4.11.3 GREAT HOUSE HONOUR SYSTEM
Great Houses
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Great Houses are those families which have risen to the status of 30 active members or more. They are accorded special privileges and esteem. With this status, however, comes the Great Game of Houses - each family competing for position, prestige, wealth, and influence.
The family members of a Great House attempt to bring honour and respect to their family, while simultaneously bringing shame upon other families. Bannerhouses are able, to a lesser extent, to gain and lose honour, but they can never become the Most Honourable Family. They will, however, gain certain privileges from being in the service of a Liege House, particularly the good deeds of the Liege House shall reflect on the Bannerhouse - and the reverse is also true.
Historical Houses
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Families that have proven their lineage back to the times of the Taint Wars and often even before are those of particular historical worth. Indeed, such families and their deeds are known for both past deeds and present ones, and their honour can only fall so far - likewise, a Historical House gains more honour for average deeds than families of less history and renown. Historical Houses may not change their family orientation, for they have been set long ago and are defined by history, not whim. Likewise, their preferred race cannot be changed.
House Orientations
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Since the time of the Holy Celestine Empire and before, families have formed houses of noble origin, often bringing pride and at times shame to their collective name. During the rise and Golden Age of the Holy Celestine Empire, seven houses rose to the status of Imperial Great House, exemplars the iconic virtues of the three House Orientations:
House of Honour
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Often found in families of strict and rigid beliefs regarding honour and behaviour, those Houses of Honour during the Holy Empire were most known for their devotion to duty and ideals, often boasting great numbers within the Paladins, Templar, ur'Guard and Time Sentinels. Strong ethics often reigned within these families, and more than one fell from grace due to the indiscretion and wanton actions of one or two members.
Benefits:
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o Major bonus to honour gains while defending territories against their enemies.
o Minor bonus to publishing a scholarly work.
o Moderate bonus to destroying colossi during an aetherflare.
o Minor bonus to defeating an enemy during an aetherflare.
o Minor bonus to defeating an enemy during a village revolt.
o Minor bonus to defeating an enemy during a timequake.
o Minor bonus to gains from bannerhouses.
o Minor bonus to winning a debate during a village revolt.
o Minor bonus to winning a spar.
o Minor bonus for completing an aligned city's Epic Quest.
Short-comings:
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o Minor malus to gains from performing in a stage play.
o Honour loss from wanton killing is moderately increased.
o Honour loss from losing a spar is moderately increased.
House of Letters
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Boasting some of the greatest philosophers, priests and scholars, those houses that followed the orientation of the House of Letters were known for their written pursuits and skilled debates. Though the most powerful House of Letters were Imperial Great Houses that boasted many Celestines and Aquamancers within their fold, the Matrix Institute was known to be host to many generations from families that boasted some of the brightest scientific and philosophic minds of their day. Not restricted solely to spiritual discussion, some Houses gained great renown through other academic pursuits.
Benefits:
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o Major bonus for publishing scholarly works.
o Moderate bonus for publishing literary works.
o Moderate bonus for producing a play.
o Moderate bonus for influencing.
o Major bonus for completing an aligned city's Epic Quest.
o Major bonus for winning a debate during a village revolt.
o Moderate bonus for having the largest aether manse.
Short-comings:
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o Honour loss from wanton killing is moderately increased.
o Moderate malus to honour gains from hunting denizens.
o Moderate malus to honour gains from performing in a play.
House of Culture
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Following the footsteps of the Imperial House Sinenth, many houses during the Imperial Celestine Empire pursued the more social and cultural aspects, producing some of the greatest plays, fiction and hosting some of the most talked about celebrations during their day. Often popular amongst those of less noble blood due to their often friendly disposition and kindly nature, such houses commonly held the greatest support in terms of Bannerhouses, even if their own house was fairly small in number. Still, such houses should never be underestimated - for often while others argued and politicked for every last scrap of power they could, the most renowned Houses of Culture rose to power gracefully with strong support from the masses.
Benefits:
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o Major bonus for publishing a literary work.
o Major bonus for publishing a play.
o Major bonus for performing in a play.
o Moderate bonus for publishing a scholarly work.
o Moderate bonus for influencing villagers during a revolt.
o Moderate bonus for completing an aligned city's Epic Quest.
o Moderate bonus for honour gains from loyal Bannerhouses.
o Minor bonus for winning a debate during a village revolt.
o Moderate bonus for influencing denizens.
o Moderate bonus for having the largest aether manse.
Short-comings:
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o Moderate increase in honour loss for wanton killing.
o Moderate malus for honour gains from ending the lives of others for any reason.
o Moderate malus for honour gains from sparring.
o Moderate malus for honour gains from hunting denizens.
House of Blood
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Though the time of the Holy Celestine Empire was relatively quiet, the chaos and destruction that followed its demise was anything but. From the ashes of Magnagora, once a city of peace and then a city of corruption, hatred and death, came a new type of House, one that gained renown not through scholarly pursuits nor popular opinion, and cared nothing for perceptions of honour and duty. This fourth and final type of house was dark and brutal, and those that followed its trail became known as Houses of Blood. Forgoing earning respect, such houses often demanded it, and those who denied it were summarily slaughtered. Strength and oppression became the currency of the realm for such houses - and to this day, some houses still follow such a path.
Benefits:
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o Gains honour from causing wanton mayhem.
o Moderate bonus to honour gain from hunting denizens.
o Minor bonus to publishing literary works.
o Moderate bonus to killing during an aetherflare revolt.
o Moderate bonus to killing during a village revolt.
o Moderate bonus to defeating an enemy during a timequake.
o Moderate bonus for having the largest aethership.
Short-comings:
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o Major malus to honour gain from influencing.
o Minor malus to honour gain from publishing scholarly works.
o Minor malus to producing or performing in a play.
o Moderate malus to honour gain from defending territories.
Privileges of Lesser and Great Houses
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Syntax: FWHO
FT <message> (Family aetherwave)
CONTEST <person> AS HEAD OF <family>
FAMILYACCOUNTS
Family Head only:
FAMILY WELCOME <disowned member>
FAMILY PLEDGE TO <house or none> (Lesser Houses only)
FAMILY BREAK PLEDGE FROM <house>
FAMILY CONFIRM <pledged house>
FAMILY ORIENTATION [SET HONOUR | LETTERS | BLOOD | CULTURE]
FAMILY RACE [SET <race>]
FAMILY LEDGER MANSES to see a full list of deeded manses.
FAMILY LEDGER MANSE <manse> to see information on the deeded manse.
FAMILY LEDGER MANSE <manse> ASSIGN <person> to transfer ownership
of the manse to a person.
FAMILY LEDGER CLANS to see a full list of clans deeded to your
family.
FAMILY LEDGER CLAN <manse> to see information on the deeded clan.
FAMILY LEDGER CLAN <manse> ASSIGN <person> to transfer ownership
of the clan to a person.
Privileges of Great Houses
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Family Head only:
FAMILY DISOWN <active member>
FAMILY PATRON <god>
FAMILY ALIGN WITH <city or commune> **
The Head of a Great House is elected via popular vote of the active family members. In this election, the vote weight of a member is determined by their generation in the family, up to the third generation. Founders have extra weight in these elections.
Once seated, the Head of the House may manage the affairs of the Great House. He or she has the power to exile and welcome back exiled family members in times of need (such as family members who bring too much shame upon the family name). They may also choose to align the Great House with a particular city or commune, which requires the approval of the ruling council. Once a family has been accepted into a city, they cannot be thrown out unless their actions prove itself dishonourable enough - and then it can only be done by a vote of the ruling council.
Likewise, the House Seat has the ability to change a family's orientation and preferred race, though both will often raise questions of the family's dedication to their ideals and purposes.
Benefits of Honour
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One House, above all others, is considered the most honourable House in the Basin of Life (listed in POLITICS). If this House is aligned with a city or commune, the prestige of the House will increase the culture of that nation. Additionally, members of this House are more influential in ego battles and debates of any kind, as their words are supported by the weight and reputation of their family.
Houses inherently have an influencing bonus, relative to their orientation. Houses of Honour gain a bonus to empowerment, Houses of Letters to charity, Houses of Culture to seduction and Houses of Blood to weakening.
Having 25,000 Family Honour will give your house a bonus of 10 active members.
Gaining and Losing Honour
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Honour is gained by...
* Holding elected seats of power. This honour is gained naturally over time.
* This includes Order Head positions. This only applies to positions
aligned with the Great House.
* Winning a ranked arena spar against a member of another Great House
* Honour is given for participating.
* Honour is increased if the losing family has equal or greater
honour to your own House's. There is no honour in defeating a
weaker House.
* Offering at the shrines of the family's patron.
* Village influencing on behalf of the city or commune with which the
Great House is aligned.
* A family member triumphing in the arena combat rankings.
* Accepting new members into the family.
* Welcoming disowned family members back into the House.
* The family being accepted into a city or commune.
* Hunting the denizens and horrors of the lands.
* Influencing denizens with words of your choice.
* Completing an epic quest within the city your family is aligned with.
* Slaying adventurers during village revolts, aetherflares, timequakes and domoth battles.
* Slaying adventurers in defense of territories they are enemied to.
* NOTE: For killing too many people outside of enemy territory, honour
loss will be incurred. The only exception is House of Blood, which will
instead GAIN honour for such acts.
* Publishing a literary or scholarly work that wins a Library Contest.
* Directing or performing in a play that wins a Theater Contest.
* Winning a debate during a village revolt.
* Having the largest manse AND/OR aethership deeded to a family.
Shame is brought upon the family by...
* Decaying naturally over time, as without new deeds even the most
renowned families fade into obscurity. (Natural decay will not take
a family's honour below 0.)
* Losing a ranked arena duel against a member of another Great House
* Honour is only lost if the other House gains honour from the duel.
* A member divorcing or rejecting the family.
* Disowning a family member.
* The family leaving or being kicked out of a city or commune.
* A family member leaving or being kicked out of the city or commune
with which the family is aligned.
* Killing denizens that are loyal to the city or commune with which the
family is aligned, including its guilds, villages, and other aligned
territories (notably Nil, Celestia, Moonspirit, Nightspirit,
Vortex, and Continuum).
* Killing any person who is not a city, guild, or order enemy of the
family member who killed them.
* Breaking a pledge with a Banner House.
To view the changes in a family honour, any family member may:
READLOG <family> [optional starting point] [optional months back]
See also HELP FAMILY
