In a world in which secrets, espionage, and assassination can be bought and sold on the open market, the role of the counterspy takes on great significance. House Phiarlan, House Thuranni, the King’s Dark Lanterns, the Royal Eyes, the Aurum, the Emerald Claw, and uncountable other organizations weave their webs of intrigue across Khorvaire—all the while cursing the agents of House Medani who undo their wellwrought plans.
Urban campaigns in particular can easily entwine a party with House Medani, even if none of the PCs has any affi liation with the house. The party could run headlong into a Medani investigation, become involved with a character being guarded by a member of the Warning Guild, or join forces with a house operative to take on a common foe.
Beyond the house’s role as a counterintelligence agency, Medani (like Lyrandar) is looked to for leadership by many Khoravar. However, the house accepts this role as an offshoot of its position as a protector—not as a gods-given right.
As befits a house proud of its iconoclast status, House Medani is a tightly knit group. It is among the smallest of the houses in population, and individuals are encouraged to have strong bonds to their extended families. Factional disagreements arise within the house from time to time, but have never threatened to become schism or open confl ict. Outside the house, relations between Medani, Phiarlan, and Thuranni are sometimes strained, with the three houses often working on different sides of the same intelligence-gathering operations.
The relationship between House Medani and House Lyrandar is a complex one. Though precious little common ground or competition exists between their mercantile operations, the two half-elf houses have very different views of their racial heritage. Lyrandar had centuries to spread before the appearance of the Mark of Detection, and takes as its mandate the continued development of an inclusive Khoravar race. Even before the appearance of their dragonmarks, the Medani had rejected this view, content to see themselves as heirs to two worlds rather than the builders of one.
Today, where Lyrandar seeks racial isolation, Medani sees greater strength in being a bridge between two cultures. House Medani’s encouragement of occasional intermarriage between half-elf and elf or human is abhorrent to many Lyrandar, who are not afraid to make their feelings known.
Despite the inherent separation of the Warning Guild from the house, strong functional ties bind the members of both. Medani operatives outside the Warning Guild work mostly to collect, collate, and decipher the information gained from the plots the guild uncovers, and both sides look out for the other. In its own way, House Medani’s store of intelligence might be the equal of either House Phiarlan or House Thuranni, but with one signifi cant difference: Medani’s information is never sold. Rather, the house uses the facts, rumors, and speculation at its disposal solely in the service of its clients—and sometimes to convince prospective clients that they need Medani protection.
NPC Reactions
House Medani’s home and history lies in Breland, and members of the house can expect an initial reaction of friendly from all Brelish except those who oppose King Boranel’s reign. Members of the city guard in the urban centers of Khorvaire give House Medani an indifferent reaction, improving to friendly if they have been helped by (as opposed to shown up by) the house in the past.
Law enforcement and intelligence agencies recognize House Medani’s expertise. At the same time, Medani operatives are often seen as unwelcome meddlers in official business, a view that makes them unpopular in some administrations.