Nochet Enfranchised Families

[Mark Mohrfield]

Is it known which Nochet Enfranchised families belong to which Earth Alliance? 

Edited July 20, 2017 by Mark Mohrfield

[metcalph]

3 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Is it known which Nochet Enfranchised families belong to which Earth Alliance? 

Nope.  Even the House Norinel is split.

[jajagappa]

On 7/20/2017 at 1:44 AM, Mark Mohrfield said:

Is it known which Nochet Enfranchised families belong to which Earth Alliance?

Yes, I can provide some insight.  Keep in mind though that it does shift considerably as the Red Earth Alliance goes from being the dominant faction in 1621 to being largely destroyed by 1625.

The Five Great Houses:

Norinel (led by Queen Hendira) - Red Earth (though as @metcalph notes there are hidden factions within)

Delaeos (Samastina's house) - Old Earth

Delainaeo (Dormal's house) - Red Earth (in 1621), but shifts later to Warm Earth

Evaeo (associated with the Necropolis) - Old Earth

Oranaeo (strong connection with temple at Ezel) - unaligned; beloved by farmers and the least 'political'

The Sleeper Houses:

Hulta (described a bit in Esrolia book) - Old Earth

Loma - unaligned

The Survivor Houses: both close allies of House Norinel

Delargaraeo - Red Earth

Desdelaeo - Red Earth

The New Houses (i.e. Post-Dawn)

Red Earth includes:  Farastar, Zirandarn, Urvarnta, Theruvele

Old Earth includes: Eskelinga (has ancient associations with Harmast)

Warm Earth includes: Rananaeo, Enfergorn

unaligned: Yelendar (had unfortunate associations with the False Imarjarin), Serumthar

undefined (left to GM preference): Marele, Drero

Edited July 21, 2017 by jajagappa

[Jeff]

Also keep in mind that these are not eternal or fixed federations but ad hoc alliances. As Harald points out the Red Earth rises and falls from 1616 to 1625. By 1625 it has pretty much disappeared, as the Warm Earth and Old Earth contest for dominance and new alliances form. Likely after 1628 there is a pro-King of Dragon/Feathered Horse Queen alliance. And so on.

[jajagappa]

And individuals within a house may be varied as well.  The House's Grandmother dictates the current alignment, but some are stronger than others.  How closely do their daughter's adhere to their current faction?  Husbands come from other houses (or even Enfranchised Houses outside of Nochet, of which their are another 180 or so) - have they kept the factional preference of their original House or do they support their wife? 

House Delainaeo for instance is particularly focused on gathering wealth, dominating trade, and supporting the Delaina and Dormal cults.  Their support for the Red Earth only goes so far that it helps maintain the status quo.  Historically, they have strong connections with Rhigos and the temple of Delaina there (though not necessarily the Demivierge and her House Orendelaino, which have connections to the Trader Princes along the old Manirian road).  Houses Rananaeo and Theruvele are also strongly associated with the sea-going trade, support the Dormal temple, but variously ally with or oppose the actions of the Delainaeo.

[Mark Mohrfield]

Thank you. I notice that in jajagappa's first post the houses are listed as being Great, Sleeper, Survivor and New. New is mentioned as meaning the the House began after the Dawn, but what are the other groups?

[jajagappa]

8 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Great, Sleeper, Survivor and New

There are some references in the Esrolia book (p.25) to the original number of Enfranchised Houses.  (Btw, I initially marked the Sleeper and Survivor Houses in reverse - have corrected that above now)

"The women gathered and wove a basket to hold life, a blanket to preserve family, and instructed the men to raise a fence to protect property. They then divided the world between the “nine times nine best women,” who were the first Grandmothers. For a short time, they lived in bliss and harmony, hidden away from the troubles of the world. Then the Seventy-one Griefs came.  The Great Darkness descends upon the First Grandmothers with devastation, loss and horror. Losses are huge - fully two thirds of the Grandmothers. The poem [The 71 Griefs] says:
Twenty to chaos, gone forever;
Twenty to Death, the eternal Griefs;
Ten to Darkness, gone below;
Three to Evil, best left gone.
Eighteen sleeping, resting, hiding.
Survivors: thrice nine families for the Dawn."

27 Enfranchised Houses across Esrolia are counted as Survivors of the Great Darkness.  The Great Houses (which are by far the most powerful) and the Survivor Houses are from these 27.  The Great Houses have prominent land claims (which are still invoked to claim tribute) that pre-date the Darkness and go back to the Charter of Nochet when Familyland was divided.  The Delargaraeo and Desdelaeo claim descent from the children of Queen Norinel, so are younger and do not have such land claims.

The Sleepers are from the 18 "sleeping" houses who survived the Great Darkness by hiding and sleeping through it.

There were thus 45 Enfranchised Houses at the Dawn, though only 17 or 18 of those still survive.  The others were variously wiped out during the wars of the First or Second Ages.