The Animal Lords

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Alignment: TN

Symbol: Eberron (the Dragon Between)

Description

In the days before Siberys' demise, Eberron saw fit to create the Animal Lords to watch over her realm. Each embodied a piece of the then forming creation, whether good or evil, lawful or chaotic. They were charged with guiding the mortal Children of the Dragon Between in order to maintain the balance between her warring brother and sister.

The unforseen swaying of a great many of her children to Khyber through fear of death ultimately led to the God of Good meeting his end at the claws of the Goddess of Evil before the Goddess Between gave up herself to seal away her sister. The Age of Demons saw the ultimate twisting of Eberron's beloved guardians into the beasts they are today by Nyarlathotep, the Rajah of Chaos. Some believe him to be the Traveler, the only Sovereign not born of Siberys or Khyber, though none can be certain.

It was from Nyarlathotep's experiments that they were given true forms. Their original personalities warped to fit his strange desires, they became forces of destruction and death without purpose till the day the Dragons and Couatl sealed them away. Their release at the end of the Age of the Giants brought them out of their slumber, and they were again reborn, this time as the Curse of Lycanthropy. Nyarlathotep's corruption still holds sway over them, but as they reassert their true selves, their original personalities have begun to show through.

The Lords

The Wolf Lord: Fenric, the Protector

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (shifts between CG and CE)

Associated Moon: Aryth

Fenric was born as the foremost defender of the Children of Eberron. Its very existence was to ensure no harm would befall them, even at the cost of its own life. This noble beast is what ensured the sleeping seeds of what would become Giants, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, and all other mortal races went uncorrupted by the tremendous evil of the Rajahs for so long.

It is ironic, then, that Nyarlathotep took this singleminded devotion and twisted it to a terrible Bloodlust. From this, the Thorn of Rage was born, and has been the bane of mankind ever since.

The old Fenric, the defender of his mistress' children, can still be seen in the unyielding devotion a Werewolf shows to those it considers one of its own. The Silver Flame was not wrong in killing many of the Werewolves. A large number of them were, indeed, in the thrall of the Thorn of Rage. It was the failure to consider the softer side of the patron animal that brought down the hate they now suffer.


The Fox Lord: Nogitsune, the Tactician

Alignment: Neutral Evil (often tends towards True or Chaotic Neutral)

Associated Moon: Rhaan

Nogitsune was created to be the brains behind the Animal Lords. Managing the battle between the Demons of Khyber and the Angels of Syberis required a cunning mind and a willingness to do what one must. The Fox Lord, by directing the energies of its brethren, held the balance for countless aeons, but even Eberron knew such an effort was ultimately futile.

Nyarlathotep took the Tactician and twisted its brilliance into an endless Vanity. The Thorn of Pride is exceptionally potent among the heirs of the Animal Lords, driving those at its mercy to untold heights to avenge a wrong, real or perceived. Nogitsune's pride brought it to commit atrocities that stood out even in the carnage and madness of the Demon Age, slaughtering Dragons and Couatl alike in an effort to quench the burning desire for revenge after every loss. It is thought that this is the reason for the Werefox Curse's minimal spread, even among Shifters. Too many members brought ruination upon them.

The old Nogitsune is beginning to reemerge, and is finding it harder and harder to completely disregard considerations other than "how does this benefit me and mine".


The Rabbit Lord: God Usagi, the Healer

Alignment: CG (shifts to LG when facing Evil)

Associated Moon: Therendor

The God Usagi is Innocence and Purity personified, created to balance against the pragmatic or even cynical nature of so many of the Animal Lords. As the battle between Khyber and Siberys raged, it was Usagi's role to spread health and healing to the Children of Eberron caught in the middle.

Usagi is unique among the Animal Lords in that part of its essence came from an Angel of Siberys, Gayliel. Bonded soon after the God of Good's demise, the Healer alone has never succumbed to true corruption, even under Nyarlathotep's influence. Instead, Nyarlathotep drove it insane, causing it to become highly unstable. It was this insanity and sweetness Nyarlathotep turned towards his enemies to devastating effect.

Because of this, the Thorn of Loneliness is perhaps the least outright Evil of the Thorns, at least in regards to its effect on the world. Those under the Thorn's influence can become paralyzed with loneliness, and crave companionship and physical contact almostas much as, if not moreso than, food.

It seems Usagi may be regaining its sanity, but the road is bound to be long.


The Stag Lord: Herne, the Hunter

Alignment: Neutral Evil (was originally True Neutral)

Associated Moon: The Lost Moon

Herne was guardian of the forests and nature, a magestic creature born to inspire awe and respect in Eberron's children for the bounty the Dragon Between had given them. Like the Druids that would later take up the mantle, it obeyed the laws Nature itself lay down. Sometimes forgiving, sometimes cruel, Herne kept all to the same standard.

Nyarlathotep took this love of nature and twisted it into a deep seated hate of all who disfigured it. The Thorn of Defilement was the result. Particularly devastating when a Druid Werestag or Stag Shifter fell to its effects, it more often than not resulted in the wholesale destruction of the very land they had hoped to defend. In fact, the first known Blighters were actually Werestags.

Whether or not Herne could have redeemed itself will forever be unknown, as its entire line was completely wiped out by the Silver Claw. The resulting wrenching separation from the Material Plane (and thus its creator) caused it to go completely mad, and was only stopped by Melissa, Karin, and Jaina's efforts against it (plus some luck). The heart and body have been separated, the heart in Melissa's possession and the body (in spirit form) is in Lord Shadowspawn's.


The Ursine Lord: Hashmalim, the Judge

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (was once Lawful Good)

Associated Moon: Vult

Hashmalim was the Overseer, the Enforcer, and, in the end, the Dispenser of Eberron's will. While Usagi healed, Hashmalim's task was to redeem all who could be and destroy those who could not. The Judge is believed to be the first true Paladin not born of Siberys.

He was, alas, also the first Fallen Paladin. At first, he was a scourge to all Demonkind, taking up the mantle of Siberys on Eberron in a doomed attempt to stem the tides of Khyber's dominion. The constant death and sensless destruction, devoid of a light at the end of the tunnel, caused him to fall further and further away from his duty to uphold Good, and forcing him to obey only the word of the law Eberron had given to him. It was through this that Nyarlathotep ensnared him, creating the Thorn of Oppression in the process.

This thorn leads Werebears and Bear Shifters to believe their heavy handedness towards others to be "for their own good", despite the often detrimental effects of their efforts. While true heirs to the Judge are often bastions of hope and light for the weak, those caught in the Thorn's snare often call the enslavement of Free Will the same thing as Justice.


Shadows over Cyre