Whisper72
Explorer
An in depth look at Dragon Marks
A treatise by professor Hamarid Khan
Morgrave University
All readers of the Korranberg Chronicles know that there are currently thirteen Houses, carrying twelve marks. This is nothing new. Some who remember their history lessons well may remember that about 1500 years ago, the event now known as ‘the War of the Mark’ took place, which resulted in the establishment of the Houses and their relationships with the various Nations as we know them now.
First, let me dispel some romantic notions about the War of the Mark itself. Although it is called a ‘War’, in reality it was nothing more then a pogrom against those who carried marks not belonging to the established houses.
The bearers of impure marks, the result of interbreeding between people bearing different marks, and of aberrant marks, whose existence may be an offspring of impure marks or the result of powers we do not yet understand, were hunted down and killed in order to establish control within the houses over the use of the marks. The current Houses pointed to the stability they provided the world on the economic stage, but in essence, the War of the Mark was nothing more then the brutal eradication of any competition.
The most notable thing about the War of the Mark though, is the establishment of ‘the Twelve’. When we research the times when new marks and thus new Houses were discovered and established, then we come to the conclusion that after the establishment of ‘the Twelve’, two more Houses were added (House Kundarak and House Tharashk).
Although the Mark of Warding was already known, with only one mark appearing among the dwarves, and interbreeding not being possible, the dwarves did not partake in the War of the Mark, and they were apparently not party to the original establishment of ‘the Twelve’ and the Covenant of the Dragonmarks.
During my research into the discovery of the Dragon Marks, I also discovered that some 2600 years ago, an elven Dragon Mark, the Mark of Death was destroyed by the eradication of it’s House.
Adding these facts together, we come to the conclusion that there are not twelve, but at least fifteen dragonmarks in existence today.
Further speculation dictates that more may be found still. Seeing as the time between discovering Dragonmarks varied from between finding two marks almost simultaneously to a hiatus of some 500 years between discovering a new mark, and the last mark having been discovered about 500 years ago, it is quite feasible that new marks await discovery or are about to manifest themselves.
Furthermore, our limited knowledge of the inhabitants of Xen’drik and limited contact with the tribes on Argonessen mean that it is quite possible that more dragonmarks exist there, maybe among the drow or giants or other beings we have as yet to uncover.
As to why the Houses keep two marks a secret is unknown, but it would be very interesting to find out which marks these are, and why the Houses have not come to the fore with them.
Another issue of concern is that of the impure and aberrant dragonmarks. Aberrant dragonmarks still exist today, and it is unclear whether and when the Houses will move against this competition unchaining a second War of the Mark. Furthermore, I refuse to believe that nobody is experimenting with crossbreeding different marks to try to create new powers. Time will tell.
A treatise by professor Hamarid Khan
Morgrave University
All readers of the Korranberg Chronicles know that there are currently thirteen Houses, carrying twelve marks. This is nothing new. Some who remember their history lessons well may remember that about 1500 years ago, the event now known as ‘the War of the Mark’ took place, which resulted in the establishment of the Houses and their relationships with the various Nations as we know them now.
First, let me dispel some romantic notions about the War of the Mark itself. Although it is called a ‘War’, in reality it was nothing more then a pogrom against those who carried marks not belonging to the established houses.
The bearers of impure marks, the result of interbreeding between people bearing different marks, and of aberrant marks, whose existence may be an offspring of impure marks or the result of powers we do not yet understand, were hunted down and killed in order to establish control within the houses over the use of the marks. The current Houses pointed to the stability they provided the world on the economic stage, but in essence, the War of the Mark was nothing more then the brutal eradication of any competition.
The most notable thing about the War of the Mark though, is the establishment of ‘the Twelve’. When we research the times when new marks and thus new Houses were discovered and established, then we come to the conclusion that after the establishment of ‘the Twelve’, two more Houses were added (House Kundarak and House Tharashk).
Although the Mark of Warding was already known, with only one mark appearing among the dwarves, and interbreeding not being possible, the dwarves did not partake in the War of the Mark, and they were apparently not party to the original establishment of ‘the Twelve’ and the Covenant of the Dragonmarks.
During my research into the discovery of the Dragon Marks, I also discovered that some 2600 years ago, an elven Dragon Mark, the Mark of Death was destroyed by the eradication of it’s House.
Adding these facts together, we come to the conclusion that there are not twelve, but at least fifteen dragonmarks in existence today.
Further speculation dictates that more may be found still. Seeing as the time between discovering Dragonmarks varied from between finding two marks almost simultaneously to a hiatus of some 500 years between discovering a new mark, and the last mark having been discovered about 500 years ago, it is quite feasible that new marks await discovery or are about to manifest themselves.
Furthermore, our limited knowledge of the inhabitants of Xen’drik and limited contact with the tribes on Argonessen mean that it is quite possible that more dragonmarks exist there, maybe among the drow or giants or other beings we have as yet to uncover.
As to why the Houses keep two marks a secret is unknown, but it would be very interesting to find out which marks these are, and why the Houses have not come to the fore with them.
Another issue of concern is that of the impure and aberrant dragonmarks. Aberrant dragonmarks still exist today, and it is unclear whether and when the Houses will move against this competition unchaining a second War of the Mark. Furthermore, I refuse to believe that nobody is experimenting with crossbreeding different marks to try to create new powers. Time will tell.
