A new In Development feature has been posted on the Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach forums, by Samera - the Community Relations Manager at Turbine - covering a new feature addition called "Dragonmarks."

Three thousand years ago the first dragonmarks appeared in the elven kingdom of Aerenal. Strange patterns on the skin, more an elaborate birthmark than a tattoo, they gave their bearers magical abilities that have been a source of power and conflict for centuries.

The first two dragonmarks, the Mark of Shadow and the Mark of Death, appeared on the elven bards known as phiarlans and the necromancers of House Vol. As the two houses grew in power, House Vol began to experiment with the blending of elven and dragon blood. This was seen as an abomination by both races, and the decision was made to destroy the Mark of Death. Every blood member of the house was brutally slaughtered, and the Mark of Death has not been seen since.

Through the centuries these marks appeared in other races and bloodlines – the Marks of Hospitality and Healing on the halflings of the Talenta Plains, the Mark of Scribing on the gnomes of Zilargo, the Marks of Making, Sentinel, Passage, and Handling on the humans of Galifar, the Mark of Warding on the dwarves of the Mror Holds, as well as the Marks of Storm and Detection on Half Elves and Mark of Finding on the humans and half-orcs of the Shadow Marches.