House Sivis
House Sivis is a Gnome Dragonmarked House operating throughout Khorvaire though they remain strongly based out of Zilargo.
While all members of House Sivis are gnomes, not all members carry the Mark of Scribing. House Sivis contains both the Notaries Guild and the Speakers Guild, though anyone working for those guilds is not immediately considered a member of House Sivis. They are based out of Korranberg in Zilargo, but have enclaves across the continent of Khorvaire.
There are twelve families in House Sivis, including Corralyn, Haskal, Lyrriman, Magan, Santor, Severin, Syrralan, Tarlian, and Torralyn. Most members of House Sivis carry the surname "d'Sivis", though the occasional member (especially one dedicated to the research of linguistics) may not.
Dragonmark
House Sivis possesses the Mark of Scribing. This mark grants various magical benefits related to written and verbal communication. It is through the auspices of Sivis that people can communicate with another across Khorvaire almost instantaneously. House Sivis members also act as translators for diplomats and other dignitaries.
History
The Sivis dragonmark first appeared around 2800 years ago. The gnomes have carefully cultivated the peoples around them since that time and have remained firmly neutral in all conflicts. So, while most people are suspicious of the devious and conniving nature of gnomes, House Sivis has remained above reproach and their services are now indispensable.
All gnomes are touched with magic, and the scholars of Korranberg have spent thousands of years studying mystical phenomena. When the Mark of Scribing first appeared within the Sivis family twenty-eight hundred years ago, the gnomes were quick to recognize and develop its abilities. Sivis understood the power it possessed, but it also recognized the danger of being perceived as too powerful; thus, those who bore a dragonmark immediately found ways to make themselves useful to society and to distance their house from the politics of the nation. The gnomes of House Sivis were among the first of their kind to leave Zilargo and live in human lands. Today, their services are indispensable. Over the centuries they have established and maintained a reputation for absolute impartiality—a vital trait for the force that handles the communications of kings. House Sivis loves bureaucracy. A council of nine administrators oversees operations in each of the nations; each council sends one representative to the High Council of Korranberg, which manages the affairs of the house across Khorvaire. As in Zilargo itself, positions of leadership may appear to be obtained through merit, but a great deal of political infighting, intrigue, and manipulation goes on in the shadows.
Business
To the casual observer, House Sivis appears to have no goals beyond expanding its services across Khorvaire. Within the house, a constant shadow war for rank and position unfolds. The gnomes do not allow these struggles to interfere with their work or their relations with their fellows; two Sivis gnomes plotting against one another may still go out drinking and have a fine time together. In a sense, the struggles are like an endless game of chess; the gnomes enjoy the game and accept any setback as a new challenge to overcome.
House Sivis has two primary operations, the Speakers Guild and the Notaries Guild. The Speakers Guild offers the services of translators, interpreters, mediators, and advocates. In addition, the Speakers Guild maintains the network of message stations through which, for a price, a message can be sent from one station to any other station in Khorvaire. The Notaries Guild deals with written documents. Sivis scribes use arcane mark to authenticate legal documents, and they also perform transcription, translation, bookkeeping, and copying of texts. They specialize in the creation of secure documents, using illusory script to prepare missives that can only be read by designated individuals.
Guilds
- Notaries Guild
- Speakers Guild
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