Rising from the Last War
For Breland, the Last War was an ever-shifting tangle of enemies and alliances. Breland fought Aundair, Cyre, Karrnath, and Thrane at various points of the war, as well as clashing with Darguun and Droaam. These conflicts caused many Brelish to embrace a cynical view of the world, a sense that no one can be fully trusted and that people need to look out for themselves. As a Brelish character, you could have an axe to grind against any of the other nations. This is balanced against a strong belief in humanoid rights and dignity, convictions that motivated the Brelish to shelter more Cyran refugees than any other nation.
The major cities of Breland host significant populations of refugees, both Cyrans and Brelish from villages lost in the war. This has increased the overall level of poverty and desperation and contributed to an increase in crime. The southern cities—including Wroat and Sharn—suffered relatively little damage in the war, but northern Breland was hard hit. The city of Vathirond is still repairing the damage from Thrane attacks, and many northern villages are either recovering or have simply been abandoned.
Despite these struggles, the Brelish maintain a positive view of their future. The heart of Breland is as strong as it ever was, and the citizens believe that had the war continued, Breland would have triumphed.
Eberron Campaign Guide
Breland’s position on old Galifar’s frontier led the nation to develop in distinctive ways. Rather than embracing the old governmental institutions upheld in its neighboring realms, Breland afforded its citizens greater freedoms, instilling a fierce independence and a loyalty to Breland’s regents. Taking advantage of vast resources and the freedom to become rich, Breland’s population swelled, forming sprawling cities and cultivating lands across the nation. Size is a large factor in Breland’s increasing power. Although the nation lost territory during the Last War, most Brelish folk escaped the worst fighting— the nation’s front lines stayed in the north and northeast, far from Sharn and Wroat. Breland’s infrastructure also escaped the war’s ravages, allowing it to recover more quickly than its rivals.
Breland leads the way in social and political innovation, and its people have greater rights and liberties than those of the other Five Nations. King Boranel commands the kingdom’s armies and enforces its laws, but he shares a great deal of power with a parliament elected by the citizens.
Democracy flourishes in Breland, but loyalty and love for the king keep the people from dismantling the monarchy altogether. An adventurer before his ascension, Boranel traveled twice to Xen’drik in his youth. During the Last War, the king won hearts and minds by leading sorties against enemy forces. He personally defeated an ogre chieftain while his people in the west retreated across the Graywall Mountains to escape the brimming violence of savage Droaam
Boranel is not the first ruler in Breland to have progressive ideals. The nation has always been home to those who have little use for the heavy hand of kings and queens. Wroann, the first queen of independent Breland, championed these ideas to a greater degree than ever before. Still, given her taste for fine living, ceding power to the lower classes seemed contradictory to her nature. Some historians point out that she was one of the instigators of the Last War, and opine that her need for the people’s support to wage war led to the parliament’s greatest gains in power. Regardless of Queen Wroann’s motives, the parliament supported her break from Galifar and helped raise armies to defend Brelish lands during the long years of war.
Today, Breland is a major player in the international political arena. Most other nations fear its power and tread with caution when dealing with the king and his diplomats. Courtesy has not formed strong bonds of trust, however. King Boranel remains skeptical of Karrnathi intentions. The king also distrusts Queen Aurala’s well-chosen words and sees Thrane as an unstable state on the verge of erupting into violence at any moment. Raiders from Droaam and Darguun don’t help calm matters. In response to all these factors, Breland maintains considerable armies along its borders. The one nation with which Breland is clearly at peace is Zilargo; the two have been strong allies since the start of the Last War.
Breland loves its king, and the people would follow him just about anywhere. The same, however, cannot be said of his children. Boranel’s heirs have not shown the king’s impressive leadership abilities, and many Brelish worry about what the future holds. The idealistic believe that whoever takes the throne next will grow to fill the crown’s demands, but not all are so sure. There’s even talk of dissolving the monarchy and giving full power to the parliament once Boranel dies
Five Nations
Breland weathered the storm of the Last War amazingly well. The size of the nation, the strength and determination of its people, and its abundance of resources gave it the ability to carry on when others fell back, to choose its own course and not be dependent on allies of convenience. Breland did earn friends over those years, and ties between Breland and Zilargo remain strong now that the war has ended.
The central and southern regions of the nation saw little if any direct conflict over the century of battle, but no one in Breland made it through without losing a friend or loved one to the war effort. While the farms north of Wroat and Galethspyre never suffered the indignity of invasion, it was the sons and daughters of the farmers who went off to fight for Brelish honor and glory. They fought at the borderlands, repelling invaders, and they fought across the borders, taking the battle to whatever nation was considered an enemy that season.
Today, the borderlands of Breland remain strong and on the alert, even as reconstruction takes place to repair the ravages of battle. In the west, Orcbone and Shadowlock Keep watch for any incursions from Droaam. Drum Keep, in the north, watches the Eldeen border, where so many on both sides fell in some of the worst battles of the Last War. Sword Keep and Brey Crossing protect the borders with Aundair and Thrane, while Sterngate keeps an eye on the passes into Darguun. Perhaps the most active post in the current day is Kennrun, where knights and warriors must constantly deal with threats emerging from the dead-gray mist surrounding the Mournland.
Breland is a progressive nation that welcomes all who come in peace with open arms and the promise of honest wages for honest work. Its progressive nature, however, provides a home for those who wish to engage in less than honest work, especially in the larger cities. The nation works hard to maintain the Treaty of Thronehold, for King Boranel believes that peace is a better road to travel than war.
King Boranel is well and truly loved by the majority of the Brelish people. Unfortunately, Boranel’s age is beginning to show, and none of his heirs have demonstrated even a modicum of his intelligence and charisma. Many believe that Breland’s strength relies on Boranel’s leadership, and many of his enemies beyond the borders of the nation can’t wait for him to fall. Will the hope of many who covet the Brelish countryside come to pass? When Boranel falls, so falls Breland?
Society Today
Breland came out of the Last War in relatively good shape. Financially, the coffers are full and the nation’s industries are strong. Militarily, the Brelish forces remain alert and ready should war again break out across the land. But Boranel isn’t interested in fighting another war. He realizes that the nation must defend itself, and he knows that there are still hostile forces surrounding the country, but he hopes that through diplomacy and trade agreements, the remaining sparks of conflict can be doused.
Boranel works hard to keep the lines of communication open with Aundair and Karrnath, though he doesn’t completely trust the leaders of these rival kingdoms. He has a grudging respect for the power of Thrane, but he has no love for the theocracy that at times was his most powerful and deadly opponent during the Last War. Boranel continues to extend the hand of friendship to the nations formed in the wake of the Last War, but he secretly fears that the next threat to peace will come not from the original Five Nations but from one of these upstarts. Finally, the king seeks to make good on the remnants of Cyre that have swarmed into his country after the destruction of their own. When others turned them away and tried to ignore the horror that had befallen them, Boranel opened his borders and gave them a home. He prays that by doing the right thing, he won’t live to regret it
Eberron Campaign Setting
Today, Breland stands as one of the most powerful nations of Khorvaire. With a large population and a robust industrial center, Breland could have continued fighting the Last War for many years. Indeed, some believe it could eventually have won the war. King Boranel, however, grew tired of constant battle. He longed for the peace of a united Galifar, a peace unknown in his lifetime. When an opportunity presented itself to forge a new peace, Boranel put his enthusiasm and powerful force of presence behind the effort. He has negotiated a separate treaty with Zilargo, making the gnomish nation his staunchest ally in the postwar environment. He has a grudging respect for Kaius, King of Karrnath, but that respect is tempered by a feeling of uneasiness he gets whenever he’s in the man’s presence. As much as he loves and respects the Aundairian people, Boranel doesn’t trust the flowery words that spill from the ambitious Queen Aurala’s pretty mouth. Tension also exists between Breland and Thrane; the theocracy to the north may bend its knee to a lawful good god, but it has a reputation for aggressively spreading its beliefs by sword and spell.
Breland continues to engage in skirmishes with the warbands of Droaam. The monster clans regularly test the borders and make raids into western Breland, and Breland intelligence believes that a sizable force infests the Graywall Mountains. In the south, the Brelish navy works to keep the sea lanes safe from pirates. Though the navy suspects that the pirates have ties to the Lhazaar princes, no definitive proof has been uncovered—at least not since the Thronehold Accords went into effect.