A fighter decides to take the Mark of Passage. What does this mean? What social obligations do the dragonmarked have, and what impact does a dragonmark have on the life of a player character?
To answer this question, dragonmarked characters need to define their roles within their house. To bear a dragonmark, characters must have a blood connection to a dragonmarked family, but this connection can take many forms.
The Excorciate
The dragonmarked houses have their own laws, some older than Galifar. An heir who violates the laws of a house is made an excoriate: stripped of the house name and forbidden from drawing on house resources. In its original form, this punishment typically involved true excoriation, or the cutting away of the skin bearing the outcast’s dragonmark. Despite a dragonmark’s ability to reform in time, this process (especially for elite heirs with a greater dragonmark) was often intentionally lethal. Today, an excoriate must simply surrender her signet ring, any other property that can be claimed as a gift of the house, and the name of both house and family. Her likeness is circulated through the major enclaves of the house.
Heirs of her house are forbidden to provide her with aid or succor, and the other houses typically shun excoriates of any line. Excoriation is a rare punishment, but is often a fate worse than prison for a dragonmarked heir.
In the past, the dragonmarked were excoriated for mingling bloodlines with members of other houses. Today, such dalliances are no longer a crime, but relationships between house heirs remain a dark and unspoken taboo (see the Mixed Marks sidebar, page 156). Excoriation is reserved for serious acts of treason, or for those who violate the fundamental principles of a house and bring shame to its name. Excoriation can be decreed only by a council of viceroys, and only a patriarch can rescind it.
The excoriate is a strange role for a player character to choose from the start, since it closes many doors. At the same time, it does create a certain dark romance, especially if the punishment was undeserved. Alternatively, a scion or an agent of a house (see below) could become an excoriate through her actions over the course of a campaign. This is the dark underside of the power wielded by the dragonmarked houses, and it is up to the Dungeon Master to make an excoriate feel the pressure of living as an exile.
The following text translates the excoriate concept into the character flaw rules presented in Unearthed Arcana. Even for campaigns that do not use the flaw system, the description outlines the game effects that accompany excoriation.
The Orphan
The Korth Edicts prevent members of a dragonmarked house from holding land, noble title, or rank in a national military. Over the centuries, a number of dragonmarked heirs have chosen to give up their birthright to be freed from the edicts. During the Last War, a number of idealistic heirs left their houses to fight for one of the Five Nations. Others have married into noble families, whether for love or greed. An orphan’s relationship with the members of his house depends on the circumstances under which he left. An heir who breaks from one of the prominent branches of a family, throws away an important arranged marriage, or publicly denounces the traditions of his house will have bad blood to deal with. On the other hand, an heir might leave his house with the blessing of his family. The Korth Edicts have come under attack in recent years, and a house might see the advantage of seeding capable heirs in influential positions.
Being an orphan is a good choice for a player character who wants to have a dragonmark without the baggage of house membership. Depending on his backstory, an orphan could have a specific set of enemies within his house or might have had a perfectly amicable parting of the ways (even retaining use of the Favored in House feat). However, an orphan is restricted from using his family or house name. He might not be an outcast, but he has surrendered his birthright just the same.
The Foundling
Characters can develop dragonmarks only by virtue of blood ties to a dragonmarked house, and many dragonmarked discover their lineage only after the mark appears. Some are the descendants of excoriates, while others are the product of a doomed romance. Whatever their stories, these foundlings carry dragonmarks but have no connection to their houses.
All the dragonmarked houses seek to identify and recruit foundlings. A house might occasionally refuse to accept a foundling, typically in cases involving descendants of truly infamous excoriates. As a rule, though, the houses all want to expand their ranks. Foundlings can be treated as scions or agents (see below), depending on how closely they wish to work with their houses.
Some foundlings have no interest in working with the dragonmarked families. A foundling’s desire for independence is typically respected, but those who gain a significant amount of notoriety often find themselves pressured to join their house. Foundlings who come to be seen as a threat to the house will discover how formidable an enemy family can be.
The path of the foundling is the obvious choice for a player character who decides to develop a dragonmark late in her adventuring career. All that is required is the appropriate dragonmarked race and a certain flexibility with the family tree. Foundlings are similar to orphans from a roleplaying perspective, but a foundling has no connection to a house: no allies, no enemies, and no intrinsic knowledge of house traditions. Opportunities to join the house provide an interesting option for future character development.
A foundling cannot use the house name unless she is formally inducted into her house. It would be unusual (though not impossible) for a foundling to gain the Favored in House feat without first joining the house.
The Scion
The scion is a member of a dragonmarked house who embraces his heritage but keeps his distance from the administration of the house. This is the most common background for dragonmarked adventurers. Orphans and excoriates are quite rare, but young heirs often wish to see the world before settling down in one of the house guilds. Some scions are carefree wanderers with no interest in politics and economics. Some are independents, seeking to establish their own personal businesses instead of joining one of the major bound house arms. Some have a deep interest in gaining power in their house, but believe that building powerful allies in the outside world is the best means to do so.
A dragonmarked scion bears the name of his house and, if he carries a dragon mark, can use the honorary title of lord. A scion can obtain room and board at any house enclave, though he is expected to put in a few hours of work in exchange. The scion does not have access to any special resources, but can usually find temporary work at a guild business.
The scion is a good choice for a character who wants the potential to be involved with a dragonmarked house without letting it dominate his life. A player of a scion character can control the degree to which the character’s house affects the game. Scions are free to travel the world and indulge in whatever adventures strike their fancy; when they decide to settle down, the house will be waiting.
The drawback to being a scion is a lack of influence. A local enclave might help a scion find work, but the viceroy won’t take her word as seriously as that of an agent of the house. A scion can earn the respect of her house through her actions and adventures, and will probably be encouraged to become an agent when she does so.
The Agent
Every dragonmarked house is involved in dozens of schemes and plots. Some of these are deep secrets that could threaten the existence of the house if exposed; others are practical quests designed to turn a profit. House Medani might infiltrate a group of anti-monarchist rebels in Breland. House Cannith is always working to recover lost treasures from its holdings in the Mournland, or to uncover ancient secrets from Xen’drik. The assassins of House Phiarlan and House Thuranni spar with one another in the shadows. Assignments such as these are the work of house agents: adventurers who dedicate their lives to expanding the power and influence of their dragonmarked families.
The choice to play an agent has a significant impact on a campaign, and should be made only with the approval of the Dungeon Master. An agent can be called into the service of her house at any time, but how this servitude affects the rest of the party is an important question. The simplest solution is for an entire party to embrace the agent’s path. Whether adventurers have blood ties to the house or not, they can choose to serve as elite troubleshooters, going wherever the patriarch sends them. If the party includes characters with different dragonmarks, they could represent an alliance between their respective houses, possibly on the cutting edge of espionage or exploration.
Another approach is for a dragonmarked character to be a secret agent: an independent operative whose actions cannot be traced back to her house. She might assume the role of an orphan or excoriate, even as she takes her orders from house superiors. The question is whether her companions are aware of her loyalties—or whether subterfuge will be required to convince her friends to follow her.
A house agent and her companions can always find free room and board at any house enclave. At the DM’s discretion, a trusted agent might be paid a regular salary by her house, or receive information, transportation, and supplies as necessary to complete an assignment. Likewise, house officers might provide an agent with magic weapons or other items—but will expect them back at the conclusion of the mission.
An agent in good standing should receive a +2 bonus on all favor checks made with the Favored in House feat. A favored agent has considerable leeway when it comes to requesting special equipment or services, though this still counts toward regular use of the feat.
Being an agent has both advantages and drawbacks. An agent cannot choose her assignments, and refusing to follow the orders of superiors within the house can result in reprimand, excoriation, or (depending on what secrets the PC knows) a contract on her life. An agent will acquire powerful enemies through her work, whether the agents of other houses, groups such as the King’s Citadel of Breland and the Royal Eyes of Aundair, or the hidden hands of the Dreaming Dark or the Lords of Dust. It is a dangerous life, and one that shapes the tone of a campaign. Both DM and player should be certain before a character chooses this path.