airwalkrr
Adventurer
I was wondering how many of you have ever thought of adding a little verbal flair to your Eberron games by selecting Earth-based accents to apply to NPCs from regions analogous to those on Earth or (in some situations) based on race? We've all heard of the dwarf with the Scottish brogue, but I have given this a bit of thought and here is what I do in my current Eberron campaign. Note I use Eberron as an allegory for the Napoleonic-Victorian Era.
Breland - English/British accent (Breland being the "dominant" country of Khorvaire in a world that is largely reminiscent of the Victorian Age)
Aundair - French accent (Aundair just sounds French, and the style of the country seems to fit)
Thrane - Italian accent (it just seems to fit so well with Thrane being the center of the Silver Flame, which I see as a rough analogy for the Roman Catholic church)
Karrnath - Slavic accent (it's a big country, and Slavic languages are spread far, plus its the home of the "vampire" religion)
Cyre - German accent (only applies to expatriates obviously, but Germany being a sundered kingdom in the Victorian Age this seems to fit)
Zilargo/Gnomes - Swiss accent (with their emphasis on banking coming later, they still serve as a crucial mediator and communications center)
Darguun/Goblins - Arabian accents (with their martial culture and expansionist ideals, I like this)
Shadow Marches/Orcs - Malay/Indonesian (more a geographical association than anything else; a picture of a Shadow Marches orc just reminded me of the area)
Mror Holds/Dwarves - Scandinavian accent (not only is this a more classical approach to dwarves, but it gives a welcome relief to those tired of the Scottish approach)
Aerenal/Elves - Gaelic/Irish accent (being a very ancient people from a relatively isolated island nevertheless rich in culture and martial tradition)
Riedra/Kalashtar - Chinese accent (a majestic people with a powerful empire far away that those on Khorvaire know little to nothing about but are trying to build ties to)
Xen'Drik/Drow - Nigerian accent (the indigenous language of a people from an area that runs from desert to jungle and is largely unknown to people from Khorvaire)
Lhazaar Principalities - Caribbean (this should require little explanation)
Talenta/Halflings - Gypsies (Eberron portrays them as wanderers so this fits)
Breland - English/British accent (Breland being the "dominant" country of Khorvaire in a world that is largely reminiscent of the Victorian Age)
Aundair - French accent (Aundair just sounds French, and the style of the country seems to fit)
Thrane - Italian accent (it just seems to fit so well with Thrane being the center of the Silver Flame, which I see as a rough analogy for the Roman Catholic church)
Karrnath - Slavic accent (it's a big country, and Slavic languages are spread far, plus its the home of the "vampire" religion)
Cyre - German accent (only applies to expatriates obviously, but Germany being a sundered kingdom in the Victorian Age this seems to fit)
Zilargo/Gnomes - Swiss accent (with their emphasis on banking coming later, they still serve as a crucial mediator and communications center)
Darguun/Goblins - Arabian accents (with their martial culture and expansionist ideals, I like this)
Shadow Marches/Orcs - Malay/Indonesian (more a geographical association than anything else; a picture of a Shadow Marches orc just reminded me of the area)
Mror Holds/Dwarves - Scandinavian accent (not only is this a more classical approach to dwarves, but it gives a welcome relief to those tired of the Scottish approach)
Aerenal/Elves - Gaelic/Irish accent (being a very ancient people from a relatively isolated island nevertheless rich in culture and martial tradition)
Riedra/Kalashtar - Chinese accent (a majestic people with a powerful empire far away that those on Khorvaire know little to nothing about but are trying to build ties to)
Xen'Drik/Drow - Nigerian accent (the indigenous language of a people from an area that runs from desert to jungle and is largely unknown to people from Khorvaire)
Lhazaar Principalities - Caribbean (this should require little explanation)
Talenta/Halflings - Gypsies (Eberron portrays them as wanderers so this fits)
