Interregnum | Low Fantasy RP [OOC]

[Strala]

Tagging this out of interest. Hoping to get an app in within the next few days.

Edit: Got a rough idea of the sort of house I'd like to create. Are there any houses near the edges of the map that are looking for vassals?

I am. Can you tell me more about your planning on making?

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Tagging this out of interest. Hoping to get an app in within the next few days.

Edit: Got a rough idea of the sort of house I'd like to create. Are there any houses near the edges of the map that are looking for vassals?

I am. Can you tell me more about your planning on making?

I was thinking about creating a rather poor, mostly agricultural-based community that settled around the borderlands of the realm. They're supposed to have migrated there, bringing their strange culture and language with them. These peoples would be in the rather strenuous task of adapting to the empire's culture and religion, and would thus be looked down upon by other, more established, more wealthy noble houses. I reckon they would be somewhat similar to the Gauls of the late Roman republic, or the several ethnic groups that migrated through the Roman empire's closing centuries. Regardless, I don't want to get too concrete yet, as I haven't found a spot that I would want to definitely settle yet.

Overall, they would be proud of their traditions and culture, but not too proud to integrate aspects of the dominant imperial way of life. They'd be industrious and hard-working, yet poor due to their reliance on ill-developed organizational structures such as broad family clans and other devolutionary institutions, not even mentioning their inferior technology and they'd be religious, combining their own pantheon with the monotheistic dominant faith.

[Strala]

I am. Can you tell me more about your planning on making?

I was thinking about creating a rather poor, mostly agricultural-based community that settled around the borderlands of the realm. They're supposed to have migrated there, bringing their strange culture and language with them. These peoples would be in the rather strenuous task of adapting to the empire's culture and religion, and would thus be looked down upon by other, more established, more wealthy noble houses. I reckon they would be somewhat similar to the Gauls of the late Roman republic, or the several ethnic groups that migrated through the Roman empire's closing centuries. Regardless, I don't want to get too concrete yet, as I haven't found a spot that I would want to definitely settle yet.

Overall, they would be proud of their traditions and culture, but not too proud to integrate aspects of the dominant imperial way of life. They'd be industrious and hard-working, yet poor due to their reliance on ill-developed organizational structures such as broad family clans and other devolutionary institutions, not even mentioning their inferior technology and they'd be religious, combining their own pantheon with the monotheistic dominant faith.

How recently would have they moved to Empire?

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

I was thinking about creating a rather poor, mostly agricultural-based community that settled around the borderlands of the realm. They're supposed to have migrated there, bringing their strange culture and language with them. These peoples would be in the rather strenuous task of adapting to the empire's culture and religion, and would thus be looked down upon by other, more established, more wealthy noble houses. I reckon they would be somewhat similar to the Gauls of the late Roman republic, or the several ethnic groups that migrated through the Roman empire's closing centuries. Regardless, I don't want to get too concrete yet, as I haven't found a spot that I would want to definitely settle yet.

Overall, they would be proud of their traditions and culture, but not too proud to integrate aspects of the dominant imperial way of life. They'd be industrious and hard-working, yet poor due to their reliance on ill-developed organizational structures such as broad family clans and other devolutionary institutions, not even mentioning their inferior technology and they'd be religious, combining their own pantheon with the monotheistic dominant faith.

How recently would have they moved to Empire?

Migratory patterns in close-knit societies are generally difficult to date. I reckon that the first groups of settlers (consisting of bands of men, women, and children) 'invaded' what would be seen as the imperial frontier a little under a century ago and that the first organized communities with foreign leaders and nobles would have sprung up around fifty to sixty years before this RP's start date, so approximately 1150 A.A., I suppose? I'm not an expert on this field of study, so please do take what I say with a pinch of salt. Having said that, if I make an assumption or a generalisation that has no legs to stand on, please do inform me.

I may have to change it up a bit later, it all kind of depends on the territory I'd like to inhabit. If I'm stuck all the way in the mountains, I could feasibly say that these strangers would have been there for a bit longer, perhaps even pushing two centuries, whereas if I were to place them in the lowlands near the seas, it would have been a bit earlier, considering that it would generally be easier to adapt to the dominant culture and religion within the country's heartland as opposed to its periphery.

[Strala]

How recently would have they moved to Empire?

Migratory patterns in close-knit societies are generally difficult to date. I reckon that the first groups of settlers (consisting of bands of men, women, and children) 'invaded' what would be seen as the imperial frontier a little under a century ago and that the first organized communities with foreign leaders and nobles would have sprung up around fifty to sixty years before this RP's start date, so approximately 1150 A.A., I suppose? I'm not an expert on this field of study, so please do take what I say with a pinch of salt. Having said that, if I make an assumption or a generalisation that has no legs to stand on, please do inform me.

I may have to change it up a bit later, it all kind of depends on the territory I'd like to inhabit. If I'm stuck all the way in the mountains, I could feasibly say that these strangers would have been there for a bit longer, perhaps even pushing two centuries, whereas if I were to place them in the lowlands near the seas, it would have been a bit earlier, considering that it would generally be easier to adapt to the dominant culture and religion within the country's heartland as opposed to its periphery.

Ah, it's likely that your people would settle near Wessenburg. They are the Northernmost edge of the Empire and your people probably could get by there. You could also try to settle near Hadriana, though your people would face severe prejudice and there will be attempts to Hadrianize your people

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Migratory patterns in close-knit societies are generally difficult to date. I reckon that the first groups of settlers (consisting of bands of men, women, and children) 'invaded' what would be seen as the imperial frontier a little under a century ago and that the first organized communities with foreign leaders and nobles would have sprung up around fifty to sixty years before this RP's start date, so approximately 1150 A.A., I suppose? I'm not an expert on this field of study, so please do take what I say with a pinch of salt. Having said that, if I make an assumption or a generalisation that has no legs to stand on, please do inform me.

I may have to change it up a bit later, it all kind of depends on the territory I'd like to inhabit. If I'm stuck all the way in the mountains, I could feasibly say that these strangers would have been there for a bit longer, perhaps even pushing two centuries, whereas if I were to place them in the lowlands near the seas, it would have been a bit earlier, considering that it would generally be easier to adapt to the dominant culture and religion within the country's heartland as opposed to its periphery.

Ah, it's likely that your people would settle near Wessenburg. They are the Northernmost edge of the Empire and your people probably could get by there. You could also try to settle near Hadriana, though your people would face severe prejudice and there will be attempts to Hadrianize your people

I wasn't too sure about settling in the North to be honest. Seeing as there's mention of a triumvirate of northern kings out to invade their southern neighbours in the empire, I thought that it would be a tad unlikely that semi-sedentary barbarians migrated straight through the North, with the military buildup on either side of the border and all. I was actually looking to get a house somewhere on the far-western or far-eastern edge of the map. I'm not sure what Wessenburg is, I couldn't find any information on them, but the thought of playing as a satrapy or client earldom / lordship for the Hadrians might work. Their large urban populace has to be sustained one way or the other, and I believed that perhaps the city's aristocrats and intelligentsia would think too highly of themselves to till the soil and reap the harvests, leaving that to the 'foreign barbarians' instead? Just some food for thought, anyway.

[Lotrisia]

Ah, it's likely that your people would settle near Wessenburg. They are the Northernmost edge of the Empire and your people probably could get by there. You could also try to settle near Hadriana, though your people would face severe prejudice and there will be attempts to Hadrianize your people

I wasn't too sure about settling in the North to be honest. Seeing as there's mention of a triumvirate of northern kings out to invade their southern neighbours in the empire, I thought that it would be a tad unlikely that semi-sedentary barbarians migrated straight through the North, with the military buildup on either side of the border and all. I was actually looking to get a house somewhere on the far-western or far-eastern edge of the map. I'm not sure what Wessenburg is, I couldn't find any information on them, but the thought of playing as a satrapy or client earldom / lordship for the Hadrians might work. Their large urban populace has to be sustained one way or the other, and I believed that perhaps the city's aristocrats and intelligentsia would think too highly of themselves to till the soil and reap the harvests, leaving that to the 'foreign barbarians' instead? Just some food for thought, anyway.

Wassenburg's my faction, it's up in the Northeast of the Empire, right up at the corner. It's a bit rural, lots of mountains and forests and small-ish cities, so your clans would fit right in, and I doubt my House would be overly hostile towards your people. I could see some system of diplomacy based on the mutual gifting of tribute in exchange for peace, following initial skirmishes when you'd moved in. I also have lands that extend about a third of the way down the Empire's Eastern borders if you'd rather live on more forgiving geography as well. As long as your people didn't cause shit, we'd have little reason to fight. I'd happily take you as a vassal if you want, but honestly I'd be happy with you just being a semi-friendly neighbour. The region has more than enough space for the two of us.

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

I wasn't too sure about settling in the North to be honest. Seeing as there's mention of a triumvirate of northern kings out to invade their southern neighbours in the empire, I thought that it would be a tad unlikely that semi-sedentary barbarians migrated straight through the North, with the military buildup on either side of the border and all. I was actually looking to get a house somewhere on the far-western or far-eastern edge of the map. I'm not sure what Wessenburg is, I couldn't find any information on them, but the thought of playing as a satrapy or client earldom / lordship for the Hadrians might work. Their large urban populace has to be sustained one way or the other, and I believed that perhaps the city's aristocrats and intelligentsia would think too highly of themselves to till the soil and reap the harvests, leaving that to the 'foreign barbarians' instead? Just some food for thought, anyway.

Wassenburg's my faction, it's up in the Northeast of the Empire, right up at the corner. It's a bit rural, lots of mountains and forests and small-ish cities, so your clans would fit right in, and I doubt my House would be overly hostile towards your people. I could see some system of diplomacy based on the mutual gifting of tribute in exchange for peace, following initial skirmishes when you'd moved in. I also have lands that extend about a third of the way down the Empire's Eastern borders if you'd rather live on more forgiving geography as well. As long as your people didn't cause shit, we'd have little reason to fight. I'd happily take you as a vassal if you want, but honestly I'd be happy with you just being a semi-friendly neighbour. The region has more than enough space for the two of us.

Sounds fun! If I run into any problems creating my house on your doorstep, or if I'd like to tie my house's history's to yours, would you prefer I asked you over the Forum or by telegram?

[The Twelve Isles]

You're already looking like an *excellent* place to establish a new sanctuary. How much gold you think your people will have?

The city itself will be fairly wealthy. The city I'm planning on will be the oldest in the Empire founded before the establishment of the Empire, which is famed for its great walls and intellectual bent. While it does deal in commerce, it has recently been overshadowed by newer cities, though it still has a respectable stake in the overall trade of the empire. For the city's history, either some disastrous defeat outside the city, but the EMpire couldn't conquer it due to the walls, or they work out some deal with the ruling family to have them elevated to the status of a duchy, and the city being given special rights such as a city charter, and a larger portion of taxes going to the local family than normally allowed. If you want, I can make it that the local lord funds the Order or even helped establish it and that could further connections, such as order members having safe passage within the city and monthly funding, with the promise of never taking contracts that harm the ruling family of the city economically. Other things could be worked out if you want it our relation to go that way.

Sorry, took me a while to reply I fell asleep early last night.

Well, I always imagined the Order forming more of their own volition, mostly through various thieves and killers banding together for mutual protection and to turn their skills into a profitable and sustainable business. However, if the Little Keep actually is in your city, instead of tucked away in the mountains somewhere like I originally imagined, it could create a pretty cool dynamic, especially if this city is largely self governing even if they do pay taxes to the Empire. It could create a pretty good safe haven for the Order and the Little Keep. I could imagine the Order, with all of its old and vaguely religious rights and traditions, being seen as a sort of odd (and slightly intimidating) monastic order to the locals, as well as a sort of unofficial intelligence service to the Duke considering the long and well established relationship between the Order and the duchy.

Maybe the Order was initially illegal in the city, and possibly even enemies with the Duke as both competed for control over the populace. The Order, being a semi religious group, had some level of protection in their Little Keep, as it was considered a monastery for the warrior monks and therefore was off limits even if their religion was different, but outside of the Little Keep catching on of them was an automatic death sentence. On the flip side however, the nobles were constantly on edge and having to look over their shoulder for the Orders agents, who could be hidden anywhere just waiting for their moment to strike (and often times did strike in ways that were clearly meant to send a message.) Once the Empire came, despite the long standing conflict between both sides, it was in their best interests to put their conflict aside and work together to defend their city and lands. And after the Empire came to power, having now fought together, maybe that's where the alliance and truce came from. The Order would be allowed to continue its existence with complete freedom within the city, so long as they did not target the cities officials and ruling families. In exchange, the Order would assist in the defense of the city should it ever be needed and provide discounted prices for their services to the cities officials.

[Strala]

Ah, it's likely that your people would settle near Wessenburg. They are the Northernmost edge of the Empire and your people probably could get by there. You could also try to settle near Hadriana, though your people would face severe prejudice and there will be attempts to Hadrianize your people

I wasn't too sure about settling in the North to be honest. Seeing as there's mention of a triumvirate of northern kings out to invade their southern neighbours in the empire, I thought that it would be a tad unlikely that semi-sedentary barbarians migrated straight through the North, with the military buildup on either side of the border and all. I was actually looking to get a house somewhere on the far-western or far-eastern edge of the map. I'm not sure what Wessenburg is, I couldn't find any information on them, but the thought of playing as a satrapy or client earldom / lordship for the Hadrians might work. Their large urban populace has to be sustained one way or the other, and I believed that perhaps the city's aristocrats and intelligentsia would think too highly of themselves to till the soil and reap the harvests, leaving that to the 'foreign barbarians' instead? Just some food for thought, anyway.

Oh definitely. That's what got me so interested about your people. If you want, you can always apply near Hadriana.

The city itself will be fairly wealthy. The city I'm planning on will be the oldest in the Empire founded before the establishment of the Empire, which is famed for its great walls and intellectual bent. While it does deal in commerce, it has recently been overshadowed by newer cities, though it still has a respectable stake in the overall trade of the empire. For the city's history, either some disastrous defeat outside the city, but the EMpire couldn't conquer it due to the walls, or they work out some deal with the ruling family to have them elevated to the status of a duchy, and the city being given special rights such as a city charter, and a larger portion of taxes going to the local family than normally allowed. If you want, I can make it that the local lord funds the Order or even helped establish it and that could further connections, such as order members having safe passage within the city and monthly funding, with the promise of never taking contracts that harm the ruling family of the city economically. Other things could be worked out if you want it our relation to go that way.

Sorry, took me a while to reply I fell asleep early last night.

Well, I always imagined the Order forming more of their own volition, mostly through various thieves and killers banding together for mutual protection and to turn their skills into a profitable and sustainable business. However, if the Little Keep actually is in your city, instead of tucked away in the mountains somewhere like I originally imagined, it could create a pretty cool dynamic, especially if this city is largely self governing even if they do pay taxes to the Empire. It could create a pretty good safe haven for the Order and the Little Keep. I could imagine the Order, with all of its old and vaguely religious rights and traditions, being seen as a sort of odd (and slightly intimidating) monastic order to the locals, as well as a sort of unofficial intelligence service to the Duke considering the long and well established relationship between the Order and the duchy.

Maybe the Order was initially illegal in the city, and possibly even enemies with the Duke as both competed for control over the populace. The Order, being a semi religious group, had some level of protection in their Little Keep, as it was considered a monastery for the warrior monks and therefore was off limits even if their religion was different, but outside of the Little Keep catching on of them was an automatic death sentence. On the flip side however, the nobles were constantly on edge and having to look over their shoulder for the Orders agents, who could be hidden anywhere just waiting for their moment to strike (and often times did strike in ways that were clearly meant to send a message.) Once the Empire came, despite the long standing conflict between both sides, it was in their best interests to put their conflict aside and work together to defend their city and lands. And after the Empire came to power, having now fought together, maybe that's where the alliance and truce came from. The Order would be allowed to continue its existence with complete freedom within the city, so long as they did not target the cities officials and ruling families. In exchange, the Order would assist in the defense of the city should it ever be needed and provide discounted prices for their services to the cities officials.

That's actually extremely interesting and I would be glad to work with that if you want. Maybe they're dedicated to some death god which the original family wanted to clamp down the worship of and that's what led to original conflict or they were Republicans or supported the Flavians before Hadriana became a princedom/duchy

[The Twelve Isles]

I wasn't too sure about settling in the North to be honest. Seeing as there's mention of a triumvirate of northern kings out to invade their southern neighbours in the empire, I thought that it would be a tad unlikely that semi-sedentary barbarians migrated straight through the North, with the military buildup on either side of the border and all. I was actually looking to get a house somewhere on the far-western or far-eastern edge of the map. I'm not sure what Wessenburg is, I couldn't find any information on them, but the thought of playing as a satrapy or client earldom / lordship for the Hadrians might work. Their large urban populace has to be sustained one way or the other, and I believed that perhaps the city's aristocrats and intelligentsia would think too highly of themselves to till the soil and reap the harvests, leaving that to the 'foreign barbarians' instead? Just some food for thought, anyway.

Oh definitely. That's what got me so interested about your people. If you want, you can always apply near Hadriana.

Sorry, took me a while to reply I fell asleep early last night.

Well, I always imagined the Order forming more of their own volition, mostly through various thieves and killers banding together for mutual protection and to turn their skills into a profitable and sustainable business. However, if the Little Keep actually is in your city, instead of tucked away in the mountains somewhere like I originally imagined, it could create a pretty cool dynamic, especially if this city is largely self governing even if they do pay taxes to the Empire. It could create a pretty good safe haven for the Order and the Little Keep. I could imagine the Order, with all of its old and vaguely religious rights and traditions, being seen as a sort of odd (and slightly intimidating) monastic order to the locals, as well as a sort of unofficial intelligence service to the Duke considering the long and well established relationship between the Order and the duchy.

Maybe the Order was initially illegal in the city, and possibly even enemies with the Duke as both competed for control over the populace. The Order, being a semi religious group, had some level of protection in their Little Keep, as it was considered a monastery for the warrior monks and therefore was off limits even if their religion was different, but outside of the Little Keep catching on of them was an automatic death sentence. On the flip side however, the nobles were constantly on edge and having to look over their shoulder for the Orders agents, who could be hidden anywhere just waiting for their moment to strike (and often times did strike in ways that were clearly meant to send a message.) Once the Empire came, despite the long standing conflict between both sides, it was in their best interests to put their conflict aside and work together to defend their city and lands. And after the Empire came to power, having now fought together, maybe that's where the alliance and truce came from. The Order would be allowed to continue its existence with complete freedom within the city, so long as they did not target the cities officials and ruling families. In exchange, the Order would assist in the defense of the city should it ever be needed and provide discounted prices for their services to the cities officials.

That's actually extremely interesting and I would be glad to work with that if you want. Maybe they're dedicated to some death god which the original family wanted to clamp down the worship of and that's what led to original conflict or they were Republicans or supported the Flavians before Hadriana became a princedom/duchy

I was just thinking about that myself. I was figuring that whoever their god is though, considering the Order isn't just assassins, they are also thieves and spies, the god they worship is probably not just a death god but is instead a god of all the negative and sinister things in life. However, seeing as the Order is not outwardly malicious in their intent, but more so just professional and respectful in their work even if it is harmful to others, this god is probably not malicious either. Rather, they are probably viewed (at least by the Order) as something more akin to Hades or our modern conception of the Grim Reaper. Frightening to us mortals due to their associations with death, but not inherently evil. Rather, this god is viewed as just fulfilling a necessary evil, as someone needs to watch over the dark things like loss, death, pain and suffering, otherwise they will run rampant across the world and cause wanton destruction and horror. However, it is also believed within their Order that pain is a necessary part of life, otherwise the good aspects of life will have no meaning, and therefore the god must dole out some manner of the pain and suffering that he watches over. Hence why the Order and its members are also warrior monks, who kill, steal and lie for money, as they see themselves as agents of this gods will and therefore the bad things they do are a necessary evil for the proper cycle of the universe.

From here, we could easily tie in both the idea of them being supporters of the Flavians. Maybe the rivalry started when the Flavians, looking to defeat their enemies in the Hadrians, began hiring members of the Black and White to hamper the war effort of the Hadrians from within through espionage and assassinations. Though in the end the Hadrians win, their war effort was significantly hampered by the actions of the Order and their Grey Ones, therefore creating a longstanding rivalry and low level conflict between the two sides, though the Orders religious founding could create issues in ever fully destroying them, as directly attacking the Little Keep would 1.) be costly and dangerous due to the skill of its inhabitants and 2.) be a very dangerous political maneuver as slaughtering the Order would technically be slaughtering priests, even if their god was not the most popular. So the conflict would have mostly been relegated to various laws being passed trying to prevent the Order from being able to walk freely among the populace and exceptionally harsh punishments being handed out to its members upon being caught (usually things like execution, or punishments that would hamper their line of work such as cutting off their hands so they cant hold weapons or clamber over window sills, or disfiguring them in some way to make them noticeable and no longer able to hide in plain sight to complete their missions.) Eventually however, the Empire obviously came, leading to their necessary alliance and current understanding with one another.

Also, as for a name for their god, I'm trying to come up with a good one but am struggling. Considering the byzantine influence of your house, I'm thinking something latin or Turkish inspired, but I'm still thinking on it. If you got any ideas I'm down to hear.

EDIT: Another thing I forgot to mention but which could be a cool little add on to the relationship between the Hadrians and the Order. The Order exclusively recruits young, orphaned children, (never older than five typically.) It could be that the Little Keep is seen as a place where unwanted babies can be left, or where orphans who can no longer be cared for are often placed, making them a sort of dark take on an orphanage. "Bring us your poor, your hungry, your small, your unwanted and we will make them something greater."

[Ormata]

Sounds fun! If I run into any problems creating my house on your doorstep, or if I'd like to tie my house's history's to yours, would you prefer I asked you over the Forum or by telegram?

Well I suppose we'll technically be neighbors then.

[Strala]

Oh definitely. That's what got me so interested about your people. If you want, you can always apply near Hadriana.
That's actually extremely interesting and I would be glad to work with that if you want. Maybe they're dedicated to some death god which the original family wanted to clamp down the worship of and that's what led to original conflict or they were Republicans or supported the Flavians before Hadriana became a princedom/duchy

I was just thinking about that myself. I was figuring that whoever their god is though, considering the Order isn't just assassins, they are also thieves and spies, the god they worship is probably not just a death god but is instead a god of all the negative and sinister things in life. However, seeing as the Order is not outwardly malicious in their intent, but more so just professional and respectful in their work even if it is harmful to others, this god is probably not malicious either. Rather, they are probably viewed (at least by the Order) as something more akin to Hades or our modern conception of the Grim Reaper. Frightening to us mortals due to their associations with death, but not inherently evil. Rather, this god is viewed as just fulfilling a necessary evil, as someone needs to watch over the dark things like loss, death, pain and suffering, otherwise they will run rampant across the world and cause wanton destruction and horror. However, it is also believed within their Order that pain is a necessary part of life, otherwise the good aspects of life will have no meaning, and therefore the god must dole out some manner of the pain and suffering that he watches over. Hence why the Order and its members are also warrior monks, who kill, steal and lie for money, as they see themselves as agents of this gods will and therefore the bad things they do are a necessary evil for the proper cycle of the universe.

From here, we could easily tie in both the idea of them being supporters of the Flavians. Maybe the rivalry started when the Flavians, looking to defeat their enemies in the Hadrians, began hiring members of the Black and White to hamper the war effort of the Hadrians from within through espionage and assassinations. Though in the end the Hadrians win, their war effort was significantly hampered by the actions of the Order and their Grey Ones, therefore creating a longstanding rivalry and low level conflict between the two sides, though the Orders religious founding could create issues in ever fully destroying them, as directly attacking the Little Keep would 1.) be costly and dangerous due to the skill of its inhabitants and 2.) be a very dangerous political maneuver as slaughtering the Order would technically be slaughtering priests, even if their god was not the most popular. So the conflict would have mostly been relegated to various laws being passed trying to prevent the Order from being able to walk freely among the populace and exceptionally harsh punishments being handed out to its members upon being caught (usually things like execution, or punishments that would hamper their line of work such as cutting off their hands so they cant hold weapons or clamber over window sills, or disfiguring them in some way to make them noticeable and no longer able to hide in plain sight to complete their missions.) Eventually however, the Empire obviously came, leading to their necessary alliance and current understanding with one another.

Also, as for a name for their god, I'm trying to come up with a good one but am struggling. Considering the byzantine influence of your house, I'm thinking something latin or Turkish inspired, but I'm still thinking on it. If you got any ideas I'm down to hear.

EDIT: Another thing I forgot to mention but which could be a cool little add on to the relationship between the Hadrians and the Order. The Order exclusively recruits young, orphaned children, (never older than five typically.) It could be that the Little Keep is seen as a place where unwanted babies can be left, or where orphans who can no longer be cared for are often placed, making them a sort of dark take on an orphanage. "Bring us your poor, your hungry, your small, your unwanted and we will make them something greater."

That's actually really interesting and I think it would work. For the God, latin or Greek would probably be the best bet since House Hadria and Hadriana are also largely based off of classical antiquity.

[Strala]

Expect plenty of edits as I work through this.

House Name: House Whitecliff
House Seat: Whitecliff
House Head:

In his youth, one might have charitably called Eadstan a delinquent. Drinking heavily, whoring his way through every brother in Whitecliff, and causing no amount of trouble for the local peasants. On his sixteenth birthday the old Duke, fed up with his son disgracing the family name, cut off Eadstan. His allowance was gone, his servants reassigned, and every branch of the family bank instructed to give him nothing.

"Prove to me that you are worthy of this seat." His father had told him at the city gate, peasantry looking on, "Prove that you can be the honorable man this title demands, or don't come back at all." When Eadstan tried to argue, his father stopped him with a slap that sent him into the mud. "I have more sons, but this house has only one reputation."

He would spend two years on the road. He tried to leverage his title, when that didn't work he begged the Duchy's nobles, when that didn't work he disguised himself and just begged. Eventually he found work with a yeoman, helping the elderly man work the land for room and board. Eadstan came into his own here, he learned the value of a hard days labor, how hard it can be to work with your hands and only have a vegetable stew to show for it.

When he finally came home, he brought the yeoman with him. By the end of the day, he was the Duke's son once again, and has lived every day according to those humbling lessons.
(Image)

House Values: Honoring one's word, fair dealings, and loyalty to their allies and the Empire as a whole.
House Motto: Our Word Is Gold
House Members:

Eadstan's wife
(Image)

The Duke and Duchesses eldest child. Maerwynn has come to accept the fact that the conventional route to noble power is beyond her reach, instead opting to arrange her own matrilineal marriage, a bond that has proven exceedingly profitable for the Duchy if not scandalous. Maerwynn is a bold women who cares little for the opinions of others. Always taking the path she believes is best for the house, regardless of what her peers may think. In her short time at the head of her own trade branch, she has made several profitable deals, the most lucrative being a deal with a winemaker to the west who can produce a rich and sweet white wine that has become popular in the Empire.
(Image)

A rare breed indeed, Geldfrith is one of the few men in the Empire who can truly call themselves "self made". Originally a sailor, he secured a loan and bought his own Cog. In a few short years one turned to many, and when Maerwynn offered to go into business with him, and the only cost was to eschew a surname he never had and the hand of a beautiful and powerful woman? Well, who could say no?
(Image)

Younger brother of the Duke, the middle son. Marshall of Whitecliff. A gruff man with little sense for or interest in Whitecliff's monetary ventures, Oshern cuts a clearly uncomfortable figure in Eadstan's court. He is, however, highly valued, and the Men-at-Arms he leads trust the "Old Hound" completely. Rarely called on to make war, he spends most of his time ensuring the borders are maintained, roads and ports are secure, and foreign trade posts are safe.
(Image)

The wife of Oshern and close confidant of the Duchess. Well known in the city of Whitecliff as a charitable woman, often seen tending to the running of her kitchen which serves a simple pottage to the poor.
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Oshern and Magnolia's only child and Knight sworn under his father's banner. Hunlaf is very much his father's son, slow to anger but with a fiery temper as well as a strong sense of martial duty, Hunlaf often finds reasons to get away from court, either his father's or uncle's. When he isn't patrolling the border he is on hunting trips that can last for weeks.
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The youngest brother of the Duke and the head of the banking branch of the families businesses. Though one would hardly call him a diplomat, Dwennon's frequent dealings with agents and leaders from both within and without the Empire seems him take on the mantle often. A short, quiet man with a soft voice and humble disposition, few would assume at a glance that he manages fortunes.
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Wife of Dwennon. A commoner, her father was a wealthy merchant who the family does a large quantity of business with. A vocal proponent for the study of "Natural Science", she has devoted large sums of her personal fortune to the running and maintenance of the Duchy's highest center of organized learning, and perhaps one of the best in the Empire, Harrowford.
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A graduate of Harrowford, Heremond has only recently returned to Whitecliff after years of study abroad. A devoted Naturalist, his latest work is a full volume documenting the plant life of one of the many islands far south of the Empire. As soft spoken as his father, Heremond greatly prefers the library to court, much to his father's chagrin.
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The heir apparent to the banking branch and Heremond's older brother. A practical and serious man with a booming voice that demands attention, Beric has had a strong grasp of his father's duties from a young age. Though he is still young and reckless, it is assumed that he will take over when his father steps down as head of the bank, and one day be a strong head of his father's county.

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Beric's wife. Though the pair have been married less than a year they have become a fashionable couple in the city of Whitecliff's upper circles. Often attending the cities most fashionable parties, she shares her husband's business acumen. By all accounts loving and supportive, Beric has come to heavily rely on his wife, and is possibly coming to love her.

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A distant cousin of the core Whitecliff family whose own line borders on being a cadet branch.The Lord of Holtbury manor and the head of Whitecliff's Assay Court. The Assay Court's stewards give a monetary estimate using Imperial Currency on the value of all goods coming into the port for trade. Though not legally binding, the Assayer's seal is commonly used in bartering and financial transactions, largely due to their reputation for fairness and integrity.
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The youngest daughter of a second son, Dianora is an outwardly agreeable and docile woman who hides a shrewd sense of business and skill with political intrigue underneath. She is privately defined by her ambition to see her line attain great status within the duchy and is willing to go to great lengths to achieve what she believes her line is owed.
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House History: (at least two paragraphs)

Character Name: Alric Whitecliff
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 27
Character Role: Knight and political agent for the Duke of Whitecliff
Character Appearance:

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Character Traits: Favorable traits

• Strong sense of empathy and chivalry. Holds himself to the romantic's view of Knighthood.
• Martial skills. A proficient fighter, Alric can hold his own either on horse or on foot. While he is a skilled sword fighter he often favors a poleaxe or mace when on foot.
• Well traveled. As one of his father's most trusted agents, he has seen a fair bit of the world, when he isn't meeting with foreign dignitaries on his trips, he likes to spend his time learning about the local culture and seeing the sights.
• Skill with the family business. Not as skilled as Dwennon or Beric, but Alric has been educated in the nuances of banking and trade to prepare him for his eventual ascent to the head of the Duchy.
• Well read. Though by no means as educated as Heremod, Alric has an undeniable appetite for knowledge, often badgering his tutors as a child with questions long after their sessions had ended. Though he isn't a student, he does visit Harrowford on occasion.
• Sense of duty. Loyal to his house and particularly his father, who he idolizes, Alric has gained a reputation in the Dukes court as a dependable man who can be trusted to act in the best interests of the House.

Unfavorable Traits

• Strong sense of empathy and chivalry. While he is capable and willing to engage in subterfuge, up to assassination, it sits poorly with him and the strain of these things weigh on him heavily.
• Lacking religious devotion. Few would claim Whitehall is a particularly pious House, but even so Alric is particularly lacking in faith. Not irreligious by any means, he instead prefers to tend to his devotional needs in private, which he does infrequently, as opposed to the families Chaple or city Cathedral, which.
• Depression. Hardly a serious or crippling case, but Alric does find that he prefers his own company. He often feels lost in the world, like his home isn't really a home, and he views his future as the Duke of Whitehall with no small amount of anxiety.
• Uncouth. He has quite the mouth. More than capable of conducting himself in a noble manner when working, in his free time he speaks "like a peasant".

Biography:

Location Name: City of Whitecliff
Location: Southernmost point and bay of westernmost landmass.
Location Description: A rather large city with a sizable port and Castle. It is the seat of power for the House of Whitecliff. It has a population of ~5,500, not counting semi-permanent residents such as foreign merchants who keep a local residence for business visits. It has a respectable population of skilled tradesmen and hosts a variety of guilds. It is host to a lucrative, though primitive, service industry surrounding housekeeping for the wealthy who keep part time homes in the city.

It's well known for it's relatively low rate of violent crimes, professional City Watch, and cuisine. Because of the large amount of spices and other ingredients that flow through the city but lacking in cheap local livestock due to the heavily forested countryside, Whitecliff cuisine is known for it's extensive use of exotic spices, herbs, and fruits served with locally grown vegetables.

Because of the Duchy's dense forests, a large (for the Empire) shipbuilding industry has built up around the capital, with Cogs and Hulks bearing a Whitecliff Shipwright's mark being prized for the sturdy construction and quality. By no means exceptional, they do quite a bit of local and mear foreign business, as well as offering repair services at favorable prices the ships that pass through.
Location History:
Location... location: (see map)

Um, I think we're apping for the same place or close to one another. Since you wanted to play as a vassal to someone, would you consider being the vassal of House Hadria and the city of Hadriana? Since I'm going to try to push for the title of Prince for the rulers of Hadriana due to the population and near-impenetrable walls of the city, maybe one benefit they have is the elevation of the title of their vassals, even if their vassal's power and strength might not be equal to a proper duke, marquis, earl/count, etc. If you would agree we can work on whether the house is an ancient one, with its history closely tied to House Hadria or a relatively new noble house elevated to the status by the Princes of Hadriana. We can discuss the same thing for the city of Whitecliff.

[The Twelve Isles]

I was just thinking about that myself. I was figuring that whoever their god is though, considering the Order isn't just assassins, they are also thieves and spies, the god they worship is probably not just a death god but is instead a god of all the negative and sinister things in life. However, seeing as the Order is not outwardly malicious in their intent, but more so just professional and respectful in their work even if it is harmful to others, this god is probably not malicious either. Rather, they are probably viewed (at least by the Order) as something more akin to Hades or our modern conception of the Grim Reaper. Frightening to us mortals due to their associations with death, but not inherently evil. Rather, this god is viewed as just fulfilling a necessary evil, as someone needs to watch over the dark things like loss, death, pain and suffering, otherwise they will run rampant across the world and cause wanton destruction and horror. However, it is also believed within their Order that pain is a necessary part of life, otherwise the good aspects of life will have no meaning, and therefore the god must dole out some manner of the pain and suffering that he watches over. Hence why the Order and its members are also warrior monks, who kill, steal and lie for money, as they see themselves as agents of this gods will and therefore the bad things they do are a necessary evil for the proper cycle of the universe.

From here, we could easily tie in both the idea of them being supporters of the Flavians. Maybe the rivalry started when the Flavians, looking to defeat their enemies in the Hadrians, began hiring members of the Black and White to hamper the war effort of the Hadrians from within through espionage and assassinations. Though in the end the Hadrians win, their war effort was significantly hampered by the actions of the Order and their Grey Ones, therefore creating a longstanding rivalry and low level conflict between the two sides, though the Orders religious founding could create issues in ever fully destroying them, as directly attacking the Little Keep would 1.) be costly and dangerous due to the skill of its inhabitants and 2.) be a very dangerous political maneuver as slaughtering the Order would technically be slaughtering priests, even if their god was not the most popular. So the conflict would have mostly been relegated to various laws being passed trying to prevent the Order from being able to walk freely among the populace and exceptionally harsh punishments being handed out to its members upon being caught (usually things like execution, or punishments that would hamper their line of work such as cutting off their hands so they cant hold weapons or clamber over window sills, or disfiguring them in some way to make them noticeable and no longer able to hide in plain sight to complete their missions.) Eventually however, the Empire obviously came, leading to their necessary alliance and current understanding with one another.

Also, as for a name for their god, I'm trying to come up with a good one but am struggling. Considering the byzantine influence of your house, I'm thinking something latin or Turkish inspired, but I'm still thinking on it. If you got any ideas I'm down to hear.

EDIT: Another thing I forgot to mention but which could be a cool little add on to the relationship between the Hadrians and the Order. The Order exclusively recruits young, orphaned children, (never older than five typically.) It could be that the Little Keep is seen as a place where unwanted babies can be left, or where orphans who can no longer be cared for are often placed, making them a sort of dark take on an orphanage. "Bring us your poor, your hungry, your small, your unwanted and we will make them something greater."

That's actually really interesting and I think it would work. For the God, latin or Greek would probably be the best bet since House Hadria and Hadriana are also largely based off of classical antiquity.

Alright, I got one. The god they worship is known as Orcinius, the god of death, suffering, loss and misfortune. Though his name can be written, it is believed that his name should never be spoken aloud, as this invites bad things into the world. For that reason, when being referred to in spoken conversation he is referred to by many other names such as the Little God (due to his comparatively small following,) the Many Faced One or One Of Many Faces, (due to the Order believing that all other gods of misfortune or evil are actually just misinterpretations of Orcinius,) The Great United (due to all people experiencing pain and suffering at some point in their lives,) as well as many others.

[Vrijstaat Limburg]

Sounds fun! If I run into any problems creating my house on your doorstep, or if I'd like to tie my house's history's to yours, would you prefer I asked you over the Forum or by telegram?

Well I suppose we'll technically be neighbors then.

Seems like we shall! Looking forward to writing the cultural barriers and political debacles our peoples will have to overcome to coexist.

[Strala]

That's actually really interesting and I think it would work. For the God, latin or Greek would probably be the best bet since House Hadria and Hadriana are also largely based off of classical antiquity.

Alright, I got one. The god they worship is known as Orcinius, the god of death, suffering, loss and misfortune. Though his name can be written, it is believed that his name should never be spoken aloud, as this invites bad things into the world. For that reason, when being referred to in spoken conversation he is referred to by many other names such as the Little God (due to his comparatively small following,) the Many Faced One or One Of Many Faces, (due to the Order believing that all other gods of misfortune or evil are actually just misinterpretations of Orcinius,) The Great United (due to all people experiencing pain and suffering at some point in their lives,) as well as many others.

Alright. Would the religion be founded before the establishment of the city of Hadriana or after the establishment of the city of Hadriana. Actually, now that I think about it, instead of using before ascension or after ascension, Hadriana instead would use the founding of the city to keep track of the years similar to what the Romans did.

[Strala]

Well I suppose we'll technically be neighbors then.

Seems like we shall! Looking forward to writing the cultural barriers and political debacles our peoples will have to overcome to coexist.

You will always have a customer in the form of House Hadria and the city of Hadriana

[The Twelve Isles]

Alright, I got one. The god they worship is known as Orcinius, the god of death, suffering, loss and misfortune. Though his name can be written, it is believed that his name should never be spoken aloud, as this invites bad things into the world. For that reason, when being referred to in spoken conversation he is referred to by many other names such as the Little God (due to his comparatively small following,) the Many Faced One or One Of Many Faces, (due to the Order believing that all other gods of misfortune or evil are actually just misinterpretations of Orcinius,) The Great United (due to all people experiencing pain and suffering at some point in their lives,) as well as many others.

Alright. Would the religion be founded before the establishment of the city of Hadriana or after the establishment of the city of Hadriana. Actually, now that I think about it, instead of using before ascension or after ascension, Hadriana instead would use the founding of the city to keep track of the years similar to what the Romans did.

Their beliefs probably existed for about as long as the city did, but the Order itself has only been an official group for about 350 years, when the first meeting of the White Circle took place and Little Keep was chosen as their monastery.

Seems like we shall! Looking forward to writing the cultural barriers and political debacles our peoples will have to overcome to coexist.

You will always have a customer in the form of House Hadria and the city of Hadriana

And in the agents and warrior monks of the Order Of The Black And White.

[Strala]

Alright. Would the religion be founded before the establishment of the city of Hadriana or after the establishment of the city of Hadriana. Actually, now that I think about it, instead of using before ascension or after ascension, Hadriana instead would use the founding of the city to keep track of the years similar to what the Romans did.

Their beliefs probably existed for about as long as the city did, but the Order itself has only been an official group for about 350 years, when the first meeting of the White Circle took place and Little Keep was chosen as their monastery.

You will always have a customer in the form of House Hadria and the city of Hadriana

And in the agents and warrior monks of the Order Of The Black And White.

Would interest you if some members would work in the retinue of the Prince and one of them serving as his official spy master or whatever the Hadrian equivalent will be called.

[The Twelve Isles]

Their beliefs probably existed for about as long as the city did, but the Order itself has only been an official group for about 350 years, when the first meeting of the White Circle took place and Little Keep was chosen as their monastery.



And in the agents and warrior monks of the Order Of The Black And White.

Would interest you if some members would work in the retinue of the Prince and one of them serving as his official spy master or whatever the Hadrian equivalent will be called.

I'm down for that. I'm planning to make a couple of characters from the Order, some of them could definitely be involved with the Hadrians court. I was thinking I would probably make a White Robe and their Black Robed assistant/apprentice.

[Strala]

Would interest you if some members would work in the retinue of the Prince and one of them serving as his official spy master or whatever the Hadrian equivalent will be called.

I'm down for that. I'm planning to make a couple of characters from the Order, some of them could definitely be involved with the Hadrians court. I was thinking I would probably make a White Robe and their Black Robed assistant/apprentice.

Alright. Just to let you know, the Prince absolutely hates the Lambassards due to the family's lowly origins and its short history. Angouteaux is hated by the Prince because it is owned by the Lambassards and due to the rapid growth of the city, taking trade away from the noblest and most storied city of Hadriana.

[The Twelve Isles]

I'm down for that. I'm planning to make a couple of characters from the Order, some of them could definitely be involved with the Hadrians court. I was thinking I would probably make a White Robe and their Black Robed assistant/apprentice.

Alright. Just to let you know, the Prince absolutely hates the Lambassards due to the family's lowly origins and its short history. Angouteaux is hated by the Prince because it is owned by the Lambassards and due to the rapid growth of the city, taking trade away from the noblest and most storied city of Hadriana.

The Order has zero concerns one way or another with the Lambassards or Angouteaux. They do however maintain a sanctuary in the city, so, if they pay is good they could do something about that. After all, the Little God's word must be spread, and the Order is his agents of suffering.

[Strala]

Alright. Just to let you know, the Prince absolutely hates the Lambassards due to the family's lowly origins and its short history. Angouteaux is hated by the Prince because it is owned by the Lambassards and due to the rapid growth of the city, taking trade away from the noblest and most storied city of Hadriana.

The Order has zero concerns one way or another with the Lambassards or Angouteaux. They do however maintain a sanctuary in the city, so, if they pay is good they could do something about that. After all, the Little God's word must be spread, and the Order is his agents of suffering.

Now that would be something the prince would be very interested in. It probably won't try to make any contracts of that nature until the Empire fractures or is near fracturing.

[The Twelve Isles]

The Order has zero concerns one way or another with the Lambassards or Angouteaux. They do however maintain a sanctuary in the city, so, if they pay is good they could do something about that. After all, the Little God's word must be spread, and the Order is his agents of suffering.

Now that would be something the prince would be very interested in. It probably won't try to make any contracts of that nature until the Empire fractures or is near fracturing.

I mean, the inevitable dark times coming to this Empire are gonna create a golden age for the Order. So many people who need to die, so many plans that need to be stolen, so many meetings that need to be listened in on. It seems the Little God has finally gathered more suffering than he can handle on his own, and it must be released on the world to cleanse it.