House Sovanid of Noctua
Head of House: Lord Berger Sovanid of Talonspire.
House Speciality: The speciality of the Sovanids is preservation, whether of coin or of knowledge. The House possesses extensive storehouses and massive libraries safely nestled throughout the mountains of Noctua, their homeland. In these vaults, secured both by geography and the watchful eye of House Sovanid, sit amazing riches and fabulous wealth from throughout all the lands of Elyden. When any man of success from a lowly merchant to a powerful King needs to set aside a stockpile of coin for safe-keeping, he can rest at ease knowing his wealth will be safe with the Sovanid banks.
It is not only the riches of silver and gem that can be found in these vaults, though, but also of knowledge; House Sovanid holds an ancestral position as guardians of Elyden's written works. Noctua is home to Elyden's largest library: the Laiskas Medjan, a massive structure built into a mountainside, consisting of several tall, ornate towers all connected on several of their stories by passage-ways carved out of the mountains. The Laiskas Medjan is safely tucked away in one of the most remote areas of Noctua, near the Sovanid's own capital, and is generally a buzz of activity, swarming with scribes writing and transcripting, and scholars studying and researching. As a testament of the importance of the Laiksas Medjan to Elyden's cultural history, it is one of the most fortified and carefully guarded positions in all of Noctua, second only to House Sovanid's own keep.
The Sovanids' position as the premiere bankers and knowledge-keepers of the land affords them extensive wealth, and a name that is associated throughout Elyden with wisdom and security. Branch offices of the Bank of Noctua are located in numerous major cities far outside of Sovanid lands, and both the Sovanids and the men in their employ are legendary throughout the empire for their administerial talents. Whenever a matter concerning finances becomes a problem in the empire, the Sovanids are the house best suited to fix it.
House's Ancestral Weapon: The founder of the House, Peisal Sovanid, fought the wyrms of old with a magical implement: the Waisnan, a wooden staff, adorned in star metal, that afforded its wielder the ability to share in the knowledge of all those around him—to know anything that his foe knew, and use it against him. Peisal used this power to detect the actions of the wyrms during humanity's war against them, which allowed his compatriot champions to avoid the wyrm's strikes and assault them when they had most exposed themselves.
Important MembersLord Berger Sovanid, Lord of Talonspire. Aged 56, Widower. Berger is a tall man, but gravely, and physically unimposing. His age has gotten the best of his body, but not his mind. He oversees House Sovanid's finances and political affairs, but from the safety of Talonspire Tower. He leaves the tower only rarely, and leaves the fortified Talonspire region almost never. Despite being a capable administrator and politician, Berger has never had a talent for warfare, and has left control of Noctua's levies to his heir, Arron, whenever the need has arisen to call them. Berger is a moral man, but does not shy from undertaking nefarious actions for the greater good. He sees the excellent financial state of House Sovanid as his legacy as much so as his children, and has a distinctively cold personality, unwarm even to his family and close personal friends. This coldness has been present in him throughout his entire life, but intensified after the death of his wife, four years ago.
Prince Arron Sovanid, Heir to Talonspire. Aged 28, Bachelor. A lover of the finer things in life, Arron has a tendency towards showing off his family's wealth whenever given the possibility to do so, and is often overly liberal in his utilization of Sovanid funds on public works and festivals. His spending habits do not garner the displeasure of his father enough to detract from his talents, however, for Arron is one of the better generals in the land, and an excellent personal warrior as well. Though rarely seen in public without a retinue of knights accompanying him, public sightings of the Prince are none the less quite frequent: very much unlike his father, Arron enjoys travelling the land, striding about Elyden with his knightly compatriots to explore and discover. Highly sociable, and a natural leader of men, Arron possesses almost foolhardy courage; he prides himself on his boldness, and though he is not arrogant, he rarely turns down a reasonable challenge.
Less Important MembersPrincess Viktoria Suttbray (née Sovanid), First born daughter of Lord Berger Sovanid. Aged 29. Resides in Confluence, with her husband, Alistair Suttbray.
Princess Maurice Conrad (née Sovanid), Second born daughter of Lord Berger Sovanid. Aged 19. Resides in Talonspire, with her husband, James Conrad the Second.
Daughters and more sons TBA, as well as other courtiers. If you want a marriage with a Sovanid, PM me.
Nation/Realm's Name: Noctua.
House Motto: The Tallest Men See Farthest.
Region
Capital: Talonspire Tower, a tall and imposing building with its foundation carved into the side of an outcrop of rock. The building's exterior focuses on intimidation, with a Gothic architectural style assisting in its menacing appearance, but the interior is lavish and extravagant, full of artwork and all of the benefits of luxury. 'Talonspire' is often used as a metonym for the influence of the Sovanids in general, the name instantly conjuring into mind mountain-top fortresses full of all of the world's finest luxuries and most ancient tomes.
Capital Population: Talonspire Town, a civilian settlement a short distance away from Talonspire Tower and the Laiskas Medjan. Approximately the third most populous of Noctua's settlements, garnering a population of just over 25,000.
Other Major Settlements: Ravenfall, the most populous settlement in Noctua, is located in The Passage. It is a major centre for trade, serving as a link for commerce between the regions to the east and the west of Elygden's great mountain range. The second largest of Noctua's settlements is a large town in the Anvil area, Jund, which serves primarily as the home of miners and their families. Another notable settlement, Korgelinn, though not heavily populated, is strategically important: the town marks the eastern border of the Kordland region, and is the starting point of the long road winding through the mountains that leads to Talonspire.
Population: 4,323,000.
Culture: TBA
Type of Government: TBA
Influence and Relations: TBA
Military: Capacity for 21,615 men. House Sovanid favours ranged units and knights. More TBA.
Landscape: Noctua's geographical centre is 'The Passage', a narrow valley allowing swift and safe overland trade between the lands west and east of Elyden's largest mountain range. The Passage is home to the majority of Noctua's population, and holds some of the most fertile farmland in all of Elyden. In the middle of the region, along the banks of the swift-flowing River Luen, sits the city of Ravenfall, the most populous settlement in all of Noctua. Ravenfall is host to no less than half a dozen bridges darting over the Luen's waters, and there are many buildings ranging from small shacks to multi-storied towers constructed on both sides of the water's edge. Most of these buildings are made primarily of stone, owing to the rarity of lumber in Noctua, but is is not rare to see wood used in secondary features, for aesthetic purposes or otherwise. Whereas the vast majority of The Passage is agriculturally dependent, Ravenfall's economy relies heavily on trade and its taxation; all travellers embarking through The Passage are required to stop in at Ravenfall on their way through to the opposite side of the mountain range, and pay either a meagre traveller's toll if they are simply a messenger or explorer, or a much larger merchant's levy if they are transporting cargo. Only travellers on religious excursions affiliated with the Church of the Sacred Flame are permitted completely free travel. The proceeds from trade taxation in Ravenfall is split half and half, with one portion going directly to the Sovanid family and the other going towards the continued development of Ravenfall. Ravenfall's position as the centre of The Passage's toll system has ensured that it be a place under constant heavy watch; the Ravenfall City Guard are much more numerous than the guards of most other settlements in the land, and the constant flow of gold into the city ensures that they're also capably equipped.
South of The Passage is Anvil, an area so named because of its industriousness and the abundance of mines carved into its rocky outcrops. A chaotic mixture of soaring mountains and tall hills, Anvil can be traversed only by way of specially built roads leading directly from The Passage to its major towns and cities. It's generally either very difficult or outright impossible to go from one town in Anvil to another without first travelling to The Passage. Besides the capital of the region, Jund, which neighbours Noctua's largest iron mine, numerous other miner's towns such as Ulund and Darrf can be found nestled into Anvil's mountains and hillsides. The mixture of valuable resources and harsh landscape in Anvil ensures that it's one of the most urbanized areas in Elyden.
On the opposite end of Noctua from Anvil is the region of Kordland, which consists of the mountains to The Passage's immediate north. The western part of Kordland is almost completely unnavigable and unpopulated, consisting of massive mountain peaks soaring high up into the sky, but east Kordland is a land of many foothills, which only gradually rise into the tall mountains in the far north-east. The foothills are slightly more populous than the mountains to their west, but civilization is still few and far between throughout all of Kordland, especially in comparison to the bustling roads and lush farmland of The Passage. It is in Kordland, tucked near the mountains but still with close access to the roadways of The Passage, that many of the banking vaults for which Noctua is famous for can be found. Along the eastern border of Noctua is Korgelinn, the largest town in the area, and the first stop on the road to Noctua's capital. As much a fortress as a town, Korgelinn and all of its buildings are tucked inside of a walled complex, with battlements built from the southern and western edges of the town all the way into the sides of the mountains, to ensure slim possibility of neer-do-wells sneaking through. The guards in Korgelinn keep an even closer eye on passers-by than in Ravenfall, eager to avoid introducing any kind of criminal element into the majesty of Talonspire.
Most famous and most splendorous of all of Noctua's regions is Talonspire. It is here, east of Kordland, that lies the home seat of House Sovanid: Talonspire Tower. Though most of the area is comparable to the west of Kordland, entirely unpopulated and impossible to traverse, the few pockets of civilization than Talonspire has to offer are truly remarkable. Hidden away high in the mountains, on plateus hidden by sprawling pine forests, sit entire towns and villages designed solely to cater to luxury, and represent the absolute finest in design and all matters aesthetic. The ornateness of Talonspire Town is a testmant to the wealth of the Sovanids; the streets are kept clean and orderly, fountains bringing forth the fresh, clean water of the mountains are abundant, and jewelers and other skilled artisans of all kinds ply their trade in the town's banner-covered marketplace. The road leading from Talonspire Town to Talonspire Tower is decorated with the statues of each and every Sovanid Lord come to pass, and even the Laiskas Medjan, the largest library in Elyden, is safely tucked away in the gilded bosom of Talonspire—and for good reason. The intimidating mountains leave only one road, arching north-east and then south-east from Kordland, making access to Talonspire from the outside a possibility. The road is structurally stable and well-defined, but equally well-patrolled, and is home to numerous fortified outposts along its length. The perilousness of the road for forces hostile to the Sovanids makes the Talonspire region one of the most secure in all of Elyden.
History: The Sovanids have worked tirelessly over the course of their reign in Noctua to ensure that they are seen to be a family above inter-house feuding. They avoid rivalries and disgareements of all kinds, and when a conflict does arise with another house, they are keen to resolve it amicably. However, to say that the Sovanids have been push-overs in their past conflicts would be false. In the family tradition of banking, every last coin needs to be accounted for, and the Sovanids carry this idea into their dipomatic outlook: no loose ends can be left untied. When the Sovanids resolve a conflict, they give it a lasting resolution, and ensure regardless of the moral consequences that the same problem can never arise once again.
Strengths: Orderliness; The citizens of Noctua are a disciplined and civilized people, and their respectful nature is carried with them to the battlefield. Levies raised out of Noctua are much more obedient and well disciplined than would be expected of those from other realms, and they behave with much greater nobility when campaigning in foreign lands. Often, an area under Sovanid military occupation will be run more efficiently and its citizens placed under greater safety than they had been under the control of their actual rulers.
Weaknesses: TBA
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