Jun 12

Jun 12 Dragonmarked Houses - House Ghallanda

Next up in the Dragonmarked House series in the halfling house of hospitality, House Ghallanda. Travelers throughout Khovaire know that the blink dog seal means delicious food, excellent ale, and a place to rest one's weary head. Exceptional service is a hallmark of these establishments, as the proprietors have the resources to provide a variety of different services that the competition doesn't. The relationships the House members form with the local gives them a wealth of information they might share if you're willing to trade favors. Whether you are looking for a bottle of the most exceptional wine in the region or a weaponsmith of the highest skill, these dragonmarked heirs can point you in the right direction.

House Ghallanda

Dragonmark - Mark of Hospitality
Race - Halfling
Traits - ASI Increase, Ever Hospitable, Innkeeper's Magic, Spells of the Mark
Headquarters - Gatherhold (Talenta Plains)
Patriarch/Matriarch - Yoren d'Ghallanda
Emblem - Blink Dog
Guilds - Hostelers Guild, Dragontail Guild, Dawn Builders Guild

History

Eberron halflings are from Eastern Khorvaire, who formed nomadic tribes that wandered the region. Roaming the lands of Eastern Khovaiore, the first dragonmarks appeared amongst the race. Far away from where the other dragonmarks had begun to manifest, they knew nothing of the Draconic Prophecy and instead saw the marks as a divine blessing that obligated them to help those in need of assistance. As the nomadic tribes of dragonmarked halflings traveled throughout the Talenta Plains, they would feed the hungry, render aid, provide lodging to those that needed it. They held lavish parties and feasts for the region's mightiest heroes, serving only the most excellent wines and food. Above all, they always remained neutral, not taking sides in tribal wars or feuds between families.

It was during the time of Karrn the Conqueror that the other dragonmarked houses learned of the dragonmarked halflings of Ghallanda. As Karrn pushed eastward, seeking to expand his empire, he came across the Ghallandians. They offered him and his followers the same hospitality they had been providing the local tribes for centuries. The humans were a strange and foreign race to them, and the humans, in turn, spoke of a race of friendly little people whose warmth and generosity was matched only by the food and lodging they were able to provide, as if by magic. When word of this mysterious race reached the heirs of House Cannith and House Sivis, they put together a joint expedition to Eastern Khovaire, where they found the dragonmarked halflings. Goodwill and decency do not equal stupidity, and the halflings spent years negotiating with the other houses for their autonomy, lest they become mere indentured servants to the other houses. Eventually, both parties came to an agreement that created House Ghallanda. They would provide their trademarked hospitality services to the other houses and, in return, would be allowed to migrate westward and establish themselves alongside the more established houses. Upon becoming House Ghallanda, they took the blink dog as their emblem. Ancient legends tell of blink dogs helping travelers stranded in the barren Talenta plains. Ghallanda translates from halfling as "a helpful hound who appears where needed most," and House Ghallanda embraced the mythos behind the legends. As they traveled west, they established inns and taverns along the way, which later building enclaves. It was during this migration that House Ghallanda learned of the Draconic Prophecy, embracing their place within it.

War did not change how House Ghallanda operated, but in times of battle, you do what you need to do to survive. Members of House Ghallanda occassionally found themselves on the front lines, and while it remained committed to neutrality, its role as a noncombatant wasn't able to be kept. So while House Ghallanda's reputation as the masters of hospitality endures, they also have several battle-tested soldiers within the house. But it was the role they undertook in maintaining the troop's ability to fight that cemented House Ghallanda's place among the Twelve Houses. Ghallanda's dragonmarks allowed them to create foodstuffs and lodging of a higher quality than their enemies. so the armies they serviced were better fed and well-rested. When House Deneith mercenaries marched forward into battle at the beginning of the Last War, House Ghallanda was walking alongside them, their mission to provide food, shelter, and comfort. The other armies, seeing how House Ghallanda kept the troop's morale high, all began to hire them to keep the supply lines open and furnish their forces with the supplies they needed to continue in battle.

House Ghallanda maintains three distinct guilds. The Hostelers Guild oversees the hospitality industry, including everything from food, lodging, entertainment, and gambling. The best innkeepers, chefs, and restaurateurs throughout Khovaire are members of the Hostelers Guild. In addition to a number of House Ghallanda-owned facilities across the continent, high-quality inns, taverns, and restaurants of the Five Nations bear the emblem of the blink dog, as they are licensed by the Hostelers Guild. The Dawn-Builders are a guild made up of hundreds of architects and masons who are responsible for building new enclaves throughout Khovaire. As the guild began to push farther and farther away from civilized lands, the house assigned a group of veteran soldiers to accompany and protect the guild members. The Dragontail Guild provided food and shelter to armies in the field in exchange for gold and a guarantee of neutrality. Since the Treaty of Thronehold, this guild has been shrinking dramatically, and many believe it will soon dissolve.

Even though House Ghallanda has enclaves in all the major cities of Khorvaire, the house is actively engaged in building enclaves on the edge of civilization as well. Although few travelers ever see these frontier enclaves, the House Ghallanda leaders say that they're guided by the Draconic Prophecy to construct them. While many of the other houses have had their share of scandal and bad press, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone within the borders of Khovaire who speaks poorly of House Ghallanda. Feather pillows and unlimited ale has that effect on people.

The Mark of Hospitality

The Mark of Hospitality in 3.5e was a series of three feats that focused on protecting the bearer of the mark through diplomacy and social grace, known as the Grace of Ghallanda. The power of the dragonmark allowed an heir to spend one action point as an immediate action to oppose any attack roll made against them with a Diplomacy check. The decision to spend the action point can be made after the attack roll result is known. If the check met or exceeded the attack roll result, the attack missed regardless of your Armor Class.

The Prestige class was the Black Dog. This secret group of halflings was well known for there mastery with poisons. These vigilantes, also known as the children of Dhurinda, meted out justice as they saw fit. The legend tells of a halfling named Dhurinda, who was an excellent chef, but also a murderer. Over his lifespan, he had poisoned those that would seek to harm or enslave others, which was in direct violation of the mandate to assist all travelers. Before his execution, Dhurinda was able to ingest a poison he had made while imprisoned. Skills used by the halflings of this notorious class include, but are not limited to, the following.

Death Attack - By studying a target for three rounds, a Black Dog may then make a sneak attack with a melee weapon that, if it successfully deals damage, has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (your choice).

Dhurinda's Trick - A Black Dog learns to magically apply an ingestible poison to nearby food or liquid by expending one use of your prestidigitation or purify food and drink skill.
Empower Poison - May use a standard action to empower a single dose of poison by expending one use of your prestidigitation or purify food and drink power. The poison's variable numeric effects increase by 50%.
Lost in the Crowd - The ability to use the Hide skill while being observed as long as three creatures larger than you are within 10 feet.
Dhurinda's Touch - The chance to poison foes with a touch with a successful melee touch attack.

In the 4th edition, the Mark of Hospitality granted the bearer powers related to both food and shelter. The paragon path was the Sanctuary Guardian. These warriors are the protectorate for House Ghallanda, acting as a part scout, part bodyguard, and part bouncer. Entrusted with making sure House Ghallanda is always able to provide a haven for its guests, the Sanctuary Guardians protected the enclaves and house establishments from dangers such as greedy locals, kidnappers, and raiding bands of monsters. Their training allowed them to deal with all such threats. Their abilities included:

Swift Action - Spend an action point to take an extra action, and your allies within five squares of you can shift 1 square as a free action.
Hospitable Surge - Whenever you spend a healing surge, allies adjacent to you can make a saving throw. Those allies gain any bonuses you have to saving throws for that roll.
Ghallanda's Sanctuary - Any ally within five squares of you who takes a total defense or second wind action, they gain temporary hit points equal to 5 + your Charisma modifier (10 + your Charisma modifier at 21st level).

Today

House Ghallanda controls more enclaves than the other dragonmarked houses, stretching from the Barren Sea to the Lhazzar Sea. The enclaves are a sanctuary beyond the legal reach of the Five Nations and even the other dragonmarked houses. Now with the end of the Last War, those enclaves are filled with those who ended up on the wrong side of the conflict, including nobles who lost their standing, deserters, criminals of all types, and people that just couldn't fit within the new societal norms.

While everyone knows of the legendary hospitality of House Ghallanda, the most significant ability of the Ghallanda halflings is the network of communication that thrives throughout each of the enclaves and within the house itself. The heirs of Ghallanda enjoy the company of family and friends, and they love discussing the rumors and news they garner from the locals. Such information is not for sale, but one may promise to do a favor as payment for such knowledge. House members are sources of great renown when it comes to information, including such things as a noble's scandalous affairs, the whereabouts of local criminals, and which merchants are trustworthy…and which are not.

House Ghallanda's oldest and most crucial enclave is the great hall of Gatherhold, on the edge of the Talenta Plains. Gatherhold is an ancient cliff dwelling, filled with tunnels and warrens carved into the rocky hills that run along Lake Cyre. Since the Day of Mourning, Gatherhold is the temporary home for many an adventurer exploring the eastern Mournland. Patriarch Yoren presides over a grand hall in the center of the town. It is there that he and his daughter Chervina d'Ghallanda, guided by the draconic prophecy, press forward with expanding the number of enclaves. Utilizing the Dawn-Builder guild, House Ghallanda now has enclaves reaching as far as the edge of the Demon Wastes.

In the 5th edition, the Mark of Hospitality is a halfling subrace with the following traits:

ASI - Charisma score increase by 1.
Ever Hospitable - Add a d4 to any Charisma check or ability check involving brewer's supplies or cook's utensils.
Innkeeper's Magic - You know the Prestidigitation cantrip. Once per long rest, you can cast Purify Food and Drink or Unseen Servant. Charisma is the spellcasting ability.
Spells of the Mark - Hospitality spells that include Goodberry, Aid, Leomund's Tiny Hut, and Hallow. Must have spellcasting ability.

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