The Shattered Land: The Dreaming Dark - Book 2 (55 page)

Gnome:
A race of small humanoids. Gnomes are found across Khorvaire, but are concentrated in the nation of Zilargo.

Goblinoid:
A general term encompassing three humanoid species—the small and cunning goblins, the warlike hobgoblins, and the large and powerful bugbears.

Greenman Pier:
A dock at the base of the Cliffside district of Sharn.

Gundrak’ul:
One of the obsidian cities of the Sulatar.

Gurk’ash:
A thick-skinned Xen’drik beast that looks much like a bison with the hide of a rhinoceros. The gurk’ash is used as a beast of burden and raised as livestock for its meat and its milk. The creature possesses a strange magical property: its flesh does not rot after death, and its milk never spoils. As a result, gurk’ash goods are prized by sailors as an alternative to hard tack and similar fare.

Half-orc:
When humans and orcs interbreed, the offspring typically possess characteristics of both races. These half-orcs are not as bestial in appearance as their orc forbears, but they are larger and strong than most humans and usually possess a few orcish features, such as a gray skin tone or pronounced canine teeth. Half-orcs are most common in the Shadow Marches but can be found across Khorvaire.

Harmattan:
A charismatic warforged insurgent. Harmattan possesses unusual physical abilities; for the moment, his origin and the full extent of his powers remains a mystery.

Harysh:
A female shifter who lives in Stormreach. Harysh runs an inn called The Ship’s Cat.

High Walls:
A district in the Lower Tavick’s Landing ward of Sharn. During the Last War many foreign nationals living in the city were relocated to High Walls, and the majority of the Cyran refugees living in Sharn reside in this district.

Hilt, the:
The intersection of rivers below the city of Sharn.

Holuar:
The high priest of the Sulatar drow.

Homunculus:
A construct servant created by an artificer or wizard. Homunculi can be designed to perform a range of tasks, from combat to communication.

Hugal:
A changeling who served Teral ir’Soras. He was killed by Daine beneath the streets of Sharn.

Illithid:
An abomination from Xoriat, the plane of madness. An illithid is roughly the same size and shape as a human but possesses a squidlike head with tentacles arrayed around a fanged maw. Illithids feed on the brains of sentient creatures
and possess the ability to paralyze or manipulate the minds of lesser creatures. Illithids are more commonly known as
mind flayers
.

Il-Lashtavar:
A quori word that translates as “the Darkness that Dreams.” See Dreaming Dark.

il-Yannah:
A word from the Quor tongue, translating to “the Great Light.” This mystical force is the focus of the religion of the kalashtar.

Inspired, the:
The lords of the land of Riedra. The subjects of the Inspired say that these nobles are guided by the wisest spirits of the past. The kalashtar believe that the Inspired are conduits for quori spirits: the direct agents of the Dreaming Dark on Eberron.

ir’:
When attached to a family name, this prefix indicates one of the aristocratic lines of Galifar. The descendants of King Galifar I belong to the ir’Wynarn line.

ir’Ryc, Greykell:
A scion of a noble Cyran family, Greykell ir’Ryc served as a captain in the Queen’s Guard of Cyre. Known as “the laughing wolf” due to her tenacity and good humor, Greykell was renowned throughout the southern command for her cunning strategies and her ability to inspire her soldiers. The blood of dragons is said to run through her house, and in addition to being a gifted swordswoman, she possesses a minor talent for magic. Following the destruction of Cyre, Greykell traveled to Sharn. She has established herself as the unofficial sheriff of the High Walls district, though she prefers to maintain order through diplomacy as opposed to the use of force.

ir’Soras, Teral:
Once a councilor to the court of Cyre, Teral ir’Soras retired from politics to enjoy his middle years. This quiet life came to an end when the Mourning destroyed Cyre. The wounded councilor was found by illithids, and these alien creatures transformed him, granting him terrible power in exchange for his service. Teral organized an illithid cult in Sharn, but was eventually killed by
Pierce
.

ir’Talan, Grazen:
Born into House Deneith, Grazen served in the Blademark and earned a place in the
Sentinel Marshals
. During an assignment in Sharn, Grazen fell in love with an heir of the Tala line. As the Galifar Accords prevent the heirs of dragonmarked houses from holding royal titles, Grazen chose to leave House Deneith to marry his beloved. Between his own skill and the influence of his new family Grazen obtained a commission in the Sharn Watch. Today he is the captain of the Daggerwatch Garrison in Upper Dura.

Jani Onyll:
A Cyran soldier who served with
Daine
in the Last War.

Jholeg:
A goblin scout who served in the Cyran army under
Daine’s
command.

Jode:
A former companion of Daine. Jode was a halfling with the Mark of Healing, though he never admitted to having a tie to House Jorasco. In 988 YK he took up service in the Queen’s Guard of Cyre along with Daine. He served as a healer and occasional scout, using his dragonmark and quick wits to assist his friend. He died in 993 YK, though the circumstances of his death remain a mystery.

Jorasco, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Healing.

Kalashtar:
The kalashtar are humans touched by the Dal Quor, the region of dreams. Every kalashtar has a bond to one of the rebellious quori spirits who opposed the Dreaming Dark and were forced to flee Dal Quor. By drawing on this bond, kalashtar are often able to develop significant mental powers. Kalashtar use the name of their quori spirit as a suffix: thus, Lakashtai and Tetkashtai are both kalashtar of the lineage of Kashtai.

Karrn:
A citizen of Karrnath.

Karrnath:
One of the original Five Nations of Galifar. Karrnath is a cold, grim land whose people are renowned for their martial prowess. The current ruler of Karrnath is King Kaius ir’Wynarn III.

Karul’tash:
An ancient forgehold built by the giants of Xen’drik.

Kashtai:
One of the quori spirits bound to the kalashtar.

Keeper, the:
One of the sinister gods of the Dark Six. The Keeper is the embodiment of greed and decay, whose hunger is so great that he lets all else fall to rot and ruin. While he amasses gold and jewels, the Keeper covets the souls of the living. He seeks to snatch the spirits of the dead as they pass to Dolurrh, hoarding these souls and gloating over his treasures.

“Kej’dre. Isk. Han’tal.”:
Words of passage required to open the gates of Karul’tash.

“Kulas Kastoruk ru’sen Karul’tash.”:
In the language of the giants, “Archshaper Kastoruk has come to Karul’tash.”

Keldan Ridge:
A remote region of hills in southern Cyre. While passing along the ridge in 994, Daine’s soldiers encountered a heavily armed force of unknown nationality. This enemy scattered the Cyran forces; it was this forced retreat that pushed Daine, Lei, Pierce, and Jode outside the radius of the Mourning.

Kesht:
A shifter who served under Daine’s command during the Last War. He was killed in the battle of Keldan Ridge.

Kess:
The major-domo of Hassalac Chaar’s estate in Stormreach.

Khorvaire:
One of the continents of Eberron.

Khyber:
1) The underworld. 2) A mythical dragon, also known as “The Dragon Below.” After killing Siberys, Khyber was imprisoned by Eberron and transformed into the underworld. Khyber is said to have given birth to a host of demons and other unnatural creatures. See
Eberron, Siberys
.

King of Fire:
A tavern and gaming hall located in the district of Hareth’s Folly.

Kol Korran:
One of the gods of the Sovereign Host, the Lord of World and Wealth. Merchants, miners, and any who desire to
improve their lot in life trust that Kol Korran will help them achieve their dreams, while the wealthy often sacrifice to the Sovereign in the hopes that he will maintain their fortunes.

“Kolesq!”:
In the language of Riedra, “Retreat!”

Korranberg:
One of the major cities of the gnome nation of Zilargo. Korranberg is known for its many colleges and its great library.

Kraken’s Wake:
A ship of the Lyrandar Windwright’s guild, captained by Helias Lyrandar. The Kraken’s Wake runs a route between Sharn and Stormreach. Its elemental-bound sail ensures that the ship always has wind.

Krazhal:
A dwarf siege engineer who served Daine during the Last War. He was killed in the battle of Keldan Ridge.

Kryssh:
A reptilian guard in the service of Hassalac Chaar.

Kulaj:
A warrior of the Sulatar drow.

Kulikoor:
A scorpion wraith of the Qaltiar drow.

Kundarak Bank:
The largest banking network in Khorvaire, managed by the dragonmarked House Kundarak.

Kundarak, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Warding.

Kuryeva:
A potent alcoholic beverage made using the berries of the kuryeva bush, a plant found only in the land of Xen’drik.

Lakashtai:
A kalashtar woman residing in Sharn.

Lallis hound:
A breed of hunting dog popular in Cyre. Much of the breed was wiped out in the Mourning, but lallis hounds can still be found across Khorvaire.

Last War, The:
This conflict began in 894 YK with the death of King Jarot ir’Wynarn, the last king of Galifar. Following Jarot’s death, three of his five children refused to follow the ancient traditions of succession, and the kingdom split. The war lasted over a hundred years, and it took the utter destruction of Cyre to bring the other nations to the negotiating
table. No one has admitted defeat, but no one wants to risk being the next victim of the Mourning. The chronicles are calling the conflict “the Last War,” hoping that the bloodshed might have finally slaked humanity’s thirst for battle. Only time will tell if this hope is in vain.

Lharvion:
1) The eighth month of the calendar of Galifar. 2) One of the twelve moons of Eberron.

Lhazaar Principalities:
A collection of small nations running along the eastern cost of Khorvaire. The people of this land are renowned seafarers, and there is a strong tradition of piracy in the region.

Livewood:
An unusual form of lumber that remains alive even after it is felled. It is only found on the island of Aerenal, and the elves of this land occasionally use it when building ships or homes.

Lon:
A sailor serving on the Kraken’s Wake. Brelish by birth, Lon holds a grudge against Cyrans.

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

Lyrandar, Helais:
Captain of the Kraken’s Wake.

Lyrandar, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Storm.

Magewright:
A general term for any professional who uses magic to enhance the skills of his trade. The typical magewright can only perform one or two spells; examples include the blacksmith who uses magic to improve his craft, the lamplighter who produces everbright lanterns, and the auger who uses magic to divine the future for her clients.

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

Malleon’s Gate:
A district in the Lower Tavick’s Landing ward of Sharn. This area is largely inhabited by goblins, Droaamites, and other inhuman creatures.

Marcher:
An inhabitant of the Shadow Marches.

‘Mark:
A slang term for the bearer of a dragonmark. See
dragonmark
.

Metrol:
The capital of Cyre. Metrol was destroyed by the Mourning.

Mind flayer:
See
illithid
.

Mindshard:
A crystal that serves as a focus for mental energy, which can be used to generate a variety of supernatural effects.

Mithral:
A silvery metal that is just as strong as iron, but far lighter and more flexible.

Mockery, the:
One of the gods of the Dark Six. The Mockery is the lord of terror and treachery, patron to thieves, assassins, and tyrants. He is said to be the brother of Dol Dorn and Dol Arrah, but he was flayed and driven from the Host after he betrayed his siblings. The Mockery has one of the largest followings among the Dark Six, as many criminals and warriors seek his blessing on their endeavors.

Monan:
A changeling who served Teral ir’Soras. Monan fought Daine in Sharn, and nearly destroyed him with an insidious mental attack.

Mourner:
A slang term for a Cyran refugee.

Mourning, the:
A disaster that occurred on Olarune 20, 994 YK. The origin and precise nature of the Mourning are unknown. On Ollarune 20, gray mists spread across Cyre, and anything caught within the mists was transformed or destroyed. See
the Mournland
.

Mournland, The:
A common name for the wasteland left behind in the wake of
the Mourning
. A wall of dead-gray mist surrounds the borders of the land that once was Cyre. Behind this mist, the land has been transformed into something dark and twisted. Most creatures that weren’t killed were transformed into horrific monsters. Stories speak of storms of blood, corpses that do not decompose, ghostly soldiers fighting endless battles, and far worse things.