| Subject: Additional info on the main Houses (complements of X) |
Author:
Balaern
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Date Posted: 12:19:25 06/01/03 Sun
In reply to:
Bala, the DM do0D
's message, "Tentative list of Noble Houses of Duath" on 09:15:47 05/21/03 Wed
House: Jarval (the "First House")
Virtues: Strength, Perseverance, and Discipline (Str, Con, & Int are preferred attributes)
Image: House Jarval puts a great deal of effort in appearing level headed and in control. There are exceptions and the townsfolk and peasants remember those. Even then, the Jarvali have a tough-but-fair reputation. Most people know they are not only powerful, but unafraid to use that power when the situations command. Likewise, the Jarvali are known for policing themselves stronger than they do their holdings.
Fighters are generally the most respected class to the Jarvali. Even the barbarian, whose fighting with rage stimulates old memories of Teussian battle frenzy, are widely respected. Rangers and Paladins both figure favorably as well.
Manner: The Jarvali pride themselves on their personal control and physical strength and stamina. They tend to proclaim themselves as something superior than the average human, even hinting that they are almost a breed apart. Their stoicism is generally reserved for when around the 'lessers' and they can be quite emotional at times amongst their own company. Still, they strive hard to prevent those emotions from interfering in their duties. Service, particularly civic, is hailed as both character-building and beneficial to the house and its image. All are encouraged to do so in some capacity, no matter how minor the duty. They are staunchly proud of their claim of being the first house formed. Their soldiers prefer metal armor and swords. Generally, gold is their signature color.
House: Vedis (the Second House)
Virtues: Honor, Dependability, and Adaptation (Int, Wis, Con are preferred attributes)
Image: Those of House Vedis are generally seen as easy-going and laid back, perhaps even lazy. Most are generally characterized as being too engrossed in their own unambitious goals to dip into debauchery and the like. Because of this, the commoners find the members of House Vedis favorable, because they always know they have recourse with them. Most other noble houses and merchant class find them a bit too easy going, if not a bit absent minded for their likings.
Rangers are sort of a quintessential class to the Vedisi, especially with their habit of 'walking the land'. Druids are also hailed as being more keenly centered in the storm of uncertainties that all humans face. They also appreciate bards greatly, for their stories, insight, and experience. Given their lackadaisical manner and slight capriciousness, multi-classes would not be out of place. Most shy away from the more lawfully based classes.
Manner: At heart, the Vedisi see all men created equally, only differing in their strength and weaknesses. Everyone shares the world and is at risk from Maelwar. As such, they tend to be one of the most accepting and patient of the houses. They will accept the unforeseen excuses that may encroach with rent or other payments, but honor is one thing they do not toy with. Their word is their law and, once given, a Vedisi will never break it, unless honoring it brings about grave dishonor, in which case they negotiate. Where the Osredi are the salesman, the Vedisi are the moderators. They feel a truly good mercantile deal is one where everyone profits. Their reputation as being weak-willed or spineless is a gross and dangerous superstition. As they are prone to wandering about, their soldiers wear lighter armors, generally leather or scale, and tend to use pole weapons as well (quarter staves, halberds, spears, etc). Red is their symbolic color.
House: House Tormund (the Third House)
Virtues: Faith, Devotion, and Purpose (Wis, Cha, and Con are their preferred attributes)
Image: The Tormundi put a great deal of effort and influence into appearing as devout and blessed as possible. They proclaim a 'chosen ones' image, spinning yarns that back any beneficial occurrence as a blessing and any mishap as a test (usually brought about by a political enemy's deeds). As such, they appear as the most 'pure' of the houses, an image which they cultivate tirelessly. While they have a reputation for prudishness and hypocrisy, they are quite popular amongst the townsmen, the middle class which feels superior to the peasants and morally superior to the nobles. Surprisingly, they are not as popular within the church as they like to think (even some of the church leaders find them overbearing), but they are still dominant with the political morass of the church and likely its most celebrated house amongst the nobility.
Clerics and Paladins would be the favored classes of the Tormundi. Monks, while not unheard of, are quite rare (they have the purpose and devotion, but seem to like a degree of the perseverance and physical conditioning to make a good monk). While druids are a faith-magic class, they are considered too primal and paganistic and thus almost unheard of. That is not to say House Tormund is not without its fighters, or even rogues (the latter specialize more on persuasion or recovering of artifacts for the church).
Manner: Those of House Tormund can be a diverse lot. While they may be typified as prudish and subservient zealots, that is just a stereotype. Many can be quite endearing, giving fiery political speeches that would rival the most convincing of bishops. Others are quiet and humble and self-sacrificing. Painting them all as mindless peons and servants of the church is using too wide a brush to color the Tormundi. They have their share of scholars and artists, but they are very careful of disrespecting the church. This is not to say they are mindless of all else, people would be genuinely surprised over the amount of, and quality of, debate within the house. Granted, much of those is not so much about defiance to religious law, rather interpretations and how best to life in Adrahil's light. The Tormundi would favor the weapons symbolic of Adrahil and the Church, their armor usually adorned with holy symbols. Their symbolic color would be blue.
House: House Osred (the Fourth House, House Dittram, 'the Faux House')
Virtues: Wealth, Excellence, and Honor (Cha, Dex, and Int are their preferred attributes)
Image: Of all the houses, Osred likely suffers the most in image and that may not be undeserved. They are generally typified as greedy, lazy, and hedonistic and many consider them sort of a joke (hence the insult 'the Faux House'). People tell stories of their appetites, corpulence, carousing, and various debaucheries, growing more lurid with each telling. The truth, however, is something less spectacular. They see themselves as fighters, struggling against the set system, trying to earn their independence and acceptance from small-minded and reactionary people. Their honor is unquestionable, so long as you have it in writing.
They are a diverse lot, but the Bard is a celebrated figure at their parties, but Rogues are likely more numerous. They seem to run into two basic flavors, those that could not decide and dabble in a number of classes, and those which know 'what they were made for' and focus in a narrow field. They are generally devoid of all classes requiring a great deal of faith.
Manner: The Osredi delight in presentation and put a great deal of effort into building reputations for themselves and living with a great deal of flair and style. Nobles of House Osred have a keen grasp of numbers, contracts, and even a degree of human psychology, these skills necessary to make it to adulthood in the House. This lends them a great ability to ferret out deception within a field of numbers or records easier than the Vedisi could a poacher on a hill. They are congenial at all times, even during warfare or duels, but this can fade to a cold austerity when uneasy or upset, but it is rare for them to be of explosive tempers despite the passion with which they live. Ego and imperiousness can be common, as they feel they have 'made it' by being in House Osred. As for pretension, they leave that to their surroundings and their homes preferring to surround themselves in greatness and finery, tending to collect only the best. For the most part, one has to work hard to find an Osred in public and poorly attired. Their soldiers prefer lighter weaponry (especially rapiers) and often use two weapons; above all, they are smartly dressed. The House's symbolic color is green.
House: House Clothair (the Fifth House)
Virtues: Knowledge, Enlightenment, and Excellence (Int, Wis, and Dex are preferred attributes)
Image: Being at the forefront of science, knowledge, and learning, House Clothair has a somewhat divided appearance. Detractors of the House tend to portray them as bumbling, absent-minded, knit-pickers that pedantically pursue pointless topics. Benefactors see the House as organized, enlightened, and progressive. Though the image of the doting librarian his hard to shake, the House tries to maintain a fair, even, and educated image. In the end, the seem to come off as being egotistical, pedantic, and overly fastidious over minute details. Even their attempt to help educate the lower classes, particularly teaching reading has back-fired, making them seem as overly presumptuous and pompous to the peasants and getting the merchant class upset (who like to prey on the latter's ignorance).
Scholarly classes are favored by House Clothair. Mages and sorcerers would not be out of place here, but they would be kept quiet. Even bards and rogues are not uncommon. Their fighters tend to be more meditative than others of their class. Classes which rely on faith, such as cleric and paladin, and those which have a strong primal or emotional element, such as barbarian, are very much out of place in House Clothair.
Manner: One of the founding virtues of House Clothair is their search for enlightenment. They have, over time, rejected much emotion, feeling it an atavistic throwback to a more primal age when war, breeding, and accumulation were the keys to survival. They feel it is the duty of mankind to ascend beyond that, thus they continue to reach for the stars. They strive to make decisions on logic and philosophy as opposed to emotion or 'gut feeling'. Most see them as dispassionate and unemotional, even cold and calculating. Appearances are not quite the case, most of the Clothairi do not try to eliminate emotions in their life, just their decisions. Strong shows of emotion amongst the Clothair are generally regarded as intimate or scandalous as nudity is to many other houses. Their warriors tend to favor smaller blades (such as the scimitars and katanas) and smaller shields for general duty, in the open field, they tend to use spears or similar large weapon where the size is not hampered by walls and obstructions, most are archers, but tend to use that more for sport and hunting unless their opponent strikes from a range. Their symbolic color is purple.
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