Broken Promises
Welcome - Characters - The Empire of the Eternal Sun - Map - Costuming
Note: All information found on this page will be provided to all players at the game, plus can also be downloaded here. Characters whose names are in maroon and bold are player characters, names just in bold are characters of note who are not present in the game session.
Welcome to the Empire of the Sun.
Twelve great Houses make an Empire.
But the war between House Foxham and House Houndsly has lasted hundreds of years, so long that the history books no longer record what caused it. Both families insist the other's ancestors had insulted their ancestors in a manner most vile, and they would not let it rest until apology was given.
And yet, all things must come to an end. It has been decreed that peace must reign in these lands, and to that end marriage has been arranged between the son of one house and the daughter of the other. Finally, two great houses divided by enmity will be united in holy matrimony.
Today is the day, most auspicious for such an occasion, when the vows will be made. But also, today is the day where both the bride and groom have disappeared.
Loud voices on all sides throw accusations and threats, but peace, true peace was the goal! Who would do such a thing, to allow this horrible war to continue, when both sides had made their oaths that this was to be?
Who is responsible for these broken promises?
The Houses
Each House is reposible for their own territory, and swear allegiance to the Monarch.
House Boyd
- Duke Diego Boyd - Head of House Boyd, married to Duke Consort Ashton Boyd.
- Duke Consort Ashton Boyd - Married to Duke Diego Boyd.
House Daugherty
- Magister Daugherty - Originally the Duke, they became the Magister about 5 years ago. Married to Duchess Consort Abigail Daugherty.
- Duchess Consort Abigail Daugherty - Wife to Magister Daugherty.
House Dominguez
- Duke Quincy Dominguez is 98 years old, and his wife is not that much younger. He is very much infirm and the House is waiting with bated breath for his passing. As a result, while they were obviously invited to the occasion, all of the important members of the House sent their apologies.
- The designated heir is Lady Luna Dominguez, a granddaughter, eldest daughter of his eldest son.
- Lady Tru Dominguez - A very well known socialite.
House du Bree
- Duchess Storm du Bree - A young Duchess, her father died three years ago elevating her to the Head of the House and Duchy.
- Duchess Consort Joyce du Bree - Married to Duchess Storm du Bree.
- Lady Allissia du Bree - Younger sister to Duchess Gwendolyn Houndsley and Braithwaite's sister-in-law. She is the bride's Aunt, and married Lord Porter du Bree. Porter is a distant cousin to Duchess Storm du Bree.
House Foxham
- Duchess Consort Guinevere Foxham - Mother of the groom, wife of Duke Reginald Foxham who is the head of House Foxham.
- Lord Colm Foxham - eldest son of Duke Reginald and Duchess Consort Guinevere Foxham, and today's groom. He is currently missing.
- Lady Eloise Foxham - daughter of Duke Reginald and Duchess Consort Guinevere Foxham.
House Gardrich
- Duke Rafael Gardrich and Duchess Consort Sandra Gardrich are not present with us at the moment, as they are outside directing the search operation, as the people most informed about the castle, grounds, and town below. The only representatives of the House at the moment are two of the staff.
- Mary Taylor - a member of the House Gardrich staff.
- Colin Smith - a member of staff, brought on to help handle the extra work for the event.
House Hartmon
- The Duke and Duchess Consort are newlyweds with their wedding about a month ago. This occasion is their first social outing since the wedding.
- Duke Lucas Hartmon - A quiet, competent man.
- Duchess Consort Victoria Hartmon - Married to Duke Lucas Hartmon.
House Houndsley
- Duke Consort Braithwaite Houndsly - Father of the bride, married to Duchess Gwendolyn Houndsly, who head the House.
- Lady Madelyn Houndsly - Daughter and only child of Duchess Gwendolyn and Duke Consort Braithwaite Houndsly.
House Patterson
- Duchess Constance Patterson - A recent widow, her husband passed away just under a year ago.
House Pax
- Obviously, His Majesty King Landon is head of House Pax, and while he, his wife Queen Consort Marissa, and their children (Princess Liandra, Prince Augustus, and Prince Willham) are present, they have decided to be elsewhere while the current? affairs are being sorted.
- Lord Mason of House Pax - Lord of the King's Peace, tall and well muscled, visibly armed, responsible for security for the event. Lord Mason is a distant cousin of the King and is married with children. With His Majesty ?choosing? not to join the rest of the guests here, Lord Mason is the only representative of House Pax.
House Rose
- Lord Jayden Rose - Son of Duke Lainly Rose and Duchess Consort Everly Rose, and heir to the Duchy. The Duke recently broke his leg in a riding accident and couldn't attend the event, so has sent his son and daughter-in-law to represent the House.
- Lady Nia Rose - Married to Lord Jayden Rose, she is slightly younger than her husband, and is also stylishly, but tastefully dressed.
- Lord Alexander Rose - Guinevere's brother and the groom's Uncle.
House Snow
- Duchess Jade Snow - Wife to Duke Consort Boyd. Theirs was a political marriage.
- Duke Consort Gianni Boyd of House Snow - Husband of Duchess Snow.
The Church of the Eternal Sun
The main church is The Church of the Eternal Sun.
Their belief is that there is a creator, who lives outside the world and the prime agent of the creator is the Sun, without which life cannot exist. The moon is a secondary agent, who keeps you safe at night, and all of the other stars in the sky are also agents of the creator, but for their own separate and distant worlds.
The creator and the sun are both considered genderless, while the moon is considered male when full, female when new, and neither or both when waxing or waning.
A common benediction from members of the Church is "Peace to the land".
The phrase "where the sun doesn't shine" is considered vulgar, and refers to both the backside, and hell.
Representing the Church at this occasion are:
- Archbishop Nova Felice, head of the religion of the Empire - they are wearing formal vestments for the occasion.
- Bishop Maxwell James - Bishop for House Gardrich, here to officiate the wedding, a middle aged man he is wearing his formal vestments, which are much more understated than the Archbishops.
The Guilds
There are many Guilds across the empire and the heads of all of the Guilds were invited to the event, but most have offered their apologies.
Key Guild Heads are:
- Boston Sandoval - Weaver's Guild.
- Halo Davenport - Armourer's Guild. Considering the sheer amount of arms and armour members of his guild are responsible for, it seems? in bad taste for him to be at a wedding designed to foster peace.
- Ivory Perez - Merchants' Guild.
- Lennox Murray - Miners' Guild
- Moises Solomon - Sailors; Guild
- Simon Williams - Mercanaries' Guild
Others
There are of course those present who don't fit into any of the other categories.
- Crew Melton - A very successful businessman, dressed in fine business attire.
- The Amazing Jaxxon Jackson - a bard and the entertainment for the reception. Overdressed, as appropriate for being the entertainment.
Magic
Magic exists and is accepted, but tends to be rather rare. An official ruling by The Church of the Eternal Sun stated that magic is neither good nor evil, and is simply a tool, and it is the intent of the user that can be good or evil, not the magic itself.
People with talent in magic tend to join the church, or get a noble patron, as magic study is expensive.
Gender
Due to some incredibly effective (and in some cases merciless) Queens in the Empire's history, the laws of the land are very gender neutral in most cases.
Titles and inheritance by default pass to the eldest recognised child.
Marriage may be between any genders, but marriages involved titles or significant potential inheritance are considered transient until an heir is declared. If either party of a transient marriage dies before an heir is declared, the marriage is immediately annulled and is considered to have never happened.
When members of different house marry, the couple need to choose which family name or names they are going to use. One could change their family name to the other's family name, and then all children are considered part of the named family. However, the pair can choose not to change either name. In this case the children have both names until their majority where they choose which one to keep.
Nobility and Titles
The rule of the Empire is the King (masculine), Queen (feminine), or Regent (neutral), and their spouse is the King Consort, Queen Consort, or Regent Consort. The current rulers are King Landon and Queen Consort Marissa. These people are referred to as ?Your Majesty?.
Anyone who is immediately related to the ruler gains the title of Prince, Princess or Princeps for the rest of their life. The heir to the throne is Princess Liandra, and is referred to as ?Your Highness?.
The Empire is split into a number of Duchies, with a single family responsible for each one. The head of each of these families is the Duke, Duchess, or Noble. Their spouse is the Duke Consort, Duchess Consort, or Noble Consort. Rulers of the houses are referred to as ?Your Grace?, while the terms ?Lord?, ?Lady?, or ?Honourable? are appropriate for other members of a noble family.
The adjective ?Ducal? describes anything of or relating to the Duchy, or the ruler of the Duchy.
The special title Magister can be claimed by anyone with another title, and indicates that the person considers their role to be more important than themselves, and as a result they are putting that role ahead of their own interests. A Magister is considered genderless and is never referred to by name, and instead is referred to a Magister {Position}. The honorific for a Magister is simply ?Magister?.
The Church of the Sun has a fairly flat structure, and almost all positions of note are Bishops (male, female, and neutral). The head of the church is the Archbishop. The honorific for all bishops is ?Revered? while the Archbishop is ?Most Revered?.
Organised Crime
Despite everyone's best efforts, organised crime is still a problem in the Empire.
The Family is the biggest and most well known of the criminal organisations. They are spread all over the Empire, and supposedly even beyond it.
The organisation known as the Night Guild tends to focus on the southern coast, and can be found in the Duchies of Boyd, Patterson, du Bree, Daugherty, and Dominguez.
The Stone Arc tends to work along lands abutting the mountain range of the same name: du Bree, Houndsly, Foxham, and Rose.
The Pirates of the Sunlit Sea (usually just referred to as The Pirates,) tend to work in the eastern ocean, causing trouble in the lands of Dominguez, Pax (including the islands), Gardrich, and Snow.
The organisation known as the Underground can be found anywhere, and mostly focus on smuggling operations.
The most recently discovered organisation is known as the Protectorate, and seems to operate in Daughtery, Hartmon, and Rose lands.
Weapons and Equipment
Lord Mason had everyone frisked for weapons as they came in. Understandable, considering the circumstances.