House Deneith: Mark Miscellany (Patreon)

Those two have been watching you since you came in. The dwarf in the conveniently nondescript chainmail recently drank a Potion of Giant Strength—see the way his muscles are trembling, barely able to contain the power? The Khoravar’s a mage. That’s a wand of Xorian wenge in his hand, so she’s probably an enchanter. Which probably means they intend to take you alive… probably. Do you want to try your luck and see how it turns out? Or shall we discuss my rates for protection? 

Those two have been watching you since you came in. The dwarf in the conveniently nondescript chainmail recently drank a Potion of Giant Strength—see the way his muscles are trembling, barely able to contain the power? The Khoravar’s a mage. That’s a wand of Xorian wenge in his hand, so she’s probably an enchanter. Which probably means they intend to take you alive… probably. Do you want to try your luck and see how it turns out? Or shall we discuss my rates for protection? 

The Mark of Sentinel sharpens your senses. It provides an intuitive bonus to Perception and Insight. But this isn’t just about keen sight and sharp ears. It’s an intuitive bonus—an instinctive evaluation of all possible threats. The Dragonmark keeps you alert, every ready. When you enter a room, you always check the exits. When you meet a stranger, you’re always searching for signs of hidden weapons or hints as to their combat capabilities. It’s not a conscious thing; it’s been drilled into you and enhanced by your Mark. House Deneith has never abandoned its martial roots. If you were raised in the House, your education was on par with any military academy in the Five Nations. And once you survived your Test of Siberys—whether you manifested a Mark or not—you had to serve a tour in the Blademarks or the Defender’s Guild. Whatever path you’re following now, you were raised in a culture of martial discipline and service. 

When creating a Deneith adventurer or NPC, consider how this upbringing has affected them. The majority of Deneith heirs serve as Blademarks or Defenders for their entire careers; that service is all they know and all they need. What about the Deneith you’re making? Do they still serve the house or have they turned their back on it? Or is it something in between—they’re a mercenary licensed by the Blademarks, but they’ve chosen to follow an independent path? Regardless of the answer, consider this. A Deneith heir was raised with a strict code of discipline and bound to a chain of command. Do they maintain that discipline as an adventurer, and possibly seek to impose it on others? Do they want the party of adventurers to function like a military unit? Or have they rejected their upbringing, choosing to celebrate their independence and freedom? Is war second nature to them, or are they trying to bury their blade? 

While it varies by family, Deneith heirs tend to be stoic and serious. Heirs of the house were raised to be soldiers, and furthermore, trained to be ever alert for danger. It’s nearly impossible for a Deneith heir to fully relax and let their guard down; it simply isn’t in their nature. Likewise, Deneith heirs are driven by their desire to protect the people and things they care about. In making a Deneith character, consider who or what you’re protecting. Is it your entire adventuring party? Is it a particular individual? Or is a concept—a nation, a faith, a village? This is one of the main reasons heirs end up leaving House Deneith, whether voluntarily or as excoriates. As a Blademark or a Defender, you serve the client only as long as gold continues to change hands. You could be defending a noble one day, and serving their mortal enemy the next day. The House does its best to push heirs to see themselves as, ultimately, defending DENEITH—protecting the family and ensuring its prosperity through their hard work. But there are always Sentinels who develop an attachment to their clients or to ideals beyond pure profit. As a Deneith character, are you driven by gold and the good of your House? Or have found something that’s more important to you than platinum?  

Deneith upbringing is much like a military academy, but that doesn’t mean that Deneith adventurers have to be fighters. Heirs initially train with spear, club, dagger, and crossbow, and those that excel at physical combat focus on martial training. But magic is part of everyday life in Eberron, and heirs who have the potential to become Wizards, Sorcerers, or Bards receive specialized training to develop those skills. Blademark mages are trained to focus on Evocation, Conjuration, and other spells that can play a powerful role on the battlefield; those destined for the Defender’s Guild will focus more on Spells of the Mark and personal defense. Meanwhile, a Deneith Bard is primarily trained to lead. They’re warlords, not entertainers; their Inspiration reflects this leadership, and they are driven toward the College of Valor. These paths—martial and magic—are the common choices; heirs without the exceptional potential of player characters will still be tapped as player characters. Other classes could reflect unusual training or focus. The Peacekeepers are an elite force within the Defender’s Guild, trained to protect clients in environments where no weapons are allowed; they are an order of Monks with the Warrior of Mercy subclass. While there’s no schooling for it, Deneith has produced a number of champions whose mastery of the Mark of Sentinel allows them to reduce the damage from attacks; this is different way of playing a World Tree Barbarian, presenting their Rage and other class features as being manifestations of the Dragonmark. Other classes are less common in House Deneith. A Rogue or Warlock with the Mark of Sentinel likely developed their skills outside of the House; Deneith doesn’t typically traffic with spirits, and while the Peacekeepers are subtle, the Blademark and Defender’s Guild primarily focus on strength rather than stealth. Deneith heirs with a religious calling typically follow this beyond the House. An heir who becomes a Paladin may return to Deneith once they have mastered their gifts, and such champions often become Sentinel Marshals; but the house itself doesn’t have the depth of faith required to train Clerics of Paladins, let alone Druids.  

THE MARK OF SENTINEL

The Mark of Sentinel allows its bearer to protect themself and the people around them. Many of its gifts are straightforward, whether deflecting an attack with a wave of force (Shield) or providing slightly weaker protection over a longer period (Shield of Faith, although no faith is required). Heirs who possess the Lesser Dragonmark can disrupt other forms of energy, as seen with Counterspell and Protection from Energy. Heirs with the Greater Mark have the ability to cast Bigby’s Hand; this draws on the same force manifested with Shield, amplified and wielded with more finesse. Guardian of Faith draws on this same power, manifesting a being formed from this shield energy. Typically, a Deneith Guardian of Faith draws on the appearance of the heir’s family beast—a Ram, Lion, or Dragon. However, there have been heirs of the House whose Guardians have taken other forms; Matriarch Dalia d’Deneith was celebrated for manifesting a full Chimera with her Dragonmark.

Most of the spells of the Mark of Sentinel revolve around the projection or disruption of energy, but there’s a second thread that’s more subtle: Compelled Duel and Warding Bond. While adventurers with the Mark of Sentinel have access to all of its powers, NPCs are often more limited. Deneith NPCs from the Ravan line tend to develop Compelled Duel and Warding Bond, while those of the Wyrn families are more likely to be able to cast Shield of Faith and Barkskin. The children of the Lion—the core Deneith—are equally likely to manifest either or both sets of spells. 

Kanon vs Canon. One spell on the list above is marked with an asterisk, and that’s because it’s a change from the list that appears in Forge of the Artificer. By canon rules, the Spells of the Mark for the Mark of Sentinel include Zone of Truth… and I don’t like it. Zone of Truth is a great spell for a Sentinel Marshal, and could be a useful one for a bodyguard. But thematically, it feels quite different from the other spells; it’s about investigation rather than defense. Which ties to the fact that we’ve previously said that it’s House Medani that licenses Truthtellers—Magewrights that can cast Zone of Truth. If Zone of Truth was a core ability of House Deneith, I’d expect Deneith to be licensing Truthtellers. So, in my campaign I replace Zone of Truth with Barkskin. This allows the heir to give a willing individual an Armor Class of 17 for up to an hour, with no concentration required. Thematically, I see it as an extension of Shield and Shield of Faith, describing it not as “giving the target’s skin a bark-like texture” but rather as surrounding them with a faint but noticeable shimmer of energy. This flares up when it deflects a blow, manifesting as a web of blue-purple threads. This is something people have been working with for centuries, commonly used by Defenders to protect charges who either can’t wear armor or aren’t proficient in it. So while the shimmering is subtle, it’s an effect observers will notice and recognize. 

FOCUS ITEMS

Deneith heirs use Channeling Rods, Dragonmark Channels, and Dragonmark Reservoirs to access the Spells of the Mark. As suggested in Exploring Eberron, any magic item that focused on warning or protection could have a Sentinel focus version (which can only be attuned by someone possessing the Mark of Sentinel). This includes the Sentinel Shield, Weapon of Warning, or Cloak of Protection; Deneith versions of these items will bear the Chimera crest or the Mark of Sentinel itself. Here’s a few examples of unique items produced by the house. 

Duelist’s Glove 

Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires attunement by a creature with the Mark of Sentinel) 

These gloves are commonly issued to heirs serving in the Defender’s Guild, and bear the seal of the Defenders on the back of the hand. When the wearer casts Compelled Duel, they gain the following benefits. 

The target of the spell has disadvantage on the saving throw. 

You don’t need to concentrate to maintain the spell. 

Helm of the Sentinel  

Wondrous Item, Uncommon 

The three faces of a chimera are engraved on this helmet, each gazing in a different direction; the pupils of their eyes are tiny siberys dragonshards. While wearing this helmet, a character with the Mark of Sentinel and the ability to cast Spells of the Mark can cast a spell with a reduced casting time. The following spells can be cast as a Reaction to being struck by an attack: Barkskin, Protection from Energy, Shield of Faith; the spell effects apply to the triggering attack, and can cause the attack to miss. Once this effect has been used, it can’t be used again until the wearer has completed a long rest (this is true even if a new person takes the Helm and wears it). Casting the spell still requires the expenditure of a spell slot; the Helm simply allows it to be cast as a reaction. 

Ring of Shared Suffering 

Ring, Uncommon (requires attunement) 

These rings come in linked pairs. If you possess the Mark of Sentinel, you can use a Magic Action to form a link to the creature attuned to the other ring; from then on, whenever that creature suffers damage, they only suffer half of that damage and you take the rest. This effect continues until you end it as a Bonus Action or until you or the other creature removes their ring. This Ring isn’t limited by range, though both creatures must be on the same plane to benefit from its effects. A creature cannot be attuned to more than one Ring of Shared Suffering.