The Swords of Liberty

Revolutionary organization · Cellular structure across Breland · Symbol: The blue hood · Status: Proscribed, classified as terrorist organization by the King's Citadel

"The crown is a chain. The throne is a cage. And the people of Breland are prisoners pretending they are free." — A Blue Hood sermon, recorded by King's Citadel agents, 995 YK

In the slums of Lower Dura, a pamphlet circulates hand to hand, printed on cheap paper and folded small enough to fit inside a boot. In a garrison town on the western borderlands, a former sergeant addresses a room of twenty veterans, all wearing hoods of Brelish blue. In a Sharn district where the Watch never comes, someone has painted the symbol of a faceless crowd on the side of a tenement — and no one has bothered to scrub it off.

The Swords of Liberty are Breland's most dangerous internal threat: a revolutionary organization committed to the violent overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic government in its place. What distinguishes them from common criminals is ideology — they do not seek personal enrichment but the fundamental transformation of Breland's political structure — and organization. Their network spans from the slums of Sharn to the garrison towns of the western borderlands, coordinated through cell-based structures that prevent the capture of one group from compromising the whole.

The Citadel and the Watch treat them as terrorists. Breland's poorer districts sometimes regard them as freedom fighters. The truth, as ever, lies somewhere in between. Eberron was designed from the very beginning for stories about a world actively evolving and straining against the past — and the Swords of Liberty are meant to put adventurers right in the middle of that tension, forcing them to decide whether to challenge tradition or defend it.

Origins and History

The Swords of Liberty did not emerge from philosophical debate in universities or noble salons. They grew from the grinding reality of the Last War — a century-long conflict that killed hundreds of thousands, drained the treasury, and demanded ever-increasing sacrifice from the common people while the monarchy remained secure in its wealth and authority. By the early stages of the war, voices within Breland's military had begun to question whether this sacrifice was necessary, whether the strategic decisions of a hereditary monarch truly served the nation, or whether a more democratic structure might have pursued a less costly path to victory.

Breland's own political culture provided fertile ground. In 895 YK, Queen Wroann granted greater powers to the Brelish Parliament, and it wields the same authority to this day — the parliament makes the laws, and the crown enforces them. Breland is already the most democratic of the Five Nations. But the Swords argue this is not enough: real power still flows through the crown, not through the people.

The movement coalesced around commanders like Rand Faldren, who in 961 YK seized the fortress of Orcbone in the borderlands and declared it the seat of a new, democratic Breland. Faldren's rebellion was short-lived — his declaration of a provisional government found insufficient support in parliament, and he ultimately stood down rather than precipitate a civil war — but his action crystallized what many already believed: the monarchy was not inevitable, and an alternative was possible. Faldren died in the failed defense of Orcbone against Droaamite assault in 986 YK, and his death became central to Swords mythology. To the organization, he is a martyr — a commander who challenged the crown's authority and was abandoned by a king who could have protected him but chose not to because Faldren had dared to question royal prerogative. That the actual history is more complicated matters far less than the legend.

By the Treaty of Thronehold in 996 YK, the Last War had formally ended, and King Boranel remained firmly on the throne. Rather than fade, the Swords adapted. Without the excuse of wartime necessity, the inequities of Breland's class system would become undeniable. In this window of possibility, the Swords reorganized, grew their networks, and began preparing for what they believed was coming: the moment when the common people would demand change, and the monarchy would attempt to suppress that demand by force.

It is worth noting that questioning the monarchy is not unique to the Swords of Liberty. A strong mainstream movement believes that the Brelish monarchy should end with Boranel's reign — or at least be relegated to a purely symbolic position. Lord Ruken ir'Clarn and his allies dream of reducing or replacing the monarchy with a stronger parliamentary government headed by an elected prime minister. Some of his contacts reach into Aundair, where Queen Aurala is willing to encourage any development that weakens the Brelish crown. The Swords exist at the violent end of a spectrum that includes many respectable voices — which is precisely what makes them so dangerous, and so difficult to suppress without creating martyrs.

RECOVERED PAMPHLET — LOWER DURA, SHARN CLASSIFIED: KING'S CITADEL EVIDENCE ARCHIVE

Brothers and sisters of Breland — you bled for a century in the Last War. You buried your children. You watched your farms burned and your towns shattered. And for what? So that King Boranel could sit at a table with the butchers of Karrnath and Thrane and give away everything you fought for? The Treaty of Thronehold was signed with your blood, but you had no voice in its terms. Rand Faldren had the right of it: the people of Breland should choose their own leaders, their own wars, and their own peace. Put on the hood. Stand with your comrades. The crown has failed you — now the people must rise.

Structure and Operations

The Swords operate through a decentralized cell structure. Unlike criminal organizations that maintain a hierarchy of command, or political movements that depend on visible leadership, the Swords are organized as autonomous groups of ten to forty members, each with its own captain or council. Cells may coordinate with each other, but they are not subordinate to any central authority. This structure makes the organization resilient to law enforcement pressure — the capture or arrest of a cell's leadership does not compromise other cells' operations — but it also means the Swords are not a unified force acting toward a single strategy.

In practice, this has led to fragmentation. Some cells focus on propaganda and recruitment, distributing illegal pamphlets, conducting street-corner sermons, and seeking to shift public opinion toward democratic ideals. Others are more directly confrontational, targeting symbols of royal authority: they have sabotaged royal cartels, disrupted noble functions, and carried out acts of violence against officials or soldiers representing the crown. Still others have devolved into simple brigandry, extorting merchants and nobles under the banner of "liberation taxes" or seizing resources for their own use. The Citadel and the Watch make little distinction between these varieties; all are classified as terrorists and enemies of the state.

Recruitment is rarely formal. A potential member might be approached by an existing Sword, offered protection or work, gradually drawn into the cell's activities, and only later told that they are part of something larger. Some join out of genuine ideological commitment; others are motivated by economic desperation or personal grievance. Once committed, members are expected to maintain absolute secrecy and follow the cell's directions without question — a paradox not lost on those who accuse the Swords of preaching freedom while demanding blind obedience.

The iconic symbol of membership is the blue hood: a simple fabric mask that obscures the wearer's identity. Hoods are used during recruitment ceremonies, raids, and mass gatherings. They protect individual identity, create a powerful visual message of collective action, and obscure the true composition of any given cell. To the Citadel, the blue hood has become a symbol of terrorism and lawlessness. To the Swords, it is a symbol of liberation. A Brelish blue hood of the Swords of Liberty is a known artifact — and rumor has it that whoever wears one may hear suggestions of anarchy whispering at the edge of their thoughts.

Geography and Strongholds

The Swords operate most openly in Breland's western borderlands, where settlement is scattered, royal authority is thin, and sympathies are mixed. The western garrison towns — particularly Orcbone, which remains under dispute — host Swords cells that recruit from the soldier population and conduct raids into Droaam's territory. These border Swords tend toward the more militaristic and nationalist faction, convinced that military action against Droaam or a reignited war is the path to forcing political change at home.

In Sharn, the Swords maintain a more clandestine presence. The city is the seat of significant Citadel and Watch authority, making openly revolutionary activity dangerous. Instead, Sharn's cells operate in the poorer districts — Lower Dura, Fallen, Khyber's Gate — where they have found sympathetic populations among those displaced by the war, those struggling economically, and those already alienated from the crown's authority. Here the Swords blend with existing informal networks of mutual aid and informal governance, making it difficult for authorities to distinguish between genuine revolutionary cells and neighborhood groups providing mutual support.

The smaller cities and villages of Breland present a different picture. Where Citadel presence is minimal and Watch authority is weak, Swords cells can operate with near-impunity, providing services, settling disputes, and gradually establishing parallel structures of governance. Some villages have effectively become Swords strongholds, where the local captain's authority is recognized before any royal magistrate's. The Citadel is aware of this but lacks the resources to root it out everywhere at once.

Internal Ideologies

The Swords are fractured around several competing visions. Understanding these factions is essential for understanding how the organization might develop.

The Democratic Idealists believe Breland should be governed by elected representatives, that laws should emerge from collective deliberation, and that the common person deserves a voice in the decisions that affect their life. They reject tyranny from any quarter and are often uncomfortable with the Swords' tendency toward autocratic cell leadership. If given power, they would likely attempt to establish some form of parliamentary government.

The Nationalist Militants believe Breland's true weakness is not the monarchy but the weakness it showed in failing to crush its enemies during the Last War. They point to Cyran refugees as competition for Brelish resources and jobs, argue for aggressive action against Droaam, and suggest that a reignited war would allow Breland to dominate Khorvaire. Democracy is secondary to strength; they might support a military dictator over a monarchy if the dictator promised decisive action. This faction attracts war veterans with unresolved trauma or ambition for continued conflict.

The Economic Radicals believe the problem is not monarchy per se but capitalism and class exploitation. The crown rules through the aristocracy and the dragonmarked houses, they argue, and both systems exist to extract wealth from the common people. True liberation requires a transformation of economic relationships — collective ownership, equitable distribution, the end of wage labor. They are often uncomfortable with the more nationalist Swords, viewing xenophobic violence as a distraction from the true enemy.

The Practical Opportunists care little for ideology and much for personal power. They use the Swords' name and structure to consolidate authority in their local area, extort protection money, and accumulate resources. The Citadel often finds it easier to recruit informants from this category — they are less committed to secrecy than to personal safety.

Citadel Response and Current Status

The King's Citadel treats the Swords as a national security threat and devotes substantial resources to their suppression. The Dark Lanterns operate infiltration and sabotage operations. The Shields protect officials and symbols of the crown. The Swords division of the Citadel pursues the organization's members with lethal force when opportunity allows. Revolutionary activity against the monarchy is treated as a capital crime under Brelish legal tradition — crimes of treason are tried under the authority of the King's Citadel, without access to a jury, and can result in exile, indefinite imprisonment, or execution.

Despite — or perhaps because of — this pressure, the organization has not collapsed. The cell structure makes it resilient. Recruitment often accelerates after Citadel crackdowns, as tales of brutality and injustice spread and create sympathy for the cause. And the fundamental grievance that motivates the Swords — that common people have no voice in decisions that affect their lives — has not been resolved. As long as that grievance exists, new recruits will be found.

The current trajectory is uncertain. King Boranel has shown no inclination toward reform, but he is aging, and questions about succession loom. Should the king die without a clear heir, or should his successor prove incompetent, the Swords believe their moment will come. The organization is not currently in a position to overthrow the crown through force alone, but they believe that popular uprising, combined with military pressure, could accomplish what organized violence cannot. Whether they are right remains one of the great questions facing postwar Breland.

Key Relationships

The King's Citadel. Active enemies. The Dark Lanterns infiltrate Swords cells, the Shields protect crown targets, and captured Swords members face capital punishment. The Swords view the Citadel as the monarchy's enforcement arm; the Citadel views the Swords as terrorists threatening national stability.

Brelish Populists in Parliament. The movement to abolish or diminish the monarchy is not limited to the Swords — legitimate political figures like Lord Ruken ir'Clarn advocate for a transition to parliamentary democracy. The Swords exist at the violent end of a spectrum that includes many respectable voices. Some parliamentarians sympathize with the Swords' goals while condemning their methods; others maintain closer ties than they publicly acknowledge.

Cyran Refugees. The Nationalist Militant faction views Cyran refugees as competitors for Brelish resources. Other factions view them as potential allies — displaced people with grievances against the established order. The relationship is unstable and varies by cell.

Droaam. The western borderland cells conduct raids against Droaam, viewing the monstrous nation as both a military threat and a proving ground. Some within the organization dream of seizing Droaamish territory as part of a Greater Breland.