Funky Chaos Houses Thread

[RPGPundit]

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.

My Courts of Chaos are very different from Amber, but they are also specifically and intentionally different from any human culture.  They just don't work that way; the key to Chaos is not that it should seem "foreign", it should seem "Alien".

RPGPundit

[Trevelyan]

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

Bonus points if you can go back and add paragraphs!

[Rel Fexive]

My Courts of Chaos are very different from Amber, but they are also specifically and intentionally different from any human culture.  They just don't work that way; the key to Chaos is not that it should seem "foreign", it should seem "Alien".

RPGPundit

Oh I quite agree.  The most annoying thing in the most recent Amber game I was playing was the Chaos people with "ordinary" names - such as Gilbert.

The GM's explanation was that {A} Gilbert was a common-ish name because of a famous historical figure; and {B} since Amberites have "ordinary" names and the family originally comes from Chaos, people in Chaos also have "ordinary" names.

I found them ridiculous.

But that's another issue for another thread.

[Nihilistic Mind]

Oh I quite agree.  The most annoying thing in the most recent Amber game I was playing was the Chaos people with "ordinary" names - such as Gilbert.

The GM's explanation was that {A} Gilbert was a common-ish name because of a famous historical figure; and {B} since Amberites have "ordinary" names and the family originally comes from Chaos, people in Chaos also have "ordinary" names.

I found them ridiculous.

But that's another issue for another thread.

I know what you mean. My players have such a hard time with pronouncing some of the weird names I've come up with... They're not all completely alien, but they're definitely weird enough that players will mispronounce one of them once in a while, which makes for interesting roleplaying when the Lord of Chaos in question finds it offensive.

Some names should be completely impossible to pronounce correctly without shapeshifting your mouth, tongue or vocal chords, for all I know...

[gabriel_ss4u]

Have not been on fer a bit, but...
I have some Amber Houses too, almost as many as the Chaos ones I posted.

I'll post them up here or start a new thread for Golden Circle Houses
later

missed everyone, lotsa stuff happening on the home-sted, and trying to keep the MIG's from noticing me... really.

Don't know if I'll be able to GM @ Arizona-con, but i may be there to play, I'll keep in touch
Gabriel

[Trevelyan]

Jibbajibba - good stuff, and bonus points for you!

[gabriel_ss4u]

Okee-Dokee
Here's my Amber Houses, though we should start a new thread on these...
I'll start a new one for the Scions

But here's this;

The Great Houses of Amber

House Bayle - Noble house of Amber; hereditary rulers of Baylesport. Known for their skill at wine-making, the members of House Bayle tend to reside in Amber City and Baylesport. They have a manor house a few leagues outside of Baylesport called Arbor House. The Bayles are among the richest families in Amber. Vinta Bayle,  (Vincent’s third daughter), was mistress to Prince Caine for a time. The crest of House Bayle is a hound's head surrounded by vines, and the current Head of the House is Baron Vincent du Bayle.

House Cezare - Hereditary rulers of Ghenesh. House Cezare is known for its controlling interest in the agriculture of Ghenesh, and it is very involved in trade in Amber City. House Cezare is said to be rather 'provincial' by the city houses, but they are still welcomed at major events. The crest of House Cezare is an oak tree over a field of brown, and the current Head of the House is Lady Morgana.
House Chantris - Noble house of Amber City. House Chantris is the second oldest noble house in all of Amber, dating back to the time of Oberon's early reign. The family is known for its horses, which tend to be the finest breeds available in Amber. The crest of House Chantris is a red horse on a field of gold above three crowns. The current Head of House Chantris is Lord Gideon.

House Feldane - Noble house of Amber City. House Feldane is a house of noble scholars, and the family is known for its grand library, located in their manor house in the Eastern Marches. Miraculously, the library survived the Pattern-Fall War intact. The crest of House Feldane is a scroll on a burgundy field, and the current Head of the House is Lord Tujurane Ibold Elfant Feldane IV.

House Karm - Noble house of Amber City. The oldest noble house in all of Amber and the Golden Circle. House Karm has traditionally always been a military house, and they were fervent supporters of King Oberon before the conflict between House Karm, Finndo, and Osric. After Oberon decided against his son Osric in his vendetta against House Karm, there was little of the house left. They had little effect standing against Osric on their own and relocated some of their holdings to Corilaine. It is important to note that Lord Edward Karm was husband to Princess Florimel before his untimely death. (as the rumors go). The only offsring of Prince Osric and Lady Harriet du Karm is Prince Caspien. The crest of House Karm is a golden serpent entwined around a silver sword on a black field. The current Head of the House is Lord Armars du Karm, followed by Duke Kieran.

House LeDorne - Noble house of Amber. Hereditary rulers of LeDorne in the Golden Circle. Originally a wealthy merchant house, Mishel LeDorne purchased his nobility and used his financial power to become ruler of the surrounding lands. Over time, however, the family has fallen on hard times, and the current head of house, Queen Maeve, is really little more than a puppet to her greedy and ambitious husband, Claudio. House LeDorne has always been involved in trade by land and sea. The crest of the House is an upright sword over a field of grey, and to its left, three gold coins stacked in a column.

House Redwyn - Noble house of Amber City. A minor noble house that is heavily involved in the carpentry and masons' guilds, House Redwyn achieved a good measure of prominence in aiding the building of Newcastle, funded by House Karm, to be a retreat for the royals of Amber. The crest of House Redwyn depicts a castle facade on a field of blue. The current Head of the House is Baroness Helena.

House Rein - Noble house of Amber I remembered Rein as a child. I was already full grown by then and he was a candidate for court jester. A thin, wise kid.  People had kidded him too much.  Me included.  But I wrote music, composed ballads, and he'd picked up a lute somewhere and had taught himself how to use it.  Soon we were singing with voces together raised and all like that, and before long I took a liking to him and we worked together. practicing the martial arts. He was lousy at them.  But I felt kind of sorry for the way I had treated him earlier, what with the way he had dug my stuff, so I forced the fake graces upon him and also made him a passable saber man. I'd never regretted it, and I guess he didn't either. Before long, he became minstrel to the court of Amber. I had called him my page all that while, and when the wars beckoned, against the dark things out of Shadow called Weirmonken,  I made him my squire, and we had ridden off to the wars together. I knighted him upon the battlefield, at Jones Falls,  and he had deserved it.  After that, he had gone on to become my better when it came to the ways of words and music.  His colors were crimson and his words were golden.  I loved him, as one of my two or three friends in Amber.  I didn't think he'd take the risk he had to bring me a decent meal, though. I didn't think anyone would.  I had another drink and smoked another cigarette, in his name, to celebrate him.  He was a good man.  I wondered how long he would survive.     Corwin in  GofA

House Sento - Noble house of Amber. Hereditary rulers of Sento. Though Sento is primarily rural and pastoral, the capital city of Norn d'Sark is actually very civilized. House Sento is ruled by Baron Timeus, an austere, older man who has survived since before the time of the Patternfall War, in which he fought as a young man. House Sento oversees the managing and trade of livestock. The crest of House Sento is a sheaf of wheat opposite a horse balanced on a scale with a gold crown above, all over a field of blue.

House Thessala - Noble house of Amber. Hereditary rulers of Mordentia. Duke Laoric of House Thessela rules Mordentia, a land whose primary exports are from mining. This house tends to be rather stand-offish and they seldom have anything to do with the court scene in Amber. The crest of House Thessala is a seven-headed hydra with various colored bejeweled eyes on a field of green.

House Wayreth - Noble house of Amber. Hereditary rulers of Deiga. The member of House Wayreth tend to involve themselves in shipbuilding, sea trade, and naval careers. The crest of House Wayreth is a trident laying horizontal on a field of blue, over three stars. The current Head of the House is King Nathaniel.

Thanks to those I got ideas from, this is small but I plan on adding it to Jibbajibba's when I have time, feel free to use this too.

[RPGPundit]

Neat, gabriel, but you should really repost this in a new thread!

RPGPundit