Keyguard

You might know a few martial tricks from before you joined the keys, but the majority of your learning since then has centered on how to avoid danger, not tackle it head on. You are largely self-sufficient (at least while carrying out a job). When you do surround yourself with allies, you appreciate the help they offer but can easily grow weary of their inability to keep up with you.

Before the end of the Last War, most silver keys stayed in the service of House Kundarak their whole lives. With the advent of the new age of exploration, many keys take their leave of the house to embark on adventuring careers, and whether you remain a Kundarak agent or go independent, you know the house will respect your choice. In the end, new recruits for the keys can always be found, and rumors of a group of elite break-and-enter specialists spreading across Khorvaire makes an effective selling tool for Kundarak security.

Only loyal dwarves of House Kundarak are ever inducted into the ranks of the silver keys, but deep involvement in house affairs is optional. Any house heir who has proven himself capable and loyal stands a good chance of being accepted. Much of the business the house receives goes out to the keys, since even magical warding operations are typically undertaken after a key has done the preliminary mechanical work.

Integrating the silver keys into a campaign is easily done. House Kundarak has operations, allies, or both in almost every civilized part of Khorvaire, and expands further with each passing year. Nearly any member of House Kundarak could be a key. Some keys possess dragonmarks, but many do not. Typically, the keys go where the action is, and all Khorvaire’s urban centers feature a smoothly running network whereby the house can accept jobs and have keys out in the field as quickly as the next day. The more active an area, the more keys can work it, and places such as Sharn and Wroat are goldmines for keys who are good at what they do.

The silver keys exist apart from House Kundarak hierarchy, but ultimately mirror it. Given the nature of their work, keys who bear the Mark of Warding hold special status. As a result, highprofi le assignments are often handed out to those with dragonmarks, though these are not necessarily the most lucrative jobs.

Within the keys, this status quo is accepted with grace. Silver keys without dragonmarks enjoy greater respect within the house than other unmarked heirs, and in many cases are happy to avoid the Kundarak politics that often ensnare the dragonmarked. In general, silver keys do not compete against one another, and there is always more demand for their services than can be met.

Political and financial allies of House Kundarak greet silver keys warmly, starting with a friendly attitude. Enemies and house rivals are initially unfriendly. Since few others know of the silver keys or what they do, individual keys receive the same reaction as any other Kundarak heir of the same level and status.

The silver keys can be easily worked into an ongoing campaign, typically by revealing that an existing Kundarak NPC has secret ties to the Keyguard of the house. Alternatively, PCs could be introduced to the silver keys when developing ties with House Kundarak for the first time.

A player who enjoys stealthy characters or skill-heavy builds might be drawn to play a silver key. Although their default purpose is to help test and improve security protocols, independent keys have become spies, scouts, and diplomats. On the other hand, an excoriate silver key could be the head of a thieves’ guild, training new keys to undermine House Kundarak’s security business.