Dragonmarked Houses

No other group exerts as much influence over the Five Nations as the combined membership of the dragonmarked houses. Each dragonmarked house is part noble family and part business cartel, involved in businesses ranging from hospitality to espionage-for-hire. There are very few aspects of life in Khorvaire that are not touched in some way by the houses. The wealth of Khorvaire is built on magic, and the dragonmarked houses are the mortar that holds this magical economy together. Communications, transport, banking, animal husbandry, security — the cornerstones of modern culture are all effectively owned by the dragonmarked houses.   It is the carefully crafted histories and reputations of the dragonmarked houses that are responsible for their commercial dominance in present-day Khorvaire. The skillful manipulation of magic and artifice has allowed the houses to use the dragonmarked as the keys by which even greater magic is controlled. House Sivis’s speaking stones, the lightning rail of House Orien, Lyrandar airships, and the Cannith creation forges have all kept the dragonmarked houses at the center of Khorvaire’s economic, military, and social development. As a result, the dragonmarked enjoy a status in Khorvaire that "mundane" wizards and artificers cannot match.   The reach of the houses is so extensive that they have interests in every facet of life in the civilized lands of Khorvaire and beyond. Those interests often bring them into conflict with local rulers and national governments. Unified Galifar had the strength and influence to impose its will on the collected dragonmarked houses if it ever became necessary, but in the wake of the war it remains to be seen if any single nation has the resources to challenge them. Each nation is severely dependent on the Houses now, as they pay the nation a tax in which they operate in exchange for freedom in their business plans and complete neutrality in conflicts. The products and services of the Houses are so popular that the tax they pay to each nation is a major source of income for those nations, especially in the wake of the fund-depleting war.   Although most houses have distinct spheres of interest, their concerns overlap just enough to cause friction. House Orien's control of transportation and shipping is threatened by the growing reach of House Lyrandar's airships. House Tharashk's arrangement with Droaam threatens House Deneith's monopoly on providing mercenary services. House Cannith lost its leadership in The Mourning, and rival barons are fighting for control of the house. An organization called The Twelve seeks to mediate disputes and encourage cooperation between the houses.   Each house is identifiable by a unique symbol, or dragonmark. Some members of the dragonmarked houses are recognizable by these dragonmarks upon their skin. Not all members of a house sport these magical marks, but no dragonmark has ever manifested outside its bloodline. When one boasts such a seal, it is as much a mark of demanded respect as it is of power.   The following Dragonmarked Houses exist:

• House Cannith- manufacturing, industry
• House Deneith-bodyguards, mercenaries
• House Ghallanda- hospitality, taverns
• House Jorasco- healing, phsyicians
• House Kundarak- security, locksmiths
• House Lyrandar- seafaring, airships
• House Medani- detectives, risk assessment
• House Orien- lightning rails, transportation
• House Phiarlan- entertainment, assassination
• House Sivis- communication, inter-house transactions
• House Tharashk- inquisitives, bounty hunters
• House Thuranni- entertainment, assassination
• House Vadalis- beast handling, magebreeding

 

History

It is often assumed that each house has a single founder: that some ancient Master Cannith was the first person to develop the Mark of Making, with House Cannith born of his children. The truth is not so simple. Each dragonmark first appeared within multiple families, although the marks were bound to specific races and regions. The Mark of Sentinel appeared among the people of Khorvaire’s northern coast, while the Mark of Making was found in the region that would eventually become Cyre. It took generations for these first dragonmarked to realize the significance and power of their marks. During this time, aberrant aragonmarks were as common as those that would come to be seen as true marks, in part because there was no taboo against mingling the bloodlines of dragonmarked families.   Each dragonmarked family has stories about the exploits of its ancestors, although these are often contradictory. The Lyrriman gnomes of House Sivis claim that their forebears were the first to identify and unify the dragonmarked families, while members of the Vown family of House Cannith make similar claims. Seven dragonmarks were known by the time Karrn the Conqueror sought to bring all Khorvaire under his rule, though the families that bore them were not yet unified. The Sivis League, the Tinkers Guild of Cannith, and the Phiarlans of Haleth had all laid the groundwork for their future houses, but the Sentinel families of the north were still divided. Some fought alongside Karrn, while others were among his strongest foes.   There is no agreeance on the origin of dragonmarks, so theories are wide-ranging. Some say they are remnants of the Progenitor Dragons, others say they are a disease left by the Age of Monsters, others an experiment by the dragons of Zyddrydem, others a gift from the Sovereign Host to elevate humanoids to the level of dragons, just to name a few. One could imagine that if the origin of traditional dragonmarks is not understood, neither is the origin of aberrant dragonmarks.  

Culture

Considering the incredibly extensive reach of the houses, one would expect them to be ruthless, arrogant businesspeople merely thirsty for a profit. While it varies from house to house, this is almost always far from the truth. Most heirs are genuinely passionate about their work, and wish to see their goods and services fulfilled in a meaningful way. The gifts that the dragonmarks‌ bestow upon a person makes the dominance of the dragonmarked houses seem inevitable. As it currently stands, the houses are fair in their prices, providing exceptional services, but how long can such a monopoly survive before the hunger for power begins to creep in?