Some stuff on the Eberron Houses for you folks

[MallSecurity]

I picked these up off of the wizards site from the poster "The Fireballed Mage"

If you guys want me to put up anything else let me know

[MallSecurity]

House Deneith

”I have sworn before the Sovereign Hosts that no harm shall befall you. Your next breath is the sweetest music to me, the sight of your spilt lifeblood my most unimaginable horror. If The Keeper himself should come to claim your soul, it will be my blade that fights on your behalf.”

“I appreciate that, I really do. But do you have to follow me into the bathroom?!”

“Sorry sir, but you’d be surprised at how many clients get wacked by a kobold assassin hiding down the john. One rapier thrust to where the sun don’t shine and *ffthpp* it’s all over. Trust me, it’s not a pretty sight. Just whistle loudly and pretend I’m not here.”


Overview:

Eberron is not an idealistic paradise. War has been a fact of life, if the stories are true, ever since the Progenitor Dragons first turned their claws against each other. Even those not engulfed by the flames of war can feel vulnerable. Inhuman creatures stalk the land, hungry for flesh; outsiders take over material goods, corrupting fragile minds; and your own neighbour may plot your death; coveting your wealth. In this age of war and violence, someone needs to man the walls against the darkness.

Humans have been warlike creatures for thousands of years. No matter how peaceful the times, some have always raised weapons against others. Professional soldiers developed as this trend continued, and for one extended family the job of soldier became a common choice. The members of this clan trained hard and long. They were skilled, honourable, and unyielding. They were very efficient fighting machines.

The development of the Mark of Sentinel among these far-flung relations brought a sense of urgency to these soldiers. Military personnel have always identified with a unit, a regiment, a flag. Now the Mark gave them something of their own, something to rally around. The shunning early Marked individuals experienced from superstitious peoples helped to cement lapsed family bonds, and many left their old regiments to band together into a new organization: House Deneith.

The House first offered mercenaries for the market, selling their skills with the blade. As time progressed their loyalty and skills elevated many to the status of elite guards. From there it was a short road for some elite guards to become bodyguards. The House still kept its battlefield role, but expanded into different paramilitary activities.

A House Deneith enclave is often an imposing structure of wall and stone and order. Everyone has a place and a job in a Deneith encampment and all know their role. Children run wild and play with vigour, but at the sound of an alarm these same children rush to their places: some to shelters, some to carry ammunition, others to man bucket brigades.

At a young age the heirs of the House are expected to help look after their peers and younger siblings and cousins. This builds a sense of teamwork and camaraderie that Deneith seeks to promote throughout a person’s life. As the young heir moves into adulthood, they are expected to take on more and more responsibility, generally promoting group welfare over individual concerns.

Because of this, sacrifice and suffering is given a romantic air in the House. Those who endure are seen as virtuous and possessing strong character. Taking a short cut or dodging responsibility is to be derided, the doer mocked. It is not to say that the Deneith psyche is one of foolishly accepting pain, but instead: can your friends truly trust you to hold the line if you never stood firm against other trials?

NPCs in an enclave will generally be warriors, although specialized experts for things such as siege warfare are common. There are very few ‘dead weights’ in the House, as a person is constantly tested and assigned to some role. Militaries need support personnel, so people will be slotted in somewhere.

PC classes include almost the whole range of options possible, although finding a Deneith druid is a stretch. Fighters will be the most common choice for a scion of Deneith, but battlefields have room for rangers and rogues as well. Clerics and adepts will venerate Dol Arrah and Dol Dorn (and in some cases, the Mockery). Because soldiers face a dangerous life, holy men and women are in great demand. Monks are less common on the battlefield, but they make remarkably good bodyguards. Expect to see many in the Defenders Guild.

It comes as a surprise to some but House Deneith does not discriminate against the magic arts; as they see it a fireball is as much a part of war as a cavalry charge. However, skill in the mystic arts is no more prevalent in the House of Sentinel than it is in the general population. Those who do develop such abilities have much expected of them. Combat focused sorcerers, warmages, and evokers are the most common classes seen, with artificers or other wizards generally preferring a supporting role rather than tromping through the mud with the troops. All spell casters are quite well received in the Defenders Guild, where they excel at protecting with spells as opposed to swords.

A real surprise, bards are fairly common for such a regimented House. Less a foppish dandy, Deneith bards are more a regimental drum sergeant who provides stirring stories and songs to focus the spirit. Soldiers love tales of grim adventure and magnificent triumph, and a good bard can maintain a unit’s morale through the most trying of circumstances. And one bard using inspire courage can affect all his allies within earshot; a far more economic way to boost a platoon’s effectiveness than providing everyone with +1 weapons.

Business Operations:

The House of Sentinel acts as patron for four different military or paramilitary organizations: the Blademarks, the Defenders Guild, the Sentinel Marshals, and the Throne Wardens.

House Denieth itself is careful to maintain separation from all its organizations. The House offers to train, equip, and provide assistance to groups between assignments, but once on duty the unit becomes the concern of the Guild in question. This protects the House from any action that might occur on the job.

Blademarks:

The Blademarks have the greatest concentration of non-national military might on the continent. This association is a clearinghouse for mercenary groups and serves as an organization to bring together those who wish to hire warriors and those who wish to fight.

The Guild itself acts as the central planner for the units under its authorization. A client approaches the Blademarks with a request and the officials of the Guild decide which available mercenary unit best fits the client’s needs. A unit has the right to decline a job assigned to it by the Blademarks, but the organization does not look favourably on teams that are not willing to follow orders. Reject too many assignments and your team may languish for years waiting to be assigned another client. As costs for maintaining the unit still accrue over this period, units that suffer this fate usually disband within a matter of months.

What separates this Guild from the other operations House Deneith runs is that in hiring a Blademark team, you are hiring an army. There are certain expectations with a Blademark unit, and one of the key things is that they are an offensive force. Some Blademarks don’t mind garrison duty (most consider it a cushy gig as a nice change of pace), but deep down people are in the Guild because they expect to go into battle. They have the training, the skills, and the mindset of soldiers. Treating them as glorified security guards is one of the fastest ways to antagonize your well-armed employees.

The Blademarks consist of dozens (maybe hundreds) of independent mercenary teams. At any particular moment most are on duty with clients, but that still leaves sizable forces undergoing refitting or training at Deneith facilities, on rest and relaxation, or in transit to and from their current position. Any Blademark unit not actively on contract is considered under the command of the General of the Blademarks, a position almost always filled by a senior House Deneith heir. That means that at any given time House Deneith commands a remarkable amount of military might scattered throughout Khorvaire, sometimes very close to key fortifications or cities. So far the General has not allowed a client to hire a unit already inside the nation the client wants to attack, but don’t think that the royalty of the Five Nations hasn’t worried about that happening one day.

The size for an individual unit in the Blademarks can range anywhere from squad (5-10 soldiers) to full regiments (hundreds of warriors with support). A particular Blademark unit will probably focus on a specific battlefield role: such as heavy infantry, longbow phalanxes, skirmishers, reconnaissance, or siege warfare. Some units will focus on very specialized roles like air cavalry (griffin or hippogriff mounts generally), infiltration (rogues and/or changelings), psychological warfare (bards), naval assault (marines), or behind the lines sabotage (rangers with survival and disable device). Generally the more specialized the force you’re looking for, the smaller the team. Because they are not a standing army, large mixed forces are relatively rare in the Blademarks; mercenaries that focus on one aspect of warfare tend to band together. The smaller special forces units more closely resemble a typical adventuring party.

Warriors and fighters by far make up most of the classes in the Blademarks. They typically focus on offensive orientated feats like power attack, weapon focus, and toughness. Other classes have their roles as well, and with the training received under Deneith commanders most Blademark units function like professionals. Mages are generally used in counter-spelling roles, with wands of dispel magic common equipment for spell-slingers. House Deneith training emphasizes that eliminating the enemy force with spells is a waste if your side is equally as decimated by opponent spell casters.

Being the violent race that it is, humans make up the majority of the personnel in units of the Blademarks. However, most other common races are well represented in some form.

Dwarven heavy infantry units are well respected for being the anvil against which many an enemy has been broken. Their detachments of siege engineers have also made a name for themselves. Dwarven saboteurs are especially respected for the havoc they can unleash behind enemy lines.

Most elves that join the Blademarks will be Valenar out looking for glory. Since the end of the Last War, individuals and warbands have joined the Blademarks, eager to earn the respect of their patron spirits. No one really trusts a Valenar warband further than they have to, but the fact they provide some of the best cavalry in the Five Nations means that clients are willing to take the risk of betrayal in exchange for some truly elite riders.

In an odd counterpoint to the Valenar, what few halfling units that exist in the Blademarks usually comprise dinosaur cavalry. Teams of clawfeet, glidewings, and their riders might not have the same skills as a warband, but they make a mighty strong impression on anybody they charge.

Gnomes don’t have a racial history with the kind of warfare that people usually look for when hiring mercenaries, so while individual gnomes may find employment units of gnomish skirmishers or saboteurs are rare.

Half-orcs are welcomed for the strength and determination they bring to any unit. There are teams of half-orc shock troopers, and few relish being on the receiving end of their assaults.

Half-elves are similar to gnomes in that their racial history doesn’t include large scale warfare. Individuals can be found filling the ranks in other units however.

Shifters make excellent scouts and skirmishers. Soldier is one area that a shifter can excel at and be accepted by mainstream society, so light infantry units include shifters looking for some kind of acceptance.

Most changelings prefer easier lives than that experienced by a soldier, but who knows how many masquerade as somebody else? Kalashtar have their own war to fight and thus don’t generally fit in the Blademarks. While they were created to be the perfect soldier, there is a definite prejudice against warforged in House Deneith that keeps most warforged out of the Guild.

Despite the shame felt by the House over the betrayal of Darguun, hobgoblins and bugbears still make up a remarkable number of units in the Blademarks. With their strong discipline, immersion in military culture from birth, and willingness to submerge themselves into the collective good it makes them excellent soldiers. Much like the Valenar, no one trusts them… but they are too valuable a resource for Deneith to ignore.

While most of the rank-and-file soldiers of a Blademark unit will be made up of non-House people, officers are often of Deneith blood; it being much more time consuming to train good officers than soldiers. This gives the heirs of the House much experience and the opportunity to prove themselves to the people they lead as well as to their own House.

Along with the independent units, Deneith maintains a small number of elite teams made up almost entirely of in-House troops. These are generally special units that are exceptionally well trained, fantastically equipped, and operate with heavy magic support. The House generally directs them to clients looking for short, dangerous missions as opposed to long standing contracts.

Because House Deneith offers mercenaries to whoever is willing to pay, more than once during the Last War the situation arose that Blademark faced Blademark. In more than a few of those cases it was actually Deneith against Deneith. What happens in these events depends on many factors, including the situation and the personality of the units’ leaders.

* In a few cases, commanders of competing Blademark units agreed to cancel each other out. If side A had 100 Blademarks and side B had 140, then both Blademark commanders would withdraw 100 troops, leaving side B with 40 troops. While not exactly frowned upon by others in the Guild, units that do this usually take a whole lot of ribbing from their fellow mercs.
* If there is enough time to organize it, the two units may compete in some kind of team sports. The larger force gains a numbers advantage based on how many extra troops they have, but a few games of (insert Eberron’s version of soccer) settle the question of who would have won if blades had been crossed.
* Needing less time to organize than a game of pick-up, a contest of champions can usually be arranged on the spur-of-the-moment. Both sides send out one combatant per fifty soldiers, and the champions fight for supremacy. The winner takes the field while the losing side withdraws.
* If forced into conflict, the two sides might try non-lethal means of fighting other Blademarks. Trip, disarm, sunder, or non-lethal attacks are all possible if fighting one of your Guild.
* But, a thing to remember is that when all is said and done, Blademarks and Deneith personnel are warriors and have accepted the life of a soldier. The job may require you to strike down your own father… then so be it. If you are not prepared to kill your own flesh and blood in honourable combat if they stand against you… then you should not be a soldier. Many great and tragic operas have been written about two Deneith heirs, betrothed since childhood, forced by fate to die on each others’ swords.


Blademark units are typically found in hot spots around the continent.

In Aundair, they are primarily along the nation’s border with the Eldeen Reaches. The nobles on that border keenly feel the loss of the Reaches, and their queen subtly encourages them to keep the traitorous nation from relaxing too much.

Thrane has a few units in the north near the rebellious city of Thaliost, as well as some near the south by Breyland. A theocracy with bare coffers would seem to be a bad choice for mercs, but the ease of finding healing magic in the nation makes up for the low pay. Mercs know they lead dangerous lives, and appreciate having so many clerics nearby.

Karrnath relied more on its strong military history and undead legions during the Last War, and so don’t employ as many mercenaries as one would expect. (Their frequent famines make supporting foreign troops difficult.) Still, many local lords are ever eager to increase their personal forces, so many low-intensity conflicts happen throughout the realm.

Breyland hires Blademark battalions to watch the borders with Droaam and Darguun, as well as conduct punitive raids against the monster nations. Breyland is huge, and in many cases mercenaries are better able to respond to problems in far off locations than the royal army.

Q’bara has long needed strong forces to help them carve a place from the jungle. Along with that jungle nation, Stormreach makes extensive use of Blademark units to guard its walls and keep the unknowns of Xen’drik from killing the settlers in their sleep.

It should be noted that while the Blademarks are the largest collection and most professional collection of mercenaries on Khorvaire, there are many other bands out there that don’t sign on under House Deneith’s banner. They are relatively cheap to hire, but don’t come with Blademark training or dependability. If you hire mercs on the cheap, you may find yourself paying in other ways.

Defenders Guild:

The Defenders Guild has a higher percentage of House Deneith heirs working in it than the other organizations. Unlike mercenaries, Defender guards are primarily defensive personnel; they protect rather than attack. This gives the Guild a much better relationship with the public than the mercenary arm of House Deneith.

While the Blademarks are soldiers, Defender Guild members can be thought of as paramilitary security and bodyguards. They are assigned to protect a location or a person and they strive to prevent any harm from coming to their charge. Often working alone or in small numbers, the average Defender has a wider training than the average Blademark. The Blademark might be better in terms of pure martial skill, but the Defender is probably an easier person to hang around with.

At the lowest level, Defenders are assigned as security guards. They guard warehouses, jails, patrol the walls of estates or enclaves. Cities and nations will use their own justice and military forces to protect their wellbeing, so Defender Guild personnel are generally hired by private interests. This means that many Dragonmark establishments or noble estates will have Deneith personnel guarding it. Because this gives the House access to a remarkable amount of sensitive information (read: blackmail material), the Defenders Guild is notorious for protecting the secrets of its clients. What happens on assignment should stay on assignment.

As you progress in the Guild you are likely to be given shorter term but more dangerous assignments: like protecting a shipment of platinum from the mines to the goldsmith, or watching over an Orien caravan as it travels from Korth to Gatheringhold. A common job for Defenders of this level is being hired by people or groups traveling outside cities. An extra sword and someone trained in its use is always a welcome addition against the increase in crime and banditry.

Being the Defender assigned to a particular individual is reserved for the highest level of Guild ability. Putting your life between an assassin and the count’s daughter takes more skill than watching a warehouse and their abilities reflects this. Many personal Defenders will have PC classes and will focus on feats that allow them to act. Improved initiative is almost a requirement (as nothing is more embarrassing than watching your client get sneak attacked to death before your first turn rolls around), along with iron will, quick draw, alertness, toughness, and combat expertise.

A number of Defenders are either monks or specialize in daggers and grappling. Holding an assailant down and stabbing him with a dagger is better for keeping your client alive than wild swings of your greatsword (since the assassin might just ignore you and tumble into position to attack his target).

Quite a number of Dragonmarked Deneith heirs choose the Defenders Guild, and the abilities of their Mark make them quite formidable protectors. Many will attempt to purchase Rings of Shared Suffering (ECS p. 263), as this greatly improves their chances of protecting their client.

All of the common races are well represented in the Defenders Guild with the exception of kalashtar: they look after their own and expect others to do as well. With no need to sleep, warforged have found a place in this Guild despite Deneith prejudice.

There are some small security guilds working in competition to the Defenders Guild, and many nobles and all Dragonmark Houses do maintain some in-House security forces for peace of mind. Still, the Defenders Guild is seen as the most skilled force available and generally loyal to their clients above all else.

[MallSecurity]

House Denieth Part 2

Sentinel Marshals:

Carrying a charter that extends back to old Galifar, the Sentinel Marshals originally functioned alongside the knights of the realm. As Galifar was a feudal kingdom some criminals could escape justice by fleeing from one noble’s lands to another; the powers of a noble (theoretically) ending at the border of their fief. In the years before the Finders Guild, House Deneith saw a niche to fill and approached the King of Galifar with a plan. The Sentinel Marshals were born as officers of justice empowered to follow criminals from one noble’s jurisdiction to another.

Their primary ability is having nearly unfettered access to anywhere the Code of Galifar is recognized. This gives them the capability to chase down those with bounties on their heads no matter where the miscreant may attempt to hide. Right now they are the only unified force for law that is recognized throughout the Five Nations and possess the right to pursue across national borders. The Marshals are also trained in combat and are well versed in dealing with those who might resist arrest.

Although they are law officers, a typical Sentinel Marshal is less a detective and more a SWAT team member. Most have only rudimentarily skills in investigative work, leaving it to the local authorities to gather evidence of crimes and issue warrants. Nothing prevents a Sentinel Marshal from conducting their own investigation however, and some actually enjoy partaking of this aspect of criminal apprehension as well.

A Sentinel Marshal is not a judge, and unless a death warrant has already been issued the criminal should be brought back to answer to legitimate authority. Their charter does give a Marshal the right to use deadly force in the apprehension of those under suspicion, but most Marshals do believe in giving all a fair day in court.

While the Marshals are a subset of House Deneith they generally do not act under House direction at all. They promote a high level of competence and ethics, and as such attract a certain kind of people who are less interested in money or war, but with a burning desire to see justice done. A certain breed of person is attracted to service as a Marshal, and such people see themselves as a step removed from those who lack the convictions they do. A Sentinel Marshal’s life may be a rewarding one, but it is often a lonely one as well.

The Marshals are funded through the bounties they collect, and by payments given from the nobility for clearing out undesirables. As well they often receive gifts from a grateful populace, glad to see criminals brought down.

The nature of bounties and those who flee justice means that Sentinel Marshals are usually involved in hunting down criminals of sensational and violent crimes. A greedy noble or a contract-breaker might not be worthy of a busy Marshal’s attention, such crimes being seen as petty, civil matters.

Fighter types make up most of the Sentinel Marshals, with fighters, rangers, monks, and militant clerics and paladins of the Sovereign Host being well represented. Some reformed rogues make good names for themselves in the Marshals. Bards, barbarians, and druids lack the same devotion to justice that drives a Marshal. Arcane spell casters are usually too internally focused to become a Sentinel Marshal.

However, criminals should be aware that such is the reputation of the Sentinel Marshals that a request for reasonable assistance will usually be approved by the local nobility. This means the Marshal may arrive to arrest you with a platoon of soldiers at her command, or a detachment of combat mages. Justice will not be denied.

Changelings make surprisingly good Sentinel Marshals, often able to get their targets without bloodshed. Shifters are not much for the theory of written word justice, and kalashtar are too involved to usually care about petty laws. The other common races all have members in the Marshals, although orc and hobgoblins are just about unknown. Gnomes make especially determined Marshals because they want to know the reason why the criminal did the crime, and as such won’t stop pursuing their target until one of them is dead.

Throne Wardens:

House Deneith is also responsible for the Throne Wardens, protectors of the island of Thronehold, ancient capital of Galifar.

At the start of the Last War, the Royal Guard defended the island from multiple attacks by the pretenders to the throne. For many years they kept this tactically and symbolically important location out of the hands of the squabbling Five Nations. Since the island does not possess good farmland however, they had to import foodstuffs. The royal treasury was rapidly drained to pay for these supplies, and without taxes from the Five Nations there was nothing to replace what was spent. Soon the Royal Guard found itself destitute, as well as demoralized.

Under suggestion from the Twelve, the Five Nations reluctantly agreed to allow House Denieth to take control of the island rather than allow any one of the squabbling siblings to gain the island. Deneith reinforced the beleaguered Royal Guards with men and equipment, renaming them Throne Wardens; a bitter acknowledgment that there was no more royalty to guard. The remaining Royal Guards lived out their lives holding the vacant throne for when the bloodshed stopped.

As the years past, the Throne Wardens became more than just guards of the castle, but also the police of the whole island. A city of growing crime, intrigue, and subterfuge, Throneport itself has transformed from the political centre of an empire to an important neutral crossroads in the dirty game of espionage played by all sides.

The Throne Wardens have changed as well; in essence they have become a unit that elderly Deneith personnel retire to. A large number of troops assigned to fill Throne Warden ranks are weary of war or too seriously injured to return to the battlefield. The duty is seen as still fulfilling an important role, but lacks the constant threat of danger that other House Deneith assignments entail.

While this tendency means that your average Throne Warden does not possess as strong a back or sword arm as other House Deneith personnel, it does mean that they are much better trained, battle hardened, and far wilier than you might expect. Very few tricks will work on a Throne Warden: they’ve been around and have seen much. This makes them the perfect match for the criminal elements that infest the city they guard.

While the Treaty of Thronehold permitted Aundair, Thrane, Karrnath, and Breyland to establish small peacekeeping forces in Throneport, even the criminals of the city think these peacekeepers are corrupt, argumentative, and useless.

The old imperial castle itself is still tightly guarded by an elite detachment of the Throne Wardens. They haven’t forgotten their duty. While limited parts of the castle are open to the public (like a museum to the greatness of Galifar’s past), there are whole wings that are out-of-bounds. The Throne Wardens are fanatical in protecting the royal crown, sceptre, and regalia of Galifar, but make it clear that after a century without taxes, the royal treasury is bare.

Some people don’t believe them. Funny that.

Humans make up the majority of the Throne Wardens.

Personality:

A blood member of House Deneith believes in something. It doesn’t matter what, but the heir has an unshakable faith in one idea, group, or person. It may be the House, it may be the importance of the work, a religious belief, or a concept. It (rarely) may even be a client. But the heir holds on to this belief with fanatical determination.

In a House that may sell your sword to Thrane one day, and then sell the same sword against Thrane the next, holding on to this conviction zealously is what keeps a human sane. When you are expected and required to lay down your life for someone you need something you can call your own. It doesn’t matter if it’s good, it doesn’t matter if it’s evil; find something and hold on to it with all your soul.

The House of Sentinel has a military hierarchy in it, even amongst family members. People know where they fit into the House structure and should defer to those with higher rank. Even children feel the need to organize and rank themselves.

It is not to say that House Deneith is stagnant or loveless. Advancement through the House ranks is encouraged, expected even. Many tests, both formal and informal, are the staple of House Deneith life.

Soldiers form close bonds with other soldiers, and many unbreakable friendships in the House form during battlefield encounters. While some wags state, “in House Deneith, you’re closer (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) to your buddy than your wife,” that’s not always true. If your wife happened to share the battlefront with you that creates a bond that is both war buddy and mate.

Sports and contests are an important part of the House psyche, as it teaches teamwork and a desire for victory. Still, you are expected to evaluate challenges before accepting them. A battle does not offer second chances, so learning how to read situations is an important skill to develop.

The House of Sentinel maintains a definite lawful outlook. Chaotic people definitely feel out of place and most don’t last long in such an organization. There is strong pressure to conform throughout an heir’s life, and only a few can ever resist the pressure to submerge themselves into part of something greater.

As a Guild, the Blademarks are neutral in alignment. The membership that makes up the Blademarks is so varied that whole ranges of conflicting alignments can be found. The higher up in the structure you go, the more lawful the outlook. Officers are generally lawful, but the troops they command reflect just how divergent the people of Khorvaire can be.

The Defenders Guild is lawful as well. They must willingly accept the idea that their lives are to be placed in danger. That kind of attitude requires a firm belief in the structure and rightness of their universe.

Being an organization that upholds justice and rules, the Sentinel Marshals exist firmly on the lawful scale of ethics. Justice is not a personal concept, but something that must be complete and all-reaching in order for it to be applied honourably.

Throne Wardens are lawful as an organization, but many tend toward neutrality. Having lived long lives and having seen much, many Wardens are more willing to do whatever is needed to get things done. They no longer burn with the passions of youth, but instead have a kind of subtle pragmatism that makes them more concerned with results than procedures.

Allies:

House Medani:

The Defenders Guild and Medani’s Warning Guild are often hired together to protect clients. A Warning agent is responsible for protecting the client against unseen threats, while the Defender is expected to raise his sword in defence of the client’s life. It can be thought of as Medani being the first line of defence, and Deneith the last line.

As Defenders prefer straight-up fights it is often the Warning agent who does the undercover work to ferret out the assassin in the baronesses’ staff while the Defender takes his sword to the danger. The two Guilds compliment each other wonderfully, but have a friendly/competitive/antagonistic relationship. Defenders typically refer to Medani agents as, “that sneaky, paranoid wuss,” often to their faces. In return, Medani personnel hold their arms like gorillas while calling Deneith troops, “my loud and crude friends.”

House Kundarak:

While they would seem to be in competition with each other, with most of the Warding Guild being employed exclusively by the Banking Guild there is little direct competition between the dwarves and the House of Sentinel. In fact, the Warding Guild uses Defender personnel when there is need for extra temporary security. In return, House Deneith can rely on the professionalism of House Kundarak to hold up their end of things. The two groups also tend to talk shop a lot.

House Orien:

The Defenders Guild has a long term contract to supply Orien Transport Guild caravans with protection. This means the two Guilds must collaborate on many assignments.

The freewheeling and flighty personality that Orien heirs display grates harshly on the stolid Deneith psyche. While they must work together as professionals, friendships generally don’t last.

House Jorasco:

Being a House of war, Deneith is in definite need of people who can patch up their troops. Jorasco has long standing contracts with House Deneith to provide them combat medics. This means that a Blademark unit in good standing has fairly good medical support available.

While on opposite sides of their respective business plans (one hurts, the other heals), the two Houses send enough work each others’ way that in some cases they can almost be thought of a two parts of a greater whole.

The Five Nations’ Militaries:

Being professional soldiers, House Deneith has a lot of contact with other professional militaries. While the other side in a conflict probably doesn’t care for you while you’re fighting, they do respect you as a professional.

Clients:

The guy who protects your daughter from kidnappers is someone you feel at least something for. And the gal who took the sword strike meant for your neck definitely gains some of your respect.

Darguun:

The betrayal of the hobgoblins has been an embarrassing legacy for House Deneith. However much the whole event stings, (“Hey Deneith! Anybody betray you lately?”) the need for skilled mercenaries means that the hobgoblin nation and the House of Sentinel will maintain their relationship. There are a number of training centres in Darguun, and these have survived the birth of the nation. The fact that many soldiers in the Five Nations are tired of war means that goblinoid levies will remain an important part of House Deneith’s order of battle for some time.

Rivals:

Commoners:

While the Defenders Guild and the Sentinel Marshals hold excellent reputations with the public, House Deneith as a whole and the Blademarks specifically are seen as warmongers. With the high levels of nationalism in the Five Nations, those who fight for money as opposed to victory will tend to be scorned.

House Cannith:

The House of Sentinel has a voracious appetite for the tools of war. Because of this the two Houses have long had a working relationship, Deneith eager to buy and Cannith eager to sell.

However, the development of warfoged shattered that relationship. Suddenly Cannith was a major competitor in the soldier-for-hire business, and investing in a warforged regiment seemed a good long term investment. They were tough, skilled, and less likely to carve a nation out of your flank (I’m talking to you, Darguun!).

With the Treaty of Thronehold and the dismantling of the Creation Forges, House Cannith appears to have expected business to continue as normal. However, House Deneith has decided not to rely on the House of Making anymore. They have made efforts to expand their in-House arms production facilities, and while still in its infancy, their long-term goal is to remove their reliance on the Fabricators Guild.

Houses of Shadow:

The two elven Shadow Houses are involved in sneaking into locations and (on occasion) assassinating important people. Such people usually hire Defender Guild security, and it looks bad for the Guild if too many clients are bumped off.

Still, the mindset of most Defender Guild personnel simply can not believe that clowns, playwrights, and actors could be killing machines. Most Defenders laugh at the very idea, no matter how many times they are told otherwise, until they are actually forced to confront a Shadow elf on a killing assignment.

The Shadow Houses like this ignorance, and most basically ignore the Defenders Guild because the Warning Guild is the group more likely to mess up their plans.

House Tharashk:

With the rise of a semi-unified Doraam, House Tharashk has been acting as a clearing house for monstrous mercenaries. This is in direct competition to House Deneith’s monopoly. Worse, the monstrous creatures are recognized for their inherent intimidation value, so they are gaining market share. The orcs and half-orcs of House Tharashk have an easier time dealing with monsters than the humans of House Deneith, so the Blademarks have been unsuccessful in signing up monsters.

Also, the bounty hunters of the Finders Guild hunt the same bounties that the Sentinel Marshals are after. Lucrative bounty or bringing a miscreant to justice; who gets there first determines which world view wins. While the end results are the same, their methods are different and the two sides enjoy sticking it to each other.

House Vadalis:

Not so much an actual competitor as an annoyance, the House of Handling sells a steady number of animals, magebred animals, and magical beasts trained to protect. Some people swear by Vadalis guardians, but most prefer to have sentient guards as well.

The House of Sentinel purchases quite a number of animals from the Handlers Guild, as nothing conveniently on the market beats a good magebred heavy charger. And griffin air cavalry needs griffons from somewhere.

However, because House Vadalis enclaves generally have a number of guardian animals wandering around (it is their home), there is little need for Defender security. This leaves the cash flow between the two firmly in Vadalis’ favour.

[MallSecurity]

House Ghallanda

“I was forged for war. I do not eat, drink or dream. Your House can offer me nothing.”

“Yet you still are here, my good… er…sir. Is it because you hunger for companions and friendship? Do you thirst for discovery about the world around you? Can you dream of tomorrow and what the new dawn may bring? If any of these are true, my House can offer you much.”


Overview:

Three thousand two hundred years ago, halflings of the Talenta Plains were among the first people known to develop a true Dragonmark, the Mark of Hospitality.

Divinations and spirit quests did not reveal why this ability appeared, or where it came from. Thoughtful but superstitious, the halfling tribes pondered eliminating the bearers of this unknown power, and indeed may have done do except for the bravery of the Marked halflings themselves.

In fear for their lives, these halflings did not retreat, did not flee. Instead they faced their fears and the dangers of blade and dinosaur claw to go among the tribes, spreading their gifts. They showed the unmarked that the Mark was not a thing to fear, or a danger to be hunted. Instead it offered a boon that the Marked were willing to share. All could benefit, all could prosper.

In doing so, they got close to their rivals and learned much. Ghallanda discovered how their persecutors acted, and what they feared. Those Marked with Hospitality offered the hand of benevolence, but stood ready to wield a dagger if necessary.

But so convincing and generous were the Marked, so impressive were their gifts that this need never arose.

Remember that when you look upon an innkeeper today. His ancestor had the bravery to walk among those who wanted her dead, and convert them to allies. The House may be built of Hospitality, but the foundation of that friendship is courage enough to leave the strongest quivering.

The Hostelers Guild is one of the largest in the whole of Khorvaire. In nearly every city, town, village and thorp you can find someone who proudly displays a Guild crest. As expected for such a widespread Guild there are huge numbers of non-Ghallanda halflings and non-halflings as members. So much so, that the Hostelers Guild has the greatest ratio of non-blood to blood members of any of the House run guilds. Thus the Guild acts more as a business than a family.

That does not mean the halflings who bear the Mark of Hospitality have in any way lost control over their Guild. The requirement that Guild leaders know much about different lands and cultures ensures that only those willing to travel far and spend years in other locations will ever manage to rise high in the Guild. With the halflings of the House still embracing their nomadic heritage, the idea of spending years in far off places excites them, and gets their wanderlust charged up.

A person from Karnnath shudders at the though of spending a decade in Thrane, just to learn what the selfish, uptight, pretentious people there eat. And if they do manage to go, after a decade the lands become almost like home, the people… perhaps even friends. You left your home once, could you bear to do it again?

A Ghallanda halfling looks to new lands as an adventure, a chance to see new peoples and learn innovative things. Yet the horizon always calls, the sky always open and bright. Five years here, a decade there… there is always more to be seen, and a home is only a place to rest your feet for awhile, a place to entertain guests.

Ghallanda also maintains its links to the past. Halflings of the House are expected to make regular pilgrimages back to the Talenta Plains and submerge themselves in the rich history that is a halfling’s birthright. Many battle-hardened soldiers from the Last War were stuck dumb when, as they crossed the Plains on some tiring march, they caught sight of a serving girl from a tavern back home in the middle of a dinosaur stampede. If that wasn’t shocking enough, the fact she was riding a beast of claw and fang while screaming out a war cries was enough to give some veterans nightmares.

Business Operations:

Service is what the Hostelers Guild is all about. They offer domestic services both for the traveller and permanent resident. The Mark of Hospitality allows one halfling to do many tasks more quickly, or with less fuss than other people. This edge along with a strong work ethic and willingness to become part of any community they move into has allowed Ghallanda to reach the prosperity it has.

For the traveller the House runs a number of fine inns, taverns, pubs, and restaurants throughout the civilized lands. When you go to a Ghallanda establishment, you can expect clean accommodations, good food, and a staff that knows its business.

There is a price for such service, and a Hostelers’ inn is not the cheapest. Along with providing their own, for a fee the Hostelers Guild will evaluate other establishments. A passing grade gives the business the right to charge higher prices, although it still will tend to be cheaper than a Guild affiliated place.

For those on a tighter budget -or just seeking privacy- there are places that do not have Guild eyes about. Some don’t like control over their establishment residing in the hands of others, some simply don’t care for such things, and some couldn’t pass the inspection anyway. In any case, travellers can find accommodation away from Ghallanda eyes.

A Ghallanda inn will tend have a large open space next to the main building. During the day this provides dinosaur mounts safe places to roam, but at night it is used as space for the casting of secure shelters from those with a lesser Mark.

In urban centres, the House buys up abandoned manor grounds from dead or destitute noble lines. It then refurbishes them and offers them as a home-away-from-home for visiting nobles or dignitaries. Offering more customization and protection than a standard room at the inn, such estates are quite popular with the rich and well travelled.

The Guild also runs some of the most luxurious bath houses in Khorvarie. These establishments are as much centres to gather and converse as they are places to cleanse the body. Staffed with masseuses, personal trainers, and servants of the utmost skill, these places offer the whole gambit of services needed to bring relaxation to their customers. Large communal pools (most divided by gender, some not) cater to the common folk, while important people can book private accommodations to keep from mixing with the great unwashed. Fire elementals bound in Khyber Dragonshards provide the energy needed to heat the most luxurious of the bath houses, a convenience unaffordable by those without House backing.

If not involved with such ventures, Guild members could also be butlers, castellans, master of the hunt, chefs, caterers, gardeners, or entertainers. Many domestic services for the wealthy have a Ghallanda person in the chain somewhere. While skilled and sought after, a halfling will probably not work at one place their whole lives, the nomadic spirit calling for them to move on after a few years or so. Some nobles go to great lengths to keep a particular favourite chef around.

While taking care of all these activities, Ghallanda also keeps an eye on their community. A member of the Hostelers Guild is expected to be in touch with the people around them. The House believes making yourself useful to people is the first step to success, but knowing what’s going to happen is the key to survival.

And the eyes and ears of Ghallanda are busy. While they do not have a wide-ranging information network such as Phalarin does, very little happens at the local level that a Ghallanda innkeeper doesn’t know about. Love affairs, flings, dreams, regrets, vices… all gossip, it seems, flies toward the ears of a Ghallanda halfling. Most use this grapevine network to smooth things over in the community, but a Ghallanda with malice in their heart can terrorize a community with but a few words in the wrong ears.

Being part of the community means that House Ghallanda knows about local elements, including local crime. The House is not too concerned about local thieves, after all, what is taken from a Guild store is often spent in a Guild tavern. Indeed, with their connections to the community and natural ease at stealth, Ghallanda often knows more about the operations of local thieves than do the rogues themselves.

Still, the Guild is a business and can not accept unreasonable activities against them. The House keeps a small force of halfling monks mounted on clawfoot mounts as an honour guard. Few realize these are killers and have been used on occasion to remove dangerous individuals.

But most of the time the House prefers not to get its hands dirty. Their connection with the community means that a few words in the right ear can get much done. Adventurers are often hired by proxy to subtly deal with problems. (Or else whatever is as close to subtle as adventurers can manage.)

Providing for many personal needs of the community, Ghallanda also is involved in running escort agencies and brothels throughout the civilized lands. Generally the Guild keeps these activities quiet, maintaining a low profile for these ventures. While the halflings are less uptight than many other peoples, they do seek to maintain a sense of propriety and decorum for their community. Especially since some people and various clergy members frown upon such activity.

Although… for some reason you’ll find the greatest concentration of such establishments in Thrane.


Personality:

Members of the Hostelers Guild are generally personable, friendly people. They are in the business of service and as such are usually gregarious. Yet, they can quickly fade into the background and become unnoticeable, forgotten.

The Hostelers Guild provides services on a routine, continuous basis. They promote a sense of belonging, of community values. But many of the people that make up the Guild are freewheeling and vigorously invite change. This mix makes the Guild slightly lawful. House Ghallanda is more neutral, with members drifting from times of solid, dependable work to periods where they must embrace their whims.

Ghallanda halflings are cosmopolitan and rural at the same time. They proudly display their wooden hunting masks and their clawfoot mount sleeping out back, all the while wearing the newest fashions from Fairhaven. They may discuss the intricate politics of the Breyland court while out killing wild boar.

Because the halflings are expected to spend some time back on the Plains, a remarkable number of otherwise normal NPCs possess rather martial classes. A fat innkeeper may mostly be commoner or expert, but also have a hidden level of warrior or rogue to show for his other life riding amongst the clawfoot herds. Don’t underestimate the butler who takes your cloak at the door, he just might shock you.

Allies:

Commoners:

Serving society as the Hostelers Guild does allow its members to form strong bonds with the locals. The Guild can usually count on a sizable amount of public support for their actions.

Clergy of Boldrei:

The gospel of Boldrei is to serve the community. One person may know loneliness and fear, but together a group can bring joy and comfort to all its members. Seeing to the spiritual needs of the masses, Boldrei’s clerics appreciate the work of Hostelers Guild who provide for the masses’ physical needs. Being very local minded organizations, these two groups get along well.

Clergy of Olladra:

As the goddess of the feast and the hunt, Ollandra promotes good sport and good food. There is much about this world view that sings to the halfling soul. Working hard and playing hard are two concepts the Hostelers Guild can get behind.

House Vadalis:

The most proficient handlers of animals anywhere, House Vadalis is a trusted ally, both to supply the meat needed by Ghallanda’s restaurants and to provide for a travelling customer’s weary mount.

Since most Ghallanda halflings also ride dinosaurs when they go back to the Plains, they are at ease with animals and their handlers. The personal connections that are forged between members of these two Houses ensure that this business relationship is not to be easily sundered.

House Medani:

With many Hostelers Guild members working as domestic servants in noble estates, the Warning Guild is often checking up on staff. The Hosterlers Guild makes the job of House Medani much easier by giving them a one-stop location to check up on people. The two Houses work surprisingly well together, since both strive for the betterment of their employers, although in different ways.

Rivals:

Crime Guilds:

Being so involved in the community, Ghallanda enterprises can not escape the reach of organized crime syndicates. As rich targets the wealth they bring in is greatly sought after by lowlifes and outcasts. While Ghallanda attempts to have someone working on the inside in local guilds, many businesses must still deal with the face of crime on a daily basis.

The Order of the Emerald Claw:

Karnnath supremacists, the Order sees any foreign influence in their beloved nation as foul blasphemy. Those that bring in outside things -even something as simple as using Zilargo sauce on Karrnath beef- are criminals seeking to poison holy Karnnath.

Death to all traitors.

The Lord of Blades:

Charismatic, powerful, unpredictable, and not requiring the services of the House, the Lord of Blades is one of the greatest physical threats Ghallanda must consider. Few mortals would be foolish enough to pillage a Ghallanda enclave, but the warforged of the Mournlands need not worry about services being withdrawn. In fact, one of the most effective tools in the arsenal of marauding warforged is to destroy any Ghallanda facilities they come across. Nothing demoralizes the meatbags so much as finding their precious Hospitality enclave in smoking ruins.

[MallSecurity]

House Cannith

"See the craftsmanship of this blade; note the strength of its lines and the perfection of its balance. The edge has been carefully honed to a fine point, and the metal forged to hold it against armour and hide.

"By buying this you will not just be getting the best sword you will ever see, you are purchasing the knowledge and skill of House Cannith's finest. For centuries we have forged metal and cut stone. We work with the very bones of the planet itself. Buy Cannith steel and know that the weapon was forged with enough skill to outlast you."

"That's great and all, but your asking price is still highway robbery."

Overview:

The fire, the forge. The chisel, the trowel. Eberron's civilizations are built upon tools and those talented people who turn minerals and metals in wonders.

The blacksmith, the mason; people have long been amazed at their skills and something always set them apart. Their knowledge was carefully protected to keep their secrets from the rabble. Skills were often passed down from parent to child, making smithing a family affair even before Dragonmarks.

The Mark of Making appeared among a group of related Cyre smiths. They used the ability of their Mark to out-compete rivals and develop an economic power house. Many other skilled smiths married into the Cannith line in order to learn and take advantage of these secrets.

As time progressed other skill sets joined the House as well. The creation of magical items has always possessed similarities to forging tools, and an organization that held the secrets of shaping metal soon attracted those seeking mystical knowledge. The artificer, the alchemist, the sorceror, the wizard; knowledge, understanding, and power were the things sought.

With the passage of centuries, more knowledge and techniques came to rest within Cannith’s vaults. A combination of personal innovation and exploration for lost secrets (read: plundering missions) gave Cannith abilities that outmatched rival guilds. With in House magical abilities to support their creative ventures, the House of Making eclipsed or absorbed most other professions that focused on creation. Today, most non-House smiths will be small time operations.

This domination of their field has existed for centuries, and as a certain amount of stagnation has crept into the House psyche. They are certainly not as bad as the Aereni when it comes to stagnation, but on the whole Cannith heirs are not known for their creativity. Dreamers, poets, thinkers… while Cannith once supported such vitality, their total power and regimentation of practice over the years has slowly drained their pool of creativity. They have the talent to create new wonders, but many lack the vision to imagine such things.

This can be seen in the fact that most of the recent innovations created by the House came from outside interests. The lightning rail was a project initially conceived by House Orien, and it was they who approached Cannith for the technical skills to bring it about (with significant gnomish help). Lyrandar saw the possibilities and asked Cannith to consider binding elementals to ships, it was the vision of the half-elves that brought the airship to Khorvaire’s skies. King Jarot was the one who laid the seeds for the warforged, with his demand for sleepless, eternal soldiers to protect his realm. Cannith skill in all, but the driving vision came from without.

As a famous Phiarlan poet once said, “Cannith is where poetry goes to be mugged, assaulted, violated, murdered, desecrated, and dumped in an unmarked grave.”

This lack of creativity takes root in different ways among Cannith personnel. The most obvious is that many parents christen their children after family members. Merrix d’Cannith II is but the most famous example, but finding III, V, or VI after a Cannith name is not that uncommon.

Enclaves and facilities tend to also be named in an efficient manner. The town of Cannith 12 in Karrnath (5N page 97) is an example of this functional nature. If a House of Making facility has a colourful name, it was probably christened by someone outside the family. After all, “The Tower of Hammer’s Thunder,” is officially called, “Wroat Research Facility 3E.”

That is not to say that all of House Cannith are unthinking automatons (even if their rivals do suggest such a thing). Every generation there exists a number of Cannith heirs that hear the siren call of inspiration and innovation. Aaren d’Cannith, creator of the modern fully sentient warforged, was one. These people are often shut out by their more stolid kin, and most lead unhappy, unfulfilled lives. Still, they bring great advances to the House of Making… even if they are usually not appreciated and ostracized in life.

While Houses like Vadalis and Orien promote a very family orientated nature to business, for Cannith, the family is a business. You are expected to complete your assigned task, whether it be forging a breastplate, fulfilling a hated enemy’s request, or marrying the person you are told to. House Cannith is a well-functioning, powerful machine, and you have your role to play in keeping that machine working in excellent condition. You are more than a cog, but less than an individual: foremost, you are a member of House Cannith.

The House’s historical headquarters were in old Cyre. Because of the Day of Mourning, vast troves of House treasure, techniques, and secrets are lost. Along with those, the leadership of the House was killed as well, shattering the mighty House of Making. Currently there is a three-way split in control over the House’s resources, and many are using this lack of control to settle old scores. Some wags have mentioned that the only good the Day of Mourning ever did was to ignite a fire under the normally stolid House Cannith.

At the moment the three Barons run their own areas independently, making House-wide decisions through consensus and political horse-trading. Travel between the areas is not restricted, but people who have declared for the ‘wrong’ side are carefully watched, slighted, humiliated, or in extreme cases roughed up. Many have not yet chosen sides, and a significant shift in opinion could push members of this feuding family to take drastic actions.

Cannith West is the most politically active of the three and the one most pushing for reunification. Baron Jorlanna is very concerned with the loss of power of her family, and is seriously concerned that a House divided too long could fragment permanently. She is willing to use strong means to press her case and has hired outsiders to investigate the goings on of her rivals. She is using her position as a House matron to set up a succession of strategic marriages within the House to cement her influence. Her position is not as strong as she would like, and she might someday attempt to bring out reunification through force.

Cannith East is less obvious, but Baron Zorlan still would like to see the House made whole. Less direct, he is offering future House support to those willing to back his side. More openly ruthless than the cousins he’s rivalling, a number of troublesome people have ‘disappeared’ after they cross him. Such positions are then filled by younger, more naïve heirs that are personally loyal to him. The area he controls is spread wide with difficult areas to traverse, so his influence weakens the further you move from his enclave. Still, he controls Cannith access to the rich Mror Holds, and if pressed he could attempt to starve enclaves of materials until they submit.

Cannith South is controlled by Baron Merrix, and he is quite satisfied by the way things are now. He manages a large region, has many supporters, and the heat he was starting to feel from House elders over some of his actions vanished along with the rest of Cyre. He is less interested in the long-term future of the House, but prefers to spend his time on specialized projects. He has a distinct love of Xen’drik, and pays handsomely for fascinating objects from the continent of mystery.

All three factions are very interested in recovering items and knowledge from the House’s enclaves in Cyre, especially the headquarters in Eston. Of particular interest are the family’s genealogy records. Hundreds of years spent planning marriages for the best possible results are now in jeopardy. With so many of the family dead in the Mourning, how to repair shattered bloodlines is of great concern to family matrons. No House has ever lost so many heirs and so much information on the blood. There is a mounting tide of fear that a rise in aberrant Dragonmarks may be in Cannith’s future.

A Cannith enclave is generally seen as an austere, gloomy place. Thick, cold stone walls without windows so that nothing distracts the workers toiling away inside is the stereotype. The reality is that there is some truth in this assessment, and while impressive most Cannith enclaves are not exactly places of breathtaking beauty. Places that show an element of style or aesthetics probably had some influence from people who married into the family.

Expect to find many traps (mundane and magical) defending an enclave, as well as a whole range of constructs. Be warned, that while you might be able to easily outthink a construct guard, the last thing you want to do is roll that 1 on your hide check when the warforged titan is standing right there.

Humans of course make up most of the House and Guilds, but dwarves are overrepresented at all levels of Guild work. Half-elves and gnomes are fairly common in the Tinkers Guild, and half-orcs can find employment as labourers in the Fabricators Guild. The other common races can be found in the two Guilds, although in low amounts. Shifters don’t fit into the Cannith structure too well however, and most kalashtar are too insular to willingly submerge themselves into the Cannith juggernaut.

Warforged can have very different responses to the House that made them. Some are not sure of what to do with their newfound freedom and so pledge their loyalty to whomever will offer them guidance. Several House Cannith heirs have taken advantage of that fact and signed a number of warforged on for indentured servitude as bad as anything Thrane or Karrnath employs.

Many warforged see Cannith as their creator, and truly knowing your creator has left many feeling disappointed or lost. Others see the House as having sold them once, and not wanting the House to ever have that level of control over them ever again. The warforged have a complex relationship with those who created them, so be prepared for reactions to run the gambit of ‘human’ emotion.

Magewrights and experts make up most of the workforce that calls the House of Making home. Only high ranking individuals (or heirs assigned specifically to the task of breeding well) will take levels in aristocrat. High str, con, and int scores are common, while wis and chr tend to be the dump stats. Almost everyone has a skill focus feat in whatever job they do, with item-creation feats being common for spell-casters. Skills will emphasize craft or profession. Because they grow up surrounded by machines and magic, many Cannith people also have disable device, spellcraft, and various knowledge skills.

For a PC-minded Cannith heir, artificer is a common choice. Book learning wizards are common, and for a House of machines, sorcerers crop up fairly regularly. Clerics will venerate Onatar, god of the forge, but The Traveler receives a quiet but significant adoration as patron of innovation and creativity. Military minded Cannith people will tend to be fighters, and enjoy maxing out their AC with heavy armour and shields. Some of the Tinkers Guild have a few levels of rogue to help them met their needs. Barbarians, druids, and rangers are almost unknown among a House that focuses on devices, and the phrase, “as rare as a Cannith bard,” pretty much sums up that class.

Business Operations:

You can tick of vast numbers of Cannith personnel and still expect to do business with the House; after all, vendettas are personal, but business is business. It also means that your most bitter rival, known for horrible acts of unspeakable cruelty can get whatever equipment he needs from Cannith if he has the gold. The House of Making is in it for business. Mortality and ethics are not a something a business should concern itself with.

It is not wise to upset the House overall though. As an organization it can bring a staggering amount of power and influence down on whomever it chooses.

The House manages two Guilds: the Tinkers Guild and the Fabricators Guild. Both have numerous establishments that do not have a single drop of Cannith blood working anywhere in them. These guildsmen are members of the Guild, but not of the House. While successful people from the Guilds –that possess appropriate bloodlines- can marry into the House with permission, that permission has been curtailed drastically in the past few years. With the loss of House genealogy records, many assume House Cannith will become a ‘closed shop’ with regards to marriages for the foreseeable future.

Still, people with talent can rise high in the Guilds, even to positions of power and influence. You’ll always have to work just a bit harder to be promoted than someone born to the blood, but then again, you are freed from the same expectations that can weigh down a blooded heir.

The Tinkers Guild is usually seen as a collection of wandering smiths who travel from thorp to thorp mending broken tools. While certainly accurate for some of the Tinkers, the Guild actually consists of many magewrights and experts whose job it is to keep the background magical items that power Khorvaire civilization running.

Take an everbright lantern for example: many wizards assume that once cast, the continual flame spell will last forever. In most cases that would be true, but an everbright lantern on a street is buffeted daily by interactions with other magical fields. This ebb and flow of magic can twist the spell over time and cause the spell to flicker and dim. How long does this take? Depends on many factors: the purity of the Eberron shard used, the strength of the interacting magical fields, the skill of the original caster…

But, all the person walking under the lantern cares is that the light is fading. In a place like Sharn, Tinkers can wander from district to district, paid by the city to recast spells on the lanterns. (Although many magewrights are paid to check the lights in High Walls or Goblin Town, they take the gold, don’t go and say they did.) In smaller communities this need for recasting may only happen once a decade or so. In any case, for those Tinkers who can, they reinforce the web of wide magic that keeps civilization moving.

Along with such works, other Tinker Guild operations include the local blacksmith or wheelwright. Small time operations that deal with local needs are covered by the Tinkers Guild. In the larger cities they are seen as a collection of vagabonds; vagabonds who perform a needed service but who should otherwise remain invisible. In the smaller communities the travelling Tinker or the local blacksmith is held to higher esteem. For House Cannith, the Tinkers Guild is the less prestigious organization, but the one that keeps Khorvarie civilization humming along.

It is the Fabricators Guild that people think of when they imagine the wonders made by House Cannith. Generally, massive projects, grand schemes, or anything with multiple workers is the purview the Fabricators. In short, anything involving a significant amount of magic or more than a dozen workers is probably assigned to the Fabricators Guild.

They run the assembly lines that churn out the vast amounts of products that Eberron’s economy feeds on. Most of the creation patterns that assist forging and make things more easily are used by the Fabricators. (Creation patterns and their schemata are owned by the House, but lent out to the Guild.) The Creation Forges were run by the Fabricators Guild, and since the Treaty of Thronehold forbid new warforged creation, the Fabricators have laid off a significant number of guildsworkers.

Along with forging many items, the Fabricators Guild needs a significant amount of magical research to keep the engines of production flowing. Most of this theoretical research is done by House Cannith itself, allowing the organization to keep discoveries ‘in the family.’ There are large collections of artificers, alchemists, wizards, and sorcerers assigned to research in the House, and many do not focus in battle magic. Expect a significant Fabricators or a House Cannith building to be protected by a significant number of constructs and magical traps, although less up-front combat mages than you would expect.

Neither Guild is allowed to work on schemata production, as House Cannith likes to keep such work to themselves. While schemata are not the total extent of the House’s power, they are significant enough that the Barons do not want outsiders to have access to them. Talented individuals are often removed from the Guild rolls and assigned to private House facilities to do their work.

However, the creation of schemata is expensive, time consuming, and often explosive work. The House backs a number of expeditions to Xen’drik to recover ancient schemata, as it is easier to accept the loss of a few hired adventurers than explain to the local lord why a smoking crater now graces his land.

Personality:

As a member of House Cannith, you lost friends and family to the Mourning. No one (aside from the Cyre people themselves) lost as much as you did. Everybody lost at least one family member, and whatever creativity that remains in the Cannith soul lends itself to knowing the reason for the Mourning. You are absolutely certain that someone is responsible, and one day that someone will pay dearly.

(Of course, it is preposterous to even suggest that House Cannith was in any way responsible. After all, you’re the victim here…)

Your House is a bastion of wonders and much of the triumph of Galifar and the magnificence of the modern world can be attributed to the hard work and skill of your family. As such most Cannith members have a rather high opinion of themselves. While they respect innovation and creativity, it is a better trait to have in other people. Family members who have trouble seeing things in a solid, concrete manner make you feel… uneasy.

The House and both Guilds are strongly lawful. Many of the wandering Tinkers slide into the neutral or chaotic range of things, but on the whole there is a very strong pressure to conform within a Cannith structure.

Allies:

The Five Nations:

All nations are making efforts to rebuild after the devastation of the Last War. They need the craftsmanship and skills of Cannith to strengthen their realms against future attacks. Even New Cyre is desperate for assistance.

This gives the House of Making leverage to employ in negotiations. They have to be careful however, because if one faction demands too much from a nation, that government may approach one of the other factions to take their place. It is a weakness in their bargaining position that House Cannith is not happy with.

The Twelve:

While this Dragonmark supported organization is supposed to be neutral in all things, much of the arcane knowledge and work done by the Twelve is supported by Cannith artificers and effort. The House is already a powerful lobby within the organization, and its influence often means the Twelve subtly follows Cannith suggestions.

Many Cannith triumphs came from work done by multiple Dragonmark Houses acting together under the auspices of the Twelve. Now however, the three-way struggle for power in the House weakens their position in the Twelve.

House Lyrandar:

Since betraying --such a harsh word! Use ‘following the best business opportunities’ instead-- House Orien’s elemental transportation concepts to the House of Storm, the half-elves have gotten along fairly well with Cannith. While the gnomes are the best shipwrights, House Cannith work does fill much of Lyrandar’s fleet.

The Gnomes of Zilargo:

House Cannith has been playing a game of cloak and dagger with the gnomes for centuries. The House of Making wants the secrets to elemental bonding, while the gnomes want to ferret out what things Cannith keeps hidden. The two sides don’t trust each other in the least… which, oddly, makes them good working partners.

On the surface they’re all smiles and joint projects, each eager to supply any assistance the other needs for any activity. Underneath, oh my, but it does get vicious. Still, that polite antagonism makes them respect each other more. It’s strange, but it seems to work.

Rivals:

The Aurum:

It does not mean the Aurum is always on the side of the House of Making. While many powerful members of House Cannith are in the Concordes, the goals of the Shadow Cabinet do not always coincide with what the House of Making wants. Many Aurum members look upon the three-way power struggle within the House of Making as a magnificent opportunity to gain undue influence in the future of the House.

House Tharashk:

As the biggest supplier of raw Dragonshards to the Khorvaire market, the House of Finding and the Finders Guild hold immense power over Cannith, always ravenous for raw materials. The House of Making has always been one of Tharaskh’s biggest buyers, but they were always able to negotiate a favourable deal before.

With the three way power struggle, Cannith’s monolithic nature has been shattered. The heirs of House Tharaskh have been able to play factions against each other and have been steadily gaining more equitable treatment.

However, ‘equitable’ does not make House Cannith happy.

House Orien:

Ever since Cannith took the secrets of the lightning rail and used it to create airships for the House of Stroms, Orien has felt betrayed. The House of Passage holds a sizable grudge against the House of Making, and will never, ever forget.

The two Houses do work together on a number of projects, but such projects are not a happy place to be.

House Deneith:

The House of Sentinel has always been a consumer of Cannith products. With a never ending desire for weapons and armour, the humans of Deneith always needed the goods produced in Cannith forges. As well, the House of Making had many secrets they needed protected, and so heavily used Defender and Blademark personnel.

That relationship shifted drastically with the development of the warforged.

Suddenly the House of Making did not need the House of Sentinel so much. They could produce soldiers for their own use, and even better, expand into the mercenary business. House Deneith was shocked by this betrayal and this just added to the House’s pain, pain soon amplified by the hobgoblin rebellion.

Even though warforged are no longer being made, House Deneith still smoulders at the betrayal from their long-time ally. They have made efforts in the last few decades to expand in-House arms and armour production, and while they still must buy from House Cannith, their long-term goal is to remove themselves from this business relationship.

Commoners:

True or not, the House of Making is seen as an organization of stuck-up warmongers. It was their foundries that produced many of the horrible weapons used in the Last War, and many feel that the addition of the warforged kept the killing going on much longer than it would have otherwise.

People respect the skills the House can marshal and marvel at the wonders it can produce, but very few not in the attached Guilds hold much love for the House.

The Ashbound and other Druid Sects:

Most druids promote a more balanced life than what a Cannith heir wants to consider. The House of Making does not want checks on civilization, and for the most part they see a forest as raw material to be exploited.

Generally druid sects don’t cooperate with House Cannith except under specific conditions. The House has a relatively minor presence in the Eldeen Reaches. Part of that is because fanatical Ashbound druids often take rather horrific action against House Cannith personnel if they can get away with it.

The Lord of Blades:

Seeking to understand more of the secrets from the House that built them, Cannith enclaves and travelers are targets of high value for the warforged nation. Divinations have suggested that strategic strikes and kidnappings against Cannith institutions will increase as time passes. With the House of Making divided among itself, it is unlikely the House can present a unified front to stop these events from occurring.