Exploring Eberron
The population of Droaam is staggeringly diverse. In addition to the sentient creatures that are part of this culture, the region is home to a remarkable number of monstrosities and exotic beasts. In part, this is due to the ancient influence of the daelkyr and the more modern experiments of Mordain the Fleshweaver. There are a considerable number of manifest zones in the area, along with passages to Khyber. But most of all, this has been a frontier for thousands of years. The central region of Khorvaire has long been home to powerful civilizations, and over time, its people actively worked to eliminate dangerous threats. Some monsters were exterminated, while others were driven away— and Droaam is one of the places they were driven to. There may have been a time when trolls and manticores roamed freely across all of Khorvaire; now, Droaam is the land of monsters.
So Droaam is a place where you can meet three impossible things before breakfast—and one of them may be the one serving you breakfast. While there are enclaves—such as Cazhaak Draal and the Venomous Demesne—that are largely populated by a single species, most of the great cities of Droaam are diverse communities hosting all manner of monsters. It’s important to recognize just how varied the inhabitants of Droaam can be. There are significant differences in basic biology, psychology, and intellect. Ogres, trolls, hill giants, and ettins possess great physical power but are not as intelligent as humans, and Droaam’s other citizens know to express things in ways they can understand and not antagonize them unnecessarily. Gargoyles are elementals and don’t eat or drink; if you want to make a kind gesture to a gargoyle, you don’t offer it a drink, you present it with a riddle.
Here’s an overview of the most common sentient creatures in Droaam and the roles they play in society.
Changelings. The changelings who leave their city of Lost often work directly for the Daughters. Most use their skills as part of Katra’s Voice, serving as entertainers, mediators, and bards; others gather information as Teraza’s Eyes. Unless they have reason not to, the changelings of Lost wear their true faces; however, they use their shapeshifting aesthetically, creating exotic or ever-changing patterns across their skin. Skindancing is a changeling art that blends physical motion with transformation, and it can be a remarkable experience.
Gargoyles. Since the rise of the Daughters, gargoyles have been deployed across Droaam; they are also favorite recruits of House Tharashk. Civilian gargoyles serve as messengers and couriers, while most warlords also have a unit of combat-ready gargoyles that serve as scouts and rapid response. As elementals, gargoyles don’t eat, sleep, or drink, and they can remain motionless for months or years. While gargoyles have traditionally been depicted as cruel predators, the fact is that they love the thrill of hunting. They yearn for challenge, and love riddles and puzzles almost as much as hunting prey.
Giants. The mountains of Droaam are home to ettins and hill giants, both of which are native to Khorvaire. Ettins are distantly related to orcs, while the hill giants of Khorvaire are a form of ogre; while they use the same stat block as the devolved hill giants of Xen’drik, they aren’t actually related. In the Barrens of the past, giants would come down from the mountains and dominate groups of goblins and kobolds. In Droaam today, they have primarily been drawn into heavy labor, as well as providing raw power to the armies of Droaam. Giants are not especially bright; as long as they are fed well (which requires a lot of food!) and celebrated for their efforts, they are generally content to serve their purpose.
Vralkek is also home to a small contingent of giants from Xen’drik that found a home in this land of monsters. Most serve the fire giant Gorodan Ashlord, or at least acknowledge him as their spokesman to the Daughters of Sora Kell.
Gnolls. The gnolls of Droaam are described in more detail later in this section, and playable racial traits are presented in chapter 6. Every major city has a garrison of gnoll soldiers, who protect the interests of the Daughters. These gnolls aren’t part of Maenya’s Fist, and generally serve as peacekeepers rather than being used in punitive actions. Some warlords hire additional gnolls to serve their own personal agendas. While almost all gnolls in Droaam serve as mercenaries with the Znir Pact, there are always those whose services aren’t currently contracted. Idle gnolls often work as hunters, selling fresh game to the local markets; grist is sustaining, but there are many creatures who prefer other meat when they can get it.
Goblins and Kobolds. Both goblins and kobolds were once oppressed underclasses within the Barrens, dominated by almost every other species in the plains. Over time, they developed their own shared culture that’s entirely different from the cultures of either species elsewhere in Khorvaire; when someone says “goblin” in Droaam, it’s understood that they mean “goblins or kobolds.” Most goblins and kobolds feel a close kinship and look out for each other. They learned long ago to value cunning over strength; the heroes of their tales are quick and clever. They are patient and enduring, and tolerate endless suffering while waiting for an opportunity to present itself.
Those goblins who serve the Daughters of Sora Kell lead far better lives than their ancestors in the Barrens, and they are among the most numerous inhabitants of the large cities—and the most devoted supporters of the Daughters of Sora Kell. Most are especially excited about Kethelrax the Cunning, the kobold warlord; they believe that this marks the beginning of a new age where goblins will be recognized and rewarded for their work. However, there are still goblins in the domains of some warlords—notably Turakbar’s Fist—who live miserable, short lives. While most goblins are content to focus on their work, some seek to help their oppressed kin or take petty vengeance on ogres and giants for the vast suffering inflicted on their people.
Harpies. The harpies of the Byeshk Mountains claim to be the children of the Fury, and they take joy in flight and song. They are wild and passionate, embracing love and hate alike with reckless abandon. Those harpies who left the mountains to “sing Katra’s song” have embraced her vision and are thrilled to be building a nation with their voices. They are generally more intelligent than the standard harpy in the Monster Manual and have more control of their supernatural voices, being capable of inspiring a range of emotions. Harpies call the hour and summon workers; they also help with crowd control, serve as town criers, and entertain the people.
In representing a harpy character or interacting with one, highlight their passion. Harpies love what they do; if they don’t, they won’t do it. Singing isn’t merely a magical tool; it’s a joyful act, a communion with the Fury and a work of art woven together. Whether singing weary goblins to sleep in a grist mill or acting as a courier in Sharn, harpies embrace life with absolute zeal. But harpies hate just as strongly as they love—and there are harpies who hate the Daughters and the entire idea of Droaam.
Humans. Most humans living in Droaam are easterners— brigands or renegades evading the law, or merchants seeking opportunities. However, a few are natives, serving Droaam as part of the Venomous Demesne. While the demesne’s nobles are tieflings, humans are a significant part of the population, and Demesne humans can be found serving as magewrights in other cities. The humans of the Venomous Demesne have little in common with the people of the East and feel no kinship to the Five Nations.
Medusas. There are relatively few medusas in Droaam, but their intelligence and mystical power makes them a vital part of this growing nation. Medusa architects direct construction in the blended cities, laying the foundations of what this nation will become. Medusas who choose to serve as Voices of Katra are often called upon to resolve disputes and enforce justice, for who dares challenge the ruling of a medusa? Cazhaak Draal is also the seat of the most organized religious tradition in Droaam—the worship of the Dark Six—and most powerful priests of the Six are medusas. Compared to many denizens of the region, medusas tend to be calm and rational; however, they expect to be treated with respect and aren’t above a few harsh lessons to make a point.
The medusas of Droaam are capable of receiving visual impressions through their serpent mane, and can close their primary eyes to prevent any threat of petrification. Medusa magewrights can also master a ritual—the Medusa’s Kiss—that undoes the effects of medusa petrification, allowing this power to be used in a number of useful ways (such as preserving the life of a creature about to die). Medusas can control the movements of their serpents, and the medusas of Cazhaak Draal have developed a simple sign language called Serpentine that uses the movements of the serpents to convey messages. Other species can learn to understand Serpentine as an exotic language, but there’s no way to speak it without a mane of living serpents.
Minotaurs. The minotaur clans of Droaam are spread across the plains. They are fierce barbarians and warriors who dominated goblins, kobolds, orcs, and other creatures in the days of the Barrens, and to this day, it is these clans that often lead raids into Droaam. However, this fierce aggression has prevented the minotaurs from becoming a major power, due to the long, destructive feuds between the clans themselves. The minotaurs believe that they are the chosen warriors of a being commonly known as the Horned Prince, and they hone their skills in battle so they may join the Prince after death. Each clan has their own private name for the Prince and their own beliefs about the conduct he expects of his followers. In most cases, the Horned Prince seems to be an analogue to the overlord Rak Tulkhesh, desiring only bloodshed. However, the Red Hooves worship He Who Walks Behind, who is much like the Mockery; they focus on the use of terror and in deceiving their enemies. The Blade Breakers worship One Horn, who rewards strength and courage—much like Dol Dorn. The Dawn Harvest was a clan whose version of the Prince—the Dawn Gorer—encouraged followers to fight with honor and to defend the weak, two traits rarely seen in Droaam. The Dawn Harvest was destroyed by Maenya’s Fist after refusing to accept Rhesh Turakbar as the warlord of their region; a few members of the clan survived and are now scattered across Droaam.
Minotaurs are fierce and brave, but they generally lack patience and discipline; they are terrifying raiders, but most have trouble with large-scale tactics and operations.
Ogres. Ogres are more common than their giant cousins, but fill much the same role in society. Physically powerful but somewhat dimwitted, they pursue simple pleasures: food, drink, and crushing small creatures that annoy them. The warlords charm them with harpy song and fill them with grist, then set them to work lifting heavy things and smashing things that need to be smashed. They’re often recruited in local “brute squads” and serve as basic shock troopers in the armies of Droaam.
Ogres fall below human standards on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma; not only do they struggle with rational thought, they’re impulsive and relatively weak-willed, and in many ways can be treated as mighty children. While physically powerful, they’re easily swayed by strong personalities and compelling stories. They are very emotional—though they can shift between emotions rapidly—and love stories and songs, even if stories need to be kept simple. It’s not uncommon for an ogre to develop a deep attachment to its favorite harpy or changeling storyteller.
Oni. The origins of the oni are a mystery. Some people believe oni are the offspring of hags and giants, and that some are children or grandchildren of the Daughters themselves. Other stories claim there’s a kingdom of oni in Khyber, likely a demiplane, and that the oni of the surface world are criminals banished from this wondrous realm. While rare, their intelligence and power make them valuable to the Daughters of Sora Kell. The oni Tzaryen Rrac is a trusted warlord, while other oni serve as commanders in Maenya’s Fist, inquisitors in Katra’s Voice, or administrators throughout the realm.
Oni are cunning and curious. Some serve the Daughters in exchange for treasure, others for arcane lore, while some are simply content with the power they hold as agents of the hags. You could tie their broader goals to their true origin—if the oni are exiles from a hidden kingdom, they might be building power to reclaim that kingdom. If they are the children of the Daughters, they could be competing with one another to impress their parent, and generally engaging in sibling rivalry.
Orcs. Over countless generations of life in the Barrens, the orcs of the region developed two distinct cultures. The larger of the two are the Gaa’aram—Children of Wrath. The Gaa’aram embraced the chaotic, raiding lifestyle of the Barrens. Where the goblins and kobolds were often forced into service by more powerful creatures, the Gaa’aram voluntarily rallied around the most powerful leaders and served as fierce warriors. To an orc of the Gaa’aram, who you fight for is less important than the fact that you fight and fight well. As such, Gaa’aram orcs were often encountered as raiders; they’re the reason for the name of the Orcbone fortress that guards the Gap of Graywall. Gaa’aram orcs can be found in all of the diverse cities, and they’re usually passionate supporters both of Droaam and their local warlords.
In the days before Droaam, few people of the Five Nations had even heard of the smaller of the two cultures, the Gaa’ran— Children of Sacrifice. The Gaa’ran orcs are pacifists and farmers—one of the only cultures to farm in the open Barrens. They believe that violence stains the soul—that those whose souls are pure pass beyond Dolurrh, but that killing another forever destroys a piece of your soul. The Gaa’ran held firm to their beliefs even in the face of torture and death, and over time it became common for the Barrens chibs to allow Gaa’ran settlements to stand—with the understanding that the local raiders would regularly show up and take their produce. While this was a harsh life, the Gaa’ran have prospered under the Daughters of Sora Kell. Though grist is the primary source of sustenance in Droaam, the Daughters recognize the value of agriculture, and Gaa’ran tribes have been given resources and placed in charge of a number of agricultural projects.
The Gaa’aram and Gaa’ran are both local cultures with no direct ties to other orcs of Eberron. Gaa’aram orcs are among those monstrous mercenaries House Tharashk has recruited in Droaam. The Gaa’ran have a talent for primal magic that suggests they were once tied to the Gatekeepers of the Shadow Marches, but they are not Gatekeepers and don’t fight aberrations; their interest lies solely in cultivation.
Shifters. There are a significant number of shifters among the humanoid population of Droaam. In the former Barrens, shifters were largely mixed together with the Gaa’aram orcs, much the same way that the goblins and kobolds of Droaam have formed a collective culture. These orcs call shifters taarka’va— wolf brothers. Pairings between shifter and orc can produce offspring, but the resulting half-orcs are almost always sterile.
Another group of shifters are found in the Watching Woods. They call themselves Ur’haakar—First Panthers. These shifters shun civilization and take pride in their primal connection. Experts at stealth, they possess both Hunter rangers and Living Weapon monks. A few of the Ur’haakar have joined the Dark Pack and left the woods to serve the Daughters and Droaam, but most of the panthers prefer their isolation and consider the lycanthropes of the Dark Pack to be corrupted shifters.
Tieflings. The Venomous Demesne lies in the west of Droaam, hidden by powerful illusions. It was founded by tiefling refugees from the ancient Sarlonan kingdom of Ohr Kaluun, and its four ruling families possess great knowledge and vast arcane power. Tiefling wizards and warlocks can be found serving as Katra’s Voice or Teraza’s Eye. The people of the Venomous Demesne— including a significant human population—look down on both the inhabitants of Droaam and the Five Nations, but they value their alliance with the Daughters of Sora Kell and are willing to suffer some indignities for this cause.
Trolls. In the Barrens, trolls often established themselves as chibs. A clever troll would gather a band of Gaa’aram orcs and dominate (and occasionally eat) a pack of goblins and kobolds, ruling a tiny fiefdom with strength and fear. This arrangement still persists in places, especially around Turakbar’s Fist. Elsewhere, trolls have been drawn into the greater society of Droaam, serving in the military or performing heavy labor; those trolls who refuse to cooperate are “sent to work at the grist mills.” Given this, most trolls aren’t too disruptive to society. However, trolls expect to be treated with respect by smaller creatures—if you’re killed after you insult a troll, it’s considered an unusual form of suicide, not a fault on the part of the troll.
Trolls are proud of their strength, and enjoy engaging in tests of strength, like tug of war or lifting, with other trolls or ogres. While they generally dismiss smaller creatures, a troll is impressed by anyone that performs remarkable feats of strength; they generally respond better to intimidation than to diplomacy
Worgs and Lycanthropes. In the wake of the Lycanthropic Purge, many lycanthropes fled to Droaam. Most congregated in the Watching Wood under the leadership of the werewolf Zaeurl. However, there are a few independent lycanthropes scattered across the region. At the end of the Purge, the power of the curse of lycanthropy was weakened, and most of these survivors couldn’t spread the curse to others; they could only pass it to their offspring. Keen to avoid any chance of further persecution, many of these renegade lycanthropes spent their lives solely in animal form. Even today, most members of the Dark Pack are born in animal form and consider it their true form. The natural lycanthropes of Droaam have the ability to speak in beast form, as worgs do, though this gift isn’t passed on to creatures they afflict with lycanthropy.
In time, Zaeurl forged an alliance between the renegade lycanthropes and the native worgs of the Watching Wood, and this bond—the Dark Pack—remains strong to this day. However, just as there are a small number of lycanthropes with no ties to the Pack, there are worg packs scattered across Droaam. Worgs would often ally with Barrens chibs, and gnolls of the Barrakas clan often form bonds to worg companions. In general, the people of Droaam are quite comfortable with the presence of large predators, and it’s polite to say ta kuur—You speak?—to a beast you’ve never met before.
In recent years, the potency of the lycanthropic curse has returned. Under the rules of fifth edition, all lycanthropes can spread the curse, but the Daughters and Zaeurl both wish to avoid spreading lycanthropy—at least for the moment. The Dark Pack follows strict instructions—don’t bite unless you intend to kill. As with trolls, most town guards understand this rule; if your friend picks a fight with a werewolf, sorry, it has to kill them after biting them; that’s just a matter of public safety. Sora Katra is studying the curse of lycanthropy and may develop ways to prevent accidental contagion . . . or instead, she might develop a program of carefully managed infection to create a new corps of lycanthrope soldiers.
Others. These are the common species of Droaam, but there are many more that could appear. Mordain the Fleshweaver unleashes strange things into the world. Manifest zones can create monstrosities. And in general, the creatures of Droaam haven’t been subject to the expansion of a great nation and their subsequent extermination, unlike other regions. There may be a colony of yetis in the mountains. A lamia may rule over an ancient Dhakaani ruin. There may not be a large community of manticores, but you could easily find one living in Graywall. The Daughters of Sora Kell find a place for every creature.