[Eberron] What happened to Cyre?

SPOILER ALERT: This thread may contain spoilers - if you want to avoid knowing about the published Eberron adventures or novels, stop reading now!






I'm about to start an Eberron campaign, built around the 'Shadows of the Last War' published adventures (with some changes).

Here's the thing, though. I want to make the destruction of Cyre central to the plot of my campaign, and although those adventures keep hinting that they'll reveal something significant about the disaster that created the Mournland, in the end they seem to have nothing to do with it (so far as I can tell). In my revised version, I'd like to tie them more closely to that central mystery.

So I'm wondering if any further clues or hints as to the destruction of Cyre have emerged in the plethora of Eberron stuff now out in various books, magazine articles and on Wizards' website?

I'm afraid I'm too busy (and/or lazy) to read all that stuff, but I figure maybe someone here has done so...

Failing that, I'll just have to come up with an explanation of my own - which no doubt will end up totally contradicted when/if Wizards reveal the "official" explanation...

Also: has there been any more info on pre-Mournland Cyre (other than what's in the main Campaign Setting book)? I'd love a whole supplement on the culture and geography of Cyre - given that Cyrean refugees will be a big part of my game...

The way I understand it, the event that caused the destruction of Cyre/created the Mournland is intended to be created by the DM, and will never decisively be stated in an Eberron book. We may see possibilities, but there won't be a canon 'way it happened', in much the same way that the continent of Xen'drick will never be fleshed out, just given suggested themes.

Erm, I believe that the creation of the Mournland is what we would refer to as a Rigidly Defined Area of Doubt and Uncertainty. Just like the origin of the Lord of Blades. Theoretically, they're trying to avoid metaplot revelations so that the GM can devise their own cataclysm.

5 nations has some cultural info on Cyrans. Unfortunately, that portion of the book reads like the 2nd ed Elven Handbook. Worst part of the work IMO.

It 'sploded. That's all anyone knows officially.

fafhrd said:

5 nations has some cultural info on Cyrans. Unfortunately, that portion of the book reads like the 2nd ed Elven Handbook. Worst part of the work IMO.

Click to expand...

I never read that book. What's so dreadful about it?

I was more interested in 5 Nations till a writeup of its contents made it sound like the Cyre section was mostly about the Mournlands. Is that correct? Or is there more on pre-Mourning Cyre than that?

Unknown beknowst to the mighty Keith Baker, Orcus, Demogorgon and Graz'zt had a little soiree that got out of hand.

Nightfall said:

Unknown beknowst to the mighty Keith Baker, Orcus, Demogorgon and Graz'zt had a little soiree that got out of hand.

Click to expand...

And, to this day, what happens in Cyre, stays in Cyre.

Hicksville said:

I never read that book. What's so dreadful about it?

I was more interested in 5 Nations till a writeup of its contents made it sound like the Cyre section was mostly about the Mournlands. Is that correct? Or is there more on pre-Mourning Cyre than that?

Click to expand...

Out of aprox 30 to 40 pages covering "Cyre", roughly 5 to 10 are pre-Mourning.

You may also find more info on refugees (or how they are received) in other chapters.

Something in the "Cyre, the Kingdom" section of the Cyre chapter, as well as a few other things, leads me to think that the Cyrans did it to themselves.

It's mentioned that they were on the ropes; the Last War was fought more on Cyran soil than on any other nation. The Karrnathi were making plans to invade Breland through Cyre. And, towards the end, the Cyrans were steadily pushed south towards their capitol.

Yet, there's mention of a rumor of of a "major new offensive" that would drive the invaders out of their country. But where are their new armies coming from? Already much of their prewar territory is held by nonhumans and/or squatted on by the other nations. After a century of warfare where they're the primary battlefield, there just won't be any untapped sources of combat power...except for magic.

Given that the Cyrans had the best magic of any of the human nations, I rather expect they turned to some sort of super-powerful ritual, possibly aided and abetted by House Cannith. The ritual, of course, was botched, resulting in the Mournland.

I have a kinda wild-hair idea about what the ritual was supposed to do. House Cannith apparently got the warforged blueprints from Xen'drik, right? Maybe they went looking for something else, and stumbled across information on the ritual the giants used to hurl Dal Quor away from the Material plane. They then research this more in hopes of a superweapon, which is used by the Cyrans...but either they fumble it, or the research went bad, as instead of hitting their intended target, the ritual instead targets Cyre.

Thoughts?

Brad