The dragonmarked houses have used the powers of their dragonmarks to form monopolies. For example, House Jorasco dominates the medical trade with its Mark of Healing, while only someone with the Mark of Storms can pilot an airship.
Even independent businesses are typically licensed by a house and conform to the standards it sets. Not every tavern is run by House Ghallanda, but the Ghallanda seal in the corner of an inn sign assures customers that the establishment meets health and safety standards.
Hirelings
Some of the services offered by the houses are instead contractors, such as those provided by House Deneith, House Tharashk or House Medani. The standard fare for a dragonmarked hireling is 12 gp per day.
Communication
House Orien operates a mail service, carrying messages and packages all across Khorvaire, whether by horse or by lightning rail. Sending a letter by mail is inexpensive, but sending a package or message via courier is more expensive, but more secure.House Sivis can protect written messages using magic if security is particularly important, and House Kundarak can secure packages with glyphs of warding.
House Sivis also maintains a network of speaking stones to facilitate instantaneous communication, regardless of distance.
Communication and Security Services
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Arcane Lock (Kundarak) | 20 gp |
| Courier Service (Orien) | 1 cp per mile |
| Glyph of Warding (Kundarak) | 350 gp |
| Illusory Script (Sivis) | 15 gp |
| Mail service (Orien) | 1 cp per 10 miles |
| Message station (Sivis) | 2 sp per word |
| Translation (Sivis) | 2 cp per word |
Medicine
House Jorasco maintains hospitals all across Khorvaire. The simplest (and cheapest) service they offer is expert non-magical healing. For those in desperate need, who have the money to spend, most Jorasco outposts can provide Lesser Restoration. If you're lucky, there might even be someone there who can cast Greater Restoration. In the finest Jorasco enclaves, it's even possible (but by no means affordable) to raise the dead.
Healing Services
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Minor nonmagical care | 3 sp per use of the Medicine skill |
| Major nonmagical care | 1 gp per day |
| Cure Wounds | 25 gp per level of the spell |
| Lesser Restoration | 50 gp |
| Remove Curse | 75 gp |
| Greater Restoration | 150 gp |
| Raise Dead | 750 gp |
Travel
All of the cities in the central nations of Khorvaire are connected by well maintained roads. You can always make your way by horse or coach, which may employ animals magebred by House Vadalis. House Vadalis also supplies exotic mounts such as hippogriffs or griffons.There are two main options for long-distance travel across land: the lightning rail and airships. All major cities are linked by the lightning rail, which significantly cuts down on journey time. If speed is a concern, elemental airships are the fastest way to travel, but also the most expensive. To further complicate things, airships are new enough that many cities don't yet have docking towers to dock them.
If time is truly of the essence and you're baller, House Orien also has a teleportation circle in each of its enclaves.
Travel Services
| Service | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Airship (Lyrandar) | 1 gp per mile | 20 mph |
| Elemental Galleon (Lyrandar) | 1 sp per mile | 10 mph |
| Sailing Ship (Lyrandar) | 3 cp per mile | 5 mph |
| Lightning Rail, Steerage (Orien) | 1 cp per mile | 30 mph |
| Lightning Rail, Standard(Orien) | 3 cp per mile | 30 mph |
| Lightning Rail, First Class (Orien) | 1 sp per mile | 30 mph |
| Coach (Orien) | 2 cp per mile | 4 mph |
| Magebred Coach (Orien) | 5 cp per mile | 5 mph |
| Teleportation Circle (Orien) | 2500 gp | Instant |