1. Organizations

House Deneith

Dragonmarked House

From its beginnings as an order of mercenaries and soldiers to its modern incarnation as the human face of law and battle, House Deneith has maintained its position as the primary force for security and defense in the Five Nations. Though its fortunes rose during the Last War, the services Deneith renders are no less valuable in times of peace. Today, the house is as prosperous as ever, with its position of neutrality firmly established and a host of eager clients ready to use its services. This prosperity tells only half the story, however, and Deneith’s past fortunes might not be enough to guarantee the house’s future.

Holdings

Although House Deneith has enclaves across Khorvaire, its seat of power is in Karrlakton, just across the river from the Mournland. Sentinel Tower is Deneith’s ancestral home, named in honor of the mark its members bear.

Deneith families often send young heirs to be fostered here as children, creating a connection that lasts the rest of their lives. The Tower is the headquarters for all Sentinel Marshals, who return whenever their assignments permit.

Sentinel Tower is an ancient keep, reputedly older than Karrnath itself. It has undergone extensive expansion over the years, both for defensive purposes and to accommodate growth within the house. Even at its current size, Sentinel Tower cannot contain Deneith’s entire complement of house members and hirelings. As a result, Karrlakton is filled with training areas, barracks, weaponsmiths, armorers, and taverns to serve the needs of the tower.

In addition to Sentinel Tower, House Deneith holds large enclaves in Sharn and Korth (where the impressive fortress sprawls over an entire hilltop), as well as estates in Flamekeep, Newthrone, Pylas Talaear, Stormreach, Taer Valaestas, Trolanport, and Varna. More outposts can be found in locations throughout Khorvaire, including Rhukaan Draal in Darguun and Graywall in Droaam (where Deneith keeps a low profile in the shadow of the prominent Tharashk enclave). Members of House Deneith are also the protectors of Thronehold, and make up the elite unit of Throne Wardens charged with protecting the Galifaran throne.

Sentinel Tower: Older than Karrnath itself, the ancient keep known as Sentinel Tower is the main enclave of House Deneith, the headquarters of the Sentinel Marshals, and a fortress charged with repulsing periodic monster attacks from the Mournland, just across the river. Its history is rich; Karrn the Conqueror commissioned the first of his generals atop Sentinel Tower. The keep is a confusing maze of fortifications, since its defenses have been renovated and augmented numerous times.

Graywall Outpost: Early in the Last War, House Deneith accepted a contract from Breland to guard a key mountain pass in the Graywall Mountains between central Breland and what is now Droaam. In 987 YK, when King Boranel’s armies retreated from the Graywalls, House Deneith remained in a stubborn effort to hold up its end of the contract. For the next nine years, the soldiers of the house were often near starvation, frequently under siege, and always surrounded, but they held the mountain pass. Even the war’s end couldn’t dislodge House Deneith, and it has built a small but nearly impregnable keep. Although Droaam (for military reasons) and Breland (for political reasons) would like to see the outpost abandoned, House Deneith shows no sign of leaving.

Rhukaan Draal Enclave: Many of House Deneith’s goblin mercenaries rebelled in 969 YK (an event that led to the founding of Darguun). House Deneith has carefully reestablished relations with the Lhesh Haruuc (leader of the insurrection and now of Darguun). This relationship is one of convenience: Darguun gets diplomatic legitimacy through the association, and House Deneith gets a steady stream of goblin mercenaries. But some within the house are still bitter about Haruuc’s insurrection; the enclave in Darguun is a tense place to do business.

The Rhukaan Draal enclave has two parts: a diplomatic enclave within Rhukaan Draal called Fort Cail (after Lord Cail d’Deneith, who first recruited goblins to fight under the Deneith banner more than a century ago), and a fortress known as the Gathering Stone just outside the city, where many blade marks receive their initial training in large-unit tactics.

History

Source: Dragonmarked

Neutrality and Law

Throughout the Last War, Deneith maintained a position of neutrality, serving the whole of Galifar rather than any of its fractured parts. Although this position caused unrest in the house’s home of Karrnath, the Deneith patriarch, Baron Breven d’Deneith (LN male human), saw the need for a balance of idealism and practicality. Although Deneith’s military forces were nearly the equal of any kingdom, joining with one side (likely Karrnath) would have overwhelmed the house’s resources as it was targeted by the other nations.

As  it happened,  its neutral position  served Deneith well. At the Treaty of Thronehold, the right of House Deneith to maintain a standing military force was recognized once more. Further, it was agreed to allow members of the house to travel unimpeded by national boundaries for the sake of defending the Five Nations against external threats. Before the war, Deneith bodyguards made up a significant portion of the royal retinues of Galifar, services that remained in demand both during the war and after.

The central philosophy of House Deneith is built upon fulfilling the letter of the law, with contracts and codes governing every action its members take. The Sentinel Marshals serve an ideal of justice, chasing down criminals no matter where they might hide. For the Defenders and Blademarks Guilds, the law of the land is not half as important as the law of their contract, wherein their services are pledged to a nation or individual under specific circumstances and for a specific length of time. No matter what side of the house one falls on, honor, ethics, and an adherence to oaths sworn form the bulk of a Deneith heir’s reputation. One who keeps his word and fulfills expectations is valued highly, whether his heart tends to good or evil. One who is unreliable or capricious, on the other hand, will find few friends within the house.

Dissent within the Ranks

House Deneith’s position of military strength and influence in Khorvaire goes largely unchallenged. Though Deneith is not preeminent among the dragonmarked houses, it has never aspired to be. By maintaining its neutrality and refusing ties to any one nation, Deneith has instead become a force that others must rely on.

Today, however, t his reputation of strength and security means less than at any time in Deneith’s past. In the aftermath of the Last War, the house is quietly buckling under pressure from within and without, and its resources are strained to a degree that few outside the leadership see.

Karrnath's Children

House Deneith’s headquarters is in Karrlakton, and its roots are set deep in Karrnathi soil. The features and temperament of the Karrns can be found at all levels of House Deneith, from Breven d’Deneith to the mercenary captains of the Blademarks. Deneith is proud of its heritage, but the day of reckoning for that birthright might soon be at hand.

When the Last War began, House Deneith had a good excuse to claim neutrality. It served Galifar, and would continue to do so even without a crowned king or queen. That neutral stance garnered an amount of respect among the Karrns, who were content that Deneith did not serve their king as long as it served no one else.

Galifar is little more than a memory now, formally dissolved by the Treaty of Thronehold. The king of Karrnath no longer fights for a place upon the Throne of Galifar, but rather clamors for peace among his brethren. In the eyes of many of his people, Kaius III’s embrace of peace weakens his land.

This conflict of ideals is causing unrest in Karrnath, and could lead to Kaius’s undoing. At the same time, those Karrns who long for battle against the upstart nations of Khorvaire now wonder how Deneith can refuse to fight for its rightful king, especially when they imagine the glories of a shared Deneith–Karrnath army against the poor remnants of Khorvaire’s other nations. Should Kaius III be deposed and Karrnath led again to war, Deneith’s much-vaunted neutrality might be put to the test—and the sword.

Supply and Demand

For centuries, House Deneith cornered the market on mercenary forces in Khorvaire. The Blademarks Guild has done business with every major militia and town watch in the Five Nations, as well as provided security forces for other dragonmarked houses, private citizens, and expeditions across Khorvaire and beyond.

The Last War changed all this, drastically reducing the available pool of experienced soldiers and mercenaries. It was an unpleasant surprise, then, when House Tharashk entered the mercenary market in the dying days of the war. Deneith had never before encountered competition for its services on any meaningful scale, and for another house to engineer such a challenge with the help of the monstrous races of Droaam was a bitter insult.

House Deneith heirs are human, and humans make up the majority of their forces. Though a smattering of warforged, shifters, and half-elves can be found in Deneith ranks, half-orcs usually prefer to work with House Tharashk, and other races are rare. For Deneith’s work within the Five Nations, human troops were once an advantage, but the outlook in Khorvaire has changed.

In urban areas such as Sharn, civilized monsters can walk the streets without fear as long as they obey the laws of the realm. House Tharashk helped to pioneer this change, and its actions have placed the house squarely in Deneith’s sights. Deneith is determined to conquer this new mercenary market, either by wresting control from Tharashk or building its own pool of monstrous talent to draw from.

Neither house admits to any open conflict with the other, but covert clashes occur on a regular basis. If the situation escalates, the rift between the houses might well become irreparable. The dragonmarked houses have traditionally abstained from interfering in intrahouse feuds, but no houses have ever before maintained their own standing armies. Open warfare between Deneith and Tharashk is a prospect few among the dragonmarked care to dwell on.

Ambition's Thrall

Security and ambition are uneasy companions at the best of times. One requires safety, while the other demands risk. Though Deneith’s position in Khorvaire is largely secure, some within the house are convinced that security is simply another word for stagnation. They see the house’s position and wealth as resources to be spent in a larger plan, not treasures to be hoarded. With its martial strength and established presence across Khorvaire, Deneith could be the equal of any of the Five Nations and the master of all the houses. It could be Galifar reborn.

Those agitating for change within the house believe that the time for a Deneith dynasty is at hand. The house provides security for the crowned heads of the Five Nations and a substantial portion of the nobility, as well as important members of the Twelve and the dragonmarked houses. Deneith forces guard Thronehold, with the house holding the throne in stewardship until a new king or queen is crowned. How better to ensure that happens than to seize the crown for themselves?

Baron Breven d’Deneith is aware of this movement, but calls it madness. Taking the throne and setting House Deneith to rule Khorvaire would necessitate throwing away everything the house has built and stands for. Such action would pit the house against not just the Five Nations and the other dragonmarked houses, but potentially against the Chamber if the draconic Prophecy were thought to be imperiled. Deneith would be irrevocably ruined—possibly even destroying the Mark of Sentinel as a result.

Other members of his house do not share Breven’s perspective. In particular, Shirin d’Deneith (LE male human rogue 3/fighter 4/dragonmark heir 2), a minister within the house, keeps the dark dream of conquest foremost in the thoughts of house members. Though Shirin holds little power from his position alone, he is a charismatic individual. Well spoken and articulate, he has used these gifts to draw like-minded individuals to him. He has also joined the Blood of Vol, using the cult to grant him access to the Order of the Emerald Claw. In doing so, he takes a great risk, since opinion within the house might turn against him if his actions were known. If Shirin has his way, his association with the order will not be discovered until Breven is dead or deposed, and he has seized control of the house.


Source: ECG

The first humans to exhibit dragonmarks were members of a militant noble family with ancestral lands in what is now Karrnath. With the dragonmark bolstering their military prowess, the Deneith family conquered most of the region; only famine prevented them from carving out their own kingdom in what is now western Karrnath. The Deneith homeland was also the home of Karrn the Conqueror. Although he was not a member of the family, House Deneith pledged fealty to Karrn during his rise to power. When Galifar I united the Five Nations, he charged the house with the protection of his vast new realm.

The Last War: Most members of House Deneith are culturally Karrnathi, but the house refused to choose sides in the Last War. Instead, House Deneith offered mercenaries from its Blademarks Guild to all of the Five Nations. Deneith crafted its contracts to ensure that Deneith fighters would never cross swords with other Deneith. (One Cyran general was infuriated when the blademarks under his command wouldn’t attack a Deneith-guarded garrison. The Cyrans attacked the blademarks who refused to fight, but were routed by the combined forces of the blade- marks and the Deneith garrison guards.)

House Deneith generally remains at arm’s length from political maneuvering among the other dragon- marked houses. But since the Last War, it has started to make cautious moves against House Cannith and House Tharashk. The reason is simple: In the latter days of the war, both made significant inroads against Deneith’s dominance in the soldiers-for-hire market. Every warforged soldier built by House Cannith and every (sometimes monstrous) mercenary offered by House Tharashk is direct competition.

Joining House Deneith

The number of characters Deneith hires without house affiliation is at least equal to the number of true heirs in the house. Although differences in status and benefits divide hirelings from full members, Deneith respects its hirelings and treats them well. Those who stay with the house through long years of service are often granted honorary house membership in the end.

Honorary membership gives an individual the same rights as a regular member of the house, but does not confer that status to the individual’s spouse or children. However, an honorary member who is single and well respected has a greater chance of marrying into the house than a common hireling. Nonhumans can achieve honorary status, but almost never successfully marry into the family line.

Members of House Deneith serve in one of its guilds at some point in their lives, almost without exception. This obligation ensures that every member of the house is familiar with the day-to-day life of a soldier or bodyguard. Even Deneith spellcasters learn martial skills and tactics during their time in the house.

Missions and Advancement

Whether born into the house or not, no one is considered a true heir of Deneith until he has spent at least one year serving as a Blademark. If you are hired by the house, the first year of your initial two-year contract is probationary. Following that year, you are considered to have “tested your blood” and are treated as a valued member of the guild.

Though Deneith can help defer training costs or arrange specialized training for its members, house heirs consider it a mark of self-reliance to seek out training on their own. Hirelings are expected to provide their own gear and find their own mentors, while heirs of the house can seek training from within. In a sense, the Blademarks Guild is the training branch of the house, and even experienced heirs who are no longer members of the guild occasionally return for a few months to sharpen their skills.

Members of House Deneith are expected to risk their lives for their clients. Whether working as a mercenary for a minor merchant, protecting an Aundairian noble, or hunting a fugitive from justice across three nations, you are paid to put yourself in danger.

House Deneith in the World

House Deneith is a natural presence in almost any campaign. It hires adventurers to protect the nobility and royalty of the Five Nations, to work as mercenaries for private interests, or to track down criminals when the local law lacks the resources (or the inclination) to do so. It provides a built-in series of adventure hooks to keep characters busy and players involved.

House Deneith was founded centuries ago from a family of warlords in the area that would later become Karrnath. They were the fi rst humans to manifest dragonmarks, and the Mark of Sentinel was only the fourth dragonmark to appear in mainland Khorvaire. The skill of Deneith warlords in battle was already well known, and when the mark appeared in their bloodline, it only added to their fearsome reputation. For over four hundred years, they ruled over the area near modern-day Karrlakton. Then war and a cycle of famine weakened the Deneith leadership and allowed rival factions to challenge it. For nearly two hundred years, war and strife ravaged the land until the rise of its greatest ruler: Karrn the Conqueror.

Karrn was born and grew to manhood in the lands nominally held by the Deneith warlords. More than one scholar has hypothesized that Karrn might, in fact, have been a member of the Deneith bloodline, though the lack of dragonmarks in his descendants makes that unlikely. Legends tell of how the leaders of House Deneith pledged themselves to Karrn even before he began his quest for power, though their reasons for doing so have been lost to time. Deneith heirs fought at Karrn’s side from the beginning, and this ancient link of service helped shape Deneith into the house it is today.

From the founding of Karrnath, House Deneith served as both defender of the realm and enforcer of laws. When Galifar grew to adulthood and set out to create his empire, Deneith served him as well. After his kingdom was forged, Galifar I gave House Deneith the duty of defending the entire realm, increasing its jurisdiction fivefold. This new service made considerable use of the Blademarks Guild, for special assignments both in and outside the nation’s borders, and the Defenders Guild, to protect members of the nobility and dignitaries. The Sentinel Marshals were also formed during Galifar’s reign, standing as the king’s right arm against enemies of the realm.

Promotion within Deneith is based on service to the house, drawing on merit and seniority rather than bloodlines or personal favoritism.

NPC Reactions

Members of House Deneith are respected by the nobility of the Five Nations, who typically have an initial attitude of friendly toward a Deneith heir and her acquaintances. At the same time, the criminal elements of Khorvaire despise and fear the Sentinel Marshals, and thus House Deneith as a whole. Criminals who recognize characters as being from House Deneith have an attitude of unfriendly.

Symbol

The families that founded House Deneith had each prospered as independent mercenary companies. Each company had its own heraldic beast. While they couldn’t preserve each of these traditional symbols, they embraced the idea that like the chimera, their new house bound multiple beasts together into an even more fierce form.

Guilds

House Deneith is more than just the sum of its parts, but how much more is open to interpretation. The house administers two guilds—the Defenders Guild and the Blademarks Guild—as well as the order of the Sentinel Marshals. Active participation in one guild over the course of an individual’s career is mandatory; serving in both is commonplace. Deneith views the guilds as the cornerstone of its mission to protect Khorvaire from its enemies, both within and without.