Aberrant Dragonmark
The twelve dragonmarks are tied to specific bloodlines and passed down through families. They are reliable and predictable, and their powers are constructive. They create; they heal; they protect.
But there is another kind of dragonmark: marks that are unpredictable and dangerous to both the bearer and the people around them. Someone with such a mark can kill with a touch or control minds with a glance. Aberrant marks often appear when people from different dragonmarked families produce a child, and for this reason such unions are absolutely 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 may appear and manifest in different ways. If two aberrant marks might grant fire bolt, one mark may be formed from scar tissue while another is traced on the skin in lines of cold fire.
While aberrant dragonmarks can be disturbing, on the surface an aberrant mark seems no more dangerous or threatening than the powers of a sorcerer. So, what makes them significant? First of all, aberrant marks always have flaws. These may not actively hurt a character, but they are always a burden in some way — a burden that could drive a weak-willed person to madness.
It takes time for a character to learn to control their mark, and in time people may be hurt. If an aberrant mark grants fire bolt, the person who carries it might have severely burned or even killed a loved one. Imagine having the power to cast charm person but being unable to control it and having people you care about suddenly becoming slavishly devoted to you. All of these factors have led to the general superstition that people with aberrant dragonmarks are dangerous, that their marks drive them crazy or turn them into sociopaths. These are things that can happen; people have a right to be afraid. But it is possible for an aberrant to learn to control their mark and to endure the flaw.
Aberrant marks are feared for another reason, too. Long ago aberrant marks were more frequent and some people had aberrant marks that held greater powers. Aberrant leader Halas Tarkanan could devastate cities with powerful earthquakes, while the Dreambreaker shattered minds. 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 that this was a persecution of innocents; but most feared the aberrants and stood by as the houses hunted them down. Ever since the War of the Mark, aberrant dragonmarks have been few in number and relatively week. But since the present era began aberrant marks have been appearing in greater numbers, and people wonder if those who carry them could develop greater power.
Type
Magical
Parent
