Thrane

Thrane is one of the original Five Nations that formed the Kingdom of Galifar before The Last War. It is the only nation out of the Five Nations that has replaced its monarchy with a theocracy. Unlike the other nations which largely worship the Sovereign Host religion, Thrane's state religion is the Church of the Silver Flame.

Overview
The spirit of the Silver Flame took hold of the hearts and souls of the people of Thrane seven hundred years ago, and this religious fervor remains the driving force behind the nation. Thrane was one of the original Five Nations founded by the human settlers of Khorvaire; the culture and heritage of the region goes back millennia. It was absorbed into the Kingdom of Galifar and remained a pillar of that celebrated kingdom for almost a thousand years. While the rest of the Five Nations followed the tenets of the Sovereign Host, a new religion found life in Thrane before spreading far and wide across Khorvaire. In the wake of the Last War, Thrane stands as a theocracy devoted to the Silver Flame.

Government & Politics
Politically Thrane is very distinct from that of the other Five Nations. The most notable deviation is that it is no longer a monarchy but the first and only theocracy of Khorvaire. After the death of King Thalin in 945 YK, many were concerned about the weakness of the next in line, Prince Daslin, whose claim to the throne was shrouded by the murky circumstances of his birth. Since the country was at war, the widowed Queen Regent had to establish joint rule with the Diet of Cardinals, which had grown in power and influence. As Thalin’s heir, Prince Daslin, was seen as weak, 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. When Vicarius Johannes Goodman was acclaimed Keeper of the Silver Flame without opposition in 952 YK, he took control of the temporal as well as the spiritual reins of the nation: Thrane had become a theocracy. 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.

The head of government of Thrane is Keeper of the Flame Johannes Goodman, the spiritual leader of the Church of the Silver Flame. The current Queen Regent, Queen Diana ir'Wynarn, is 71 years old and is rarely engaged with the day-to-day ruling of the country as a result. The Council of Cardinals aids the Keeper in overseeing the functions of government and church. Both secular and religious authorities follow a reporting structure atop which sit the Cardinals, who in turn report to the Keeper of the Flame. Archbishops serve as governors and mayors throughout the realm, while exarchs and priests run individual cathedrals and churches within Thrane and abroad.

Who should rule the country is probably the biggest political debate within Thrane. The majority are content with the status quo of a monarchy-only-in-name; however, a small and relatively elite minority believe that the monarchy should be restored. The increase in power of the Church has led to the scions of the Thranish monarchy becoming figureheads without any temporal power. Ruling Queen Diana ir'Wynarn is said to quietly support the return of the monarchy, but without an eligible heir, her fate appears to be sealed.

The two years of peace since the end of the Last War have seen the rise of a group of extremists known as The Galifar Loyalists, also colloquially known as the Throneholders. This group criticizes the events in which the church seized control of the nation and cast doubt on its legitimacy to rule; as a result, they are hated by the Church hierarchy and considered terrorists.

Military
The armies of Thrane claim the blessing of the Silver Flame and for the most part act in the devoted, compassionate, honest, and true manner befitting such an honor. In the early war years, however, more than a few descended into religious fervor and committed atrocities against their “heathen” neighbors - especially in Breland. Clerics, adepts, and paladins of the Silver Flame were swept along in the righteousness of the levied troops, but as reason began to reassert itself and the dictates of their superiors moderated, they attempted to curtail the worst excesses.

After King Thalin died, the church hierarchy gradually asserted control over all aspects of Thrane’s military. Still, an officer class drawn from the deposed aristocracy continues to command troops. Indeed, in many ways, the armies of Thrane have become the last refuge of the nobility in a theocratic kingdom. Their expertise often leads them to powerful positions of command, though the Diet of Cardinals is careful never to give too much command over the armies to any single officer, no matter how successful or how well-loved by the people. In many ways, constant political interference by religious overseers (and the marked change in their expectations and demands) is Thrane’s greatest weakness. The Cardinals do not wish to assume command of the armies (for a defeat on the battlefield might be construed as a rebuke of the Cardinals’ faith or piety), but neither do they trust anyone else to do so.

The armies of Thrane are usually raised by one or more Cardinals who sponsor, equip, and fund them; in some cases, patriotic nobles or knightly orders sponsor troops. After the establishment of the theocracy, the traditional titles of captain, major, and marshal were abandoned in favor of new titles reflecting the young nation’s piety. The armies are almost always made up of levies of untrained troops supported by strong officers, well-regarded cavalry, and middling wands and poor archery. They are remembered more often as large groups than as smaller units: the Army of the Northern Crusade, the Silver Legion, the Legion of Perpetual Adoration, the Legion of the Pure, and so on.

Industries & Resources
Thrane has attempted to develop a closed economy since the start of the Last War that allows it to rely on itself and not require goods or services from beyond its own borders. This attempt at autarky has not been entirely successful: Thrane continues to make use of the services of the dragonmarked houses, and a not-insignificant amount of cross-border trade fuels a thriving grey-market economy, despite the continued attempts of the Thranean army to counteract smuggling.

Thrane exports wool and textiles, some fruits, livestock, and fine crafts. Perhaps the most prominent export of Thrane is the missionaries of the Silver Flame. The followers of the Flame tenaciously promote their faith throughout the Five Nations and beyond. Most preach a semi-tolerant version of the faith, but some zealous missionaries see little difference between true evil and those religions that don’t venerate the Silver Flame.

All the dragonmarked houses have a presence in Thrane, but none of them use the nation as a headquarters due to the restrictions placed upon them by the religious laws of the theocracy. Still, as long as there is money to be made, the houses will continue to play a part in Thrane society.

Society & Culture
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 Silver 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 condition - such as suffering under the rule of non-kine.

In general, Thranes lead ascetic lives. Gambling, carousing, and similar activities are frowned upon in the land of the Silver 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. The Last War brought pain and loss to every family in Thrane. Dead brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters are remembered in daily prayer. 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, especially in their memory of the Last War

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.

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.

Art
Thranish art embraces and expresses the tenets of the Silver Flame. The most popular style of art in Thrane is Kree-Flamic, a stylized form of rendering that uses cubes and triangles to create all shapes and images. Jesp Kree, one of the few gnomes to advance high in the church hierarchy, pioneered the style; he served as the Church Art Master for Keeper Traelyn Ghelios and helped establish the principles of the Flamic style. From stained glass in the great cathedrals that present stylized images of great moments in the faith’s history to the three-sided, stained-glass flame boxes found in the homes of many followers of the Silver Flame, almost all Flamic-style art pays homage to the Church and its significant figures.

A small but grow- ing artistic counterculture has taken root in Thrane. Called Pre-Kingdom style by critics and practitioners alike, the form harkens back to the art created before the coming of Galifar and the united kingdom. It is a raw, humanistic form that draws on strong emo- tions, primal urges, and topics more grounded than the religious ideals depicted in Flamic art. Although it is not outlawed, some Church leaders and the most conservative of the faithful dismiss Pre-Kingdom art as frivolous, distracting, and in some extreme cases even perverse.

Cuisine
Most foreigners tend to think that the theocracy stifles secular life in Thrane however, Thranish cuisine is surprisingly good. During a diplomatic visit in the later stages of the Last War, Princess Wroya of Breland famously once described her meal as, "It is like a breath of fire in the cold of a dark winter's night" after partaking in the Feast of the Silver Flame.

Thranish cuisine utilizes warming spices cooked in thick sauces. Thrane cuisine tends to be heavy, filling and spicy. Renowned Thranish dishes are seared beef in red paprika sauce, three-thrakel fish stew and silvered vegetable skewers. Desserts are also popular and are used to counteract the spicy nature of the main meal. The desserts are often sweet and served cold the most famous of which is silverfruit pie topped with beesh-berry sorbet.

Religion
The Church of the Silver Flame holds sway through- out Thrane. The Sovereign Host has a small presence, particularly Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn

The Church of the Silver Flame influences everyday life across Thrane. Rituals, ceremonies, and codes of conduct inspired by the Voice of the Silver Flame direct the actions of the nation and its inhabitants. Even those few living in or visiting Thrane who don’t subscribe to the tenets of the faith must deal with its ramifications. Priests and devout followers gather three times a day to celebrate the Mass of Silver Fire, and the faith starts every week with the Day of Cleansing Fire—a daylong devotion that includes prayer, fasting, and a recitation of the Nine Miracles of the Silver Flame performed in the Draconic tongue. During these various rituals and ceremonies, most nonessential activities in the nation stop so that everyone can meditate and reflect on the power and glory of the Silver Flame.

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.

Major Power Groups

 * Keeper of the Flame Johannes Goodman
 * Council of Cardinals
 * The Galifar Loyalists/Throneholders
 * Knights of Thrane
 * The Silver Torch

Under Galifar
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, fiends began invading Thrane from a chasm in the Tamor Hills. This incursion was defeated only after a paladin named Tira Miron sacrificed herself to defeat the leader of the fiends. Tira's sacrifice inspired the creation of the Church of the Silver Flame, which would become the dominant faith in Thrane by 400 YK. 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.

The Last War
When King Jarot died in 894 YK, Thalin ir'Wyrnan was the governor of Thrane and a devout follower of the Silver Flame. Seeing the chaos following Jarot's death, Thalin broke with tradition and declared Thrane independent with himself as its King, believing himself to have divine right to rule, helping to spark 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. After Thalin's death in 914 YK, Thrane rejected his son Prince Daslin as too weak for the throne, and instead eventually became the first theocracy in the Five Nations.

Thrane fought zealously despite being surrounded on all sides by enemies during the Last War. But while it ended the war by gaining territory from Aundair and Breland, including the former Aundairian capital of Thaliost, many lives were lost and coffers drained in the process.

Post War
Pre-war Thrane boasted a massive population and an abundance of fertile land to support it. During the war, it claimed divine guidance through the Church of the Silver Flame. Tragically, its faith and its plenty inspired it to the summit of folly. The religious fervor that swept Keeper Serrain into power featured rigid intolerance and inspired absurd blood-soaked aggression. In the end, Keeper Goodman has tried to follow his predecessor in returning the church to strong but compassionate ideals. Still, Thrane’s war effort starkly shows the dark side of zealotry. Its actions, up to and including the rejection of Cyran refugees, have placed a gloom about the Silver Flame that might never be overcome.

War remains a primary preoccupation for the nation of Thrane. To Keeper Goodman'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. Keeper Goodman believes that, with the exception of wiping out true evil, war is a futile endeavor. The Silver Flame doesn’t call for war; indeed, he believes that the Flame is saddened by the conflict that has pitted brother against brother. Keeper Goodman's power within the theocracy isn’t as ironclad as some believe, however, and he has learned to negotiate his course carefully and with much deliberation. As long as most of the spiritual and secular leaders of Thrane want war, the best the Keeper can hope to accomplish is to delay the start for another day, week, or year.

Cities and settlements

 * Aruldusk
 * Avaroth
 * Athandra
 * Daskaran
 * Danthaven
 * Flamekeep
 * Sigilstar
 * Tellyn
 * Thaloist
 * Traeyln

Other notable features

 * Brey River
 * The Burnt Wood
 * Chamber of the Flame
 * The Face of Tira
 * Harrowcrowns
 * Scions Sound
 * Shadukar
 * Thrane River

Five Teachings of the Silver Flame

 * 1) Trust in the Silver Flame. The Voice of the Silver Flame never lies. It will light your way to glory and salvation.
 * 2) Heed the words of the Keeper. The Keeper of the Flame is your emissary. Through the Keeper, the Silver Flame speaks.
 * 3) Fight evil in all its forms. Not everyone can have the strength or conviction of a paladin, but there are many ways to fight evil that don’t require one to draw a sword. We must also remain vigilant, for the one thing evil does well is hide in plain sight.
 * 4) Lead a noble life.  Lead a good moral life and encourage others to do the same. Temptations abound, but the wisest of us can recognize and avoid them. If you die with a pure spirit, you will be forever bound with the Silver Flame.
 * 5) Share the faith. The Silver Flame can purify the darkest spirit. Share the power of the Flame with those who have not yet embraced it.

National Anthem
The Thranish national anthem is called Light the Way; the lyrics are as follows: "O 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!"