The Shattered Land: The Dreaming Dark - Book 2 (56 page)

Mror Holds, The:
A nation of dwarves and gnomes located in the Ironroot Mountains.

Naelan:
A soldier of the Valenar elves, who fought with Daine at Felmar Valley.

Nine, the:
A term used to refer to the nine deities of the Sovereign Host.

Olladra:
The Sovereign of Feast and Fortune, goddess of luck and plenty. Those who follow the Sovereign Host will ask Olladra for aid in risky ventures, and the phrase “Olladra smiles” is used when someone has a stroke of good luck.

Olladra’s Feast:
A holy ritual of the goddess Olladra—a sacred revel that serves as a way of sacrificing food and drink to the goddess.

Onatar:
A deity of the Sovereign Host, Onatar is Lord of Fire and Forge. He is the patron of both smith and artificer, lending skill to those who follow the traditions of old.

Pierce:
A warforged soldier, Pierce was built by House Cannith and sold to the army of Cyre. He was designed to serve as a skirmisher and scout, specializing in ranged combat. His comrades named him based on his skill with his longbow. Following the destruction of Cyre, he has chosen to remain with
Daine
, his last captain.

Qaltiar:
One of the drow tribes of Xen’drik. See Broken Oath.

Queen’s Guard:
One of the titles of the army of Cyre.

Quori:
Common name for someone or something from the plane of Dal Quor. The inhabitants of Dal Quor are spiritual entities that typically appear as nightmarish to human eyes. Many of these spirits take pleasure in shaping human nightmares and preying on dreaming mortals.

Riedra:
The largest country on the continent of Sarlona. Once a collection of warring states, Riedra overcame its internal conflicts only to break all ties with the rest of Eberron. After a thousand years of silence, Riedra is only beginning
to re-establish diplomatic relations with the nations of Khorvaire, and much about the realm remains a mystery.

Saerath:
A wizard who served in the support corps of the Queen’s Guard of Cyre. Saereth served under
Daine
but has not been seen since the Battle of Keldan Ridge.

Sahuagin:
A race of amphibious humanoids that live in the oceans of Eberron. Aggressive sahuagin tribes often attack ships that cross their territory; other sahuagin sell their services as aquatic guides.

Sakhesh, Maru:
The high priest of the Draconist temple in Stormreach.

Sarlona:
One of the continents of Eberron. Humanity arose in Sarlona, and colonists from Sarlona established human civilization on Khorvaire.

Scorpion Wraith:
A sacred warrior of the Qaltiar drow, blessed with the speed and skill of the predator. “Scorpion wraith” translates to “Vulk N’tash” in the tongue of the Qaltiar,

Sentinel Marshals:
The dragonmarked House Deneith is the primary source for mercenary soldiers and bodyguards in Khorvaire. The Sentinel Marshals are a specialized form of mercenary—bounty hunters empowered to enforce the laws of Galifar across Khorvaire. This right was granted by the King of Galifar, but when Galifar collapsed the rulers of the Five Nations agreed to let the Sentinel Marshals pursue their prey across all nations, to maintain a neutral lawkeeping force that would be respected throughout Khorvaire. See
House Deneith
.

Seren:
1) A chain of islands on the west coast of Argonnessen. 2) Common name for someone or something from the Seren Islands.

Shadow Marches, The:
A region of desolate swamps on the southwestern coast of Khorvaire.

Sharn:
The largest city in Khorvaire. Also known as the City of Towers.

Sharn Watch:
The force that maintains order in the city of Sharn. The Watch is spread throughout the city, and each quarter of Sharn has its own garrison. In addition to the main force of guards, there are a number of specialized divisions of the Watch. The Gold Wings provide aerial reconnaissance and support. The Blackened Book deals with magical crimes. The Guardians of the Gate monitor the activities of foreigners. And the Redcloak Battalion are an elite military unit that can be deployed against deadly foes—demons, enemy commandoes, or similar threats.

Shifter:
A humanoid race said to be descended from humans and lycanthropes. Shifters have a feral, bestial appearance and can briefly call on their lycanthropic heritage to draw animalistic characteristics to the fore. While they are most comfortable in natural environs, shifters can be found in most of the major cities of Khorvaire.

Shen’kar:
The commander of one of the scorpion wraith squads of the Qaltiar drow.

Ship’s Cat:
An inn located in the city of Stormreach, owned by the shifter Harysh.

Shira:
A magical intelligence created during an ancient war between the giants of Xen’drik and the plane of Dal Quor.

Siberys:
1) The ring of stones that circle the world. 2) A mythical dragon, also called “The Dragon Above.” Siberys is said to have been destroyed by Khyber. Some believe that the ring of Siberys is the source of all magic. See
Eberron, Khyber
.

Silver Flame, the:
A powerful spiritual force dedicated to cleaning evil influences from the world. Over the last five hundred years, a powerful church has been established around the Silver Flame.

Silverwax:
Wax charged with mystical energy. Silverwax candles are an important component in the creation of many minor magical items.

Sivis, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Scribing.

Skycoach:
A small flying vessel, typically shaped like a rowboat or gondola. The magic that allows a skycoach to fly is tied to the manifest zone around Sharn; as a result, these vehicles will not function far from Sharn, and are only found in the City of Towers.

Smalltooth:
A small carnivorous reptile. Halfling innkeepers often keep smallteeth around to control vermin.

Sovereign:
1) A silver coin depicting a current or recent monarch. A sovereign is worth ten crowns. 2) One of the deities of the Sovereign Host. See
Sovereign Host
.

Sovereign Host, the:
A pantheistic religion with a strong following across Khorvaire.

Stormreach:
The largest human city on the continent of Xen’drik. Once a pirate outpost, this port sees vessels from Khorvaire, Aerenal, and even Sarlona.

Straits of Shargon:
A series of islands and dangerous reefs that lie between Khorvaire and Xen’drik.

Sul’asa:
In the language of the giants, “the Burning Wood.” A region of Xen’drik noted for the fiery color of its foliage.

Sulatar:
One of the drow cultures of Xen’drik. “Sulatar” means “firebinder” in the language of the giants. Thousands of years ago, the Sulatar drow were taught techniques of fire magic by giant wizards, and the dark elves retained much of this knowledge even after the cataclysm that destroyed the giant nations. The Sulatar are deeply religious and believe that their faith will eventually be rewarded with immortality and power with which to conquer all of Eberron.

Tal:
A beverage from the Talenta Plains. Tal was introduced to the Five Nations by the halflings of House Ghallanda. Made by steeping herbs in boiling water, it serves many purposes depending on the herbs that are used. There are dozens of varieties. Milian tal is typically served cold and is said to settle a fever, while blackroot tal is served hot and is a popular midday drink.

Tarkanan, House:
A criminal organization based in Sharn, specializing in theft and assassination. Only people possessing aberrant dragonmarks can join House Tarkanan, and the members of the house are taught to hone these skills to aid in their work. The organization is structured as a mockery of the true dragonmarked houses, in remembrance of the aberrant alliance that arose during the War of the Mark. See
aberrant dragonmark, War of the Mark
.

Tashana:
The implacable enemy of Lakashtai. Tashana is a deadly combatant whose physical skills are enhanced by her mental abilities.

Teeth of the Devourer:
Another name for the Straits of Shargon—specifically, the dangerous reefs and rocks that can shatter a ship’s hull.

Thaask:
A sahuagin guide who sells his services to ships traveling through the Straits of Shargon.

Thrane:
One of the original Five Nations of Galifar, Thrane is the seat of power for the Church of the Silver Flame. During the Last War, the people of Thrane chose to give the church power above that of the throne. Queen Diani ir’Wynarn serves as a figurehead, but true power rests in the hands of the Church, which is governed by the council of cardinals and Jaela Daeran, the young Keeper of the Flame.

Thunder Sea:
The body of water that separates Khorvaire and Xen’drik. The Thunder Sea derives its name from the storms that often ravage the region.

Towers of the Twelve:
A foundation for mystical research and development formed as a joint effort by all of the dragonmarked houses.

Traveler, the:
Loosely aligned with the Dark Six, this deity is the embodiment of intrigue and artifice.

Treaty of Thronehold:
The treaty that ended the Last War.

Tribex:
A large quadruped used as livestock and beasts of burden across much of Khorvaire.

Trolanport:
The capital city of Zilargo.

Tsucora:
The most common order of quori spirit. Tsucoras are said to feed off of the fear and terror of mortal dreamers.

Uul’she:
A scorpion wraith of the Qaltiar drow.

Undersharn:
The tunnels that run below the city of Sharn. In addition to the sewers, Undersharn includes the ruins of older cities built long before Sharn.

Valenar:
1) A nation in southeastern Khorvaire, founded by an army of warrior elves. 2) Common name for someone or something from the Valenar nation.

Vulk N’tash:
See scorpion wraith.

Xen’drik:
A large continent directly south of Khorvaire. Once home to an advanced civilization of giants, Xen’drik was devastated by a terrible cataclysm almost forty thousand years ago. The effects of this magical disaster still linger: space and time are often unpredictable in Xen’drik, and many strange creatures and cultures have appeared in this shattered land.

Xoriat:
Another plane of existence, known as the Realm of Madness.

War of the Mark:
Five hundred years before the creation of Galifar, the dragonmarked families joined forces to eliminate those who possessed aberrant marks. Ultimately the aberrants joined forces and formed an army of their own, under the leadership of Lord Halas Tarkanan and his lover, the Lady of the Plague. Despite Tarkanan’s skill and personal power, his troops were few in number and poorly organized, and he could not stand against the dragonmarked. In the aftermath of the war, the families formally established the first dragonmarked houses. See
aberrant dragonmarks, dragonmarks, dragonmarked houses, House Tarkanan
.

Warforged:
A race of humanoid constructs crafted from wood, leather, metal, and stone, and given life and sentience through magic. The warforged were created by House Cannith, which sought to produce tireless, expendable soldiers capable of
adapting to any tactical situation. Cannith developed a wide range of military automatons, but the spark of true sentience eluded them until 965 YK, when
Aaren d’Cannith
perfected the first of the modern warforged. A warforged soldier is roughly the same shape as an adult male human, though typically slightly taller and heavier. There are many different styles of warforged, each crafted for a specific military function—heavily-armored infantry troops, faster scouts and skirmishers, and many more. While warforged are brought into existence with the knowledge required to fulfill their function, they have the capacity to learn, and with the war coming to a close, many are searching their souls—and questioning whether they have souls—and wondering what place they might have in a world at peace.

Whitehearth:
A House Cannith forgehold in Cyre. Presumed destroyed in the Mourning.

Xu’sasar:
A scorpion wraith of the Qaltiar drow.

Xuxajor:
A warrior of the Sulatar drow.

Yao:
A Goblin affirmation. Usually combined with a name or title; “yao’lhesh” roughly translates to “Yes, sir!”

YK:
Most of the nations of Khorvaire make use of the calendar of Galifar. The current date is reckoned from the birth of the Kingdom of Galifar, in the Year since the founding of the Kingdom, or more simply, YK.

Zil:
Common name for someone or something from Zilargo.

Zilargo:
A nation on the southern coast of Khorvaire. The homeland of the gnomes.

Zulaje:
The war leader of the Sulatar drow.

Keith Baker discovered D
UNGEONS
& D
RAGONS
^®
in elementary school, and this was the beginning of a lifelong interest in games of all sorts. In 2002, he quit his day job to become a full-time freelance writer. Much to his surprise, in 2003 his world E
BERRON®
was selected as the finalist in the Wizards of the Coast Fantasy Setting Search. Keith currently lives in Boulder, Colorado with his lovely wife Ellen and a very bossy cow.