House Sivis is one of the most insular of the dragonmarked houses, and it has been centuries since anyone outside a Sivis family was permitted to marry into it. Foundlings can rejoin the house, but Sivis has little interest in inducting strangers into its mysteries.
For nearly thirty centuries, your family has worked to maintain order. Communication is the cord that binds civilization together, and your ancestors have settled the disputes of kings and helped the dragonmarked houses find a place in the world. Few people realize the influence House Sivis has had on the shape of the modern age, just as few know how often a royal advisor holds more power than the king himself. Let Cannith and the others fight for fame and recognition. You know that the greatest work is done in silence.
Your upbringing has taught you to see life as an extended game. As an adventurer, you might be playing a long game, building influence only usable in years to come. On the other hand, you might simply enjoy the challenge of the moment, and the thrill of pitting your wits against the world as you unravel the most difficult puzzles. Your family has always found a way to cut through chaos and produce order, and you endeavor to do the same. Never reveal your full strength or your true goals. Always watch for ways to gain an advantage over your enemies.
Of course, not every member of your house follows these traditions. A number of excoriates in the annals of Sivis have taken joy in causing chaos and confusion, and this dark path might call to you more than you care to admit.
Advancement
Life within House Sivis is a constant struggle for rank and prestige. The house uses a system of titles and offices far more complicated than any other house. Some of these are tied to specific vocations, but others are simply honorifics passed from heir to heir. Within even the smallest message station, heirs compete for the position of Prime Stonekeeper, while hirelings might also fight for the title of Keeper of the Fifteenth Word.
Thankfully, this competition does not affect the operations of the house. It is a complex but highly civilized game—a form of entertainment, intended to keep an heir’s mind sharp. You face off against your fellows, but never to the extent of hurting them or threatening the stability of the house. Someone always wins, and someone always loses, but you can always set up the pieces for another game.
Though life as an adventurer removes you from the daily struggles of the workplace, any mission you undertake presents you with an opportunity to earn a new title or improve your standing in the house. At the same time, always be watchful for others seeking to steal your victories and claim your titles as their own. As an agent of House Sivis, your most prevalent enemies might well be other agents of House Sivis, especially those of different bloodlines. Such familial foes never act to threaten the interests of the house, but if they can do the job better than you, they will.
As an adventurer, you are in an excellent position to acquire information, whether the secrets of fallen empires or contemporary lore never seen by gnome eyes. There is nothing wrong with gold, but the greatest treasure of all is knowledge. As your adventures take you through the world, look for the wealth that others miss.
House Sivis does not seek to enforce its will on the world—at least not openly. As an agent of the house, gathering information is your most important duty. House Sivis seeks to maintain order among the dragonmarked houses. As such, you might be assigned to investigate the actions of another house or to resolve an ongoing conflict, either openly or through subtle action. The house always searches for ways to improve communication, including research into magic, psionics, and forgotten languages. While a Cannith expedition to Xen’drik covets lost schemas, you might tag along in search of an ancient tome on semantics.
House Sivis also has a great interest in the draconic Prophecy, particularly the dragonmarks that appear in the world at large. These symbols hold the key to the future, and if any mortals can unlock their significance, the masters of the Mark of Scribing will be the ones to do so.