House Ghallanda: Structure and Customs

While some Dragonmarked Houses have a sharp divide between the administration of the House and the guilds that run its businesses, in Ghallanda these two are woven together. Every Ghallanda enclave has at least one active business operating within the building, and guild offices for the Hosteler’s Guild and the Dragontail Guild are always found within enclaves. Ghallanda heirs aren’t required to serve in a guild, but most heirs are taught the basic principles of Ghallanda trades beginning in childhood. Ghallanda children are always encouraged to help in the kitchen, to develop their palate, to help with cleaning and maintenance, and myriad other tasks associated with a career in hospitality. So while they aren’t forced into it, many Ghallanda heirs grow up with a dream of the restaurant or tavern they want to open some day. 

Businesses at Ghallanda enclaves are fully owned by the House, and operated by the families that permanently reside at the enclave. Ghallanda is well known for its bound businesses. The House helps to establish these businesses and provides access to specialized supplies, but it takes a significant cut of profits and imposes strict guidelines on the appearance and services provided by the establishment. The best known example of this is the Gold Dragon Inn. There’s a Gold Dragon Inn in almost every major city in Khorvaire, and the decor, the menu, and the service is nearly identical; customers want that familiar, reliable experience. There are many bound businesses that aren’t as widespread as the Gold Dragon—but any bound business has close ties to the House, which provides support but imposes demands. At the bottom of the ladder, licensed businesses pay dues in order to display the seal of the Hosteler’s Guild, promising that they uphold Ghallanda standards; but beyond this, every licensed business is unique and independent. Many are run by Ghallanda heirs who want to explore their dreams or showcase their unique talents, instead of conforming to the cookie-cutter mold of a bound business. A  licensed business run by a Ghallanda heir may display the House seal in silver in addition to the seal of the Hosteler’s guild. In many ways, an inn or tavern plays the same role in Ghallanda that a ship does in House Lyrandar. There’s certainly honor to be earned by serving in the Lyrandar house fleet or running a Gold Dragon Inn, but a Ghallanda innkeeper with their own establishment commands the same respect as a Lyrandar captain with their own ship.

Ghallanda Enclaves. Ghallanda has more enclaves than any other Dragonmarked House, though its enclaves are often far smaller than those of other houses. A Ghallanda enclave typically includes the following things. 

• Ghallanda enclaves are protected by Hallow, and are traditionally shielded against Aberrations, Fiends, and Undead. Such creatures can’t willingly enter the enclave, and any creature that is possessed by or that has the Charmed or Frightened condition from such creatures isn’t possessed, Charmed, or Frightened from them while in the enclave. In addition, all creatures are blocked from using teleportation or interplanar travel to enter or exit the enclave.

• Living quarters for a number of Ghallanda families. Because there are more Ghallanda enclaves than those of  other houses and because many Ghallanda heirs live in the inns or taverns they run as businesses, these populations are generally smaller than those found in the enclaves of other houses. 

• Facilities and resources needed to train Ghallanda heirs in one or more vocations. 

• Some form of active business, typically a tavern, restaurant, or inn. This doubles as a training space for the heirs who are serving as apprentices in the enclave. A point here is that when you go to a typical Gold Dragon Inn, it’s not a Ghallanda enclave; it’s not protected by Hallow and doesn’t provide sanctuary. However, a Ghallanda enclave could INCLUDE a Gold Dragon Inn, in which case THAT inn would have those benefits.  

• Significant enclaves usually include a pop-up space, where an heir with a Manor Key can create a temporary business to fit the current training needs of apprentices. This Mansion space can also be rented out and tailored to the needs of a private event, or used to celebrate important festivals. So typically, a Ghallanda enclave in a major city will have two active businesses in operation—one permanent, one cycling. 

• A garrison of the Hearth Guard. The size of this garrison will depend on the perceived need for defenders. A small enclave in a town might only have one or two guards, while the enclave in Thaliost has a sizable garrison.

So a Ghallanda enclave serves the typical functions of a Dragonmarked enclave, providing a safe space for Ghallanda families and training facilities for a particular vocation. However, enclaves also involve active businesses, and offices within enclaves manage both the overall administration of the House and the administration of its guilds. 

The Hosteler’s Guild

The Hosteler’s Guild is the primary business arm of House Ghallanda. While everyone knows of the guild’s work with restaurants and inns, the Hosteler’s Guild has a broader mandate than many people realize. This includes the following elements. 

Food and Drink. In addition to licensing restaurants, taverns, and bars, the Hosteler’s Guild brokers the services of caterers and chefs. 

Lodging. Inns, hotels, and any other form of paid lodging. 

Legal Gambling. While there are only a few designated casinos in the Five Nations, the Hosteler’s Guild licenses bookmaking and many taverns run a few games. Within the Five Nations, gambling winnings are taxed by the nation; Ghallanda collects this tax on behalf of the crown. This is why unlicensed (and untaxed) gambling continues to thrive. 

Domestic Service. Ghallanda brokers the services of a wide range of domestic servants, from maids and valets up to stewards trained to manage estates, whether short term or long term employment. 

Site-Based Entertainment. If House Vadalis wants to create an amusement park filled with dinosaurs or if House Thuranni wants to run a haunted house, they’ll work with House Ghallanda to make it happen. The Houses of Shadow can provide terrifying illusions, and Vadalis can wrangle dinosaurs—but it’s Ghallanda who understands how to staff such a facility, how to manage crowds, and all the other issues involved in such an operation. 

Information and Concierge Services. House Ghallanda doesn’t solve crimes or engage in espionage. But through the course of their work, Ghallanda heirs acquire all sorts of interesting information. Ghallanda heirs typically preserve the secrets of their clients; people wouldn’t share their burdens with the bartender if they believed that information would be used against them. But Ghallanda heirs generally know what’s going on in their community. Are you looking for tickets to the sold-out Skyblade tournament? Do you really need to get ahold of some Absentia? Do you just want to know who really makes the best kettle-fried spider nuggets in Sharn? If your Ghallanda innkeeper doesn’t know the answer, odds are good that they know someone who does. 

The Hosteler’s Guild directly operates businesses and schools in Ghallanda enclaves, and plays a supporting role in running bound businesses. It also acts as a brokerage for the services of cooks, caterers, and domestics. There are a few divisions within the Guild. The Sukalasha (a Talentan word meaning “Guardians who watch from the shadows”) are inspectors who evaluate licensed and bound businesses to ensure they are meeting Guild standards; operatives act both openly and undercover. The Korlatta (“Those who share wisdom with the young”) are the Guild’s teaching staff. And the Tantalara (“A shelter that stands against the storm”) are responsible for the construction and maintenance of enclaves and bound businesses. These are branches of the Guild, and as such employ people from outside of Ghallanda. The Sukalasha employ a significant number of Changelings, including immigrants from the Talenta Plains, and anyone with sufficient skill can serve in the Korlatta or the Tantalara.  

The Hearth Guard

Ghallanda enclaves provide sanctuary from all enemies. But who defends that sanctuary when it’s challenged? Who stops the bounty hunter, the brigand, or the Sentinel Marshal should they pursue their prey within Ghallanda walls? This is the task of the Hearth Guard. But Ghallanda is a house of cooks and innkeepers… so how does it acquire a force of guardians tough enough to stand against any foe? There was a time when Ghallanda relied on House Deneith to protect its enclaves, but this was an expensive proposition—especially because the services of these soldiers are vital when needed, but not needed all that often. In 92 YK, the Matriarch Malara Longfinger came up with the answer. Sanctuary within an enclave is never free, and there are limited spaces within each one; someone seeking refuge may be turned away for any number of reasons. But a bed will always be found for a member of the Hearth Guard. Should someone be willing to swear to defend the enclave—provided they have the skills to do so—they can join the Guard and be assured of sanctuary within its walls. 

The Hearth Guard is an unusual force. Each enclave has a Guard Captain, someone with the absolute trust of the master of the enclave and the viceroy of the region. But every unit of the guard is an independent force whose structure and traditions are entirely in the hands of the Captain. This reflects the fact that the members of the Hearth Guard come from an extremely diverse range of backgrounds. A Guard squad in a Brelish enclave might include three Brelish deserters, a former Boromar enforcer, a former Templar who lost her faith, a member of the Blackened Book who was framed for a crime, an Aundairian duelist, a hunter from the Talenta Plains, and so on—all people with different reasons for seeking sanctuary, and all with very different skills and experiences. It’s up to the Captain to determine how to forge these individuals into a functional squad, and how to make the most effective use of their diverse skills. It is also the Captain who evaluates any new applicant to decide whether to accept them into the Guard. The general principle of the Hearth Guard is that you leave your old life behind when you enter the enclave. The Captain doesn’t want to know who you were yesterday, what you’ve done that drove you to seek sanctuary. They want to know who you are today, and if they can trust you to do your duty within the enclave. Captains are chosen not just for their own skills and integrity, but for their judgement regarding the character of others. 

When joining the Hearth Guard, a recruit must swear to serve for a full year, without leaving their enclave in that time. In exchange the recruit receives room and board for that period; equipment, if needed; and a small salary, which is paid in a lump sum at the end of their term of service. At the end of the year, the recruit is given the option to take their gold and leave, or to sign on for another year. Any time after the first year, a recruit can ask their Captain for permission to leave the enclave for short periods, but should they ever leave without their Captain’s permission their service ends. It’s also the case that a Hearth Guard is only protected by the sanctuary of the enclave while within the enclave, so many guards never take advantage of the option to leave. While it’s never a promise, there have been many cases when a Ghallanda viceroy has sought clemency for a guard who’s served faithfully for many years, helping to resolve the situation that led to their seeking sanctuary. The philosophy of the House is that service in the Hearth Guard provides a fresh start; whatever you may have done in the outside world, this is your opportunity to do better, and to be the person you should have been. 

While the majority of members of the Hearth Guard are people in need of sanctuary, there are exceptions. Warriors from the Talenta Plains sometimes serve a few years in the Hearth Guard as a way to repay a debt to Ghallanda, either one incurred personally or by their tribe. Some people serve a term in the Guard after a particularly tragic loss, taking it as a way to retreat from the world for a time. And a few simply believe in the mission of the Hearth Guard and want to help protect the Ghallanda sanctuaries. Should an enclave lack sufficient recruits, House Ghallanda will hire mercenaries from House Deneith or Tharashk to make up the numbers; but this is always seen as a last resort. 

The Hearth Guard specifically serve in Ghallanda enclaves. Other businesses must provide their own security. Some employ mercenaries as bouncers or guards, but most Ghallanda inns and taverns seek out locals who serve in part because they love the establishment. Quite a few Ghallanda businesses have warforged bouncers—guardians who were purchased during the war, but who now serve as employees and friends. 

The Wanderers

House Ghallanda began as the Wandering Inn, a caravan that travels the Talenta Plains providing shelter and sustenance to all who need it. Thousands of years later, the Wandering Inn still meanders through the Plains. While there is no Wandering Inn in the Five Nations, heirs of House Ghallanda honor the spirit of the Wandering Inn by serving as Ghallan Wanderers. Wanderers are encouraged to make friends and learn new things, but their primary charge is to provide food, shelter, and encouragement to those who need it. A Wanderer isn’t expected to take sides in a dispute. It’s not their job to end a feud or to unseat a tyrant; they provide a moment of respite and offer advice before moving on. Some Wanderers do try to do more than this, and this is a possible path for an adventurer—a Wanderer who is prepared to fight to help the innocent. But as a general rule, a Wanderer will offer comfort and advice and then move on. 

Ghallan Wanderers can always find shelter at any inn run by a Ghallanda heir, even if it’s sleeping in the stables. Beyond this, you never know who may have received a helping hand from a Ghallan Wanderer in the past; an adventuring Wanderer could receive assistance from someone who is repaying a debt to a different Wanderer. 

The Wanderers are a loose organization. Wanderers are expected to check in when they pass by an enclave; this allows the House to keep track of Wanderers within a region, and an enclave master may tell the Wanderer of a community in particular need of assistance. When a Wanderer feels they’ve reached the end of their road, they simply inform the House of their decision and carry on with their new life. Wanderers are often young heirs who aren’t ready to commit to a settled life at an inn or tavern, but sometimes more experienced heirs choose to spend a year wandering, putting their talents to charitable use.    

The Dragontail Guild

The Dragontail Guild is the mercenary branch of House Ghallanda. It’s not a guild of warriors, but rather of Ghallanda heirs who are trained and prepared to serve with a military unit. The Dragontail Guild specializes in providing Quartermasters, experts in managing supply logistics and organizing food services for a unit of soldiers. Largely this involves mundane talents, but a marked Quartermaster can always supplement supplies with a Bag of Bounty. As discussed in the History of House Ghallanda, the more remarkable service provided by the Dragontail Guild is that of the Greater Quartermaster, an heir capable of casting Ghallanda’s Hospitable Hall or Magnificent Mansion. Throughout most of their history, Dragontail Quartermasters have served with Deneith mercenaries and certain units within the Army of Galifar. During the Last War, the demand for capable quartermasters skyrocketed, and the Dragontail Guild called on the Hosteler’s Guild and independent heirs to supplement its ranks—drawing in heirs who would prefer to be civilian caterers or running pop-up restaurants to meet the demand for battlefield assistance. In the wake of the war, these volunteers have returned to their civilian services, and the Dragontail Guild is a shadow of what it was a decade ago. Keep in mind that any Ghallanda restaurateur may have served a tour with the Dragontail Guild; they might not be a soldier, but they may have experienced the war on the front lines. 

The Dawn Builders

The Tantalara are the division of the Hosteler’s Guild responsible for building and maintaining Ghallanda enclaves. Establishing an enclave is a significant investment, and it requires consultation between Baron Yoren, the leaders of the Tantalara, and the viceroys of the nation in question. It involves a thoughtful evaluation of the populace, the needs of the area, and the demands that have been placed on other enclaves in the region, as well as the cost of construction and of staffing the enclave. At least, that’s what usually happens. On the other side of the coin, you have the Dawn Builders—a traveling force of masons, carpenters, and artisans who may show up anywhere in Khorvaire, ready to build an enclave. The Dawn Builders are the personal retinue of Chervina the Architect, a woman House Ghallanda proclaims to be a prophet. Chervina perceives lines of mystical energy and spiritual forces, sensing the flow of planar energies in ways others can’t understand. Chervina’s insights and visions lead her on an endless journey across Khorvaire. Sometimes her team makes adjustments to existing enclaves in order to align them with local energies; in other cases, they devote months to the construction of a new enclave, which then has to be staffed and supported by the House. So far, she’s established enclaves at the base of the Icehorn Mountains by the Demon Wastes, in the middle of the Blade Desert, and in the town of Lakeside in Karrnath. 

The leaders of the Tantalara are frustrated with Chervina’s free hand, but Baron Yoren believes in her visions. Chervina can’t explain exactly why these enclaves need to be built; she simply knows that they are bringing greater balance to the regions and to the world, and that each enclave has a crucial role to play. There’s a few possibilities here, and the DM will have to decide which is the truth. One option is that Chervina is simply delusional, and that her actions are indeed a waste of Ghallanda’s resources. Another possibility is that Chervina is a true prophet—that she has an intuitive connection to the Draconic Prophecy, even though she can’t fully understand it. If this is the case, some of the members of Chervina’s entourage could be agents of the Lords of Dust or the Chamber; it’s possible she’s accompanied by dragons or fiends and doesn’t know it! A less dramatic option is that Chervina is indeed attuned to local energies and spirits, and her actions are doing exactly what she says they are—supporting the flow of local energies. An interesting option would be for the areas around her enclaves to become beneficial manifest zones over time. This would defy the current understanding of manifest zones among the sages and scholars of the Five Nations, and could cause quite a stir among academic circles if discovered. Another question is the nature of Chervina herself. She’s a Ghallanda heir. Some say Chervina is a skilled wizard. Others say that she has an affinity for spirits, and has established pacts with a number of powerful entities. Some claim that Yoren indulges Chervina because she’s secretly his granddaughter. Does Chervina have a powerful Mark of Hospitality… or does she have an Aberrant Dragonmark that is somehow tied to her ability to sense mystical energy? There’s no question that Chervina is a remarkable individual, but the DM will have to decide the truth of her story and the role that the Dawn Builders will play in a campaign. 

The Black Dogs

The Black Dogs aren’t part of House Ghallanda—they’re an urban legend that lives in its shadow. In the early days of the Wandering Inn, one of the most beloved chefs was a halfling named Dhurinda Rootwise. Late in life, Dhurinda was exposed as a murderer who’d poisoned cruel chieftains and bandits, defying the Ghallanda principle of helping all travelers in need. Dhurinda stood by his actions, saying his actions had helped the people of the Plains. Today, rumors say that there are a handful of Ghallanda heirs who’ve learned how to use their Dragonmark to poison food instead of purifying it. Supposedly these heirs engage in vigilante justice by poisoning the food and drink of evildoers. This justice needn’t result in death. An arrogant wizard could be dosed with a toxin that makes it impossible to concentrate. A cruel noble could be given a stupefying poison just before they have to make a speech. On the other hand, that noble could just drop dead. These “Black Dogs” usually work alone and pursue vigilante agendas. A Black Dog could be an unexpected ally of a party of adventurers, poisoning their enemies; how long will it take the heroes to figure out who’s helping them? On the other hand, a rogue with a criminal background could become concerned when their former associates are targeted by a Black Dog. And what if a Black Dog is influenced by the Daelkyr Kyrzin? They might have delusional visions leading them to target innocent people, believing these victims to be monsters or possessed; and with a little help from Kyrzin, the Black Dog might be able to create some extremely unnatural toxins! 

Scoundrels and Bagmen

House Ghallanda works hard to maintain public trust in its services. But even if most scions of the House are honest folk, there are excoriates and foundlings willing to use the powers of the Mark of Hospitality for nefarious purposes. While Create Food and Water may not be the most terrifying spell, Rope Trick and Hospitable Hall can be used in all sorts of interesting ways. Rope Trick creates an invisible portal leading to an extradimensional space that can hold eight people. This can allow fleeing villains to escape (“When we turned the corner, it was a dead end!”), but it can also allow a villain to suddenly change the odds of an encounter (“This seems like a good time for you to meet my eight friends—come on out, boys!”). Hospitable Hall does all of this and much more. It allows a gang to set up a base of operations wherever they need it to be. It’s a refuge that can only be entered by the people chosen by the caster. And it also provides all sorts of interesting options for con artists. Need a “publisher’s office” or a “Citadel outpost”? The Bagman has it covered!

GHALLANDA CUSTOMS

Food and drink are important to the members of House Ghallanda. Food is to Ghallanda as paintings or poetry are to others, works of art that should be fully appreciated and savored. When a Ghallanda heir consumes food, it’s an experience. Many heirs enjoy sharing this experience with others. Often this means that they’ll offer a taste of what they’re eating or drinking to their companions, and also that they’ll want to discuss it. This can be pedantic—what are the notes of flavor, how does it compare to others of its type—but it can also be simple and joyful. How does the meal make you feel? What does it remind you of? If you’re eating bread, what’s the best piece of bread you’ve ever had? This ties to the point that every Ghallanda heir HAS a favorite meal, the thing they dream of having again. If you’re making a Ghallanda character, what is your favorite meal? Where did you have it, and when? Is it something you could have again, or is that impossible—it was a sticky bun made by a vendor in Metrol, lost in the Mourning. Oh, the tragedy of it!

All Ghallanda heirs have an intuitive talent for using Cook’s Utensils and Brewer’s Supplies. Almost all Ghallanda heirs dabble in cooking, baking, or brewing, and if your Class or background doesn’t provide Proficiency with one of these tools, you may want to ask the DM if you can swap a different tool proficiency for one of them. Bake-offs are House Ghallanda’s answer to duels, and a bake-off at an enclave will always draw a crowd. Meanwhile, preparing meals for friends and loved ones is an important way for a Ghallanda heir to show affection. Ghallanda cooking techniques incorporate the use of Prestidigitation, and most Ghallanda heirs develop a signature flavor that can only be created using magic; if you’re a Ghallanda chef or brewer, what’s your unique flavor? 

House Orien loves storytelling; House Ghallanda loves gossip. Whenever heirs gather, they’ll share news about recent events and scandals both inside and outside of the House. Heirs also love being able to use information they’ve gathered to assist other family members. This follows the basic principles of concierge service; heirs won’t take physical action to help one another, but they may be able to help with information or introductions. You need tickets to the Shadow show tonight? I know a guy. As noted earlier, heirs won’t casually spill the secrets of people who’ve spoken to them in confidence, but they may use that information or connection on behalf of a cousin without revealing the secret itself. While heirs love helping one another, in part this is because there’s social leverage in having done someone a favor that hasn’t yet been repaid.  

Ghallanda heirs don’t use secondary family names; Ghallanda is one big family. However, Ghallanda heirs choose a personal name when they complete the Test of Siberys, regardless of the outcome of the test. The heir chooses their name, and it can be absolutely anything. Typically heirs choose names that are either descriptive or aspirational. Descriptive names are things like Sweetooth, Lightfoot, Piebaker, Stronghand, usually highlighting a skill or talent that the heir is proud of, or embracing a nickname others have bestowed upon them. Aspirational names speak to the person the heir hopes to become. Someone who dreams of being an innkeeper might take the name Hearthtender or Goodhost. An heir who wants to be a chef might be Purebread or Everstew. On the other hand, an heir could choose a name that celebrates their favorite meal or beverage (Nightwood), a hobby they love, or a name that commemorates a friend or relative. Likewise, they could use a Talentan word as their personal name. Ultimately it’s up to the heir, and reflects how they wish to be seen in the world. 

House Ghallanda began as the Wandering Inn, and all heirs know stories about the Talenta Plains. Heirs learn Talentan recipes, and there are festivals that incorporate Talentan music and dance. However, House Ghallanda has thrived in the Five Nations for centuries. Many cityborn heirs don’t dive too deeply into their past. But there are those who choose to live in both worlds, and viceroys and other House officials are often called to Gatherhold to meet with the Baron. Heirs who do take an interest in Talenta culture may hone their Survival and foraging skills, work with reptiles, or train with the tangat (a simple weapon that deals 1d6 Slashing damage; has the Two-Handed and Finesse traits; and the Vex mastery property) or the sharrash (a martial weapon that deals 1d6 slashing damage; has the Two-handed, Finesse, and Reach traits; and the Topple mastery property).