Ring of Storms

**The Ring of Storms** is a currently undiscovered region by the explorers of Khorvaire located in the mountains over a thousand miles southeast of Stormreach.

## Description

The Ring of Storms is a sunken valley surrounded by a ring of cliffs and mountains. The region is covered in an unending hurricane whose gale force winds and frequent lightning strikes are a mere warning to adventures, explorers and travelers alike that far worse awaits them inside the Ring of Storms. The valley teams with life of all kinds, and dangers await beneath the storm clouds and dense vegetation, as well as beneath the very earth.

## History

### The Qabalrin

An obscure legend of the giants tells that for thousands of years a tribe of advanced elves, known as the Qabalrin, ruled the region from their mighty fortress city. Even the giants at the height of the Cul'sir Empire feared the Qabalrin, whose magic included conjuration and necromancy the ancient giants believed to be pulled from the Sovereign of Light and Law Ouralon's Shadow.

Forty thousand years ago a massive Siberys dragonshard fell from the sky, smashing into the Qabalrin's fortress city. The magic unleashed by the blast destroyed not only the city, but the surrounding region and created the Ring of Storms. The giants tell of a legend of how Ouralon brought down the meteorite that destroyed the Qabalrin as a warning to those that consider using the powers of the Shadow.

The few remaining ruins of the Qabalrin lie deep beneath the surface of the Ring of Siberys, and are occupied by the drow known as the Umbragen, the shadow elves.

### Umbragen

A group of drow known as the Umbragen have been living under the Ring of Storms in Khyber for more than a millennium; it is unclear exactly when they arrived. The Umbragen have been loosing a war against one of the daelkyr for several decades. The aberrations that they war with are led by none other than Belashyrra, the Lord of Eyes. Several aberrations have slipped from Khyber to menace the surface of the Ring of Storms over the course of this conflict.

Besides the Umbragen drow and aberrations in Khyber, the Ring of Storms is filled with various tribes of lizardfolk. These lizardfolk were settled in the region by the dragons after the fall of the great Siberys dragonshard that ended the Qabalrin civilization. These guardians were charged with guarding the meteorite, known as the Heart of Siberys, after the dragons bound a portion of the power of the Silver Flame along with the spirits of the restless Qabalrin dead within it.

## Notable Inhabitants

* **Belashyrra, The Lord of Eyes:** Belashyrra and his army of aberrations are said to menace the Umbragen who dwell in Khyber below the Ring of Storms from his Citadel of Lidless Eyes.

## Notes

Keith Baker has mentioned on the Eberron Discord server that the Umbragen campaign in the Dragonshard video game was was originally longer and included an entity known as the Blood Queen, an ancient vampire the Umbragen would uncover and try to use for their own purpose.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 ***Secrets of Xen'drik***.
Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn, and Amber Scott (2006). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3916-8.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 ***City of Stormreach***.
Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James "Grim" Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 "**Backdrop: Ring of Storms**" (May 2005) by Keith Baker. *Dungeon Magazine* issue 122. , *p. 72-80*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "**The Umbragen: Shadow Elves of Xen'drik**" (April 2005) by Keith Baker. *Dragon Magazine* issue 330. , *p. 43-48*.
5. ↑ Keith Baker on the Blood Queen (01/08/2019). “File:Keith Baker Blood Queen.png”