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Patron Preview: Beggar Dane and Castle Arakhain

Keith Baker

— 8 min read
This is Breggan Blackcrown by Julio Azevedo, who specifically ISN'T tied to the Swords of Liberty or Beggar Dane, but she lives in the same neighborhood.

Here's a few more glimpses of content I created for the Western Frontier. If you've been following the Threshold campaign or my Siberspace arc, you've had a glimpse of Beggar Dane. Meanwhile, Rising From The Last War called out Castle Arakhain as a recent target of the Swords of Liberty, so it seemed like a good thing to pair with Beggar Dane. Enjoy, and thank you for your support!

BEGGAR DANE

“The silent man has no one to blame but himself.” Anyone born in Breland knows the proverbs of Beggar Dane, whose collected wisdom celebrates the pragmatic spirit of the nation. Dane is an apocryphal figure; some say he was a bard who wanders the streets of Sharn, while others insist that he advised Galifar I himself during the war of unification. Whatever the truth may be, Beggar Dane is a beloved Brelish everyman, and his wisdom is celebrated in Brelish taverns and homes every day. But in 998 YK there is a new Beggar Dane: an anonymous figure who speaks on behalf of the Swords of Liberty, a widespread network of insurgents who rail against the Brelish monarchy. Some believe that this Beggar Dane is a fictional figurehead, a mask that can be used by any cell leader. But the Sharn Inquisitive has done a deep investigation into the Swords of Liberty, and they are convinced that Beggar Dane is one person—a mastermind who is coordinating the actions of the western Sword cells. The Inquisitive further believes that Beggar Dane is driving the increasingly violent actions of the Swords.

The Swords of Liberty began as a peaceful political movement, calling for King Boranel to voluntarily cede power to the Brelish parliament. In 996 YK, a statement from Beggar Dane took credit for an attack on Castle Arakhain that left the east wing of the Winter Palace in flames. Over the last two years, the Swords of Liberty have struck at nobles across Breland, saying that there will be no peace until the aristocracy is dissolved. According to Beggar Dane, even that victory wouldn’t mean the end of violence. Beggar Dane accuses King Boranel of betraying the Brelish people both by accepting the terms of the Treaty of Thronehold and providing shelter for Cyran refugees. Dane maintains that Breland could have easily won the Last War if its leaders had truly wished to do so; in certain tracts, he suggests that there is a conspiracy among all the ir’Wyrnarn monarchs, that Boranel has intentionally misled his nation to benefit his royal cousins. He promises that once the monarchy is overthrown, the new army of the common people will bring unity to all of Khorvaire—and that they will deal with both the “monsters to the west” (Droaam) and the “enemy we have welcomed in” (Cyrans).

Beggar Dane’s identity is a closely guarded secret. He’s mainly known through the proclamations that supporters share in villages and farms. However, a masked figure claiming to be Beggar Dane has spoken at rallies and been seen during Sword attacks. According to these reports, he’s a male human or half-elf; as he’s masked and shielded against divination, little else is known. Beggar Dane is believed to be on the western frontier and there are many in the west who support his actions, even if they aren’t willing to take up arms for his cause. Whether or not you’ve ever seen Beggar Dane, if you’ve been on the frontier for long, you’re certainly heard of him.

While there are some similarities between Beggar Dane and the Company of the Black Crown, the two are quite different. The Black Crown are a force of brigands; they may avoid the law, but they don’t hide who they are or what they’re doing. By contrast, the Swords of Liberty are covert insurgents whose members are hidden in communities across Breland. The Black Crowns defy Brelish law, but they’re interested in lining their pockets, not in driving political change; the Swords of Liberty are only interested in change, and every violent action they take advances that agenda.

Rumors About Beggar Dane…

  • Beggar Dane is a fiend who’s taken human form to turn people against their rightful ruler.
  • The Mourning was an inside job—arranged by the Wynarn monarchs to end the war with no victory. Those who believe this say that Beggar Dane is actually Borann, King Boranel’s eldest daughter. A renowned warrior, Borann supposedly died in battle on the Day of Mourning; those who believe this tale say that she survived, and that when the monarchy is abolished she will reveal herself and lead Breland to victory.
  • Beggar Dane is the creation of a group of changelings working for the Daughters of Sora Kell, whose actions will weaken the west in preparation for a Droaamite invasion.
  • Beggar Dane is possessed by an angel from the Shavaran Legion of Freedom, imbued with power to fight against tyranny.

The Sayings of Beggar Dane

The proverbs of Beggar Dane are well known in Breland. The Sharn Inquisitive often posts one of Dane’s sayings with editorial comments on how they apply to the present day. Here’s a few examples, but there are hundreds of these sayings, covering politics, religion, and everyday life; if your character is Brelish, feel free to come up with new proverbs you attribute to Beggar Dane.

The silent man has no one to blame but himself.

The Aundairian says what he’ll do; the Brelishman does what he says.

Help those in need, for you may need help tomorrow.

Dreams don’t put swords in the hands of soldiers.

You may believe that Aureon’s will gives the king his crown, but it was a Brelish smith who forged it.
From Eberron: Rising From The Last War

CASTLE ARAKHAIN

Population: 480 (in the palace and surrounding village)

In Brief: Brelish royal residence

Key Inhabitants: Princess Brela ir’Wynarn (female human noble), Cavril “Collar” Blackwood (male human gamekeeper), Mistress Green (female elf steward)

If you’ve harbored dreams of mingling with royalty, you can hold out hope that you’ll be invited to a grand ball at Castle Arakhain. Also known as the Winter Palace, Castle Arakhain is the favored retreat of the Brelish royal family when they chose to leave Wroat. King Boranel himself is usually found in Arakhain on two occasions. He spends the winter month of Vult in Arakhain, remaining through the end of Long Shadows (the final days of the year). He also generally comes to the palace in the beginning of Barrakas for the Hunt, the festival of Balinor; Boranel loves to hunt, and the gamekeepers spend most of the year searching for a beast that will prove a worthy opponent at this time. While these are generally the only times you’ll find the King at Arakhain, there’s usually some member of the royal family in residence. In 998 YK, the Princess Brela—Boranel’s youngest daughter—has been dwelling in the Winter Palace. Brela will be turning twenty this year on the 9th of Rhaan—which is also the holiday Boldrei’s Feast—and she expects to have the grandest celebration ever seen in the Western Frontier. An adventurer with the noble background could receive an invitation, while an entertainer could be engaged to perform; otherwise, the search for exotic supplies and entertainment could create opportunities for capable adventurers.

Interesting Things About Castle Arakhain

  • The west wing of Castle Arakhain suffered significant damage in 996 YK, when it was burned by insurgents tied to the Swords of Liberty. The cell leader known as Beggar Dane has claimed responsibility.
  • The Wynarns love to hunt. The lands to the south of the castle are reserved for farming, but the hills and the plains to the north have been stocked with a wide array of beasts, monstrosities, and other surprises. The castle itself includes massive stables and kennels, including a pair of ghost tigers and three massive magebred bears.
  • Queen Marala ir’Wynarn was a great lover of literature. While the library of Castle Arakhain holds some of her favored tomes, it’s said that she hid her greatest treasures—including a copy of the fabled Codex Ourelonastrix—in an invisible tower. Many believe that tower is somewhere in the Arakhain Hills.

Businesses and Locations

Castle Arakhain takes its name from the adjacent Arakhain Hills. The village of Arakhain began as a mining community taking iron ore from the hills. The mine was tapped out centuries ago, and today the village primarily exists to support the palace, growing grain and maintaining the beasts brought to the region for hunting. Arakhain is a tiny community, but thanks to the presence of the castle it does have a Sivis message station (Stone 65) and a Jorasco healer, Izra d’Jorasco. The local inn is called The Queen’s Rest; thanks to the presence of the castle, it has a remarkably deep cellar and can provide meals of up to wealthy quality. The royal family recently rejected Ghallanda’s proposal to open a Gold Dragon Inn in Arakhain, much to the relief of Queen’s Rest innkeeper Wil Wrighten.

Important People

The village of Arakhain is exists to support the castle, and everyone has a job related to that role—from the farmers growing fresh vegetables to the launderers, farriers, smiths, and more. It’s a small community and everyone knows everyone; it’s not a place you can just decide to move to. Here’s a few particularly noteworthy residents.

Princess Brela ir’Wynarn. Boranel’s youngest daughter, Brela has inherited her father’s quick wit and love of adventure. She loves to ride and hunt, and prefers Arakhain to Wroat. Many says that she is the best of Boranel’s brood still living, but she has no desire to ever wear the crown. She is fond of grand spectacles, and expects her upcoming twentieth birthday to be a legendary event.

Cavril “Collar” Blackwood. Collar is the royal gamekeeper at Castle Arakhain—no small job, given the Wynarns’ love of exotic beasts. He’s a Vadalis foundling who chose to serve the crown instead of joining the house, though he works closely with Vadalis to meet the needs of the royal family. Collar is an expert at managing fierce creatures, but he still bears a host of scars from his dangerous work. He’s interested in obtaining some of the monstrosities that dwell in Droaam for the next Hunt, and may hire adventurers to capture unusual creatures or simply to find out just how dangerous they are.

Mistress Green. This elf has served as the steward of Castle Arakhain for at least three hundred years. No one knows exactly how old she is, and most aren’t sure if “Green” is her first or last name. She is a strict taskmaster who makes sure that everything is perfectly in order and maintained in accordance with tradition. She often invokes previous monarchs—“This would never have happened in Wroaan’s day.” She is devoted to Breland and would never gossip… But she undoubtedly knows a trove of interesting stories about modern and past nobles.

Castle Arakhain Connections

  • (Noble) Has your family ever visited Castle Arakhain? Have you ever attended the Hunt or a Long Nights celebration?
  • (Entertainer or bard) Entertainers have to be brought in whenever there’s a celebration at the Winter palace. Have you ever played at Castle Arakhain?
  • If you’re from rural Breland, perhaps you grew up in the village of Arakhain and still have family there. Do you know Princess Brela or Mistress Green?

Thank you for your support!

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