On this page you can find all the Nobel houses, some information about them, what they stand for and their banners!

Keep in mind that these are the Head of Nobel houses and that these family's, tribes or groups have the most power in Aetheria. their are plenty more houses who lead or control smaller towns and villages who are alleged to theses Head Houses. 

House Barron

"For Honor and in Death shall my Heart beat to Defend and Protect"


Seat: White Castle, Stormpoint
Faith: Devotees of Emelyn the Honorable, Goddess of Truth, Judgment, and Valor

Overview

House Barron is not merely a noble family, it is a legacy carved into the stone of the Thunder Mountains, rooted in sacrifice and carried forward by the will of its people. Revered across Gibarra, House Barron stands as a paragon of honor, truth, and unwavering strength. From their ancestral seat in White Castle, they guard not only the city of Stormpoint but the very ideals upon which it was built.

Founded by Avelina Barron, the matron of Stormpoint, the house bears her name as a badge of sacrifice and tenacity. Unlike many noble houses born from wealth, conquest, or bloodlines, House Barron was forged by a woman’s vision and the unbreakable bond of family.

Core Values & Beliefs

At the heart of House Barron lies truth, honor, and sacrifice virtues drawn directly from their patron deity, Emelyn the Honorable. Her teachings are embedded into the very fabric of Barron society:

  • Truth is Law: Lies are not merely frowned upon but seen as a spiritual failing. A Barron would rather lose a war than win it by deception.
  • Honor is Strength: To dishonor oneself is to dishonor the House. Whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in daily dealings, integrity is the highest currency.
  • Sacrifice is Salvation: The Barrons teach that to give of oneself for the good of others is the highest form of devotion, second only to truth.

These values are not just spoken, they are lived. Reflected in the daily conduct of its members, its soldiers, and its citizens.

Lineage and Tradition

Every member of House Barron, by blood or oath is required to undergo The Proving, a sacred rite of passage involving physical endurance, philosophical debate, and martial combat. It is a holistic trial meant to forge warriors of mind and body. Those who pass are marked with a silver brand of the galloping horse upon their shoulder or chest.

Barron children are raised with rigorous training in ethics, warfare, horsemanship, and statecraft, with no exceptions. The house believes that privilege must always be balanced by responsibility and readiness to protect.

Military Might: The Thunder Guard

The Thunder Guard, Stormpoint’s elite cavalry and military force, is the pride of House Barron. Known for their unmatched horsemanship, shining silver armor, and strict code of conduct, they serve as peacekeepers, commanders, and battlefield legends. Their tactics combine classic knightly charges with highland guerrilla strategy, honed from centuries of defending the Thunder Basin from raiders, beasts, and political rivals.

The Guard trains year-round on the Fields of Vigil, a windswept plateau behind White Castle and at the bason of the Thunder Mountains, where new recruits must spend a night in silence and prayer before taking their oaths. Their horses are bred in the Barron Stables, known across Aetheria for producing war-steeds that are loyal, tireless, and intelligent.

Political Influence and Diplomacy

House Barron’s influence does not extend through fear or manipulation, but through respect and moral authority. Their word carries weight in courtrooms, councils, and battlefields alike. Their minimal interference in local governance is intentional a philosophy of empowerment rather than control. This autonomy has fostered immense loyalty among Stormfolk and vassals alike.

House Barron often serves as an arbiter in disputes between other noble houses, and is one of the few remaining powers in Aetheria to never have broken a treaty they’ve signed. Their honor-driven diplomacy is both their greatest strength and, at times, their greatest burden.

The People’s House

Despite their noble status, the Barrons are seen as first among equals by the people of Stormpoint. Avelina’s legacy looms large, not in statues or proclamations, but in the culture of duty shared by citizens and soldiers alike.

Stormpoint’s free markets, fair courts, and robust city watch are reflections of House Barron’s ideals in motion. The people, in turn, give back through service, trade, and tradition. Every year, during The Week of Avelina, commoners and nobles alike participate in city-wide games, communal feasts, and a grand cavalry parade that ends at her original homestead. A sacred site preserved in the city center.

Cultural Contributions

House Barron is also a patron of the arts, history, and scholarship especially works that reinforce their values. The White Castle library, The Hall of Echoes, houses thousands of scrolls, ledgers, and records chronicling both the triumphs and failures of the House. It is said that no history is forbidden within those halls, as the pursuit of truth includes accepting one's flaws.

Music and poetry are held in high esteem, especially ballads of ancient heroes and tales of sacrifice. Many Stormfolk carry heirloom instruments, passing them from generation to generation, believing that music keeps the soul close to Avelina’s spirit.

Modern-Day Legacy and Challenges

In the current age, House Barron finds itself in an evolving landscape. With whispers of unrest across Gibarra and the political balance shifting between Houses Orthon and Sylla, the Barrons must adapt without compromising their principles. New threats, both magical and political, stir on the edges of the continent and some question if tradition alone can protect the realm.

But as ever, the Barrons remain steadfast. Their hearts beat in rhythm with the mountain and the lake. Their swords are sharp, their word is law, and their legacy etched into the stones of Stormpoint continues to guide the people forward.

 

" A Royal Knight of the White Court "

House Orthon

"shall my tusks pave our way, and clear the unknown"


Seat: The Ironhall, Northgrove
Faith: Devotees of Asuna, Goddess of the Hunt and Nature

Overview

In the heart of the frozen wilds of northern Gibarra, House Orthon reigns not from gilded palaces, but from stone-hewn halls warmed by fire and bound by iron. This orcish noble house is both fierce and sacred, standing as the iron spine of Northgrove, a city that thrives not in spite of the cold, but because of it.

Unlike the southern noble houses that trace their prestige to crowns, coin, or conquests, House Orthon earned their place with calloused hands, sharp steel, and a pact with the land itself. Where others build over nature, the Orthons build with it, forging stone, wood, and bone into a city that lives and breathes with the forest.

They are the Iron Heart of the North unyielding, resilient, and true.

The Legacy of Asuna – Founding the Wild

The mythic tale of House Orthon begins with Asuna the First, a towering orc woman who emerged from the smoldering south in the early Second Age. With her kin scattered by war and betrayal, she turned her gaze north not to conquer, but to begin anew.

The journey was brutal. Many died. But Asuna did not falter. She walked barefoot across frozen rivers, broke bread with wolves, and slept beneath pine canopies. It’s said she tamed the land not with sword or spell, but with understanding and in return, the forest accepted her.

When she passed, her spirit became one with the trees and beasts, ascended by the will of the land itself to godhood. Now revered as Asuna, Goddess of the Hunt and Nature, her teachings shape the soul of Northgrove.

Those born of her bloodline are not just rulers they are her living legacy.

The Orthon Rite – Coming of Age Through Trial

To be Orthon is to earn your name. All orcs born to the house must, at the age of fifteen, undergo the Trial of Three Nights, a sacred rite of passage in which the young are sent alone into the forest, armed with nothing but a knife and their instincts.

For three days and three nights, they must survive the wild, confront a spiritual trial, and return with a symbol of their experience a predator’s fang, a carved totem, a burned tree branch, a feather from a dream.

Those who return are not just welcomed they are reborn, celebrated in a great feast beneath the stars and welcomed as full members of the clan.

To fail the trial is not shameful but to flee from it, or to return without truth, is a stain that never fades.

The Blood of the Wild – Warriors and Protectors

House Orthon maintains The Frostboar Legion, Northgrove’s most elite fighting force. Clad in layered furs, iron plate, and wielding massive axes and barbed spears, they are both hunters and soldiers, guardians of the forest and the frontier.

What makes them truly feared, however, is their ability to move through the forest unseen, using ambush, terrain, and spirit-lore to outmatch even the most well-equipped southern armies. When they march to war, their drums echo like thunder through the woods.

Among them, Bonehowlers serve as spiritual warriors, fighters who channel the primal energy of the land through ancient chants and rites. Adorned with painted bone armor and antlered helms, they are said to hear the voice of Asuna in battle.

Spiritual Authority – Keepers of the Balance

Where Stormpoint and House Barron hold to order and divine law, House Orthon lives by the balance of nature. They do not worship a pantheon of distant gods—they venerate the spirits of the trees, rivers, beasts, and skies.

Shrines and sacred glades mark places of power throughout Northgrove and its surrounding woods. Druids, shamans, and spirit-talkers guide the people’s understanding of omens, harvests, hunts, and death.

The most sacred site is The Grove of Echoes, an ancient, mist-wreathed forest where it is believed the spirit of Asuna still walks. Only those who have completed the Trial may enter. It is said that warriors who seek wisdom or healing often sleep beneath its trees and awake with dreams not their own.

Isolation and Diplomacy

House Orthon is a solitary house by design. They do not meddle in the politics of the south unless the balance of the north is threatened. They trust few respect even fewer, but when they speak, their word carries the weight of mountains.

They maintain an ancient bond of kinship with House Barron of Stormpoint, one forged through blood and war long ago. Though their cultures differ, they recognize in each other a shared sense of duty and integrity.

To outsiders, the Orthons may seem savage, but those who earn their respect are treated with unmatched loyalty. Many of the greatest explorers, beast-hunters, and border scouts in Gibarra have trained under Orthon warriors.

Cultural Identity

  • Music and Storytelling: Bone-drums, throat chants, and fireside sagas are central to Orthon culture. Elders pass down wisdom through myth, warning tales, and the ever-growing Book of Hunts, a leatherbound chronicle of legendary beasts slain by Northgrove’s champions.
  • Craft and Metalwork: Despite their forest setting, the Orthons are master blacksmiths, using ore drawn from deep glacial mines. Orthon-forged steel is dense, frost-hardened, and often engraved with runes of protection.
  • Tattoo and Marking: Every significant deed—be it a hunt, battle, or rite—is marked with a ceremonial tattoo or scarification. These markings tell the life story of an Orthon and are worn with deep pride.

 

" A Painting in the Iron hall a depiction of the first Orthon"

House Sylla

"No storm, nor wave shall stop our way"

 

Seat: Castle Sylla, Whalebourne
Faith: Devotees of Mazu, Goddess of the Sea

 

Overview

Graceful as the tides and cunning as the undertow, House Sylla is one of the most influential noble houses in all of Gibarra. While others wield power with swords or lineage, the Syllas command through mastery of the seas, diplomacy, commerce, and the currents of fate.

Born from vengeance but raised by trade, House Sylla has transformed Whalebourne into the unrivaled naval and mercantile capital of Aetheria’s east. Their ships sail every sea, their coin flows through every market, and their influence can be felt in both palace courts and pirate dens alike.

Among the noble houses, Sylla stands not as conquerors but as navigators, ever adapting, ever enduring, and ever expanding.

Origins: Brothers of Salt and Fire

The house traces its origin to Gale and Braum Sylla, two orphaned tradesmen whose family was slaughtered during a pirate raid in the mid-Second Age. What followed was not a story of retribution alone, but of transformation. Rallying commoners and fellow traders, the brothers laid siege to the pirate stronghold that once ruled the coves of the eastern coast.

When they prevailed, a great whale washed ashore during their victory feast a divine sign, they believed, from Mazu, the Sea Goddess. The settlement was renamed Whalebourne, and the age of Sylla began.

From that moment forward, House Sylla was bound not by nobility of blood, but by nobility of action, innovation, and unshakable will.

Seat of Power – Castle Sylla

Castle Sylla crowns the ocean cliffs like a watchtower of ivory and gold. Its halls are open to salt air, and its walls are carved with tales of ships, storms, and sailors lost and found. The upper terraces house both ruling chambers and celestial observatories, while the lower levels form the harbor citadel a fortification where stone meets tide, allowing ships to dock directly into its sea-gates.

A bastion of elegance and defense, Castle Sylla reflects its house’s core identity: beautiful, clever, and always ready for the tides of war.

Faith and Favor – The Blessing of Mazu

Unlike the more militant or land-bound houses, House Sylla's spiritual identity flows with the sea. Mazu, the goddess of the ocean and protectress of sailors, is at the center of their belief.

Each voyage begins with a sacred rite at the Temple of Mazu, where ships pass through the divine waterway beneath the shrine. It is custom for every vessel bearing the Sylla crest to cast a bottle of wine into the sea, a gift to Mazu to secure calm tides and safe travels.

Syllan captains are known to whisper "Guide our course, Mother of Tides" before every departure. The reverence is not superstition it is woven into law, custom, and identity. Mazu is seen not just as a goddess, but as a matron to the house, and her will often guides Sylla policy as much as gold or council.

The Syllan Navy – Lords of the Tide

Where some flaunt armies, House Sylla commands the sea. Their navy, often referred to as The Coral Fleet, is renowned across Aetheria for its precision, swiftness, and complete mastery of maritime warfare.

  • Flagships are layered in enchanted coral hulls, resistant to flame and acid.
  • Syllan Captains are required to train for ten years before they can command a vessel, with specialized roles including wind-weavers, stormcallers, and deep-sea scouts.
  • Their naval forces have dismantled entire pirate legions and outpaced magical fleets of rival houses.
  • Rumors tell of a mythic ghost-ship, The Azure Wraith, crewed by sea spirits bound to Sylla service though no record of its creation exists outside sailor legend.

House Sylla’s navy is not just for protection it is a symbol of prestige, ensuring their dominance over all trade from the east coast to the Derdeen Sea.

Trade and Expansion – The Salted Road

House Sylla’s dominance over eastern and overseas trade has made them indispensable to the realm’s economy:

  • Silks from Valain, spices from Dornn, alchemical powders from the Shattered Isles, and even draconic relics pass through Whalebourne’s ports.
  • The house runs the Salted Ledger, a naval logbook that tracks all trade vessels, storm activity, and high-sea incidents across eastern Aetheria. The Ledger’s accuracy is said to be magical.

What makes them unique is their fair trade doctrine, ensuring safe passage and fair taxation, a policy that has earned them the trust of even black market guilds. “Let the seas be free, but not lawless” is a saying attributed to Gale Sylla himself.

Culture and Customs

House Sylla embodies both grace and grit, blending the elegance of high society with the unpredictability of ocean life.

  • Clothing: Silken robes adorned with wave patterns, pearls, and coral jewelry. Naval officers wear long blue coats with silver filigree and Mazu’s emblem on their breast.
  • Celebrations: The Feast of the Whale commemorates the house’s founding. It includes a reenactment of the pirate siege, deep-sea banquets, and the floating of lanterns into the sea to honor lost sailors.
  • Education: All Syllan children are taught navigation, diplomacy, and tradecraft. By age 14, they are expected to chart a course, manage a market stall, and debate in court.
  • Tattoos & Marks: Many sailors and nobles alike bear ink of seahorses, waves, or Mazu’s eyes, marking important voyages or blessings received.

Secrets Beneath the Surface

For all their openness and charm, House Sylla is not without its shadows.

  • Whispers tell of The Deep Bargain, a pact made with sea spirits or kraken-kin to protect their water though no official record confirms it.
  • Some say House Sylla funds pirate crews in distant lands to sabotage rivals, then swoop in to "rescue" trade lines.
  • The Low wharf District in Whalebourne remains a haven of smuggling and illicit trade, conveniently ignored by the higher lords—as long as the gold keeps flowing.

Cleverness is not dishonor in Whalebourne—it is survival.

Relationship with Other Houses

  • House Barron: Though different in foundation, Sylla and Barron share mutual respect. Barron provides stability and land-based law; Sylla ensures the flow of goods that keeps Stormpoint thriving.
  • House Orthon: Their alliance is tenuous—Sylla views Orthon’s isolation as a threat to wider trade. Still, they value Orthon iron and respect their strength.
  • House Sylla often acts as peacemakers, using gold and sea routes to bind the continent in quiet influence.

 

" A depiction of the Signature Sylla Naval ship Cresting the waves in the Southern Derdeen Sea " 

House Onyxbrow

"Our Hands are our tools, our hearts are our Forge"


Seat: Fort Astragoth, Kh’alahan, Dwarn Mountain Range
Faith: Ancestor Veneration, Rune-Lore, and the Forge-Heart Doctrine

Overview

House Onyxbrow is the oldest surviving noble house in all of Aetheria. A legacy of stone, flame, and craftsmanship that has never once broken, bowed, or been conquered. More than a noble house, Onyxbrow is a living monument, an unbroken chain of knowledge, labor, and bloodline that dates back to the very first dwarves who emerged from the stone in the early First Age.

Ruled today by King Durvyn Onyxbrow, the house remains a paragon of dwarven culture fiercely independent, immovable in their traditions, and unrivaled in the art of creation.

Founding Myth – The Seven Forgers

According to dwarven lore, the Onyxbrow line began with the Seven Forgers, seven dwarves guided by visions of flame and stars who carved their way through the bedrock of the world to find the sacred mountain they would name Dwarn, meaning "Stone that Burns Bright".

Each founder was a master of a different discipline: stonecraft, gem cutting, metallurgy, runecraft, enchanting, architecture, and war. These seven disciplines became the foundational pillars of Kh’alahan, and every Onyxbrow born today traces their lineage to one of these ancestral flames.

The seven stars on their crest represent these original dwarves and shine as eternal symbols of the unbreakable legacy of their house.

The Twin Bastions – Kh’alahan and Fort Astragoth

Kh’alahan is a marvel of dwarven ingenuity, a city carved into the living rock of the Dwarn Mountains where every arch, beam, and street sings of pride and permanence. Its lower levels are accessible to outsiders, though still heavily guarded and monitored, and serve as a center of global trade for enchanted crafts, elemental crystals, weapons, and runed jewelry of immense value.

Above it towers Fort Astragoth, the undying citadel and sacred heart of House Onyxbrow. Carved into the mountainside and reinforced with fire-forged ore and forgotten magics, Fort Astragoth is a fortress, a temple, and a tomb of kings all at once.

Only dwarves are permitted inside its deepest halls. Even allies must wait for an audience at its outer gates unless granted special rites of passage by the king himself.

The Rule of Craft and Creation

To be born of House Onyxbrow is to be born with a burden of excellence. Every member of the house must master one of the Seven Pillars, and only through mastery may they claim a seat on the Council of Iron an inner circle of advisors to the king, each representing one ancestral discipline.

The Onyxbrow ideal is that greatness is not given, it is forged. Refined through pressure and fire, much like the mountain itself. The house’s elite craftsmen, engineers, and smiths are often trained from the moment they can hold a chisel or pick up a hammer.

Craft is divine. Creation is sacred. To build something lasting is to honor the gods, the ancestors, and the mountain itself.

Innovators of Power – Invention and Legacy

Though grounded in tradition, House Onyxbrow has not remained stagnant. In fact, they have been behind some of the most monumental advances in modern Aetherian civilization:

  • The First Gun: Still a closely guarded secret, the forging of the first dwarven firearm was a turning point in warfare and technological advancement. These weapons are rare, each custom-made, and often bound by runes to their wielder.
  • Elemental Crystal work: House Onyxbrow controls the largest known supply of elemental crystals—used in staff cores, arcane batteries, and magical infrastructure. Their mastery over crystal refinement is unmatched.
  • Deep-Root Constructs: Living machines crafted from stone, rune, and molten core these guardian golems patrol the deep halls of Kh’alahan and are sometimes sent to the surface as symbols of dwarven authority but they can not cause harm. The First models Built for war, The Warforged are no longer used as they represent a time of bloodshed and dishonor. 

Culture and Tradition

House Onyxbrow’s people are disciplined, stoic, and proud. Qualities that have helped them endure centuries of war, isolation, and foreign intrigue. Though dwarves are often slow to trust outsiders, they value honesty, craft, and perseverance above all else.

  • Language & Lore: The Old Tongue (Khôrdaz) is still used in sacred rites and by master craftsmen. Storytelling is vital, and histories are engraved rather than written, ensuring they can never burn or fade.
  • Ceremonial Rites: Each creation made by a master craftsman undergoes a Blessing of Flame, a ritual where the object is placed in sacred forge fire while ancestral names are chanted.
  • Burial Customs: The dead are not burned or buried, but entombed in the Mountain’s Heart, where their spirits are said to join the Flame of Ages, an eternal forge deep beneath Fort Astragoth.

Faith and the Forge-Heart Doctrine

Unlike other houses who worship gods of sky, sea, or war, the dwarves of House Onyxbrow follow the Forge-Heart Doctrine, a belief that the soul is a spark of the Great Flame buried deep beneath the world. Through craft, trial, and sacrifice, dwarves return to the flame stronger and brighter.

They also venerate their ancestors, particularly the Seven Forgers, who are seen as divine spirits now watching over each discipline. Some dwarves claim to dream of them while forging, others say their tools hum when their ancestors are near.

Neutral But Not Naive – Political Stance

House Onyxbrow is known as a neutral house, keeping to their own lands and rarely involving themselves in the political turbulence of Aetheria. This neutrality is not weakness, but strategic detachment—a lesson learned after the Dwarven Civil War in the Third Age, when clans clashed over outside influence and the sanctity of dwarven culture.

They now prefer to deal in trade, diplomacy, and craftsmanship, allowing other houses to entangle themselves while they arm the victors.

However, should anyone threaten their sovereignty or defile their traditions, the "Drakii Evnal" The Anvil Guard. A Legion of elite warriors clad in obsidian armor will descend like an avalanche and strike hard like a Hammer onto a anvil.

Kh’alahan and Fort Astragoth Today

The fires of the forges still burn day and night in Kh’alahan. The stone halls echo with the song of chisels and chants of rune priests. The fort remains locked, proud, and unyielding. Outsiders may come seeking wares, alliances, or secrets, but they must earn the trust of the mountain.

To the dwarves of House Onyxbrow, legacy is not spoken—it is carved in stone and forged in flame.

 

A common site to see, Blacksmiths working day in an out at their Forge

House Wormwood

"May your heart bloom full"


Seat: Wormwood Temple, Marleme
Faith: Animism; Worship of Nature Spirits, Forest Echoes, and the Goddess Nala

Overview

House Wormwood is Valain’s most revered and culturally beloved noble house, not for its might or magic, but for its compassion, vision, and unwavering devotion to the sanctity of life. Rulers not of armies, but of hearts and harmony, the Wormwoods guide Marleme, the most diverse and welcoming city in the land, with an open hand and a rooted spirit.

Where others draw power from war, conquest, or divine decree, House Wormwood thrives through balance, diplomacy, and deep biophilic connection to the living world. Their territory is sacred neutral ground. An enclave where no blade may be drawn, no blood may be spilled, and every race and creed may find sanctuary.

Ancestral Philosophy – Biophilic Harmony

At the root of House Wormwood’s philosophy is biophilia—the belief that all life is connected through unseen threads of breath, rhythm, and spirit. They do not view the land as property, but as a living organism of which they are but caretakers.

They believe the rainforest itself has a soul, and that its spirits speak through wind, growth, and dreams.

Every member of the house is trained from a young age to commune with Nature, identify the voices of the forest, and act as interpreters between the wild and the civilized.

Founding Myth – The Peace of Arvani

The origin of House Wormwood is steeped in spiritual power and miraculous peace. In the 5th century of the Second Age, as jungle tribes clashed and settlers pressed inward with steel, the land bled.

It was Arvani Wormwood, a wandering Loxodon mystic and herbalist, who ended the bloodshed not with spells or swords, but with wisdom, patience, and presence. On the eve of battle, as both sides prepared for war, Arvani entered the field barefoot, unarmored, and alone.

Then, the forest responded.

Vines curled around spears. Rain softened the air. Beasts lined the edges of the trees, watching silently. In that moment, violence was silenced by life, and Arvani planted the Heartseed Tree, said to be gifted by the ancient forest spirits.

The peace that followed birthed Marleme, and the house that would protect its legacy.

The Rule of Council and Consensus

Unlike traditional noble houses, House Wormwood does not rule by decree. Decisions are made through council gatherings in the Wormwood Temple, where representatives of various species, cultures, and spiritual callings are welcomed.

The Matriarch leads House wormwood, It is a roll passed down by generations. The Matriarch leads not with dominance but with gentle presence. Her role is that of mediator and harmonizer, ensuring that all voices are heard and decisions reflect the greater good.

This governing structure has led to remarkable civic stability, and Marleme’s peaceful expansion is attributed to the people’s trust in the Wormwood way.

Wormwood Temple – Heart of the Bloom

The seat of House Wormwood, Wormwood Temple, is not a castle. It is a living sanctuary built from white-barked trees, flowering ivy, and gently trickling springs. It is a place of healing and gathering, home to herbalists, musicians, historians, and emissaries of peace.

Its central garden houses the Heartseed Tree, still growing from Arvani’s original planting. The tree is sacred and never touched directly. Some say it glows faintly when moonlight touches it, and others claim it can sense unrest before it begins.

During the Festival of Renewal, the tree is the centerpiece of rituals, blessings, and music that renew the city’s spirit each spring.

Faith – Nala and the Spirits of the Wild

House Wormwood does not worship one god, but many spirits of the rainforest. Primordial entities of tree, stream, vine, and beast. However, the most widely honored is the Goddess Nala, a figure of healing, growth, and gentle strength.

The Nala Blossom, a radiant pink flower that only grows near spiritually powerful places, is central to their worship. Its petals are used in sacred salves, healing rituals, and spiritual rites of passage. It symbolizes hope, compassion, and the cycle of life and adorns the house’s crest.

It is said that to be born with the mark of the Nala Blossom—a rare birthmark resembling a flower bloom—is a sign that one is destined for great healing or spiritual leadership.

Customs and Culture

  • Music and Dance: Rhythmic drums, lutes strung with spider-silk, and dance rituals are daily practice. Music is seen as both healing and a way to speak with the land.
  • Botanical Rites: Every member of the house must grow and tend their own plant from childhood, often one that is magically bound to them. These soulflora are seen as spiritual mirrors of the individual.
  • Neutrality Vow: Every Wormwood noble takes an oath of peace first, they may never draw blood, nor endorse war and violence.

Modern Role and Influence

As the official neutral house of Valain, House Wormwood serves as a bridge between tribes, cities, and even continents. Their territory is often the host of peace talks, diplomatic summits, and arcane treaties.

Though others might scoff at their pacifism, Wormwood’s influence is vast:

  • Healers and herbalists from Marleme are in high demand across the continent.
  • Trade caravans from Marleme are never attacked, for even brigands respect the Wormwood seal.
  • Adventuring guilds often send their members to begin their journey in Marleme, where they can safely learn, connect, and grow before venturing into wilder lands.

Still, whispers abound—strange stirrings in the deep forest, rumors of the Heartseed Tree glowing red, and echoes in the mist that do not belong to any known spirit. Though House Wormwood continues its peaceful work, there are those who wonder if something old is awakening.

Marleme and House Wormwood Today

The City of Petals thrives beneath their care. A place where all races walk freely, where laughter fills the air, and where life, in all its forms, is treasured above all else.

House Wormwood stands not as a tower of power, but as a great tree, its roots deep, its branches wide, and its blossoms ever-reaching.

It is not a house of conquest or control, but one of connection.

And through that connection, it has become one of the most respected and quietly powerful houses in all of Aetheria.

" A Famous Painting said to be Arvani Wormwood "

House Quinn

"From Summer till winter, we will provide"


Seat: The Dryback Rise, Delta Marsh
Faith: Folk-Spirit Traditions, Practical Druidism, and Seasonal Rites

Overview

House Quinn is a house of the earth—stoic, steadfast, and self-made. As the only human noble house south of the Dwarn Mountains, they stand not only as a political outlier, but as a cultural pillar. A testament to humanity’s capacity to survive, adapt, and contribute to even the most hostile corners of the world.

Where other houses boast of ancient bloodlines or divine favor, House Quinn wears its legacy in sunburnt hands, dirt-worn boots, and calloused wisdom. From the humble marshlands of Valain, they have built the largest agricultural engine east of Aetheria, feeding cities, forging alliances, and giving humanity a permanent voice in lands where they were once hunted.

They are not beloved by all but they are respected by those who understand the weight of survival.

Origins – Washed in Silt and Salt

The Quinn story begins with disaster. According to both record and legend, the first Quinn ancestors arrived not as settlers, but as shipwrecked exiles, their vessel shattered by uncharted reefs and native sea serpents that once ruled the coastal gulfs. With little more than planks, salvage, and spirit, they dragged themselves onto the banks of a flooded delta and found no welcome waiting only murk, fever, and primal beasts.

Elias Quinn, then a second son of no standing, took leadership. Refusing to let fate write his people’s end, he planted the first rice stalk, hand-dug the first levee, and slept in waterlogged earth with no walls to protect him. Through trial and ingenuity and a willingness to learn from both wandering druids and Lizardfolk natives he tamed the land.

The Quinn name was not claimed. It was granted by the people who followed him.

From that moment forward, House Quinn would be known not as lords, but as stewards of survival.

Delta Marsh – The Working Heart of Valain

Set amid winding channels, fertile floodplains, and towering reedbeds, Delta Marsh is a city unlike any other. It is a city built on stilts, barges, and faith in one’s own labor. There are no stone castles or ivory towers—only plank bridges, levees, and elevated homes designed to weather both storm and sun.

  • The Dryback Rise, where Quinn Manor sits, is one of the only fully dry landmasses in the region. It serves as both an administrative center and emergency shelter during flood surges.
  • Paddleboats, trade ferries, and harvest barges crisscross the city, making water not just a hazard, but a highway.
  • Work chants, canal drums, and wet-market bells form the unique soundscape of the city.
  • The Marsh’s diet is rich in rice, catfish, taro, lotus, peppers, and sugarcane, and locals are experts in fermentation, smoke-curing, and pickling.

Delta Marsh is practical, fragrant, and deeply proud. While it may lack the grandeur of Marleme or the mysticism of Kh’alahan, its strength lies in its unshakable rhythm—the people here are always building, growing, feeding.

House Quinn – The Bee Lords

The symbol of House Quinn, the bee, was chosen not for beauty or nobility, but for what it represents: tireless work, unity of purpose, and the unseen power of small, constant effort.

Each member of the house is raised with a core ethos:
“You are not above the people. You are of them. Your name means nothing if your hands stay clean.”

  • Heirs of the house must work the fields for one year before assuming office.
  • Daughters and sons of Quinn are taught carpentry, flood defense, and the fundamentals of plant lore and seasonal rites.
  • The house does not engage in war. Its people are trained in defensive tactics, particularly marshland ambushes and terrain-based control.

Faith and Folk Magic – The Rites of the Tides

House Quinn holds to a folk-spiritualism rooted in respect for the land’s natural rhythms and spirits. They believe in seasonal spirits, called Tidebound. They govern everything from harvest cycles to rainfall and pestilence. Small shrines dot the marsh, offering fish bones, carved driftwood, and woven reed effigies.

The house also supports practical druids, known as Floodcallers, who help guide planting seasons, identify spiritual unrest, and read omens in the water.

While not a religious house in the traditional sense, Quinn leaders see their land as sacred, and to mistreat it is to invite ruin.

Cultural Identity – Humble, Hardy, and Honest

The people of Delta Marsh are not known for flash or pageantry. Instead, they value:

  • Work Ethic: To laze is to betray the community.
  • Resourcefulness: Nothing is wasted; everything is used.
  • Hospitality: A warm fire, a bowl of rice, and a cup of marsh tea are offered to any traveler, even an enemy.
  • Storytelling: Oral traditions of storms survived and crops saved are passed down with reverence.
  • Lantern Run – Held during the darkest week of the year, where youths paddle small boats bearing floating lanterns to “light the marsh for returning spirits.”

Relations with Other Houses

  • House Wormwood: Allies in peace and nature, though Quinn views Wormwood’s neutrality as at times too passive. They often collaborate on herbal research and druidic rites.
  • House Sylla: Strong trading partners. Sylla ships carry Quinn produce across Aetheria, and in return, Sylla provides foreign crops and salt-sea goods. They share mutual respect, though Quinn dislikes Sylla’s flair for opulence.
  • House Onyxbrow: Distant but respectful. Quinn purchases advanced tools and weaponry from Onyxbrow traders. Though the dwarves are reserved, they admire Quinn’s unrelenting work ethic.

Delta Marsh Today

From stilts and silt, a civilization has risen. Not flashy. Not ancient. But necessary. Delta Marsh provides life to a continent that often forgets where its food comes from. House Quinn does not ask for gratitude, they ask only for respect, and for the peace to continue doing the work the land requires.

In the end, they know their worth.
And so does every hungry mouth they feed.

A View of one of many market streets that stretch across Delta Marsh

House Zubi

"No foe too great"

 

Seat: The Root Throne, Zubi Canopy Fortress
Faith: Ancestor Spirits, Jungle Totemism, and the Voice of the Canopy

Overview

House Zubi is the youngest noble house in Valain, yet one of its most feared. Born not of empire or inheritance, but of survival and resolve, Zubi is a house forged in vine and vengeance. They are warriors to their core not soldiers of order. Protectors of balance, serving the wild first, their people second, and no one else.

Mostly composed of Lizardfolk and Dragonborn, with scattered bloodlines of Tabaxi, Loxodon, Tortle and many others. The Zubi are known throughout Aetheria as the Rainforest Ghosts, an elite, secretive, and borderline mythical force whose name alone has ended more raids than blades ever could.

They are guardians of the Nerelli Rainforest, defenders of House Wormwood, and a rising power whose roots grow deeper each passing season.

Origins – Three Clans, One Purpose

The formation of Zubi was born not in celebration, but in desperation.

Following the chaos of the Booming a period when the forest itself turned wild with unstable elemental growth, rampant spirits, and territorial warfare. Three dominant jungle clans stood on the brink of mutual annihilation.

  • Zahuri: Shadow-walkers and silent hunters, feared for their ambush tactics and mastery of illusionary terrain.
  • Ural’kai: Bone-clad juggernauts and beast-binders, wielding brute strength and primal rage like sacred tools.
  • Bin’ka: Poison-weavers, jungle-singers, and spiritual trackers who could hear the footsteps of their prey in the breath of the wind.

Each clan had the strength to destroy, but not to endure. When the outside world began encroaching with greed, steel, and slavery, the three united beneath the Waterfall of Oaths and vowed to form something that could never be broken.

Thus was born Zubi “We”, in the old jungle tongue.

Zubi Today – The Village that Watches

Zubi is less a city and more a living stronghold, built into the canopy and cliffs of the jungle’s oldest trees. Homes hang from vine-wrapped boughs. Rope bridges sway between ancient trunks. Hidden elevators powered by counterweighted waterwheels rise and fall in silence. Beneath the canopy, bone totems and spirit masks ward off intruders, and traps line the wild trails.

At the village’s heart lies the Root Throne, a massive chair grown from living wood and carved into over generations. It is both a seat of rule and a spiritual nexus—said to be entwined with the blood of every Zubi matriarch or warchief to ever sit upon it.

The roar of the waterfall is ever-present, washing away lies and sharpening every instinct. The jungle speaks here, and the Zubi have never stopped listening.

The Creed of the Wild – Culture & Way of Life

Zubi culture is built upon discipline, ritual, and ancestral connection. To be born Zubi is to be born with a blade in one hand and a question in the other: What will your blood protect?

  • Every Zubi child learns to track, fight, and blend with the jungle by age six.
  • Coming-of-age trials include nights spent alone in the deep wilds, armed only with ancestral tattoos and instinct, they are then instructed to hunt, the bigger the prize the more respect gained upon return.
  • Clans still exist, but operate as cultural sects, with shared training halls and sacred grounds. Inter-clan unity is paramount.
  • Names are earned, not given. Upon completing their first successful defense of a sacred site or village ally, a Zubi receives their “second name” their spirit-name often using real animals as a way to represent who they are.

Their belief system revolves around the Voices of the Canopy—ancestral spirits that live in the forest, whispering warnings through wind, rainfall, animal calls, and leaf-movements. Zubi warriors often meditate in silence before action, learning to hear before they move.

The Zubi-Wormwood Accord – Balance Through Alliance

While Zubi once rejected all outsiders, their recognition as a noble house came through an unprecedented act of alliance: a pact with House Wormwood.

The Wormwoods, neutral and pacifistic, were vulnerable to external threats. In return for exclusive access to Marleme's goods, political protection, and spiritual acknowledgment, the Zubi agreed to act as the Rainforest's Blade defending neutral grounds, securing borders, and ensuring no one brought war into the heart of Valain.

The alliance has grown beyond survival, it is now one of symbiosis with Zubi trading rare herbs, jungle medicines, and elite protection in exchange for materials, healing magic, and political recognition across Aetheria.

Today, House Zubi serves as the silent enforcers of neutrality in Valain. Any who raise weapons within Wormwood’s territory face the wrath of the jungle ghosts.

Military Might – The Rainforest Ghosts

Zubi warriors are not an army, they are a presence.

They strike from above, from behind, from beneath root and vine.

They coat their blades in paralytic venoms, use blow darts dipped in jungle toad toxins, and wield Macahuitl.

Their armor is woven from beast hide, bone, and spirit-wood, enchanted to mask their presence.

Their elite forces include:

  • The Rootcallers – silent assassins trained to commune with spirits to find enemies before they arrive.
  • Ridgejaw Warriors – frontline defenders of sacred lands and spiritual sites, named after the Apex predator Terrachelodon.
  • Misttrackers – scouts who patrol the border between the wild and the civilized, often disguised as shadows or animals.

The Zubi do not warn twice. When violence is committed on sacred ground, vengeance is swift, quiet, and merciless.

Faith and Spirit Practice

The Zubi do not worship gods. They revere the ancestors, the jungle, and the Will of the Canopy.

  • Totem Shrines are carved into trees and hung with masks representing fallen heroes and clan spirits.
  • The Waterfall of Oaths is their holiest site. Every major decision, declaration of leadership, or peace treaty must be declared here.
  • Every warrior receives ink made from crushed Heartwood bark upon completing their first kill for the clan, a spiritual bond and rite of identity.
  • The dead are laid to rest inside tree hollows or buried beneath flowering vines, believed to feed the future through their return to the root.

The Crocodile Crest – Power Through Adaptation

The crocodile is Zubi’s chosen crest not just for its primal ancestry but for what it represents:

  • Stillness before strike.
  • Patience before fury.
  • Ancient blood in a modern world.

The crocodile reminds the Zubi that even beasts can evolve, and that survival is not about brute force alone, but about wisdom, timing, and respect for the flow of nature.

Zubi in the World

Once silent, now acknowledged.

Once isolated, now indispensable.

House Zubi has become more than a savage whisper in the wild, they are now a named house, respected by rulers, feared by enemies, and protected by their pact with the land itself.

They remain cautious of outsiders, but their gaze now reaches farther than the treetop horizon.

Zubi has taken root in the world of nobles and no one dares to ask them to bow.

 

House Tully

" Roar with Pride "


Seat: The Skyspike Hold, atop the highest tier of Silver Watch
Faith: No central deity. House Tully exalts wind, will, and ascent. They follow the Way of the Climb, a secular spiritual tradition rooted in survival and self-betterment.

Overview

House Tully is a noble family unlike any other in Valain. Forged not in old bloodlines or divine providence, but in storm-tossed chaos and vertical ambition, Tully has become a living emblem of perseverance, adaptability, and unshakable will. Their dominion, Silver Watch, is a testament to both their legacy and their ethos, a city of cliffs and courage, standing not because it must, but because it refuses to fall.

Where other noble houses look downward to tradition, lineage, or soil. House Tully looks up. They are climbers of fortune, architects of elevation, and defenders of every soul who dares to rise.

Origins – The Cliffborn Covenant

The founding of House Tully begins with Atha Tully, a Tabaxi leader known in legend as She Who Climbed. When her ship was dashed against the cliffs during a massive storm in the early Third Age, many perished. But Atha, claw by claw, scaled the vertical stone with a broken leg and a shattered spear, leading a band of survivors to safety atop the wind blasted heights.

Instead of fleeing the peril, she made it home.

The cliff became her throne, the stone her council, and the wind her law. Those who followed her built upward, learning to cling, adapt, and thrive in places where others could not.

Today, every Tully child is taught to re-enact the First Climb at age thirteen, scaling part of the cliff face unaided, in tribute to their founder.

Culture – Grit, Grace, and the Climb

To be born under House Tully is to live by the creed of ascent.

  • You rise, or you are left behind.

  • Status is earned through boldness, not birth.

  • Failure is not falling—it is refusing to rise again.

Tully values resourcefulness over refinement, cunning over ceremony, and movement over meditation. Every member of the house, noble or not, is expected to contribute, endure, and adapt.

Tully noble wear is typically functional: reinforced leathers with sun-dyed fabrics, climbing straps sewn into ceremonial robes, and talon-shaped jewelry that reminds them to hold fast.

Skyspike Hold – Crown of the South

Perched atop the highest ledge of Silver Watch, Skyspike Hold is a fortress-palace carved into wind-scoured stone, open to sea gusts and cloud mists. It features:

  • Elevated courtyards made of white slate and steel anchors.

  • Tide fire Towers, where beacon pyres are kept lit for incoming ships or emergency signals.

  • Wind Gardens, filled with low-lying mosses, spiral fountains, and climbing vines adapted to grow in the harsh winds.

 

Economy and Ambition – Lords of the Trade Winds

House Tully oversees the largest southern trading hub in Valain. Their city, Silver Watch, acts as a vertical port for many goods.

  • Dornnish silks and steel, flowing up the cliffside to eastern markets.

  • Skyship exports from Valain’s cliff-borne courier guilds.

  • Magical ore, saltstone, and wind crystals mined from the lower cliff basins.

  • Rare sea-exotics, including storm kelp, abyssal pearls, and tideglass shards found only in the treacherous wave pits below the harbor.

Tully’s wealth lies in their logistical mastery how to move, store, and sell goods in one of the most inaccessible yet rewarding trade spots in Aetheria.

 

Military & Defense – Windclaw Guardians

Though they lack a traditional standing army, House Tully boasts a highly specialized military order known as the Windclaws, elite climber-scouts, cliffside sentinels, and urban defenders trained to fight across vertical terrain. As any sea faring house the Tully's have a powerful navy. 

They specialize in:

  • Grapple-hook warfare, using retractable chain-harpoons to latch onto other ships pulling the in close.

  • Onboard sieging, fighting, many naval Ships have large Hull Buster cannons used to blow holes into hulls and sink ships with ease.

  • Wind magic and weather manipulation, particularly in defense of sea access.

Tully also maintains a small fleet of cliff-hulled warships, uniquely designed to anchor into rock instead of docks, defending from both pirates and storms alike.

Philosophy and Faith – The Way of the Climb

House Tully does not bow to gods. Instead, they revere wind, stone, and survival itself. Their worldview is based on the Way of the Climb, a belief that every individual is born at the base of a personal cliff and must ascend toward purpose with each choice.

They teach:

  • Stone is challenge.

  • Wind is voice.

  • Climb is destiny.

Temples are rare, but Cliff Shrines exist, small altars bolted into the sheer rock face, where offerings of feathered tokens, salt-glass, or cliff root are left to honor ancestors who “fell in the climb.”

Relations with Other Houses

  • House Wormwood: Tully respects their ideals but sees them as too passive. However, they admire Marleme’s magical exports and maintain a steady trade of rare flowers and arcane reagents.

  • House Quinn: A strong agricultural partner. Tully provides Quinn with rare mineral salts and salt-kelp in exchange for spices, grain, and river-honey. They respect Quinn’s tenacity.

  • House Sylla: Friendly rivals. Both are seafaring trade giants, but where Sylla thrives on grace and ritual, Tully lives on risk and innovation. Their merchant fleets frequently cross paths.

  • House Onyxbrow: Occasional trade allies. Tully deeply respects Onyxbrow’s permanence but dislikes their insularity. Cliff steel tools and Onyxbrow crafted gear are popular in Silver Watch.

Silver Watch Today

The Mile-High Sentinel stands taller than ever, not because it was born to, but because its people refuse to fall. The winds batter its banners, the cliffs test its structures, and yet it remains steadfast, reaching, daring.

House Tully is not old. It is not divine.
But it is rising.
And every clawed step, every wind cut climb, every stone etched contract pushes it higher.

 

" A Painting of Atha Tully aboard her Ship, The Crescent Moon"

House Khafra Daora



Seat: The Celestial Crown, Jade City
Faith: Solar Divinity — The Sun as Father, the Scarab as Spirit, the Khafra Daora as Living Flame

Overview

House Khafra Daora is not simply a noble dynasty—it is the divine heart of Dornn, a lineage of celestial rulers revered as demigods, feared as living judgment, and immortalized as the Children of the Sun. To the people of Dornn, they are more than monarchs; they are divine manifestations of solar will, beings who walk between the realms of gods and mortals.

Their empire is not governed through treaties or tribunals, but by the radiant gravity of their presence. In their name, cities rise, temples burn with incense, and enemies are reduced to ash. From the moment they descended upon the sun-kissed dunes at the end of the Second Age, they have ruled through conquest and revelation.

The Descent — Birth of the Sunborn

Following the fall of Eagle Hollow, when thousands were cast into the sands, lost and broken, it is said that the sky itself split in mourning. And from the breach in the heavens, the Khafra Daora descended, walking barefoot down the sun’s rays. As their feet touched the dunes, flowers of fire bloomed from the sand, and the air shimmered with sacred heat.

From that moment, they were named Sunborn, divine emissaries sent to guide Dornn from ruin into radiant rebirth. The people bowed, not in obligation, but in awe.

Their dynasty, since that day, has never faltered, for to question their right to rule is to question the sun itself.

Structure and Rule – Light Above All

The Khafra Daora do not soil their hands with mortal quarrels or city petitions. Instead, their divine rule is filtered through their sacred proxy, the Order of the Scarab. A rigid, theocratic authority empowered to interpret and enact the Sunburn's will across the empire.

  • The Order of the Scarab serves as judge, priest, enforcer, and teacher.
  • They carry out ritual law, manage civic structures, root out heresy, and oversee the spiritual purity of Dornn’s citizens.
  • Disrespect toward the Khafra Daora is treated as blasphemy punishable by death, exile, or soul-branding.

Yet the Khafra Daora are not tyrants in their own minds, they see themselves as celestial caretakers, above the petty concerns of mortality. Their distance is seen as sacred separation, their silence as sun-bound wisdom.

The Divine Aesthetic – Robes, Rituals, and Radiance

House Khafra Daora is seen only in ceremony, and rarely at that. When they appear, it is with godlike splendor:

  • Robes of flowing silk and solar thread, embroidered with glyphs of sun fire and rebirth.
  • Golden veils, obscuring their features, for to gaze directly upon a Khafra Daora is considered an act of overwhelming reverence or sacrilege, depending on context.
  • Sunsteel circlets crafted only once per generation adorn their heads, representing the perfect, eternal cycle.

Their presence is heralded by sun-chanters, blind-folded oracles who sing the Words of Ascension, a sacred liturgy said to be handed down by the first Scarab.

Spiritual Legacy – The Sun and the Scarab

The sun, known in Dornn as Il’Harun, is not merely a celestial body. It is the divine father, the eternal witness and judge. The Khafra Daora are his children, the flames he sends to walk the world.

The scarab, sacred to the house, is the symbol of rebirth, resilience, and duty. Scarabs roll the sun across the sky each day and bury it in the horizon each night. The Khafra Daora, too, rise and fall in cycles of rule and renewal.

  • Every generation, when a new Khafra Daora takes the throne, a Grand Reignfire is held, where a sun-mirrored flame is lit atop the Golden Beacon, a tower that reflects its light across all Dornn.
  • Every citizen must kneel when the flame first touches the horizon. Children born during this moment are given solar-blessed names and often chosen for the priesthood.

Jade City – The Throne of Flame

At the top of the world's greatest monument rests the Khafra Daora’s divine residence: The Sunspire Throne Hall, a sanctum of impossible beauty carved from veined jade, celestial glass, and firestone. Its great dome is said to glow at dawn with inner radiance, and whispers from within echo like chants across the miles.

From this height, they rule without need for visibility. Their edicts are delivered via sun-sealed scrolls, engraved in radiant script and read aloud by the Order.

Jade City is not just their home, it is their temple, their pedestal, and their inheritance.

Military Might – The Sunfire Legions

Though distant from the battlefield, House Khafra Daora commands the most disciplined and spiritually fortified army in Dornn: the Sunfire Legions.

  • Clad in emerald-scaled armor inlaid with gold, they march in silence, trained not just in warfare, but in sacred rituals of battle.
  • Their weapons are blessed in sun-oil and etched with warding sigils.
  • Legion commanders, called Sunshields receive blessings from the Order before each campaign, believed to be invulnerable to flame.

In times of war, giant sun-banners are raised atop the Celestial Crown. When the banner rises, it is a call to judgment, and Dornn’s enemies begin to burn long before the armies arrive.

Relations with Other Houses

  • House Wormwood: Tolerated, respected for their neutrality. The Khafra Daora consider their pacifism admirable, but ultimately naive.
  • House Sylla: Essential trade partners, particularly for oversea goods. 
  • House Quinn: Useful, though regarded with mild disdain. Their toil is necessary, but their lack of spiritual structure is seen as a sign of chaos.
  • House Onyxbrow: Old allies in the Age of Fire, though communication is now rare. Khafra Daora recognize their craftsmanship but dislike their stubborn isolation.

Legacy of Light

To speak the name Khafra Daora is to invoke sunfire, sovereignty, and sacrifice. Their rule is absolute but because their people believe it must be. To defy them is not just treason it is blasphemy.

In the Empire of Dornn, there is no light without their gaze. No order without their voice.
And though they do not walk among mortals, their will is everywhere.

The sun never sets on the House of Light Eternal.

 

The Mural on the Ceiling of the council

House Lenya

"May wisdom look over you all"

 

Seat: Owlswatch Hall, Rockport
Faith: Folk-Sea Traditions, Patronage of Sky Spirits and Ocean Spirits

Overview

Once fishermen, now stewards of a ruined jewel, House Lenya is a noble family built not on conquest or coin, but on the steady rhythm of salt, survival, and restoration. As the head house of Rockport, the largest island city in the Derdeen Sea, they have become the architects of rebirth for a once-great city turned to ash.

Where others saw a broken island scorched by tragedy, House Lenya saw a home worth saving. Their rise to noble status was not granted by decree, it was earned through blood, barnacles, and rebuilding stone by stone. They are a house of the sea, of quiet endurance, and of owlish wisdom that watches the horizon even in storm.

The Fall of Rockport – The Ashen Wake

Rockport was once a paradise isle, a jewel of the west visited by nobles, scholars, and royal heirs who sailed to bask in its temperate shores, lush vineyards, and mineral-rich cliffsides. The city bustled with art, elegance, and affluence until Leodura, the volcano at the island’s heart, erupted in fire and fury.

The explosion shattered the city’s upper districts, buried entire temples in magma, and sent walls of ash across the Derdeen Sea. Thousands perished. Survivors fled, and the noble families abandoned the island to ruin. For a generation, Rockport was a ghost isle, overgrown, blackened, and whispered about only in tales.

The Reclamation – Lenya’s Ascent

Where nobles fled, House Lenya stayed. Once humble fisherfolk and kelp-farmers, their roots ran deeper than the ash. They weathered the soot-filled skies, rebuilt homes with driftwood and volcanic stone, and fished the cursed waters when no one else dared.

It was Grand Matron Virella Lenya who spoke the vow now etched upon the sea wall:
"Let them call this isle dead. We will teach it to breathe again."

Over the next decades, House Lenya:

  • Cleared sunken harbors and reopened dock ways.
  • Tamed volcanic runoff to enrich coastal farmland.
  • Harnessed geothermal heat from Leodura’s cooled vents to power smokehouses and drying kilns.
  • Restored the Owlstone Lighthouse, guiding trade ships back through the mist.

Their efforts drew traders, scavengers, and eventually settlers. Over time, the People of the Shattered Isles recognized their work and granted them nobility.

Modern Rockport – City of Salt and Stone

Today, Rockport stands as a city of contrast. Ruin and regrowth, ash and industry, beauty re-forged through resilience. Ancient stone plazas lie beside newly built boardwalks. Half-buried towers from the old city have become homes for scavenger guilds and explorers.

Visitors come for:

  • The Ashward Market, where fishermen sell seaweed-wrapped eel, Coral crab, and smoked barracuda along with many other local fish delicacies.
  • The Ruins of High Ember, once the noble court, now a magnet for relic hunters and scholars of the Second Age.

And above it all flies the white owl, watching from tower-roosts and cliff-lairs, symbols of Rockport’s protection and rebirth.

House Lenya – The Owl of the Isles

As rulers of Rockport, House Lenya governs through patience, practicality, and protection. They are a matriarchal line, guided by the wisdom of grandmothers and sea-mothers who pass their knowledge down not in books, but in song, fishing knot, and storm tale.

Their leadership style is:

  • Pragmatic – every Lenya lord or lady is expected to work the docks, fish the shallows, or assist in lighthouse patrols.
  • Community-focused – they host dock feasts, teach net craft, and oversee the training of Rockport’s Storm watchers, a local maritime guard force.
  • Fiercely independent – they rarely call upon aid from mainland powers unless necessary, preferring to solve their problems with their own hands.

The Fishing Legacy

Though noble now, House Lenya never abandoned their connection to the sea. They remain the largest seafood producers in the Shattered Isles, thanks to a unique fishing tradition:

  • “Owl-Fishing” – practiced at dawn or twilight, using trained white fishing owls who dive for silverfin and reefback fish. These birds are sacred to the Lenya and never eaten only honored. 
  • Tide Gardens – shallow reef farms where mollusks, kelp, and coral-crabs are cultivated and harvested.
  • Smoke Kilns – using volcanic vents and drift-smoke to preserve fish without spoiling, making Rockport dried goods prized across Aetheria.

Their fishing fleets, marked with white sails and owl sigils, are beloved in trade ports and feared by pirates, thanks to rock-hardened hulls and veteran sea hands.

Culture and Spirit of House Lenya

  • Music & Myth: Songs of the sea, the eruption, and owl-lore are passed orally through generations. The “Ash and Salt Chant” is sung during annual remembrance festivals.
  • Spirituality: Lenya reveres both sky and sea spirits, particularly the Owl Mother, a mythic guardian said to have flown over Leodura during the eruption to shield survivors in her wings.
  • Art: Carvings of owl feathers, wave crests, and spirals appear on every pillar, home beam, and helm. Their style blends volcanic motifs with oceanic flow.

Rockport Today

It is not yet a paradise. But it is no longer a ruin.

Stone streets ring with laughter again. The scent of saltfish and warm kelp stew fills the harbor. And when the wind howls from the west, the white owls of Rockport take flight, circling the sky in graceful arcs.

House Lenya stands proud, not by glory or wealth, but by legacy, love, and endurance.
The ash is gone. The sea remains.
And so do they.

 

" The famous painting Calm before Chaos, the day of the Eruption "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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