ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜱʜᴏɴᴏʀᴇᴅ
- Intent: Flesh out a noble house native to Illyria.
- Image Credit: Link.
- Canon: N/a.
- Permissions: N/a.
- Links:
- Organization Name: House Astier of Blood Reign.
- Classification: Noble House.
- Affiliation:
- Illyrian Monarchy
- Magnate Fauvel Astier, Lady of House Astier.
- Organization Symbol:
- Sigil: The sigil of House Astier is a bird of prey in flight holding two arrows with its talons. Their flags display their sigil in black over a dark red field.
- Symbology: Although their sigil normally presents a generic bird of prey, each type of bird holds a different meaning and it will be depicted differently if meant to convey something specific. Their birds will always have their wings widespread and hold the two arrows, which makes the sigil easy to distinguish even when the bird changes.
- Description:
House Astier is an ancient noble house native to Illyria. Behaving like most noble houses of medieval times, they respond to their Lord or Lady who in turn bows to the Illyrian Monarchs and are in charge of safeguarding and administering their province known as Regne de Sang in High Illyrian or Blood Reign in Galactic Standard. Having lost their might and respect after the subjugation of Illyria, they are currently a downtrodden House who struggles to re-establish stability and dreams with regaining the honor and relevance they once possessed.
- Headquarters: Regne de Sang Province, Illyria.
- Domain:
- Regne de Sang Province: For centuries House Astier has been settled in and controlled, with varying degrees of authority, the territories of the Blood Reign Province. In the past, their domain extended well past the limits of the province making them one of the most powerful and widespread Houses in Illyria, when their liege still held the title of Count or Countess. This drastically changed after the subjugation of the planet, and now they only hold control over the province which used to be the core of their territory.
- Aristocratic Standing: After the failed rebellion led by Lord Léon Astier, the House of Astier lost its honor and its pride. The remaining members, the children of Léon, are considered traitors and despised by the nobles and the High Court of Illyria alike. This does nothing but worsen the current deplorable state of the House and its province, which finds it hard to strike trading and political deals with others due to the disdain directed at the ruling House.
- Public Opinion of the House: An ancient House which used to be famed by its power and relevance, the name of the Astiers still holds some form of meaning to those of lower-birth. However - with the downfall of the House and therefore their land - poverty, insecurity and general social unrest have increased thus hurting the image of the nobles of House Astier in the eyes of the citizens.
- Notable Assets:
- The Widow's Wail: The Widow's Wail is the ancient seat of House Astier, located in the center of the province's main city. A large and sturdy fortress-castle, it has been the home of the Astiers since the beginning of their history. In the current times it is slightly downtrodden and not as well kept as it used to be, but it still stands strong and regal as the crown of the small city. Its name was given to it by the subjects of House Astier in the past, in allegory to the infamous ability of the members of the Astier bloodline (starweird offshoots) to emit telepathic screams that instill terror in those around them.
- The Obsidian Bank: In the past, the Astier's were known not only for their military prowess but as one of the most successful and powerful bankers in the planet. The Obsidian Bank was an entity renowned and well-respected, providing the the House with an indescribably affluent income. After the fall, most of its assets were seized and now the Obsidian Bank and House Astier's standing in the banking community is but a dim shadow of what it once was. They have fallen as far as being indebted to the Illyrian Planetary Bank.
- Hierarchy:
- Lord or Lady of House Astier: The sole ruler and maximum authority, they decide over the courses of action of the House and are owed fealty and obedience by the rest of the members. They also posses the title of Magnate.
- The Heir: Unlike most other noble families, the Astier's do not pass on the title of Heir to the eldest child but to the youngest, while the older siblings are raised with the sole purpose of becoming tutors and protectors to their youngest sibling and future liege.
- Le Conseil du Sang: The Blood Council is traditionally composed by the direct brothers and sisters of the current ruler. They still retain their obligations as escorts and protectors but also become advisors to their Lord and sibling. The Lord or Lady can remove them from the council if they so wish, or grant another family member a place in their council even if they do not share a fraternal bond.
- Other Family Members: Those who share the blood of the Astier's but with no direct relationship to the main family or are become members by marriage. They occupy important administrative positions, if they prove their worth.
- Membership: The only way to become a member of the House is by birth or marriage. In the case of the latter, all marriages must have the approval and blessing of the head of the House, the current Lord or Lady.
- Climate: House Astier, as most noble families, often concerns itself with matters of intrigue, politics and, as of later years, with not falling deeper into the pit of despair they have been dragged to. Once a mighty house known to be comprised of tightly-knitted and powerful members, today they still retain the first trait but their power has been replaced by a feeling of impotence, worry and a steeled determination to see their House survive its current state and thrive once more. The Astiers are as protective of each other as they are demanding, holding themselves and others to impossibly high-standards while failure and lack of skill or discipline are severely frowned upon.
- Reputation: Once respected and revered, House Astier has seen its glory days fall and crash against hard ground like a bird shot out of the sky. Their current social standing is terrible, being hated by their fellow nobles and those in power (namely the High Court) and with the love and fear they once inspired in their people considerably damaged. The only respect they receive, currently, is that owed to them for purely protocolar reasons and sometimes they aren't even spared that gesture.
- Curios: There is no distinguishing item common to all members of the House.
- Rules:
- Illyrian Law: As an Illyrian Porvince, Regne de Sang must abide by the global laws instituted by the ruling monarchy. These are very similar to modern law upheld in most inner-rim and core worlds which outlaw crimes against humanity, personal crimes (assault, arson, kidnapping, etc.), property crimes (theft, larceny, etc.), statutory crime (white collar crime, traffic offenses, drug crime) and other crimes such as blackmail, fraud and inchoate crimes.
- The Cult of the Crow: The Astiers adhere to the beliefs held by the Ashen Church, native to their lands. Worshipers of the Darkside of the Force, they pray to a ruthless and unforgiving goddess who enjoys tricking and testing her faithful by means of tragedy, misguiding fortune and pain. Known by many names, the goddess is believed to be the pure embodiment of the Darkside and is more commonly called the Ashen Winged, the Dark Crone, the Blinder or the Lady of Birds.
- Goals:
- Regain their lost honor and standing.
Fauvel Astier, Lady of the House.
Alain Astier, Member of the Blood Council. (NPC)
Sanne Astier, Member of the Blood Council. (NPC)
Sennet Astier, Member of the Blood Council. (NPC)
Tibault Astier, Member of the Blood Council. (NPC)
Gauthier Astier, Member of the Blood Council. (NPC)
When Illyria was still undiscovered by the rest of the galaxy and war was as common as breathing, House Astier of Blue Rain rose among the most prominent and powerful of them. Their armies knew nothing but victory, their subjects nothing but prosperity and progress. They conquered and grew, becoming richer and stronger and more influential thanks to every clever decision taken by their skillful rulers. For many generations, they kept themselves ahead of most houses, competing with those that rivaled their might with the objective of one day seeing a monarch of the blood of Astier sitting in the throne at Azurine, ruling over all.
But everything comes to an end, and all good must be payed in tragedy. Their pride was high, how could it not be? So when the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems were turned on them at the behest of Adron Malvern and they saw themselves defeated, acceptance was not an option. Under the command of Count Léon, the House schemed and attempted to raise a rebellion against the newly crowned monarchs. It was evident to all that they stood no chance, for although their armies were mighty and their pockets well stocked, they could not aspire to compete with the forces of their opponents on their own. Blinded by arrogance, Léon would not be stopped by wise advise. And soon enough, they were once more forced into the dirt and defeated.
The Count was declared a traitor alongside his lady wife and their three oldest children. They were publicly executed and House Astier saw its noble title reduced to that of Magnates. They were dispossessed of their lands, wealth and honor. Their armies had already been crushed in the war. They were no longer known as the Astiers of Blue Rain but as the Astiers of Blood Reign as a grim reminder of the blood spilled for the betterment of Illyria. A year after, Fauvel Astier - the heir to Lord Léon - would reach the minimum age of sixteen years and be forced to take the titles of Magnate of Blood Reign and Lady of House Astier way before her time. Now the young woman rules over her House and province, or what is left of it.
Last edited:
