Dragonmarked house
Dragonmarked houses are organizations in the fictional Eberron campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that are based on bloodlines descended from families that first manifested dragonmarks. Not all members of the Houses have dragonmarks; nor is it an assurance of power. Talent is considered a better choice. Most common people have at least a small amount of House blood in their ancestry, usually unnoticed.
In the fictional world, the Dragonmarked Houses are the cornerstone of the economy of Khorvaire. Most banking, security, communications, transportation and fabrication are run by the Dragonmarked Houses. The Houses use their exclusive access to the powers of dragonmarks to sustain their economic empires that extend far beyond arcane powers of the dragonmarks themselves. The houses can attribute most of their success to their meticulously crafted reputations for standardization and quality that have elevated bearers of dragonmarks with a status that mundane wizards and artificers cannot possibly match.
History
The source material states that each of the houses are not traced back to a single member bearing a certain mark, rather that certain marks manifested in certain regions on specific races and families. After several generations these families began to understand the significance of each individual mark and came to see certain marks as "true marks", marks that breed true in a bloodline. Aberrant marks are those that manifest as a consequence of interbreeding of bloodlines.
Ultimately the true bloodlines would wage war on those with aberrant marks in a conflict known as the War of the Mark. The results of this conflict would unite the true bloodlines officially into the current houses represented and lead to a founding of the council known as the Twelve. The Twelve would become responsible for codifying the traditions of the dragonmarked families and set forth the standards by which the current houses are governed.
Eventually a man who famously became known as Galifar I would succeed in uniting the continent together into the nation of Galifar, the house leaders would come together in the city of Korth and make arrangements with the would-be-king that would limit their political power in exchange for assurances of their continued economic strength. These would become known as the Korth Edicts and would last for a thousand years and were designed to prevent members of any of the dragonmarked houses from creating standing armies (excepting House Deneith to provide mercenary services), disallowing members of the houses from marrying into the aristocracy of Galifar, and insuring that no house could hold a grant of land.
By the time the Last War was in full swing, the Korth Edicts would be set aside allowing house enclaves to maintain forces and by the end of the war several houses now have large land holdings of their own. Many of the houses themselves were said to wield as much power as the nations themselves and it is doubtful any of the twelve new nations have enough power to enforce the terms or renegotiate the edict.
True Houses
House Cannith
Mark of Making:
Tinkers Guild: repairs and maintenance
Fabricators Guild: construction and production
Race: Human
Heraldic beast: Gorgon
Month/Moon: Eyre (Mid-spring, ~April, fourth moon)
The mark of making first appeared in the Eberron setting approximately 2500 Years before the foundation of the Kingdom of Galifar and has always distinguished itself as the leader amongst the other dragonmarked houses. They are considered to be the foremost experts in dragonshards and best known for the invention of everbright lanterns, lightning rail and the race of warforged. Their success is due to their ability to mass-produce magical wares at reasonable prices.
As of the current time period in the setting, the house is divided into three distinct factions that are vying for control of the house in the wake of the destruction of the nation of Cyre. Cannith South is ruled by Merrix d'Cannith from the city of Sharn, Cannith West is ruled by Jorlanna d'Cannith from Aundair, and Cannith East which is ruled by Zorlan from Karnnath.
Dragonmark Abilities: The Mark of Making grants the power to mend or fabricate material goods.
House Deneith
Mark of Sentinel:
Defenders Guild: Protection
Blademarks Guild: Hirelings and mercenaries
Race: Human
Heraldic beast: Chimera
Month/Moon: Olarune (Late winter, ~February, second moon)
House Deneith operates under a strict military hierarchy. Since all houses have vowed to stay neutral in conflicts, House Deneith supplies to both sides of a conflict. It is also the only house allowed to maintain an active army.
Dragonmark Abilities: The Mark of Sentinel grants various powers related to personal protection.
House Ghallanda
Mark of Hospitality. 3200 years old.
Hostelers Guild: bars and inns.
Race: Halfling.
Heraldic beast: Blink dog.
Month/Moon: Nymm (Early summer, ~June, sixth moon).
Although most halflings are nomadic, the members of House Ghallanda operate an impressive number of entertainment institutions, all over Khorvaire.
Dragonmark Abilities: ability to manipulate arcane energy to generate shelter and sustenance
House Jorasco
Mark of Healing. 3000 years old.
Healers Guild: health.
Race: Halfling.
Heraldic beast: Griffon.
Month/Moon: Therendor (Early spring, ~March, third moon).
House Jorasco provides mundane health care services to the public, as well as magical healing to those who can afford it. Common people visit House Jorasco hospitals instead of churches, since clerics generally reserve their healing abilities for the faithful.
Dragonmark Abilities: healing; depending on the size of the dragonmark, the individual can be restricted to healing small wounds, or to curing major diseases, even regenerating lost limbs
House Kundarak
Mark of Warding. 2500 years old.
Banking Guild: money, loans and safekeeping.
Warding Guild: security and protection.
Race: Dwarf.
Heraldic beast: Manticore.
Month/Moon: Vult (Early winter, ~December, twelfth moon).
Dragonmark Abilities: ability to lay magical alarms and traps.
House Kundarak operates out of the Mror Holds, running the banking and moneylending business in Khorvaire. With close ties to House Sivis, all kinds of coin exchange, credit and safekeeping services are provided by House Kundarak.
House Lyrandar
Mark of Storm. 2000 years old.
Raincallers Guild: provides good weather for farmers.
Windwrights Guild: transport over water or through the air.
Race: Half-Elf.
Heraldic beast: Kraken.
Month/Moon: Zarantyr (Mid-winter, ~January, first moon).
House Lyrandar members have the power to manipulate the weather, and have used that power to create an island paradise for themselves, off the coast of Aundair (called Stormhome).
Dragonmark Abilities: power over wind and weather.
House Medani
Mark of Detection. 1500 years old.
Warning Guild: protection with prescience.
Race: Half-Elf.
Heraldic beast: Basilisk.
Month/Moon: Lharvion (Mid-summer, ~July, seventh moon).
Because the members of House Medani can see trouble coming, they are very effective in personal security. Its magic item inventions were instrumental in ending the War of the Mark.
Dragonmark Abilities: bearers of this mark can sense hidden threats, such as poison.
House Orien
Mark of Passage. 2000 years old.
Couriers Guild: postal service.
Transportation Guild: freight.
Race: Human.
Heraldic beast: Unicorn.
Month/Moon: Aryth (Late autumn, ~November, eleventh moon).
Members of House Orien control the Lightning Rail and several caravan routes.
Dragonmark Abilities: dependent upon the size of the mark, bearers may possess great speed, the ability to fly or even teleportation.
House Phiarlan
Mark of Shadow: 3000 years old.
Entertainers and Artisans Guild: entertainment.
Race: Elf.
Heraldic beast: Hydra.
Month/Moon: Sypheros (Mid-autumn, ~October, tenth moon).
Part of House Phiarlan split off recently, to form House Thuranni. According to rumour, the members of House Phiarlan also engage in espionage.
Dragonmark Abilities: powers over illusion, deception and scrying.
House Sivis
Mark of Scribing. 2800 years old.
Speakers Guild: diplomatic services and translation.
Notaries Guild: notary services.
Race: Gnome.
Heraldic beast: Cockatrice.
Month/Moon: Rhaan (Early autumn, ~September, ninth moon).
The members of House Sivis guarantee the authenticity of documents. It is known for its impartiality, and is relied on to send sensitive information securely. It is also known for its bureaucratic red tape.
Dragonmark Abilities: power over written and spoken word. Through use of dragonshards, can communicate over vast distances with the speed of the wind.
House Tharashk
Mark of Finding. 1000 years old.
Finders Guild: finding.
Race: Human and Half-Orc.
Heraldic beast: Dragonne.
Month/Moon: Barrakas (Late summer, ~August, eighth moon).
The members of House Tharashk are highly skilled trackers and bounty hunters. They are also in the mining business, and control most of the trade with Eberron dragonshards.
Dragonmark Abilities: can track things that are lost or hidden through use of their mark.
House Thuranni
Mark of Shadow. 25 years old.
Race: Elf.
Heraldic beast: Displacer beast.
Month/Moon: Sypheros (Mid-autumn, ~October, tenth moon).
Like its parent, House Phiarlan, House Thuranni is in entertainment business. The members left Aerenal and travelled to Khorvaire around the time of the destruction of House Vol.
Dragonmark Abilities: power over illusion, deception and scrying.
House Vadalis
Mark of Handling. 1800 years old.
Handlers Guild: breeding.
Race: Human.
Heraldic beast: Hippogriff.
Month/Moon: Dravago (Late spring, ~May, fifth moon).
The members of House Vadalis breed any number of animals, mostly mounts, but also animals used in offense or defense, or pets. House Vadalis operates out of the Eldeen Reaches.
Dragonmark Abilities: animals bred by those bearing the Mark of Handling are more intelligent, stronger, faster and more powerful than those bred and/or trained by those without the aforementioned mark.
Other houses
House Tarkanan
Aberrant Marks. Age unknown.
Race: Any race capable of bearing a dragonmark.
Heraldic beast: Beholder.
Aberrant marks can be created when two dragonmark bearing people, each of whom has a different dragonmark, have children. They are considered an abomination by the trueborn houses. Sometimes aberrant marks spontaneously appear on members of races that can bear dragonmarks.
House Tarkanan is not an official house recognized by governments or other dragonmarked houses. It was founded by Thora Tavin, a former Brelish spy who worked as part of a group of Aberrant Marked spies. Near the end of the Last War she recruited several of the spies and fled Brelish service. She named her organization "House Tarkanan" as a mockery against other dragonmarked houses - Lord Halas Tarkanan was a leader of Aberrant Dragonmarked people during the War of the Marks. It currently exists as a loose criminal association of people bearing aberrant dragonmarks, hiring its services for robbery and assassination. It has a presence in Sharn.[1]
House Vol
Mark of Death. 3300 or more years old. Extinct.
Race: Elf.
One of the first dragonmarks to manifest, the Mark of Death was also the first dragonmark lost. The lich Erandis Vol is the last known bearer of the mark, but its powers have become dormant since she is no longer technically alive. Several times it has allegedly re-surfaced but they were either all hoaxes or Aberrant Dragonmarks. In a novel set in Eberron, a young elf named Espre is believed to bear the Mark of Death, and Vol's forces pursue her. Vol's priests claim Espre is a descendant of House Vol and bears the actual Mark of Death, although it's possible it is an Aberrant Dragonmark.[2]
Dragonmark Abilities: Unknown, and has been stated by Keith Baker to be one of the few "permanent mysteries" of Eberron. However, it is postulated that it is related to negative energy and the creation of undead.
References
- ↑ Baker, Keith. The City of Towers. Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. ISBN 0-7869-3584-7; Baker, Keith and Wyatt, James. Sharn: City of Towers. Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast, 2004. ISBN 0-7869-3434-4
- ↑ Forbeck, Matt. Marked for Death. Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. ISBN 0-7869-3610-X
Additional reading
- Dragonmarked Baker, Keith, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006) Wizards of the Coast ISBN 0-7869-3933-8
- Eberron Campaign Setting Baker, Keith, Slavicsek, Bill, Wyatt, James (2004) Wizards of the Coast ISBN 0-7869-3434-4