Post/Author/DateTime	Post
bholdr_mage 01-26-06, 07:44 PM	Can anyone think what good decorations in dragonmarked houses could be? I want to expain in detail different houses and not just statues of the different races proped up in the foyer. I realize most of these houses are going to be "well to do," with art pieces, expensive rugs, and stuff, but I want to make each of them a bit different so the characters won't have the feeling that the only significant change between house cannith and house orien is the people.
Psionycx 01-26-06, 08:19 PM	Well remember that "house" is not a reference to a specific building. The dragonmarked houses are really more like corporations, and like corporations they own lots of different buildings, serving various purposes within the scope of the House's business. Likewise, the members of the House don't all live together communal style. Richer members will have their own private residences just like any other wealthy noble or merchant. Poorer members may share homes in areas controlled by the House or on their own. Consider House Lyrandar for example. They have vast facilities as part of their aerial shipping and passenger business. So one common element of their larger holdings are tall towers that can accomodate airships (with their massive rings) while sparing the need to inconveniently have to land them on the ground. They also need more mundane facilities for storage and such like. But we do know that Lyrandar has a fondness for lightning bolt shaped lightning rods atop their buildings. Also, given their powers over wind and weather, I would suspect that they favor buildings with a lot of windows, balconies and landings over more enclosed structures. House Cannith usually incorporate the fruits of artifice into their structures, making techno-magical elements a common part of their buildings. House Vadalis deals with animals, so their operations will include farms, stables, breeding ranches and such. And so it goes. The key to understanding what a given House's property is like is to remember what they do for a living. All bets are off in private homes of wealthy House members, although some theme based on their business is very likely.