Post your Amber Houses

[gabriel_ss4u]

Hi, welcome...
Pleez feel free to post any Amber houses you have from your campaign for a kinda-resource or database of stuff if you like.

Could be many or a few, Amber or Golden Circle.
Add what info you like about them, and if you want to elaborate on your Houses, have a post for each one should they be long enough seperately.

Jibbajibba has a nice list too, I hope he posts as does everyone else.

If you see a house you have comments or questions on, please feel free to ask/comment the poster.

[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; both on-line & off, this is small but I plan on adding to it, feel free to use this info too, lemme know if it's helpful.

[jibbajibba]

Its old but you are more than welcome to have a look. I must tidy this site up a few gems in there.

http://www.jibbajibba.com/Amber/power_is_the_key/houses/index.html

[RPGPundit]

In my campaign, I haven't used any noble houses aside from those mentioned in Shadow Knight.  Of those, the two that, as houses, have most influenced the game thus far are Bayle and Karm.  The former because Caine's last girlfriend was Vinta Bayle and she has a connection to Caine's sons (though she's not their mother), and the latter because one of the PCs is the daugther of Llewella and a (deceased) member of the house of Karm, and actual cousin to the current head of that house.

Both of those houses also have a considerable presence in the affairs of the Amber Navy, which another PC is currently head of.

RPGPundit

[gabriel_ss4u]

I just found this web page today.
Has some interesting stuff; take a peek.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~fazzari/Amber/Wendi/AmberHouses.html

[RPGPundit]

Pretty interesting, I have to say. There are already so many NPCs though, I don't think in my campaign you'd ever see a situation where all the amber houses ended up that detailed. Maybe one or two IF they were of particular interest to the PCs, none of them having been so as of yet.

RPGPundit

[gabriel_ss4u]

yup, well, sourcebook material is always good to have on hand, even if it is yer own made up source material.
 Any other thoughts? ... opinions on the Houses i have listed?

[daniel_ream]

I tend to run my Amber campaigns as a superpowered version of The Lion in Winter, so having houses of nobles in Amber never really appealed to me.  I've never seen Amber as a game of politics.

[RPGPundit]

I do think there's a lot of room for "politics in Amber"; but its a completely uneven brand of politics.  The Amberites are so vastly more significant compared to the various houses of non-amberite nobles out there, that it means that the politics of the other houses basically revolve around backing the right Amberite or getting a sufficiently powerful Amberite or Amberites to sponsor (protect, assist, grant influence to) them.

And that can make for some very interesting RP.

RPGpundit

[gabriel_ss4u]

IMC, Amberites are not the be all-end ell, there are other Immortals, some of the elders of which are ranking up with the PCs of experience and a few even out powering, out thinking, or out maneuvering them even. Near Amber IMC, within the Golden Circle, is a realm which caters to the gods, Amberites there have much more fun as there are others of their caliber there, in that Shadow, which is real, there is much to attract an immortal. Though money everywhere else is useless as a bargaining piece, because it is so easily gained, here, the currency is secrets, favors, & artifacts of TRUE power. the monetary system for the place is a magical metal, like mythril, or any of your choice. But you as a GM would have to impress it's need & import upon the players & scene. Simply explain, like some artifacts, (ie; Blue Stones) it cannot be created or reached thru the powers. There is a big powerful meanie, mean enough to allow Oberon to have let him run his realm. HERE, there can be much intrigue and politics. (I have Eric as the head of the religious order of the Unicorn based here, runs parts of the city like Richelieu. Loki takes up residence, real-estate there is expensive too. (points or bid or favors, etc)
It is more fun for an over the edge adventure setting and risk level for the players at times.