House Ghallanda
House Ghallanda is a halfling dragonmarked house found throughout Khorvaire. Ghallanda is one of the few Dragonmarked Houses that are not involved with some form of arms dealing or soldiering, instead Ghallanda are Eberron's best hosts dealing in food and shelter.
Fine food, a comfortable chair, a mug of ale, and a roaring fire: These are the treasures of House Ghallanda. The blink dog seal of the house is a beacon for the weary traveler. When stamped on the trade sign of an inn or tavern, it promises reliable service and reasonable rates—but there might be more to this simple inn than meets the eye. House Ghallanda goes to great lengths to form bonds within local communities, and Ghallanda heirs take pride in being able to acquire special services for valued clients. The Ghallanda innkeeper is not a spy, nor does he solve crimes. He knows the word on the street, though, and if you’re looking for tickets to the Sharn Opera, a discreet bordello, or a trustworthy diviner, he can help you.
Though Ghallanda is known for its inns, the house has other holdings. Ghallanda landlords offer long term housing, and the master chefs of the house prepare meals for kings and queens. The wealthy of Khorvaire vacation at Ghallanda resorts and gambling halls, while
house decorators have helped to establish the aesthetic of the modern age. The heirs of House Ghallanda might not be as impressive as the arcanists of House Cannith or the warriors of Deneith, but it is dangerous to underestimate the power of this house. After all, many
an adventurer feels more loyalty to his bartender than to his king.
The Sign of the HELPFUL HOUND
The Mark of Hospitality manifested among the nomadic halflings of the Talenta Plains approximately thirty-two hundred years ago. For those accustomed to the hard life of the plains, the powers of the mark were a boon. The half lings knew nothing of the draconic Prophecy, concluding instead that the marks were a divine blessing, and that those so blessed were obliged to use this gift to help others in need. The majority of marked half lings chose to follow this call, coming together to form a new tribe. A number of ancient Talenta legends involved blink dogs helping stranded travelers, and the tribe drew on this tradition when they adopted the name of Ghallanda, a Halfling word that roughly translates as “helpful hound who appears where needed the most.” For centuries, halflings of the Ghallanda tribe roamed the Talenta Plains, offering food and shelter to the needy. They sponsored glorious feasts for the heroes of the plains, standing apart from feuds and tribal conflicts. The helpful hounds were welcome in every camp and assisted people of all tribes.THE RISE OF HOUSE GHALLANDA
Karrn soldiers first explored the Talenta Plains when Karrn the Conqueror sought to spread his rule across all Khorvaire. The Talenta half lings were puzzled by these large and unwieldy creatures, but the Ghallanda tribe had vowed to help all who were in need. Soldiers returned with tales of little people using magical marks to conjure food and castles from the air. These tales intrigued the other dragonmarked families, and House Cannith and House Sivis organized a joint expedition that led them to discover both the Ghallanda and Jorasco dragonmarked. Despite their altruistic traditions, the elders of the Ghallanda were no fools. Even those who desired to leave the plains and explore foreign lands did not intend to do so as servants. They agreed to work with the other houses, provided those houses would help them fi nd a foothold in their lands. After much negotiating, House Ghallanda was born.GHALLANDA IN THE MODERN AGE
It took some time for House Ghallanda to spread its roots. Many humans considered the half lings to be cousins to the goblins, who were largely oppressed and enslaved at the time. The Ghallanda halflings had often served as mediators in their homelands, and they used their skill and charm at every level of society as they carved out a niche in the young Five Nations. During the conflict of the War of the Mark, the Ghallanda halflings proved their worth by supplying and supporting dragonmarked forces in the field. This effort gained them the support of the other houses and secured their place among the Twelve. Over the next thousand years, House Ghallanda spread across Khorvaire, and today it is one of the most trusted houses in the land. Though some claim that House Cannith caused the Day of Mourning, or blame House Deneith for the Darguun uprising, few people have harsh words for the halflings of Ghallanda—at least as long as the ale is flowing.History
The mark of hospitality first appeared over 3000 years ago on the native halfling tribesmen and women of the Talenta Plains. Those who bore this mark tended to congregate together and chose to call themselves Ghallanda. The Ghallandas wandered Eastern Khorvaire, travelling from outpost to oasis, they offered food and shelter to all those who crossed their path. During their travels they managed to end feuds, prevent conflicts such as monster and bandit raids and generally ease tension wherever they visited.
When Karrn the Conqueror finally explored the Talenta Plains, the other dragonmarked houses discovered the Ghallandas. After much negotiation the Ghallandas were recognised as a fully fledged dragonmarked house and not long after House Ghallanda began to spread all over Khorvaire. They started off small by building humble inns and taverns though, with time they began construction of entire enclaves that dotted the map from Barren Sea to the Lhazaar Principalities.
The Last War
House Deneith and House Ghallanda agreed on a contingent during the early years of The Last War for Ghallanda members to follow Deneith soldiers to provide them food and shelter on the field. It wasn't long until the nations' noticed the effectiveness of House Ghallanda and began hiring them to provide the same treatment for their armies. House Ghallanda wished to avoid taking sides and to remain a non-combatant however, when things went wrong they found themselves fighting alongside soldiers on the front lines. These soldiers now turned veteran are still around to this day and are not completely uncommon..
Founding Date
-2200
Type
Corporation, Business
Controlled Territories
Related Ethnicities
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