Given House Thuranni’s short history and specific focus, you are expected to further the interests of the house at every opportunity. These are the house’s formative years as an independent entity, and every move you make is watched closely. This is not to say that every heir of Thuranni must actively spy at the behest of house elders, but even the house’s most insular artists and artisans are expected to keep up with current political events, and to pass on or collect information when asked.
By choosing the path of espionage, you are joining a secret society that monitors its agents closely. The Shadow Network differs from the Serpentine Table in both its agenda and its methods, and prospective members are encouraged to remember this. Because of its aggressive techniques, the network relies heavily on the loyalty of its members. As such, serving efficiently and consistently is the surest way to earn the respect of one’s peers within the house.
Undertaking missions for the Shadow Network requires strength and certainty in equal proportions. If the companions in your party are not of House Thuranni, they need to respect that you have ties you cannot disclose—or will need to be replaced with new allies. The house has next to no sympathy for those who would jeopardize its existence with even a moment’s indiscretion.
Thuranni chooses its clients and assignments carefully, and any mission you are given will be as important as it is likely dangerous. As with House Phiarlan, Thuranni agents specialize in making magical observation easier by getting close to targets on the ground. Especially with the house’s growing reputation as assassins, the most important part of any mission is to ensure that your work goes undetected.
Should your work for the house bring you into the service of the Dragon’s Path, you can expect your assignments to encompass more than the routine politics of the Five Nations and the dragonmarked houses. The eternal question of what destiny the dragonmarked serve lingers deep in the heart of your house. As a result, you might find yourself engaging in more traditional adventuring—seeking old lore, reclaiming relics of the past, digging through lost tombs—in your ongoing search for the secrets of the past and future. Such expeditions might even bring you into contact with the dragons themselves, about whom your superiors are always cautiously interested in learning more.
As a young house, Thuranni can ill afford mistakes— particularly conspicuous ones. Ambition and talent will take you far in the house, but only espionage work that hows results and goes undetected will see that ambition and talent recognized.
Because its artistic endeavors are so closely tied to its spying, Thuranni expects its heirs to be as ambitious with their creativity as they are with their undercover work. Heirs should strive to make an impression in their artistic field, and to cultivate a reputation that grants them access to the upper levels of Khorvairian society and the secrets held there.
Joining House Thuranni
By virtue of its young age and dark business, House Thuranni is a remarkably guarded organization. Where House Phiarlan found it necessary to open up while rebuilding after the Shadow Schism, the heirs of Thuranni have sealed their operations tightly. The house intends to concentrate on solidifying its power base for the time being, rather than embracing new and potentially troublesome members. At the same time, the house is obliged to accept foundlings and other legitimate heirs (if only to prevent Phiarlan from snapping them up), but such members are always watched closely.