Ilbarych Noble Houses

The Royal House

Status: 8
There is only ever one Royal House in Ilbarych at a time, a position often contested for, though few have ever attained it. The Royal House maintains its ancestral domains, though tradition usually puts those domains into the hands of a Seneschal while the Crown is in residence in Crownhold.

• House Ylrath: Like every other Royal House in Ilbarych's history, House Ylrath hails from a Steelvale domain. They are known for the fine apples and pears of their orchards, and the ciders and perrys made thereby. Unlike their Arret predecessors, the Ylrath Crowns have all favored peaceful resolutions and mediation in dealing with political strife, rather than shows of force.

The Great Houses

Status: 6-7
The Great Houses are, in many ways, the true powers of the Crowndom. Any four of them exceed the royal house in terms of wealth and military might – indeed, when previous royal houses have fallen, the next to hold the Crown has always been taken from the Great Houses of the time.

Six of the Great Houses hold Wardenship over one of the realms of the Crowndom. These Wardens are mighty within their own territory, and though not all houses within that territory owe them direct fealty, they speak with the authority of the Crown in their governance of that realm. Of course, Warden Houses can and have been replaced before.

• House xxx: Warden of the Steel Mountains. xxx
• House xxx: Warden of Steelvale. xxx
• House xxx: Warden of the Barrowhills. xxx
• House xxx: Warden of Three-Rivers. xxx
• House xxx: Warden of the Greensward. xxx
• House xxx: Warden of Northshore. xxx

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The Lesser Houses

Status: 4-5

• House Ceolfrey: A noble House related to the Ilbarych by blood, House Ceolfrey once reigned as the Royal House, after the ruination of House Ilbarych by wealdfolk assassins. In the aftermath, their scions wore the Crown for most of Ilbarych's history, over two hundred years. Unfortunately, the House's blood began to wear thin, wearied by the years of assassinations, infighting, and political strife it took to hold the Crown for all that time. Their last Crown Domerr fell to madness, leading to the Arret Uprising. In the aftermath, House Ceolfrey was permitted to return to their Steelvale domains to live out the rest of their days in obscurity, and obscurity in which they still dwell.
• House xxx: xxx
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The Landed Families

Status: 3

Extinct Houses

• House Ilbarych: The first Royal House of Ilbarych, only three of this House ever wore the Crown, and none for longer than a decade. The years of the Ilbarych Crowns were full of strife and assassination, ultimately culminating in the murder of the entire House by wealdfolk assassins.
• House Arret: Warlike and grasping, the Arrets saw their chance to seize the Crown when the madness of Domerr Ceolfrey became known. Insisting that this weakness was endemic in the Ceolfrey bloodline as a whole, House Arret mobilized their allies and their armies and marched on Crownhold. After the resigned surrender of the Crown, the Arrets were forbidden by their allies to end the Ceolfrey line; they insisted that regicide was a sin unforgivable to their ways, and promised to rise up against the Arrets if they slaughtered Domerr or any of his kin after their surrender. The Arrets remained warlike throughout their reign, frequently choosing military action and personal violence when dealing with their foes. There were only six Arret Crowns – the last, Tyrtannus, was overthrown after his cousin seized a bride from one of the Great Houses by force, and Tyrtannus sided with his cousin's brutality. This would not stand for the other Great Houses, who rose up and overthrew them. The House the young woman was stolen from led this uprising and the young woman herself wore the Crown afterwards.