Volo's Guide to Eberron

Volo's Student's Guide to

EBERRON

Overview

     Eberron, of course, is best known for the Last War, which shaped a good deal of its recent culture and politics. It’s also best known for the Dragonmarked Houses which seem to be omnipresent, even though they represent maybe 1% of the population. But they control commerce and transportation and entertainment, and the weather, for crying out loud.
     Eberron has a better travel system than nearly any other material. Between airships and lightning rail, there’s no place where you can get from here to there faster. Except those places with commercial teleportation systems, but that just avoids the adventure entirely. You can be attacked by zombies on a lightning rail, but you’re very rarely attacked by zombies while teleporting.
     They take a fair amount of pride for popularizing the idea of monsters not being bound by alignment. “Oh, metallic dragons may be evil here. Be careful, just because he’s a troll doesn’t mean he’s bad.” Yeah, thanks for the head’s up. I’m sure Drizzt do’Urden is relieved.

Getting There

The cosmology of Eberron is very different from the standard, and there are no planes in common beyond the transitives, and it's a very long trip from there to the Great Wheel cosmology. Portals aren't merely the most convenient transportation, they are really the only way to get from here to there. Fortunately, since it became a core world, portals are plentiful.

Division A Schools

Flamekeep Academy
     Athletic Nickname: the Heat
     Colors: Red, Yellow
     Popular Majors: Cleric, Paladin, other divine majors are very strong
     Alignment: Lawful Good
     Flamekeep Academy is a very strong, good-aligned university, almost entirely human. Although it is technically open to all faiths, the school is maintained by the Silver Flame church, and Silver Flame doctrine is taught in all religion classes.
     Flamekeep maintains one of the strongest baseball teams in the division.

Morgrave University
     Athletic Nickname: the Skymages
     Colors: sky blue, white
     Popular Majors: Artificer, all arcane majors.
     Alignment: unaligned
     Morgrave is one of the best known universities in all of Eberron, and the first Eberron school to enter the All-Planar athletic division. Based in the city of Sharn, it is built among several unbelievably tall towers. Its athletic fields are nearly a mile above ground, which makes football very interesting.
     Morgrave is a research university, so many professors on staff teach only token classes.

Eberron Shopping and Services

Annoying Kids' Cartoons on Adult T-Shirts Emporium: A popular t-shirt Emporium on Kaepaerian Island which specializes in annoying kids' cartoon characters on t-shirts for adults.

Elemental Ernie's Bargain Bindings: Discount used airship dealer in the heart of Sharn.

Emerald Novelties: The source of most novelty t-shirts in Eberron, located in Stormreach.

Koo-Koo Karrnath Karnival: Your all-purpose party supply store, run by Ricotrassa, a genuine fake gypsy woman.

Orfly's Convenient Portal Parlor: The most convenient portal parlor in Sharn, located right next to Dous-yex Towers.

T-Shirts Plus: That's "Plus" and in "+2 longsword". Kaepaerian Island's source of magical t-shirts.

Eberron Dining

House Bennigan's: Popular family restaurant chain, with locations across the planet. (Not associated with any Dragonmarked House)

Eberron Nightlife

Masquarade: A night club on Kaepaerian Island, where the patrons wear masks and fancy costumes. They also cater to Live-Action Role-Playing enthusiasts.

Natives of Eberron

Ablaran (rilkin incarnate-7) and Derra Zorzal (rilkan soulborn-5): A married couple on Kaepaerian island who seem typical enough, but are actually couriers for the Sharp Lord of the Swiss for some business he was conducting on Eberron.

Artrum (fire giant Rogue-2): An archaeologist, rival to Rime and Reez'n. He has stolen a number of claims from the pair over the years, and finally was defeated (and possibly killed) by them and the hamster, Blue.

A'shton (duskling Totemist-5): A practical joker among the duskling tribe on Kaepaerian Island, off the coast of Xen'drik. The tribe blamed much of Blue's antics on him, though he wasn't even around.

Bisban (human Ranger-10): Born to a landowning family in Regalport, Bisban was orphaned in Kaepaerian Island as a baby, and was raised by triceratopses. He grew up learning the laws of the jungle and all the broken Common jungle children are entitled to. He returned for a while to Regalport, where he picked up a more sophisticated accent, then returned to the jungle he considered home.

Blumbold (raptoran Aristocrat-8/Dungeon Delver-5): Richest raptoran in the next raptoran tribe over from Iltinger's. He is the arch-enemy of Uncle Karrj, and attempts to foil many of Karrj's adventures

Barrister Borival (Human Expert-10): A lawyer in Eberron used by the Orien family.

Brirak (aurak draconian): One of the leaders of a conspiracy of draconians who came from Krynn to Eberron to try and unite dragons under the Krynnish goddess Takhisis. He, along with his co-conspirators, were slain by Korwan, Xizlqk, and other Sigil Prep classmates.

Castra (raptoran Sorcerer (witch)-15): A strange, greedy raptoran who has made numerous attempts to steal the lucky copper piece of Iltinger's Uncle Karrj.

Dendis (human Fighter-7): Assassin in the employ of Zarlon d'Cannith, slain by Korwan Truesteel and Anissa d'Deneith after he tried to steal Anissa's teddy bear.

Elemental Ernie (half-ogre Magewright-8): Used airship dealer, and owner of Elemental Ernie's Bargain Bindings. He's not affiliated with House Lyrandar, so the quality of his product is questionable.

Ericka Deneith (human Aristocrat-6): obnoxious daughter of General Sarlan d'Deneith, and fiancee of Warren d'Deneith (arranged by Anastacia). The Deneith twins don't like her much.

Estaban (human Wizard-14): The wizard who caused Breven Deneith's wife to have twins (here and here), rather than a single child, thus bypassing a barrenness curse.

Finn Malakim (half-daelkyr duskblade-9): A friend of Roxy's from back on Eberron. She dated him for a while, but neither was able to hold down a relationship at the time. They remained close friends, and Roxy was determined to set him up with somebody for a long time. Finn is a drifter, and has no permanent home, though he tends to stay on Eberron, rather than wandering the planes. He has recently begun what may evolve into a relationship with the Black Lily.

Gavin d'Deneith (human warblade-13): Eldest son of Sarlan d'Deneith, and a high-ranking officer in the Blademarks Guild.

Glow (or possibly Glimmer, or Gold): A warforged that Roxy made some 'enhancements' to, who didn't seem to mind.

Karakross (kobold Adept-13): Dragonwrought kobold native to Kaepaerian Island in Eberron, and self-proclaimed defender of the lesser dragonkin.

Keiron ir'Tolt: A celebrity both Amizath and Roxy had a crush on when they were younger.

Kixfiv (mind flayer): Illithid who disapproved of the mining/trade negotiations between his illithid city in Khyber, and the Karnathi government. Defeated by Xizlqk and Zelda.

Lisa Rustysdad (warforged titan): Dress-wearing, typical warforged nuclear family Mom, save that she's twenty-five feet tall. Married to Oliver Wendell Rustysdad, and possibly long-lost mother of Rusty, the warforged orphan boy (see "Our Group").

Litigation, Cross, and Councilor (warforged Experts-11): Warforged legal firm, used by House Cannith when they need good lawyers.

Loophole (warforged Rogue-11): Warforged lawyer used by House Cannith when they need a really nasty lawyer.

Oliver Wendell Rustysdad (warforged Expert-10): Typical, hat wearing, pipe smoking warforged Dad, whose son vanished some time back. It is believed that he is the father of Sigil orphan boy, Rusty, though they have yet to be reunited. Married to Lisa Rustysdad.

PoolBoy (warforged Magewright-6): The pool attendant at Roxy's family beachhouse on Kaepaerian Island.

Querl d'Deneith (human Warrior-7): A Deneith noble who was almost Anissa's arranged fiancee.

Ricatrossa (Human Wizard-15): Powerful curse-laying witch who was responsible for the curse on Anastacia d'Deneith. She works cheap, isn't good at reversing her own spells, and runs a party store in her spare time.

Rime (frost giant) and Reez'n (frost giant): A pair of archaeologists from Eberron, exploring the ancient giant ruins for signs of how intelligent and social the giants of old were. Now, they can't even do vector calculus in their heads.

Rogdelhaven (human Expert-8): Anissa's favorite opera composer.

Sarlan d'Deneith (human Fighter-10): Retired General of the Blademarks Guild, and father of Ericka Deneith

Stove (warforged Expert-10): Merrix d'Cannith's cook.

Therese (human Ranger-10): Archer and priestess of Arawai. She was a captive of reality-show producing lich Arkhad, freed by Amizath, Hallister, and other students of Sigil Prep.

Ulara d'Jorasco (halfling Adept-6/Dragonmark Heir-5): Head of House Jorasco, a little scared of the Eberron Grrlz.

White Whale (half-dragon (white) baleen whale): Avenger of a pod of Eberronian whales who were hunted to near extinction by the Mariner.

William (human Commoner-5): The pool boy at Breven d'Deneith's house. Likely, Anissa had sex with him

Zorlan d'Cannith (human artificer-3/sorcerer-7/dragonmarked heir-3): One of Merrix d'Cannith's rivals as Baron of House Cannith. (based on the Eberron character; property of WotC)

Organizations of Eberron

Borgle Boys: A tribe of bullyish, not-to-bright gnolls who often work for Uncle Karjj, Iltinger's eccentric uncle.

Cannith House Guard: Deceptive constructs working for House Cannith

House Bobunk: A fallen Eberron House, who carried the Mark of Putting Things on Top of Other Things. They had a poor diplomatic corps, according to Anastacia, and have fallen from power.

Home