Welcome to Eberron!

In 2002, there was a contest to find the new Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. There were over 11,000 entries, but Eberron was chosen as the winner because it used all the traditional features of D&D in new and interesting ways.

The Last War has ended (sort of). The continent of Khorvaire has been at war for the last hundred years. The old kingdom of Galifar splintered into the Five Nations, which fought for the right to be dominant. Four years ago,the kingdom of Cyre was destroyed in a magical catastrophe of unknown origin, creating the Mournlands, and a ceasefire was called. Two years ago, the Treaty of Thronehold officially ended the war, recognizing twelve nations. But the Last War is still fresh in everyone's minds, and the new nations jockey for advantage as they prepare for war to break out once more.

A World of Magic. Techology has developed through magic rather than science. Airships and the lightning rail connect Khorvaire. Using rare items called Dragonshards, powerful magic devices can be created. The most infamous technology to come out of the Last War are the Warforged: sentient constructs of wood and metal. Now that the war has ended, they struggle to find their place in society.

Dragonmarked Houses. The twelve Dragonmarked Houses came to prominence during the war. They are megacorporations that operate across national borders, each with a monopoly on a valuable service or product. Members of each house have a Dragonmark: a magical naturally-occuring tattoo that gives them limited but powerful magical abilities.

A Land of Intrigue. In the wake of the Last War, everyone is jockeying for power in a continental cold war. Everyone, from the nations to the dragonmarked houses to crime gangs and churches, and even the dragons with their mysterious Prophecy, is trying to manipulate the world to come out on top. Trust no one - all morality is subjective, and you can meet good orcs or evil angels.

D&D With A Twist. Everything in D&D is in Eberron, but the details might be completely different. Eberron is inspired by pulp adventure and film noir instead of ancient mythology and medieval sagas, so many of the races and monsters have changed to fit this different world.

Some inspirations for Eberron were the films Brotherhood of the Wolf, Casablanca, From Hell, The Maltese Falcon, The Mummy, The Name of the Rose, Pirates of the Caribbean, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Sleepy Hollow; and the works of Dashiell Hammett, H. P. Lovecraft, Raymond Chandler, Phillip K. Dick, Steven Brust, and William Gibson.