The smallest of the great houses, having only two precincts. A once great house having fallen on hard times thanks to changing fortunes and the intervention of the Tongs.
Grail Baal is the reclusive titular ruler. He is old and seemingly enfeebled. His daughter, Shieyra Baal, is the heir and effective, day-to-day leader of the Baallands.
Since the Tong massacre, they have been reluctant to send any important family-members to Songborne as ambassadors.
The family-fortune is based on manufacture of paper, inks, paints & book- & scroll-copying / illumination. Baal scholars can also be hired as tutors / teachers by other houses, or as advisors to inculcate deeper knowledge on any particular topic, no matter how arcane… The Baal capital contains the largest repository of texts on all subjects (except those forbidden for them to study by imperial decree) outside of Songborne.
They are breeders of Wranglers small swift bats endemic to the Baallands, which over time have become a common sight across the empire. Other houses now breed them too with varying degrees of success. But the fastest, most reliable ones, those capable of travelling the greatest distances, are still bred in the Baallands. For those that cannot afford the status symbol of a Kengar the Wrangler is the best bet to get a message to someone a good distance away.