Thrane
Silver Flame, light the way Through war and darkness and despair; O Silver Flame, we shall not stray! Spirit of Thrane, hear our prayer. No foe can dim your argent glow No child can live beyond your light With swords in hand,Your soldiers stand, O Silver Flame, burn ever bright! —“Light the Way,” Thrane’s national anthemOne night in Olarune of 299 YK, the settlers and farmers of Thrane saw dark clouds gathering over the Tamor Hills. A ruddy glow rose from a fissure in the hills. Those who explored the chasm did not return. As months passed, fiends and bloodthirsty beasts crawled out of the fissure and threatened the land. The Year of Blood and Fire was a time of great terror, but it was also a time of inspiration. The holy warrior Tira Miron gathered priests and soldiers to fight against the darkness. Armed with a singular vision, she ultimately confronted the evil forces within the Tamor Gap, binding their fiendish lord and transforming its dark flame to a font of silver light. Through her sacrifice, she became a spiritual vessel for the Silver Flame, a conduit through which it could touch the souls of others. Many in Thrane see the Year of Blood and Fire as a turning point. Inspired by Tira’s sacrifice and guided by her spirit, Thrane destroyed or drove off the remaining fiends. The common folk turned to the new church in droves, and the citadel of Flamekeep was soon established. The Church of the Silver Flame spread across Khorvaire, but Thrane remained its heart. The good people of Thrane had seen the horror of unrestrained evil, and they were determined to stand against that darkness. At times, this missionary zeal spun out of control. Queen Joliana’s fervor for the Flame nearly shattered the kingdom of Galifar centuries before the death of Jarot. However, most of the followers of the Flame have shown tolerance toward those who pursue other faiths, saving their strength to battle inhuman and supernatural evil. If the Year of Blood and Fire was the first major turning point in the history of Thrane, the second was surely the death of King Thalin. The Council of Cardinals had grown in power and influence, and Thalin’s heir, Prince Daslin, was seen as weak. Above all, the nation was at war. It took little effort on the part of the cardinals to convince the people to raise the church above the throne, and Daslin himself acceded to the demand without a struggle. In 914 YK, Thrane officially embraced the Church of the Silver Flame as its ruling body, becoming the first true theocracy in Khorvaire .
Life and Society
Thrane is still rebuilding as a result of the Last War. It has few coins left in its treasury, it owes money to various dragonmarked houses (House Kundarak in particular), its citizens are overtaxed, and its cities still show signs of the carnage and destruction wrought by Aundairian, Brelish, Cyran, Karrnathi, and Darguun invaders. The dragonmarked houses have trouble acting within the tight strictures of the Church of the Silver Flame, and they must trod carefully around prickly, overbearing cardinals. Although Thranes' hear news of rampant corruption in the cities of Aundair, Breland, and Karrnath, they are blind to the corruption within their own borders. Too many officials who learned to abandon their morals and ethics during the Last War remain in power, wearing their faith like a mask and cleverly hiding their personal agendas and thirst for power. Whether the theocracy can survive the machinations of these tainted few remains to be seen.The People
The overwhelming majority of Thranes are honest, proud, and passionate people who believe in the Church of the Silver Flame. Equally devoted to family and work, Thranes do nothing halfway. If a citizen of Thrane undertakes a task or agrees to serve a cause, he gives it his all. That said, few Thranes are mindless zealots. Most followers of the Flame tolerate other belief systems. After all, Tira Miron herself began as a paladin of Dol Arrah. The Sliver Flame demands only that its followers fight evil, whether it’s evil incarnate—fiends, undead, and other abominations—or the evil that plagues the human soul. If a paladin of the Sliver Flame senses evil in an innkeeper, he should try to find a way to bring that soul back to the light, not strike down the innkeeper or destroy his business. However, this is a hard road to follow, and try as they might, many Thranes do not measure up to these high ideals. In general, Thranes lead ascetic lives. Gambling, carousing, and similar activities are frowned upon in the land of the Sliver Flame. Religious observances are very important. However, not all Thranes see eye to eye. Many are divided on the importance of the monarchy, for example. Most citizens pledge their greatest loyalty to the Church, but a small faction holds to Queen Diani ir’Wynarn and the line of Galifar. Some of these loyalists reject the power of the Church entirely, while others (such as Captain Otherro of the Knights of Thrane) believe that both have their place in the kingdom, and that it was a mistake to upset the balance between the two.The Role of Magic
Thranes have never shied away from arcane science. While arcane magic has its place in postwar Thrane, citizens these days concentrate their energy on spiritual devotion. Thrane’s lack of arcane sophistication is countered by the widespread use of divine magic. While arcane magic is not seen as evil, most Thranes regard excessive devotion to arcane studies as a distraction from the light of the Silver Flame. Likewise, most followers of the Flame are tolerant of those who worship The Sovereign Host, but they judge other religions more harshly. The Blood of Vol is seen as an abomination, and the Thranes have never forgiven Karrnath for embracing this darkness.Structure
For the better part of a thousand years, the scions of King Galifar I—all members of the royal Wynarn bloodline—ruled Thrane. The children of Galifar’s ruling sovereign were always first in line to govern the Five Nations. Occasionally, as happens when there are fewer suitable heirs, governorship of Thrane fell to trusted regents drawn from other parts of the family.
As with the other Five Nations, Thrane was administered by the governor-princes as part of the Kingdom of Galifar from the founding of the kingdom until 894 YK. In that year, as the struggle for the crown that caused the Last War escalated, Thrane broke from the kingdom and declared itself an independent monarchy under the rule of King Thalin. Thalin, like many of the Thrane-based ir’Wynarns, was a devoted follower of the Silver Flame. He broke with tradition in order to exercise what he saw as his divine right to the Galifar crown. With the kingdom under his control, he could elevate the
Silver Flame to its proper position as the one true religion of the land and the people. In many ways, it was Thalin’s zealous faith that led to the next stage in Thrane’s history.
Thrane remained a monarchy until 914 YK, when it became a theocracy governed by the Church of the Silver Flame. At that time, temporal and spiritual power fell to the Council of Cardinals and the Keeper of the Flame. Although the Wynarn line in Thrane continues to appoint blood regents (eldest scions of the royal family), these scions are merely figureheads without any temporal power.
History
While a few archbishops and cardinals crave personal power, most believe that the rule of the
Flame is best for Thranes and for Khorvaire. This uncompromising zeal made it difficult for Thrane to form lasting alliances during the Last War, but the resolve of its clerics and paladins allowed the nation to hold its own even when beset from all sides. The new Keeper of the Flame, Jaela Daran, does not believe that war within Khorvaire serves the goals of the Church. However, many knights and cardinals still yearn to see a new Galifar united under the Last War. And in the shadows of the court, the symbolic queen, Diani ir’Wynarn, looks back on the history of her family and dreams of returning her line to the throne.
Postwar Thrane
The Last War brought pain and loss to every family in Thrane. Dead brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters are remembered in daily prayer. Cardinal Yisek, who spoke out against the war, proclaimed that “the Last War was about who gets to sit on that old chair in Thronehold.” The sad irony is that after Thalin’s death, Thrane forsook the royal bloodline altogether. When the nation transformed into a theocracy, Thranes stopped fighting for their king and instead began fighting for land and for the greater glory of the Silver Flame. It’s no wonder that many Thranes today feel detached from the rest of the Five Nations. Imagine being surrounded on all sides by angry, resentful neighbors, and you can begin to understand how the common Thrane feels. Thrane shares borders with all four of its longtime enemies, and Thrane alone abandoned the royal bloodline of Galifar in favor of a theocracy. Moreover, Thrane seized parcels of land from Aundair and Breland—territory that Queen Aurala and King Boranel would like returned. Thrane has also been duly chastised for its cruelty. It demonstrated a startling lack of compassion when it denied Cyran refugees a new home after the destruction of their homeland, and vengeful Karrns resent Thrane for the ruthless bombardment of their capital—an audacious attack that left the imperious Karrnathi citizens feeling vulnerable and defenseless. Surrounded by such resentment, Thranes can ill afford to lead carefree lives. However, they take great comfort in the Silver Flame, for it has never broken their trust or led them astray.Foreign Relations
Erebeth Zaharno, a merchant from Flamekeep, shares her thoughts about foreigners, and her opinions reflect those of Thrane’s popular majority.
Aundair
“Wizardry and sorcery are well and good, but Aundairians have grown fat on arcane magic. Not every problem can be solved with a spell, and the sooner Aundairians realize that, the better off they’ll be. And now Aurala's diplomats demand that we return Thaliost to them. We paid for it in blood! All the charm spells in Aundair won’t win back what they’ve lost. Let them try to take it by force, and see what happens!”Breland
“Boranel may be a great man, and one can not help but admire his cities and his willingness to help those poor, displaced Cyrans. However, the Brelish put too much faith in greedy nobles and corrupt politicians. It is as though they are trying to build towers that can reach to the heavens, but without a common faith, those towers have no foundation.”Cyran Refugees
“That was the judgment of the Silver Flame, I tell you. The corrupt and faithless Cyrans got what they deserved.”Darguun
“A recognized nation of goblins? What filth! Flame forgive me, but you can’t civilize the uncivilized—Treaty of Thronehold be damned!”Eldeen Reaches
“The Reachers have been a painful thorn in Aundair's side, so they have our respect. If only they embraced the power of the Silver Flame and not those pagan druids. Perhaps, in time.”Karrnath
“Damn Kaius and his blasphemous army! The Karrns may pretend to serve the gods, and they may claim to want peace, but no Thrane will ever forget the atrocities committed by the Karrns in Shadukar. I will take their money, but how I loathe them! As long as evil reigns in Karrnath, the bridge between Thrane and Karrnath will never be rebuilt.”Lhazaar Principalities
“The sea princes put too much faith in the gold coin. Most of them are no better than pirates and vultures.”Mror Holds
“One must admire the dwarves' wry wit and keen business savvy. I don’t think Thrane would have made it through the Last War without the aid of House Kundarak and others. It’s no secret that the dwarves helped Karrnath through the war as well, although I suspect mutual self interest governed that alliance. Perhaps with their long lives, dwarves have the patience necessary to deal with such insufferable neighbors.”The Shadow Marches
“Dreary place. I hear the Church has sent missionaries to help the Marchers feel the warmth of the Silver Flame.”Talenta Plains
“It’s good to hear Karrns complaining about Talenta raiders pillaging their livestock. All Thranes should be grateful that we don’t share an 800-mile-long border with those ferocious little heathens.”Valenar
“The Valenar elves are a violent lot, or so I hear. We don’t have many dealings with them, frankly. They keep to their lands fairly well, although the Cyrans might feel differently. I hear they’re very good with horses, so I suppose we have something in common.”Zilargo
“Crafty ones, those gnomes. They chose their allies wisely and survived the Last War pretty much unscathed. Well played. It’s reassuring to hear that so many Zil gnomes have embraced the Silver Flame.”“Glory to the Silver Flame.”
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Thrane
Head of State
Government System
Theocracy
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Rulers of Thrane
| Date | Monarch/Blood Regent |
|---|---|
| 885–914 YK | Thalin (declared king of Thrane in 894 YK) |
| 914–945 YK | Daslin [blood regent, Silver Flame displaces royal family] |
| 945–988 YK | Erivon [blood regent] |
| 988 YK–Present | Diani [blood regent] |
Keepers of the Flame
The following dates and names show the Keepers through the years and can be gleaned with a DC 10 Gather Information or Knowledge (history) check.| # | Date | Keepers |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 300–320 YK | Maliah Sharavaci |
| 2nd | 320–389 YK | Traelyn Ghelios |
| 3rd | 389–461 YK | Darmin Avaroth |
| 4th | 461–524 YK | Kyra Danth |
| 5th | 524–525 YK | Bec Avaroth |
| 6th | 525–578 YK | Valiron Silverthorn |
| 7th | 578–610 YK | Torah Ariadu |
| 8th | 610–698 YK | Saren Rellek |
| 9th | 698–768 YK | Jareen Imistil |
| 10th | 768–825 YK | Aelyndari Valystar |
| 11th | 825–860 YK | Jolan Sol |
| 12th | 860–863 YK | Tzandra Corus |
| 13th | 863–903 YK | Jovor Daran |
| 14th | 903–936 YK | Kaith Serrain |
| 15th | 937–993 YK | Lavira Tagor |
| 16th | 993 YK–Present | Jaela Daran |
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