The Tainted - Aberrant Dragonmarked

What are the Aberrant Marks?

The Tainted are individuals who bear Aberrant Dragonmarks—twisted, dangerous variants that began appearing shortly after the Covenant Houses' marks were established during the Judgment War. Unlike the clean, symmetrical House marks that glow with specific colors, aberrant marks are chaotic and unique—no two are exactly alike. Some appear as scar tissue, others as lines of cold fire traced on the skin, still others as raised welts or patterns that seem to shift and crawl. They pulse irregularly and grant dangerous, unpredictable powers.

"Your sigil creates, child of Cannith. Mine destroys. But you and your Houses? You've destroyed more lives than every aberrant-marked in history combined. You just do it with laws and contracts instead of death-touch."

The Origin - Unintended Consequences:

Before the Judgment War, dragonmarks did not exist. When the (then) twelve families made their desperate Covenant bargains with powerful extraplanar entities (devils, celestials, fey lords, ancient dragons, and stranger beings), they introduced unprecedented amounts of foreign power into mortal bloodlines. The Dragon Marks appeared—controlled, hereditary, useful.

But there were side effects. Within months of the Covenants being sealed, the first aberrant marks appeared—spontaneous manifestations in people with no connection to the Covenant Houses. These marks were wild, uncontrolled reflections of the massive planar energies now saturating the world. The fabric of reality had been stressed by so many powerful entities binding themselves to the mortal realm simultaneously.

How They Appear:

Aberrant marks manifest in several ways:

• Cross-House Unions: When members of different dragonmarked Houses have children together, there's a significant chance the child will manifest an aberrant mark instead of inheriting either parent's House mark. This is why inter-House marriages are absolutely forbidden by the Covenant Council.
• Spontaneous Manifestation: Aberrant marks can appear on anyone, of any race, at any age, regardless of bloodline or connection to the Houses. A farmer with no House blood might suddenly manifest a mark at age thirty. A child born to unmarked parents might develop one at puberty. These spontaneous manifestations are the most common type.
• War-Site Proximity: Manifestations occur more frequently near locations where Covenant bargains were sealed or where intense war-era magic was used. Some scholars (among the Tainted) theorize that residual planar energy saturates these areas, triggering latent potential.

Increasing Frequency:

The aberrant marks are becoming more common over time, not less:

• Year 0-10 PSC: Roughly 5-10 manifestations annually across all Elarion
• Year 10-30 PSC: Roughly 20-40 manifestations annually
• Year 30-50 PSC: Roughly 60-100 manifestations annually
• Year 50-70 PSC: Roughly 120-200 manifestations annually
• Year 70-83 PSC: Roughly 300-500 manifestations annually

No one knows why this is happening. Some believe that something is accelerating the process. The planar contamination is spreading, or intensifying, or both.

The Marks' Powers:

Aberrant marks grant powers, but they're inherently flawed and dangerous:

• Destructive Nature: While House marks create, heal, and protect, aberrant marks tend toward destruction—killing with a touch, controlling minds, spreading disease, causing explosions
• Always Flawed: Every aberrant mark comes with a significant burden—uncontrollable activation, painful side effects, psychological toll, or harm to the bearer
• Difficult to Control: It takes years to learn even basic control, and many bearers hurt or kill loved ones before gaining any mastery
• Unique Manifestation: Even if two aberrant marks grant the same power (like fire bolt), they appear and function differently
• Growing Stronger: Aberrant marks seem to increase in power over time and with use, unlike House marks which remain relatively stable

Historical Context: The Aberrant Crisis:

The First Aberrants (Year 0-5 PSC):

The earliest aberrant manifestations were few and scattered—perhaps a dozen across the entire continent in the first year after the war. The Houses noticed but didn't initially consider them a major concern. These early aberrants were weak, their powers unstable but containable.

The Houses issued warnings against inter-House marriage (after discovering the connection) and quietly "dealt with" aberrants who appeared within their own bloodlines, but there was no organized persecution yet.

The Emergence of the Powerful (Year 5-15 PSC):

As more aberrants manifested and their marks matured, something alarming became clear: aberrant marks grow stronger over time. Those who survived their initial manifestation and learned some control discovered their powers increasing dramatically.

By Year 10 PSC, several aberrant-marked individuals had developed abilities far beyond what any House mark could grant:

Halas Tarkanan (Human, manifested Year 2 PSC)

• Mark: Seismic manipulation appearing as cracks spreading across his entire body
• Power: By Year 10, could trigger catastrophic earthquakes affecting entire city districts
• Reign: Controlled the ruins of Akrez (a war-ravaged city) from Year 8-14 PSC
• Philosophy: "The Houses made us. Now they fear what we've become. Let them fear. Let them BURN."
• End: Killed during the War of the Mark in Year 14 PSC when all thirteen Houses united against him

The Dreambreaker (Kalashtar, true name unknown, manifested Year 3 PSC)

• Mark: Psychic patterns shifting across their scalp and face
• Power: Could shatter minds with sustained eye contact, leaving victims as hollow shells
• Reign: Operated from Ilkazan's undercity Year 9-13 PSC, building a cult of mind-broken servants
• Philosophy: "Thoughts are chains. I free people from the burden of their own minds."
• End: Committed suicide rather than be captured in Year 13 PSC; final act shattered the minds of 30 House agents simultaneously

The Lady of the Plague (Half-elf, name lost to history, manifested Year 4 PSC)

• Mark: Green-black veins covering her arms, neck, and chest
• Power: Could inflict any disease with a touch, command vermin and disease-carrying creatures, spread plagues across entire neighborhoods
• Reign: Held the city of Circos hostage Year 11-15 PSC, threatening to unleash epidemics unless the Houses met her demands
• Philosophy: "You called us contamination. You called us plague. Very well—I am PLAGUE. Bow, or I will show you what true sickness looks like."
• End: Killed by a joint Deneith-Jorasco strike team in Year 15 PSC; died releasing a final plague that killed 3,000 before Jorasco contained it

Others: At least a dozen more powerful aberrants rose during this period, each carving out territory, building followings, or simply surviving through intimidation. Some were tyrants. Others tried to build safe havens for their kind. All were dangerous.

The War of the Mark (Year 12-16 PSC):

As powerful aberrants emerged, public fear intensified. These weren't just people with unusual abilities—these were walking catastrophes who could level cities, enslave populations, or spread death on a massive scale.

Year 12 PSC - The Council Emergency Session:

The Covenant Council, facing the threat of multiple aberrant warlords, recognized they couldn't fight each other AND contain the aberrants. For the first time since the war ended, all twelve Houses agreed on something: the powerful aberrants had to be eliminated.

The Justifications:

• Legitimate Fear: Halas Tarkanan had leveled city districts. The Lady of Plague had killed thousands. These weren't propaganda—they were real threats.
• Power Consolidation: The Houses also saw an opportunity to eliminate potential competition and establish that only House marks were "legitimate."
• Public Support: Common folk, terrified of aberrant warlords, supported the Houses for the first time since the war ended.

The Campaign:

The War of the Mark lasted four years and was brutal:

• All thirteen Houses contributed forces (even rivals like Lyrandar and Orien cooperated)
• House Deneith provided elite soldiers and tactical leadership
• House Tharashk tracked aberrant hideouts with their Mark of Finding
• House Medani identified aberrants hiding among normal populations
• House Thuranni assassinated aberrant leaders
• House Jorasco provided healing BUT was also required to heal captured aberrants so they could be interrogated, then executed (a moral stain the House still carries)

The Targets:

The Houses claimed to target only the "dangerous" aberrants—the warlords, the tyrants, the mass murderers. In reality, they killed:

• The powerful aberrants (legitimate threats)
• Weak aberrants who posed no danger (eliminating future threats)
• Children with newly manifested marks (preventing them from becoming powerful)
• Families who hid aberrant relatives (sending a message)

The End (Year 16 PSC):

By Year 16 PSC, all known powerful aberrants were dead. Halas Tarkanan fell in combat. The Dreambreaker committed suicide. The Lady of Plague died spreading her final curse. Dozens more were hunted down and executed.

The Houses declared victory. The Covenant Council passed the Edict of Purity, making it illegal to bear an aberrant mark, harbor aberrants, or marry across House lines.

The Aftermath:

• Approximately 2,000 aberrant-marked individuals killed during the war (combatants and non-combatants)
• Public perception shifted permanently: aberrants = dangerous
• The Houses gained legitimacy by "protecting" the public
• Survivors went underground, forming the earliest cells of what would become the Tainted network

The Edict of Purity (Year 16 PSC):

"The War of the Mark was a tragic necessity. Aberrant dragonmarks are unstable side effects of the planar energies released during the Judgment War. Those who bore these marks became increasingly dangerous as their powers grew. Halas Tarkanan could level cities. The Dreambreaker enslaved thousands. The Lady of Plague killed indiscriminately.

We didn't want war. We tried negotiation, containment, offers of peaceful cooperation. But the powerful aberrants refused. They saw their marks as proof of superiority, as justification to dominate those without power. They became tyrants.

When they threatened innocent lives, we had no choice. The twelve Houses united—some for the first time since the Judgment War—and eliminated the threat. Yes, some innocents died. War is never clean. But we saved countless more.

The Edict of Purity exists to prevent another Tarkanan from rising. We monitor aberrant manifestations not out of cruelty, but necessity. If even one bearer reaches the power levels of the first generation, millions could die.

We are not persecutors. We are protectors."

— The Edict of Purity

Following the War of the Mark's conclusion, the Covenant Council passed comprehensive legislation:

It is illegal to:

• Bear an aberrant dragonmark (punishable by imprisonment or execution)
• Harbor or assist someone with an aberrant mark (heavy fines, imprisonment)
• Refuse to report aberrant mark manifestations (criminal conspiracy)
• Marry across House lines (prevents cross-House aberrant births)
• Research or study aberrant marks without Council authorization (prevents weaponization)

The Official Reasoning:

The Houses publicly claim:

• Public Safety: Aberrant marks are inherently dangerous and unstable
• Historical Necessity: "Remember Halas Tarkanan" (invoking fear of powerful aberrants)
• Medical Quarantine: Treating aberrants like a contagious condition requiring containment
• Preventive Measures: Eliminating threats before they become powerful

The Real Motivations:

Beyond legitimate safety concerns, the Houses hunt aberrants because:

• Power Monopoly: Aberrants prove anyone can manifest dragonmarks, threatening House exclusivity
• Covering Responsibility: Aberrants are evidence that the Covenant bargains had dangerous side effects
• Preventing Competition: If aberrants could organize and grow powerful, they'd challenge House authority
• Political Unity: Hunting aberrants is the one thing all Houses agree on—it keeps the Council unified
• Fear: Deep down, the Houses remember Tarkanan and fear another like him emerging

The Purge System:

House Deneith and House Tharashk are officially contracted by the Covenant Council to hunt aberrant-marked individuals.

House Deneith's "Purity Wardens":

• Elite soldiers trained specifically to capture or kill aberrants
• Equipped with magic-suppressing restraints and anti-magic countermeasures
• Authorization to enter any property on suspicion of harboring aberrants
• Bounties: 500gp per aberrant captured alive, 200gp for confirmed kills, 2,000gp for "high-value targets"

House Tharashk's "Mark Hunters":

• Use their Mark of Finding to track fleeing aberrants
• Specialize in pursuing fugitives into remote areas beyond normal jurisdiction
• Reputation for being absolutely relentless—once they have your scent, they will find you
• Often work in conjunction with Deneith (Tharashk finds them, Deneith captures them)

The Process:

1. Aberrant mark manifestation is reported OR discovered during routine patrols
2. Purge squad is dispatched (response time: hours in cities, days in remote areas)
3. Bearer is captured alive if possible (for "study" and interrogation)
4. Bearer is executed on-site if they resist or their powers are too dangerous to contain
5. Family members are interrogated about circumstances, fined heavily if they knew and didn't report
6. If the bearer was from a House family (cross-House union), both families pay massive "purification fines" and the incident is buried

Where They Go:

Those captured alive are taken to:

• Dreadhold Prison (Off Leviathans Spine Coast) - Maximum security facility on a remote island, supposedly for "containment and rehabilitation"
• House Cannith Research Facilities - Secret locations where the patron of House Cannith studies aberrants to understand what went wrong with the Covenant magic
• Execution - Many are simply killed after interrogation if deemed too dangerous or not useful for study

Officially, captured aberrants are "humanely contained" or "rehabilitated." In reality:

• Most are imprisoned indefinitely in horrific conditions
• Some are experimented on (magical testing, attempts to remove or control marks)
• Many are quietly executed after interrogation
• A handful escape and join the Tainted network

Public Cooperation:

The Purge relies on civilian reporting:

• 50gp reward for reporting an aberrant manifestation
• Community pressure (neighborhoods that don't report are investigated)
• Fear (aberrants are dangerous—people report out of self-preservation)
• Propaganda (regular reminders about Halas Tarkanan, the Dreambreaker, etc.)

The Tainted Network - Children of the Broken Mark (Known to few - Purge Wardens and Mark Hunters included):

Organization:

The Tainted formed approximately 45 years ago (Year 38 PSC) when surviving aberrants realized they needed organization to survive. They call themselves "The Tainted" (reclaiming the slur) or "Children of the Broken Mark."

Structure:

• Cell-based organization (5-12 members per cell, minimal contact between cells)
• No centralized leadership (prevents infiltrators from destroying the entire network)
• Safe houses in slums, Burn Zones, and frontier territories
• Underground Railroad smuggling newly-manifested to safety
• Coded communication through dead drops and trusted intermediaries

Size:

Unknown but predicted to be Approximately 1,000 (growing as manifestations increase)

Primary Goals:

• Survival and mutual protection
• Helping newly-manifested learn control
• Documenting manifestations to understand patterns
• Preserving the true history of the War of the Mark
• Someday, proving that aberrants can coexist peacefully with society

Known Leadership:

"Grandmother Scars" (True name unknown):

• Elderly human woman, approximately 70 years old

"Spark" (Real name: Kael, formerly d'Lyrandar):

• Male half-elf, age 34
• Born to House Lyrandar; aberrant mark manifested at age 16
• Role: Leads the largest Tainted cell in Sharn (~40 members), advocates for aggressive resistance

"Whisper" (Real name: Selara):

• Female changeling, age unknown (appears mid-20s)

"Ironroot" (Real name: Drugan):

• Male dwarf, age 115
• Former House Kundarak member; mark manifested 20 years ago (age 95)
• History: Served House Kundarak loyally for 95 years as a master vault-architect. When his mark manifested (unprecedented at his age—aberrants usually manifest younger), the House disowned him immediately despite nearly a century of service. The betrayal broke something in him.

Attack by the Children of the Broken Mark (82 PSC)

A extremist cell of The Tainted;

• Ambush three Purge patrols over six months (14 Deneith soldiers killed
• Sabotage two House Deneith supply shipments;
• Freed 8 captured aberrants during transport to Dreadhold (Not public knowledge)

The Consequences:

• House Deneith increased Purge squad sizes and aggression
• Bounties on aberrants doubled (1,000gp for captures, 400gp for kills)
• Public fear of aberrants increased after propaganda about "aberrant terrorists"
• Three abarrant safe houses were raided (coincidence or retaliation?)
• 23 aberrants captured or killed in the increased crackdown

Where Sympathy Exists:

• Poor neighborhoods: Already persecuted by Houses, more likely to hide aberrants
• Warforged communities: Share experience of being created/affected by war, then persecuted for existing
• Burn Zone settlers: Beyond House authority, don't enforce Purge laws
• Some House members: Secretly help out of guilt, compassion, or fear their own children might manifest
• Religious communities: Pre-ban faiths taught that all souls have value (though this is complicated by the Edict of Severance)