House Phiarlan

House Phiarlan inherits the Mark of Shadow, allowing their scions the manipulation of light and shadow. In public, this allows them to run a variety of guilds and businesses in entertainment and the arts - writing, song, music, dance, performing arts and more. In private, their members also form the Serpentine Table, a clandestine organization focused on espionage.
House Phiarlan is the oldest Dragonmarked House, with their mark originating in Aerenal before migrating to Khorvaire. Prior to the Last War, Phiarlan was the largest House currently in existence, with over 20,000 marked members at their peak. The decline of the House was swift in the last century, starting with the mass assassination of the Paelion family and the defection of the Thuranni bloodline during the Shadow Schism, followed by heavy losses during the Day of Mourning.
After the Last War, both houses continued to operate both as entertainers and spies, vying for business and contracts throughout Khovaire. House Phiarlan works in the lands west of the Mournland, and Thuranni handles most contracts in the eastern lands. House Thuranni are the better assassins, but if you need work done cleanly, untraceably, and within the law, House Phiarlan's spies are the best in the business.

History

The oldest house, House Phiarlan's beginnings can be traced back to the elves who rebelled again the giants in the waning years of the Age of Giants. This clan of elves traveled and worked with the rebels, entertaining the troops to keep morale high, but they also acted as scouts, informing them of giant troop movements. They called themselves Phiarlans, which translated to "spirit keeper." At the end of the war, the Phiarlan scouts were responsible for transporting the remaining elves to safety. Finding refuge in the island nation Aerenal, the remaining elves clans settled down, but conflicts ran rampant with the Phiarlan acting as neutral mediators, and becoming very adept at information gathering.
Around -3200 YK, the Mark of the Shadow began to manifest amongst the members of the Phiarlan elves. The second dragonmark to appear, they were immediately looked on with suspicious by the family Vol, bearing the Mark of Death. When it was discovered that the Vol had been in a secret alliance with the dragons of Argonnessen - the sworn enemies of the Aereni elves - and were plotting to increase their power through draconic rituals, the Aereni elves turned on them. The Phiarlan took the front lines in the revenge, and wiped out the Vol, exiling their retainers to Khorvaire.
Shortly after though, suspicion of anyone with any dragonmark was on the rise, and the Phiarlans fled to Khorvaire themselves. Finding the earliest human settlers there in -2300YK, they established themselves in the manner of a noble house, and House Phiarlan was created.
After many centuries, during the Last War, the many distant clans and families of House Phiarlan turned on each other. Rumours and accusations still fly today, 40 years later, but the accepted fact is that one group of the family, descendants of the Thuranni bloodline, launched a swathe of assassinations over the course of several days that effectively wiped out the entire Paelion bloodline. Led by Elar d'Phiarlan, he claimed the Paelions were power-hungry and had plans to assassinate the rulers of all Five Nations to consolidate power under the Paelion bloodline.
In the wake of this event, known as the Shadow Schism, House Phiarlan saw more tragedy. The Mourning devastated Cyre, wiping out the Demesne of Shape in the city of Making, and leaving the House's leadership dead. Afterwards, a new Demesne of Shape was established in Sharn, but the House is still fragile, its leadership still inexperienced, and House Thuranni takes more of their business each year.

Agriculture & Industry

Politicians, poets, authors and playwrights all study in the Demesne of Memory at Fairhaven, where House Phiarlan teaches the written and spoken word. Although illegal, members of the House do on occasion make use of the Suggestion abilities of the Lesser Mark of Shadow in Fairhaven. Phiarlan leaves any heirs foolish enough to be caught to their punishment.
Second only to Shadow in popularity, the Demesne of Music is found in Flamekeep, Thrane, near the Entertainers and Artisans Guild International Headquarters. Admission is extremely limited and requires either proficiency in three relevant skills, or a Lesser Mark of Shadow. Phiarlan holds heirloom performances here - thousands of unique arcane compositions, entrusted to a single performer at a time. When not in use, their sheet music, accompaniments and arcana are kept in the Demesne's vaults.
The Demesnes of Motion and Shadow are both found in Breland, with the former teaching dance and acrobatics in Wroat while the latter teaches illusion and deception in Sharn. Shadow is the most popular of the Phiarlan enclaves, with the Shadow Initiate program teaching disguise and illusions, both to members of the espionage-focused Serpentine Table and to the performers and escorts at the Demesne of Motion.
The original Demesne of Shape was located in Metrol, Cyre, but was destroyed on the Day of Mourning alongside the the leadership of the House at the time. Subsequently, two new Demesnes of Shape have been established: one in Thaliost, Thrane, by House Phiarlan and a second in Atur, Karrnath by House Thuranni. Traditionally House Thuranni has been far more talented in the arts of craft and design, and so it is no surprise that House Thuranni's Demesne of True Shapers hosts three times the heirs than the New Demesne of Shape.

Leader:
Baron Elvinor Elronnethi d'Phiarlan
Headquarters:
Demesne of Shadow, Sharn, Breland