House Sivis: Structure

House Sivis loves bureaucracy; what is bureaucracy but a maze of words? Many Sivis heirs enjoy negotiation and debate, filling out forms in triplicate and making sure to check every footnote. Every aspect of life in House Sivis is at least twice as complicated as that of any other house. There are always forms to be notarized, clerks to be consulted, and if it’s a weekday in Olarune, you have to get that form in before the second bell rings. House Sivis has the same general structure as the other Dragonmarked Houses—indeed, the Twelve based this organizational blueprint on House Sivis—but it has more layers. The leader of House Sivis is the Doyen. Each nation has a Council of Viceroys, administrators who oversee operations in a particular region. The Five Nations have nine Viceroys apiece, while the other nations of Khorvaire each have three Viceroys. The Shadow Marches aren’t recognized as a Thronehold nation, but House Sivis conducts business there so it has Viceroys; likewise, three Viceroys have just been appointed to oversee Sivis operations in Droaam. The High Council of Korranberg is made up of the Lords Seneschal, who appoint the Doyen and guide the overall direction of the House. Each Viceroy Council appoints one Seneschal to the High Council, and each founding family appoints one Seneschal; at the moment, there are 26 Seneschals serving on the High Council of Korranberg. Every enclave has its own web of administration. Where a Cannith enclave will have a head cook with a team of assistants, in a Sivis kitchen an assistant cook might hold the title of Master of Spices or First Scullery. Such titles can always be stripped away, and this is part of what drives Sivis heirs to excel at their work; there’s always a rival angling to take your title! This can be a point of family pride. You may not think much of being First Scullery of Greentower, but my family has served in this kitchen for six generations and no Severin will take it from me. 

Following the Test of Siberys, every Sivis heir serves a five year apprenticeship with the House guilds. If an heir has exceptional academic aptitude, this can be offset while the heir studies at the Library of Korranberg. Apprenticeship is an opportunity for the heir to hone their skills and find their niche within the guilds, and most heirs take a job with one of the guilds or the House itself after completing their apprenticeship.  While many of the key services provided by Sivis require a Dragonmark, unmarked heirs can serve as clerks, bookkeepers, heralds, barristers, and more—any role that doesn’t involve translation, mystical scribing, or magical communication. A significant number of unmarked heirs end up serving as guild administrators. An unmarked heir can’t operate a Speaking Stone, but they can keep the books in order and manage the staff. 

One unusual aspect of House Sivis is that its guilds are closely intertwined. Many heirs are licensed by both guilds. The typical Sivis outpost includes a message station where missives can be sent and received by Speaking Stone, but also offers notary services, translation, and the preparation of legal documents. In a small community the Sivis outpost may be run by one or two heirs. There’s quite a few villages where the two heirs running the local outpost are also the only licensed barristers. Large towns and cities usually have dedicated Sivis facilities tied to a particular guild: a law firm that only provides legal services, a scriptorum that’s dedicated to producing books or scrolls, or a communication hub with multiple stonespeakers and heirs capable of casting Sending. 

Sivis Enclaves. While House Sivis enclaves aren’t identical in layout, they follow the same key principles. A Sivis enclave includes an inner area—the heart—that is surrounded by an outer region known as the circle. The heart is the population center where Sivis families live and train. Sivis enclaves have a higher population density than the enclaves of other Houses; most Sivis heirs enjoy being surrounded by friends and family and don’t mind small rooms and tight quarters. This is enhanced by the fact that the heart of a Sivis enclave is designed for Small humanoids. Medium creatures have to squeeze or crawl to move around a Sivis heart, and Large creatures can’t enter them at all. Meanwhile, the circle of an enclave is a place of business. Every Sivis circle includes a message station, offices for guild administrators, and facilities for one or more guild businesses. Sivis circles are designed to be comfortable for both Small and Medium creatures.

Because of the size and complexity of Sivis enclaves, they’re generally only found in major cities. The Sivis outposts found elsewhere are small and simple in design, and built to be accessible to both Small and Medium creatures. 

The Notaries Guild

It’s often said that the Notaries Guild deals with anything associated with the written word, but its purview extends even further; accountants and cartographers are also licensed by the Notaries Guild. The guild takes its name from the service of notarization, which House Sivis has performed since its earliest days. Any Sivis heir with the Mark of Scribing can be licensed as a notary, in addition to their other specialties. Beyond that, the Notaries Guild has a number of different departments, including the following:

• Aureon’s Press. This corps of gifted scribes produces Spell Scrolls; they are the primary source of commercially available scrolls.

• The Atlas. House Sivis produces the most reliable maps in the Five Nations. Agents of the Atlas use divination magic and in-person exploration to confirm the accuracy of their maps.

• The Binding. The Binding is the primary publishing arm of House Sivis. The Binding focuses on the production of books and spellshards rather than the generation of content. House Phiarlan and House Sivis teach the art of writing; the Binding publishes the result.  

• The Hidden Word. The scribes of the Hidden Word are expert cryptographers who specialize in concealing and unlocking the meanings of messages—something they achieve through both mundane and magical methods. They can craft messages that can only be read by specific individuals, or members of a single family. They can create codes for clients… or break them. If a client purchases a code system from Sivis and pays an ongoing subscription fee, the Hidden Word won’t share that system with anyone else; but they will happily break any systems used by factions they don’t recognize as clients.

• The Key. Any marked heir can cast Comprehend Languages. The scribes of the Key are dedicated linguists and translators who excel at capturing the tone and full intent of a text, looking beyond the blunt translation provided by magic. The Key works closely with the Binding to ensure the best possible translations of published material.

• The Ledger. The accountants of the Ledger work magic with numbers. House Kundarak employs hundreds of Ledger scribes, and Sivis bookkeepers can be found working with businesses, Houses, and nobles across Khorvaire. 

• The Quill. While the Binding produces books, the Quill brokers the services of scribes, including stenographers, secretaries, and people trained to prepare legal documents. Some believe that the Quill also has a stable of expert forgers; even if true, it’s possible they only use these skills to back up important documents.

In many ways, the Notaries Guild mirrors the Blademarks of House Deneith. The guild maintains dedicated facilities and outposts for the work done within the guild itself, like the Binding. But many Notaries are essentially mercenaries whose services are brokered by the guild. When such a Notary settles in a new community, they register with the local guild office, which connects them with prospective clients. An important aspect of this is that Sivis Notaries may be licensed by multiple branches of the guild. An heir with a knack for numbers and words may be licensed by the Quill and the Ledger, able to take assignments of either sort. Some heirs join together to form their own firms within a department; again, this is similar to mercenary companies and Deneith, and the Notaries Guild will direct potential clients to the firm. 

Sivis sigils. The Mark of Scribing grants the ability to produce an Arcane Mark. An Arcane Mark generated by an heir to the Mark of Scribing is known as a Sivis sigil. This is a pattern of purple-blue lines, reminiscent of the Mark of Scribing, but every caster produces a unique sigil. When a Sivis heir is licensed as a notary their sigil is recorded in the archives of the House, allowing archivists to track the origin of any notarized document. When placed on inanimate objects, Sivis sigils are permanent and are clearly supernatural; if a living creature runs a finger along the lines of a seal, the sigil will shimmer. 

The Speakers Guild

The Speakers Guild licenses a variety of trades related to the spoken word. As with the Notaries Guild, an heir may be licensed for more than one of these specialties. Here are the most notable branches of the guild. 

• The Canon. House Sivis has the finest law school in Khorvaire. Barristers trained by the Canon study all of the systems of law known to Zilargo, including the customs of Aerenal, the Lhazaar Principalities, the clans of the Mror Holds, and even the Eldeen druids. There are even a handful of Canon barristers who are familiar with the legal systems of the Empire of Dhakaan. While none have put this knowledge to practical use, if a party of adventurers should somehow find themselves accused of a crime in Volaar Draal, there’s a Sivis heir ready to represent them! While House Sivis doesn’t have a universal monopoly on legal representation, it is well known that a Canon license is proof of a barrister’s expertise and impartiality, and in the Five Nations few people would work with any other lawyer. 

• The Concord. The mediators of the Concord excel at negotiating agreements and settling disputes. Most members of the Concord are also licensed by the Canon, as an understanding of the law can be vital when negotiating agreements. However, there are Concord mediators who focus solely on settling interpersonal disputes as opposed to legal or business challenges; if you have a grievance with friends or family, a member of the Concord would be happy to sit down with all of you and talk things through.

• The Herald. With the prevalence of Common across Khorvaire, there’s not a huge demand for professional interpreters. However, the talents of a licensed Herald go far beyond Comprehend Languages. In addition to being able to cast Comprehend Languages and Tongues, Heralds often speak many languages themselves. But beyond that, Heralds study the customs of the cultures and subcultures of Khorvaire. A Sivis Herald can advise a client on the etiquette that applies to a situation, and can read between the lines—translating not simply what was said, but what was implied. Beyond that, Heralds are also trained to make formal proclamations and announcements.  

• The Stone. Sivis message stations are the most widespread outposts of the House Sivis. Speaking Stones use the principles of Whispering Wind, but travel faster and farther than the standard spell. This is because messages travel along the network of stones, relayed from one to the next as they make their way to their final destination. The Stone maps out and maintains this network, and message stations are direct arms of the House. If a foundling with the Mark of Scribing acquired a Speaking Stone, they wouldn’t be able to use it unless they knew how to connect it to the network. The point of this is that Stonespeakers operate message stations, but they don’t own them; it is the house that maintains the network, and it’s the network that is the key to the business.  

Tasker’s Dream

Tasker Torralyn d’Sivis was a visionary. In addition to being the artificer who developed the Speaking Stone, Tasker was a brilliant linguist and created the language known as Stonespeech to help facilitate concise communication when using Whispering Wind or Sending. Never satisfied with his accomplishments, Tasker was determined to find ways to improve global communication. After Tasker’s death, the Torralyns established an institute that would carry his name and his work forward: Tasker’s Dream. Over the last century, Tasker’s Dream has studied dream manipulation and psionic telepathy, while working on focus items that can amplify the Sending and Telepathic Bond powers of the Mark of Sending. 

The existence of Tasker’s Dream is no secret, and the institute regularly collaborates with the Twelve and House Cannith. However, it may be that Tasker’s Dream has a hidden agenda—that its true purpose goes beyond building a better Speaking Stone. It’s difficult for mortals to comprehend the patterns of the Draconic Prophecy. The Lords of Dust and the dragons of Argonnessen have been studying it for tens of thousands of years, and they rely on data collected over millennia to interpret new manifestations. But House Sivis has a tool no fiend or dragon possesses. The Mark of Scribing is part of the Prophecy, made to reveal the meaning of words and symbols. Prophecy Marks are symbols that mysteriously appear around the world. It’s possible that a person who carries the Mark of Scribing can draw out the deeper meaning of a Prophecy Mark, allowing them to piece together sections of the Prophecy without the resources of the Chamber or the Lords of Dust. It’s up to the DM to decide if Tasker’s Dream is investigating the Draconic Prophecy or if that’s just a rumor. If I were to go down this path in my campaign, I’d say that it’s an extremely recent development: that a Siberys-marked Sivis heir encountered a Prophecy Mark a few years ago and accidentally discovered how to tap into its meaning. If I went down this path, I’d say that House Sivis now knows about the First War and the ongoing struggle between the Lords of Dust and the Chamber, and how these forces have been manipulating humanoid civilizations. They would be working to find new Prophecy Marks and learn more about the Prophecy, while also doing everything in their power to hide their knowledge from the ancient forces. This would allow them to be the force that can tell player characters about their own potential roles in the Prophecy, or call on adventurers to help stop a dangerous branch of the Prophecy. For example, perhaps the Prophecy says that King Boranel needs to die on 11 Olarune 999 YK in order to prevent the rise of Rak Tulkhesh. There’s two ways Boranel can die that would satisfy this path: either the Chamber can destroy Wroat, or a particular adventurer can kill Boranel themselves. So to save the world from Rak Tulkhesh and to save the innocents of Wroat from dragonfire, the adventurers must murder Boranel. Will they shoulder this burden? Embracing this path would allow a Sivis adventurer to play a major role in the arc of a campaign, if they learn the secret of reading the meaning of Prophecy Marks! 

Oversight

House Sivis carries the communications of kings. The House has maintained its reputation for impartiality and security for over a thousand years. How does Sivis guard against leaks from within or spies from without? Oversight. The security arm of House Sivis is modeled on the Trust; it’s an invisible guardian with eyes and hands spread throughout Sivis. Oversight prefers not to kill Sivis heirs, and a potential leaker will likely receive a stern warning before they cross a line. But Oversight is authorized to take any action it deems necessary to preserve the security and reputation of House Sivis, and people it deems to be unacceptable threats may simply vanish. Oversight has significant resources and talented agents, but it’s not the only force working to protect House Sivis. The House pays House Phiarlan and House Medani to reinforce its security and to deal with anyone who seeks to steal its secrets. Keep in mind that people know this. Ask a professional thief whether they’d rather steal from a Kundarak bank or a Sivis message station, and nine of ten will choose Kundarak. The House of Warding may have better security on the spot, but everyone knows stories of someone who robbed from Sivis, only to disappear along with their whole family a week later. Keep in mind that such stories are spread by Sivis and unquestionably exaggerated; this sort of informational warfare is another specialty of Oversight! But the practical effect of this is that few people try to challenge Sivis security.

There’s a number of ways that adventurers could interact with Oversight. The organization might hire a group of adventurers to deal with individuals Oversight has identified as threats, serving as agents who can’t be tracked back to the House; a question here is if it’s clear to the adventurers why they are dealing with the bad guys, or if they may never know the secret they are protecting. In such a situation, the adventurers could receive their missions through a particular message station, and late in the campaign they could discover that the scrawny Speaking Stone operator is actually a trained assassin. If one of the adventurers is a Sivis heir, they could be recruited by Oversight. As an agent, they would be given a Telepathic Bond to a handler. The agent’s primary job would be to gather information, but at any point they could receive a telepathic message with a mission to perform for Sivis (Recover a stolen codebook! Convince a wavering heir not to leak their secrets! Disrupt a plot to steal a cache of Sivis spellshards!).

SIVIS CUSTOMS

The heirs of House Sivis love words and wit. Sivis heirs love clever wordplay and delight both in well crafted poetry and in puns that others might consider to be deplorable; fortunately, most can read a room and save their finest puns for fellow heirs. Most Sivis heirs appreciate a good riddle, and riddling contests are one of the many valid forms of dueling in Sivis culture. Others include scholarly debate, mock trial, pun-offs, and cutting remarks. While such duels typically only injure the loser’s pride, there is a discipline in House Sivis known as The Sharp Tongue—a path that learns to harness the power of the Mark of Scribing to imbue a speaker’s words with bitter force. Sivis Wordsharps are able to cast Thunderclap, Vicious Mockery, and Command. While these spells are drawn from the Mark of Scribing, mechanically it would be represented by Magic Initiate (in which case Command could only be cast once per long rest) or by Bard levels (in which case Command uses spell slots). Insults flung by a Sharptongued Sivis heir cut deep, and a war of words between two acclaimed duelists will always draw a crowd in a Sivis enclave. 

House Sivis instills a strong competitive streak in its heirs, but this is tempered by a broader bond between families and the House itself. Sivis heirs will clash over titles and seek to outshine other heirs with witty words or clever plans, but at the end of the day this is understood to be a game. The competition is a source of joy, not something that cuts too deep. As with Zil culture overall, outsiders are often puzzled by the degree to which Sivis heirs can be so fiercely competitive and yet, at the end of the day, laugh off a loss and share a cup of tal with a victorious rival; ultimately, this competition is more sport than better feud. 

Just as Cannith heirs are often tinkering on some sort of artifice, a Sivis heir is almost always working on a personal project—but they work with words rather than steel or wood. In making a Sivis character, consider the form of wordplay that appeals to them. Are they a poet? A novelist? Are they working on the perfect riddle, or creating a new language they believe could someday supplant Common? These projects are typically a source of joy rather than being professional work; just because a Sivis heir loves poetry doesn’t mean they’re good at it, and the Binding publishes more novels written by Phiarlan heirs than by Sivis authors. But even if the heir doesn’t share their work with anyone else, they always have a piece of wordplay in the back of their mind, something they love to work on in quiet moments. 

Another notable Sivis custom is the use of titles. In addition to the typical titles you might find in any organization, House Sivis will add a title for almost any piece of responsibility. As noted earlier, in a Sivis kitchen you’ll have the Chef, the First Assistant Chef, Second Assistant Chef, and so on; but divided among these you’ll also have the Master of Spices (who monitors supply and quality), the Overseer of Ovens (who holds the responsibility of ensuring the ovens are clean and functioning), and other similar offices. In creating a Sivis character, consider if there’s any logical titles they might carry tied to their duties. A few titles recognized throughout the House include Wordsmith and Word Keeper. The title of Wordsmith is granted to any Sivis heir who creates a new and valuable word or idiom—something that’s useful enough that it spreads to general use without coercion; in other words, it’s someone who makes “fetch” happen. Word Keepers hold heirloom words that are considered treasures of the House; it’s the duty of the Keeper to ensure that the word is remembered and to preserve its proper pronunciation and meaning. The proper form of address is Keeper of the Thirteenth Word. There are currently 523 words that the House has chosen to preserve in this way. Keeping a word is an honor and responsibility, generally granted in recognition of wit, talent, and service to the House. Any Viceroy can nominate a Sivis heir to carry a word or call for them to be stripped of the status of Keeper, but the ruling must be ratified by the High Council of Korranberg.