The Mark of Detection

“If you want a wall of muscle to get between you and a blade, go to House Deneith. If you want someone to anticipate the threat and make sure you aren’t even in the room with whoever’s holding that blade… that’s what we do.” —Baron Trelib d’Medani

The Mark of Detection is an inquisitive’s dream. It sharpens powers of observation and intuition, allowing the bearer to draw connections and interpret clues others might miss. By actively drawing on its powers, the bearer can detect poisons and study the energies of magic.

House Medani

The Warning Guild of House Medani brokers the services of bodyguards and inquisitives. Medani advisors specialize in risk assessment and management, protecting clients from both physical and social threats. While Medani overlaps with the inquisitives of House Tharashk and the bodyguards of House Deneith, the Warning Guild specializes in subtle threats and complex mysteries.
The members of House Medani are half-elves with deep roots in Breland. Medani has little interest in the power struggles that sometimes break out between the other dragonmarked houses. Many Medani heirs are more interested in helping their communities than in raw profit, and Medani heirs often work with local law enforcement or help those who can’t afford their services.

Dragonmarked Characters

Here are a few examples of characters with the Mark of Detection.

House Agent Bard

With the kind of threats your house deals with, words are often more effective than weapons. You serve as one of the eyes of the house, listening for rumors and watching for dangerous cabals and conspiracies. Along the way you do your best to mediate disputes and defuse dangerous situations.

Rogue Folk Hero

You’re an inquisitive trained by your house. You grew up in a bad neighborhood, and while you could make more gold solving the problems of nobles, you’re more interested in helping your community. You’ve had a few good cases and you’ve helped a lot of people, and word has spread.

Sage Wizard

You’re a brilliant diviner and inquisitive, and your talents have gotten you into trouble. You have a knack for uncovering conspiracies, and you found one in House Medani. It might involve shape-changed demons or dragons—or both. You don’t know how deep it goes, but you’re certain that other dragonmarked houses and noble families have been infiltrated. People think you’re a little intense. Some say paranoid. But you’ll show them all when you finally get to the bottom of this draconic conspiracy!

Mark of Detection Traits

The Mark of Detection manifests exclusively on half-elves. If your character has the Mark of Detection, these traits replace the half-elf’s Ability Score Increase, Skill Versatility, and Languages given in the Player’s Handbook.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Charisma scores both increase by 1. In addition, one ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Deductive Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check, you can roll one Intuition die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check.
Sense Threats. You can cast the detect magic and detect poison and disease spells, but only as rituals. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.