Daine Halar Deneith is the leader of a team of ex-Cyran soldiers turned adventurers.[1][2][3]
History[]
- the Eberron novels.
Daine was born in House Deneith to Daron d'Deneith, a general of the Blademarks Guild, and to a swordsmith mother. He failed the Test of Siberys, a sign that he would not manifest the Mark of Sentinel, something that would strain his relationship with his father. He maintained a better relationship with his grandfather, who would train Daine in the ways of swordsmanship and bequeath the family blade onto him.[1]
Daine would become a mercenary soldier within House Deneith. During his younger days, Daine would initially seek glory and excitement but he quickly found himself wanting something more fulfilling, wanting to fight for something he believed in, something that brought at odds with his father and his house. Wanting to make his father proud, Daine suppressed his dissatisfaction and tried to become the detached mercenary he was expected to be. However, this would change after he was assigned to work for Alina Lorridan Lyrris.
Daine served Alina as a guard, a servant and even as a paramour. While under her employ, he witnessed and was made to do things that haunted his dreams for the rest of his life. He also came into conflict with another guard serving under Alina named Morram d'Denieth, who Daine would later kill under unknown circumstances. His time working for Alina caused his dissatisfaction to evolve into self loathing and hatred toward his house. However, it was during this time he met Jode Jorasco, who would become his closest friend. With the halfling's encouragement, Daine found the courage to leave House Deneith, leaving behind his family name and striking the Eye of Deneith symbol off the pommel of his grandfather's sword. Daine disliked talking about his past and didn't want anyone to know about his relationship to House Deneith or Alina, even forbidding Jode of speaking about it.[1][3]
Daine and Jode would enter the Cyrian army. Daine had developed a respect towards the people and culture of Cyre, viewing the country as providing the warmth and comfort that his own family never did, and believed that fighting for Queen Dannel ir'Wynarn was the righteous cause he had been searching for. He rose to the rank of captain and was stationed at Keldin Ridge near Cyre's southern border.
On the Day of Mourning, Daine's unit was attacked by warforged soldiers and stormships of unknown origin, resulting in the loss of two-thirds of his men. Surviving the initial waves of attack, Daine discovered that the enemy forces were guarding a secret base and decided to lead an infiltration mission in the hopes of disabling what he saw as a major security threat to Cyre. It was then discovered that the culprits behind the warforged army was Talin and Aleisa d'Cannith, parents of Lei d'Cannith. Exactly what happened next is unclear but Daine and the remaining the soldiers under his command were teleported a few feet outside of Cyre's borders by Lei's parents right as the Mourning began, waking up the next day with their memories of the encounter erased.
Daine led his remaining troops into the Mournland to look for survivors, only to find nothing but ruin and horrors. They retreated from the Mournland after six months, with only Daine, Lei, Pierce, and Jode having survived.[1][2][3]
The City of Towers[]
Daine and his companions traveled to Sharn, as King Boranel ir'Wynarn had promised to Cyrian refugees and because Lei had an arranged marriage to Hadran d'Cannith, who they hoped would offer them financial compensation for assisting his fiancée. However, it was discovered that Hadran had been killed and that Lei and her whole family had been declared excorriates for unknown reasons. With the group having no shelter or funds, Jode managed to charm the owner of an inn in the city's slums into giving them a few days lodging on credit and he also pawned Daine's family sword for money to handle their immediate concerns. Still needing more money to pay for their room and to reclaim his sword, Daine reluctantly visited Alina Lyrris for a job, who sent him to find a courier who seemingly made off with a package of Khyber shards she had purchased.
The search for the courier, as well as answers to why Lei was excorriated, would lead Daine and his friends all across Sharn, encountering many faces both old and new to them. Daine's group would find themselves at odds with a strange cult with supernatural abilities. A changeling with psionic abilities would invade Daine's mind and repeatedly try to possess him, which lead to him encountering a mysterious kalashtar woman named Lakashtai who used her own psionic abilities to help Daine drive the mental intruder away. It was also near this time that Jode, along with the courier they had been seeking, were found dead with their dragonmarks removed from their bodies.
Eventually, it was discovered that the cult was dedicated to a Mindflayer and was led by Tariel, a leader among the Cyrian refugees. The cult had been kidnapping and killing those with dragonmarks, stealing their abilities and distilling them into potions for their future plans of conquest. With great difficulty, Daine, Lei and Pierce managed to kill Tariel and defeat the mindflayer. Daine gave Alina the cult's dragonmark potions, though secretly keeping the one made from Jode, receiving payment from her and he also managed to convince her to help them acquire property in Highwalls, the ghetto where the Cyrian refugees were housed, having decided to remain in Sharn and help protect the Cyrians sheltering there. Alina had also found and purchased Daine's family blade, gifting it back to him after having it magically restored to it's original form complete with the Eye of Deneith on its pommel, which forced Daine to finally explain his backstory to his Lei and Pierce.[1]
The Shattered Land[]
With the money and assistance from Alina, Daine and his friends moved into an abandoned inn within Highwalls. A year later, Daine began to have waking dreams about the night of the Mourning, reliving the forgotten memories of Keldin Ridge. Lakashtai visited him and told him his mind was under siege by a quori name Tashana, who would repeatedly assault his mind in his dreams, and that only way to help him was in Xen'drik. Daine and his friends reluctantly followed the aloof kalashtar woman to the dark continent and, while in Stormreach, they took the services of an albino drow half-elf name Gerrion as a guide. Under Lakashtai's orders, the group reluctantly robbed a draconic temple and broke into the vault of a powerful sorcerer in order to find the location of where Tashana could be permanently driven from Daine's mind.
Once in Xen'drik, the group were attacked by a group of warforged led by Harmatton and Gerrion used a magical artifact to teleport their new enemies away, but he also sent away Lei and Pierce along with them, supposedly by accident. Afterwards, Daine, Gerrion and Lakashtai were captured by Qaltiar drow, who they barely escaped alive from. They were then captured by Sulatar drow, who Gerrion had been secretly working for the entire time. Daine and Lakashtai seemingly fitting the prerequisites of those prophesized to open the Gates of the Promise and allow the drow to fulfill the Promise of Fire, with Daine being a child of war with a voice from the past in his mind and Lakashtai being woman of two worlds as a kalashtar. Daine and Lakashtai were set inside a maze of shifting fire walls that led to the Gate of the Promise, which Daine was expected to navigate with the help of Tashana. Instead, the two escaped thanks to Lakashtai's levitation abilities.
Later, the duo discovered that Sulatar had captured Lei and Pierce, with Holarar, Sulatar's high priest, now believing them to be the ones who would open the Gates of the Promise. Daine and Lakashtai convinced the Qaltiar to help them save their friends from their mutual enemy and to help them enter the Gates of the Promise, where Lakashtai believed they could remove Tashana from Daine's mind. The group was able to save Lei and Pierce and, with the help of SHIRA, Pierce was able to navigate the maze of fire and open the Gates of the Promise. Inside they found an ancient machine that allowed for travel between planes. However, they were confronted by Holarar and Gerrion and Daine agreed to help them reach their promised land of fire if Gerrion engaged him in a duel to the first blood, supposedly so that Daine could regain his honor after being trick by the half elf. In reality, it was all part of a plan in which Daine's Qaltiar allies had stowed away inside the machine to ensure that Holarar and Gerrion would remain stranded in Fernia. Likewise, Daine's blade had been coated in a slow acting poison provided by the Qaltiar and the "honor duel" was just so that Daine could kill Gerrion in revenge for his betrayal.
The group was then attacked by Tashana and, mustering all his willpower, Daine struck the woman with a mortal blow. With her final breaths, she told Daine that she couldn't dream and to stop Lakashtai. It was then revealed that Lakashtai was the real quori and it had been her assaulting Daine's mind while under the guise of Tashana. She did so that she could to bring Lei to Xen'drik and mentally manipulate her into creating a magical orb. As Lakashtai disappeared with the orb to parts unknown, the group was attacked by Harmattan and Indigo, who had survived Pierce's attempt to kill them. Harmattan revealed he knew that Daine had the potion containing Jode's dragonmark and offered to let the group live in exchange for it. Defiantly, Daine drank it instead.[2]
The Gates of Night[]
By drinking the potion, Jode's preserved soul had linked with Daine's mind and allowed the two to interact whenever Daine dreamed.
Daine, Pierce and Lei just barely managed to defeat Indigo and temporarily incapacitate Harmattan. Needing to escape the now sealed Gate of Promise before Harmattan reformed, they entered the planes traveling machine with Xu'sasar, the only surviving member of the Qaltiar to survive the confrontation with the Sulatar and Harmattan, and the four escaped just as the powerful warforged reformed and attempted to attack them.
The group crash landed in the Night domain of Thelanlis and had to travel through the Gates of Night to escape, encountering many odd and dangerous beings in their travels and needing to defeat the powerful Woodsman to leave. It was also during this time that Daine manifested an aberrant dragonmark on his back. Upon entering the Dusk domain, they were invited to speak with Thelania, the Queen of Dusk, who revealed that Lakashtai used Lei to remake Dal Quor's connection to Eberron so that the Quori could invade. She also revealed that she had been influencing the events that led the group to where they now were and she charged them with destroying the orb Lei had created to save their world. Daine agreed to do as the queen asked under the condition that she never meddle in their lives again.
They were sent by the queen to Sarlona, where Daine, Lei and Pierce would able to enter Dal Quor in their sleep while Xu'sasar stood guard over them. After reuniting with Jode, speaking with the dreams of a dragon and reliving an events of Keldin Ridge, the group were able to enter the quori's territory and sneak into the stronghold where the orb was hidden. Lakashtai was waiting for them and, after a harrowing battle, Daine awoke the power of his aberrant mark and absorbed the nightmare spirit into himself. Lei was able to destroy the orb and sever Dal Quor's connection to Eberron before she and Pierce were pushed out back to the material world but Daine mind and soul remained in the Plane of Dream. Daine swore to find a way to return to Eberron and to restore Jode as well.
In the material world, Lei and Pierce awoke to find that Xu'sasar had been knock unconscious and a summoning circle had been drawn around Daine's body. Daine seemingly woke up and expressed relief.[3]
Son of Khyber[]
Daine's body had been possessed by the spirit of Halas Tarkanan's cousin, a man also named Daine. This Daine lived 1530 years ago during the War of the Mark. He was born of the Halar family of House Deneith. He claims to have been saved by Halas Tarkanan from his own father who was attempting to kill him after manifesting an aberrant dragonmark. He was killed alongside his cousin in Shiraat but his soul lingered in the dreams of dragons until 999 YK when he forcefully took Daine Deneith's body as part of an ancient bargain he had made with Thelania.[4]
Abandoning Daine's friend's aside from Xu'sasar and taking on the title "The Son of Khyber", he convinced Thora Tarkanan to give him control over House Tarkanan and he began to lead the organization to engage in more hostile and militant actions against the Dragonmarked houses. Thorn, a Dark Lantern of Breland, was sent to investigate House Tarkanan under the guise of aberrant in order to gain information on the house and to potentially kill its leader. However, the Son of Khyber managed to sway her enough to believe his cause was a just one, that those with aberrant dragonmarks are unjustly persecuted and that the dragonmarked houses have too much power over the Five Nations, though this wasn't enough to get her to abandon Breland and join him. Together, they invaded a secret creation forge owned by Merrix d'Cannith to steal a necrotic resonator that had been charged by the Mourning and they battled two angels, with the Son of Khyber absorbing the celestials' souls with his dragonmark. It was then that the Son of Khyber revealed his plan to destroy Sharn by using the resonator to disrupt the energies that kept the structures of the city afloat. He hoped that this would turn Breland, if not all of Khorvaire against House Cannith since it would have been done through the use of an illegal creation of Merrix. To stop him, Thorn killed him by calling upon the power of Sarmondelaryx to drain his life energies.[4]
It's unknown what the current status of Daine's soul is or what he'll do now that he no longer has a living body to return to and is now identified as a terrorist by the Breland government.
Personality[]
Daine is a gruff and jaded soldier with little patience for foolish or insubordinate behavior. Ironically, he himself is far from no-nonsense, constantly cracking jokes and making sarcastic comments to everyone around him even when facing near certain death and he regularly shows disrespect to those in authority. Despite his standoffish demeanor, Daine still strives to try and be honorable, such as when he allowed a defeated group of bandits to leave with their lives or when he stood up to a member of the Sharn Watch to keep them from throwing a goblin girl from a lift.[1] He is also incredibly loyal to his friends and would do anything for them whenever they need his help.
Daine was once a devoted follower of the Silver Flame but hardships of the Last War cause his faith to severely waver. After the Day of Mourning, Daine forsook belief in the Flame and any other higher power, evening destroying his bow in the ruins of Cyre and swearing to never use a ranged weapon again out of spite towards the Church. His dislike of the gods has also resulted in a disdain towards clerics and divination.[2][3]
He is also shown to be unforgiving to those who betray him and his friends, as seen when he had Gerrion die a slow death of poison as payback for nearly getting his team killed by the Sulatar.[2]
While possessed by the Son of Khyber, he is much more reserved and well mannered, being a charismatic leader and public speaker. However, he has an indomitable desire to overthrow the order of things to bring down the dragonmarked houses and help those with aberrant marks and he will not hesitate to kill hundreds of thousands if he deems it necessary to achieve his goals.
Relationships[]
He is an adventuring companion of Lei d'Cannith, Pierce, and Jode Jorasco,[1][2][3] and later Lakashtai and Xu'sasar.[4]
Jode is is oldest known friend, having been by his side even before Daine had disown House Deneith and joined the Cyrian army. The halfling's death was emotionally devastating on Daine.
Daine gained respect for Lei after serving alongside her in the Last War and traveling with her after the Mourning, which eventually blossomed into a mutual attraction. He revealed his love to her during their travels to Xen'drik but she rebuffed his advances, both due to him being from another Dragonmarked house and because of a poor comment he made about her excorriation. Later, after it was discover that Lei was an artificial being similar to a warforged, Daine reaffirmed his love for her, this time to her acceptance.
Daine originally saw Pierce as nothing but a piece of military hardware but the many hardships they shared made him consider the warforged to be an friend and an equal by the time the Last War had ended.
Daine relationship with Xu'sasar was initially one of hostility with the two having tried to kill each when they first met. Even after becoming allies, Daine was frustrated by the drow's headstrong nature and her culturally dissimilar beliefs. However, he felt guilt about how her clan all died helping him and how he had been forced to bring her along with him to a different plane of existence. Eventually, he began trust Xu'sasar and viewed the drow as a friend.
Abilities[]
Daine is an expert swordsman, having been trained by his grandfather in House Deneith and having those skills refined from years on the field of battle. His weapons are his ancestral steel blade and an adamantine dagger that could cut through flesh and metal as easy as cheese.
Later in his life, Daine developed an aberrant dragonmark that allowed him to absorb the souls of others. The more souls he absorbed, the powerful he became and the larger the dragonmark became. After the Son of Khyber took his body, he absorbed so many souls that his mark spread across half his body and his eye became an orb of swirling red and black energy. He also had the power to sense the souls of those around them and he could discern that Thorn and Drego both had false aberrant dragonmarks. The cost of these abilities was that the souls he absorbed remained active within the mark and constantly struggled to break free, causing the lines of the mark to move across his skin as if it were alive.[4]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
According to the Son of Khyber, the captured spirits within himself are released upon his death.
| This article is a stub. You can help us by expanding it. |
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Keith Baker (2005). The City of Towers. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3584-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Keith Baker (2006). The Shattered Land. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3821-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Keith Baker (2006). The Gates of Night. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4013-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Keith Baker (November 2009). Son of Khyber. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-5234-2.