House Ghallanda: Hospitable Halls and Magnificent Mansions

Hi everyone! This is a bit of bonus content—a sidebar about Ghallanda's use of extradimensional spaces. The map is the work of Albert Holaso: keep in mind that it is just one example of what can be done with the space provided by Ghallanda's Hospitable Hall. This is a simple small inn, with comfortable guest rooms, a master bedroom with an office for the caster, and a kitchen and storage space allowing the caster to maintain an ongoing business.

Ghallanda’s Hospitable Hall and Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion are hallmarks of House Ghallanda. It takes the Greater Mark of Hospitality to cast Hospitable Hall, while the Manor Keys used to produce Magnificent Mansions are rare items largely held by House officers and the Dragontail Guild. In the wake of the Last War, there are a few hundred people in Khorvaire capable of producing these effects. So it’s not part of everyday life for most people; the typical Ghallanda inn is made of brick and mortar. But Ghallanda pop-ups are wondrous things. Some heirs operate in the major cities, providing a unique experience to wealthy patrons. But part of what’s amazing about a Hospitable Hall is its portability, and a number of Greater heirs enjoy the ability to open their door to a new community every day. 

The latest version of Magnificent Mansion says that when the spell is cast, “You can create any floor plan you like for the dwelling, but it can’t exceed 50 contiguous 10-foot cubes. The place is furnished and decorated as you choose. It contains sufficient food to serve a nine-course banquet for up to 100 people. Furnishings and other objects created by this spell dissipate into smoke if removed from it… A staff of 100 near-transparent servants attends all who enter. You determine the appearance of these servants and their attire.” The atmosphere is clean and warm, and light is provided in a manner befitting the decor. Ghallanda’s Hospitable Hall is limited to 30 cubes, 15 servants, and can create a 3-course meal for up to 30 people—although it can produce such a meal three times in a day. In all other respects Hospitable Hall matches Magnificent Mansion, meaning that the layout, decor, and furnishings are all determined by the caster. 

Ghallanda specializes in providing food and shelter, and as such Hospitable Halls are frequently encountered as restaurants, taverns, or inns. A Hospitable Hall doesn’t require a kitchen or supplies to produce its magical meals, and a wandering Ghallanda heir may not bother allocating space to a kitchen or pantry; however, an heir running a long-term pop-up in a city may choose to produce mundane food in addition to the conjured meals, in which case they’ll need to have those facilities as part of the layout and bring in mundane supplies (thus producing food that can be removed from the Hall without disintegrating). The layout of a Hall can be changed every time the heir casts the spell, allowing the proprietor to adjust to the needs of the day… adding a stage to accommodate live music, or shifting from large, comfortable guest rooms to small cabins to handle an influx of guests. These functions… Inn, Tavern, Restaurant… are the typical pop-up businesses associated with the Hosteler’s Guild. But consider a few of the other things a Ghallanda heir could produce with Hospitable Hall…

• … A Theater. Traveling musicians or companies of actors may employ a Ghallanda heir to produce a stage when they require one; the heir can adapt the decor to match the needs of the performance, while heirs of the Mark of Shadow can enhance the experience with illusory effects. Keep in mind that the only entrance to the Hall is the door created when the spell is cast, so an heir can create a small theater, but they can’t create an open air stage that can be viewed from the outside; someone will have to pass through the door to enjoy the show. 

• … A Miniature Manor. Noble families often have Ghallanda stewards or butlers. A steward with the Greater Mark of Hospitality may accompany the family and provide them with a facsimile of their home estate while they are traveling. The valet Hastor Brightmantle d’Ghallanda accompanied Lord Boroman ir’Dayne on his expeditions to Xen’drik, ensuring the explorer was able to sleep soundly at night. 

• … A Prison. The Quartermasters of the Dragontail Guild typically use their magic to create barracks for soldiers or command posts for officers, but when a group of soldiers suddenly has to deal with prisoners of war, the ability to quickly create a prison with only one possible exit can be a boon. 

• … Training. Large Ghallanda enclaves usually have a rotating business, using a Manor Key to create a new restaurant or inn every few weeks. The purpose of this is to test or train local apprentices in a particular set of skills. Is it time to learn Talentan cuisine? Unveil The Curious Clawfoot, a Talentan-themed tavern! 

• … A Facade. House Ghallanda relies on the public trust and heirs are charged not to engage in criminal activities. But excoriates, Black Dogs, and other heirs not bound by the rules of the House can use Hospitable Hall to facilitate any number of confidence games or deceptions. In one infamous incident, the excoriate Daraya Swiftwhistle planted a Magnificent Mansion on a lightning rail, replicating the train itself on the other side of the door. 

The facade is one example of how an unscrupulous heir could make use of a Hall, but Ghallanda excoriates and foundlings have also used this gift to create fight clubs, dreamlily dens, and hidden hideouts in the heart of hostile territory. 

While the layout and furnishings of a Hall or Mansion will be shaped by its function, the decor is limited only by the imagination of the caster. This is part of what makes the pop-up business such a wondrous experience: a pop-up restaurant can have a new theme every night! The decor can be adapted to a particular festival, to replicate a particular culture or period in history, or even to emulate another plane of existence. The Ghallanda Decor table offers a few ideas for what people could find inside a Hospitable Hall! Keep in mind that the flavor—such as “Haunted” or “Touched by Fey Magic”—is cosmetic. The caster chooses the appearance of the attendant spirits, so they can look like ghosts, pixies, or badgers; but it’s only surface level.

Thanks for your support!