Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Pallis 07-24-04, 02:11 PM	Just browsing through the CSB and the Dragonmarked Houses section. Do we know the inspirations behind the heraldic designs for each House; chimera, hydra, unicorn, etc.? It's just that I can't really see anything in the descriptor text that would tie in with the heraldry...
ieattrollsforbreakfast 07-24-04, 02:55 PM	Thats something I have always wondered too. Perhaps the beasts are tied legends of the House founders. On a side note, can anyone figure out what the beast on Kundarak's symbol is?
Serpentine 07-24-04, 03:41 PM	House Kundarak's sigil has a gargoyle, made of stone, to keep silent watch over the dwarven house of warding. Some of the houses' animal heralds are obviously good choices for that house -- alluding to the mark of the house, the duties of the house, and the race of the house, but others are just (hmm....okay). Obviously good parallels: Lyrandar's kraken, for the mark of storm. Cannith's metal gorgon. Thuranni's dark illusion displacer beast, and Phiarlan's multi-headed information network hydra. Sivis has a cockatrice, which has magical quills. Kundarak, above.
ieattrollsforbreakfast 07-24-04, 04:24 PM	A gargoyle eh? Makes sense. Good suggestions for the heralds, I cant think of any more though...although maybe you could see Orien's unicorn as being similar to the horse as a mode of transport.
Pallis 07-24-04, 04:57 PM	yeah, there's some good calls there - anyone care to do the rest...?
Akatriel Whitewing 07-25-04, 03:05 AM	The way I read them: Cannith - Gorgon Deneith - Chimera Ghallanda - not sure Jorasco - Hippogriff (probably) Kundarak - Manticore (note the humanoid head, barbs on its back, and spiked tail indicative of manticores) Lyrandar - Kraken Medani - Basilisk Orien - Unicorn Phiarlan - Hydra Sivis- Cocktrice Tharaske - Dragonne Thuranni - Displacer Beast Vadalis - Griffon (probably) I marked the probablys with Jorasco and Vadalis because they look very similar. Vadalis's "griffon" has bird claws on the back feet though (that's odd) and Jorasco might actually be either a griffon or a hippogriff since the back feet are largely hidden behind the front, except that it has a very horselike tail instead of the tufted one like a lion's. I agree with Serpentine's accessment of most of the houses though, except for the Kundarak one because the house crest has all the correct features of a manticore. House Orien's crest is a suitable match for the house activities since the unicorn can teleport and dragonmarked members of the house potentially have the ability to do so as well. Given that Vadalis is based in the Eldeen Reaches with lots of wildlife I'd imagine that the wild griffon reigns as a king of beasts over there. For a house that deals with animals that might not be such a bad subject of a crest.
simon brumat 07-25-04, 08:21 AM	i agree with it not being a gargoyle it looks furry. Though it would make more sence if it was.
Doppleganger 07-25-04, 07:54 PM	In another thread, my interpretations went like this: Critter - House Gorgon - Cannith Chimera - Deneith Blinkdog - Ghallanda Griffon - Jorasco Manticore - Kundarak Kraken - Lyrandar Basilisk - Medani Unicorn - Orien Hydra - Phiarlan Cockatrice - Sivis Dragonne - Tharask Diplacerbeast - Thuranni Hippogriff - Vadalis The magical beasts don't really match up with the dragonmark abilities, dragons, etc. Either it's just random, or perhaps there's some other more carefully hidden significance to be revealed in a future article.... As I posted before, I'm thinking of having the Houses keep a few "mascotts" around each guildhouse to match their coat of arms emblems. :devil:
JohnCJ 07-26-04, 03:14 AM	Seems to me that the designers were simply trying to integrate "D&D"-isms into the setting design. Note that mundane animals are conspicuously absent, with only D&D monsters used (with the displacer beast, dragonne and bovine gorgon being absolutely unique to the game). I applaud this design decision, btw.