The Gates of Night: The Dreaming Dark - Book 3 (44 page)

Lakashtai:
An agent of the
Dreaming Dark
, Lakashtai deceived Daine and tricked him into killing
Tashana
. Lakashtai stole a powerful artifact from
Karul’tash
and escaped to
Dal Quor
.

lallis hound:
A breed of hunting dog popular in Cyre. Much of the breed was wiped out in the
Mourning
, but lallis hounds can still be found across Khorvaire.

Last War, the:
This conflict began in 894 YK with the death of King Jarot ir’Wynarn, the last king of Galifar. Following Jarot’s death, three of his five children refused to follow the ancient traditions of succession, and the kingdom split. The War lasted over a hundred years, and it took the utter destruction of Cyre to bring the other nations to the negotiating table. No one has admitted defeat, but no one wants to risk being the next victim of the Mourning. The chronicles are calling the conflict “the Last War,” hoping that the bloodshed might have finally slaked humanity’s thirst for battle. Only time will tell if this hope is in vain.

Lharvion:
1) The eighth month of the calendar of Galifar. 2) One of the twelve moons of Eberron.

Lyrandar, House:
A dragonmarked house bearing the Mark of Storm.

magewright:
A general term for any professional who uses magic to enhance the skills of his trade. The typical magewright can only perform one or two spells. Examples include the blacksmith who uses magic to improve his craft, the lamplighter who produces everbright lanterns, and the auger who uses magic to divine the future for her clients.

’Mark:
A slang term for the bearer of a dragonmark. See
dragonmark
.

Metrol:
The capital of Cyre. Metrol was destroyed by the Mourning.

mithral:
A silvery metal that is just as strong as iron, but far lighter and more flexible.

Monan:
A changeling who served
Teral ir’Soras
. Monan fought
Daine
in Sharn and nearly destroyed him with an insidious mental attack.

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.

Nine, the:
A term used to refer to the nine deities of the Sovereign Host.

Onatar:
A deity of the Sovereign Host, Onatar is Lord of Fire and Forge. He is the patron of both smith and artificer, lending skill to those who follow the traditions of old.

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.

Qaltiar:
One of the drow tribes of Xen’drik; the name translates into “Broken Oath.” The Qaltiar drow are driven by an ancient vendetta against the giants of Xen’drik and the
Sulatar
drow. Where many drow tribes worship
Vulkoor
, the Qaltiar consider Vulkoor to be just one of the great spirits of the wild. This often causes tension with other drow tribes.
Xu’sasar
is a member of the
Jalaq
tribe of the Qaltiar.

Quori:
Common name for someone or something from the plane of Dal Quor. The inhabitants of Dal Quor are spiritual entities that typically appear as nightmarish to human eyes. Many of these spirits take pleasure in shaping human nightmares and preying on dreaming mortals.

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.

sahuagin:
A race of amphibious humanoids that live in the oceans of Eberron. Aggressive sahuagin tribes often attack ships that cross their territory; other sahuagin sell their services as aquatic guides.

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

Scorpion Wraith:
A sacred warrior of the
Qaltiar
drow, blessed with the speed and skill of the predator. “Scorpion wraith” translates to
“Vulk N’tash”
in the tongue of the Qaltiar.

selas leaves:
A sweet herb found in the Eldeen Reaches, selas leaves are often used in the cuisine of Aundair.

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

shifting panther:
Drow name for the displacer beast, a magical predator found in Xen’drik and western Khorvaire. The displacer beast appears to be a few feet away from its true position, making it difficult to fight.

Shen’kar:
The commander of one of the scorpion wraith squads of the
Jalaq Qaltiar
.

Shira:
A magical intelligence created during an ancient war between the giants of Xen’drik and the plane of Dal Quor.

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 cleansing evil influences from the world. Over the last five hundred years, a powerful church has been established around the Silver Flame.

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

Sleeper:
A fallen hero. His true identity remains a mystery, but he is said to be a warrior of a past age who won the heart of Thelania. He was defeated in battle, but his remains were preserved in Thelanis, at a tomb known as the Bier of the Sleeper.

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
.

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

Stormreach:
The largest human city on the continent of Xen’drik. Once a pirate outpost, this port sees vessels from Khorvaire, Aerenal, and even Sarlona.

Sulatar:
One of the drow cultures of Xen’drik. “Sulatar” means “firebinder” in the language of the giants. Thousands of years ago, the Sulatar drow were taught techniques of fire magic by
giant wizards, and the dark elves retained much of this knowledge even after the cataclysm that destroyed the giant nations. The Sulatar are deeply religious and believe that their faith will eventually be rewarded with immortality and power with which to conquer all of Eberron.

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.

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.

Tashana:
A psionic warrior who sought to eliminate
Lakashtai
. Daine originally believed that Tashana was a servant of the
Dreaming Dark
. He fought Tashana and mortally wounded her, only to discover that she was a
kalashtar
agent opposing the darkness.

Test of Siberys:
A tradition among the dragonmarked houses. When a child comes of age, he undergoes a test that is intended to draw out a dragonmark if he possesses one. The precise form of the test varies considerably based on the house and the powers of the associated dragonmark.

Thaask:
A
sahuagin
guide who sells his services to ships traveling through the Straits of Shargon.

Thelania:
A powerful spirit of Thelanis and sovereign of a large domain within that plane. Thelania has appeared in many tales under many different names. She is most often referred to the Queen of Dusk and Shadows, or simply Dusk. In tales, she often assists heroes, providing them with magical gifts
or useful advice. However, the heroes who receive her favors rarely live long and happy lives.

Thelanis:
One of the outer planes of existence, also known as the Faerie Court. Thelanis is best known as being the home of the fey. Some say that it is one of the sources of magic and that the energy of Thelanis flows into the world where it is shaped by wizards and sorcerers.

thorn:
A minor fey spirit. Thorns are warriors who serve the faerie lords of Thelanis, especially those with dominion over woodlands. They wield large thorns in place of swords and often coat their weapons with a venom that paralyzes the victim.

tilxin bird:
A small bird native to the land of Xen’drik. The tilxin bird possesses supernatural speed and maneuverability. Its blood is a valuable component for magic items that enhance speed, and House Cannith pays well for tilxin blood. The Qaltiar drow hunt tilxin birds as a test of speed and cunning.

Tooth of the Wanderer:
A powerful artifact now in the possession of Xu’sasar. The Tooth of the Wanderer is a weapon that shifts its form according to the desires of the wielder. Its full capabilities are currently unknown, but it is apparently indestructible and can secrete poison upon demand.

Tower of a Thousand Teeth:
A fortress at the heart of Dal Quor.

Towers of the Twelve:
A foundation for mystical research and development formed as a joint effort by all of the dragonmarked houses.

Traveler, the:
Loosely aligned with the Dark Six, this deity is the embodiment of change and artifice. The Traveler is a consummate shapeshifter who cannot be bound by a single shape or gender. Alone among the deities, the Traveler is often said to walk the earth, though such tales can usually be traced to the actions of changeling priests. A common proverb is “Beware the gifts of the Traveler,” a reference to the fact that good fortune often has unexpected consequences.

Valenar:
1) A nation in southeastern Khorvaire, founded by an army of warrior elves. 2) Common name for someone or something from the Valenar nation.

Vulkoor:
The primary spirit worshipped by the drow of Xen’drik. Vulkoor is the great scorpion and is seen both as a deadly hunter and wise provider. While all scorpions are considered to be eyes of Vulkoor, the drow usually depict him as a ghost scorpion. Drow warriors often wear armor made from the pale white chitin of the ghost scorpion, which they consider to be one of Vulkoor’s many gifts.

Xen’drik:
A large continent south of Khorvaire. Once home to an advanced civilization of giants, Xen’drik was devastated by a terrible cataclysm almost forty thousand years ago. The effects of this disaster still linger. Space and time are often unpredictable in Xen’drik, and many strange creatures and cultures have appeared in this shattered land.

Wanderer:
A spirit revered by the Qaltiar drow, the Wanderer cannot be tied to a single shape or creature. Some have compared this trickster god to the Traveler of the Dark Six.

War of the Mark:
Five hundred years before the creation of Galifar, the dragonmarked families joined forces to eliminate those who possessed aberrant marks. Ultimately the aberrants joined forces and formed an army of their own, under the leadership of Lord Halas Tarkanan and his lover, the Lady of the Plague. Despite Tarkanan’s skill and personal power, his troops were few in number and poorly organized, and he could not stand against the dragonmarked. In the aftermath of the war, the families formally established the first dragonmarked houses.

warforged:
A race of humanoid constructs crafted from wood, leather, metal, and stone, and given life and sentience through magic. The warforged were created by House Cannith, which sought to produce tireless, expendable soldiers capable of adapting to any tactical situation. Cannith developed a wide range of military automatons, but the spark of true sentience eluded them until 965 YK, when
Aaren d’Cannith
perfected the first of the modern warforged. A warforged soldier is
roughly the same shape as an adult male human, though typically slightly taller and heavier. There are many different styles of warforged, each crafted for a specific military function—heavily-armored infantry troops, faster scouts and skirmishers, and many more. While warforged are brought into existence with the knowledge required to fulfill their function, they have the capacity to learn, and with the War, many are searching their souls—and questioning whether they have souls—and wondering what place they might have in a world at peace.