Placing a kingdom in Eberron / Forgotten Realms

[Quickleaf]

I could use some help placing my adventure site in *both* Eberron and FR. What would be a good kingdom that fits my needs?

These are the precepts of the adventure site:

* A fantasy medieval kingdom with inherited rule
* Racial tension (or history of prejudice) & human dominance
* Magic used for dark purposes in past so some are suspicious or even superstitious of magic-users
* Bonus points if an Arthurian feel meshes well with the setting

Thanks in advance you setting gurus

 

[Klaus]

In Eberron, you can drop such a realm in any of the following locations:

- Rierdra (putting it instantly at odds with the Inspired, or serving as a vassal state);
- Eldreen Reaches, next to the border of the Shadow Marshes or Aundair (long history means any such realm could have existed before Galifar united the land);
- Lhazaar Principalities (really, anything can happen there);

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

In Eberron the Kingdom of Thrane (actually a theocracy) might fit. Thrane is ruled by the Church of the Silver Flame which tried to exterminate all lycanthropes (including shifters) on Eberron. It's a common belief that preoccupation with sorcery leads to corruption. There's still a royal line, but they abdicated to prevent a civil war.

 

[Quickleaf]

In Eberron, you can drop such a realm in any of the following locations:

- Rierdra (putting it instantly at odds with the Inspired, or serving as a vassal state);

Hmm, the whole empire angle with alien dream entities doesn't fit the motif I'm going for.

- Eldreen Reaches, next to the border of the Shadow Marshes or Aundair (long history means any such realm could have existed before Galifar united the land);

This seems to be the closest match for me, especially since there is no lightning rail and airships are rare. But I looked up a wiki which said the largest town is some 1800 people anemia run be druids. That makes me think placing a large kingdom with several good-sized towns in the Reaches would overshadow the rest of the civilization there.

- Lhazaar Principalities (really, anything can happen there);

This would work great if one if the features of the adventure site was seafaring and piracy...and not in a haunted British isles kind if way. And what's with multiple princes? There's no king?

In Eberron the Kingdom of Thrane (actually a theocracy) might fit. Thrane is ruled by the Church of the Silver Flame which tried to exterminate all lycanthropes (including shifters) on Eberron. It's a common belief that preoccupation with sorcery leads to corruption. There's still a royal line, but they abdicated to prevent a civil war.

Interesting. The wiki I read suggests that everyone in in Thrane is a devout follower of the church? A potential problem is that the royal family in my adventure engages in a form of blood magic (though they wouldn't call it such). Is there much conflict between the church and the royal family in Thrane?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Interesting. The wiki I read suggests that everyone in in Thrane is a devout follower of the church? A potential problem is that the royal family in my adventure engages in a form of blood magic (though they wouldn't call it such). Is there much conflict between the church and the royal family in Thrane?

Most Thranes follow the church, at least that's my impression. The royals make a show of supporting the church in public, and this being Eberron you can bet that there's a disgruntled heir somewhere who'd love to become king. (Some of the higher-ups inside the church aren't exactly pious, either.)

 

[Mentat55]

Karrnath might have potential. There is inherited rule (the nation is currently ruled by King Kaius III), the military uses necromancy to animate the dead to fight for the nation (though most people are not suspicious of magic, the use of necromancy plus the Blood of Vol adds a darker edge to magic use), and Karrnath still treats warforged like indentured servants despite the Treaty of Thronehold (which freed warforged).

Not a perfect match, but another alternative, I think.

 

[drothgery]

In Eberron the Kingdom of Thrane (actually a theocracy) might fit. Thrane is ruled by the Church of the Silver Flame which tried to exterminate all lycanthropes (including shifters) on Eberron.

Probably worth noting on that is
- there was a very, very serious problem with hostile lycanthropes at the time
- the people who moved against shifters were not Thranes, and it was never official Church policy; they were local Aundairans (though they were members of the church -- some of them recent converts because the Church had saved them from lycanthropes)

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

- the people who moved against shifters were not Thranes, and it was never official Church policy; they were local Aundairans (though they were members of the church -- some of them recent converts because the Church had saved them from lycanthropes)

Well, the Eberron Campaign Guide has the following entry:

832 YK The inquisition to wipe out lycanthropes is launched by the Church of the Silver Flame; it lasts fifty years and drives the species almost to extinction.

Shifters were also persecuted despite them not being true lycanthropes, and I got the impression that there's a certain level of animosity between shifters and the church. There's probably more info in the 3.5 sourcebooks, but I don't have those.

 

[Klaus]

Well, the Eberron Campaign Guide has the following entry:

Shifters were also persecuted despite them not being true lycanthropes, and I got the impression that there's a certain level of animosity between shifters and the church. There's probably more info in the 3.5 sourcebooks, but I don't have those.

Quite a few shifters aligned with the Silver Flame worked hard to clean up the image if their race. One of the most highly regarded heroes of the war against lycanthropes was the shifter Bennin Silverclaw. You can read about one of his descendants in the Eberron novel "Legacy of Wolves", by Marsheila Rockwell.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Thanks for the tip, Klaus. Unfortunately the old Eberron novels are very difficult to get here. I'm glad I managed to get the Dreaming Dark.