Preface Every inhabitant of the Viszudar, from Adjudicator to dung shoveler, belongs to a house. Each of the four houses have their own quadrant of the Viszudar. The Vardo have the northwest quadrant, the Xola the northeast, the Thal the southwest, and the Rhane the southeast. The four houses of the Viszudar function broadly as an tribal confederation and city-state. Each house is loyal to the greater cause of the Viszudar, and are interdependent to some degree on one another. The full official name of the city state is 'The People of the Confederated Tribes of the Viszudar'. The people of the Viszudar do not have traditional family units, and instead each member of a house views their entire house as their family. Every member of a house is not necessarily related to each other, but their blood relations come from their house. 'Blood kin' is the term people of the Viszudar use for close familial relations. Generally, the ties of blood kin vary, but it is considered low and uncouth to have children with ones blood kin. Rarely, citizens of the Viszudar send the shamans an Appeal of Transference. While allowed in the laws of the Viszudar, appeals of transference are considered to be a betrayal, of the same severity as abandoning your family for another. It is generally viewed as such by the accepting house as well. One might do this if they have already committed crimes against their house, or possibly so the lives of their children would improve. Appeals are not always granted. First, a written appeal and a justification must be submitted to the shamans, and approved by a majority vote. It is doubly shameful to have ones appeal denied. Couplings resulting in a child between houses happens at times. When the house of the child is unclear, the decision is given to the Adjudicator of the Shindri. Given the social mores Viszudar culture, this rarely results in controversy, unless specific contentious circumstances or scandals arise. House traits are Ex. and untyped modifiers. House traits are the product of upbringing or the circumstances of ones heritage. Vardo The Vardo are the oldest house of the Viszudar. The house of Vardo is predicated on the legacy of its founder, Galthan the Wise. The progeny of Galthan are present today. They are known as the Illuminated, and bear sigils on their forehead like their forebear did. To have such a tangible legacy in present day is a great honor for the Vardo. The Vardo have largely upheld the traditions they have held since they were a nomadic tribe, but in greater scale and grandeur. Today, the Vardo district is littered with great temples dedicated to Îsha and household saints such as Hilsted the First Mason, Jeoreth the Redeemer, Galthan the Illuminated, and Balvir the First Brave, among others. Other than temples, the Vardo quadrant is dotted with granaries, storehouses, looms, and houses. The clergy of Îsha have traditions dating back to nomadic times, refined over generations. In Vardo tradition, it is common practice for men to be lawmakers, temple guardians, carpenters, and cave chicken or brinewheat farmers , and for women to be priestesses, teachers, bakers, and weavers. Vardo children certainly are loaded up with expectation to uphold tradition. The clergy of Îsha are uniformly female. Exceptions to this are rarely ever made, and when they are, the man must take the name of a woman, and live as a woman. This is not universally accepted, but is accepted culturally among the Vardo house. Despite the dimorphism of gender roles among the Vardo, men and women are equally respected. The dogma of Îsha is complex and fraught with issues. Chastity is compulsory and considered a virtue in both men and women. Temple children entering adulthood are given the first two years of their adult lives to have children, and are expected to have as least two. Given the lack of proper sexual education and sexuality being held in disdain among Îshites, this expectation is rarely ever met. This has led to a general decline in Vardo population in more recent years. Vardo elders and elderly Îshite crones often clash on the topic of reproduction. It is always permitted for a temple maiden to forsake her vows once their "summers of youth" have passed. Once forsook, these vows may never be taken again. One must forsake her vows to have children after this window has elapsed. Outside of this window, it is extremely scandalous for a temple maiden to bear a child, and is punishable by a "Trial of Îsha". If you survive the fall into the river Glimmer far, far below the Viszudar, the goddess has spared you. A scant few have ever survived this trial, and even fewer unscathed. In times of strife, Îsha calls upon her maidens to fight for the cause. To this end, temple maidens and temple guardians keep a martial tradition and are always trained in some degree in warfare. The core tenets of Îsha’s dogma dictate the world has a natural order and balance, and the duty to maintain and live in harmony with that order has been passed down from the gods to their creations. Every man and woman have their place in this natural order, and it is imperative to see yourself and others down that path. To this end, temple maidens of Îsha serve as councilors, warriors, mediators, healers, craftswomen of enchanted items, and bakers. The salty brinewheat bread of the Îshite temples are a ubiquitous foodstuff in the Viszudar. The Vardo are also known for building and maintaining the Great Lift of the Viszudar. Second only to the Thal engineering of the Viszudar itself, the impressive pulley elevator takes many individuals to operate, but is able to transport hundreds of crates of brinewheat at once from the small farming community on the shores of the Glimmer. The political leaders of House Vardo have been historically male. The Adjudicator has only appointed men to be the Patriarch of the Vardo. The current Patriarch of the Vardo is named Gillespian. The house colors of the Vardo are orange and green. The orange represents the bedrock of the mountains of the Viszudar, and the green represents the timeless bounty and beauty of nature. House Trait : Y ou may select Illumian (Illuminated) as a race. +1 to will saves and Knowledge: Religion skill. Knowledge: Religion is considered a trained skill for you, regardless of your class or skill point investment. Xola The Xola are the second oldest, second largest, and perhaps the most glorious of the houses of Viszudar. Through blood, they are tied to Balvir the First Brave. In the old language, in nomadic times before the Viszudar, it is said 'Xola' means fire. Indeed, this assertion is reinforced by the fact members of the Xola house possess an innate resistance to burns and flames. Often are the times those of the Xola can use this to their advantage with the vocational options made available to their district and by the shamans. Additionally, some Xola, particularly the larger sorts, have incredible natural healing. There are unsubstantiated rumors of a distant progenitor of the Xola being something other than human, such as a fire elemental or a troll, but this remains unproven. The fires of the Xola chimnies and their needle like protrusions can be seen for miles from the Viszudar. The Xola are the heartfire and the lifeblood of their tribe. They, and their fires light a beacon for miles around. The Xola make up the majority of the military of the Viszudar. It is said eight out of ten of the bonded Braves are Xola. The best military tacticians in the Viszudar are Xola as well, and the only military academy in the Viszudar, the House of the Spear, is in the Xola district. It teaches strategy, tactics, and combat in practice. Many graduates go on to become Braves, or, less commonly, shamans. The landscape of the Xola quadrant are littered with enormous water purification and salt separation stills, and metal refining furnaces. The lessons taught by the Thal long ago have taken root the deepest among the Xola, and now their craft has far exceeded the lessons of the distant past. Xola steel is held in high regard even outside the Viszudar, and even dwarven smiths have to admit "it's okay". A significantly smaller set of chimnies are designated for the smoking or drying of meat for preservation. The Xola have a longstanding tradition of expeditionary forces. In plain terms, a Xola expedition is paid for by the house and is expected to explore, hunt, or both. Triumphs in either of these bring great prestige to all returning participants. Xola expeditions are a regular occurrence. They are so common in fact, these expeditions are the only regular source of meat in the Viszudar, and it is never in scarcity. These expeditions naturally have led to more than a hobbyist's predilection for cartography, especially in the nearby caves of the Ningopo and Eastern wall. These expansive cave systems may never truly be fully mapped, but that doesn't stop the plucky youths of the Xola expeditions from trying. Apart from the spindly smokestacks, the Xola's quadrant is littered with armories, barracks, and taverns. The Xola have a longstanding cultural tradition of song and string. A Xola song is immediately distinguishable from a foreigners from its unusually deep, guttural vocalizations and paradoxically high whistle tones. Polyphonics are heavily utilized by Xola bards. Additionally, a tradition of both creating and playing a string instrument called a 'dipseyzum' is established in Xola society. The dipseyzum is a handheld string instrument, not unlike a ukulele. No tavern would be complete without alcohol, and in the Viszudar, the Xola are the sole brewers. Cleverly utilizing their limited options, they mash and saturate brineweed with desalinated water for several days. They repeat the process until the solution has salt content low enough to ferment, and add extremely dilute Shindri venom. The fermentation process dulls the deadliness of the venom, but doesn't help at all with the brutal hangover. Xola brewers ferment in large open barrels. The finished drink is known as Brinebrew Scalder. It is always just a little saltier than you would like, and burns like hell going down. Few outside of the Viszudar have acquired the taste. The Xola have bricklaying and architectural traditions as well. Most of the houses in the Viszudar are made by Xola architects, and most of the bricks placed in the roads are laid by Xola workers. Rarely, and especially recently, some entrepreneurial Xola have accompanied expeditions venturing close to foreign lands, taking advantage of the security and living the merchant's life. Despite a tradition of being led by a Patriarch, culturally, men and women are treated as equals among the Xola. Both men and women are allowed to serve all and any roles among them with no eyebrows raised or resentment, save for the opinions of outsiders and outliers. The people of the Xola do not choose or understand the machinations of the Adjudicator, and like the other tribes, accept its judgement. The Adjudicator only appoints men to lead the Xola. The current Patriarch of the Xola is named Galbehrt. The house colors of the Xola are red and white. The red represents the fire of their ancestors, and the white represents the purity the fire brings. House Trait : All constitution related variables relating to fatigue, exhaustion, starvation, suffocation, drowning, sprinting, or surviving in hot or cold temperatures are doubled. Gain fire resistance 2. You may take the troll blooded feat at first level, if the other prerequisites are met. Thal It is said House Thal is as old as clay, and the Houses Xola and Vardo are as old as the bedrock beneath. Indeed, House Thal has been a part of the Viszudar for longer than anyone alive can fathom. Yet, this has not always been true. Legends tell of a time, long, long ago, when a mere two generations had passed since the Houses of Xola and Vardo settled together to become the people known as the Viszudar. The people were primitive, living in caves and had not yet learned to create fire on their own. Their connection to the insectoid race, the Sindri, was in its infancy - nothing like the deep bond that has developed over the ages, to the extent that the Sindri and the Viszudar now share a symbiotic connection to eachother. It was during this time that a mysterious artisan from the west stumbled upon the Viszudar. She was cold, tired, and lost, yet despite their fear of the outside world, the Viszudar invited her to share the fire they had preserved from a lightning strike. This artisan called herself Thal. She instructed them in the ways of construction, harnessing fire, and working metal. Thal took a husband for herself, a Vardo named Hilsted. In later times, Hilsted would be immortalized in Vardo temples as a household saint, known to many as Hilsted the First Mason. Together, Thal and Hilsted would lay the ancient framework that would become today's Viszudar. They had many children together and it was decreed by the Xola and the Vardo, that Thal would be the progenitor of her own house. Generations came and went, gaining in prosperity as the Viszudar population grew, with House Thal paving the way. With this prosperity came covetousness, avarice, and jealousy. The descendants of Thal lost the vision of their foremother and saw themselves as the backbone of the Viszudar, and thus, felt they were owed more than they were given. They saw the Vardo and Xola as parasites, gorging themselves on the backs of Thal craftsmanship and education. In some ways, they were correct, even today. The spark of civil war was not immediate. In their eyes, they deserved to control the wealth possessed by the other Houses because it was all generated from Thal exceptionalism. They saw the Vardo and Xola as impetuous thieves and barbarians, getting fat off the decadence only an easy life can bring. As they would soon find out, this was not true. The Thal had always been a patient, meticulously thorough people. They raided settlements to the east and north and brought those they captured back to their homeland as slaves. Previous to this, neither the people of the Viszudar, nor the Jomla-Khal, their neighbors to the east, kept slaves. Yet, there was no legislation to prevent this. In fact, at this time, there was only a rudimentary code of laws kept by the Viszudar. With slaves stolen from the east, the Thal were able to ease the burden of their daily toil and instead focus on their planned coup. While their newfound slave workforce exploited the iron in the mountains, the Thal prepared for war. The war came as a surprise to no one. Both sides had been preparing for some time when tensions finally exploded, leading the Thal to make a formal declaration of war against the Adjudicator. The shamans were split on the matter. Some chose sides, while the others stayed neutral. The Braves, however, were clearly on the side of the Adjudicator and the Shindri Queen. This war, known as the Fratricide, was a bloody three day struggle which decimated the population of the Viszudar. They had never seen an internal war against their own previously, nor since. The horrors of those three days will live on in the ancestral memory of the people for eternity. The air superiority of the Braves, combined with the military tactics of the Xola brought an end to the Fratricide. With their forces decimated, the Thal had no choice but to surrender. The Adjudicator took twelve days to decide the terms of their surrender. Normally, the linked minds of the Adjudicator and the Queen allow complex judgements to be passed quickly, but this was no simple dilemma. Ultimately, the Thal were allowed to stay as part of the Viszudar. The conditions of the surrender included the surrender of all Thal arms, and losing the right to store them. They could still be conscripted into service and still become a Brave, but they may not take up arms on their own volition as a House. Strangely to some, the bipartite overlord of the Viszudar decreed the Thal could continue their practice of slavery, but only for working the iron mines. In modern times, the Fratricide is a distant, but not forgotten memory. Naturally, the Thal's loss cost them power and position among the Viszudar - but as always, they played the long game. The Thal persevered and over time, recovered. Some years after the Fratricide, the Thal introduced currency to the Viszudar, a foreign concept learned from one of their slaves. They, of course, would control the mints, regaining some semblance of the control over the Viszudar they had previously held. Their customs evolved as well. Nowadays, at times, the Matriarch may decree certain slaves have distinguished themselves enough to be formally adopted by the Thal. They, like any child, must undergo their own augury and trial of becoming. This practice has not been forbidden, and the Adjudicator indulges this process, leading many to believe it is formally sanctioned. Choosing a slave for adoption is a process fraught with the schemes of slave and Thal alike, typically resulting in a messy process fraught with complications. These days, the Thal are generally seen as underhanded schemers, and are yet respected as skilled craftsmen. The greater racial diversity among the Thal have led some to consider them as foreign infiltrators, particularly Yoggites. There may be a twinge of truth to this, as many Thal have the characteristic bronze hue to their skin few outside of Ishkar-Yog possess. Whether this trait has been passed down from the house’s progenitor, who came from the region in which Ishkar-Yog is now located, or from their adoption and interbreeding with former, and at times, current slaves, is unknown. It is likely the result of both. As a whole, they are far from foreign infiltrators, filling necessary and foundational functions in Viszudar society. Despite how they're viewed by outsiders, the Thal have long standing traditions of fine craftsmanship and reverence for women. At its core, these are the foundational tenets of Thal culture. Motherhood and femininity are heralded as divine, with women possessing divine insight and wisdom. However, men are not shunned as lesser beings nor are they corralled into a lower caste - but they are generally expected to defer to a woman's knowledge and judgment. The leader of the Thal is always a Matriarch, and only women may be chosen by the Adjudicator to lead the Thal. The current Matriarch of the Thal is named Kiristiana. The house colors of the Thal are navy blue and scarlet, representing the waters of the Glimmer, and the blood they have shed. House Trait : +1 to fortitude saves, bluff, persuasion, knowledge: engineering, and craft skills. You may select nonstandard races, with background justification. Rhane House Rhane is the by far the newest of the four great houses of the Viszudar. It is scarcely three generations old, and yet, it already has a troubled history. The Rhane have big shoes to fill in the eyes of their peers. The core of the contention surrounding the Rhane can be traced back to the founder of the house. Completely unbeknownst to the people of the Viszudar, there were Glimmerlake agents in their midst, blending in with the populace. Now, these agents weren't ordinary dwarves - they were elite mercenaries known as "the Faceless". The Faceless are known by that moniker because it is said they have no true face. They can willfully alter their shape on a whim, and fluidly blend in with nearly any population. Glimmerlake has perhaps the deepest pockets in Rennisilion, and can afford to employ the very best agents. After a few generations of surveillance, the Faceless agents living among the people of the Viszudar decided to have offspring with natives, to blend in better. These offspring would eventually be known as half-faces. However, they weren't betrayed immediately. The Faceless and their half-face progeny propagated amidst the populace of the Viszudar surreptitiously for a couple generations. A lie can only remain a lie for so long when so many know the truth of the matter. A daughter was born to the Vardo; a girl named Rhane. She was a particularly pious and socially connected youth. However, unlike many of the other children, she seemed uniquely troubled. The truth was, as Rhane grew older, the burden of the guilt she carried with her ate away at her. She was a half-face. As with several others of the conspiracy, she had been conscripted into it by the circumstances of her birth. She felt loyalty to her biological parents, but, growing up in a society which did not value such a thing, she was troubled. She made her decision shortly before her trial of becoming. Rhane confessed the truth to a shaman named Jeoreth, a fellow Vardo. She was unaware at the time that Jeoreth was very much like her, and, although a generation older, had similar feelings of guilt and alienation. They resolved together to gather undeniable evidence, and present it to the Adjudicator himself. They did so, and threw themselves at the Adjudicator's mercy. To their surprise, it truly was mercy they received. They, and their biological kinsmen were spared, provided they surrendered themselves to the Adjudicator's judgement. Many did, some fled, and others denied their involvement. This period of time was known as Rhane's Reckoning, among the house. The identified half-faces which denied their nature and involvement were executed. Those who surrendered themselves to the mercy of the Adjudicator were spared. The Adjudicator had a perplexing conundrum. Half-faces could not be integrated into another house, for they were not adopted, and were not slaves. It would be better to keep the honest ones, those who were, by birth, people of the Viszudar, rather than expel or execute them. The final decision was to make a new house. Obviously, this was incredibly controversial at the time, given the public nature of this affair, but the Adjudicator's word is law. The alien logic the Adjudicator possesses has brought the people of the Viszudar this far, and is rarely, if ever, openly questioned. The new house would be named after the founder, Rhane. Three generations have passed since these events. The Rhane, in many ways, are still reviled outcasts left with only the most unpleasant and dirty work. Betrayal is not something the people of the Viszudar easily forget, nor the sins of ones ancestors. The Rhane is the smallest of the clans, but not by much. Since the reckoning, they truly have been fruitful and multiplied. Thus, the Rhane has all sorts of hardworking people in its number. All sorts, united primarily by the pall of a disturbing ancestral history looming over them. In every meaningful way, however, the Rhane are considered a proper house and bloodline of Viszudar - albeit not a heroic one. The occupations and industry the Rhane possess in the Viszudar are the kind others generally would prefer not to have. They are processors of mushroom fibers, trench and latrine diggers, waste management workers, fuel brick makers, mudlarks, Shindri shedding grubbers, cement and daub manufacturers. While these occupations are necessary, they generally are looked down upon as dirty or unskilled. There are few enjoyable or fulfilling vocation decrees for a Rhane to receive. Obviously, this has given a rise to an element of criminality and underground trade among the Rhane. This hasn't mended their reputation. The Rhane historically have been led by women. The Adjudicator has not yet decreed a man to lead the Rhane. The history of the Rhane is quite short, however, so in the minds of some, this remains to be proven. The current Matriarch of the Rhane is named Feodora. The house colors of the Rhane are silver and black. The silver represents redemption and mercy, the black represents the Faceless heritage many of their kind possess. House Trait : You may select Half-Face as a race. +2 to profession, search, spot, and sense motive skills.