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 The mysteries and unknown await exploration in Secrets of Sarlona. Take a few moments to look at some excerpts, which reveal a few things about Sarlona, such as a couple of adventure sites, some interesting people, new feats you can use, and a new item called emotional armor. Then, when you crave to learn more, go find a copy of Secrets of Sarlona and start learning even more about this part of Eberron.
Introduction
On a windswept slope of blasted scree, a lone monk watches the movement of Riedran troops below. With a thought, she alerts her comrades hidden in the caves and tunnels nearby. The force attacks with swiftness and surprise. As it has each day for a thousand years, the siege of Adar begins anew. . . .
On the golden steppes of Syrkarn, a giant skull atop a makeshift cairn marks a milestone on a dangerous road. It is said that the cults of Karrak the Final Guardian pass by here in the dead of night, leaving cryptic messages carved in the stones for those who follow them.
On the southern Tundra, an Akiak strike team waits out the deadly force of a reality storm. Ahead, the icy expanse of a Risian wild zone marks the Riedran frontier, and beyond that, the monolith that is the team's goal gleams in the fading light. By moonrise, the dwarves will speak the names of ancestors lost in the Night of Razor Dreams. By morning, fate willing, this hanbalan of the Inspired will fall. . . .
In the war mazes of Ohr Kaluun, dark magic lingers from the time of the Sundering. Riedran forces spend their days sweeping the ruins of skulks and watching the sea lanes for any sign of masts to the east. East lies Khorvaire, and the lure of Sarlona's past pulls strongly on those who hunger for power in that uncivilized land. . . .
Sarlona is a land of ancient secrets and present darkness. Four nations and a dozen races stand as the end result of fifteen hundred years of conflict, intrigue, and repression. Despite its history and its status as the birthplace of humans, Sarlona remains mysterious to Khorvairians.
The rebellious dwarves of the Tundra's Akiak clans, the shifters of Tashana and the Savage Legion, the arcanist Heirs of Ohr Kaluun, the scrutiny of the Thousand Eyes -- all these and more underlie the complexities of power that twist across Sarlona. Still, to a Khorvairian, Sarlona means little more than Riedra, home of the Inspired.
The explorers who carve their way through Q'barra, Droaam, or Xen'drik speak almost reverently of the magical ruins and lethal wildernesses they have encountered. The Maruk Ghaash'kala of the Demon Wastes and the Gatekeepers of the Shadow Marches know of the ancient terrors lurking beneath those lands. In taverns and around campfires from Sharn to Stormreach to the Seren shores, the bold loudly declaim heroic deeds that mark some corner of Khorvaire, Xen'drik, or Argonnessen as the most dangerous place on Eberron.
Only those who make the journey to Sarlona will ever know how wrong they are.
Using This Book
Secrets of Sarlona explores Khorvaire's mysterious neighbor across the seas -- the continent from which the culture and history of humanity are drawn. This book provides the first comprehensive look behind the walls of secrecy the Inspired have erected around Riedra. It also details the incredible range of Sarlonan lands and peoples outside Inspired control.
For characters who have connections to Adar or Riedra, Secrets of Sarlona offers the opportunity to return to their homelands. Kalashtar and Riedran refugees are scattered throughout Khorvaire, many simply waiting for the opportunity to end their exile and face the Inspired. Shifters of Khorvaire have only recently heard tales of their kin in the Tashana Tundra.
Characters who have Sarlonan backgrounds need never leave Khorvaire in order to take advantage of this book's contents. Such characters can benefit not only from rules material, but also from enhanced understanding of the historical and cultural context of the land of their ancestors. The history of humanity begins in Sarlona, and as the Inspired look to Khorvaire, this land might yet reclaim its importance in the affairs of all humans.
What You Need to Play
Secrets of Sarlona makes use of information in the Player's Handbook (PH), Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG), and Monster Manual (MM), as well as the Eberron Campaign Setting (ECS).
As befits a book covering a continent so steeped in psionic traditions, Secrets of Sarlona frequently references Expanded Psionics Handbook (EPH). In addition, material from several supplements is cited, including Arms and Equipment Guide, Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Psionic, Complete Warrior, Dungeon Master's Guide II (DMG2), Explorer's Handbook, Fiend Folio, Frostburn, Magic of Eberron, Miniatures Handbook, Monster Manual II (MM2), Monster Manual III (MM3), Monster Manual IV (MM4), Planar Handbook, Player's Guide to Eberron, Players Handbook II (PH2), Sandstorm, Spell Compendium, Stormwrack, and Tome of Magic. These supplements can enhance your enjoyment of Secrets of Sarlona, but in most cases, the details you need are provided in this book.
References
Game mechanics mentioned in other books are often accompanied by a title and page reference. Where doing so would be cumbersome, symbols are used instead. If a noted term or game mechanic is described in this book, a dagger appears after the term. If a noted term appears in the Eberron Campaign Setting, a superscript ECS is used. Subjects from the Expanded Psionics Handbook are marked with a superscript EPH.
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