“I swear to uphold and defend the Code of Galifar with
heart, mind, soul, and steel until Galifar is reunited and
at peace. I swear to follow the Code and to administer it
justly and impartially, without respect to wealth or position,
throughout the Five Nations and beyond”
—Opening lines of the Sentinel Marshal oath
Hailing from an ancient line of warlords and mercenaries, Sentinel Marshals are the quintessential elite
in law enforcement in Eberron. Contracted to pursue
criminals across national borders and beyond into
uncivilized realms, they are an international police
force dispensed by House Deneith. The Sentinel
Marshals hold a reputation of honor, courage, and
neutrality unrivaled by traditional chivalric agencies.
Where royal courts, churches, and noble houses produce knights sworn to feudal lords, House Deneith
produces knights sworn to the immortal ideology of a
vanished kingdom. Their devotion to justice is second
to none.
The life of a Sentinel Marshal is far from easy, and
even the men and women who meet its formidable
standards seldom choose it. Most marshals travel
constantly, work alone, and regularly cross blades
with ruthless outlaws. More than mere soldiers of
House Deneith, they are agents of justice and the law,
warrior-diplomats who traverse physical and political
hazards every day.
Sentinel Marshals aren’t flawless in their actions.
They are, however, expected to be.
History and Marshal Law
Nearly a thousand years ago, King Galifar III
instructed the patriarch of House Deneith to form an
elite order numbering no more than three hundred
swords to assist the Galifar Guard in upholding the
law. Further charged with bringing fugitives to justice, the Sentinel Marshals were assembled from the
most venerated heirs of the house and became well
known throughout the great kingdom. Many of these
noble warriors were household names who others
looked up to or feared.
Where House Deneith was Galifar’s shield, the
Sentinel Marshals had become its blazing sword,
striking down enemies of the realm within and without. Upon the death of King Jarot in 894 YK and the
dispute over his succession, House Deneith and the
Marshals struggled to smother the sparks of war.
But when bloodshed could not be quelled and the
Last War raged in earnest, the Marshals turned their
efforts to the conduct of the war and universal observance of the Galifar Code of Justice, hoping to restore
order when the kingdom was reunited.
Galifar was not restored. Under the Treaty of
Thronehold in 996 YK, which ended the centurylong conflict, the Marshals retained their role as
officers of the Code. They were granted the right
to cross national boundaries—hard lines that now
divided the continent—to enforce the laws of the Code
and punish those who defied it.
As a branch of the world’s most powerful mercenary organization, the Sentinel Marshals operate by
contract. Although they are authorized to enact justice beyond the auspices of the dragonmarked houses,
enforcing the Code of Galifar and even the Korth
Edicts, they are not above the law.
At first blush, Marshals—who are hired to capture
or kill outlaws—might seem comparable to bounty
hunters, but they live by an imperial oath and high
moral standards. Yet Marshals are not expected
to work for free; they might serve the ideals of justice, but the lords of Deneith earn lots of coin in the
process.
Marshals cannot be hired for just any mission.
Only proven criminals or malevolent monsters are
pursued, and if there is any doubt as to the target’s
guilt, Marshals might be instructed to arrest, not slay,
their quarry. They are enforcers hired to track down
criminals, not to determine guilt or solve mysteries,
and yet justice is not always so easily served. Sometimes it begets investigation, and many Marshals,
becoming invested in their work, make an effort to
look beyond the obvious or readily apparent.
Today, fewer than two hundred Sentinel Marshals
exist. Only nine reside regularly in Sharn, the City
of Towers, with three or four stationed in most major
cities of Khorvaire at any given time. Their central
offices are located in Sentinel Tower in the city of
Karrlakton, and all Marshals inevitably return there
to report, train, or receive new assignments.
Marshals and the Code
The jurisdiction of the Sentinel Marshals is extensive
but not without limit. The Galifar Code of Justice
recognizes and protects the twelve sovereign nations
acknowledged by the Treaty of Thronehold. Beyond
these lands—in places such as Droaam, the Shadow
Marches, and Xen’drik—a Sentinel Marshal carries
only as much authority as he or she can exert. For
example, a Marshal has the right to apprehend a
criminal in Stormreach if the crime was committed
on Brelish soil, but the Marshal should expect no support from the Storm Lords.
The Code of Galifar includes laws that forbid
murder, theft, assault, fraud, smuggling, dueling, the
misuse of magic, and even treasure hunting without a letter of marque. Resisting arrest carries steep
penalties, and Host save the criminal who dares to
kill a Sentinel Marshal. The full wrath of the law will
follow such a wrongdoer for life.
The Code does not protect all creatures. It does not
cover criminals (who forfeit all rights), the undead,
and citizens of nations not recognized by the Treaty
of Thronehold. For example, slaying a shifter from
Graywall in the city of Sharn carries no penalty. The
killing is not considered murder in the eyes of the
Code because Droaam is not a sovereign nation.
A Marshal's Career Path
Not everyone can become a Sentinel Marshal. Under
normal circumstances, only blood members of House
Deneith qualify. A dragonmark is not required, but
those who possess one enjoy a measure of esteem that
their peers must work harder to achieve.
An heir of Deneith who aspires to become a Marshal usually begins as a member of the Blademarks
Guild, then transfers to the Defenders Guild. Exemplary performance in both of those services earns
an applicant consideration as a full-fledged Sentinel
Marshal. A proven soldier must demonstrate honor,
obedience to the chain of command, and dedication to the Galifar Code of Justice. Exceptions to this
career path can be made, but only with direct sponsorship by one of the ruling lords of Sentinel Tower.
Ultimately, it is merit, not age or family connections,
that determines a Marshal’s status. All Sentinel Marshals report to the Lords Seneschal and, nominally, to
Baron Breven.
Signs of Authority
A Sentinel Marshal is required to identify herself and
her office when making an arrest. The uniform of a
Marshal is a black or purple surcoat worn over armor.
The cloth is sewn with silver thread and emblazoned
with elements of the Deneith crest. Marshals are not
required to wear this uniform at all times, but it’s
helpful when one needs to invoke one’s authority.
For times out of uniform, each Marshal is issued
an elaborate badge of office. For one, it might be a
special document sealed in a metal case. For another,
it might be a brooch displaying the chimera heads of
the Deneith coat of arms and worn as a cloak pin.
When a Marshal has demonstrated exceptional
service, her superiors might give her an honor blade.
Honor blades represent the glory of House Deneith
and the special veneration of the Sentinel Marshals.
Such weapons are never sold, and a Sentinel Marshal
who finds an honor blade in the possession of anyone
other than a Marshal is required to recover it.
Adventuring Marshals
Sentinel Marshals undertake many types of missions
and have many reasons to travel. They receive assignments within Deneith enclaves throughout Khorvaire
and sometimes beyond, such as in the house’s Stormreach enclave. Between missions, a Marshal’s time is
her own. She can travel with allies provided that she
checks in at Deneith outposts whenever possible.
In times of crisis, Sentinel Marshals have the
power to deputize worthy allies—especially other warriors or other members of House Deneith—to assist
them. This title does not grant allies the full authority
of a Sentinel Marshal, but it legitimizes their presence
and recognizes their aid if the mission is later scrutinized. Depending on the circumstances, a Marshal’s
allies might be debriefed afterward, rewarded for
their efforts, and asked to help again.
A typical assignment for a Sentinel Marshal is to
find (and kill, if necessary) a known and dangerous
criminal. Such criminals are usually of the worst
sort—the ones who leave town, consort with unsavory
fellow outlaws, make fiendish alliances, and don’t
play fair.
Sentinel Marshals are also special operatives, not
just law officers. One might be asked to assist in a
diplomatic mission to Droaam, seize a shipment of
Xen’drik relics from pirates on the Thunder Sea, or
save an Eldeen village from a dragon roused by the
Lords of Dust.
Having a Sentinel Marshal in the party provides
an excellent plot device for the DM. Marshals also
receive pay and rewards for each job they take,
which is a means for your DM to deliver treasure.
Baron Breven d’Deneith might have special items in
his vaults or connections that can be used to reveal
where such items might be found.
The missions assigned to you, as an adventuring
Marshal, are suitable for your skills and those of your
known associates and regular deputies. If you are a
rogue, you might be ordered to infiltrate a thieves’
guild and slay the vampire lord that rules it. If you are
a fighter, you might be sent to defeat an ettin terrorizing Breland’s western borders.
You’re not always on duty, so you can go on adventures that have nothing do with your house. Nor are
you required to chase down a cutpurse in the streets
or arrest a merchant you see committing fraud unless
you’ve been hired to do so. Yet you retain the right to
enact justice whenever you deem it necessary. Some
Marshals are callous about their authority, enforcing
the law only in certain cases or when they’re required
to do so. Others cannot stand idle when they witness
even the pettiest crimes. It’s up to you to decide where
you fall on the spectrum of justice.
Remember that you don’t have to kill every foe.
Sometimes you’re the good guy who drags the bad
guys back to the city to face the music. But just as
often, you need to be the judge, jury, and executioner
who gets the job done by any means necessary. Usually, a fugitive’s head is proof enough that he’s no
longer a threat.