Noble, Military & Guild Houses of Gir

Greater Noble Houses of Gir

• House of Crows: the Imperial family for countless generations, the House of Crows were the founders of Gir centuries ago.
• House of Ravens: their wide spread spy network and undying loytalty to the Empire has always been a well known trait of the Ravens. They refused to accept the High Command as an authority in Gir and for their continued resistance they were executed entirely, down to the last man, woman and child. Many were able to flee, vanishing into the shadows where they possessed greater influence, others crossed the borders and became invisible amongst the people of Hana. They seek to pull the High Command down and if they cannot find a true heir of the Crows, they will see a Magpie sit the throne. They do not seek to rule, their role is to serve given their special talents.
• House Rook: the Rooks have always been a surly and disagreeable house with the blood of ancient sorcerers in their veins. It's a well known tale in Gir that it was they who instigated the coup by giving the idea to the High Commander. House Rook remains in positions of great power. The powerful sorcerer Innes of the House Rook is the vizier to the High Commander and rumored to be the true power of Gir with his small army of Rook sorcerers.
• House Magpie: The Magpies are quiet, collected and speak when necessary. They have always given wise counsel to the Crows. Once they saw that the coup of the High Commander was victorious, they bent the knee, knowing that more death at this point in time would prove no purpose.
• House of Black Birds: People rarely speak of the Black Birds, many outside Gir don't even remember to count them amongst the greater houses. They are a small house with lands that lie entirely within the forest south of Olmon. Their neighbors and closest allies were the dwarves of Olmon. When High Command sentenced the dwarves to the doom of their halls, many of he Black Birds entered the gates to be sealed inside with their friends, hoping that they would be able to aid them in their darkest of times. Those who remained in their forest outside tend to keep to themselves. They quietly watch and wait, hoping to see the gates open again. It is said that when the dwarves are ready for vengeance, they will likely throw their lot in to aid them. High Command rarely enters their territory as strange things happen in that dark forest where the black birds sing.

Lesser Noble Houses of Gir

• House of the Owl: the Owls were one of the three noble houses to conspire with the High Command to overthrow the Empire. The Owls were bought with coin and empty promises of land and power that they continue to believe will be fulfilled.
• House of Mallards: bravery and justice are traits that mark the Mallards. Many knights come from this household and they were loyal to the Crows. They gritted their teeth and bowed the knee hesitantly and with barely contained rage because the Ravens and Magpie had pleaded with them to do so, assuring them that it was a necessary farce - they needed powerful allies in Gir for when the time came to cast the High Command out and retake Gir.
• House of Thrushes: the Thrushes were one of the three noble houses to conspire with the High Command to overthrow the Empire. As a result, the Thrushes household split in half, those opposing the High Command defected and joined others that had chosen to became part of Hana.
• House Sparrow: What? Who? Us? We were just sitting here...sitting. Look! A jackalwere! *poof* The Sparrows are..."twitchy" and always seem nervous on the verge of fainting. They lost the bulk of their lands when their own people seceded and became part of Hana. The Sparrows loved the Emperor and especially the Empress, but they surrendered to the High Command as soon as they saw they bore weapons. Then fainted.
• House of Jays: quickly temperamental, brash and often erratic, the House of Jays love to fight. They fought for the Empire during the coup and they lost. So they naturally threw their lot in with the winner, the High Command. Most consider this house to be a explosive keg stuffed full of angry, hungry direwolves. Useful but dangerous and requiring careful aiming.
• House of Quails: the Quails was rewarded their titles and given lands for their part in the coup, having not been a noble house at all prior to the High Command. The head of their household was one of the cooks in the Imperial Palace and had killed a guard and allowed the coup soldiers to quietly enter the palace through a servants entrance. He was rewarded by the High Commander, who found it humorous to grant him the title of a small terrified flightless bird.

Military Houses of Gir

• House of Lions: once the head of the military houses, they were brave and valorous, but they were vain and egotistical. Now they are the rulers of the land. The House of Lions is the house of the High Commander.
• House of Hounds: guardsmen, police, hangsmen, lawmen; the Hounds follow and enforce the law of Gir, they do not much worry about who is making the laws, sleeping with who or the gossip of the land; they have a purpose and they are driven to fulfill it.
• House Bear: some of the greatest warriors in the history of Gir come from the Bears, they have a long running friendly rivalry with the Boars. The bears are proud of who they are, their nation, image is important to them, they fought for the Empire and they grieve its downfall still, they lost many of their house to the High Command, many in battle and more following the coup to execution for not agreeing to bend the knee
• House of the Boar: like the Bears, the Boars are a house of warriors, but where the bears are proud of their national heritage and image, the Boars do not - they like to fight, they love to kill and proving themselves the strongest, the best!
• House of the Hawk: once a greater noble house, the House of Hawks had rebelled and refused to remain in line after the fall of the Crows. Unlike the House of Ravens which was culled for their inability to fall in line, the Hawks quieted after they were stripped of their titles and ranks, their lands given to others and the heads of their household executed. High Command is very harsh on the Hawks to this day due to the rumors of their elven heritage. It is true that they tend to have some elven features and the house is renown for their keen sight and archery skills.

Guild Houses of Gir

• House of Turtles: the ever elegant and well dressed Turtles own and control the Mines of Gir, they manage precious stones and metals as well as production of iron and steel, forges, blacksmiths, jewelers, weapon and armorsmiths
• House of Foxes: this house deals primarily in textiles and tailored goods, from clothing to rugs and tapestries as well as skilled workers. The House of Foxes is rumored to be affiliated with The Foundation and once openly traded with the North until High Command forbade it. The foxes are well known heretics, choosing to forsake worship of the gods. If not for their wealth and power, they would have been likely to have vanished with the Empire. They also have fire arms - but High Command doesn't know this. The foxes cannot be trusted, but they CAN be trusted to fight on any side that rises against High Command.
• House Antelope: this house deals in farmed goods; grains, oats, produce, dairy and meat. The put a great deal of effort in avoiding politics.
• House Badger: this house deals in professional construction; carpenters, masons, engineers, brick makers, foremen, etc. House Badger had been closely allied with the dwarves of Olmon.
• House of Snakes: this house deals in alchemical research and goods, medicine, perfumes and cosmetics. The Snakes are often erratic, eccentric and no longer entirely human as many of them experiment upon themselves through advanced alchemy and augmentation. Most of them still tend to smell very nice.
• House of Squirrels: this house controlled and managed trade routes, caravans, teamsters - much of their wealth began to shrink after the Empire fell as High Command began cutting all ties and trade with the other nations. This all suddenly changed and they are now referred to as the House of Flying Squirrels due to the invention of their airships. The High Command immediately procured their technology (after the deaths of some of the Squirrels who had refused) and are turning it to military applications. The High Commander sought to honor them by raising them to nobility, but they refused. This has not set well with the High Command and the squirrels are constantly under watch and pressure from the government - the smallest slip results in arrests and they are never seen again. The Squirrels still grow rich as their house receives royalties and compensation for the ships the military builds and pays their foremen to oversee. The Ravens see a great deal of this coin. Coin that will help pave the road for a new Emperor to walk into Gir upon.
• House Gopher: this house controls about every aspect of tobacco from planting it all the way to the end products; smoking tobacco, medicinal tobacco provided to the Snakes, even tobacco parchment, which is the paper used throughout Gir. House Gopher is, has always been and will likely remain neutral in affairs of state unless it were to impact their business.