The City of Towers: The Dreaming Dark - Book I (54 page)

Morgrave University
: Located in Sharn, Morgrave University is the largest institute of learning in Breland. Compared to the other great colleges of Khorvaire, it has a shady reputation; many claim that the scholars of Morgrave University are more interested in grave-robbing than actually unlocking the secrets of the past. Regardless of its standing, Morgrave can be a valuable resource to inquisitive inhabitants of Sharn.

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.

Mror Holds, The
: A nation of dwarves and gnomes located in the Ironroot Mountains.

Olalia
: A Cyran refugee and servant of
Teral ir’Soras
. Olalia has been disfigured, supposedly through magical means.

Olaran
: A village in the northeastern edge of Cyre. Olaran was destroyed during a Karrnathi attack in 989 YK.

Old Road
: A trade road built on the orders of King Galifar II. Today, the Old Road still links the capitals and great cities of the Five Kingdoms.

Olladra
: The Sovereign of Feast and Fortune, goddess of luck and plenty. Those who follow the Sovereign Host will ask Olladra for aid in risky ventures, and the phrase “Olladra smiles” is used when someone has a stroke of good luck.

Oranon, Mulg
: A dwarf windchaser who races in the aerial events of Sharn. Mulg is best known for riding Daggerhawks.

Orasca
: A word from the language of the halflings of the Talenta Plains. It can be translated many ways, but a standard usage is “one who seeks to steal my livelihood.”

Phiarlan, House
: A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Shadow.

Philan
: A Cyran refugee living in High Walls. A minstrel by trade, Philan survives by telling tales to children in exchange for copper or scraps.

Pierce
: A warforged soldier, Pierce was built by House Cannith and sold to the army of Cyre. He was designed to serve as a skirmisher and scout, specializing in ranged combat. His comrades named him based on his skill with his longbow. Following the destruction of Cyre, he has chosen to remain with
Daine
, his last captain.

Precarious
: One of the districts of Sharn. Precarious is located on the lowest levels of Dura Plateau. It serves the shipping trade, and is dominated by warehouses and the mystical cranes that haul goods up from the docks of the Dagger.

Pride of the Storm
: The personal airship of Lord Dantian d’Lyrandar.

Prospers Street
: A street in Deniyas. Most of the upscale merchants and inns of the district can be found on Prospers Street.

Q’barra
: A young nation hidden within the jungles of eastern Khorvaire. Q’barra was formed by refugees and rebels who refused to fight in the Last War, along with bandits and other ruffians.

Queen’s Guard
: One of the titles of the army of Cyre.

Race of Eight Winds
: An aerial sporting event that takes place in the Dura quarter of Sharn. In this annual event, riders race different types of flying beasts. Each Dura district is represented by a different beast, and preparations and rivalries between the districts play a major role in daily life.

Rakshasa
: Ancient fiends from the dawn of time. Rakshasa are cunning shapeshifters with considerable mystical powers, but the most powerful of these demons were bound in Khyber hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Ralus
: A human windchaser. Ralus specializes in handling hippogriffs, and represents Daggerwatch in the Race of Eight Winds.

Rasial Tann
: A guardsman with a gift for handling hippogriffs. Rasial had a bright future in the Sharn Watch and the sporting arenas of Dura quarter. He rode the hippogriff to victory in his first time in the Race of Eight Winds, but the second year his mount died in an unexplained accident. Following this disaster, Rasial disappeared into the underworld of Sharn.

Rattlestone
: One of the residential districts in the Lower Dura plateau of Sharn. Many of the poorer inhabitants of Dura gather in Rattlestone Square to watch the major aerial races.

Rhazala
: A young goblin girl who lives in Malleon’s Gate in Sharn.

Riedra
: The largest country on the continent of Sarlona. Once a collection of warring states, Riedra overcame its internal conflicts only to break all ties with the rest of Eberron. After a thousand years of silence, Riedra is only beginning to reestablish diplomatic relations with the nations of Khorvaire, and much about the realm remains a mystery.

Round Wind
: The ancestral estate of Hadran d’Cannith. Round Wind is located in the district of Dalan’s Refuge in Sharn.

Saerath
: A wizard who served in the support corps of the Queen’s Guard of Cyre. Saereth served under Daine but has not been seen since the Battle of Keldan Ridge.

Sagal Powder
: A pungent spice commonly used by the halflings of the Talenta Plains.

Sarlona
: One of the continents of Eberron. Humanity arose in Sarlona, and colonists from Sarlona established human civilization on Khorvaire.

Sarris
: A young woman from Cyre. Sarris served as a scout in the Cyran army, under the command of Greykell ir’Ryc.

Seawall Mountains
: A mountain chain in southern Breland. The Seawall separates Darguun and Zilargo, and many kobolds and goblinoids still lurk in its shadows.

Selas Leaves
: First found in the Shadow Marches, the use of these aromatic herbs has spread across the Five Nations over the last three centuries. They have become a staple of Cyran dishes, particularly those involving red meat.

Sennan Rath
: A simple keep in southern Cyre, Sennan Keep was heavily fortified after the rise of Darguun. Daine and Pierce spent a year walking the walls of Sennan Rath.

Sentinel Marshals
: The dragonmarked House Deneith is the primary source for mercenary soldiers and bodyguards in Khorvaire. The Sentinel Marshals are a specialized form of mercenary—bounty hunters empowered to enforce the laws of Galifar across Khorvaire. This right was granted by the King of Galifar, but when Galifar collapsed the rulers of the Five Nations agreed to let the Sentinel Marshals pursue their prey across all nations, to maintain a neutral lawkeeping force that would be respected throughout Khorvaire. See
House Deneith
.

Seren Tablets
: An ancient set of tablets recovered from the Seren Island chain off the coast of Argonnessen. The tablets are a written account of a tale handed down among the dragons for hundreds of thousands of years, describing the war between the first dragons and the creation of the world.

Shaarat
: A Goblin word that translates to “sword” or “blade.”

Shaarat’kor
: A Goblin word that translates to “blood-colored blade.” This is the sobriquet of the Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor, the ruler of Darguun. Goblinoids loyal to Haruuc often use this as a warcry.

Shadow Marches, The
: A region of desolate swamps on the southwestern coast of Khorvaire.

Shae Mordai
: An Elvish name translating to “City of the Dead.”
Shae Mordai is the home of the Undying Court of the elves of Aerenal.

Sharn
: Also known as the City of Towers, Sharn is the largest city in Khorvaire.

Sharn Watch
: The force that maintains order in the city of Sharn. The Watch is spread throughout the city, and each quarter of Sharn has its own garrison. In addition to the main force of guards, there are a number of specialized divisions of the Watch. The Gold Wings provide aerial reconnaissance and support. The Blackened Book deals with magical crimes. The Guardians of the Gate monitor the activities of foreigners. And the Redcloak Battalion are an elite military unit that can be deployed against deadly foes—demons, enemy commandoes, or similar threats.

Shifter
: A humanoid race said to be descended from humans and lycanthropes. Shifters have a feral, bestial appearance and can briefly call on their lycanthropic heritage to draw animalistic characteristics to the fore. While they are most comfortable in natural environs, shifters can be found in most of the major cities of Khorvaire.

Siberys
: 1) The ring of stones that circle the world. 2) A mythical dragon, also called “The Dragon Above.” Siberys is said to have been destroyed by Khyber. Some believe that the ring of Siberys is the source of all magic. See
Eberron, Khyber
.

Silver Flame, the
: A powerful spiritual force dedicated to cleaning evil influences from the world. Over the last five hundred years, a powerful church has been established around the Silver Flame.

Silver Tree
: A luxurious inn located on Prospers Street in Deniyas.

Sivis, House
: A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Scribing.

Sivis Tower
: The central enclave of House Sivis in Sharn. This structure is located in the district of Dragon Towers.

Skyblade Joust
: A sporting event where participants fight while mounted on flying beasts. In a typical joust, the goal is to unseat all opponents and send them tumbling to the ground, but there are many variations of the sport.

Skycoach
: A small flying vessel, typically shaped like a rowboat or gondola. The magic that allows a skycoach to fly is tied to the manifest zone around Sharn; as a result, these vehicles will not function far from Sharn, and are only found in the City of Towers.

Sorans
: A family of Cyran refugees living in High Walls. Bakers by trade, the Sorans have struggled to acquire enough supplies to continue their trade in Sharn.

Sovereign
: 1) A silver coin depicting a current or recent monarch. A sovereign is worth ten crowns. 2) One of the deities of the Sovereign Host. See
Sovereign Host
.

Sovereign Host, the
: A pantheistic religion with a strong following across Khorvaire.

Star of Cyre
: A five-pointed star. The points represent the Five Nations; the top point and the center of the star are gold—representing Cyre—while the remaining points are red, blue, black, and silver. The silhouette of a crown is often placed in the center of the star. As Cyre maintained its claim to the Five Nations throughout the Last War, it continued to use this symbol throughout the war.

Stone Eye, The
: A title the goblins of Malleon’s Gate often use to refer to Kasslak.

Stormchild
: A slang term for an heir of the dragonmark of House Lyrandar.

Sundown
: A fast-paced gambling game traditionally played at the end of the workday.

Syllia
: A matron of a Cyran farming family, Syllia came south with her surviving sons after the war. The family found a place in Dolurrh’s Doorstep, but Syllia turned to dreamlily to wash away the pain and soon became an addict.

Tal
: A beverage from the Talenta Plains. Tal was introduced to the Five Nations by the halflings of House Ghallanda. Made by steeping herbs in boiling water, it serves many purposes depending on the herbs that are used. There are dozens of varieties. Milian tal is typically served cold and is said to settle a fever, while blackroot tal is served hot and is a popular midday drink.

Talenta Plains
: A vast stretch of grassland to the east of Khorvaire, the Talenta Plains are home to a proud halfling culture. The people of the Talenta Plains live a nomadic lifestyle that has remained more or less unchanged for thousands of years, though over the centuries a number of tribes have left the grasslands to settle in the Five Nations. A wide variety of large reptiles are found in the Talenta Plains, and the halfling warriors are known for their fearsome clawfoot mounts.

Tanda
: This salutation from the Talenta Plains can be translated in many ways depending on the circumstances but is generally friendly. A common usage is, “Greetings, one who is not my brother in blood but yet might become one in friendship.”

Targath
: A metal found in the land of Argonnessen. A charm fashioned from this metal is said to provide its wearer with good health.

Tarkanan, House
: A criminal organization based in Sharn, specializing in theft and assassination. Only people possessing aberrant dragonmarks can join House Tarkanan, and the members of the house are taught to hone these skills to aid in their work. The organization is structured as a mockery of the true dragonmarked houses, in remembrance of the aberrant alliance that arose during the War of the Mark. See
aberrant dragonmark, War of the Mark
.

Tavick’s Landing
: One of the five quarters of Sharn. Travelers arriving by foot or by rail must pass through Tavick’s Landing, which is a blend of residential, entertainment, and business districts.