The City of Towers: The Dreaming Dark - Book I (51 page)

In recent centuries a new path has arisen—that of the artificer. She cannot pull fire from the air or heal with a touch. Her talent lies in binding magical energy into objects, creating tools that
mimic the powers of wizard and cleric. The artificer excels at creating mystical treasures, wondrous elixirs, amulets, enchanted weapons, and many other fantastic items. Given time and access to rare and exotic materials—notably dragonshards—an artificer can make such items permanent. Otherwise, their powers quickly fade.

Regardless of the path a spellcaster follows, the act of performing magic takes a toll on mind and spirit. Only so much energy can be channeled each day, and once a spellcaster reaches this limit he must rely on his mundane skills until he can rest and restore his spirit. Each path has its own rituals. The cleric prays while the wizard studies musty tomes and prepares the formulas he wishes to use the following day.

Some say that the kalashtar follow a different path to power, drawing on the power of mind and dream to produce effects never seen. But this tradition of so-called “psionics” is still a mystery to the people of Khorvaire, and its powers and limitations remain to be seen.

Aberrant Dragonmark
: There are twelve dragonmarks, as described, but stories say that when dragonmarked bloodlines mingle, they can produce warped marks. Like the true dragonmarks, these bestow magical powers, but these powers are dark and dangerous and said to take a terrible toll on the mind and body of the bearer. See
dragonmark, House Tarkanan, War of the Mark
.

Adar
: A small nation on the continent of Sarlona. Adar is the homeland of the kalashtar, and its mountain terrain serves as a natural defense in the constant battle against the Inspired.

Aerenal
: An island nation off the southeastern coast of Khorvaire, Aerenal is known as the homeland of the elves.

Alina Lorridan Lyrris
: A gnome wizard with considerable wealth and influence. Whether she is a true criminal or simply amoral, Alina is a dangerous woman who usually works in the shadows. Once she lived in the city of Metrol, where she employed
Daine
. Currently she resides in the Den’iyas district of Sharn.

Arcane Congress
: Established by King Galifar I in 15 YK, the Arcane Congress was tasked to study the mysteries of magic and place these powers at the service of the kingdom. The congress has its seat in
Aundair
, and when the kingdom collapsed in 894 YK the congress swore its allegiance to the Aundarian throne.

Arcanix
: An institute of arcane studies in the nation of Aundair. Many of the greatest wizards of Galifar learned their craft within the floating towers of Arcanix.

Artificer
: A spellworker who channels magical energy through objects, creating temporary or permanent tools and weapons.

Asdren
: A young halfling employed by the Jorasco house
in Tavick’s Landing. Asdren is studying the healing arts and dreams of one day earning a place in the hierarchy of the house, but for now she is tasked with administrative chores.

Aundair
: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar, Aundair is houses the seat of the Arcane Congress and the University of Wyrnarn. Currently under the rule of Queen Aurala ir’Wyrnarn.

Auger
: A professional fortune-teller or diviner.

Bal
: An influential member of
House Tarkanan
, Bal is a gifted unarmed combatant. His skills are enhanced by his aberrant dragonmark—a chilling touch that drains the life from his victim. Bal is covered with boils and sores, and a superstitious soul might say that Bal’s aberrant mark was responsible for his unsightly appearance. See
House Tarkanan
.

Bandit King of the Whistling Woods
: The title adopted by Horas Calt during his infamous career. Born in Breland in 845 YK, Calt developed impressive sorcerous powers and soon turned his magical abilities to crime. He earned his place in the songs of bards by being the first man to rob the lightning rail, and ultimately settled in the depths of the Whistling Woods. Many vagabonds and rogues joined his gang, and it is said that he found allies among the fey spirits of the wood. A group of the Sentinel Marshals of House Deneith finally cornered the Bandit King in 872 YK. The battle left a trail of destruction across the woods, and in the end Calt threw himself into a fire to avoid capture. It was a great victory for House Deneith, but some bards maintain that Calt’s friends among the fey saved him from the flames and spirited the bandit king away to the plane of Thelanis, where he lives to this day.

Battle of the Three Moons
: A vicious conflict that occurred in the conflicted territory between Breland, Darguun, and Cyre. The Battle of the Three Moons began on the evening of Barakas 20th, 990 YK, when a Darguul troop and a Brelish army launched a surprise attack on a Cyran encampment. But the Darguuls had failed to account for the presence of
a Valenar warband. While the elves were not allied with the Cyrans, they saw more sport in fighting the larger force. The battle lasted for four days, with the worst of the fighting occurring at night; fortunately, the unusual conjunction of three of Eberron’s moons provided enough light for the humans and elves to match their goblinoid foes.

Black Arch
: A garrison district in the Lower Tavick’s Landing ward of Sharn.

Blade Desert
: A harsh region in the southeast of Khorvaire. Once part of Cyre, it is currently claimed by the nation of Valenar.

Blademark
: The mercenary’s guild of
House Deneith
.

Breland
: The largest of the original Five Nations of Galifar, Breland is a center of heavy industry. The current ruler of Breland is King Boranel ir’Wyrnarn.

Bronzewood
: An unusual form of lumber that has many of the traits of metal. The elves of Aerenal use bronzewood in the creation of arms and armor.

Byeshk Mountains
: A mountain chain on the western coast of Khorvaire, separating Droaam from the Eldeen Reaches.

Cadrian
: A soldier who served in the Cyran army under Daine’s command. Cadrian was killed in the battle of Keldan Ridge.

Calis, Lailin
: An augur living in Sharn, Lailin is an old friend of Lei d’Cannith.

Calazar Tash
: A halfling hero of the Talenta Plains, said to have lived in the first days of the Kingdom of Galifar. There are hundreds of tales of Calazar’s exploits, and with the aid of his clever clawfoot Shurka he is said to have battled dragons, challenged demons, and even outwitted the Traveler himself.

Callol
: A small Cyran village captured by the Darguuls in 995 YK.

Cannith, House
: The dragonmarked House of Making. Cantrip: A minor form of magic. A cantrip might be used to
clean the dirt from filthy clothing or to open a door from across a room.

Carnival of Shadows
: The traveling circus of
House Phiarlan
, filled with illusion, acrobatics, and exotic creatures and entertainers from across Khorvaire.

Carralag
: A gargoyle who immigrated to Sharn from Droaam. Carralag represents the district of Malleon’s Gate in the Race of Eight Winds.

Changeling
: Members of the changeling race possess a limited ability to change face and form, allowing a changeling to disguise itself as a member of another race or to impersonate an individual. Changelings are said to be the offspring of humans and doppelgangers. They are relatively few in number and have no lands or culture of their own but are scattered across Khorvaire.

Chyrassk
: A cult leader who has been gathering followers in the dismal district known as Khyber’s Gate. Chyrassk has never been seen by those outside of his cult, and he remains shrouded in mystery.

Cloudsilk
: A form of glamerweave, cloudsilk is almost weightless and has the appearance of diaphanous white mist. A popular variation of this is stormsilk, which has the appearance of dark clouds laced with lightning.

Cold Fire
: Magical flame that produces no heat and does not burn. Cold fire is used to provide light in most cities of Khorvaire.

Cogs
: This network of tunnels stretches deep beneath the towers of Sharn. The foundries and workhouses of Sharn are mostly located in the Cogs, along with sewers and tunnels dating back to the ancient empire of the goblins.

Council of Thronehold
: Following the Mourning, princes and ambassadors of the surviving nations gathered at Thronehold, the traditional heart of the kingdom of Galifar. Negotiations lasted for many months, until a treaty was finally signed on the 11th day of Aryth, 996 YK.

Crown
: The copper crown is the lowest denomination of coin minted under the rule of Galifar.

Cyre
: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar, known for its fine arts and crafts. The governor of Cyre was traditionally raised to the throne of Galifar, but in 894 YK, Kaius of Karrnath, Wroann of Breland, and Thalin of Thrane rebelled against Mishann of Cyre. During the war, Cyre lost significant amounts of territory to elf and goblin mercenaries, creating the nations of Valenar and Darguun. In 994 YK, Cyre was devastated by a disaster of unknown origin that transformed the nation into a hostile wasteland populated by deadly monsters. Breland offered sanctuary to the survivors of the Mourning, and most of the Cyran refugees have taken advantage of this amnesty. See
Mourning, Mourners, Mournland
.

d’Cannith, Aaren
: Dragonmarked artificer, one-time baron of Metrol, and member of the Cannith Council based in Cyre. The official records of the house credit Aaren with the mystical breakthrough that gave true sentience to the warforged. Aaren was fascinated by the mysterious continent of Xen’drik, and some say his work was based on ancient secrets recovered there. Aaren passed away in 984 YK. He is survived by his son
Merrix d’Cannith
.

d’Cannith, Aleisa
: A dragonmarked artificer of House Cannith and mother of
Lei d’Cannith
. Aleisa was involved with the development of the warforged, but all records of her work were lost in the war. She is believed to have died in Cyre on the Day of Mourning.

d’Cannith, Casalon
: A legendary artificer of House Cannith, who lived in the third century of the kingdom of Galifar. Dasalon’s most noteworthy achievement was the development of cold fire, allowing artificers and magewrights to bring light to the cities of Khorvaire.

d’Cannith, Dasei
: A dragonmark heir residing in Sharn. Dasei studied the mystical arts with her cousin
Lei d’Cannith
, but she has accomplished far more as a socialite than as an artificer.

d’Cannith, Dravot
: The warden of the Cannith enclave in Sharn, Dravot distinguished himself during his service with the elite Blackwood Watch. During the final decade of the Last War he served as the warden of the Whitehearth armory in Cyre, but he was reassigned before the Day of Mourning.

d’Cannith, Hadran
: A dragonmarked heir. Hadran’s ancestors were one of the first branches of House Cannith to set roots in Sharn, and he possesses considerable wealth and influence. A widower with no children, Hadran arranged a betrothal with
Lei d’Cannith
.

d’Cannith, Lei
: A dragonmarked heir, daughter of
Aleisa d’Cannith
. Lei studied the mystical arts in Sharn and Metrol. Like many young artificers, she chose to serve in the Cannith support corps during the war. She served with the military forces of the Five Nations to maintain the warforged soldiers and other weapons each nation had purchased from Cannith. In 990 YK, Lei was assigned to the Southern Command of Cyre, where she served with
Daine, Pierce
, and
Jode
. In 993 YK, her parents arranged for her betrothal to
Hadran d’Cannith
, but before her term of service came to an end she was caught in the Day of Mourning and nearly killed.

d’Cannith, Merrix
: As a baron of House Cannith, Merrix oversees house activities in the vicinity of Sharn. Son of
Aaren d’Cannith
, Merrix is a skilled artificer who has spent a decade working on new warforged designs. In the wake of the Last War he has shown shrewd political instincts and has moved to take advantage of the chaos created by the destruction of the House Council. He is the most influential Cannith baron in Breland, and many believe that he hopes to seize control of the house itself.

d’Deneith, Doran
: A general of the Blademark of House Deneith, Doran is known for his brilliant tactics and his utter devotion to the principles of his house. During the Last War he led troops on behalf of Cyre, Breland, and Karrnath, taking pride in his impartial service.

d’Lyrandar, Dantian
: A half-elf of House Lyrandar, Dantian is a trade minister of his house. Dantian devotes a great deal of
time to the needs of his house, but he is also renowned for his lavish parties and galas.

Daeras
: A half-elf woman serving in the Daggerwatch garrison of the Sharn Watch. Daeras has a great love of sports, particularly the aerial races of Sharn.

Daggerhawks
: A breed of hawk found in the mountains that run along the shores of the Dagger River. Daggerhawks are also known as dire hawks; they are massive creatures that can support the weight of a human rider while in flight. During the reign of Galifar II, daggerhawks were domesticated and used as aerial mounts. However, they are difficult to manage and today they are generally only seen in the sporting arenas of Sharn.

Dagger River
: One of the largest rivers in Khorvaire, the Dagger runs south through Breland into the Thunder Sea.

Daggerwatch
: 1) One of Sharn’s garrison districts, located in the ward of Upper Dura. 2) A specific garrison building within that district, commanded by Captain
Grazen ir’Tala
.

Dailan
: The grandfather of Daine. Dailan was a master swordsman and taught Daine to wield a blade. He passed away in 984 YK, passing his heirloom sword to his grandson.

Daine
: A soldier and one-time mercenary, Daine prefers not to speak of his past. Born in Cyre, he is known to have worked for
Alina Lorridan Lyrris
for an extended period of time. In 988 YK he took up service with the Queen’s Guard of Cyre, ultimately rising to the rank of captain in the Southern Command.

Dalan’s Refuge
: A wealthy residential district in the Lower Tavick’s Landing ward of Sharn.

Dal Quor
: Another plane of existence. Mortal spirits are said to travel to Dal Quor when they dream.

Darguun
: A nation of goblinoids, founded in 969 YK when a hobgoblin leader named Haruuc formed an alliance among the goblinoid mercenaries and annexed a section of southern
Cyre. Breland recognized this new nation in exchange for a peaceful border and an ally against Cyre. Few people trust the people of Darguun, but their soldiers remain a force to be reckoned with.