Legacy Houses | Alaloth Wiki

One of the largest houses of Edherest, descending from Ranald, son of Yerkav, ancient Lord of the Isles in the Glass Dust Bay. The Lord of the Isles had its own kingdom in the Second Era and was powerful enough to challenge the nobles of Baga (then "Hand of Dojhmarin") and Edherest. Their territory was situated along Edherest's southern coast after the Mother and Daughter War (also called the "Quarrels") in 544 TE, after which they finally established themselves as one of the most renowned families in the kingdom, a claim further upheld by others due to the families' iron-handed control of trade routes in the bay area.

One of the most powerful families in Edherest, the Bardolph rule the city of Winterleaf and the North. Lord Hileon Bardolph was named Shield of The North by King Eadan II during the Siege, a decade-long war against a horde of the dead led by the necromancer Kariasha, who was defeated at The Battle of Argent Vale in 443 TE. Aldwin Bardolph leads a massive army composed of troops from Whitewind and other towns in the region.

This house takes its name from a small hill outside Westwall and traces its roots as far back as the Third Era. Bryce Wilenkel was named Shield of Westwall and in pursuit of that duty, sought experience in serving in various campaigns so that he might learn tactics and war firsthand. Karhl Wilenkel served the Edherest Army for 30 years, and was knighted by Regent Symund the Great. Karhl's son, Willeon, led the Wilenkel Army and was defeated on the field by the Ballawold troops at the Ypril Hill in 834 TE.

The name "Clarimond" is derived from the ancient word clah-ri, meaning "eagle." The Clarimond were a part of a large mountain clan that fought in numerous battles during the Second Era. One of the heroes of the fight was Jukwar Clarimond, who as tales put it, was "small as a dwarf, bandy-legged as a horse, but could drink and kick better than either."

This family claims it can trace its bloodline back to the great champion Tamman The Hammer, son of King Nechtan. Renowned for their great size and strength, the Heilbrond served as the shields (bodyguards) of King Lothas - and suffered the consequences of this in 965 TE at the Bleeding of Taburh Keep, a massacre that to this day is spoken as a curse in Edherest.

The Ballawold are one of the great "riding clans" of Edherest's border. Their arrival in Westwall can be traced back to the reign of Symund the (self-proclaimed) Great.

The Nordin family takes its name from the lands north of Whitewind, the untamed wilderness just south of the Kharakinb border. The Nordin were supporters of Ervin the Wise, who appointed Sir Galvin Nordin to Keeper of Hedingham. Galvin later became Great Chamberlain of Edherest.

House Balmont has many branches through Edherest. They can trace their history as far back as the Second Era, where they served with Edwan the Conqueror's army during the incursion into the Orc Kingdoms (then known as the "Eye of Greija") in 666 SE. The family retains the title of Protector of Edherest.

The royal family. The young King Adrith Kendrick rules The Blessed Kingdom of Edherest since the death of his father Trevor the Pious. house Kendrick is the most prominent Edherest family and leads the most powerful army of Hillyria. Kendricks have ruled for the past 110 years - and fought many times to keep their crown.

The city of Coldwood takes its name from a special type of wood with unique properties - it is almost impervious to flame. This house is famous for being led by one of the most prideful - and arrogant - lords in Edherest, Wigbald the (self-proclaimed) Just, the most decidedly unworthy ruler of the kingdom.

A small house where seer blood has run thin (some say blinded), it is rumored the elven seer (druid) who inhabits the realm was once a member, but he no longer is among their number. In compensation for their loss of "sight," these elves are scholarly, looking for answers to future questions in the tomes of their kind.

Descended from the Ver'Quintiss inquisitors, this House chose to give up its persecution of the elven races and join the two people as one. When this attempt at unification was decided, the House changed its symbol to two haves being oined by the elven symbol of unity ( a scepter, possibly tied to a relic that was once the centerpiece of the House of Welcoming before the devastation by the dragons).

Loosely translated as the "blades at hand" in elvish, this house is largely composed of the Nir'Ethier, and they are believed to be the silent "wall" that protects the elven lands. However, when a great crime is done against the elves, the House of Nir'Thiniel is secretly tasked to see that the crime is answered, even if it goes beyond elven lands.

The most somber and war-like of the elves, this faction is composed of both the elvish races. They were forged several decades after the collapse of the Ver'Quintiss, and they believe that the elves must continue to fight on all fonts in order to take back the world that was lost.

The Ver'Cedae believe in divesting themselves of physical anchors, and offering oneself to the contemplations and beauty in the abstract (both inner and outer), believing that only calmness of spirit and anchoring one's consciousness can stem the oppressive psychological tidde afflicting the elves and driving them to the Retreat.

This house is primarily a military one, and they have perfected their craft with the bow and arrow. One of them is deadly, a group of them can decimate a force ten times their strength with coordinated arrow attacks. They favor an almost Zen-Archery belief in the truth a bow and arrow flight can bring, and once an arrow is loosed, it will find its mark.

Firail was believed to be the last child born before the coming of Alaloth. The circumstances of his birth split two houses. This is believed to have occured due to his parentage; normally this is of little consequence, but when Alaloth descended and the Ver'Quintiss rose, the child was used as an example of how the mingling of blood had weakened the elven people.

The Lir'Firail are the second house split by the circumstances of Firail's parentage. While the Nir'Firail are nomadic, the Lir'Firail are nomadic, the Lir'Firail are determined to protect Larastir itself from further events (judgments, hatred) that split them so long ago. While the Nir' Firail scattered in search of peace, the Lir'Firail sought to remain at home (the Shields of Firail).

This House is one of duality: they are known for seeing any situation or conflict from two perspectives, which at times, slows their actions, and other times, allows them to correctly intuit the intentions of an enemy. They have a large cavalry force (not simply of horses, but other steeds as well), and the mount and rider fight as a deadly team.

Once the House of the Druids, the actual druids of Larastir are reclusive, so this group is more devoted to the keeping and safety of the forests of Larastir. They patrol the roads and root out monsters and dangers within the forest's depths. Their motto means both nature (wilderness) and nature (one's own soul).

The House that crafted the concept of Time and bears respect to it. They are the ones who fashion intricate machines to study the earth and tectonics, and they are devoted to learning more about the "physics" of the earth and the world rather than what one can simply fashion upon the anvil.

"Karak" is another name for capstone (the single stone that keeps an arch aloft), yet without the other stones in the arch, the arch cannot hold; thus, the name for the dwarven kingdom as well, the capstone's home. It is known as the House of the First Architects. They are the ones who lay the foundations and themes for the dwarven cities.

This House is another one of crafting, but through determination and inner will. They define themselves by what their hands shape, not simply by knowledge and it is what one makes today that matters, not what one dreams or aspires to make. To them (and no insult intended) a dwarf who can shape a crude iron hammer is of greater worth.

The House of Tempered Steel. While dwarves don't like traveling on the surface, they are evne more afraid of water. Ferehk-Quas, however, teaches dwarves to embrace their fears and explore innovation, citing their earliest achievement — dousing weapons with water to make their blades.

The House that first shaped crystal. The first jewelers who were said to see the "angles within stones" (angles are things of beauty to dwarves, for they imply purpose, and usually one of the directions of the angle is pointed ever-upwards). They were also the first to bring them forth, and they were the ones who turned unshaped crystal into art.

The House of Earthen Gifts. This would be loosely considered a "harvester's guild" on the surface, although to the dwarves, this profession is considered of much more stature than it is the farmers of Edherest — easily on part with soldiers and craftsmen. All recognize that to harvest the Earth's fields (mining and excavating) is what allows the dwarven people to survive.

This House is one of the (general) Passion for Crafting, fueled by mortality. "The Beast that Chases" is a reference to leaving something significant before one's life comes to an end, and (while morbid), the House believes that the fear of death can drive its members to achieve great things to leave their (chisel) mark on upon the world.

The Stalwart House, through which no enemy shall pass ( they are the defenders, the ones who build structures to keep them safe). They have a large standing military, and their soldiers guard many of the dwarven Kingdoms. While they are difficult opponents when fighting on the surface, they are almost unstoppable and unkillable when fighting in their warrens.

The House of Secrets. This House is rumored to hold the remains and teachings of other (lost) Houses whose achievements placed Karak-Hohn at risk (these are the "Beasts at the Threshold," the ones that we create with pride and vanity and so rarely see until it is too late).

The House of Sounding. These are the guardians and wardens of the dwarven "wilderness," and these guards stand ready to warn their people of any threat. They are largely "scouts," who patrol the dangerous warrens around Karak-Hohn (their name means "Every-Home").

This House was once enslaved en masse in an orc prison-city, and broke free, forming a brand-new House from the escaped soldiers (although "soldiers" is questionable, it may have been criminals. Instead of slaughtering their captors, they caged them in their own city for a year and day, then released them and gave them a chance to fight back.

These sea-faring orcs are rare. Their symbol is that of a shell they found in the middle of the desert, which they feel prophesizes that the "seas will come again". They believe the elements are at their command, and they should learn to live with storm and thunder, not fight it or shield oneself from it.

This strange house (sometimes called the House of Alliances, the House of Sheathed Blades) brokers many orc treaties and they are the ones who advocate that in war and conflict, all orcs are as one (and they also secretly believe this bonds them to the other races as well, although this is not a popular view amongst the orc people, so this is not widely discussed).

House founded by Dregair, a warrior who often struck at night. He was considered especially brave, for he was willing to venture across the lands when the Tempest was night, and it is said the enemies could only see him when the lightning storms of Alaloth flashed.

This terrifying House was believed slaughtered in the Tempest, but its symbol has reappeared in the orc lands. It is said this house seeks the rectifying of a great injustice (which only their lord knows), and they are rumored to hunt and execute orc exiles, believing one of them to have cut the throat of their House.

This House believes in victory at any cost, and it's the closest to the most Machiavellian house in the Orc Kingdoms. They seek to gain victory and dominance at any cost, rumored to be achieved even at the disrespect of orc traditions and law.

The motto of this House applies not only to the orc custom of fearing one's matriarch, but also literally. House Behsheba was the first House led (temporarily) by a Matriarch who led the orc army to victory when her son fell in battle. She promptly relinquished rulership of the House when the battle was done, but many Orcs consider this House cursed.

This House embodies strength of character, and demands excellence of discipline and character to be equivalent to that of the blades they carry. Diminished or disgraced house members often are not allowed to carry weapons of great quality until they atone; although some of these are so shamed they exile themselves, joining the criminals outside the orc lands.

"Helm toward the Horizon" is an orc phrase meaning "Future-looking". These are the philosophers and teachers of the orcs, both for combat and for maintaining culture. They are no less warlike than the rest, but the closest interpretation would be "warrior monks".

A House founded by a series of scattered orc Houses that had fought a human and dwarf aligned army to a single remaining human (wearing a helm made by a dwarf). The House was born when the human attempted to surrender, confessing military secrets and betraying the remainder of his army.