In the distant past, the lands west of Breland were a vibrant part of the goblin Empire of Dhakaan. The Six Kings monument on the northern edge of the Graywall Mountains commemorates the founding of this empire. At that time, the region was prosperous and fertile, and networks of roads and tunnels connected a host of Dhakaani towns and cities. That golden age was torn down by the daelkyr. The Xoriat Incursion wasn’t a single focused invasion. It was a series of waves, each stronger and deadlier than the last. Orlaask, Avassh, and Dyrrn sank their tendrils into the region and spread corruption and chaos. Some of these were straightforward, physical conflicts—hordes of dolgaunts and dolgrims supported by mind flayers and beholders clashing with disciplined Dhakaani legions. Others were more subtle, such as Avassh’s creation of rageweed, a swiftly spreading plant whose pollen causes hallucinations and enhances aggression in bugbears and hobgoblins. It’s not known with certainty who caused the environmental damage, but historical records show that the region now known as the Barrens was once verdant and fertile. It could be that it was the daelkyr Avassh who drained the life from the soil… or it may be that the Dhakaani themselves devastated the land in a desperate, pyrrhic effort to contain the threat posed by the daelkyr. Ultimately, the Daelkyr were defeated, but the damage was irreparable. The psychic wounds inflicted by the daelkyr festered, and civil war, chaotic upheavals, and lingering aberrations and monstrosities tore the empire apart. Within two centuries, the Barrens were a dusty region of haunted ruins. Bugbears and hobgoblins were nearly eradicated. Goblins remained, but they were soon subjugated by the scavengers and predators that emerged from the shadows—feral gnolls, hungry trolls, cruel minotaurs, and far worse things. And the daelkyr aren’t the only deadly powers in this place. There is an overlord bound beneath the Barrens, a force that thrives on brutal tyranny. This Horned King fueled the cruelty of the chibs, petty chieftains engaged in endless feuds. Over time, islands of civilization arose in this sea of chaos… The Venomous Demesne. The Znir Pact. The hidden changelings of Lost. The harpies of the high peaks. But these forces remained isolated and all but unknown to the people of the east, who saw only the violence of the chibs and the monstrosities roaming freely.
With the rise of Galifar, Breland laid claim to all the lands west of Silver Lake. But this was just a word written on a map. Throughout the history of Galifar, there were only a handful of Brelish towns west of the Graywall Mountains. The largest of these was the town of Stubborn, which has since become Graywall; the Church of the Silver Flame established Brightstone Keep, which has since become Grimstone. But between the harsh nature of the land and the chaotic aggression of its inhabitants, the rulers of Galifar never considered it worth the effort to fully subjugate it.
Centuries passed. New civilizations arose in the Barrens; the rise of the medusa city-state of Cazhaak Draal went entirely unnoticed by the people of the east. The region was simply a land of monsters, a place for eager templars to venture on bold quests. The denizens of the region were seen as too chaotic to pose any sort of serious threat to Galifar, and the Barrens had nothing of value. Then came the Last War. Galifar shattered into five nations. And along the edges of Khorvaire new nations seized the opportunity. The Mror dwarves declared independence. The Tairnadal elves and Ghaal’dar goblins laid claim to Valenar and Darguun. And in 986 YK, the Daughters of Sora Kell sacked the city of Stubborn and issued an ultimatum to the survivors. “Tell your rulers there’s a new power in the west,” Sora Katra told the people of Stubborn. “What you’ve called the Barrens, we now name Droaam. The land beyond the Graywall and below the Byeshk belongs to our people. Withdraw yours quickly and respect our claim; next time, there will be no survivors.” The next decade saw a series of dramatic conflicts between Brelish soldiers under the leadership of Count ir’Blis and Droaamite forces. Breland struck at Turakbar’s Fist. Droaamites razed villages around Orcbone. The struggle came to an end with the Mourning. As the nations of Khorvaire came together to craft the Treaty of Thronehold, the Daughters of Sora Kell sought a seat at the table. Their petition was denied. The people of the east wouldn’t accept a nation of monsters; they were certain it would collapse within a few years. But in 998 YK, Droaam is stronger than ever… and people know it. The dragonmarked houses smell opportunity. Tharashk has found dragonshards and other valuable resources. Brelish nobles are offering veterans and refugees land in this region, drawing a new wave of settlers.
This book isn’t about Droaam. It doesn’t go into detail about the Great Crag or the other strongholds where the Daughter’s rule is uncontested. Nor is it about the great cities of Breland, such as Sharn and Wroat. This is about the lands around Orien Route 7, the barren region claimed by two nations but truly controlled by neither. Here are things you should know about the Western Frontier:
A Barren Land. West of Orcbone, the land becomes arid and harsh. Much of the Barrens is covered by scrub grass; one of the few edible plants that grows in the region is a succulent known as sand fruit. There are mesas, chasms, and canyons. But it is hot, dry, and unwelcoming.
Old Roads. Long ago the region was a vital part of the Dhakaani Empire. The great cities of the past were destroyed by war and the passage of time, but there are still fragments of the old roads running through the Barrens. While the major roads shown on the canon maps were built by House Orien, there are old roads running between Cazhaak Draal, the Great Crag, and more—and following a stretch of old road can be a good way to find a Dhakaani ruin.
Ruins and Ghost Towns. The Barrens are home to a range of ruins. Turakbar’s Fist is a relic of the Age of Demons, and there may be remnants of the time when Tol Kharash ruled the region—demonglass monoliths, crystalline bones of forgotten demons, a titan chained in a deep pit only just revealed by a tremor. The Barrens were once an important part of the Dhakaani empire, and there are fragments of the fallen civilization spread across the region. It’s possible to find Dhakaani structures that are still intact, from small watchtowers to fortress cities like Cazhaak Draal or Shaarat Kol. But more often, adventurers will encounter remnants of structures destroyed by war and the passage of time, like the chunk of an ancient wall in the town of Quickstone. Keep in mind that Dhakaani architecture usually involved subterranean structures; what appears to be a devastated ruin could have intact vaults extending deep into the earth. And these in turn could have vile spores of Avassh, gargoyle servants of Orlassk, or other relics of the forces that destroyed Dhakaan. And finally, the Barrens holds a host of more recent ghost towns—villages built by Brelish settlers and abandoned in response to the rise of Droaam, or chib camps abandoned under the new order. The Barrens are vast and largely uncharted. When adventurers find a massive Dhakaani statue half-buried, or a demonglass shrine—are they the first people to stumble upon this wonder in the course of centuries? Or is it that others know of this feature, but have learned to shun it?
Natural and Supernatural. The Barrens are a reminder that what is natural in Eberron may seem wondrous or terrifying to us. A wide range of monstrosities live in the Barrens. Just as there are ogres, gnolls, and minotaurs in the region, there are also displacer beasts, leucrottas, griffons, gorgons, and other deadly creatures. Lamias lord over crumbling vaults and bulettes burrow through stone. Manifest zones add another layer to what is possible in the natural world. So what first appears to be a bland stretch of rock could instead hide planar wonders or monstrous threats…