House Ghallanda

As described in Dragonmarked, “Ghallanda” is the Talenta name for the blink dog. Talenta tales identify the blink dog as a helpful creature who appears to help stranded travelers: “The helpful hound who appears where needed the most.” It’s Eberron’s answer to the Saint Bernard with the barrel of booze on its neck.

House Ghallanda doesn’t just run inns and restaurants; they are the masters of the urban social arena. They know what to do to make their clients comfortable. A Ghallanda fixer is the person who can get you anything. He may employ members of other houses to accomplish that – turning to Sivis, Medani, or Tharashk, among others – but the point is, the concierge at the Gold Dragon Inn can get you anything. You can just as easily have crisis managers and cleaners – the branch of Ghallanda who takes care of things when there’s a dead body in the prince’s room or when the Countess overdoses on the dreamlily the concierge obtained for her. Ghallanda also has its promoters who build up celebrities to help as draw to Ghallanda events and locations.

More than 3,000 years ago, the Mark of Hospitality started appearing among the nomadic half ling tribes of the Talenta Plains. Those who manifested the mark tended to congregate together and eventually took the name Ghallanda, meaning “helpful hounds.” Moving from oasis to outpost across eastern Khorvaire, the Ghallandas offered food and shelter to any fellow travelers, and they were instrumental in quelling feuds, monster depredations, and other local concerns at each stop.

When Karrn the Conqueror explored the Talenta Plains, the other dragon marked houses discovered the Ghallandas. After countless hours at the bargaining table, the other houses recognized the Ghallandas as a full-fledged house, and House Ghallanda started spreading across Khorvaire, first establishing inns and taverns and then constructing enclaves from the Barren Sea to the Lhazaar Sea.

The Last War: When House Deneith mercenaries marched into battle early in the Last War, they had a contingent from House Ghallanda marching with them to provide food and shelter in the field. Other armies noticed how useful the magical creations of the Ghallandas were, and eventually all sides were hiring House Ghallanda to furnish provisions and supplies for their rear echelons. In the chaos of war, House Ghallanda sometimes found itself on the front lines, and its promises to remain a noncombatant weren’t always kept. As a result, House Ghallanda has more than a few capable veteran soldiers among its ranks today.

The Mark of Hospitality manifested among the nomadic halflings of the Talenta Plains approximately thirty-two hundred years ago. For those accustomed to the hard life of the plains, the powers of the mark were a boon. The halflings knew nothing of the draconic Prophecy, concluding instead that the marks were a divine blessing, and that those so blessed were obliged to use this gift to help others in need. The majority of marked halflings chose to follow this call, coming together to form a new tribe. A number of ancient Talenta legends involved blink dogs helping stranded travelers, and the tribe drew on this tradition when they adopted the name of Ghallanda, a Halfling word that roughly translates as “helpful hound who appears where needed the most.”

For centuries, halflings of the Ghallanda tribe roamed the Talenta Plains, offering food and shelter to the needy. They sponsored glorious feasts for the heroes of the plains, standing apart from feuds and tribal conflicts. The helpful hounds were welcome in every camp and assisted people of all tribes.

Karrn soldiers first explored the Talenta Plains when Karrn the Conqueror sought to spread his rule across all Khorvaire. The Talenta halflings were puzzled by these large and unwieldy creatures, but the Ghallanda tribe had vowed to help all who were in need. Soldiers returned with tales of little people using magical marks to conjure food and castles from the air. These tales intrigued the other dragonmarked families, and House Cannith and House Sivis organized a joint expedition that led them to discover both the Ghallanda and Jorasco dragonmarked.

Despite their altruistic traditions, the elders of the Ghallanda were no fools. Even those who desired to leave the plains and explore foreign lands did not intend to do so as servants. They agreed to work with the other houses, provided those houses would help them find a foothold in their lands. After much negotiating, House Ghallanda was born.

It took some time for House Ghallanda to spread its roots. Many humans considered the halflings to be cousins to the goblins, who were largely oppressed and enslaved at the time. The Ghallanda halfl ings had often served as mediators in their homelands, and they used their skill and charm at every level of society as they carved out a niche in the young Five Nations. During the confl ict of the War of the Mark, the Ghallanda halflings proved their worth by supplying and supporting dragonmarked forces in the field. This effort gained them the support of the other houses and secured their place among the Twelve.

Over the next thousand years, House Ghallanda spread across Khorvaire, and today it is one of the most trusted houses in the land. Though some claim that House Cannith caused the Day of Mourning, or blame House Deneith for the Darguun uprising, few people have harsh words for the halfl ings of Ghallanda—at least as long as the ale is flowing

Although some other houses seek exceptional talent or skills in nonblood members, almost any halfling who can win the heart of a Ghallanda heir is welcome to marry into the house. In accordance with tradition, no heir of House Jorasco has ever married into House Ghallanda, but on a few rare occasions, halfl ings with aberrant dragonmarks have married Ghallanda heirs—a practice that would be all but impossible in any other dragonmarked house.

Members of House Ghallanda commonly work at one of the house’s bound businesses. Experts, commoners, and magewrights perform the everyday tasks of the house, while rogues often serve as bouncers and security consultants, dealing with threats as quickly and quietly as possible. Bards and rogues also work to help the house establish and maintain its web of connections, making contacts among the nobility as easily as among the criminal underworld.

The first step to rising in the ranks of House Ghallanda is to have an interest in doing so. Most heirs are more concerned with running their own inns and restaurants than overseeing the international affairs of a dragonmarked house. Develop your conversational skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive) in addition to one or more Profession skills. You must learn to master your emotions, and to approach others with disarming warmth regardless of your true feelings. Agents of the house are evaluated on temperament as well as talent. Ghallanda banks on its reputation for hospitality, and an unfriendly halfl ing won’t rise far in the house.

Your house has little tradition of adventure. You were raised to appreciate comfort, conversation, good drink, and hot food—not to wield a blade or smite enemies with force and fire. Do not make the easy mistake of assuming that all members of your house are good or altruistic, however. Social connections are valuable tools, and the man who is friends with the crime lord, the merchant, and the king has three powerful weapons for dealing with his enemies. You might be a charming and witty fellow who loves nothing more than a good chat—or you might be a calculating individual using your family’s reputation to help you win allies who will serve you one day.

As a member of House Ghallanda, you need to decide what has drawn you to adventure and away from the comforts of home. Perhaps the tales of the Wandering Inn fill you with a desire to escape the cities and test your skills in the wilds. Perhaps you intend to open an inn of your own and are adventuring to raise gold—though by the time you earn it, you might find the life of the innkeeper too dull for your tastes. You could be an enthusiastic young cook on a quest to acquire the culinary secrets of other cultures and ages. Like many Ghallanda heirs, you might adventure simply to meet useful contacts, whether in the interests of the house or for your own personal gain.

As an agent of Ghallanda, you will often be asked to perform favors for house allies, thus strengthening the ties between you. On Mol, you might help a merchant deal with a band of extortionists; on Wir, you could be sent to collect rare components for an infl uential wizard in the local circle. It is impossible to predict what mission a particular day might bring.

House Ghallanda is one of the most widespread dragonmarked houses. It maintains enclaves, but not on the scale of a massive Cannith forgehold or one of the Phiarlan demesnes. Instead, its families are spread across hundreds of inns and hostels, any of which can serve as a temporary shelter for a wandering heir. More than any other house, Ghallanda is a ubiquitous presence in the world. Even if a village doesn’t have a tavern run by an actual Ghallanda heir, there’s a decent chance it has a Ghallanda-licensed inn or hostel, even in Darguun or Droaam. Adventurers who build a relationship with the house can find allies across Khorvaire, while those who offend an innkeeper do so at their peril. A Ghallanda bartender might not pose a physical threat, but the conversations he has heard and the friends he has made give him far more influence than an adventurer might expect.

When Ghallanda spread to civilized lands, it adopted the dragonmarked hierarchy established by House Sivis and House Cannith. Every region is governed by a council of viceroys, and Patriarch Yoren d’Ghallanda (CG male halfling) leads the house from Gatherhold in the Talenta Plains. One of the oddities of the house is that viceroys often maintain businesses of their own. Yoren himself is a master chef, and spends almost as much time in the kitchens of his great hall as he does in the council chambers.

On the Plains, an older hierarchy endures in the form of the Wandering Inn. The Ghallanda halflings who make up this traveling fair follow the ways of their tribal ancestors, providing a nomadic place of refuge for the Talenta halflings living outside Gatherhold’s walls. Though the Wandering Inn seldom leaves the plains, small splinter groups carrying on its traditions have been encountered in Q’barra and Valenar in recent years. Tales are even told of weary adventurers fleeing the Mournland who have stumbled upon a bright wagon of the Wandering Inn and the safety of the Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion inside.

The Wandering Inn is largely isolated from the main house. The halflings of the inn abhor the idea of settling in cities, while house heirs outside the plains often consider the life of the Inn to be rough and uncivilized. Young halflings are sometimes drawn to explore the path on the opposite side of the house, though, and these ambassadors keep the bonds between the Inn and the main house strong.

Ghallanda halflings have never bothered with family names. Though the original Ghallanda tribe was formed from dozens of different families, the names of these original tribes were abandoned within a generation of the Mark of Hospitality’s first appearance.

Though people are often fond of the Ghallanda halfl ings they deal with on a regular basis, heirs of Ghallanda typically receive an indifferent reaction from strangers. Because of the strong economic ties between the houses, members of House Phiarlan, House Thuranni, and House Jorasco are often friendly toward heirs of Ghallanda.

The presence of the Wandering Inn means that heirs of Ghallanda are usually welcomed by the people of the Talenta Plains. An heir of Ghallanda can improve the attitude of hostile, unfriendly, or indifferent tribal halfl ings by one category by revealing her dragonmark or offering aid to the tribe. Excoriates and orphans have abused this trust in the past, but the viceroys of the house and the elders of the Wandering Inn go to great lengths to seek out and punish such dishonor.

House Ghallanda’s oldest and most important enclave is the great hall of Gatherhold, on the edge of the Talenta Plains. Located on the eastern shore of Lake Cyre, this area has long been a border between the Five Nations and the eastern wilds. In the aftermath of the Day of Mourning, the hall became a haven for the adventurers and scholars exploring the eastern Mournland.

Gatherhold is an ancient cliff dwelling, filled with tunnels and warrens carved into the rocky hills that run along the lake. Patriarch Yoren presides over a great hall at the center of the town, but House Ghallanda maintains the entire community for the nomadic tribes who come and go with the seasons.

Though House Ghallanda does not run every inn or restaurant, the cheerful halfl ing barkeep is a common fi xture in central Khorvaire. In the wild regions in and around the plains, adventurers might fi nd assistance from members of the Wandering Inn. Whether in the plains or the cities, Ghallanda NPCs can make the quiet moments in an inn or tavern more memorable. If you don’t have time to come up with a distinctive hostel for a town the party passes through, the Gold Dragon Inn is there for you. Want a little color? Throw in a Talenta troop performing a traditional dance—with clawfeet in the act.

The house’s interest in networking can make a Ghallanda heir a valuable contact for PCs. If the characters manage to earn the friendship of a Ghallanda innkeeper, they might discover a connection to the black market, a friend of the captain of the city guard, or an envoy capable of arranging a meeting with the mayor. However, an innkeeper who does favors for the party typically asks favors in return, often on behalf of his other friends.

When the PCs (inevitably) anger the local authorities, they can seek refuge at a nearby House Ghallanda enclave. Doing so buys them a measure of safety and time to extricate themselves from whatever trouble they’re in. House Ghallanda won major concessions in the Treaty of Thronehold, making its enclaves legally nations in their own right. More important, House Ghallanda keeps a strong garrison at each enclave to discourage local authorities from invading the enclave to seize any fugitives inside.

Ghallanda enclaves aren’t free—they’re the equivalent of fine hotels (although depending on the enclave’s location, it might not have the amenities to match its price). As long as the PCs are well behaved within the walls of an enclave, they can remain until their money runs out. Violence is grounds for being kicked out of an enclave (sometimes even when it’s self-defense), and so is repeatedly sneaking in and out of one. The viceroy in charge of each enclave is by necessity a shrewd negotiator. If House Ghallanda is being pressured to turn over the PCs, then the viceroy will stand firm, but might ask the PCs for extra compensation (probably a quest performed on behalf of the house) to cover the extra effort required to maintain the PCs’ sanctuary.

When it comes time for the PCs to leave an enclave, House Ghallanda will show them the front door if they’ve been troublesome guests, or a secret way out if they’ve been well behaved and helpful.

Travelers and explorers making their way across Khorvaire, especially in out-of-the-way areas, often find themselves in need of a safe place to spend the night. Thanks to the efforts of House Ghallanda, there’s no better place to take a rest than at one of the hundreds of Gold Dragon Inns that the house operates.

Every city, most towns, and even some villages have a Gold Dragon Inn, and a large city might boast several. Every major road through the countryside has Gold Dragon Inns along much of its length, spaced roughly a day’s travel apart. Sometimes an inn is the nucleus of a small community whose industry is focused on providing for the needs of travelers. A few Gold Dragon Inns are found in locations that offer no other comforts for the weary traveler — for example, high in a pass through the Byeshk Mountains, deep in the Karrnwood, or beneath the surface of the Mror Holds.

Inn Features and Amenities

Every Gold Dragon Inn provides a standard menu of reliable services at reasonable rates. Prices are fixed (equal to those given in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook), and the quality of services is reliably modest, with some comfortable upgrades available. Every inn uses one of a small number of possible floor plans, and every inn’s restaurant offers the same menu.

The size and number of guest rooms can vary from inn to inn: a small roadside inn has four rooms and a moderately sized common room, while a thriving inn in a large city has forty rooms, a restaurant, and a separate common room, with two stages for entertainment. Because the inns are owned by House Ghallanda, the buildings all include accommodations for halfling-sized guests as well as taller folk.

Because travelers often carry valuables with them, each inn has a heavy strongbox secured with an arcane lock spell. To make a traveler’s stay more enjoyable, perhaps even memorable, House Ghallanda has arranged with House Thuranni and House Phiarlan to employ guild-licensed entertainers at almost every Gold Dragon Inn.

To populate an inn with some distinctive individuals, you can use the Mysterious Passengers table.

Inn Attractions

The Inn Attractions table offers some ideas for unique twists on an inn’s character or atmosphere.

Inn Attractions