Lore
Five great houses join together to settle their differences at The Faire.
Each house represents an autonomous state with vastly different culture, landscape and resources. With a growing threat of invasion from across the ocean, rapid population growth, and deeply entrenched cultural differences, tensions between the houses are growing.
To appease tension and settle differences of opinion, The Royals have called a grand Faire.
Pull together a travelling party, join your house's delegation, and settle it in person over a pint, some music & a champion's battle.
*Note from Maddy: Nik and the authors have cooked up an entire backstory for this thing, which is great if you like knowing why the wizard is beefing with the king. If not, there's ale to drink, things to explore and goblins to watch wrestle. Both approaches are equally valid.
The Houses
Four Houses represent large states, each with its own land, politics and people. A fifth house presiding in a city-territory, The Royals, holds the houses together under a constitutional monarchy.
The Royals
Pretty, potent, paid
Listen to "Harlot Behaviour" on SpotifyThe Royals are a single large family. All other consituents who live in their city are from other Houses and may not represent them in the colour of hot pink. Generally, the people refer to Houses as their core colour, but the Royals are given a different privelige.
They hold all the rights to healing, spells, potions and beauty in the realm, and they tax all of it. Every House pays. Due to them having the number one most important skillset, they then have de facto ultimate influence. The Royals use this to hold light but firm influence though, tying the houses together into one country of mostly self-managed states.
They refer to a series of Gods and a community of goblins for key decisions—the Gods for decisions relating to culture and piety, goblins for ensuring community and reality.
House of The Wonderers
Leave betterment
Listen to "Tavern Bangers" on SpotifyThe plains fold. Ruled by The Family, a hereditary monarchy. Each of the travelling communities in Red are mostly self-governing and instead look to The Family for spiritual guidance.
Red doesn't really acknowledge the court. It tolerates it. Red doesn't need anything from the other Houses, and it puts up with the Royals' rule because magical healing is the only thing they aren’t self-sufficient in. However, the highly valuable control of beauty that the Royals have holds little interest to MOST of the Red.
The monarchy is believed to be deigned by the Demi Gods by their followers. They hold very little hard power, but are spiritual leaders and believe leaders are servants.
Red can also transport people across large distances magically. It works for humans, but it's expensive and hard, so it's no good for moving goods or resources. This is their primary source of coin used to purchase healing magic from the Royals. They believe that this specialty is powered by their connection to the Demi gods.
Bluhaven
Submit only to the sea
Listen to "99 Problems but a Maiden Ain't One" on SpotifyDespite what the Coastal Folk might say, “Bluhaven” has only existed for a few years. A ruler noticed that neither Corvalis, Riverhollow or the Wonderers had stooped so low to name their house after their house colours. And thought: this will be really funny.
The Coastal Folk. Witty and lithe, powerful and proud. Blue is a capitalist House run by The Oversight, and whoever holds the ports holds the trade. Motto: "Submit only to the sea."
These people are bold, smart, but inherently understand that you have to be flexible to succeed. They submit to the sea not just because they are sea traders, but because the sea represents an immense strength, but that is always changing - the ultimate power. These are not buffoons, however they can come across it due to their confidence.
House Riverhollow
Strength of many together
Listen to "Bard to the Bone" on SpotifyThe river folk. Skilled and tactical, organised into coteries of remark. Green runs as a commune governed by The Partners: committees that rotate, so nobody holds power for long, and decisions get made in the open.
These guys are a lot of fun, and while black gets a lot of credit for being the social capital - pop music is ALSO fun and cool. Sometimes you want to see the Michael Bay of theatre. Green are surrounded by other houses and have a lot of fertile land. This gives them a great opportunity for maintaining trade between all of the houses and being a great local producer. On the other side, it means they always feel the eye of Black and Blue on their opportunity closely.
House Corvalis
Stability drives greatness
Listen to "No Modern Nonsense" on SpotifyThe mountain folk. Black House is run by The Government, who have really got their shit together. Their policies are largely democratic socialist - elected ministers, public universities, state defence. They would say that they are powerful and identify as humble.
Black thinks it should hold the government of the whole realm. It's the centre of knowledge and the hardest place to attack, so to Black it's the obvious choice.
Full of galleries, performance houses. They have a great sense of high art. Often accused of being alienating, House Black constituents would probably think you're just too dumb to get it.
Humble means something a bit different to House Black. They see being humble as not overly standing out, but being immensely proud of yourself is another thing. If you've got the guts and self-control to show that you are better than everyone without screaming it from the rooftops, you'll do well in House Black.
They also have the best wine.
Chapter 1
The Need for a Feast
Overall, despite living in pretty good harmony, the Houses are starting to get bitchy.
The Houses are at each other's throats. Blue is concerned about the growing empire across the ocean that may one day turn it's eye towards the United Houses. But without current attacks, there is no desire from the other Houses to invest in coastal defence spending. On the other hand, there is a lot of said defence spending happening on the borders of Black, despite being land locked with Green and Red. Green wants to know why Black spends so much on defence when Green is the only House on the border.
Green is also looking to invest more in their cultural resources. With the fastest growing population, healthy resource production and the epicentre of domestic trade, they want to make sure that they're not considered simple peasants by the rest of the country.
Red doesn't even understand why it should be paying national tax when it's already paying egregious fees for emergency health potions from the Royals and doesn't need anything else in terms of national infrastructure or resources.
So the Royals have called for a Feast. Every House sends its travelling party of delegates to the capital with one instruction: first be merry together, and the following day, a quorum will settle the disputes.
Chapter 2
You Take the Call
Once you've made your character and chosen your night, your House's call arrives by email. Each instalment is written for your House, and what you pick up along the way shapes the kind of story you get, whether that's intrigue or adventure.
Every story is yours to have. Read every word, or skim it on the way to the party.
Chapter 3
The Faire, Where Our Story Resolves
Come in costume. On the night, the story plays out roughly like this:
- Arrival. Collect your House's wristband at the door and receive the instructions to start your adventure.
- The Feast. Take your place at your House's table in the great hall, where the food keeps coming and the tavern keeps pouring.
- Gossip. Talk travels between the tables, characters roam, and side quests run off the Feast.
- The Battle. What the dinner couldn't settle, steel will. Each House's champions will settle their disputes with weapons and fisticuffs for your enjoyment.
Where you play inside it is up to you. Follow the main story, chase the side quests, or just eat, drink and watch it all unfold. There's no wrong way to spend the night.