1. Locations

The Three Towers

Enclave

The Sentinel House maintains a fortified enclave in Copper Arch. This includes a garrison for the Blademark soldiers who serve as the private watch of the Ward. Beyond the garrison lies a private mansion accessible only to the Sharn Deneith, and it is here that the Deneith hone their psionic abilities and practice psionic combat. If a Deneith heir from outside Sharn tries to enter the facility, she is told that the enclave is restricted and directed to the main enclave in Dragon Towers.

Secret

On the surface, House Deneith plays the same role in Sharn as it does in most of the major cities of Khorvaire—it provides soldiers and bodyguards to anyone with gold. In addition to the nearly two hundred members of the Deneith bloodline who reside in Sharn, the house employs a host of mercenary warriors.

The Blademark of Sharn includes 500 soldiers—49 heirs of Deneith and a host of Brelish conscripts. Many of these warriors fought in the Last War; today they serve as private security for the wealthiest citizens of Sharn. Many of the lords and merchants of the Upper-City employ the services of Deneith mercenaries; they have a particularly strong presence in Upper Tavick’s Landing, where they have equal authority with the Sharn Watch. Most of the remaining heirs of Deneith serve in the Defender’s Guild, and there are nine Sentinel Marshals in residence. More information on the structure and services provided by the house can be found in Chapter 4.

While it seems like a typical Deneith enclave to the casual observer, the Sharn household is anything but ordinary. Almost a century ago the Sharn enclave was compromised by the Dreaming Dark, and today it is a stronghold of shadows. At the start of the Last War, the Inspired dominator Tirashana used mind seed to seize control of the lord of the household, and through him she spread her influence throughout the enclave. While the enclave serves the Dreaming Dark, most of its members have no idea that they are in league with the Inspired. In the guise of the Deneith patriarch, Tirashana began teaching psionic techniques to the defenders. Over the course of a century of indoctrination, she has taught the Sharn Deneith to see themselves as the forerunners of a new race, superior to humans because of their dragonmarks and raised above the dragonmarked by their psychic abilities. Even those who deal directly with the Inspired believe that they are working together as equal partners. In fact, there is little difference between the leaders of the house and the Inspired. The heirs that show the greatest promise are carefully indoctrinated and prepared for the “ascension,” the ceremony that opens up their true potential. This ritual simply involves possession by a quori spirit, but the Deneith have been trained to believe that this spirit is the manifestation of their own psyche and thus individuals serve as willing partners. There are fifteen members of the Sharn Deneith who have been possessed by Tsucora spirits; the fiend that dominates the lord of the house is of a greater order.

Under the tutelage of the Dreaming Dark, the Sharn Deneith have become masters of intrigue and subtlety. They carefully conceal their psionic powers from outsiders, and even visiting Deneith heirs do not notice anything strange about the enclave. The Sharn Deneith maintain a separate facility in Copper Arch where they hone their psionic skills; there is nothing about the Dragon Towers enclave that suggests the strange alliance of the heirs. The Sharn Deneith primarily serve the Dark by gathering information. As the bodyguards and guardians of the wealthy and elite citizens of Sharn, the heirs of Deneith are privy to many of the secrets of the city, and they hold the keys to the doors of the great and powerful.

While they can occasionally allow a “failure in security” to occur, the Sharn Deneith need to be careful to preserve the reputation of the house and avoid drawing suspicion upon the enclave. A Deneith bodyguard protects his charge from all dangers—but he also memorizes every conversation and every event for the benefit of the Dark. And if the Inspired ever did move openly against Sharn, the Blademark and the Defenders Guild would be able to launch a devastating first strike from within the city.

Prominent NPCs: The lord of the household is Sadran d’Deneith (LE male possessed human fighter 2/psychic warrior 6/dragonmarked heir 2). A lean man with iron-gray hair and piercing gray eyes, Sadran is the third lord of the house to carry a quori spirit. His son Sadral (LE male human fighter 3/psychic warrior 3) is the heir to the enclave. Currently he is the host of a tsucora spirit, but he will become the next host of Sadran’s quori spirit when his father dies.

The enclave includes nine Sentinel Marshals. The most accomplished of these are Lalia d’Deneith (LE female possessed human psychic warrior 4/ ranger 3) and Tasra d’Deneith (LE female possessed human telepath 4/ranger 1/master inquisitive 2), identical twin sisters who both bear the Lesser Mark of Sentinel and carry tsucora spirits. Lalia specializes in tracking fugitives through the wilderness, while Tasra knows the seedy areas of Sharn like the back of her hand. The two sisters have a cruel sense of humor, and enjoy toying with their quarry during a hunt.