Thrane

Thrane's unique political structure sets it apart from the other Five Nations, having transitioned from a monarchy to a theocracy. This shift occurred in 914 YK when Prince Daslin ceded the throne to the Church of the Silver Flame.

The Theocracy

• Keeper of the Flame: As the head of state, the Keeper of the Flame is the spiritual leader of the Church. Currently, the position is held by the young Jaela Daran.
• High Cardinal Krozen: Due to Jaela's age, High Cardinal Krozen serves as her regent and effectively manages the secular administration of Thrane.
• Council of Cardinals: In practice, the Council of Cardinals governs the nation from Flamekeep, though they are subordinate to the Keeper of the Flame.

Political Debate

The question of who should govern Thrane remains a primary point of contention. While many accept the current theocratic structure, there is significant support for restoring the monarchy. Queen Diani ir'Wynarn, a scion of the Thranish monarchy, advocates for its return. Another proposition suggests a dual governance system where the monarchy and the church coexist.

Galifar Loyalists

The Galifar Loyalists, also known as the Throneholders, are an extremist group that challenges the legitimacy of the church's takeover and supports the restoration of the monarchy.

Current Challenges

Thrane faces economic challenges due to the Last War, with a depleted treasury and significant debt to dragonmarked houses. The nation's citizens bear a heavy tax burden, and many cities still bear the scars of war due to limited resources for repairs.

Society: Thranes are known for their strong work ethic, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to any task they undertake. They hold family in high regard and adhere to the principles of the Silver Flame with unwavering faith. Abstinence is encouraged, and activities like gambling and excessive revelry are generally frowned upon. This dedication to a righteous path shapes the moral compass of the Thranish people, fostering a society built on integrity and purpose.

Heraldry and Motto: The visual representation of Thrane reflects its devotion. The nation's heraldry features a silver sword positioned beneath the symbol of the Silver Flame – an arrowhead emblazoned with a flickering flame. This powerful image is further emphasized by the national motto, "Glory to the Silver Flame," a constant reminder of the spiritual foundation upon which Thrane is built.

Art: The artistic expression of Thrane is inextricably linked to the tenets of the Silver Flame. The dominant style, known as Kree-Flamic, utilizes cubes and triangles to construct stylized representations of images. This distinctive approach creates a unique visual language that reflects the order and discipline valued within Thranish society. However, a burgeoning counterculture, known as Pre-Kingdom style, is beginning to gain traction, offering a contrasting perspective within the artistic landscape.

Cuisine: Despite the perceived austerity of a theocratic society, Thranish cuisine is a surprisingly delightful experience. Princess Wroya of Breland famously described the Feast of the Silver Flame as "a breath of fire in the cold of a dark winter's night," highlighting the flavorful and invigorating nature of Thranish cooking. Thranish dishes are characterized by the generous use of thrakel spices, often incorporated into rich, thick sauces. The cuisine is generally hearty, filling, and spicy. Popular dishes include thrakel-seared beef in red sauce, three-thrakel fish stew, and silvered vegetable skewers. To balance the fiery flavors of the main course, desserts play an important role. These sweet and often cold treats provide a refreshing contrast, with the most renowned being silverfruit pie topped with beesh-berry sorbet.

Thrane ir’Wynarn, third scion of King Galifar I, was appointed to oversee the nation that would eventually carry his name shortly after his father united the kingdom. As with the other nations, the name was changed to match that of its regent by popular decree in 32 YK. Thrane, and the greater kingdom to which it belonged, prospered as the decades grew into centuries.

In 299 YK, the event that started the religion of the Silver Flame took place. In that year, a terrible eruption split the ground and a great pillar of crimson fire emerged from the resulting chasm. No one understood the significance of the blazing column of flame, but most who dared approach it felt unrelenting malevolence in its radiating heat.

Tira Miron, a paladin dedicated to Dol Arrah, received a powerful vision about this strange fire while exploring the western reaches of the realm. In her vision, a great rainbow-winged serpent warned her that a terrible evil was emerging in the east, riding crimson fire from the depths of Khyber itself. Tira rallied the forces of Thrane and defeated the dark creatures that had come to venerate the crimson fire and help free the malevolent entity trapped within its flames. With her great sword Kloinjer, its pommel capped with a Khyber dragonshard, Tira turned to face the emerging demon just as the great serpent with the rainbow-feathered wings of her vision appeared and dove headfirst into the fire. Tira watched as the serpent and the demon struggled in the flames. The battle within the fire seemed to last for an eternity, and as she watched the demon began to overcome the serpent. Horrified, she saw the demon strike a crippling blow. The serpent, calling on its last reserves of power, encircled the demon and buried its fangs into the fiend’s fiery throat. At the same moment, it sent a mental plea to Tira, and the paladin didn’t hesitate. She leaped into the fire, plunging Kloinjer through the writhing serpent and deep into the demon’s flesh.

Then, the legend says, a powerful explosion rocked the entire kingdom of Galifar. The hot crimson fire became a cool silver flame. Tira remained within, now part of the divine fire that had replaced the evil conflagration. She became the Voice of the Silver Flame, and a new religion was born. Flamekeep, a simple stone castle, was erected around the everburning pillar of silver fire. Deep within the chasm, at the point where the fire erupts from the earth, it is said that mighty Kloinjer’s blade is buried almost to the hilt, binding demon, serpent, and paladin together forever.

In time, the castle became a cathedral, and a city grew around it. By 400 YK, the Church of the Silver Flame was the dominant religion in Thrane. The Sovereign Host, accepting of most faiths, saw the Silver Flame as just another expression of the divine pantheon on Eberron. The Silver Flame, on the other hand, tolerated the Host but had little love for faiths that didn’t accept the cleansing light of the Silver Flame.

Over the centuries, the kings and queens of Galifar, and their sons and daughters who governed the Thrane realm, have had a mixed relationship with the faith of the Silver Flame. As the Thrane people began to turn to this faith in droves, the royal family was forced to accept the Church of the Silver Flame as a force within the kingdom. Early on, they tried to restrict it to Thrane, but the faithful were zealous, and missionaries soon appeared to bring word of the Silver Flame to the rest of Khorvaire. More than one scion over the centuries, while governing in Thrane, adopted the faith. One particularly dark episode occurred in 558 YK, when Queen Joliana reached the throne after serving as Thrane’s regent. She was a devoted follower of the Silver Flame, and decided that under her rule all of Galifar would accept the Silver Flame as the one true religion. A few bloody clashes almost led to civil war before Joliana died suddenly and mysteriously before the second year of her reign had ended.

When Jarot died and the scions broke with tradition and started the Last War, Thalin of Thrane saw another opportunity to spread the Silver Flame to the entire kingdom. While the other scions had more personal or philosophical reasons for refusing to honor the traditional rights of succession, Thalin believed that he had a divine right to the crown. This tendency on the part of Thrane to place itself above the rest of the shattered kingdom led to some of the most terrible battles of the Last War.

In 914 YK, w ith the death of King Thalin, Thrane’s people rejected Thalin’s heir’s claim to the throne and turned to the Church of the Silver Flame for leadership. Thrane became a theocracy. The Keeper of the Flame, the head of the Church of the Silver Flame, took control of the temporal as well as the spiritual reins of the nation. This turn of events has led to tensions that go beyond the nation’s borders, as the leaders of the remaining Five Nations see the mingling of church with crown as unnatural and potentially dangerous to their own plans and ambitions.

Today, Jaela Daran serves as the Keeper of the Flame. She assumed power when she was six years old, identified by the Silver Flame as the successor to the church’s previous Keeper. Now eleven years old, Jaela helped guide Thrane through the peace talks and has developed into a caring and forceful leader despite her young age. It isn’t unusual for a Keeper so young to be selected, but it hasn’t happened since the nation became a theocracy.

War remains a primary preoccupation for the nation of Thrane. To Jaela’s advisors and the other leaders within the theocracy, the current peace presents a chance to rest and prepare for future conflict. Until all nations have accepted the Silver Flame, there will always be enemies at their borders waiting to exploit the first show of weakness or hesitation. Jaela believes that, with the exception of wiping out true evil, war is a futile endeavor. The Silver Flame doesn’t call for war; indeed, she believes that the Flame is saddened by the conflict that has pitted brother against brother. Her power within the theocracy isn’t as ironclad as some believe, however, and she has learned to negotiate her course carefully and with much deliberation. As long as most of the spiritual and secular leaders of Thrane want war, the best Jaela can hope to accomplish is to delay the start for another day, week, or year.

• Human 70%
• Khoravar Half-elf 10%
• Dwarf 9%
• Elf 4%
• Halfling 4%
• Other 3%

The Kingdom of Thrane is synonymous with the Church of the Silver Flame, a monotheistic religion that plays a central role in its governance and culture. However, a common misconception is that all Thranes are fervent zealots, intolerant of other belief systems. In reality, the vast majority of Thrane's populace embody a more nuanced and tolerant interpretation of their faith.

This inherent tolerance is deeply rooted in the history of the Silver Flame itself. Followers are well aware that Tira Miron, the paladin who first bound the Overlord of the Silver Flame, began her journey as a devout paladin of Dol Arrah, the Sovereign of Sacrifice and Inspiration. This foundational story underscores the belief that different paths can lead to righteousness and that spiritual truth is not exclusive to a single doctrine.

The core tenets of the Silver Flame are not about forced conversion or the eradication of differing faiths, but rather the protection of the innocent and the destruction of true evil. The Silver Flame explicitly demands that its followers confront and eliminate evil in its most palpable and corrupt forms: the undead, fiends, aberrations, and other abominations. These are seen as direct threats to creation and life itself, requiring decisive action.

When it comes to individuals touched by internal darkness or moral failing, the approach of the Silver Flame is one of redemption and guidance, not immediate condemnation. A paladin of the Flame, sensing evil within a person, would primarily seek to counsel them back to the light, offering guidance, support, and a path towards repentance. As a rule, the execution of individuals for their internal wickedness, rather than overt heinous acts, is not sanctioned.

Despite these noble ideals, the path of the Silver Flame is not without its challenges. There have been extreme occasions throughout history where upholding such high standards of compassion and discernment in the face of pervasive darkness has proven to be an incredibly difficult, if not impossible, task for some followers. Nonetheless, the foundational principles emphasize protection, purification, and the unwavering pursuit of justice against true, incarnate evil.

Since the tumultuous onset of the Last War, Thrane has strategically aimed to establish a closed economy. This ambitious goal seeks to foster self-reliance, minimizing dependence on external goods and services. While the nation hasn't achieved complete isolation, it has made significant strides in developing its own agricultural and industrial base. Despite its efforts, Thrane still utilizes the services of the dragonmarked houses, and a limited degree of trade persists with neighboring nations.

Agriculture

Thrane's fertile lands support a diverse agricultural sector. The nation is known for its production of:

• Wool and Textiles: Sheep farming is a prominent activity, providing the raw materials for Thrane's renowned textile industry.
• Fruits: Orchards and farms yield a variety of fruits, contributing to the nation's food supply and export market.
• Livestock: Animal husbandry plays a crucial role, providing meat, dairy, and other products essential for the population.

Industry

Besides textiles, Thrane's industrial output includes:

• Fine Crafts: Skilled artisans produce high-quality crafts, which are sought after both domestically and abroad.