Dragonmarks and Houses

 Dragonmarks & Houses

      Magic is the lifeblood of Eberron, encircling it like the Ring of Siberys and seeping up through the earth from the bones of Khyber. Perhaps the clearest manifestation of this pervasive magic is the appearance of dragonmarks among seven of Khorvaire's common races (human, elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, half-elf, half-orc). Dragonmarks are elaborate skin patterns – more intricate than birthmarks and more distinctive than any tattoo – that grant their bearers innate spell-like abilities. There are 12 families of dragonmarks, each one associated with a number of closely related manifestations.

      The dragonmarked houses have existed for thousands of years. Each dragonmark appears among the members of one large extended family (or, in the case of the Mark of Shadow, two elf families). By no means does every member of a dragonmarked family possess a dragonmark, but it is extremely rare for a person who is not a recognized member of one of these families to develop a dragonmark. Each house specializes in a trade or service for which its mark gives it a competitive advantage, and it controls guilds that regulate commerce in its area of specialization.