74
THE KORRANBERG<CM�ON�<Cll
FEUD WITHIN
THE TWELVE?
Reports emerged this week of bitter disputes within the
Tw elve, the arcane institution that supposedly embodies
the spirit of cooperation among the houses. According
to a source that wished to remain anonymous, a special
meeting of the Committee of Tw elve was called last
week to address accusations that researchers connected
to House Kundarak had been diverting funds from the
institute's budget to fund their own private projects,
then concealing the results of those projects from their
colleagues. Kundarak's representative, according to our
source, denied the accusations, saying that the research
ers are operating within their allotted budget and keep
ing their results secret only temporarily, as a matter of
house security.
This matter is far from resolved, as the council meet
ing devolved into shouted arguments before disbanding.
Representatives of House Medani and House Tharashk
were particularly vocal in denouncing Kundarak, leaving
this reporter to wonder whether a schism within the
Council of Tw elve might be imminent-and what that
might mean for peaceful relations among the dragon
marked houses themselves.HOUSE CONTACTS
d8 Contact
A lesser guild functionary who is cowed by your group
(especially if it includes a dragon marked character)
and apologetic about giving you assignments
2 The stern and demanding parent of one (or more) of
the characters in your group
3 The lovingly indulgent parent of a character in your
group
4 The smugly superior dragon marked sibling of an un
marked member of the fa mily in your group
5 The money-minded business manager of a guild within
your patron house
6 A retired adventurer within the family who would rather
join you on your adventures than assign them to you
7 The proud leader of a regional branch of the dragon
marked family
8 The patriarch or matriarch of the patron houseTHE TW ELVE
Rather than working for one single house, your group
could work for an organization that serves them all: the
Twelve. This is a good option if you want to be involved
in the intrigue among the dragonmarked houses while
playing characters who come from different houses.CHAPTER 1 I CHARACTER CREATIONThe Twelve facilitates communication and coopera
tion among the dragonmarked houses. As part of the
agreements that ended the War of the Mark, the houses
agreed to create an institute for the application of mag
ic-a foundation that would study dragonmarks, along
with more traditional forms of magic. Over the centu
ries, the Twelve has been responsible for many magical
advances, including the airships operated by House Ly
randar and the message stations of House Sivis
As an arm of the dragonmarked houses, the Twelve
attempted to remain neutral during the Last War, but
many of its wizards and artificers had national loyalties
that were stronger than their ties to the institute. Now
that the Twelve has resumed normal operations, it seeks
to replace its lost members and make sure that each
house is represented.
While the Twelve provides a way for your group to
work for multiple dragonmarked houses, its goals and
benefits are similar to those of an individual house. Con
sider using the following details as a template if there's a
particular dragonmarked house you wish to serve.
Patronage. As a patron, the Twelve is functionally
similar to a dragonmarked house. Rather than advanc
ing one house's interests, though, the Twelve seeks to
advance magical developments that have practical value
to society as well as potential for profit. All the houses
contribute to the operating budget of the institute, and in
theory they all benefit from the results of its research.
As agents of the Twelve, you might undertake mis
sions intended to help one house at a time or all of them
at once, typically with a focus on magical research or
problem-solving. Members of your group might have dif
ferent status within their houses, but within the Twelve
you're held as equals. The Twelve pay you (see "Patron
Benefits"), and as their agents, you receive a 5 percent
discount on services from all the dragonmarked houses
(rather than a 10 percent discount from one house).
Leadership. The Committee of Twelve oversees the
institute. It currently has fifteen members, though its
membership is a matter of significant disagreement
within the council. There are of course only twelve drag
onmarks, but the Mark of Shadow is represented by two
different houses, and House Cannith is currently frag
mented into three branches, each of which has claimed
a seat on the council.
The Twelve is headquartered in a many-spired keep
that floats in the air above the city of Korth in Karrnath.
Most researchers funded by the Twelve operate within
this structure, but the institute occasionally pays grants
to researchers whose promising work can't easily (or
safely) be relocated inside the keep.
Allies. With a long record of providing benefit to so
ciety at large, the Twelve is widely respected. Some of
their closest allies include the following groups:
Dragonmarked Houses. Above all, the Twelve has
the almost universal support of the dragonmarked
houses, which provide the funding to support its con
tinued operation. One of the few things that all the
houses agree on is that the Twelve should be allowed
to do its work in peace. Agents of the Twelve can count
on at least a minimal level of assistance from the
houses in case of dire need.