Funky Chaos Houses Thread

[RPGPundit]

In this thread, we mention clans/houses we've included in our Amber games that are not from the canon.

For example, I have often included a "House Lungbarrow", which is a Dr.Who reference there for those who read the novels.  They're masters of shapeshifting, and most of them take particularly wierd forms; they also indulge in particularly uncomfortable sorcery, have a cthulhu-esque style to them, and are perennially suspected of practicing forbidden forms of shapeshifting.  They're rarely trusted by other houses, but are often resorted to by people with serious shapeshifting problems (shapeshifting-illnesses or other such problems).

RPGPundit

[mrfred]

In an old campaign of mine, one of the PCs was from Chaos (a logrus-less Chaos, mind you...), and alot of his play was involved in the politics of the 5 major houses of Chaos, and that of the 12 families that comprised his house.  Lots of fun wending his way around the laws and traditions regarding murder, marriage, duels, and succession.


from my notes...

Houses of the Courts of Chaos
-----------------------------
House Barimen
  Dworkin and Syra (the Unicorn) from this house
  house known to be source of many sorcerors, researches, etc.

House Addis

House Hendrake
  old rival house to Barimen
  Dara, Borel from this house
  PC - Kiron from this house, Borel's family

House Reeseod

House Harka
  King Rikard of Harka is now King of Chaos

House Adra
  only Demon court house, members tend to have devil/demon form

House Thanos
  breakaway house from Hendrake


House Hendrake
---------------
12 families
Haron (Kiron's and Borel's damily)
Sawall (Dara's family)
Ankar, Trelax, Weymouth, Strel, Parza, Anza, Lerat, Fathom, Roos, Yillith

Teran, Lord Hendrake at time of Patterfall was a Sawall, Dara's father.  Nelan, King of Chaos was Dara's uncle, since deposed due to the loss.

Teran has just been murdered.  Custom in Hendrake in electing a lord is that a brother of a family lord is elected house lord.

[RPGPundit]

I always saw Hendrake and Sawall as two different houses...

RPGPundit

[Otha]

In canon, they are.

[Arref]

I've accumulated various House names from other GMs around the web. When I see a name that conjures a vivid response, I write the GM in question to see if I can adopt it and use it.

In this way I've used the Lessima House from MaBarry and several Houses from Jvstin.

My own contributions are House Nemirab (the mad inventors) and House Matrisse (the sole Matriarchal house in my courts.) Oh, and the BlackAdders who are the political exiles of Chaos.

[gabriel_ss4u]

Yes, I agree... there are so many ideas out there, not to mention those epiphanies we occasionally have on our own.
The following is a write up of my Houses of Chaos.
Some borrowed from on-line and some made up on my own... if it sounds familiar, it maybe. I want to run a Chicago based campaign dealing with the Courts as the central theme.
Ideas like the Ellysium's from White Wolf's Vampire, Ideas from Moorcock's Melnibone', Dune, Aliens, The 6 elements of Ninja magic as a basis for ideas on elemental spheres of magic for The Serpent of Chaos' children; "the Elemental Serpents" of Chaos,  Norse and other mythologies, Star Wars, and a various host of sci-fi fantasy background data.

please let me know what you think.

Courts of Chaos      
The Great Houses of Chaos

There are nine great houses and a lot of minor houses. Each great house is headed by a Duke or in some cases, a Duchess,    (Lord or Lady of Chaos  ), which wield the bulk of the political power in the Courts of Chaos. In descending order of approximate power, they are:

House Thelbane / Swayvill - Royal house of Chaos. King Swayvill is current Monarch of Chaos. In a surprising move he took a new queen from one of the minor houses; House Zepher. This has had a backlash of controversy heard in hushed tones around the local elysiums. House Swayvill  The royal house resides in the Thelbane Spire, Throne of Chaos, opposite the Cathedral of the Serpent within the Plaza at the End of the Universe. Due to his intimate and extensive knowledge of the Logrus, Suhuy is also considered a part of the Royal family without ties to the Throne of Chaos.

House Sawall - Noble house of Chaos. Sawall has historically been known as a house of scholars and Logrus masters, but with the devastation of the Pattern-Fall War, its members are limited. The current Head of House is Gramble du Sawall,  the Rim Duke, and the members of House Sawall reside in various Sawall Manors within Sawall-Ways. House Helgram renewed ties with House Hendrake, and both have solidified agendas with House Sawall since Dara traced her ancestry through both houses and was the granddaughter of Benedict.  She now has the three houses in an alliance of sorts, and a powerful alliance it is. The Ways of Anch are Gramble Sawall's second stead at the very Rim. The Maze  of Art  is  within House Sawall.  A large, labyrinth-like  collection of art gathered  by Gramble.  There are 8 byway residences to Sawall.

House Amblerash - Noble house of Chaos. House Amblerash was historically known for its connections to the Church of the Serpent, and for its legions of holy-warriors.  After barely surviving the Pattern-Fall War, the Head of House decided that the only way for the House to survive was to foster closer ties with the Crown. The current Head of House is Belen du Amblerash, Duke of Cerelaine. Belen is the only son of Bances Amblerash, the High Priest of the Serpent. The members of House Amblerash reside in Cerelaine or at the Cathedral of the Serpent if they are in inducted into the Order of the Serpent Hung Upon the Tree of Matter.  All High Priests/Priestesses of the Elemental Serpents are inducted into House Amberlash before their assension to that august post.

House Hendrake - Noble house of Chaos. House Hendrake is a warrior house which claims Lord Hendrake, their founder, being the first champion of the first Queen of Chaos. Loyal supporters of the crown, Hendrake is a conservative house with a reputation for being honorable and somewhat straightforward, as well as having excellent swordsman. Traditionally, the position of Lord General of Chaos has always gone to a Hendrake. The late Duke Borel was a master duelist, and undefeated until he was killed by Prince Corwin of Amber at the end of the Patternfall War. House Hendrake oversees the blacksmithing, sword and armor-making which it’s lands of Cardiff are well known for. The current Head of House is Lord Azor Hades du Hendrake, Duke of Cardiff. House Hendrake was ruled by Belissa Minobee, until the Minobees split with the Hendrakes due to an inability to reconcile their feelings for the Amberites following the Patternfall War. The Hendrakes have no particular prejudice against the Amberites, and tend to take a very relaxed attitude towards the casualties of war.

House Helgram - Noble house of Chaos. House Helgram, under the guidance of Lady Nightlace, reinvented itself as a house of diplomacy and intrigue as well as arcane secrecy. Whether that continues to be the case under its new leadership remains to be seen. The current Head of House is Darque du Helgram, but his wife; Nightlace du Helgram, seems to have as much a hand in ruling as he. Helgram's members reside in Gwynedd?.

House Chanicut - Noble house of Chaos. House Chanicut maintains an extensive system of vineyards and wineries throughout Skeltland. They are before Houses Sawall and Helgram as the foremost skilled Trump artists of the Courts. Chanicut is known for artisans and artists’ techniques in various Trump mediums. They share long-ago blood ties with House Halybard.  Chanicut are suspected of being Amberite sympathizers. The current Head of House is Soma du Chanicut.

House Melnibone’ - Noble House of Choas. House Melnibone’ has a long history with serving the Crown of Chaos. The Melnibonians are an ancient race of their own right and powerful in the ways of Chaos and Magik.  Ways of Melnibone’ are located on the Main Dragon Isle in the city of Immyer, in the Shadow of Melnibone’ in the Young Kingdoms within the Black Zone.This house has strong strong ties to the Elemental Lords of Chaos. The Head of House is Asteroth du Melnibone’.

House Minobee - Noble house of Chaos. House Minobee was founded by Belissa Minobee following the Patternfall War. Formerly of House Hendrake, the Minobees split with the Hendrakes due to an inability to reconcile their feelings for the Amberites. House Minobee despises the Amberites for their roles in the deaths of Lars and Borel. The current Head of House is Dooku du Minobee. Next in line is Wyurn du Minobee, then next Belissa, then Rhees Minobee, Duchess of Donegal, who is the daughter of Belissa and Lars and the sister of Lord Borel. Members of House Minobee reside in Donegal as well as the Shadow world DD Prime which is a scientific Shadow and very difficult to use magic. House Harkonan, mainly of DD Prime,  is a minor house of Minobee. Harkonan uses technology to it’s utmost and mines the Spice on Arakus. Their wealth  comes from  importing rare artifacts  such as the Spice Milange’ and such things difficult to find w/ the Logrus.

House Wickling - Noble house of Chaos. Many denizens of the Courts are capable of summoning demons. None are as proficient at it though as House Wickling. It is said that the very first Chaos Lords were a breed of demon or devil that found favor with the Serpent of Chaos. Lord Trigon is, if anything, a testiment to that theory. There is no demon that this house cannot invoke, summon, or command. They are responsible for the strongest demon & devil guards about Chaos, as well as the honor guard to the King - the Lai-she’on. And even rumored to be able to summon demons from beyond the pale. Currently the Head of House is Lord Trigon du Wickling. Wickling Ways are known simply as Underworld.

House Treagg - Minor house of Chaos. House Treagg maintains authority over the nearby Shadows of Rial, the Courts' underwater realm, Pan Tang, the Young Kingdom’s underwater realm, and the Isle of Corinth, the major port of the Courts. From House Treagg many of the naval commanders and devotees to the Water Serpent hail from. They have a natural affinity for water and have proven to be useful against the Rebman fleets. The current Head of House is Lord Admiral Tiberon du Treagg, followed by Thelb Kaarna du Treagg of Melnibone’.

House Baal - Minor house of Chaos; hereditary decendants from Dworkin of House Barimen. One of the family was taken to Amber with Dworkin and established the House Bayle at that end of reality. The wine making of this family is as good in Chaos as it is in Amber, but the mead & ales tend to be stronger. Descendants of Locke du Barimen, one of Dworkin’s children, they have kept the house name Barimen, until Baal du Barimen distinguished himself and his bloodline as worthy of their own house name. House Baal; name taken from Locke’s eldest son, Baal, Lord Seer’s Great-Grandfather. The crest of House Baal of Chaos is the Fire Serpent with a mug in one claw & an arcane symbol formed in the other, and the current Head of House is Baal du Barimen. The location of Baal Ways is the lava world of Gehenna.

House Vox - Minor House of Chaos. Vieing for staus as a Major House of Chaos, House Vox has a distinguished short history of martial supremacy. The combat abilities, both physical and stratigical, have placed them on similar standing as with House Hendrake, from which it’s founder, the deceased Lord Tyrannus, came from. Its members tend to be hot tempered and enjoy duels. They hail from and guard the Western Marshes of the Far Reaches and reside in Thokora. Currently the head of the house is Lord Stegron du Vox, General of the Western Marshes.

House Jesby - Minor house of Chaos. House Jesby, quite possibly the most populous house in the Courts, remained relatively unaffected by the Pattern-Fall War, due to their lack of warriors. House Jesby governs the Shadowmasters Guild. Jesby, like Chanicut, is known for artisans, artists, bards and poets. The current Head of House is Lord Momus du Jesby and the members of House Jesby reside in Meath.

House Jochim - Minor house of Chaos. Asking about House Jochim? That alone can get you noticed. It’s rumored that they are the spies and information brokers of the Crown. No-one of immense importance has been singled out from this house, and that’s the way they like it. Think CIA, FBI,  Spetznaz, & Interpol with a touch of MI-6 all in one. Officially they are the secret police of the Crown. Jochim Ways Location is unknown, but they have a staging house in the Plaza of Chaos. The current Head of House is Lord Hollifeld du Jochim.

House Sepharoth - Minor house of Chaos. The dark angels of Chaos. A good many soldiers have died since the Pattern-Fall War as they are defending their territories against the forces of Avalon. It is still a debate whether it was they who encroached upon Chaos lands or if House Sepharoth simply is waging a personal war with Corwin’s angelic troops of light for the immense Shadows that may be taken if Avalon falls. Sepharoth Ways are located in Saturneum, a dark angelic paradise-like hell in the sky. The current Head of House is Lord Sammael du Sepharoth.

House Benesith - Minor house of Chaos.  Of the six Ways of the Elemental Serpents House Benesith follows the Way of the Serpent of Void.  This is not understood by many, as ‘Void’ itself is a hard theory to encompass. Their ways are dark, filled with anger, violence, pain, fear, and the focusing of these through the mind.  They practice the Ways of the Runic Tatoos empowering the Scions of the Elemental Serpents. The current Head of House is Lord Exar Kun du Benensith. The House Ways are located within the Royal Hegomony sector of the Outer Rim  and the  Sorcerer’s Isle capitol City of Yavin within the Young Kingdoms.  House Benesith has trained the Red Robed Gestapo of the Crown - the Inquisitorious Rex, and has a command role in their activities.

House Vertix - Minor house of Chaos. Not much is known of house Vertix, and that’s the way they like it. Assassins all, they teach much of the hand-to-hand styles known in and around the courts. Their major contribution is their silence. Their silence pertaining to whatever it was you hired them for. It is widely rumored that the only house to have a more extensive collection of herbal poisons than House Ashoka has, is House Vertix. Currently the Head of House is Lord Kirigi du Vertix. Vertix Ways are rumored to be located in the Black Zone Shadow Madripoor.

House Minos - Minor house of Chaos. A house of gladiators and hunters. Their symbol is the minotaur’s head, and thusly they enjoy taking it as their Chaos from in one manor or another. Honor is all important to this house and is also the reason there are so few left. They have non-Chaos Lord offspring & subjects within the house to increase its numbers, but they are mostly to defend the northern most waters and islands of Shadow in the Black Zone against invasion from outer forces. The current Head of House is Lord Might du Minos. Minos Ways are located upon the Isle of Might in the Young Kingdoms.

House Halybard - Minor house of Chaos. This house has no specific specialties, rather its members seem to be proficient in most any of their undertakings.  It is widely known for having the best Alchemists of Chaos. Halybard Ways are located in Shadow Nolava.  Currently the Head of House is Lord Xander du Halybard, though some think he may just be a pawn of his wife, Cymnea du Halybard.

House Arakus - Minor house of Chaos. House Arakus is one of the oldest houses of Chaos. It has been a Major house and has slipped into obscurity. Recently they have an alliance with House Minobee which has strengthened their position in Court. Arakus Ways are located on Shadow Arakus, a desert world honey-combed with deep caverns and high mountains amid a practically waterless surface. The prisoners of the Chaos usually end up here. Current Head of House is Lolth du Arakus. Arakus is scientific based with slight magic use.

House Rammus - Minor house of Chaos. Known for being the soldiers of the front and avid hunters, the members of House Rammus are a common sight throughout the Black Zone, with their Ram’s heads and bleating speech. Rammus lands are located high atop the Smoking Mountain within the Valley of Xanyaw on the Shadow Arrat in the Young kingdoms, Myrrhn is the western-most city in the mountains - House Rammus ways are located there.  Currently the Head of House is Lord Daigon du Rammus. Sponsored by House Hendrake.

House Zerg - Minor house of Chaos. Not much is known of House Zerg. It is common knowledge that Lady Bethany, (or more commonly called; Lady Zerg), is the foremost authority on arranged marriages and breeding techniques. Thus she is also referred to as the Breeding Queen.  Zerg Ways are located throughout the Black Zone as the house sets entrances all throughout Shadow, but are mainly based on Setti Alpha Prime.  A rare technology Shadow in the Black Zone. The current Head of House is Lady Bethany du Zerg. (chaos form - Geiger's Alien Queen)

House Geo - Minor house of Chaos. House Geo is known among the Black Zone for their mining and farming skills. The most precious of stones can be traced back to their excavations. House Geo has an affinity for the substances of stone, be they dirt, mineral, rock, or other. This house specializes in the Way of the Stone Serpent and it’s strongest Scions hail from here. House Geo oversees the majority of farmers and herders in the Courts. Currently the head of House Geo is Lord Kusugi du Geo - the Black Llama. Geo Ways are located deep underground in the Black Zone Shadow of Agathon in the Young Kingdoms. This Housse has access to the ‘Oracle Stones.’

House Zepher - Minor house of Chaos. The house of Air & Wind. They guard the airways to the Courts of Chaos. This house is among the fastest of the Courts in movement & transportation. Most of it’s members tend to hang out in the Courts and play the political intrigue & gossip games. Their court ediquette is impecable and often train others in its nuances.  Zepher Ways are located near the Sepharoth Zone, in that malestrom surrounded kingdom in the sky named Stratoxity. Currently the Head of House is Lady Tempest du Zepher.

House Blitz - Minor house of Chaos. A small house that weilds a lot of eldrich power. There are rumors that the line cross bred with an Amberite to toughen them up. They are the house of lightning, and serve the Elemental Serpent of Lightning they’ve named ‘Midgurdsh’.  Blitz Ways are located past the rainbow bridge in the realm of Asgard.  Currently the Head of House is Lord Elron du Blitz.

House Tanatar - Minor house of Chaos. One of the older more obscure houses of Chaos. It made a name for itself when almost defeating Oberon of Amber long ago. The blood fued they have with Dworkin’s offspring was commisioned by the Crown of Chaos and the family hasn’t fufilled it yet - Although they have killed a number of Dworkin’s children. Ways of Tanatar are found in the Spire of Bonez within the Far Reaches of the outer section of the Western Marshes & the Silent Lands. The Current Head of House is Lord Ulyanash du Tanatar.

House Grigori - Minor house of Chaos. The watchers of the Courts. Asthetics who record details of history and such. House Grigori has few fighters if any.  Although they have an extensive library found in the Ways of Grigori, which is also linked to the Great Library of Chaos in the Thelbane Spire. The current Head of House is Lord Astinus du Grigori. They are one of the few lesser houses that has an avenue on the Plaza.

House Ashoka - Minor house of Chaos. The herbologists of Chaos, their talent and knowledge of theings botanical has earned them recognition within the courts as the best with plants, deadly or not.  Potions, poisons, or parsley, they treat all customers as elite clientel and are often in the service of the Crown. It falls to this House to determine and identify cause of death in all noble’s poisonous demise.  House Ways are located in the Young Kingdoms, south of Melnibone near the Boiling Sea, within the Forest of DarkenWood, the port city of R’lin K’ren A’a along the K’ren River. Current Head of House is Lord Darius du Ashoka.

House Laseema - Minor house of Chaos.  The only excommunicated House of the Courts.  House Laseema has long since been gone from the politics of the Elysiums within the Plaza of Chaos. They called the Logrus a master they wouldn’t bow down to and refused to have any of their bloodline essay the Chaostic Design.  House Thelbane called a blood hunt on them as well as Amberlash with their extreme banishment and there has never been an end to it since, though many that go looking for a Laseema fight, they usually end up getting more than they bargined for. The enviorns they call a Ways is dangerous and a good shapeshifting ability is nessesary for survival there. The current Head of House Laseema is Lord Asteroth du Laseema and their Ways reside in the          

House Barimen - Fallen house of Chaos.  After the treacherous actions of Dworkin and Oberon, the House was declared an enemy of the crown, their property seized and their lands cursed with such hatred that they sank and flooded, becoming what is now known as Cainsmarsh. Interestingly though, the house was not excommunicated. In the following years, House Barimen survived for a time, taking refuge in Tir-na Nog'th, or where-ever the legends whisper of. During the Pattern-Fall War, some of the members of this house came to fight along-side and support Chaos against Amber. Currently, the house is thought to be defunct, except one branch of the family granted the title ‘House Baal’ by the Crown of Chaos.
House update. Lord Baal du Barimen and his brother Lord Diablo, as well as the House’s younger generation; Matthius, Gazeroth, Seer, Zarathos, and Riva, have brought the family name out of the shadow’s of past disgrace by their impecable service in the Pattern-Fall War.   Gifting Lord Baal with his own House, the King of Chaos may have another close ally, or may have another pawn under his thumb. The current Head of House Barimen is unknown, though many consider it Dworkin of Amber.

I hope this was informative and helpful. If you like it please lemme know:
gabriel_ss4u@hotmail.com
Thank you to all those I 'borrowed' ideas from. All hail the limitless possibilities of the Amber Universe and those who brought it to life!
Thanks to Arref, MaBerry, Wujcik, and all those famous & rich writers who populate the Amber multi-verse with your imagination; Moorcock, Weis & Hickman, Tolkien, Anthony, hell, everyone!
If you look close I'm sure you can see the influence of Blizzard Ent.(Diablo/Starcraft), Geiger, StarWars, Dune, London Night Graphics, Sirius Comics, and a lot of other comics... and a lot of other books and movies...

[Nihilistic Mind]

Damn. :eek:

I'm not done reading through all of the houses above, gabriel_ss4u, but I'd like to make use of a lot of it.

I've come up with a list of names, for chaos houses, as well as individuals, but I usually don't flesh out what each family does until I introduce it to the PCs. I'll share the list when I get my hands on it.

Nemirab, huh, Arref? You don't have to go through the looking glass to go visit, now do you?

[gabriel_ss4u]

Thank you..

I do take a lot of pride and time and tend to get obsessive and slightly over-detailed, but only in non-play time... I like to populate my world with such a vast array of detailed info that it flows during game-play. I enjoy that Stephen King type of NPC development.

I have about 5 to 8 members (NPCs) of each of those houses ready made w/powers and backgrounds. I'll pass them on to a few people who ask through e-mail, but don't want them ALL out there for everyone to see. They vary in 3 levels of power, from high (Elders)  to medium, to lower (beginning 100 - 125 pt.) to round out the Courts.
THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I HAVE SHOW THIS LIST OF HOUSES OUTSIDE OF CAMPAIGN OR PLAY-TESTING THEM.

Obviously all the heads of the major houses and most of the heads of the minor houses are akin to Elder Amberites in my Campaign.
Think about it... After the Pattern Fall War most of the tough ones left are really tough to have survived. I like some that have died (like Chinaway) so have kept them to add the flavor...   I'm currently working on other things like populating the small group of Weirmonken which are like Primal villains in my Campaign (that haven't reared their heads yet in the story-line). I have Sauron as one... to give an idea.  Cathullu (sp?) would make another good one...

Would you like to hear about the elite group of young Chaosians entitled the Scions of the Serpent?

hmmmm.....?

[Croaker]

Oh yes, I would, as I would be interested by some sample NPCs, it is a great read

[gabriel_ss4u]

Keep eyes open for new thread... lemme stop writing on the fly and compoese something....
If I were more comfy w/on-line gaming I'd try it, but FTF is god to me...
I will post a Q for response on my Scions of the Serpent Idea from my campaign.
(Chaos' breeding project in anticipation of the Pattern Fall War)

[Trevelyan]

I've made useof the disgraces House Barimen in the past. It's excellent fodder for games involving very junior family members of other houses who want to take a step up the social ladder. Since the current Lord Barimen is exiled and in disgrace the position lies open to any ambitius Chaosite who can put together a claim for the title. Naturally the young scamps of House Sawall have an advantage, but it's surprising how many ladies of Chaos will admit to an affair with an Amberite if it means that their beloved Archibald can claim a title of his own. You can use it as a variation on the Throne War theme or a plot in an ongoing story.

House Ampersand was one of my favourites, largely because I like the word. In one game this house was behind a plot against King Merlin of Chaos utilising shape shifting to develop an army. I tinkered with the whole blood shaping idea and the possibility raised in the Shadow Knight suppliment that Julia might have been infected with Merlin's blood to develop a race of "vampires". But that's a story for another thread.

I generally go with seven "greater" houses (Swayvill, Sawall, Helgram, Hendrake, Jesby, etc) and as many minor houses as necessary. Position among the greater houses is flexible and a given house can wax or wane in power over time or due to political infighting. Hendrake is currently in a tailspin following large Patternfall losses and some equally distressing errors in the prelude to Merlin's acession. Barimen was formerly a a greater house but was politically discredited shortly before Dworkin left to create the Pattern, Some speculate as to which came first - was Dworkin discredited for delving into forbidden mysteries, or did anger at his political enemies lead him to betray Chaos?

[gabriel_ss4u]

You read me pretty well, and I like your thought to story-line progression...

The previous listing of Chaos Houses and description I placed was my 'hand-out' for a Chaos based campaign I wanna run featuring the Courts as the central focus, but don't have a group here, (why I'm jones-in'), so I keep writing up background stuff in spare time... Insomniac  (keep hearing voices in my dreams...)

The NPCs I populated the Courts w/ are vibrant breathing, believable Lords of dis-order. Well... not to go on... Every time I talk about those Logrus weilders, they seem to find out... and I have a few pts. of bad stuff to buy off yet...
patience, that's the ticket....

I've got the Vampires as a trademark of one of my top NPCs, Razell, House Vertix, One of her 12 went rogue, drank pattern blood... wreaked havoc.
Became a main-stay aligned with Abyss. (not to mention the level of fax paus it is to allow your pattern enriched blood go to a denizen of Chaos - "But she was real cute" Not the answer the King of Amber wants to hear from young Prince Reese.)

Eager to hear more.....

[JongWK]

*bump*

[Rel Fexive]

I've had ideas before for making a slightly different Chaos, basing it on ancient China, or the Byzantine empire, or, of course, Steven Brust's Dragaera....

The main thing is to make it different to Amber.  Multiple noble houses, a clearly defined (and possibly even strictly codified in tradition) succession, lots of magic, lots of Powers or Power sources, loads of stifling customs and ways of behaving - anything to play opposites to the home of the Pattern.

[jibbajibba]

Just cos I had this old doc on my laptop and I felt the Houses of Amber were getting a raw deal....

The Noble houses of Amber
In Amber as well as the Royal line there are many Noble houses of rank and title; no one save King Oberon is entirely sure of their origins. Enemies of Amber have been heard to say that the bastards of Oberon and any reprobates they cared to drag there populate the entire city.  Others believe that the families were indigenous to the area. Whatever their circumstances of origin, their presence of the Noble houses is an established fact of life in the Kingdom.

Whilst the princes tend to be above petty profiteering and most visit Amber only infrequently, the Noble Houses make Amber their home and there they ply their trades. The Nobles are born in the city of Amber, they live there and they die there (though they are as long lived as the Princes of the courts). It is therefore not surprising that many rivalries have arisen between Houses and individuals over the centuries. Of the many Houses about two dozen are of consequence. Of these some have fallen from grace over the years and wield small influence over the Royal Household today.

The first of the Houses worth mentioning is the House of Burgundy. Once indisputably the most powerful house, their star has waned somewhat with the demise of the Sanctum proper. However they yet have 6 Dukes in the military top brass and their patriarch the indomitable Fortinbras sits in judgement of the Kingdom as Lord of the Dungeon. They also have blood ties to Bartholomew, the Lord Architect and Mayor of the city of Amber, though officially divorced from all Noble ties he follows where his brother, Fortinbras, leads. Their strength 10 years ago was unquestionable, now with Rebecca gone, kidnapped some say and Mandragore exiled, their influence is less than it was. Fortinbras would appear to be attempting to revive their fortunes by closeting himself up with Cassandra as they search for Legal precedents supporting ways to make Dane the true heir to Oberon. However for that their Royal influence has slumped their financial clout is undiminished. They have enviable trade links to the Golden Circle and ships that are inspected and impounded for trade quota irregularities less often than those of their rivals. They also have unprecedented merchant connections in the market squares and are rumoured to be ruthless businessmen.

The second House is that of Castille. This once great House was in decline due largely to the machinations of the Burgundians and the rather unfortunate support of the Ubiquitous Triumvirate by several Castille Dukes a few hundred years ago. But Caspar the chamberlain harbours Castillian sympathies and of late, the machinations of Caspar have begun to bear fruit. The House is on the rise again. Caspar has succeeded in winning them a highly sought after position as chief negotiator in the upcoming talks finalising the rewrite of the Golden Circle Trade Agreement. Bayle the Merchant Taverner and Duke of Cloisters, is the head of the House and operates from his vineyards to the west of the city. He has recently attempted to revamp the image of the Castille wine stock. They found they were on the losing end of the new trade routes opened to the treaty Kingdoms by Hector's fleets that had led to an influx of frankly superior stock (This trade was largely controlled by Burgundy). They have now abandoned production of the infamous 'Bayles piss' white table wine, and concentrated on their older and far superior reds, known as "Reaujelais's". Bayle has also stepped up his efforts to help Randall the Master Purser award more city trade licences to Castille sponsored businesses. He created the "Castille covenants" guaranteeing struggling businesses the protection of the House Castille in return for a small stipend. Finally Bayle has attempted to consolidate the unofficial alliance between his House and the House of Romanov by announcing the engagement of his daughter Selendia to the fiery young Captain Bartok; though it is rumoured amongst the more vicious gossips that the only flame Bartok holds is for Princess Charity. A number of the younger members of the House Castille sport the emerald rings that mark favour with the fair Princess Charity. Indeed a gaggle of young nobles, mostly Castillians with a few Romanovs seem to always be sharing some joke or other with Charity. Reuben's youngest son Konrad was the most famous member of this group.

Next we have the Romanovs, a fledgling House. The Romanov owe their success to the cunning of Felix Duke of Candles, their 'de facto' leader, and the loyalty, bravery and considerable knowledge of the blade of Captain Bartok. Bartok used to be Ernaux's right-hand man before Ernaux was incapacitated; but the fame he won in the Battle of Angels has resulted in there being no shortage of employment offers for new posts. Bartok is still considering his options but the smart money hedges that he'll accept a position as Captain of the city guard or Duel-master General as it more commonly known. The position is vacant after the brutal murder of Timbalt in the shadowy Street of Sighs. He was the former occupant. Bartholomew the Lord Architect reluctantly offered Bartok the position, after Caspar recommended him. Rumour has it the Lord Architect wanted his own man Oregant for Duel-Master General but Caspar over-ruled him. Hence Bartok's candidacy has not been well received by the House of Burgundy. Bartok has been the target of several potentially fatal 'accidents' in various streets and taverns around Amber. None of them have so far succeeded. For all their individual brilliance the Romanov lack the resources or numbers to challenge their larger rivals for dominance although their private guard is said to rival the Knights of the Dark Cloud, Prospero's old elite force, in skill and loyalty. If they are to grow it will only be through alliance and diplomacy.

The oldest House in Amber the long extinct House of Marm has been a topic of conversation recently. There have been several mysterious sightings of their House colours flying on ships leaving the Grand Harbour bound for the shadows. News has spread like wildfire amongst the merchant fleets that return of the ancient Harbour Masters is imminent. They say that once more the Regal White Horse of Marm shall flutter above the Harbour entrance as it always did of old, before Oberon extinguished the House for its part in the ill-fated Moonghesh affair.

Another ancient House, the Beauforts, has risen in prominence these last 10 years. Though the cream of the House was slaughtered defending Oberon's troops in the much-lamented Battle of 16 Tears they have finally swelled in numbers enough to reclaim their old cloth trade routes to the land-locked Inner Duchies. Their Head, the lofty Madam Miribelle Du Font, daughter of the late Monfort Beaufort has succeeded where generations of male leaders could not. She has promoted the importance of the lady Nobles of the House and has often passed over prominent male candidates for positions of note in favour of lesser known Ladies and Duchesses. This policy has compensated for the lacklustre abilities of the males of the House and has provided her with a considerable stock of feminine wiles and charms with which to manipulate the other Houses. Miribelle was rumoured in her younger days to have enjoyed the Royal favours of the late Prince Dorian.

The most significant of the non-Amberian Houses is the House of T'gat, a Rebman noble House of some stature. It was the overthrow of this venerable House 400 years ago that forced Oberon to sponsor a Rebma coup and place his daughter Janaya on the Throne there. He restored the House and executed all the insurgents responsible for its initial overthrow. The current Sultan of T'gat, Y'lisst is a man of considerable talents; he controls virtually all Rebman trade with Amber. He has also negotiated a lucrative deal with the House of Burgundy guaranteeing the protection of its fleets by his underwater vessels in the turbulent dangerous waters off the coast of Amber. This has given the Burgundians another significant advantage over their rivals. Of course there are always those cynics who observe that perhaps the 'dangerous' tides are a product of his design in the first place. Y'lisst and his seven sons are favourites of the Queen Janaya.

The two arcane Houses of Chantris and Feldrane enjoy huge influence with the numerous Unicorn cults spread throughout the lower city.
House Chantris has its sprawling estates in the west of Arden and specialises in producing the skilled huntsmen and mounts most favoured by Prince Garreth.
The consort of the noble Lord of House Feldrane, Beldavire, is Reginea who is sister to Clarise. Clarise was the tragically murdered wife of Prince Reuben, heir to the Throne of Amber.

Finally it is only proper to save a mention for House Pollandine, who Nobles number in the thousands and clog the lower chambers of the Fencing schools. The famous 'Pollandine Dynasty Wars' for control of their southern spice farms raged for over a hundred years and produced many significant battles, deeds, heroes and villains of note, not least the notorious traitor Rake.