Skjölds Buch: The Dragonmarked Houses

House Cannith,

consisting of humans with the Mark of Making, includes alchemists, artificers, and magewrights of great skill, as well as the best mundane crafters on the continent. House Cannith arose in pre-Galifar Cyre almost twenty-five hundred years ago. Originally, the Cannith clan consisted of traveling tinkers, repairers, and crafters whose burgeoning dragonmarks gave them an edge over the competition. As the house developed, it turned its attention to supernatural disciplines, studying alchemy and pioneering the techniques of artificers and magewrights. As builders, fixers, and creators, the house maintains a lawful outlook. Some of its greatest accomplishments include the lightning rail, the warforged, and the high-rising towers of Sharn.
The destruction of Cannith’s ancestral estates in Cyre and the death of the patriarch have thrown the house into chaos. Three leaders have emerged, each intending to lead the house into the future. While the situation hasn’t yet grown as bad as the split in the Mark of Shadow family that resulted in the creation of a new house, none of the emerging Cannith leaders is willing to accept the others as the new house patriarch. So far, they have reluctantly shared influence in the family by concentrating on their own regions and not attempting to pull the entire family together.

House Deneith

humans bear the Mark of Sentinel and employ its power in their Defenders Guild. While the guild is mainly concerned with protection for individuals of high status they also have special agents known as sentinel marshals who are able to carry their jurisdiction across borders. Just as with their marked kin unmarked members of House Deneith are mainly bodyguards, but get by without the aid of magic.
House Deneith has its headquarters in Karrlakton, and has deep roots in Karrnath. The House was formed by a family of warlords in the area of Karrlakton where they still live today. They were the first humans to manifest dragonmarks and the theirs' was the fourth Dragonmark to be discovered. They were skilled warriors and warlords and with the mark they became even more powerful. House Deneith was essential in forging the current Kingdom of Karrnath.

House Ghallanda

halflings bear the Mark of Hospitality. This mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers control over food and shelter, giving Ghallanda an advantage in all areas related to hospitality.
While the guild may not own every inn and restaurant in town they do enforce strict standards that must match their own levels of quality and comfort. Those who lack dragonmarks within the house are still able to run some of the finest establishments in all of Khorvaire and, mark or no, members of House Ghallanda take pride in their services.

House Jorasco

halflings possess the Mark of Healing. This mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers to heal and cure diseases making Jorasco a vital part of the struggles of the Last War and throughout Khorvaire in general.
Very few temples grant people healing magic for sale so those seeking both mundane and magical healing almost always turn to the guild. Even those within the Healers Guild who are not marked are expert physicians and herbalists.

House Kundarak

possesses the Mark of Warding. This mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers to protect things of great value, giving Kundarak a distinct place among the noble and elite of Khorvaire society.
House Kundarak is a dwarven dragonmarked house throughout Khorvaire, though their most preciously guarded vaults lie beneath the bedrock of Eberron itself in the Mror Holds. The dwarves of House Kundarak also manage the large island prison of Dreadhold with only one successful escape ever recorded, with the fugitives being hunted down heavily by other houses.
House Kundarak is guarding not only their own belongings but also those of anyone who wants to be sure their possessions do not fall into others hands. The Kundarak dwarves are careful business men but are also well known for their honor, if you leave something in the care of House Kundarak it stays safe. The Warding Guild also offers its services in security, keeping businesses and personal homes safe from unwanted intruders. Unmarked members often obtain jobs as trapmaking, security consolation and more commonly with running the massive Kundarak bank.

House Lyrandar

possesses the Mark of Storm. This half-elven mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers to control winds and waves. House Lyrandar exclusively owns and operates the airship transport business across Khorvaire while other members provide farmers with necessary rain and good weather to produce the plentiful harvests Khorvaire needs to remain virile.
Unmarked house members are often successful farmers, crew mates on water based and air ships or plantation owners.

House Medani

possesses the Mark of Detection. This mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers to detect threats making Medani sentries an invaluable asset to nobles and royal families across Khorvaire.
The Mark of Detection gifts the marked with the ability to ferret out danger whether from an ambush or a cup of poisoned wine.
The half-elven house began as a merchantile organization and is one of the youngest of the Dragonmarked Houses.
The Warning Guild is well known for its personal protection services and anyone holding a meeting with less than trustworthy business partners would do well to spring for a member from the guild to attend. Members of the house who do not manifest the mark often serve as sentries and guards.

House Orien

humans possess the Mark of Passage. This mark grants various magical benefits that allow its bearers to control travel and teleportation. House Orien has secured itself in the infastructure of Khorvaire with the Lightning Rail.
Members of House Orien use the Mark of Passage to aid them in their own travels as well as in their Couriers Guild, carrying packages, cargo and passengers great distances all across Khorvaire. Marked members are often captains of airships, lightning rail overseers and caravan guides. Unmarked house members generally operate within a smaller range, such as a single city or small region as mundane couriers.

House Phiarlan

possesses the Mark of Shadow. It is an elven dragonmarked house throughout Khorvaire, although they are now based in Sharn, Breland their former base of operation in Cyre having been destroyed in the Day of Mourning. The Carnival of Shadow is the traveling circus of House Phiarlan, filled with illusion, acrobatics, and exotic creatures and entertainers from across Khorvaire.
The Mark of Shadows benefits its bearer with both invasive scrying magic as well as illusory abilities used for deception.

House Thuranni

is an elven dragonmarked house throughout Khorvaire that was once part of House Phiarlan, but broke away from them during the Last War. Now they compete directly with Phiarlan, operating out of The Lhazaar Principalities with small enclaves in major cities across Khorvaire. The house first appeared in 972 YK, when a group of elves split off from House Phiarlan.
The House was originally one of many families under the House Phiarlan umbrella. The leader of the Thuranni line Elar Thuranni d'Phiarlan detached his family from the house and changed his name to Elar d'Thuranni. He formed his own house rather then give up his position as a viceroy of the oldest dragonmarked house.

House Sivis

possesses the Mark of Scribing. This mark grants various magical benefits related to written and verbal communication. It is through the auspices of Sivis that one can communicate with another across Khorvaire almost instantaneously. House Sivis members also act as translators for diplomats and other dignitaries.
The gnomes of House Sivis are the carriers of the Mark of Scribing and through their Speakers Guild they offer service as both translators and mediators between different races but also as instant, long distance communication in their more powerful members.
House Sivis also has its hand in the business as notories, using arcane mark and illusory script to certify or hide important documents. Unmarked members are usually translators, mediators, messengers and some truely charismatic gnomes become diplomats.

House Tharashk

possesses the Mark of Finding. This mark grants various magical benefits related to locating people and objects.
House Tharashk, a family of humans and half-orcs who originated in the Shadow Marches, run House Tharashk and control the Finders Guild. The guild employs all manners of investigators, law enforcement agents as well as treasure and dragonshard hunters.
Members of the house without dragonmarks are often mundane but highly skilled investigators as well as prospectors and guides.

House Vadalis

humans possess the Mark of Handling. This mark grants various magical benefits related to calming and controlling animals. Vadalis has turned this into a booming trade in magebred animals. Everything from mounts, to guards to pets can be bought from Vadalis stables.
Through its Handlers Guild it controls the breeding of both mundane livestock and more exotic pets and beasts of burden. Those of the house who are unmarked often take up professions as breeders, animal handlers and drivers.

House Vol

was an elven dragonmarked house and one of the first of the dragonmarked houses to appear, originating in Aerenal. The house existed for 600 years (-3200 YK - -2600 YK) before it was laid to ruin and completely wiped out by a union of dragons and elves who saw the house as an abomination.
It’s members carried the Mark of Death. It is the only Dragonmark that is believed to be extinct by the time of 980 in the Galifar calender. No member of the House of Vol has not been either slain or turned into a member of the undead. The Mark of Death seems to have had some sort of power relating to the creation of undeath.

The War of the Mark

The War of the Mark was a terrible and bloody conflict which changed the face of Khorvaire, solidifying the dragonmarked houses' position today. The war began about five hundred years before the establishment of Galifar, when the dragonmarked houses launched an inquisition to put an end to the proliferation of aberrant and mixed dragonmarks.
The houses had the advantage of greater numbers, but the aberrant marks of the time carried tremendous destructive power. In the third year of the war, Lord Halas Tarkanan began organizing his aberrant kindred into a proper military force to oppose the dragonmarked houses. Tarkanan, known as "The Earthshaker", carried an aberrant mark that gave him great control over the elemental forces of earth and fire.
However, Tarkanan's main contribution to the War of the Mark was his brilliance in tactics and strategy. His consort, the Lady of Plague, was an enigmatic woman whose dragonmark power was never specified, but her title and the end of the war suggests that it allowed her to call upon a multitude of small creatures and deadly plagues.
Although Tarkanan's efforts extended the conflict, the aberrants fell in the end. Tarkanan himself was trapped in the siege of Sharn, which had been his stronghold and base of operations. When it became clear that the aberrants were doomed, he and the Lady of Plague unleashed the full power of their marks - power sufficient to destroy the city. Terrible quakes caused the collapse of parts of the city, and rivers of lava flowed up from the fiery lakes below. Masses of pests and horrible plagues ravaged invaders and defenders alike. Some claim that the Lady of Plague's death-curse still lingers in the depths of Sharn. The War of the Mark ultimately established the dragonmarked families that hold power today, and it laid the foundation for the prominent role of both House Cannith and House Deneith, which played central roles in the Last War. It also led to the foundation of the Twelve as an avenue for the houses to cooperate toward common aims.

The Last War

As King Jarot of Galifar approached old age, questions about the succession of his throne ran rampant. Although by tradition, his eldest scion, Princess Mishann of Cyre was to claim the throne, others doubted her ability to rule. Prince Thalin of Thrane felt he was far more fit to rule instead. However, on the king's deathbed in 894 YK, he gave Mishann his blessings and bade Prince Wrogar of Aundair to honor his decision.
At the funeral shortly thereafter, Mishann discussed the details of her coronation with her siblings, but they held a deaf ear to her words. Indeed, they personally threatened to send their soldiers to Thronehold to prevent any such action. Only her brother Wrogar remained allied to Cyre, since he was bound by honor. Later in the year 894 YK hostilities commenced. Alliances were formed, shifted, and were broken over the course of the war. Virtually no part of the continent was unaffected.
The Treaty of Thronehold was signed in 996 YK, two years after the Day of Mourning destroyed Cyre. The treaty effectively put an end to the conflict while at the same time recognizing twelve of the fifteen new nations that had come into existence during the Last War.


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