House Deneith: Families (Patreon)

House Deneith was forged from the alliance of Deneith, Ravan, and Wyrn. The chimera seal of the house blends the heraldic emblems of each family, and the traditional placement is a map of their origins within Karrnath. The Deneith family is represented by the lion in the center position. The Wyrn wyvern (often mistaken for a dragon) is to the left of the Deneith lion, as Korth is west of Karrlakton. And the Ravan goat is to the right—even though the Ravan family no longer dwells in its original seat, now known as Vedykar. Bear in mind that in Eberron, chimeras in the wild are not always amalgams of these three specific creatures; it’s possible to encounter a chimera with aspects of bulls, serpents, or other beasts. So everyone recognizes the Deneith seal as a chimera, but it’s not a remarkable coincidence that they used the exact sigils necessary to create such a beast. 

While the Defender’s Guild is restricted to direct heirs of the house, the Blademark is open to anyone with sufficient skill and respect for the traditions of the house. It’s common practice for a Blademark who serves a long and distinguished term to be granted honorary membership in House Deneith; while this is typically granted upon retirement, it can be bestowed on an active Blademark who performs remarkable deeds. This honorary membership is a source of respect and gives a Blademark access to Deneith enclaves… and also makes the honoree eligible to marry into the house, if they find a willing companion. Compared to many Houses, Deneith heirs have a relatively free hand in choosing their partners, but they can only marry other members of the House—honorary or otherwise. This is the origin of the lesser families; the founding house they are associated with reflects their common heritage and the values they choose to embrace. A few of the lesser families are mentioned below, but it’s not a comprehensive list.  

Something to keep in mind when considering Deneith’s founding families is that Karrn the Conqueror was a driving force behind the Sovereign sect known as the Three Faces of War, and the Sentinel families were a part of that. The Mark of Sentinel was considered to be a blessing from the Sovereigns of War, and each of the ancient families believed they were favored by a particular Sovereign. Karrn’s three advisors and constant companions were priests devoted to the Sovereigns of their lines. Osheva Wyrn (also said to have been Karrn’s queen) was devoted to Dol Arrah, Drego Deneith was dedicated to Dol Dorn, and Azhaar Ravan was sworn to Dol Azur. The Three Faces of War have a strong presence within the house today, but the faith isn’t forced upon heirs. Nonetheless, the families do broadly reflect the values of their associated Sovereign; the Wyrns are most concerned with honor and duty, while the Ravan have the most flexible approach to war. 

Deneith 

Symbol: The Lion 

Common Traits: Courage, Strength, Confidence

Lesser Families: Balthus, Dunan, Harn

The Deneith family is the heart of the House that bears their name. They aren’t as idealistic as the Wyrn or as clever as the Ravan, but they are devoted to the principles that have brought prosperity to their house—courage and discipline, never allowing personal opinion to stand in the way of their duty. Beyond this, the culture of Deneith has a knack for producing natural leaders. Charisma is a factor in this, but confidence may be the key to it. Deneith heirs typically have strong self-esteem and trust their abilities and instinct; they are quick to make decisions, and others respond to that confidence. Deneith heirs typically identify with Dol Dorn—trusting in courage, strength and steel.

The Deneith family values strength and endurance, and casual tests of strength and courage are common ways to pass the time; go to a Blademark garrison and you’ll probably see a Harn and a Dunan armwrestling. Within the Defender’s Guild heirs tend to follow the path of strength, favoring heavy armor and straightforward assignments. Despite the ancestral importance of the house, relatively few Deneith heirs become Sentinel Marshals. They lack the Wyrn drive to see justice done or the Ravan cunning that helps hunt down a tricky foe; as such, they typically pursue leadership roles in the Blademark instead of chasing after the title of Marshal. 

Overall, Deneith heirs tend to be solid and reliable allies. They typically speak their minds and stand by their words. A Deneith knows not to pick a fight where none is required; there’s no point to wasting energy if you don’t stand to profit from the battle. But they are never afraid to stand up when there’s reason to do so. A Deneith may not have a Wyrn’s devotion to personal honor, but they still despise treachery; for the Deneith, a contract is everything. Once you commit to a task, you see it done.       

Deneith Characters. Fighter is the archetypal path of the Deneith heir. The classic role for Deneith is the Battle Master, blending versatility with leadership; a Blademark might choose Commander’s Strike and Commanding Presence, while a Defender gets good use from Disarming Strike, Bait and Switch, and Parry or Riposte. Alternatively, Eldritch Warrior provides spellcasting slots and allows an heir to make more use of their Spells of the Mark. A more exotic option for a Deneith character would be a World Tree Barbarian, with “Rage” reflecting a remarkable manifestation of the Mark of Sentinel that temporarily shields the character from harm; this could even physically manifest as a shield formed from the blue-purple threads of the Mark itself.  

Notable Deneiths. The leaders of the House have almost always come from the Deneith family, and Baron Breven d’Deneith is the latest of these. Breven rose through the ranks of the Blademark Host and saw plenty of action during the Last War before being raised to the rank of Baron. He’s a brave man and solid tactician who stands by his family’s ancient maxim that the Mark of Sentinel is meant to be a shield, not a crown. He’s been challenged both by the end of the Last War and the rising tensions with House Tharashk, but he resists the words of advisors urging for sharper action against Tharashk or for the House to make its own bid for power. 

Ravan

Symbol: The Goat 

Common Traits: Cunning, Finesse, Innovation

Lesser Families: Coldwin, Durrn, Stilling   

Duty and discipline are cornerstones of House Deneith. Everyone knows that a Deneith Defender can be trusted to give their life for their charge, that they can be set to watch things of great value with no fear of theft or treachery. This is true even of the Ravan. They know how important that absolute trust is to the prosperity of the house, and that anyone who endangers it faces excoriation or worse. So the Ravan can be trusted to fulfil their contracts and to honor their commitments. But beyond that, the Ravan are noted for their cunning. Those that follow the traditions of the Three Faces of War usually seek the blessings of Dol Azur, known elsewhere as the Mockery. They know that courage and honor aren’t always enough to ensure victory, and they’re always looking for unorthodox paths to success. While the concept of a family devoted to the Mockery might seem to be a problem, again, the Ravan never shirk their duties. But they’re always considering new ways to do things and clever ways to defeat an enemy—and over the centuries, the House has found ways to use this. Kolas Ravan d’Deneith is a legendary Sentinel Marshal who managed to track down the most challenging quarries; many said “he must be half Medani” due to his knack for investigation and his clever stratagems. Within the Defender’s Guild, Ravan heirs excel at the Swift path—wearing light or no armor and relying on speed and precision instead of strength and endurance. Defenders of the other families excel at standing bold and firm in the face of danger; but if you need a Defender who remains unnoticed until the precise moment they’re needed, you want a Ravan. The Ravan may have a knack for intrigue and deception, but they use those instincts on behalf of their House and their clients; they are no more prone to corruption than any other family in the house.  

While they’ve served the united House faithfully for over a thousand years, the Ravan family still feels the sting of their ancient rivalry with the Deneith. Sentinel Tower is the pride of the Deneith family and the Wyrn celebrate their roots in Korth, but the Ravan were driven from their ancestral seat by Karrn the Conqueror and many Ravan see Vedykar as a point of shame. Again, the family is devoted to the success of the House and to fulfilling their contracts, but many Ravan heirs carry out casual rivalries with Deneith cousins, seeking to prove that their cunning is more effective than the courage and brawn of the Deneith. No wise Ravan would endanger a contract by interfering with a rival’s job—the goal is to outshine the rival with exceptional success, not to sabotage the enemy and thus burden the house with failure. Where Deneith often fill their down time with physical pursuits, the Ravan take pride in their cunning and are more likely to be found playing Conqueror or cards; it’s a classic maxim of the house that you’ll never know when a Ravan is bluffing. 

A Ravan heir can be a tricky companion. They’re sure to keep secrets, and may be carrying out multiple romances, rivalries, and intrigues. But they largely use their charm and wit for the greater good of family, House, and friends.  

Ravan Characters. The Ravan emphasize speed and cunning over brute strength. The classic Ravan is a Gloom Stalker Ranger, focusing on Dexterity and Charisma. Their spellcasting allows them to employ Spells of the Mark, and the Gloom Stalker’s ability to cast Disguise Self can be quite useful for an undercover Defender or a Sentinel Marshal tracking a clever enemy. Having abandoned Vedykar, the Ravan have a strong presence in Sharn, and the heirs there have been experimenting with the techniques of the Psi Warrior Fighter; the psychic damage of the Gloom Stalker’s Dreadful Strike ability could also be presented as a Sharn technique. The Ravan are also the family that developed the monastic techniques of the Peacekeepers, which can be reflected by the Warrior of Mercy or Warrior of the Open Hand Monk. A final note on the Ravan is that they make efforts to develop a broad range of contacts, seeing the value in having friends in low places when hunting down criminals. As a result, a Ravan heir could take the Criminal, Charlatan, or Wayfarer background not as a reflection of an actual criminal career, but rather representing time spent making contacts in the criminal underworld. 

Notable Ravans. Sadran Ravan d’Deneith is the Seneschal of Sharn, and the Sharn enclave is a stronghold of the Ravan family. Following the Ravan drive to experiment with new traditions, the Sharn enclave has been experimented with psionic disciplines. Lalia and Tasra Ravan d’Deneith are twin sisters born in the Sharn enclave. Both are respected Sentinel Marshals known for playing with their prey; Lalia specializes in tracking enemies in the wilds, while Tasra excels at urban intrigue. Shirin Ravan d’Deneith is Lord Commander of the Blademarks—the first Ravan to hold that rank—and has been working to build connections with the Order of the Emerald Claw, the dissident warlords of Karrnath, and other powerful allies.  

Wyrn

Symbol: The Wyvern 

Common Traits: Honest, Altruistic, Wise

Lesser Families: Halar, Olkanus, Stone

The Wyrn are idealists, raised to believe that House Deneith is a powerful force for justice that helps maintain order throughout society. Where all of the Deneith families emphasize the importance of discipline and fulfilling a contract, the Wyrn charge their heirs to be honest and honorable throughout their lives, not simply when serving a contract. Sentinel Marshals aren’t obliged to enforce the law unless they’re being paid to do so, but Wyrn heirs are likely to stand up to bullies or challenge criminals simply because it’s the right thing to do. Alone of all the Sentinel Families, the Wyrn never sought to use their gifts to gain power; they always chose duty over personal glory. As a family, the Wyrn believe they are blessed by Dol Arrah and seek to follow her example. This is reflected by their devotion to honorable behavior, but Dol Arrah is also the Sovereign of Wisdom in War. Wyrn are taught not to act impulsively, not allowing raw courage to overcome common sense. While they may not be as cunning as the Ravan, they understand the importance of strategy and are careful to evaluate their enemies, searching for weaknesses and developing a plan before launching an attack. 

Wyrn has always been the smallest of the founding families. In part, this is because of their utter commitment to the job; more than any other line, the Wyrn are willing to die to protect a client or to complete a mission, and over time that has an impact. But it’s also the case that the Wyrn have lost more heirs to defection—that is, voluntarily leaving the house to serve another force or cause—than any other house. Over the course of the Last War, a significant number of Wyrn heirs left the house in order to fully serve the nation in which they were raised. Beyond this, the Wyrn are the most religious members of House Deneith. While many are devoted to the Three Faces of War and Dol Arrah, a number of Wyrns have felt the call of the Silver Flame. Some Wyrns have left the house to serve as templars or Knights of Dol Arrah; others balance their faith with their mercenary service, and their handlers are careful to assign them missions that won’t come into conflict with their beliefs. 

Wyrn heirs are unquestionably loyal companions, but their altruism and commitment to honesty and justice can be challenging if a group of adventurers prefers to walk a morally gray path. On the other hand, there is another iconic Wyrn character: the hero who gave their utter devotion to a cause only to be let down so dramatically that it shattered their faith in justice. This is the case with a number of Wyrn Deneith who left the house to serve Cyre, only to see that nation utterly destroyed; but it can also be driven by relentless encounters with small-scale corruption that have undermined the character’s optimism. Can such an heir overcome their cynicism and reclaim their young idealism? 

Wyrn Characters. Fighter remains a solid option for Wyrn characters, whether Champion or Battle Master. However, Wyrn is also the family most likely to produce a paladin. This could be driven by faith in Dol Arrah or the Silver Flame, but it could be framed as power drawn purely from the blend of the Mark of Sentinel and the character’s absolute devotion to justice. While Wyrn paladins are an iconic concept and while there have been a few of them throughout the history of the House, they’re by no means common—in part because individuals called to serve as paladins often feel a drive to leave the House and serve that greater cause instead of working for gold. 

Notable Wyrn. Endira Wyrn d’Deneith is a proud Sentinel Marshal who’s often invoked as a face of the house due to her courage and heroic deeds. She’s quoted in Rising From The Last War: “Galifar lies in ruins, destroyed by its own folly, but our rights and duties cannot be set aside. Our oaths bind us still. Let those who would oppose the law know us, and end their days in fear.” Daine Halar, a protagonist in the Dreaming Dark novels, is a Deneith heir who left the house to serve in the Cyran army, and who lost his Wyrn idealism in the course of that service and the fall of his nation. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Where any Dragonmarked House can play a role in a story, House Deneith is unusual in that its heirs can regularly be encountered as antagonists without actually bearing the adventurers any ill will. An Aurum Concordian, a secret cult leader, a mind-seeded agent of the Dreaming Dark—anyone can have Deneith Defenders sworn to protect them from harm. If the adventurers break the law in the course of their travels, a Sentinel Marshal could be set on their trail. A squad of Blademarks may show up to escort adventurers to a “friendly meeting” with a local power broker. In these cases, the Deneith are just doing a job. They don’t want to kill the adventurers. Should combat break out, will the adventurers kill them? Assuming that the answer is no—that the adventurers are willing to pull their blows and to spare their defeated enemies, it can be fun to have a particular Deneith Defender who shows up again and again. Whoever it is they’re fighting, when the adventurers finally get to the big boss, there’s Bob d’Deneith at their side moaning not you again! 

House Deneith doesn’t need a nefarious scheme to be placed in opposition to adventurers; it’s a natural consequence of the services they provide. As noted earlier, while they don’t have a historical menace like the Hurricane Harvest or the Feral Heart, it’s easy to drop a cult into a Deneth garrison. The Vigilant Eye of Belashyrra causes cultists to see “hidden fiends” and other threats. A town could be policed by Deneith forces who truly believe they’re defending the people from supernatural threats, and maybe they are; how can the adventurers determine the truth? On a grand scale, Shirin d’Deneith dreams of a second War of the Mark and a world where the Houses openly rule; is that something you wish to explore? Having presented all of these negative possibilities, a thing to consider with Deneith is that they can just as easily appear as allies. When the adventurers are facing a war criminal, a Sentinel Marshal could show up with the task of taking them down. For inexperienced adventurers, that Marshal could serve as an early mentor and strong ally. If the adventurers are more powerful than the Marshal, they can still provide useful information and the backing of the law. There could be a Deneith defender serving as the bouncer at the adventurers’ favorite tavern, or protecting their beloved patron; in either case, they could end up fighting alongside the player characters.  

Here’s a few ideas for Deneith characters you could play or meet. 

The Old Soldier. You served in the Blademark and fought on every side of the war. You became a Sentinel Marshal, but there came a day when you realized that justice for gold weren’t no justice at all. So you took your gold shield and retired to a quiet place where you thought you’d never have to draw your sword again… But Olladra laughs at your plans. As a player character, the Old Soldier may start at the same level as the other adventurers, but the idea is that they’ve already seen amazing things. In their prime, they WERE higher level—but age, inactivity, and that old war wound have slowed them down to whatever level you’re starting out as. The Old Soldier has countless war stories and may have old friends and enemies scattered across Khorvaire.    

The Celebrity Defender. You may be young, but you earned your Writ of the Watchful Eye. When you dealt with that assassin at the Tain Gala, the Sharn Inquisitive put you on the front page, and suddenly every celebrity in Sharn wanted you as their bodyguard. You’ve defended Fairhaven Ghallanda, the bard Kessler, Ruken ir’Clarn. If you’re an NPC, this might be as far as your story goes. You’re the square-jawed, clean-cut poster child for the Defender’s Guild who’s sure to be escorting someone at any major event. On the other hand, if you’re an adventurer… WHY are you an adventurer, instead of bodyguarding for the stars? It could be that you’re still doing that in your down time. Or it could be that something went terribly wrong and ruined your perfect life. A celebrity was killed dramatically on your watch and you haven’t had a job since then… and the killer’s still at large. Maybe… maybe if you can catch that killer, you can redeem yourself in the public eye. 

The Young Marshal. You’re the youngest heir of the House to be appointed to the rank of Sentinel Marshal. Why is that? What did you do to earn this privilege? And more important, can you live up to it? Depending on your level, you may be relatively inexperienced compared to your fellow Marshals. Can you get the job done? Marshals choose their assignments, so you should be able to work around your adventuring career. But your deeds will reflect on the House as a whole, and they expect great things from you—can you deliver? 

The Champion of Justice. You’re a Wyrn Paladin and you believe that House Deneith is a force for order in a chaotic world. You served your tour with the Blademarks, but then you felt a greater calling. You’re a tool of Dol Arrah and Aureon, and you will root out injustice wherever it can be found. By default, this character is an heir of Deneith who served an honorable term in the Blademark and is now acting independently. You haven’t cut ties with the House and you’re still a member in good standing, but you aren’t currently working for a House Guild; your QUEST FOR JUSTICE is more important. 

The Jaded Ex-Merc. The Old Soldier served for decades before retiring. You only served a single tour. But even in that short term, something happened that shook you to your core. Was it something about the job itself? Were you forced to fight a friend, or to retreat from a fight when you knew you could have made a difference? Whatever it is, you’ve cut ties with the House. Were you dishonorably discharged, or did you leave of your own choice? If the latter, do they want you back? Is it possible you could change your outlook, or is the rift too wide?   

The Cruel Marshal. House Deneith punishes corruption. But a Sentinel Marshal can do their job and enforce the law, and still be a terrible person. They might employ cruel tools or techniques in the pursuit of their quarry. They could cause collateral damage without remorse or intimidate innocents. House Deneith relies on its reputation, and an heir who engages in behavior that will harm the house will be punished. But if a Marshal is operating on the edge of civilization, they may simply trust that word of their misdeeds will never reach the House… or in a truly extreme case, a corrupt Marshal could murder innocents to cover up their crimes. Such a character is a bad choice for an adventurer, but could make a compelling adversary for adventurers—especially if they are initially assigned to work together!  

In making a character from House Deneith, it’s important to establish your relationship to the House. Looking at the examples above, the Old Soldier and the Jaded Ex-Merc have cut their ties to House Deneith; it’s part of their past and they may have friendly contacts, but they aren’t part of the House and can’t be called to duty. The Celebrity Defender and the Young Marshal are still part of the House, but work independently; a job offer could be worked into the campaign, or it could be something that happens during downtime. 

That’s all for now. You can find the full version of this article—with all of the aspects of Deneith discussed this month—on my website. Thanks for your support!