Eu sei que isso é mais um post duplo, mas é justificável. Primeiro porque eu vou editar logo esse post ("amanhã" ou terça) com o segundo texto sobre os gnomos (o arquivo está salvo no HD externo que não está em minhas mãos) e também por um motivo nobre: Eu encontrei os antigos posts do Keith Baker que serviram de modelo para a maioria dos textos que escrevi aqui e os dois primeiros desse tópico são puro ouro (e alguns spoilers) sobre
Como lidar e entender as Casas Marcadas. Eu vou colocar um trecho aqui (serve para comparar a forma que eu caracterizei as Casas com a que o Baker deseja que sejam vistas) mas recomendo olhar boa parte do tópico:
As I said above, I feel that the houses are broad entities in which the majority of the heirs are just doing their jobs - that corrupt or power-hungry schemers are in the minority. With that said, let's look at a few things about the houses overall.
They ARE mega-corporations. It's not a word I'd use in the world. But let's just look at the facts. The houses are global in scope and each one dominates a particular field of trade. If you set aside the "corrupt" baggage that comes with the term and look to the simple facts, the houses are global trade entities. Yes, some are more fractured than others, but in most cases that's recent: the Cannith split has happened in the wake of the loss of house leadership during the Mourning, and the Phiarlan/Thuranni split happened within the last few decades (whereas the house has been around for over a thousand years). Sure, look to House Tharashk and you can see that the patriarchs of the house have differences of opinion when you deal with them one on one - but they still present a united front to the Twelve and the rest of the world. Most of the houses have a clear hierarchy and single leader or small council of leaders. You have the independent arms and people like the Cannith Tinkers; but when people say "House Lyrandar", they are refering to the concrete core of the house, and not the random licensed captain. But core point? They are global economic entities, which fits the bill of "megacorporation" as far as I can see.
They have maintained monopolistic power for centuries There's no antitrust law in Galifar, and the houses are monopolies on a level we simply don't have in the modern USA. If Cannith is Microsoft, there's no Apple - and if someone started Apple up in a garage and it posed a serious threat, you can be sure that Cannith would either absorb or eliminate it. This is something we've said numerous times: the houses have an innate edge because of their magical gifts and their existing infrastructure, but the reason they don't have any real challengers in the modern world is because they have taken action to keep it that way. "Corrupt"? Not necessarily. But they are profit-making entities who are prepared to take action to maintain their profitability. If you want them to be altruistic, hey, they can offer innovators fabulous wealth and profits to join the Cannith family; if you want them to be more sinister, they can use Thuranni assassins to firebomb the garage workshop. Either way, the end result is that the houses haven't allowed any significant challenge to their trade dominance to rise.
The War of the MarkIt was quite a long time ago, but it nonetheless shows the ruthlessness the houses are capable of. Now, this again speaks to HOUSE LEADERSHIP. Does this mean that Lei or Drix would support aberrant genocide? No. But even Lei is shown to be influenced by house propaganda where aberrants are concerned. The members of the houses see themselves as part of their house, and this is generally as strong as a patriot's loyalty to his nation; this is something that could be an issue if you go that way.
Altruism in the Houses?Set aside the issue of corruption: is there any reason to see the houses as altruistic? They are profit-making entities that maintain monopolistic power. Again, Jorasco isn't the Red Cross; it's an HMO, if you will. It heals for gold, and we've already established that this makes it one of the most loved and hated houses. Deneith fights for gold, not for a cause; that's the job. They're not evil, but they are pragmatic. Now, any business can profit from displays of charity and altruism and I think it's quite likely that there's a Jorasco charity clinic out their somewhere. I'm sure there are individual Jorasco healers who are kind and empathetic folks... again, Jode's Jorasco. But that doesn't change the fact that as a whole the house is a mercantile entity in the business of selling healing services for gold - and that it has managed to maintain a virtual monopoly on these services, which suggests a willingness to suppress independents who challenge its dominance.
The Korth Edicts and the Treaty of Thronehold:
The core issue with "corruption" is the fact that the houses are sometimes shown to be "breaking the law." The point to me is that they don't believe that kings and queens have the right to place these limits on their activities. Those who break these laws see aristocrats and feudal systems as a thing of the past. This question - the balance of power between the feudal monarchy and the corporate entity - is intended to be a theme of the setting. But who's to say the monarchies are in the right?
Anyhow, my point is that I don't intend the houses to be seen as evil, because the whole point of Eberron is that most things aren't black and white; there are shades of gray. The houses are a source of innovation. They are a source of many conveniences that define modern civilization; without Sivis communication, Jorasco medicine, and Lyrandar transport, Khorvaire would be a tremendously different place. They have power, but without them, the world wounldn't be the same. And if they want more power - well, they are businesses, not charities.