Kai Lord
Hero
Yesterday at work my excitement for the new Eberron setting led me to ponder potential campaign possibilities when something hit me like a ton of bricks; the similarity between Eberron’s three progenitor dragons and their dragonmarks and Satan, his antichrists, and the mark of the beast.
Now let me say a few things before I continue. I am speaking as a tremendous fan of the new setting (see my “Eberron rocks” and “Keith Baker Q & A” threads) and as a fellow gamer. I’m in the same boat as everyone else here, no better or worse than (well possibly worse) than anyone here. I’m not going to dissect or attack anyone’s spiritual beliefs or motives, I just want to shed some light on some things I’ve noticed and possibly raise a few questions in the process. I do think a Christian will find this particularly thought provoking, but I can’t imagine how even one who completely rejects the Bible in its entirety can’t find the parallels between Eberron and several chapters in the Book of Revelation at the very least interesting.
I hope people can segregate the points I find of interest between wild “Jack Chick” theatrics and that I also don’t break any rules of the board as I make them. So I’ll try to be as concise as possible. Here goes:
The Book of Revelation describes three great beasts that will deceive the world and make war on the saints of God; one from heaven, one from the earth, and one from the sea (or the “Abyss” in some manuscripts.)
Eberron states “Eberron, figuratively and literally, is a world in three parts. Mythology suggests that the three parts correspond to three great dragons of legendary times—Siberyus, the Dragon Above; Khyber, the Dragon Below; and Eberron, the Dragon Between.” ECS p.129.
The ECS later claims that through a “world shattering struggle” the three progenitor dragons became one with the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
In describing the three great beasts the Bible declares:
“Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his head. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” Revelation 12:3,4
“And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:7-9
“And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1
“Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.” Revelation 13:11,12
Note the similarity of the imagery between the beasts described in Revelation and Eberron’s progenitor dragons. A great dragon of heaven, a dragon-like beast of the earth, and a beast of the sea or underworld.
Interesting in and of itself. Then there’s the “marks” they bestow on the people of the world….
“He [the dragon beast from the earth] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16,17
In Eberron, the three dragon beasts bestow marks called Dragonmarks, supernatural marks upon those who control the adventuring world’s commerce (buying and selling), the greatest of which literally is “the name of the beast” (the Mark of Syberus.)
“Each house specializes in a trade or service for which its mark gives its members a competitive advantage, and it controls guilds that regulate commerce in its area of specialization.” ECS p. 63
Now I can’t presume to know what’s in the heart of any other person, but I honestly don’t believe that Keith Baker and the designers at WOTC were trying to create a game setting that takes the imagery of Satan, his antichrists, and the mark of the beast and puts an alluring or positive spin on any of it. But I do believe that is the end result. At least two of Eberron’s progenitor dragons are good guys, depicted as the creators of the world and its inhabitants. And the marks themselves give all kinds of fantastic benefits in addition to the boon in commerce.
So what does that mean for us? Its for each one of us to decide. I know now that I’ll never play a dragonmarked character, or run an Eberron campaign where the three progenitors are anything other than cast down beasts who are evil to the core. I’m a Christian, and creating and playing heroic characters who draw power from the dragon in the earth while brandishing their marks named after the beast is a place I’m just not going to go. I don’t see any good coming out of that.
But with a few key modifications I still think Eberron can be an interesting place to play. I see it as a fantasy version of what I believe will eventually be “post Rapture” earth. A fantasy world where all the saints of God have been taken up into heaven and the three beasts who are running the show down below are claiming divine status and creatorship of the world. A place where those who are to be saved are just going to have to weather the present tribulation and somehow find the one true God, and salvation, in the process. So don’t think I’m looking down at or pointing fingers at people who want to play in the setting. I also recognize that my opinions of Eberron’s imagery are wholly based on my personal spiritual beliefs, which in no way makes me any better than someone with differing beliefs.
Please keep any following discussion civil. Its against board rules to openly discuss specific religions, not the imagery of D&D settings, which is what I was interested in calling attention to. I’m curious as to what others think of Eberron’s symbolism, whether you agree or disagree, and how you see it as affecting your campaigns, if at all.
Now let me say a few things before I continue. I am speaking as a tremendous fan of the new setting (see my “Eberron rocks” and “Keith Baker Q & A” threads) and as a fellow gamer. I’m in the same boat as everyone else here, no better or worse than (well possibly worse) than anyone here. I’m not going to dissect or attack anyone’s spiritual beliefs or motives, I just want to shed some light on some things I’ve noticed and possibly raise a few questions in the process. I do think a Christian will find this particularly thought provoking, but I can’t imagine how even one who completely rejects the Bible in its entirety can’t find the parallels between Eberron and several chapters in the Book of Revelation at the very least interesting.
I hope people can segregate the points I find of interest between wild “Jack Chick” theatrics and that I also don’t break any rules of the board as I make them. So I’ll try to be as concise as possible. Here goes:
The Book of Revelation describes three great beasts that will deceive the world and make war on the saints of God; one from heaven, one from the earth, and one from the sea (or the “Abyss” in some manuscripts.)
Eberron states “Eberron, figuratively and literally, is a world in three parts. Mythology suggests that the three parts correspond to three great dragons of legendary times—Siberyus, the Dragon Above; Khyber, the Dragon Below; and Eberron, the Dragon Between.” ECS p.129.
The ECS later claims that through a “world shattering struggle” the three progenitor dragons became one with the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
In describing the three great beasts the Bible declares:
“Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his head. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.” Revelation 12:3,4
“And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 12:7-9
“And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1
“Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.” Revelation 13:11,12
Note the similarity of the imagery between the beasts described in Revelation and Eberron’s progenitor dragons. A great dragon of heaven, a dragon-like beast of the earth, and a beast of the sea or underworld.
Interesting in and of itself. Then there’s the “marks” they bestow on the people of the world….
“He [the dragon beast from the earth] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16,17
In Eberron, the three dragon beasts bestow marks called Dragonmarks, supernatural marks upon those who control the adventuring world’s commerce (buying and selling), the greatest of which literally is “the name of the beast” (the Mark of Syberus.)
“Each house specializes in a trade or service for which its mark gives its members a competitive advantage, and it controls guilds that regulate commerce in its area of specialization.” ECS p. 63
Now I can’t presume to know what’s in the heart of any other person, but I honestly don’t believe that Keith Baker and the designers at WOTC were trying to create a game setting that takes the imagery of Satan, his antichrists, and the mark of the beast and puts an alluring or positive spin on any of it. But I do believe that is the end result. At least two of Eberron’s progenitor dragons are good guys, depicted as the creators of the world and its inhabitants. And the marks themselves give all kinds of fantastic benefits in addition to the boon in commerce.
So what does that mean for us? Its for each one of us to decide. I know now that I’ll never play a dragonmarked character, or run an Eberron campaign where the three progenitors are anything other than cast down beasts who are evil to the core. I’m a Christian, and creating and playing heroic characters who draw power from the dragon in the earth while brandishing their marks named after the beast is a place I’m just not going to go. I don’t see any good coming out of that.
But with a few key modifications I still think Eberron can be an interesting place to play. I see it as a fantasy version of what I believe will eventually be “post Rapture” earth. A fantasy world where all the saints of God have been taken up into heaven and the three beasts who are running the show down below are claiming divine status and creatorship of the world. A place where those who are to be saved are just going to have to weather the present tribulation and somehow find the one true God, and salvation, in the process. So don’t think I’m looking down at or pointing fingers at people who want to play in the setting. I also recognize that my opinions of Eberron’s imagery are wholly based on my personal spiritual beliefs, which in no way makes me any better than someone with differing beliefs.
Please keep any following discussion civil. Its against board rules to openly discuss specific religions, not the imagery of D&D settings, which is what I was interested in calling attention to. I’m curious as to what others think of Eberron’s symbolism, whether you agree or disagree, and how you see it as affecting your campaigns, if at all.
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