The Marked Bloodlines

Old stories are told of how the Marked houses came about the strange symbols that appear on their skin and seem to grant them powerful innate magical abilities usually reserved for the Fey Folk. These stories are old and passed from town to town before people thought to record their history. If anyone still knows the truth behind Marks, it is the families who bear them and if they know, they have kept it a well hidden secret for centuries now. All that is agreed upon across the stories is that a eclectic adventuring group; one elf, one gnome, one dwarf, two halflings and two humans, journeyed into one unknown land or another and came back with marks upon their face and magic in their blood. Both of which have been passed down and used to form what now stand as some of the most powerful factions in Khorvaire.
Their history since formation has certainly been a turbulent one. For much of it, they were hounded and vilified as witches and hag-worshippers. Superstition and mistrust, not to mention claims of religious heresy followed them everywhere and drove them underground. A connection between the Marks and criminality quickly developed as the seedy underbelly of Khorvaire society grew rife with their influence.
Not too much is known about each of the Houses customs outside of its own members but it is known that not all children born of Marked parents develops their own, though they do still carry the potential to bear Marked children themselves. The control of these powers that the families need to maintain mean that those born into these families lead a life bound by duty and without many usual freedoms. There is great expectation on those born with or without the mark to do what they must to ensure the families continued prosperity.
In the belief that the Union of Helleya finally presented a powerful enough governing body to control, contain and utilise the powers of the Marked Houses, the second Emperor of Helleya, Prozeus' daughter; Dionissia, signed the Decree of the Marked Houses. In doing so, she formally met with representatives of each and welcomed their services across Helleya and under the protection of her crown. Throughout the years of the Union, their influence grew, some more than others, though their presence never sat easy with the faith and disputes between the temples and the houses were common.
With the Union splintered, the Houses grip on Khorvaire society has only tightened and there are many now who say the power they wield surpasses what any of the nations alone can contain. Whilst the rulers of each nation have come to rely on many of their services too much to be rid of them, suspicion and distrust has continued to grow once again. A growing threat to their position of power has them just as wary though; the Arcanix and progress in the fields of magic ever since the Mourning has the Houses worried that their monopoly on such abilities might soon be under threat.
The Houses are as follows;

House	Mark	Race	Base	Known For
House Cannith	Mark of Making	Human	Starilaskur	Manufacturing, Weapons, Warforged
House Ghallanda	Mark of Hospitality	Halfling	Nomadic	Entertainment, Travelling, Theatre
House Jorasco	Mark of Healing	Halfling	Vedykar	Healing, Potions, Healthcare
House Kundarak	Mark of Warding	Dwarf	Lake Home	Banking, Prisons, Security
House Medani	Mark of Detection	Half-Elf	Delethorn	Advisement, Risk Management, Precognition
House Sivis	Mark of Scribing	Gnome	Zolanberg	Communication, Journalism, Tranlastion, Verification
House Vadalis	Mark of Handling	Human	Sylbaran	Animal Training and Breeding

Type

Guild, Mages

Alternative Names

The Bloodlines, The Houses

Subsidiary Organizations

• House Jorasco
• House Medani
• House Sivis
• House Vadalis