One of the Five Nations of Khorvaire. Karrnath is a nation ruled by King Kaius III that is proud of its martial heritage and is the oldest of the Five Nations. It was founded by Karrn the Conqueror over two thousand years ago. The nation is particularly noted for its widespread use of undead troopers during the Last War and also the ruthless dictatorship of its monarch.
Location
Lying in the northwest of Khorvaire the nation of Karrnath stretches from Scions Sound in the west to the Ironroot Mountains in the east, and from Karrn Bay in the north to its tenuous border with the Talenta Plains to the south. It is a nation of equal parts open fields and dense forests with House Orien traderoads and Lightning Rail tracks providing ample travel considerations.
Society
One of the oldest human nations on Khorvaire Karrnath was built on a strong military tradition, one that carries on to this day. Karrnath supports a heavy middle class with plenty of trade businesses running in the large metropolitan centers throughout the western region of the country. Every Karrnathi citizen is forced into compulsory military service lasting at least two years. While many turn this service into a life-long career still others are quick to fulfill their duty and begin their actual lives. Most interesting about Karrnathi society is their use of the dead. There are no qualms about necromancy or undead in Karrnath and the forces of the military in the Last War were bolstered by skeleton and zombie forces. The summers are hot, short and wet while the winters are long, bitterly cold and full of snow. The people have grown hearty and robust out of this constant weather patterns.
People
- King Kaius III
- Haydith ir'Wynarn
- Regent Moranna ir'Wynarn
- Malevanor
- Gruden ir'Erdei, High Counselor of Rekkenmark Academy
- Caldrus ir'Kurtvach
- Count Vedim ir'Omik, Minister of the Dead
- General Yorin Thauram, Commander of the White Lions
- Hyran ir'Tennet, Civic Minister of Korth
- Roerith, Prelate of the Sovereign Host
Power Groups
- Blood of Vol
- House Deneith
- House Jorasco
- The Order of the Emerald Claw
- The Royal Family
- The Twelve
History
Pre-Galifar
Karrnath was one of the first human established nations on the soil of Khorvaire. Founded by Karrn the Conqueror in -1002 YK. Karrn unsuccessfully attempted at the time to unite all of the five settlements of Khorvaire beneath him, but his power was not yet strong enough. 957 years later in -45 YK Galifar I was born in Karrn. 21 years later Galifar took control of Karrnath. Ten years into his reign he resumed the campaign that Karrn the Conqueror abandoned nearly a century before, the unification of the five settlements of Khorvaire. Galifar accomplished this feet after fourteen long years of struggle and marked the year by instating a new calendar starting at the very year he united the Five Nations.
Under Galifar
Karrnath always held a special place under Galifar I and this trickled down through the successive generations. In 32 YK Galifar I renamed the five nations after his five children. To Karrn his eldest son he gave the territory of Karrnath, keeping its name. Karrn succeeded Galifar I on the throne in his death and was instrumental in securing the territories of the Mror Holds and the Lhazaar Principalities under the Karrnathi banner.
The Last War
King Jarot's son Kaius I was one of those opposed to handing the crown to Mishann of Cyre. This, of course, was the spark that ignited the Last War and Karrnath suffered some of the heaviest casualties of the war. However, two generations later it was Kaius III who ascended to power over Karrnath in 991 YK who was the biggest proponent of peace. It was he who established that peace talks should commence in Thronehold and though the destruction of Cyre in the Day of Mourning in 994 YK is attributed as being the primary reason to the end of the conflict, there is no doubt that it was through King Kaius III's establishing of an environment where compromise could be reached that the peace talks actually began.
Cities and Settlements
Cities of Karrnath |
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Atur · Brek · Brom · Cannith 12 · Fort Bones · Fort Deepdark · Fort Zombie · Ice · Icenport · Irontown · Jern · Karnel · Karrlakton · Korth Lakeside · Lhaz · Loom Keep · Loran Rath · Rekkenmark · Senne · Tanar Rath · Teryk · Trag · Vurgenslye · Winterhaven |
Other Notable Features
- Ashen Spires
- Iceflow River
- Icetop Mountains
- Icewood
- Ironroot Mountains
- Karrn River
- Karrnwood
- Lake Dark
- Madstone
- the Nightwood
- Scions Sound
External Links
Notes
Karrnath bears a lot of similarity to Dracula by Bram Stoker. Karrnath bears a distinct Transylvanian feeling with a lingering aura of darkness, thick pine forests and a burgeoning middle class. Indeed the correlations of a vampire king lording over a military dictatorship holds sway with the imagery of Stoker's work.
References
- Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 176–183. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
- James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 65. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
- Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan, and Christopher Perkins (2005). Five Nations. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 95–123. ISBN 0-7869-3690-8.
Regions & Nations of Khorvaire |
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Aundair | Breland | Darguun | Demon Wastes | Droaam | The Eldeen Reaches | Karrnath | Lhazaar Principalities | Mournland | Mror Holds | Q'Barra | Shadow Marches | Talenta Plains | Thrane | Valenar | Zilargo |