Marques du Dragon are physical manifestations of the Prophétie Draconique. They have appeared on seven of Khorvaire's Commun races. They are more intricate than a birthmark and more distinct than a tattoo. There are twelve families of Marques du Dragon; originally there were thirteen, but no living creature on Eberron possesses the destroyed mark of Maison Vol. In addition to being a status symbol in Khorvaire, the Marques du Dragon provide the bearer with magical talents.

The Marques du Dragon are passed through bloodlines and when two members of different Marqué par le Dragon families reproduce it often results in Marque Aberrante du Dragon. The aberrant marks do not manifest identically each time therefore it is possible for two individuals with completely different looking marks to produce the same magical effect using the mark. Indeed each aberrant Marque Du Dragon is completely unique to its bearer. Originally aberrant marked were seen as outcasts and outsiders. Often they were shunned by the houses and eked out a pitiful existence. Many members bearing these Marque Aberrante du Dragon have since united in their differences and formed Maison Tarkanan, most notably present in Sharn.

RISING : ABERRANT D RAGONMARKS YOUR SIGIL CREATES , C HILD O F CANNITH. MINE HOLDS the power to destroy. -Rotting Bal, Tarkanan enforcer Les Douzes Marques du Dragon are predictable, and their powers are generally constructive. But there is another kind of Marque Du Dragon, which is dangelrous to both the bearer and the people around them. Aberrant marks often appear when people from different Marqué par le Dragon families produce a child, and for this reason such unions are forbidden by Les Douzes. But Marque Aberrante du Dragon can appear on members of any race, at any age, regardless of bloodline. No two Marque Aberrante du Dragon are exactly alike-even if they grant the same power, they might manifest in different ways. It usually takes time for a character to learn to control an aberrant mark, and in time, people might be hurt by it. This factor has led to the general superstition that people with Marque Aberrante du Dragon are dangelrous. Aberrant marks are feared for another reason, too. Long ago, aberrant marks were more Commun and some held great powers. Aberrant leader Halas Tarkanan could devastate cities with powerful earthquakes. The Lady of the Plague wielded disease and commanded hordes of vermin. The Maisons Marquées Du Dragon united in an inquisition called La Guerre des Marques. Some say this was a persecution of innocents, but most feared the aberrants and stood by as the houses hunted them down. Following La Guerre des Marques, aberrant Marques du Dragon were few in number and relatively weak. But since the Mourning, aberrant marks have been appearing in greater numbers.

Marques du Dragon typically appear in the bearer's adolescence as they pass through puberty, however this is not exclusively the case. There are three distinct manifestations of each Marque Du Dragon that correlate in size, intricacy, and power. As the Marque Du Dragon gains power (from least to greater) it will expand in size and complexity rather than forming a different mark. Often the mark will manifest first as the least mark and through study and focus the bearer increases his power and with this increase, the Marque Du Dragon also increases granting additional abilities. However, there are some who will manifest a lessermark or even greater mark without explanation. House members who manifest even the least Marque Du Dragon, however, can expect at least some changel in their lifestyle as they find new and better employment opportunities within their house guilds as well as new social avenues to explore.

Much rarer are the so called Heirs of Siberys who possess the Marque de Siberys, marks that cover much, if not all, of their body. A Marqué par le Dragon individual might labor all of their life and never manifest the Marque de Siberys, while an unmarked member of a house bloodline might suddenly manifest the mark overnight. It is unpredictable and unexplained despite steady research by top minds across Khorvaire. The Marque de Siberys grants the bearer extraordinary power based upon which house's mark he manifests. These Siberys Marques du Dragon can lead otherwise unknown or undiscovered members of a house to suddenly rise in importance within their own ranks and those who were formerly unmarked may have a hard time adjusting to this new fame.

*The Marque de la Détection (Maison Médani, Demi-Elfe) *The Marque de la Découverte (Maison Tharashk, Demi-orc, Humain) *The Marque du Dressage (Maison Létourneau, Humain) *The Marque de la Guérison (Maison Brunet, hobbit) *The Marque de l'Hospitalité (Maison Normandin, hobbit) *The Marque de la Création (Maison Bombardier, Humain) *The Marque du Passage (Maison Orléans, Humain) *The Marque de l'Écriture (Maison Siri, gnome) *The Marque de la Sentinelle (Maison Garda, Humain) *The Marque de l'Ombre (Maison Phiarlan and Maison Thuranni, Elfee) *The Marque des Tempêtes (Maison Lyrandar, Demi-Elfe) *The Marque de la Protection (Maison Kundarak, Nain) *The Marque de la Mort (Maison Vol) (Elfee, currently “Perdu”) *Marque Aberrante du Dragon (Maison Tarkanan, any)

YOUR SIGIL CREATES , C HILD O F CANNITH. MINE HOLDS the power to destroy. -Rotting Bal, Tarkanan enforcer

The twelve dragonmarks are predictable, and their powers are generally constructive. But there is another kind of dragonmark, which is dangerous to both the bearer and the people around them. Aberrant marks often appear when people from different dragonmarked families produce a child, and for this reason such unions are forbidden by the Twelve. But aberrant dragonmarks can appear on members of any race, at any age, regardless of bloodline. No two aberrant dragonmarks are exactly alike-even if they grant the same power, they might manifest in different ways. It usually takes time for a character to learn to control an aberrant mark, and in time, people might be hurt by it. This factor has led to the general superstition that people with aberrant dragonmarks are dangerous. Aberrant marks are feared for another reason, too. Long ago, aberrant marks were more common and some held great powers. Aberrant leader Halas Tarkanan could devastate cities with powerful earthquakes. The Lady of the Plague wielded disease and commanded hordes of vermin. The dragonmarked houses united in an inquisition called the War of the Mark. Some say this was a persecution of innocents, but most feared the aberrants and stood by as the houses hunted them down. Following the War of the Mark, aberrant dragonmarks were few in number and relatively weak. But since the Mourning, aberrant marks have been appearing in greater numbers.

Magic is the lifeblood of Eberron, encircling it like the Anneau de Siberys and seeping up through the earth from the bones of Khyber. Perhaps the clearest manifestation of this pervasive magic is the appearance of Marques du Dragon among seven of Khorvaire’s Commun races. Marques du Dragon are elaborate skin patterns—more intricate and colorful than birthmarks, more distinctive than any tattoo—that also grant their bearers innate spell_like abilities. There are twelve families of Marques du Dragon, each one associated with a number of closely related manifestations. A thirteenth mark, the Marque de la Mort, has faded from history, and no living creature on Eberron carries it.
To possess a Marque Du Dragon, a character must take the Least Marque Du Dragon feat. He or she can increase the power of the Marque Du Dragon by adding the Lesser Marque Du Dragon and Greater Marque Du Dragon feats, and by taking levels in the Marque Du Dragon heir prestige class. Also, the Aberrant Mark feat and the Heir of Siberys prestige class grant alternative Marque Du Dragon_like abilities.
When it is used, a character’s Marque Du Dragon grows warm to the touch. It becomes fever hot when its spell_like abilities are used up for the day, and must be allowed to cool before its power can be drawn upon again. The descriptions of the Marques du Dragon that follow use the format outlined below.

A general summary of the Marque Du Dragon’s powers and influence starts each mark’s description.
House: Each Marque Du Dragon appears among the members of one large extended family (or, in the case of the Marque de l'Ombre, two families). By no means does every member of a Marqué par le Dragon family possess a Marque Du Dragon, but it is extremely rare for a person who is not a recognized member of one of these families to develop a Marque Du Dragon (and such cases usually result from indiscretions on the part of a lesser scion of the family). Each house specializes in a trade or service for which its mark gives its members a competitive advantage, and it controls guilds that regulate commerce in its area of specialization. Each family is made up of a mix of marked and unmarked members, since Marques du Dragon manifest randomly even among those with the ability to possess them. The guilds employ both Marqué par le Dragon and unmarked people, who may be family members or unrelated retainers. The Marqué par le Dragon individuals perform their specialized magical functions for the house, and the unmarked handle the more mundane aspects of the trade. For example, both marked and unmarked members of the Guilde des Artisans du Vent, controlled by Maison Lyrandar, work aboard ships; the marked heads of the family produce the wind to power the ships, while the unmarked masses fill the other crew roles aboard the vessels.
For more information check out Maisons Marquées Du Dragon
Marks: Each Marque Du Dragon appears in three increasingly powerful aspects and grants a single spell_like ability to characters who have the mark. If more than one spell_like ability is mentioned for a specific mark, a character chooses one that he possesses permanently thereafter. (Anyone who carries a least Marque Du Dragon also gains a bonus to a certain kind of skill check; this benefit is in addition to the mark’s spell_like ability.)
A Marqué par le Dragon character can use his mark’s spell_like ability a certain number of times per day. He uses the ability as a sorcerer with a caster level as indicated in the descriptions of the Marque Du Dragon feats. Each more powerful aspect of a Marque Du Dragon stacks with the less powerful aspects, so that a lesser mark retains the power of a least mark, and a greater mark retains the powers of its associated lesser and least marks. family produce the wind to power the ships, while the unmarked masses fill the other crew roles aboard the vessels.
Learn more about Maisons Marquées Du Dragon
Marks: Each Marque Du Dragon appears in three increasingly powerful aspects and grants a single spell_like ability to characters who have the mark. If more than one spell_like ability is mentioned for a specific mark, a character chooses one that he possesses permanently thereafter. (Anyone who carries a least Marque Du Dragon also gains a bonus to a certain kind of skill check; this benefit is in addition to the mark’s spell_like ability.)
A Marqué par le Dragon character can use his mark’s spell_like ability a certain number of times per day. He uses the ability as a sorcerer with a caster level as indicated in the descriptions of the Marque Du Dragon feats earlier in this chapter. Each more powerful aspect of a Marque Du Dragon stacks with the less powerful aspects, so that a lesser mark retains the power of a least mark, and a greater mark retains the powers of its associated lesser and least marks.

D RAGONMARKS A N D BACKGROUN D S Dragonmarks are bound to certain bloodlines, and by choosing a mark, you are establishing your character's blood connection to one of the families in the dragonmarked houses. It's up to you to define your relationship to the house. Were you brought up in the house? Or are you independent from it? This is best represented by your background. Consider the following options: Agent. You have a close, ongoing relationship with your house. The house agent background is a good choice if you are actively working for the house. Alternately, you could take the noble background to reflect a blood tie to the leaders of the house. Independent Scion. You were raised or trained by the house, but you've kept your independence. This means you don't have many special privileges, but you also don't have responsibilities. Guild artisan is a good choice to reflect basic house training, but you could choose entertainer for the Mark of Shadow, sailor for the Mark of Storms, soldier for the Mark of Sentinel, sage for the Mark of Scribing, and so on. Excoriate. When a dragonmarked heir defies their house, they might be cut off from their family. In the past, your mark would be flayed from your body. Although this mutilation is no longer practiced, such exiles are still called excoriates. If you're an excoriate, consider what you did to deserve this punishment. Were you a criminal? A charlatan? Or perhaps a sage who engaged in forbidden research? Foundling. Your ancestors left the house long ago. You have no ties to the house and may not have known you were connected by blood before you manifested your dragonmark. As an outlander or an urchin, you might know nothing about the houses. As an acolyte or a hermit, you could have put your faith ahead of worldly things, choosing not to pursue a connection with the houses. Whatever you decide, this is an opportunity to talk with your DM about the role you'd like the house to play in a campaign. Do you want them to be your enemy? Would you prefer to avoid them completely? Or do you want to work your way into a position of power in the house, despite being an outsider?

page revision: 4, last edited: 07 Mar 2010 04:28