Dragonmarked Houses - House Kundarak
Money makes the world go 'round, no matter where you are. House Kundarak controls the coin in Khovaire, making it arguably the most powerful house in all of the land. Not surprisingly, it is a Dwarven house as those bearded bastards always seem to have an unlimited amount of gold to dig out of the ground. Their services are in high demand by the rich and powerful, regional governments and, most importantly, the other eleven dragonmarked houses. Their banks are located throughout Khovaire, and those who store their riches at any of these banks can retrieve them no matter where they are thanks to the system of extradimensional vaults used by the dwarves. So let's take a look at the history, development, and current status of the Kundarak House. Who knows, someday you too may be wealthy enough to have use of their services.
House Kundarak
Dragonmark - Mark of Warding
Race - Dwarf
Traits - ASI Increase, Warder’s Intuition, Wards and Seals, Spells of the Marl
Headquarters - Ironroot Mountains, Mror Holds (Korunda Gate)
Patriarch/Matriarch - Morrikan d'Kundarak
Emblem - Manticore
Guilds - Banking Guild, Warding Guild
History
In general, dwarves are a prideful lot, and the dwarves of Eberron were no different than those found on the material plane. The ancient clans fought over pretty much everything; land, gold, and of course, pride. Eventually, the dwarves unified, creating one dwarven kingdom. Of course, there's always those that don't want to go with the flow and twelve of the clans just wouldn't go along. The ruler of the new dwarven kingdom, Lord Kordran Mror, exiled these rabble-rousers to the surface. The dwarves did not need to ever go to the surface, so they sealed the gates to the mountain using powerful magic. Sealing the gateway not only stopped the exiled clans from going home but sealed the remaining dwarves inside. It turned out to be a little short-sighted, but we'll get to that in a second. Before sealing the gates, the banished land clans were told they could come back once they figured out how to find their honor and stop causing trouble.
Now the twelve clans deserved this punishment by dwarven traditions, but clan Kundarak was sent with them as their wardens, keeping an eye on them so that if they ever figured out how to stop being jackasses, could open the gates and allow them to return. In a nutshell, clan Kundarak got royally screwed, banished for no other reason than they were a bunch of responsible dwarves. For the next few thousand years, the exiled clans kept fighting amongst themselves. During this time, the Mark of Warding manifested within clan Kundarak, which led to even more fighting, as the remainder of the clans grew jealous over the power the mark brought them.
Salvation came in the most unlikely of forms. During their expansion, Galifar took possession of the mountains. The dwarves, without a unified front, could do nothing to stop this from happening. The twelve clans, forced to bow to a king they refused to recognize, finally found something to united them. Their pride bonded them, and they created a common culture, thereby discovering the honor they had been long searching for. The heirs of clan Kundarak, realizing that the exiled dwarves had met the requirements to return to the dwarven lands under the mountain, opened the gates. To their horror, they found only the remnants of the mighty dwarven kingdom, as it had been laid to waste by the daelkyr.
While this must have been devastating, it also freed clan Kundarak from their duties as wardens. Aware of the power bestowed upon them with the Mark of Warding, they set out to make their mark (pun intended) amongst the surface dwellers. With the aid on another vertically challenged race, the gnomes of House Sivis, and the gnomes of Zilargo, clan Kundarak became House Kundarak. They were one of the last of the dragonmarked houses to be established (CY 106), with only House Tharashk (CY 498) and House Thuranni (CY 972) becoming established houses after them. Over the next eight centuries, House Kundarak slowly developed a reputation amongst the other races throughout Khovaire as the leaders in banking and financial security. By the beginning of the Last War, only a few of these institutions were not under the control of House Kundarak, and it was them that the Five nations turned to fund their war machines. During the war, the twelve dwarven clans of Mror took the opportunity to tell Karrnath to go fuck off, and they declared their independence. The clans established the Iron Council, where one member of each clan held a seat, the council was the governing body for the clans. Because of the Korth Edicts put in place at the end of the war, House Kundarak is unable to hold a seat on the council. Still, they were crucial in its creation, providing the newly independent waves the financial backing they needed to free themselves from Karrnath's rule successfully. Because of this, House Kundarak's influence permeates through the council.
The Mark of Warding
In 3.5e, the Mark of Warding was a series of three feats that focuses on healing spells. The first feat was the Least Dragonmark feat, and the series culminated with the Greater Dragonmark feat. The prestige class in this edition was the Silver Keys. These dwarves were the elite members of the KeyGuard, who designed the formidable security that protects the vast wealth stored within the banks of House Kundarak. The Silver Keys are also responsible for testing these defenses by intentionally trying to bypass guards, wards, and locks. Silver Keys have a plethora of sneaky abilities that enable them to complete their roles. Some, but by no means all, of these abilities and traits, included: Trap Master, which grants a +1 insight bonus to all matters concerning trap and wards, +3 at 7th, and +4 at 10th). Crafty Hands, the ability to manipulate mechanical devices with your mind, Invisibility, and Master of Doors, a powerful skill that allows an heir to make use of any magic door or portal you come across, bypass arcane lock spells, ignore glyphs of warding as though you knew the password (even glyphs that have no password), avoid the magic of a hold portal, follow another character through a phase door, and can enter anyone's Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion…even without knocking!
Least: Alarm, arcane lock, fire trap or misdirection 1/day; +2 bonus on Search checks
Lesser: Explosive runes, glyph of warding or nondetection 1/day
Greater: Mordenkainen's faithful hound, a greater glyph of warding or guards and wards 1/day
4th edition changed the focus of the Mark of Making, focusing its abilities around defense and buffs. The paragon path was the Kundarak Ghorad' din, a collection of thieves who tested security defenses and were responsible for the recovery of stolen property. They functioned much like the 5th edition Arcane Trickster, combining spellcasting with their natural roguish abilities. Used when all other methods have been exhausted, the Ghorad'din is called upon, answering only to Lord Morrikan, leader of House Kundarak. There also rumors of the Ghorad'din who operate as assassins, whose role is to make those that would dare steal from House Kundarak pay the ultimate price. Ghorad'din abilities included
Befuddling Pass - Modifier damage, the target is immobilized, and no opportunity attacks from the target.
Thwart the Walls - Gain insubstantial and phasing.
Ward Unleashed - Dispel nearby wards and use their power to impede enemies.
Today
House Kundadak still provides banking and security throughout Khovaire, but the scope of their services has broadened even further. If you are looking to train as a locksmith, security expert, or become a creator of protection devices, the Defenders Guild is where you'll want to learn, as it is the premier organization in this field. Previously known as the Warding Guild, it is made up of three groups. The Golden Door is responsible for the creation of elaborate and costly security devices, such as complex locks and magic wards. Iron Gatekeepers are dwarf guards who supplement House Kundarak's magical wards, traps, and defenses. Finally, there are the Vault Keepers, who guard the great vaults at Korunda Gate.
The Banking Guild is in charge of a wide array of activities, from offering credit to certifying a silversmith. Accountants of any worth also seek to obtain the guild's approval, and without it, they are seen as unscrupulous and untrustworthy. The expansion of Kundarak banks continues throughout Khovaire, and they are all run by the Banking Guild and are protected by wards and house guards provided by House Kundarak.
House Kundarak continues to maintain a close alliance with House Sivis, remembering the assistance they provided in becoming a full-fledged house. With the return of the daelkyr, House Kundarak is assisting the Mror dwarves in any way possible, including establishing relationships with the Gatekeeper druids. The primary mission of these druids is the protection of Eberron some such creatures as aberrations, fiends, and any other forces that are not of this world. Vigilant for extraplanar incursions, it is their work maintaining the seals that hold the Daelkyr in Khyber. That is the primary reason House Kundarak has sought them out.
In the 5th edition, the Mark of Warding is a dwarf subrace with the following traits:
ASI - Intelligence increases by 1.
Warder's Intuition. When you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check or an ability check using thieves' tools, you can add a d4
Wards and Spells - Can cast Alarm and Mage Armor and at 3rd level can cast Arcane lock. Can cast one per long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability.
Spells of the Mark - Spells that include Alarm, Knock, Glyph of Warding, and Mordenkainen's faithful hound. Must have spellcasting ability.
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