[b]House Name: Khyriin[/b]

[b]Head of House:[/b] Odegai Khyriin, Lord of the Endless plains, Khan of the Khitani tribes

[b]House Specialty:[/b] House Khyriin adapted many aspects of the Khitani culture and customs. The house made sure that the Khitai heritage and their lifestyle remains preserved. This made sure that House Khyriin has access to the best horses and riders of the realm. 
The Khitani tribes provide excellent horsearchers and lancers. These warriors are famous for their skills, fighting mentality and tactics but also infamous for their brutality as the Khitani warrior code is unforgiving. Khitani cavalry are much wanted mercenaries in any army across the realm.
Being a culture centered around horsebackriding it is only natural that the Khitani are master horse breeders. An ancient art that was already practiced during the time of the war of the Wyrms.

[b]House Ancestral Weapon:[/b] Skypiercer, the legendary bow

[b]Important members:[/b]
[hider=Odegai Khyriin, lord of the Endless Plains and Khan of the Khitani]
Odegai became head of the house after his fathers death 7 years ago. He was favored both by his father and the council of Khitani chieftans over his elder brother due to being a renowend fighter. Odegai served as his fathers champion in several tribal disputes that where settled through a trail by combat. Odegai's skill with the sword is legendary beyond the borders of his own realm and people rate him among the best fighters Elyden has to offer.
Due to his fighting prowess he commands great respect from the Khitani tribes, even though his house does not belong to the ethnic group. Odegai also carries the Khitanie title of Khan, wich makes him supreme leader of the tribes. The title of Khan goes generally to the greatest warrior and can be conquered through combat with the title holder. Just as customs and agreements dictate the lord of the Endless plains has married a Khitani noble.
Odegai is a charismatic leader and a great fighter. His strenght however lies on the battlefield and not in diplomacy.[/hider]

[hider=Djegan Khyrrien, Ambassador of the house in Skyhaven and elder brother to the lord of the Endless Plains]
Djegan is the elder brother of Odegai. Unlike his younger sibbling, Djegan does not have much talent for the sword and the bow. Also his left leg is partly immobilized making the man unsuited for military duties. Djegan however is a clever speaker and an adept diplomat. He serves his house faithfully as ambassador in Skyhaven and advices Odegai on diplomatic matters.
Djegan is married to ........ and has 4 children with his wife.[/hider]

[hider=Family tree][IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/30vhf7o.png[/IMG][/hider]

[b]Nation/Realms Name:[/b] The Endless Plains

[b]Sigil:[/b] [hider=Sigil][IMG]http://i59.tinypic.com/2mrae1c.png[/IMG][/hider]

[b]House Motto:[/b] Ride with the fury of the wind

[b]Region/color on map:[/b] Dark Red

[IMG]http://i61.tinypic.com/669dag.jpg[/IMG]

[b]Race name:[/b] Human

[b]Racial appearance:[/b] The Khitani are a distinctive ethnic minority. They are slightly below avarege in hight with a more slender build. Their skincolor has a slight touch of red. The people have mostly dark pupils and black hair. Their clothing is mostly made of animal furs and wool.

[b]Racial traits:[/b] The Khitani are the nomadic people that live on the Endless plains. These people are best known for their superb horsemanship. All Khitani learn to ride horses from a young age and use those skills to heard cattle and hunt from horseback.

[b]Capital:[/b]Khitan.
Khitan is the only permanent settlement found by the Khitani tribes. The settlement was found in ancient times and has grown out of a need to have a place where the different tribal leaders coul meet in order to discuss their affairs. Over the years the tribes continued to gather at this place and some families settled down. The riverbed provides some fertility to the lands around. When the Endless Plains where added to the realm of the Phoenix Queen the lords of the Endless Plains settled in the political centre of their domain. Initially the domain was given to house Nolan. It where the lords of this house that builded Castle Nolan on the outskirts of the city. When house Khyriin aquired the domain they renamed the castle to castle Khitani and use it as their main residence.
Under influence of the external lords Khitan became a multi cultural city. Not only does it houses descendants of the Khitani nomads but also people from the eastern forrests lands and the streamvally migrated to this city.
Khitan has avarage stone walls and towers surrounding the city for protection. There is a permanent city guard for keeping order and protecting the city in the case of a siege. 

Capital Population: 70.000

[b]Other Major Settlements:[/b] Crossroad Keep (26.000 population), Riverport (64.000 population), Rivertown (170.000 population), Rivers End (90.000 population)

[b]Population:[/b] Around 3.4 million, Roughly 2.5 million Khitani still follow their nomadic lifestyle. Roughly 0.9 million people live in the cities and villages located allong the riverbanks. These people often do not belong to the ethnic group of the Khitani's.

[b]Culture:[/b] (The Customs, Arts, Fashion, and beliefs unique to these people.)

[b]Type of Government:[/b] The Endless plains where given to house Khyriin as their fief for their services during the second Khitani uprising by the Phoenix crown. Elevating the house into the high nobility and making them direct vassals of house Paragon. Right to rule the domain and title Lord of the Endless Plains is inherited by birthright.
In real life this title only means that the house rules the land but not the Khitani tribes. The autonomous Khitani follow their greatest warrior who claims the title of Khan through a duel to the death. Currently Odegai Khyriin holds both the title of Lord of the Endless Plains and Khan of the Khitani.
House Khyriin is aided in their rule by the lower nobility (bannermen) who in their turn where granted fiefs by the lord of the Endless Plains and the Khitani tribal council.

[b]Influence and relations:[/b]
[hider=House Marrow[/b] House Khyriin has found frienship with house Marrow in their mutual fight against the beastlings such as the Mongrels. This alliance is soon to be formalized by the marriage of prince Oswyn Marrow and Rika Khyriin, daughter of Lord Odegai Khyriin of the Endless Plains. [/hider]

[b]Military:[/b]
Khitani nobles: The Khitani nobles are heavily armed and armored cavalry men drawn from the higher and wealhier classes of the Khitani society. these men can afford expensive equipment and weaponry. Most nobles wear scale or or chainmail armor and carry a round shield. Their preferred weapons are the composite recurve shortbow, the Khitani cavalry sword and the lance. The Khitani nobles serve as the shock troops and are well known for their destructive charge.

Number of Khitani nobles that can be mobilized: 5.000
[hider= Khitani noble][img=https://the0other0guy.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/warrior.jpg][/hider]

Khitani light cavalry: The light cavalry are drawn from the lower and poorer classes of the Khitani society, These men usually cannot affort expensive metal armor. Most light cavalrymen either wear leather armor or no armor at at all. They serve as highly mobile cavaly archers but can also engage in hand to hand combat using their swords. All light cavalrymen are equipped with composite recurveshortbows and the Khitani cavalry sword. Some others also carry axes or maces.

Number of Khitani light cavalry that can be mobilized: 10.000
[hider=Light Cavalry][img=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-whRl2cEz-po/TbfYCOzaBRI/AAAAAAAAAEE/icq29nKQLO4/s1600/Picture+2.png][/hider]

Elyden knights. The Elyden knights are the lower nobles that have pleaged alligiance to house Khyriin. These are the nobility that have recieved their title from the Phoenix throne. They are generally not from Khitani decend. These estate owning nobles provide their own equipment and horses. They are generally more drawn to Skyhaven style armor and weaponry. The Elyden knights follow the code of chivalry wich differs greatly from the Khitani warrior code.

Number of knights: 250
[hider=Elyden Knight][img=http://tricycleoffense.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/knight-on-horse1.jpg][/hider]

Men at arms.The soldiers in service of the various lower nobility. They get paid, trained and equipped by their lords. Their equipment is mostly of lesser quality then that of the knights. The men at arms are mostly equipped with swords, shields, spears and bows. They serve as the city guard and protect the keeps of their lords.

Number of men at arms employed by the nobility: 1750 

[b]Relations with the other houses:[/b]

[b]Landscape:[/b](what does your land look like?)

[b]Wildlife:[/b](Optional)

[b]History:[/b] 
[hider=History of House Khyriin]
The Endless Plains where granted as Fief to House Khyriin 200 years ago at the end of the second Khitani uprising. Before being appointed as Lords of the Endless Plains, house Khyriin where of lesser nobility and bannermen of house Paragon. When the Khitani rose against house Clumberstone (former lords) due to that houses lack of respect for their traditional way of life, Alexis Khyriin was sent with a detachment of cavalry from Skyhaven in support of lord Clumberstone. However the impatiant lord would march before re-enforcements from Skyhavan would arrive
Lord Clumberstone raised an army of 25.000 men at Corssroads Keep and marched against the Khitani capital of Khitan. During the march of house Clumberstone they would find out the hard way why the Khitani always considered themselves masters of the plains. On the first day the Khitani managed to draw away most of Clumberstone's cavalry from his main force and lure them into an ambush, decimating clumberstone's 2.500 knights to a mere 5 who were intentionally set free in order to report the massacre. Without the support of the cavalry, lord Clumberstone's infantry where easy targets for the Khitani horse archers who picked them of in a series of small hit and run raids over the course of 6 days. Only a day march away from Khitan Lord Clumberstone decided that his losses where to great in order to lay siege to Khitan and ordered his army back to stone keep. What followed was another march of 5 days while being constantly raided by the Khitani. By the time Lord Clumberstone's army was totally demoralized and exhausted the Khitani launched their full scale assault. Within hours house Clumberstone's army was routed and as their men fled, they were cut down by the pursuing Khitani. It was said that less the 3.000 men survived the onslaught.
Upon arrival Alexis Khyriin realized that the situation was grave and military means where no longer an option for keeping the Endless Plains part of the domain of the Phoenix crown. With house Clumberstone on the brink of extincion, Alexis realised that this was also an opportunity to elevate their own status and power. Through clever diplomacy Alexis ended the uprising and managed to get the Endless Plains as their domain. 
House Khyriin quickly adopted many customs of the Khitani and invited the Khitani into important government positions. It was Alexis who was the first Khyriin to marry a Khitani noble rather than a noble from some important house from far away. This practice is still in place as an unwritten rule between House Khyriin and the Khitani. [/hider]

[b]Strengths:[/b] The Khitani nomadic livestyle produces the best cavalry in the realm. Their warriors are highly mobile and can cover great distances in a very short time due to having 4 to 7 horses per fighter. This makes them a highly capable fighting force in the open fields of the Endless Plains

[b]Weaknesses:[/b] Being a nomadic people that perfected steppe warfare also comes with a huge downside. The all cavalry army of the Khitani is ill suited to fight in terrain that is hard to access on horseback such as dense forrests, small mountain passes and treacherous swamps and marshes. Another downside that comes from the nomadic lifestyle is the lack of contact with fortified cities and castles. Then never had much of a need to develop siege equipment and tactics.

[b]Exports:[/b] Horses, mercenaries, animal hides and leather products
[b]Imports:[/b] Metals, ore, weapons and armor, wood, stone and finished products