Tairnadal archer from the Age of Giants, and a distant ancestor of the current high king of Valenar, Cael Vadallia is also a skilled hunter. He has used his talents as a bowyer and fletcher to craft weapons for the village. A noble soul, he instinctively despises cruelty and tyranny and dislikes Karrn and Malleon.
Dorius Alyre Korran (evil male gnome wizard). The founder of the Library of Korranberg and a brilliant scholar, Dorius plays the part of a kindly arcane sage. However, behind this mask he is a greedy schemer who seeks personal power. He won’t challenge Galifar openly, but he is quietly using Karrn and Malleon to undermine Galifar’s influence
Kaius Wynarn I (male human warlord). Kaius is the son of Jarot Wynarn, and he is the leader who rebelled against Mishann of Cyre and instituted the harsh Code of Kaius in Karrnath. Some PCs might know that Kaius I exists as a vampire in Khorvaire; this reborn Kaius is drawn from the point the current Kaius “died,” and he is neither as dark nor as ruthless as his later self. He is a proud man who cares deeply about the safety of the people of the village, and he has become the “innkeeper” of the Sunrise tavern, where he tends to the daily needs of the villagers. Currently he is a strong supporter of Galifar, but he is growing closer to Ashalyn Vol. If Ashalyn recreates the rituals of the Blood of Vol, perhaps Kaius will become a vampire once more!
Karrn (evil male human warlord). The founder of Karrnath, Karrn the Conqueror is a brilliant tactical warlord. His flaws are his cruelty and his ego, and these have kept the other villagers from turning to him for leadership. He is deeply jealous of Galifar, but as a tactician he realizes that the village can’t afford to lose such a skilled man. Nonetheless, he often challenges Galifar’s decisions, and this tension will only grow over time
Kordran Mror (lawful good male dwarf). Kordran is the greatest king of the dwarven nation that once lay below the Ironroot Mountains—a nation destroyed long ago by the daelkyr. Kordran is a calm, wise person and has chosen to support Galifar. He is a skilled smith and has created both weapons and tools for the community; now they are in desperate need of ore.
Jarot Wynarn (male human fighter). The last king of the united Galifar, Jarot is the weakest of the Wynarns in all senses of the word. His greatest flaw is his paranoia, and he will be the first to accuse PCs of treachery or deception. He is a skilled siege engineer and helps to maintain the village walls.
Jhazalaen Elorrenthi (female elf ranger). An ancestor of the elves who would eventually form House Phiarlan, Jhazalaen is a battle dancer who supposedly blinded a king of the giants with her graceful motions and flashing blades. In addition to hunting the beasts of the forest, Jhazalaen entertains the villagers with her dazzling performances.
Lhazaar (evil female human rogue). Lhazaar is the explorer and pirate queen who led the first great wave of humanity to Khorvaire. The circumstances of her death remain a mystery, since her flagship disappeared in a great storm. Lhazaar is inquisitive and charismatic, with some of the talents of a warlord supporting her deadly skill with her blades. She is intrigued by Galifar and so far she has chosen not to oppose him; however, this could easily change. She is one of the most active explorers in the villager and knows much about the Forest of Flesh.
Malleon Kas (evil male human fighter). During Lhazaar’s colonization of Khorvaire, Malleon earned the sobriquet “the Reaver” due to his brutal slaughter of the native goblinoids. He is a giant of a man, possessing immense strength and a fearsome glare. Though he lacks the memories of his past, he is devoted to Lhazaar; however, she is more interested in Galifar. Malleon would love to see Galifar slain and Lhazaar in his place. Malleon is a vicious bigot and despises all nonhumans.
Rasha’Torrn (good female orc). The Gatekeeper druids brought an end to the incursion of Xoriat into Eberron, and Rasha’Torrn brought the druids together for that final ritual. She has yet to regain access to her mystical powers, and many of the villagers distrust her because of her race. Nonetheless, she is wise and a skilled healer, with great knowledge of the natural world.
Sasselassum (male halfling rogue). Born in the Talenta Plains thousands of years ago, Sasselassum is a trickster whose deeds are the stuff of hundreds of Talentan folktales. Though clever and experienced in the ways of the natural world, Sasselassum is impulsive; his curiosity and impetuous nature often get him into trouble.
Talas Thorn (male human). Talas is a priest of the Sovereign Host, born in Sharn in the year 687 YK. He is friendly enough and a talented healer, but otherwise unremarkable—a man who left no mark on history. However, many remarkable events occurred during his lifetime . . . could it be that his role in them was never discovered? Was he one of the worst serial killers in Sharn’s history? Was he a secret servant of the Traveler, or an agent of the Lords of Dust? Or is he just the kind priest he appears to be?
These are just a few possibilities. Many other historical figures could be interesting. Aeren, the prophet who led the elves away from Xen’drik. Aaren d’Cannith, creator of the warforged. Tira Miron, the founder of the modern Church of the Silver Flame. Halas Tarkanan, greatest leader of the aberrant forces in the War of the Mark. Erandis d’Vol, last scion of the Mark of Death. A lycanthrope from the time of the Silver Purge. Beyond this, many other people whose role in history is unknown, like Talas Thorn, could be here. Another option is to have a few people whose only real significance appears to be their connection to the player characters. The wife of the PC fighter, who was slain during the Last War. The party’s favorite innkeeper, who was killed during a bar brawl with the enemies of the PCs. Why would Mordain choose to resurrect a simple innkeeper? Is this entire experiment being conducted for the benefit of the PCs? Or is there an important secret about the innkeeper (he’s an Inspired plant; an agent of the Chamber; last member of an exotic bloodline) the PCs never discovered?