Well, as you can see in my char's proposal, Shaun's proposal and Dave's planet proposal, there's this whole Noble family thing. Well me and Shaun were just talking about this, and we thought it would be cool to get some sort of rough background to these seven houses. We both decided we didn't want to do them all ourselves ( :P ) so I thought we could do something similar to the Brotherhood's profiles where people pick a family and do a short bio.
So, the houses that have been mentioned so far are: Orsiri, Archell, Bertrayn and Jay'vex, leaving three unnamed to be dreamt up.
I also had the idea that each of the different houses could have their own titiles (somewhat similar to Dune, if I remember correctly). In the order above it could go something like this: Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, Count/Countess, Baron/Baroness, Viscount/Viscountess, Earl/Countess, Marquess/Marchioness.
So I think Shaun's gonna do Orsiri, and I'll fill out a little more of Archell. Of Bertrayn all that's been mentioned so far is their eldest son dies and they start to fall out of power (see my bio), and Jay'vex is one of the three houses imprisoned during the Coup.
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Vorgell's Noble Houses
Side note: The titles we came up with bear no link to their real life status : IE a Duke is no more powerful than the Count and so on...
Vorgell's Noble Houses
*hits Shaun over the head with midevil fantasy writing refrences* :)
Sorry, couldn't resist... will get started on a rough sketch later. Just to check, though: are two of the houses from Shipwreck?
Vorgell's Noble Houses
Yeah, that's what it said in Dave's planet proposal I think. I've said Archell is descended from the prison guards, so that leaves one over I guess. Unless we don't count as Archell as one of those two (which they would be so happy about :P ) as they are descended from the prison guards, not the prisoners.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
Count Kaherdin of the Elencho family came to power as a result of the machinations of one Bazlo the Hutt; his brother was already killed for opposing the powerfull crime lord, in his own bed. While Kaherdin is firmly within Bazlo's grasp, the reason is more a combination of fear of the Hutt, and the necessity of his continued support; at least one family member who lost favour with the Hutts was killed in a riot.
Kaherdin would not object to changing the status quo, however he consistently pushes for even more independence for Shipwreck at the same time. It's not that Kaherdin is evil; it's just that he values not having bits of him wind up in soup more than challenging the crime lord. Where the Hutt's crime interests are not concerned, however, he is usually found to be a generally fair and upright man.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
Duke Sorn Archell came to power through the blessing of the Trade Federation. The former Master-at-Arms and surviving ranking officer from the crashed Kessel prison ship, Sorn relocated to Plateau City in the service of the Trade Federation, establishing both the Archell Military Academy and the Noble House Archell. In Plateau City, Archell was offered the position of Sheriff on the Cooperative, an office Archell has, until recently, always held. Traditionally, all Archell male offspring serve one term in the Vorgell military, which was maintained right up to the Orsiri Coup, before taking this office.
It is well known that the Archell family have always maintained close ties to other noble houses, but none more so than House Orsiri. Several times in the two families history they married and forged strong alliances. Archell has always presented the military arm, whilst Orsiri has been the political arm, and together the two have time and again made a great mutually-beneficial partnership.
The House Archell family home is located in Plateau City, across Victory Plaza from the Archell Military Academy. It is five minutes walk from the underground Government chamber and ten minutes away from the Old Republic/Imperial building. It is a large, functional building lacking overt detail on the exterior. This is misleading for inside it is as equally ceremonial as any other Noble Palace, lavishly panelled with wood from Vorgell’s forests.
After the Orsiri Coup, House Archell was severely implicated and arrested. Only Corin Archell was able to escape and flee into exile. The Archell building remains empty, standing as a morbid testament to Zara Orsiri's ruthlessness.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
Prefect Urgin Gar is the only non-human to be seated on the council. He represents the Trade Federation on the Council even though the Trade Federation is now subjugated to the Empire on Gorvrell it has adapted to an independant orgainization that maintains the most powerful holo-net projector on the planet and controls most of the communications with the Core worlds.
When the Empire arrested the council, Urgin Gar was the first prisoner to be released. This has cast him in a very suspicious light ever since. Urgin is known to be a ruthless but fair in business. As a Neimoidian he feels a responsibility on the council to represent the non-human interests on Gorvrell.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
The Jay’vex family is ruled by Chume Nara Jay’vex. Nara is the descendant of Fara Jay’vex, a beautiful and cunning spy from Charubah, one of the Hapan Cluster planets . Fara was sent to get into the Republic's databanks by her Ta’a Chume. Caught after a couple of years of sending information to her home world, Fara was sent to work in the spice mines of Kessel. She was aboard the ‘Leviathan’ when it crashed on Vorgrell.
With intelligence, beauty and deadliness Fara made her way into power in the planets new order, settling herself as the first Chume of her line and taking her place in Vorgrell’s Council.
True to Hapan traditions the Jay’vex family is ruled by women. As a consequence the Jay’vex family seat is always occupied by a woman: the Jay’vex Chume (Hapan nobility title, meaning the ruler of one of the planets under the ultimate power of the Ta’a Chume or Queen Mother) When there isnt a female heir, the male heir becomes Chume’da and passes the power to his wife.
Even if away from her planet for many years, Fara tried to reproduce her world when she built her castle. Unlike many other civilizations the Hapans always build around and with the nature of their planets. Fara Jay’vex wanted her home to look as much as a Hapan planet would. The Jay’vex castle in Plateau City is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city, surrounded by extensive gardens, called the ‘Halean Gardens’ because of the beautiful waterfalls. The Halean Gardens are kept well groomed and green all year over by hundreds of gardeners. Lots of time and energy are put into the caring of its plants and flowers, especially the roses, Hapan Cluster’s symbol. Successive Jay’vex Chumes have added to its beauty with sculptures, artificial lakes and waterfalls. The Halean Gardens are a place of silence and respite within Plateau City’s hectic pace.
In the night of the Orsiri Coup, Imperial troopers killed the Chume, her husband and daughter and only heir, Lara.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
So just alittle recap incase you are all wondering:
The Council
5 Houses:
Orsiri (E): (Titles: Prince and Princess). Profile not yet written (in the works)
Archell (U): (Title: Duke and Duchess) Profile written (Matt)
Elencho (S): (Title: Count and Countess) Profile written (Adam)
Jay'Vex (E*): (Title: Chume) Profile written (Ally)
Bertrayn (E): (title: Baron and Baroness) Profile NOT written
2 other council members
Appointed Trade Fed Rep (Urgin Gar) (E): (Title Prefect) Profile written (Dave)
Elected Rep of Shipwreck City (S*): (Title: Mayor of Shipwreck) Profile Not written
MrDave NOTE: I added the letters (E, U, and S) to symbolize the allegience of the family. E=Empire, S=Syndicate, and U=Undecided. an Asterisk(*) indicates that is a duress allegience - hostages, politcal or personal pressure, etc.)
Vorgell's Noble Houses
hmmm...can I have dibs on the "Mayor of Shipwreck"? I think I just had an idea...but it's too late at night to attempt to develop it now...
Vorgell's Noble Houses
whos doing the imperal commander ? well im assuing that since there was an imperal garrson there will be some sort of leader who holds equal/ greather power than zara
Vorgell's Noble Houses
I just named the Bertrayn heir as Myklos Bertrayn. Just named him, if whoever will wrote the profile doesnt like the name i can change it. He's dead anyway. :(
Vorgell's Noble Houses
As Imperial Commander he doesn't have actual "power" in the government (not oficially anyways). but an Imperial Commander would be very appropriate. Sounds like you need to write him up.
Vorgell's Noble Houses
8O what i get for saying anything but fuck it ill give it a bash :D
Vorgell's Noble Houses
The House of Betrayn
Myklos Betrayn, the founder of the Betrayn House of Vorgrell, came from the remote planet of Bakura, in the edge of known space. Myklos belonged to one of the ruling families of his world. Bakura had a democratic system, with a Prime Minister and regional Senators elected in free elections. However, as it happens usually, most of the Senators came from politically prominent families. The Betrayn family was one of those, traditionally ruling over Bakura’s oceanic region of Betra.
However, young Myklos didn’t want to pursue a political career and felt the need to go exploring the galaxy. He followed his dreams, and left the planet with varying luck.
One could consider bad luck to have been caught smuggling and sent to serve in the Kessel mines. But it was good luck that the prison ship wrecked on the backwater planet of Vorgrell, not that different from Myklos homeworld. It was certainly not only good luck the fact that he could rise in power in the burgeoning guards-prisoner colony of Vorgrell. Mostly what counted there was his upbringing to occupy a position of power: his training in diplomacy, politics and military issues. Having been raised near the ocean, Myklos also knew much referring sailing, fishing and controlling that strange caste of men who preferred dancing waters beneath their feet than firm ground.
At the beginning, Miklos isolated himself and those who followed him and moved to the plentyfull area around the Whirleek Sea. Teaching his men to sail and fish gave him access to the richess lying under the sea’s waters. Glasios, pelu and several other species of edible water-animals were fished and shipped to the settlement growing around the Leviathan’s wrecking place. Myklos then moved to explore the other water masses of Vorgrell.
By the time the Trade Federation started to build Plateau City, Myklos was the person who knew more about Vorgrell’s oceans and seas. He had founded the Captains’Guild and there were small settlements near most of the oceans and seas who looked at him as their leader. It was only natural that he occupied a place in the new planet’s Council of power. He called himself Baron, as a final flaunt of disrespect at his homeworld democratic tradition.
The Betrayns have since have a word over all matters concerning the oceans and seas of Vorgrell since they supervise the dealings of the Captains' Guild. The Captains' Guild is the organization of all Vorgrell sea captains and it deals with the whole planet fishing, trading and sailing. The Betrayn's fleet of sailing and fishing ships is the biggest of the planet.
The Betrayns have a palace in Plateau City, the Betrayn Palace, and a smaller but much more beautiful residence on the coast of the Whirleek Sea. The 'Sea Castle' faces the sea, and there is a small private white-sand beach at its feet. A small fishing town has grown around the castle, called Betra Town.
However, the Betrayn House seems to have lost its luck. During the Orsiri Coup the Betrayn heir, named Myklos after his great-grandfather, was shot and killed when he attempted to free his mother from a group of stormtroopers that were leading her out of the castle. Irina Betrayn never recovered from the shock and guilt she felt over her son’s death, and her health has been worsening since then. Baron Oldrak is despairing over the future of his house.