House Kundarak
What do you do if you want something protected? Well there's a few different things you could do-hire some sell-swords to protect it, maybe lock it in a box and try to protect the key, maybe you just hide it in plain sight if you're feeling lucky-but none of these things are surefire deals. If you want something protected, and to make sure no one ever gets it, you hire the Kundarak's. The dwarves of this Dragonmarked House-the House of the Mark of Warding-are now legendary protectors, bankers, dignitaries, and in some cases even jailers.
The Mark of Warding
The success of House Kundarak is built on the power of its Dragonmark. This mark-nowadays dubbed the Mark of Warding although it has gone by such names as the Mark of the Lock, The dwarf mark, and the Mark of Security-deals most with protection and security. This mark grants a natural aptitude with making locks, noticing small security details, and protection of people and places from harm.Customers and Services
The most well known of House Kundarak's services are its banks, one of which can be found in pretty much every major city on Khorvaire, as well as one on Stormreach in Xen'drik. The services stretch far, and House Kundarak counts royalty, governments, and even other Dragonmarked Houses as their customers in these services, after all only the wealthiest of clients can secure Kundarak banking deals. This service is also what has made the House rich-the richest Dragonmarked House on Khorvaire in fact. Although this doesn't grant the same amount of influence over the over houses as Kundarak might want, some of that money comes directly from other houses after all. Kundarak banks are expensive, you need to be phenomenally rich to even talk to someone in the bank, but they are assured to keep your money and even make more. Next is the security business, installation and production of secure vaults and such for use at home. While these vaults are not of the same quality as the house's personal vaults, they still offer a comforting amount of security-hopefully any thieves won't be trained in such complex locks and vaults. There is also a mining industry that Kundarak involves itself with, although they themselves are not allowed to do their own mining because of centuries old treaties forbidding them from doing so. There is a profitable mine of dragonshards within Kundarak land however, whose mining rights are lobbied for between several major clans of the Mror Holds. The Kundarak do offer some personal security in the form of guards, an elite unit of Kundarak affiliated warriors called the Ghorrad'din, although these are usually only contracted out to the Dwarven clans of the Mror Holds. Finally, the smallest but ironically first service ever provided by the Kundarak's, their jails. The Dreadhold is the most infamous of these and is to this day renowned as the inescapable prison. There are two others in fact-both located in the ancestral Kundarak lands of the Mror Mountains. The Clan Hold is the personal Kundarak prison located at their headquarters of Korunda Gate, this was used to store high value prisoners of the dwarves back before they were allied to each other. Today it has largely gone unused as a prison structure, sometimes playing host to important political prisoners during The Last War, yet still holds a place within Dwarven minds. There is also the King's Stone Tower, located far to the North of the Mror Mountains, little in known of it outside of Kundarak holds, but it is said to have been the prison to a powerful malicious wizard, it now rests empty except for a small Kundarak outpost there that still guards it.The Contract: No More, No Less
House Kundarak is somewhat ubiquitous in modern society, as the bank gives capital that allows for many businesses to grow. The bank also gained massive profits in a war during which everyone was borrowing money. Yet this sort of thing also shows where the house stands on moral issues: it doesn't. The house, at least in day to day agreements, cares little for where the money comes from, or what its helping to protect. it only cares about following through on the contracts made.Structure
The Head of House Kundarak is only involved in the largest measures of the activities of the house, only focusing on an issue if it proves unable to be solved by those lower than the leader on the totem pole. Instead most of the Kundarak business locations function as their own entity with their own command structure. Each Kundarak location is overseen by a head of business-chief banker, warden, etc.-who oversees the whole operation. These head figures have several ranks to which they delegate responsibility over individual branches of the business, these then oversee the workers.
Culture
The Kundarak house has only one overriding concern: to honor their contracts. There is little concern for morality within those parameters, simply the terms of the contract. While none would call Kundarak house evil, or even selfish, they are simply dedicated to what they have promised to others. A Kundarak contract will be filled-always.
Public Agenda
To fulfill all contracts and oaths of House Kundarak.
Assets
House Kundarak is rich beyond imagining-even for the already super rich Dragonmarked houses. Money is not really an object for the house, but not all of that money is theirs to play with-as a bank they have a duty to those who have money invested with them after, which prevents them from using their wealth to the fullest. They have major political pull with the Mror clans, many of whom are heavily invested in the house. Kundarak has access to several fortifications, most well known of which is their headquarters at Korunda Gate. They also have many guards at their beck and call, as well as the specially trained Ghorrad'din.
History
House Kundarak first gained recognition for volunteering to protect the Mror Holds from exiled clans, this is what first gained them their current house seat of Korunda Gate. Once the Mark of Warding manifested on those of the Kundarak bloodline, in -1500 YK, the clan quickly began to offer these services to others for gold. Their first major customer was perhaps not a welcome one, Karrn the Conqueror, sitting on their border and threatening at all times to invade the mountains. Yet he gave them their first long term contract, and made them a well known house, even linking them to the other Dragonmarked houses that already existed.
Foreign Relations
Due to their standing as a banking power they have close business ties with almost all other Dragonmarked Houses, only house Tharashk rests firmly outside of their financial influence. This same business makes sure they have customers among all the governments of the Five Nations, with the nation of Aundair being a particularly loyal customer to them as well.
Another notable diplomatic relation is with the Iron Ring Principality of Lhazaar, due to its proximity to the Dreadhold. They keep friendly relations with the Kundarak household, who in turn provide trade and useful political clout on the continent for the Iron Ring.
"You are safe with us"
Founding Date
-1500 YK
Type
Corporation, Business
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Ethnicities
Comments