Sample file CREDITS Designer: Joseph Meehan Editor: Kaley Sten Template: Simple Microsoft Word Template by Laura Hirsbrunner Cover Illustrator: Andreas Achenbach, public domain. Interior Illustrators: Seamless parchment texture by IcyCatElf, handwriting by Nile, elf sketch by Bob Graeyvenstein, others from Wizards of the Coast Eberron stock art. Special Thanks: The /r/Eberron discord for ideas and discussion. ON THE COVER https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437975 Sunset after a Storm on the Coast of Sicily This piece represents Valenar’s coasts – warm and sunny, likely with a rocky cliff face and crashing waves. Disclaimer: Do not look a Tairnadal elf in the eyes. If you do, immediately avert your gaze. If you are challenged, concede immediately. Even if you can beat one elf in battle, displays of strength only invite further challenge. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names,Sample and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. file This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Joseph Meehan and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. 1 Aundair .......................................................................................... 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS Breland .......................................................................................... 10 Darguun ........................................................................................ 10 Map of Valenar and Aerenal ................................................ 11 Credits .................................................................................... 1 The Land ............................................................................... 12 Table of Contents.................................................................. 2 Northern Valenar ........................................................................ 12 Sample Clan: Kel Gryfaen .................................................... 12 Introduction .......................................................................... 3 Sample Village: Respite ....................................................... 12 Living Legends ...............................................................................3 Sample Town: Taer Valior ................................................... 12 The Tairnadal ................................................................................ 4 Central Valenar .............................................................................13 The Spirits of the Past ............................................................ 4 Sample Clan: Ghiraes ............................................................13 Zaelantar ................................................................................... 5 Sample Village: Moonshadow ............................................ 14 Zaeltairn ................................................................................... 5 Sample Town: Norinath ...................................................... 14 The Shanutar ........................................................................... 7 Sample City: Taer Valaestas ................................................ 14 Siyal Marrain ........................................................................... 7 Southern Valenar ........................................................................ 14 The People of Valenar .......................................................... 8 Sample Clan: Kel Arythan ................................................... 14 The Elves ........................................................................................ 8 Sample Village: Taer Ravar ................................................. 14 The Khoravar ................................................................................. 8 Sample Town: Pylas Maradal ............................................. 15 House Lyrandar ....................................................................... 8 The Water ..................................................................................... 15 The Humans .................................................................................. 9 Playing a Tairnadal.............................................................. 15 Other Residents............................................................................. 9 Build Your Character .................................................................. 15 Kech Nasaar ............................................................................. 9 Choose Your Subrace ............................................................ 15 Foreign Relations ................................................................10 Choose Your Faction ............................................................. 15 Cyre .................................................................................................10 Choose Your Ancestor .......................................................... 15 Dragonmarked Houses...............................................................10 Character Backgrounds ............................................................. 16 Karrnath ........................................................................................10 Tairnadal ................................................................................. 16 The Talenta Plains.......................................................................10 Q’barra ...........................................................................................10 Sample file 2 followers, sharing their talent and techniques. The INTRODUCTION cultivation and preservation of these ancestors forms the basis of the Spirits of the Past. Young elves learned to train ituated in the southeastern corner of Khorvaire, to earn the approval and blessings of their ancestors, in Valenar is isolated by the Blade Desert. A century return preserving the memories of those ancestors and ago, the Queen of Cyre invited elven mercenaries their martial expertise. from Aerenal to serve in the Last War. Five After thousands of years, the Irian-worshipping elves of decades later, those same Tairnadal mercenaries the southern jungles had created enough deathless to form S annexed East Cyre and declared it a new nation, the Undying Court. In response to the formation of this naming their new land Valenar. new power, the dragons besieged Aerenal - the beginning Despite the pretense of Valenar’s High King Shaeras of the elf-dragon wars. Some Tairnadal joined in this fight, Vadallia and his darkwood crown, the elves of Valenar bear developed dragon-fighting techniques, and became the little interest in forming a real nation. While the humans first of the Draleus Tairn. This aid solidified the peaceful who have lived in Southeast Khorvaire for thousands of coexistence of the northern and southern elven cultures. years carry on with their lives, the elven government exists During a lull in the elf-dragon wars, a major sect of purely to provoke conflict with Valenar’s neighbors. These Tairnadal elves known as the Valaes Tairn, the “Warriors elves, drawn from the Tairnadal culture of northern of Glory”, colonized the southeastern corner of Khorvaire Aerenal, fight to fulfill their religious obligations to the in search of new enemies. Calling this new land Valenar, Spirits of the Past. the Valeas Tairn quickly drove off the native orc tribes that had already been marginalized by the Dhakaani empire. The elves found the goblinoids to be a truly worthy foe. LIVING LEGENDS Thus, the Valaes Tairn sharpened their steel and skills The Tairnadal are a culture of elves entirely defined by against this empire in a lengthy conflict known as the their shared religion. In short, each elf upon reaching Dhakaani-Tairn war. coming of age is chosen by a hero of the past, benefitting The war changed dramatically when renewed draconic from the ancestor’s guidance while earning the duty to aggression forced the Valaes Tairn to retreat to Aerenal to emulate and preserve the ancestor that chose them. defend the homeland. The Dhakaani used this opportunity Worship of the Spirits of the Past, like worship of the to go on the offensive. Unable to sustain both conflicts, the Undying Court, is a tradition and practice inextricable elves were forced into a peace agreement with the from the history of its worshippers, as the need to emulate goblinoid empire, binding them to never return to their heroes has Khorvaire unless called upon for aid. Dhakaani pride Throughout the Age of Giants many distinct clans of prevented the dar from calling upon the elves for aid in the nomadic elves waged war against their giant oppressors. war against the daelkyr, and so no Tairnadal elf laid a foot Aeren’s vision united both free and enslaved elves in one on Khorvaire soil for thousands of years. fight. When the giants threatened cataclysmic magic, Scholars say the Last War was precipitated by King Aeren led the elves across the Thunder Sea and avoided the Jarot’s military buildup throughout his life. Fearing an fallout of draconic retribution. Aeren died on the journey, invasion by an advanced, external threat, Jarot’s projects but the surviving elves