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