House Thuranni

House Thuranni is the youngest Dragonmarked House, and the only one to share a mark. Until 40 years ago, Thuranni were one of the core families of House Phiarlan, but after a bloody wave of assassinations and exiles, House Thuranni split off from the other Shadow-marked elves.
Today, they offer a very similar service to House Phiarlan, but with far fewer boundaries or limits. Direct spying and assassination is openly discussed by the House, taking on the contracts that House Phiarlan won't accept. They are based out of the Demesne of True Shape in Atur, where they also offer a prestigious art school. Recognised as experts in artistic crafting, they cover everything from sculpture to costume to architecture.
Their Shadow Network, however, is the core of the House. Its members are openly musicians, artists, and actors, but it is known to those in power that many of the Network's performers are also spies and assassins. However, assassins of the Shadow Network are absolutely forbidden from assassinating House Phiarlan members or even killing a House Phiarlan spy - the truce between the Houses is stable, for now, and its warring only economic.

History

Their history starts with House Phiarlan, as it is from this house that House Thuranni was eventually born. 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.
Elar claimed he had to act quickly. The source of his information is still unknown, however, and he claimed he could not provide proof without it being too late. The current leader of House Phiarlan, Baron Elorren d'Phiarlan, responded with outrage and excoriated the entire Thuranni bloodline from the house. Elar rejected this, and created House Thurrani. Naming himself Baron Elar d'Thuranni, his house is still in direct competition with House Phialran, and their long elven memories do not often forget grudges.

Agriculture & Industry

House Thuranni maintains competitors to all of House Phiarlan's services, specifically in the arts and entertainment. They specialise most in the physical arts - selling the services of sculptors, architects, painters, and fashion designers out of Atur's Demesne of True Shape.
The Mark of Shadow serves both their artistic industry, and the quiet network of spies and assassins that work in its shadow. The innate ability to conjure illusions allows for faster design and mockups than working with actual materials, letting the sculpture and architectural designs of the House iterate faster and better than their competitors. A more skilled heir will begin to work illusions into the actual designs, however, infusing glamourweave clothing and laying illusions into the exterior of buildings.
Quietly, the Mark also allows its heirs to be expert infiltrators and information gatherers. The same power over illusion and deception allows some to wrap themselves in shadows, to bend the light into invisibility, and to disguise their appearance when needed. While these uses are kept entirely discreet, and no Thuranni artisan would ever admit to any espionage work, it’s known by those with influence that the House’s skills are indeed for sale.

Leader:
Baron Elar d'Thuranni
Headquarters:
Thuranni Enclave, Regalport, Lhazaar Principalities

Predecessor Organization

• House Phiarlan