The magical economy is dominated by a handful of powerful families and the guilds they maintain. These are the dragonmarked houses, barons of industry with influence that rivals kings and queens. These dynastic houses derive their power from their dragonmarks: arcane sigils that are passed down through their bloodlines. A dragonmark grants limited but useful magical abilities, and over the course of centuries the houses have used these powers to establish powerful monopolies. House Jorasco dominates the medical trade with its Mark of Healing, while only someone with House Lyrandar’s Mark of Storm can pilot an airship. Every house has traditions, cabals, and secrets, but for most of the houses.: • Most Dragonmarked houses maintain enclaves in major cities. These serve as hubs for house businesses and strongholds for the house families. A city may also have any number of businesses tied to the house—a Ghallanda inn, a Cannith smith, a Sivis message station—but these are simply providing services and don't have a direct connection to house leadership. • Any heir of the house who develops a dragonmark is allowed to add the d' prefix to the house name as a surname. Regional leaders within the houses are called Barons. Most houses are led by a matriarch or patriarch, though some are led by councils. • The Twelve is an organization that facilitates communication and cooperation between the Dragonmarked houses. Excoriates are dragonmarked heirs who have been cut off from their houses. Foundlings are people who develop a mark outside of a house and have no connection to it. • Dragonmarks manifest around adolescence. Each house puts its heirs through a trial called The Test of Siberys. The trials vary by house, but they place the heir in circumstances where they are likely to manifest the mark, if they have it. About half of the members of a bloodline manifest the mark. • The Korth Edicts prevent the houses from owning land, holding noble titles, or maintaining military forces (with an exception for Deneith). The Edicts were established long ago when the Five Nations were united. Today, many in the houses feel the Korth Edicts have become obsolete in the wake of the Last War.