This is where houses are going to be listed, followed by all relevant public information, both canon and player-made.
House Atreides
House Basque
House Corrino
House Ecaz
House Ginaz
House Hagal
House Harkonnen
House Londine
House Mutelli
House Richese
House Taligari
House Thorvald
House Tull
House Uchan
House Verdun [Wiped Out]
House Vernius
House Wallach
(WIP)
Houses
House Richese
Homeworld: Richese (Epsilon Eridani)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Lamp of Knowledge, Green and Gold
Head: Count Ilban Richese
Heirs: 11 Children with Edwina Corrino (Most Still Alive)
Main exports: Tech products e.g. suspensor devices, chips (Richesian mirrors), biotech
Current Allies: Thorvald
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Harkonnen, Corrino
Current Enemies: Vernius, Verdun
Position:
Once a truly magnificent house, recognised by the marriage of Count Ilban to Corrino princess Edwina, the fortunes of House Richese have dwindled throughout the Count's reign. Even in decline, however, the pedigree, Landsraad position and ubiquitous need for some of their tried and tested fare as well as some novelty products from recent inventions keeps it afloat. Count Ilban has never been a man with much verve for the politics of the Imperium. His attention to family life, bringing up his eleven children and numerous grandchildren, has led to costly negligence in securing political and economic interests of the House. For the first two decades of his century-long reign, House Richese had been holding Dune as a quasi-fief for almost a century, but Richesian inability to provide the spice quota required by the Imperium made Elrood IX pass it over to the Harkonnen. An ill-advised economic war waged on ascendant Ix, a true hegemonic conflict between technological powerhouses, was decidedly lost by the Richese, with Ix taking over the grand prize of Spacing Guild contracts for the heighliner construction and the respective CHOAM directorship. Accepting a pragmatic technocrat, Ein Calimar, for the position of the prime minister, has somehow arrested the fall of the family fortunes. Under his tenure, closer ties with House Harkonnen were pursued, to the point of Ilban coming to accept social calls to Giedi Prime.
True to his familialist paradigm, Ilban attempted to salvage the position of his house by securing allies through marriages of his children (one such arrangement connected it to House Atreides via daughter Helena) and through campaigns in the Landsraad against Ix over their alleged violations of the precepts of the Butlerian Jihad. The fall of Ix to a Tleilaxu occupation over three decades ago and the demise of House Vernius gave Richese a long-awaited opening. Policies of the Calimar government focused on spurring and then commercialising some technological breakthroughs, like in biotech and cybernetics, conducted with Suk assistance. This allowed it to hold some economic ground against the resurgence of production on Ix, renamed Zuta by its new masters, especially because of sharp drop in quality of those products, but in the House failed in fully pressing its advantage during the time of opportunity.
The opening closed when a punitive Sardaukar action for illegal spice hoarding by House Richese led to the destruction of their crown jewel - the artificial moon Korona, a true treasure trove of valuables, sophisticated research, and manufacturing. As the moon detonated in an atomic explosion, a quarter of population of Richese was affected, including Calimar and several of Ilban's children - their eyes were burned out. Humanitarian aid arrived from... Bene Tleilax, and the Tleilaxu provided eye replacements for the Richesians. Later Atreides contribution was a more conventional humanitarian aid. Before Richese could recover from the blow, Rhombur Vernius restored his renegade father's earldom over Ix and geared the planet back toward manufacturing Richese has found hard to compete with.
Culture:
Richesians cherish work-life balance and family life, and they could usually afford it because of the accumulated wealth, albeit now dented by the loss of Korona. Scientific focus espoused by high-end STEM education, which is a worthy pursuit even for members of the ruling house, co-exists with strong religious and humanitarian convictions, but is also mired by excessive bureaucracy, inefficient political system that struggles between autocratic and democratic models, and IPR litigation culture that secures proprietary rights to the extent of stifling more widespread innovation, retaining it in the realm of secret projects funded by the government.
Richesians value social rites and decorum. They are not beneath manifesting opulence, though they have much less taste for showmanship. They inhabit a terrestrial world that doesn't put exceeding environmental strain on their livelihood. They are mostly dark-skinned, including the royal house.
The economic woes of the last decades have led to declining fortunes and stagnation, and the debris from the destroyed moon is now a source of small but frequent asteroid-like events that cause both physical damage and constant anxiety. Many are very uneasy because of being beholden to Tleilaxu inventions for their sight. Post-Korona stagnation on the technological front, exacerbated by religious strictures and liquidity problems, are offering bleak perspectives for a rebound. Ambitious inventors, who had been leaving Richese even before the loss of the primary research facility, have recently acquired much more reason to defect.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Lamp of Knowledge, Green and Gold
Head: Count Ilban Richese
Heirs: 11 Children with Edwina Corrino (Most Still Alive)
Main exports: Tech products e.g. suspensor devices, chips (Richesian mirrors), biotech
Current Allies: Thorvald
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Harkonnen, Corrino
Current Enemies: Vernius, Verdun
Position:
Once a truly magnificent house, recognised by the marriage of Count Ilban to Corrino princess Edwina, the fortunes of House Richese have dwindled throughout the Count's reign. Even in decline, however, the pedigree, Landsraad position and ubiquitous need for some of their tried and tested fare as well as some novelty products from recent inventions keeps it afloat. Count Ilban has never been a man with much verve for the politics of the Imperium. His attention to family life, bringing up his eleven children and numerous grandchildren, has led to costly negligence in securing political and economic interests of the House. For the first two decades of his century-long reign, House Richese had been holding Dune as a quasi-fief for almost a century, but Richesian inability to provide the spice quota required by the Imperium made Elrood IX pass it over to the Harkonnen. An ill-advised economic war waged on ascendant Ix, a true hegemonic conflict between technological powerhouses, was decidedly lost by the Richese, with Ix taking over the grand prize of Spacing Guild contracts for the heighliner construction and the respective CHOAM directorship. Accepting a pragmatic technocrat, Ein Calimar, for the position of the prime minister, has somehow arrested the fall of the family fortunes. Under his tenure, closer ties with House Harkonnen were pursued, to the point of Ilban coming to accept social calls to Giedi Prime.
True to his familialist paradigm, Ilban attempted to salvage the position of his house by securing allies through marriages of his children (one such arrangement connected it to House Atreides via daughter Helena) and through campaigns in the Landsraad against Ix over their alleged violations of the precepts of the Butlerian Jihad. The fall of Ix to a Tleilaxu occupation over three decades ago and the demise of House Vernius gave Richese a long-awaited opening. Policies of the Calimar government focused on spurring and then commercialising some technological breakthroughs, like in biotech and cybernetics, conducted with Suk assistance. This allowed it to hold some economic ground against the resurgence of production on Ix, renamed Zuta by its new masters, especially because of sharp drop in quality of those products, but in the House failed in fully pressing its advantage during the time of opportunity.
The opening closed when a punitive Sardaukar action for illegal spice hoarding by House Richese led to the destruction of their crown jewel - the artificial moon Korona, a true treasure trove of valuables, sophisticated research, and manufacturing. As the moon detonated in an atomic explosion, a quarter of population of Richese was affected, including Calimar and several of Ilban's children - their eyes were burned out. Humanitarian aid arrived from... Bene Tleilax, and the Tleilaxu provided eye replacements for the Richesians. Later Atreides contribution was a more conventional humanitarian aid. Before Richese could recover from the blow, Rhombur Vernius restored his renegade father's earldom over Ix and geared the planet back toward manufacturing Richese has found hard to compete with.
Culture:
Richesians cherish work-life balance and family life, and they could usually afford it because of the accumulated wealth, albeit now dented by the loss of Korona. Scientific focus espoused by high-end STEM education, which is a worthy pursuit even for members of the ruling house, co-exists with strong religious and humanitarian convictions, but is also mired by excessive bureaucracy, inefficient political system that struggles between autocratic and democratic models, and IPR litigation culture that secures proprietary rights to the extent of stifling more widespread innovation, retaining it in the realm of secret projects funded by the government.
Richesians value social rites and decorum. They are not beneath manifesting opulence, though they have much less taste for showmanship. They inhabit a terrestrial world that doesn't put exceeding environmental strain on their livelihood. They are mostly dark-skinned, including the royal house.
The economic woes of the last decades have led to declining fortunes and stagnation, and the debris from the destroyed moon is now a source of small but frequent asteroid-like events that cause both physical damage and constant anxiety. Many are very uneasy because of being beholden to Tleilaxu inventions for their sight. Post-Korona stagnation on the technological front, exacerbated by religious strictures and liquidity problems, are offering bleak perspectives for a rebound. Ambitious inventors, who had been leaving Richese even before the loss of the primary research facility, have recently acquired much more reason to defect.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Mutelli
Homeworld: Kirana III (Teegarden's Star)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Cupid with a Rose, Black and Beige
Head: Duke Flambert Mutelli
Heirs: [Undetermined, Open]
Main exports: liquors and other luxury foodstuffs, chefs, lawtechs (legal counsels)
Current Allies: Corrino
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Verdun
Current Enemies: Uchan
Position:
Mutellis have been a fixture in the politics of the Imperium for a very long time. It's an ancient house, tracing its pedigree to the League of Nobles of which their original homeworld, Kirana III, was a part of. Unhurriedly, their domain has expanded over the millennia to encompass two systems, the ancestral Teegarden's Star, and Tau Ceti. All of their habitable planets are prosperous agri-worlds, famous for their well-established brands of liquors and luxury foodstuffs, and chefs.
House Mutelli has long played the role of an indifferent balancer in the Landsraad, very careful about its political moves and planning for the long run, though usually voting in accord with the wishes of the Throne. It has long practised diplomatic autonomy, avoiding inflexible alliances or open hostilities. For instance, while there is a natural competition between them and the Atreides in the agricultural markets, both houses have often found common ground on other matters. Mutellis' main strategies for success have been bonding by marriage with the Corrino at least once every few generations (Barbara Mutelli was the first wife of Elrood IX) as well as careful promotion and management of their many Houses Minor which serve as voting multiplier in the Landsraad. Crown Prince Raphael Corrino, legendary for his lawful, peaceful rule, favoured the House. For this, he is still a revered person throughout Mutelli domains and his collected works are thoroughly studied and applied as the guidelines for good and just government. There is a story that when Raphael Corrino offered House Mutelli the siridar governorship of Arrakis they humbly turned it down, pointing to the conflict between that and their other obligations to the Throne, which would make it the only such case in history of the Imperium. By an agreement few know the details of the Mutellis provide the lion's share of provisions for the Sardaukar, while at least several Sardaukar divisions station on their worlds at almost all times, ensuring both external and internal deterrence.
Mutellis' reputation of integrity and impartiality as well as their legal expertise obtained in highly reputed law schools on their Tau Ceti world of Novebruns, governed by their most important House Minor, have often granted them positions of arbiters in various disputes but House Mutelli never involves itself without a Landsraad sanction and a nod from the Golden Lion Throne. Recently, the meteoric rise of Leto Atriedes to the position of recognised honest broker in the Landsraad has dented the traditional sphere of Mutelli influence and Duke Flambert is not too happy about it; many expect the Mutelli may push back against the Atreides in some way. Their more pressing concern, however, is their recent loss of their previously unshakable CHOAM Directorship to the ascendant House Uchan of Pliesse in uncertain circumstances. In addition, while Duke Flambert survived the bombing of Otorio, many of the leaders of his vassal houses didn't, and the House is prone to some domestic instability before due successions and sub-fief redistribution are secured... and sanctioned by the Padishah Emperor. House Novebruns had already attempted once to become more prominent than Duke Flambert is comfortable with by petitioning to be awarded the devastated Zanovar, allegedly for mining.
Culture:
While most recognisable throughout the Imperium for their Kirana brandy, of which the Emperor's personal cellar contains bottles worth ten times their weight in melange, the quality the Mutellis have raised to the position of their trademark virtue is stability. Their embrace feudal, even rustic, traditionalism and staunch moral and legal conservatism. Corrino loyalism can be derived straight from there, though there have been cases when even the Padishahs Emperors were more progressive than the Mutellis.
Mutelli worlds have a bustling if circular noble culture, given the relatively large number of Houses Minor which, unlike their suzerain, come and go rather often. Faufreluches as the organising rule, however, are entrenched, and most of the working population is locked in corvee or other forms of indentured servitude, semi-benign on surface, allowing their masters to lead their bucolic lives and focus on arts, sports (like corridas), education, and political careers. Most of them lead to or via Kaitain, where the Mutelli have long provided a disproportionate quota of qualified clerks and senior bureaucrats. If the mills of the Landsraad officialdom grind slowly, it's because the Mutelli prefer it that way as it reflects their way of doing things. The best Novebruns legal counsels called lawtechs, just short of mentats in that capacity, are allowed to accept temporary contracts of employment by other houses in the Imperium - a practice many houses find useful when they need to cut through red tape in their disputes, or tilt the proceedings their way. In fact, there is some sort of agreement between House Mutelli and the School of Mentats on Lampadas to allow Mentat trainees acquire some additional legal training and bureaucratic practice via Mutellis.
What's curious, the Mutellis rarely seek bonds to other Houses through marriage; they usually direct inquiries about such alliances to one of their Houses Minor, through which they filter bloodlines for themselves. What's even more curious, the Sisterhood rarely assigns concubines to the ruling house on Kirana III, as if it has forsaken this House Major. In social settings, the Mutellis are also on average known more for their personal refinement rather than good looks. You can probably guess what kinds of rumours that causes.
Orange Catholicism dominates among the population of Mutelli worlds, in a rather ritualistic form that helps keep lower classes docile.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Cupid with a Rose, Black and Beige
Head: Duke Flambert Mutelli
Heirs: [Undetermined, Open]
Main exports: liquors and other luxury foodstuffs, chefs, lawtechs (legal counsels)
Current Allies: Corrino
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Verdun
Current Enemies: Uchan
Position:
Mutellis have been a fixture in the politics of the Imperium for a very long time. It's an ancient house, tracing its pedigree to the League of Nobles of which their original homeworld, Kirana III, was a part of. Unhurriedly, their domain has expanded over the millennia to encompass two systems, the ancestral Teegarden's Star, and Tau Ceti. All of their habitable planets are prosperous agri-worlds, famous for their well-established brands of liquors and luxury foodstuffs, and chefs.
House Mutelli has long played the role of an indifferent balancer in the Landsraad, very careful about its political moves and planning for the long run, though usually voting in accord with the wishes of the Throne. It has long practised diplomatic autonomy, avoiding inflexible alliances or open hostilities. For instance, while there is a natural competition between them and the Atreides in the agricultural markets, both houses have often found common ground on other matters. Mutellis' main strategies for success have been bonding by marriage with the Corrino at least once every few generations (Barbara Mutelli was the first wife of Elrood IX) as well as careful promotion and management of their many Houses Minor which serve as voting multiplier in the Landsraad. Crown Prince Raphael Corrino, legendary for his lawful, peaceful rule, favoured the House. For this, he is still a revered person throughout Mutelli domains and his collected works are thoroughly studied and applied as the guidelines for good and just government. There is a story that when Raphael Corrino offered House Mutelli the siridar governorship of Arrakis they humbly turned it down, pointing to the conflict between that and their other obligations to the Throne, which would make it the only such case in history of the Imperium. By an agreement few know the details of the Mutellis provide the lion's share of provisions for the Sardaukar, while at least several Sardaukar divisions station on their worlds at almost all times, ensuring both external and internal deterrence.
Mutellis' reputation of integrity and impartiality as well as their legal expertise obtained in highly reputed law schools on their Tau Ceti world of Novebruns, governed by their most important House Minor, have often granted them positions of arbiters in various disputes but House Mutelli never involves itself without a Landsraad sanction and a nod from the Golden Lion Throne. Recently, the meteoric rise of Leto Atriedes to the position of recognised honest broker in the Landsraad has dented the traditional sphere of Mutelli influence and Duke Flambert is not too happy about it; many expect the Mutelli may push back against the Atreides in some way. Their more pressing concern, however, is their recent loss of their previously unshakable CHOAM Directorship to the ascendant House Uchan of Pliesse in uncertain circumstances. In addition, while Duke Flambert survived the bombing of Otorio, many of the leaders of his vassal houses didn't, and the House is prone to some domestic instability before due successions and sub-fief redistribution are secured... and sanctioned by the Padishah Emperor. House Novebruns had already attempted once to become more prominent than Duke Flambert is comfortable with by petitioning to be awarded the devastated Zanovar, allegedly for mining.
Culture:
While most recognisable throughout the Imperium for their Kirana brandy, of which the Emperor's personal cellar contains bottles worth ten times their weight in melange, the quality the Mutellis have raised to the position of their trademark virtue is stability. Their embrace feudal, even rustic, traditionalism and staunch moral and legal conservatism. Corrino loyalism can be derived straight from there, though there have been cases when even the Padishahs Emperors were more progressive than the Mutellis.
Mutelli worlds have a bustling if circular noble culture, given the relatively large number of Houses Minor which, unlike their suzerain, come and go rather often. Faufreluches as the organising rule, however, are entrenched, and most of the working population is locked in corvee or other forms of indentured servitude, semi-benign on surface, allowing their masters to lead their bucolic lives and focus on arts, sports (like corridas), education, and political careers. Most of them lead to or via Kaitain, where the Mutelli have long provided a disproportionate quota of qualified clerks and senior bureaucrats. If the mills of the Landsraad officialdom grind slowly, it's because the Mutelli prefer it that way as it reflects their way of doing things. The best Novebruns legal counsels called lawtechs, just short of mentats in that capacity, are allowed to accept temporary contracts of employment by other houses in the Imperium - a practice many houses find useful when they need to cut through red tape in their disputes, or tilt the proceedings their way. In fact, there is some sort of agreement between House Mutelli and the School of Mentats on Lampadas to allow Mentat trainees acquire some additional legal training and bureaucratic practice via Mutellis.
What's curious, the Mutellis rarely seek bonds to other Houses through marriage; they usually direct inquiries about such alliances to one of their Houses Minor, through which they filter bloodlines for themselves. What's even more curious, the Sisterhood rarely assigns concubines to the ruling house on Kirana III, as if it has forsaken this House Major. In social settings, the Mutellis are also on average known more for their personal refinement rather than good looks. You can probably guess what kinds of rumours that causes.
Orange Catholicism dominates among the population of Mutelli worlds, in a rather ritualistic form that helps keep lower classes docile.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Uchan
Homeworld: Pliesse (Rho Librae)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: dark blue and white diamond halves on contrasting backgrounds; dark blue and white
Head: Lady Jalma Uchan (Regency)
Heirs: Contested
Main exports: carbon-based materials and processed goods, military hardware, mining and precision equipment
Current Allies: Verdun, Londine, Tull, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Harkonnen, Vernius, Hagal, Richese, Thorvald
Current Enemies: Mutelli, Taligari
Position:
House Uchan has long been a mainstay of industrial relations of the Imperium. Its homeworld, Pliesse, was colonised early due to its proximity to the Old Terra, albeit in a limited fashion due to the tidal lock of the planet, awarding habitability only in the terminator belt between the hemispheres of permanent light and dark. However, its quick elliptical orbit around its red star gives a fluctuating day-night pattern in the belt area because of libration. It is predominantly a carbon world, with great variety of its isotopes and mineral forms, what has provided the main source of its fortune - diamonds. They are mostly mined on the volcanic dayside in risky yet sophisticated operations. From the terminator zone, habitation extends into the much cooler nightside, lit by the pale blue light of a nearby planet, Zarmina. The house controls the whole system, including mineral-rich debris field at its edge, and several other minor hydroponic agri-worlds and processing centres further in the Libra constellation, added to the domain throughout millennia as the house expanded and made itself more self-sufficient.
Diamonds mined and processed on Pliesse are essential parts of advanced optics and applied laser technologies, for both military and civilian purposes. The House deals with aesthetic application of diamonds as a minor consideration, and mostly for domestic use as a status symbol. It gives ground in this market so as not to come into open conflict with jewellery powerhouses like House Hagal or some of its own allies, though such commercial truces have been periodically broken before. What it usually fights tooth and nail for is its position as the key stakeholder in the market of arms, satellites, and mining equipment. It cultivates longer value chains than most, having preferential rates with the Spacing Guild, offworlding specialised tasks or assembly to manufacturing similes as well as imports their production back to ensure tight interdependence. This is how House Uchan has reined in a lot of potential competition, including Ix, Richese, and Giedi Prime. Once in stiff rivalry with the Harkonnen over a CHOAM Directoriship, Count Iqar Uchan has achieved (after a short war) a quid pro quo arrangement with Baron Dmitri, following the latter's acquisition of quasi-fief on Arrakis. As Count Uchan grew old and senile, further concessions were made to Baron Vladimir in moving a big part of lasgun manufacturing to Harkonnen worlds, in return for steady provision of disciplined labour needed for many Uchani holdings of marginal habitability on moons, dwarf planets and space stations. With the decline of Richese and the fall of Ix careful balancing acts in manufacturing frayed and House Uchan was slipping into asymmetric reliance on the Harkonnen.
This is no longer the case. Count Iqar's decision to remarry at an old age, to Jalma Aru, the eldest daughter of the ur-Director of CHOAM, seems to have been a masterstroke. Jalma's influence and economic expertise has helped the House to take part in a major CHOAM Board reshuffle, displacing House Mutelli, who didn't see it coming. Uchani offworld manufacturing networks were reviewed and renegotiated, with new several post-reshuffle houses being drawn to Uchan orbit, like the Verduns of Dross, via greenfield investment. With Iqar increasingly bedridden, Jalma became the de facto ruler of the House, to the chagrin of his many bastards... and, if rumours are to be believed, the Bene Gesserit. Recently, after Iqar's death on Otorio, she's been consolidating her regency, albeit not without some domestic troubles across diverse holdings.
House Uchan's centuries-old and rather petty rivalry is with House Taligari, and revolves around competing claims to some planets they lost when their rivals were formed on a Corrino whim. In recent decades, however, both houses have been feuding with each other with relative inattention even as hostility toward the other remains a powerful trick for social mobilisation. There was much cheer on Pliesse when Sardaukar glassed Taligari resort world of Zanovar. While the Uchan have almost always had an upper hand in the feud, there is a worry House Mutelli may seek retaliation by supporting the Taligari, and Mutellis usually can bring a lot of Landsraad support to the table. Hence, House Uchan has been pricing its upper hand in the CHOAM Board, eschewing diplomacy and acting in the realm of economic pressures.
Culture:
House Uchan was founded by a successful general of the Butlerian Jihad who wiped out machine holdouts on Pliesse during the Great Purge and decided to claim it for himself. Due to harsh living conditions in the twilight zone, under a constant threat of volcanic events, the way the house was run for a long time was militarised. The spirit of discipline, austerity, primness and minimalism came to dominate it. In business, it translated into frugality, and diamond adornments are perceived as symbols of rank rather than manifestations of beauty and fashion. The leaders of the house have long been guarding the bottom line by any means necessary, not unlike the Harkonnen, just without the sadistic aspects. It made easier for Jalma to adapt to being their de-facto leader, having the same corporate mindset.
Unlike most houses, the Uchan are not afraid of large-scale operations in vacuum... including military ones. They maintain several deep space stations and asteroid mining bases that have given rise to a distinct culture of the voidborne even as life expectancy in such places isn't high and the numbers have to be constantly replenished by contracted workers. House Taligari often accuses the Uchan of giving refuge to renegades and criminals this way, quite ironically given their own policies on noble bastards. Given that House Uchan used to be called out for supporting pirates and mercenaries, they may nevertheless be right, though very rarely can the Taligari raise enough support in the Landsraad for any censure against House Uchan.
Alcohol consumption has always been high across the Uchan planets, being a priority free-time activity and one on which frugal Uchani actually splurge on. The recent embargo imposed by House Mutelli on liquor exports is quite painful and has led to dissent, so far under control thanks to big imports of Harkonnen ale and a campaign to alter drinking habits from liquor to beer culture. Spice beer, once not appreciated due to lower-than-average life expectancy in Uchani holdings due to accidents and so offering no longevity advantage, is gaining in popularity, though the 'who wants to live forerver' attitude running in House Uchan is unlikely to be dropped anytime soon. The other passion usually stern and reserved Uchani lose calm for is space racing in all its forms, along with contact sports, especially gladiatorial fights broadcast from Giedi Prime.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: dark blue and white diamond halves on contrasting backgrounds; dark blue and white
Head: Lady Jalma Uchan (Regency)
Heirs: Contested
Main exports: carbon-based materials and processed goods, military hardware, mining and precision equipment
Current Allies: Verdun, Londine, Tull, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Harkonnen, Vernius, Hagal, Richese, Thorvald
Current Enemies: Mutelli, Taligari
Position:
House Uchan has long been a mainstay of industrial relations of the Imperium. Its homeworld, Pliesse, was colonised early due to its proximity to the Old Terra, albeit in a limited fashion due to the tidal lock of the planet, awarding habitability only in the terminator belt between the hemispheres of permanent light and dark. However, its quick elliptical orbit around its red star gives a fluctuating day-night pattern in the belt area because of libration. It is predominantly a carbon world, with great variety of its isotopes and mineral forms, what has provided the main source of its fortune - diamonds. They are mostly mined on the volcanic dayside in risky yet sophisticated operations. From the terminator zone, habitation extends into the much cooler nightside, lit by the pale blue light of a nearby planet, Zarmina. The house controls the whole system, including mineral-rich debris field at its edge, and several other minor hydroponic agri-worlds and processing centres further in the Libra constellation, added to the domain throughout millennia as the house expanded and made itself more self-sufficient.
Diamonds mined and processed on Pliesse are essential parts of advanced optics and applied laser technologies, for both military and civilian purposes. The House deals with aesthetic application of diamonds as a minor consideration, and mostly for domestic use as a status symbol. It gives ground in this market so as not to come into open conflict with jewellery powerhouses like House Hagal or some of its own allies, though such commercial truces have been periodically broken before. What it usually fights tooth and nail for is its position as the key stakeholder in the market of arms, satellites, and mining equipment. It cultivates longer value chains than most, having preferential rates with the Spacing Guild, offworlding specialised tasks or assembly to manufacturing similes as well as imports their production back to ensure tight interdependence. This is how House Uchan has reined in a lot of potential competition, including Ix, Richese, and Giedi Prime. Once in stiff rivalry with the Harkonnen over a CHOAM Directoriship, Count Iqar Uchan has achieved (after a short war) a quid pro quo arrangement with Baron Dmitri, following the latter's acquisition of quasi-fief on Arrakis. As Count Uchan grew old and senile, further concessions were made to Baron Vladimir in moving a big part of lasgun manufacturing to Harkonnen worlds, in return for steady provision of disciplined labour needed for many Uchani holdings of marginal habitability on moons, dwarf planets and space stations. With the decline of Richese and the fall of Ix careful balancing acts in manufacturing frayed and House Uchan was slipping into asymmetric reliance on the Harkonnen.
This is no longer the case. Count Iqar's decision to remarry at an old age, to Jalma Aru, the eldest daughter of the ur-Director of CHOAM, seems to have been a masterstroke. Jalma's influence and economic expertise has helped the House to take part in a major CHOAM Board reshuffle, displacing House Mutelli, who didn't see it coming. Uchani offworld manufacturing networks were reviewed and renegotiated, with new several post-reshuffle houses being drawn to Uchan orbit, like the Verduns of Dross, via greenfield investment. With Iqar increasingly bedridden, Jalma became the de facto ruler of the House, to the chagrin of his many bastards... and, if rumours are to be believed, the Bene Gesserit. Recently, after Iqar's death on Otorio, she's been consolidating her regency, albeit not without some domestic troubles across diverse holdings.
House Uchan's centuries-old and rather petty rivalry is with House Taligari, and revolves around competing claims to some planets they lost when their rivals were formed on a Corrino whim. In recent decades, however, both houses have been feuding with each other with relative inattention even as hostility toward the other remains a powerful trick for social mobilisation. There was much cheer on Pliesse when Sardaukar glassed Taligari resort world of Zanovar. While the Uchan have almost always had an upper hand in the feud, there is a worry House Mutelli may seek retaliation by supporting the Taligari, and Mutellis usually can bring a lot of Landsraad support to the table. Hence, House Uchan has been pricing its upper hand in the CHOAM Board, eschewing diplomacy and acting in the realm of economic pressures.
Culture:
House Uchan was founded by a successful general of the Butlerian Jihad who wiped out machine holdouts on Pliesse during the Great Purge and decided to claim it for himself. Due to harsh living conditions in the twilight zone, under a constant threat of volcanic events, the way the house was run for a long time was militarised. The spirit of discipline, austerity, primness and minimalism came to dominate it. In business, it translated into frugality, and diamond adornments are perceived as symbols of rank rather than manifestations of beauty and fashion. The leaders of the house have long been guarding the bottom line by any means necessary, not unlike the Harkonnen, just without the sadistic aspects. It made easier for Jalma to adapt to being their de-facto leader, having the same corporate mindset.
Unlike most houses, the Uchan are not afraid of large-scale operations in vacuum... including military ones. They maintain several deep space stations and asteroid mining bases that have given rise to a distinct culture of the voidborne even as life expectancy in such places isn't high and the numbers have to be constantly replenished by contracted workers. House Taligari often accuses the Uchan of giving refuge to renegades and criminals this way, quite ironically given their own policies on noble bastards. Given that House Uchan used to be called out for supporting pirates and mercenaries, they may nevertheless be right, though very rarely can the Taligari raise enough support in the Landsraad for any censure against House Uchan.
Alcohol consumption has always been high across the Uchan planets, being a priority free-time activity and one on which frugal Uchani actually splurge on. The recent embargo imposed by House Mutelli on liquor exports is quite painful and has led to dissent, so far under control thanks to big imports of Harkonnen ale and a campaign to alter drinking habits from liquor to beer culture. Spice beer, once not appreciated due to lower-than-average life expectancy in Uchani holdings due to accidents and so offering no longevity advantage, is gaining in popularity, though the 'who wants to live forerver' attitude running in House Uchan is unlikely to be dropped anytime soon. The other passion usually stern and reserved Uchani lose calm for is space racing in all its forms, along with contact sports, especially gladiatorial fights broadcast from Giedi Prime.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Londine
Homeworld: Sikun (70 Ophiuchi)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Akarso Leaf; pale orange and dark green
Head: Lord Rajiv Londine
Heirs: Several adolescent bastards, none legitimised
Main exports: financial services, gambling, entertainment
Current Allies: Verdun, Tull, Uchan, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Corrino
Current Enemies: Taligari, Thorvald
Position:
A quarter century ago, House Londine was just an unremarkable House Minor under House Thorvald, ruling Sikun, a small arid planet of which only the equatorial belt was warm enough to support human habitation. Sikun's main claim to fame was its peculiar flora and some smuggler activity. The world seemed otherwise neglected by its nominal owner, Earl Memnon Thorvald of Ipyr, due to being neither fertile nor rich in minerals. However, Lord Rajiv Londine was able to remake the fortunes of his small house in just one generation, taking advantage of the events of Shaddam IV's Great Spice War.
When the Padishah Emperor impressed on the Landsraad by sending the Sardaukar to glass Zanovar and nuke Korona that he would enforce legal prohibitions on spice hoarding with no restraint, many houses of the Landsraad scrambled for options to divert Sardaukar punitive actions from them. Some submitted their hoards, some sought to liquidate them as soon as possible. It so happened that Thorvald's secret stockpile was actually on Sikun, but Rajiv liquidated it efficiently enough or hid them so well that the CHOAM audits could find nothing. He saved the fortunes of Earl Memnon by funneling illegal merchandise through many offworld centres and allocating cash in off-the-book investment. The financial magic of Lord Rajiv, likely supported by some smuggler network he'd come to agreement with, immediately found further anonymous clients, earning him an initially undisclosed number of favours in the Landsraad, and a fortune derived from price manipulation and trafficking fees. His spice laundering practices gave new meaning to the oft-repeated phrase that 'the spice must flow'. Sikun would likely have become the next target of Sardaukar retaliation if not for the successful Landsraad censure that made the Emperor abandon his violent enforcement.
In yet another brilliant business strategy, House Londine took advantage of the plight of the resort world of Zanovar. Rajiv invested his newfound fortune in entertainment infrastructure on Sikun, fuelled by import of asteroid water ice on Uchani haulers and installing limited weather control via space mirrors for a spectacular if limited ecological transformation on Sikun's equator. By the new surface reservoir the City of Two Stars sprouted, with a robust starport, quickly filling with hotels, casinos, amusement parks and other pleasure facilities basking in the amplified light of the binary suns of 70 Ophiuchi, along with conference halls, seats of Londine-sponsored hedge funds, financial startups and brokerages. House Londine was sharing its incidental success with its Thorvald masters, with the Guild and CHOAM by hefty kickbacks, keeping everyone happy, except for Taligari on whose misery his opportunity was built.
Another sharp turn in Londine ascent happened during the most recent reshuffle of CHOAM seats, concurrent to which a joint petition by several Houses Major owing to House Londine to elevate it to a new rank, with the aim to free it from allegiance to the Thorvalds. Earl Memnon might have been considering a military action to prevent the secession of Sikun, but then, to the surprise of many, Shaddam IV himself supported the petition, allegedly out of spite for his brief and unsuccessful marriage to Firenza, Memnon's sister. To rub salt into the injury, Thorvalds' CHOAM directorship was transferred to House Londine, with wide shareholder support. For the last several years, Lord Rajiv has been riding the wave, seemingly ignoring the pattern in the politics of the Imperium that rapid rise is followed by a spectacular fall, and that the Padishah Emperor has as much reason to punish House Londine for obfuscating his spice policies as he had to snub and weaken House Thorvald. His refusal to award Lord Rajiv a noble title commensurate with the new status of House Major may be a signal that House Londine is... a temporary thing. So far, 'lord' Rajiv has shown no public indignance.
Culture:
There isn't much to House Londine yet beyond Lord Rajiv, his bastards and a small army of financial hirelings from all across the Imperium, including a twisted mentat, to run the oasis haven of finance and gambling sandwiched between hemispheres of cold wasteland that probably hosts some smuggler hideouts. The aesthetics of Londinese holdings is usually loud, flashy, glamorous, and that of ostentatious opulence, typical for nuveaux-riches, but it looks to be selling great to offworld tourists seeking just the kind of abandon. Business is done on Sikun in rather seedy ways under thin veneer of legitimacy CHOAM seems to be awarding Rajiv. Still, Taligaris and Thorvalds insist he runs a criminal organisation rather than a House Major, even as such accusations have so far been falling on deaf ears in the CHOAM Board and in the Landsraad. Lord Rajiv hasn't delivered a single speech in the Hall of Oratory yet, apparently preferring backroom deals during CHOAM meetings, so not much is known of his political outlooks, though his philosophy seems to be always one step ahead of the competition.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Akarso Leaf; pale orange and dark green
Head: Lord Rajiv Londine
Heirs: Several adolescent bastards, none legitimised
Main exports: financial services, gambling, entertainment
Current Allies: Verdun, Tull, Uchan, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Corrino
Current Enemies: Taligari, Thorvald
Position:
A quarter century ago, House Londine was just an unremarkable House Minor under House Thorvald, ruling Sikun, a small arid planet of which only the equatorial belt was warm enough to support human habitation. Sikun's main claim to fame was its peculiar flora and some smuggler activity. The world seemed otherwise neglected by its nominal owner, Earl Memnon Thorvald of Ipyr, due to being neither fertile nor rich in minerals. However, Lord Rajiv Londine was able to remake the fortunes of his small house in just one generation, taking advantage of the events of Shaddam IV's Great Spice War.
When the Padishah Emperor impressed on the Landsraad by sending the Sardaukar to glass Zanovar and nuke Korona that he would enforce legal prohibitions on spice hoarding with no restraint, many houses of the Landsraad scrambled for options to divert Sardaukar punitive actions from them. Some submitted their hoards, some sought to liquidate them as soon as possible. It so happened that Thorvald's secret stockpile was actually on Sikun, but Rajiv liquidated it efficiently enough or hid them so well that the CHOAM audits could find nothing. He saved the fortunes of Earl Memnon by funneling illegal merchandise through many offworld centres and allocating cash in off-the-book investment. The financial magic of Lord Rajiv, likely supported by some smuggler network he'd come to agreement with, immediately found further anonymous clients, earning him an initially undisclosed number of favours in the Landsraad, and a fortune derived from price manipulation and trafficking fees. His spice laundering practices gave new meaning to the oft-repeated phrase that 'the spice must flow'. Sikun would likely have become the next target of Sardaukar retaliation if not for the successful Landsraad censure that made the Emperor abandon his violent enforcement.
In yet another brilliant business strategy, House Londine took advantage of the plight of the resort world of Zanovar. Rajiv invested his newfound fortune in entertainment infrastructure on Sikun, fuelled by import of asteroid water ice on Uchani haulers and installing limited weather control via space mirrors for a spectacular if limited ecological transformation on Sikun's equator. By the new surface reservoir the City of Two Stars sprouted, with a robust starport, quickly filling with hotels, casinos, amusement parks and other pleasure facilities basking in the amplified light of the binary suns of 70 Ophiuchi, along with conference halls, seats of Londine-sponsored hedge funds, financial startups and brokerages. House Londine was sharing its incidental success with its Thorvald masters, with the Guild and CHOAM by hefty kickbacks, keeping everyone happy, except for Taligari on whose misery his opportunity was built.
Another sharp turn in Londine ascent happened during the most recent reshuffle of CHOAM seats, concurrent to which a joint petition by several Houses Major owing to House Londine to elevate it to a new rank, with the aim to free it from allegiance to the Thorvalds. Earl Memnon might have been considering a military action to prevent the secession of Sikun, but then, to the surprise of many, Shaddam IV himself supported the petition, allegedly out of spite for his brief and unsuccessful marriage to Firenza, Memnon's sister. To rub salt into the injury, Thorvalds' CHOAM directorship was transferred to House Londine, with wide shareholder support. For the last several years, Lord Rajiv has been riding the wave, seemingly ignoring the pattern in the politics of the Imperium that rapid rise is followed by a spectacular fall, and that the Padishah Emperor has as much reason to punish House Londine for obfuscating his spice policies as he had to snub and weaken House Thorvald. His refusal to award Lord Rajiv a noble title commensurate with the new status of House Major may be a signal that House Londine is... a temporary thing. So far, 'lord' Rajiv has shown no public indignance.
Culture:
There isn't much to House Londine yet beyond Lord Rajiv, his bastards and a small army of financial hirelings from all across the Imperium, including a twisted mentat, to run the oasis haven of finance and gambling sandwiched between hemispheres of cold wasteland that probably hosts some smuggler hideouts. The aesthetics of Londinese holdings is usually loud, flashy, glamorous, and that of ostentatious opulence, typical for nuveaux-riches, but it looks to be selling great to offworld tourists seeking just the kind of abandon. Business is done on Sikun in rather seedy ways under thin veneer of legitimacy CHOAM seems to be awarding Rajiv. Still, Taligaris and Thorvalds insist he runs a criminal organisation rather than a House Major, even as such accusations have so far been falling on deaf ears in the CHOAM Board and in the Landsraad. Lord Rajiv hasn't delivered a single speech in the Hall of Oratory yet, apparently preferring backroom deals during CHOAM meetings, so not much is known of his political outlooks, though his philosophy seems to be always one step ahead of the competition.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Taligari
Homeworld: Taligari (TRAPPIST-1)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: scales; purple and grey
Head: Provostess Francesca Taligari (Ceremonial), Senators & Docents
Heirs: Secured but Irrelevant
Main exports: quality university-level education, humanities and social studies tutors, intangible artwork, various tourist attractions
Current Allies: Jongleur, Vernius, Thorvald
Current Frenemies: Hagal, Ecaz, Mutelli
Current Enemies: Corrino, Uchan
Position:
House Taligari espouses soft power. About a millenium ago Padishah Emperor Hyek II Corrino, a known benefactor of culture and education of the Imperium, elevated a transplanetary fine arts university consortium to the status of a House Major... on the nine planets that had prior holders. House Uchan was hit the hardest, being deprived of two hard-won planets in the TRAPPIST-1 and one more in Theta Librae. While other Houses affected, most notably Hagal, Ecaz and Mutelli, have come to terms with losing control of both holdings as well as education and art centres in one go, finding Taligaris rather accommodating to their continued influence over the lost worlds, House Uchan have not - the world of Taligari, just like Pliesse, is tidally locked, and given Uchani unique experience with developing those they have never ceased laying claim to it. The development of Artesia, the capital of Taligari, on the nightside into one of the finest cities in the Imperium has been an affront to their ways. They would have long destroyed it if they could.
So why wouldn't they? Taligari has no defences to speak of. However, since its inception its academic founders have developed a surprisingly successful survival strategy for a House that has no spatial consistency, its holdings being scattered across the Imperium, and with many potential aggrieved rivals. It has gone strictly militarily neutral, fully open and... attractive. All its worlds were decentralised and rendered autonomous, extending the academic standards of governance planet-wide. House Taligari has long abandoned any claim to effective rule, allowing for the interplanetary Senate and elected Docents to run their fiefs, what has allowed the prior holders of Taligari worlds to negotiate special privileges. In fact, the cornerstone of the strategy is to attract as many high-ranking members of other Great Houses onto Taligari worlds as possible so that an attack on any would rile half of the Imperium against the attacker. It's 'heirs as human shields' as a Landsraad delegate of House Uchan accusingly claimed once. In fact, the Docents have made the Taligari worlds so engrossing for the golden youth of the Imperium that they are often compelled to stay as long as possible. It is justified to their parents by providing the noble offspring with some of the most comprehensive tutelage in the Imperium. There's everything here what counts as refined entertainment and quality amusement. The resort world of Zanovar was once a hallmark of this approach. For the above purpose, a special relationship was forged between House Taligari and House Jongleur so that the preternaturally talented actors of the latter would regularly tour Taligari worlds with their productions. It's also a thinly veiled secret that a lot of noble bastards are spirited away to the Taligari for upbringing under strict confidentiality, serving as insurance in case dynastic policies go awry at home.
All this might have failed still at some point if not for the tacit endorsement of House Taligari by House Corrino throughout centuries... that was brutally rescinded without warning by Shaddam IV when he sent the Sardaukar to lay waste to Zanovar as the site of Taligari spice hoard in his opening salvo of the Great Spice War. The casualties reached 14 million and after full destruction of its five major cities Zanovar is no longer considered habitable. The shock and awe eventually backfired on Shaddam, with the Landsraad eventually stirred to decry the appalling Sardaukar atrocities. However, despite vindication and the fact that the eight other Taligari worlds still have a lot to offer, the wound of Zanovar remains and festers, as it has broken a taboo, and the Docents-ruled planets are not considered as great a haven as they once were, something House Uchan may finally exploit. For now, the Taligari can count on some limited support from other Houses Major recently aggrieved by the Corrinos - Richese, Vernius, and Thorvald.
Culture:
Impressive, refined, diverse, open, with an academic bend. Liberal freedoms, gender equality and high culture underscore how the Taligari conceive of their position and role in the Imperium. The intellectual development and well-being of the student protege is paramount to the Docents, who are sometimes likened in their dedication to how Suk doctors consider the health of their patients.
Taligari worlds are saturated with festivals and other cultural events of both domestic profile and as exclusive tours of offworld artists, though operas staged in Artesia are probably the most famous.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: scales; purple and grey
Head: Provostess Francesca Taligari (Ceremonial), Senators & Docents
Heirs: Secured but Irrelevant
Main exports: quality university-level education, humanities and social studies tutors, intangible artwork, various tourist attractions
Current Allies: Jongleur, Vernius, Thorvald
Current Frenemies: Hagal, Ecaz, Mutelli
Current Enemies: Corrino, Uchan
Position:
House Taligari espouses soft power. About a millenium ago Padishah Emperor Hyek II Corrino, a known benefactor of culture and education of the Imperium, elevated a transplanetary fine arts university consortium to the status of a House Major... on the nine planets that had prior holders. House Uchan was hit the hardest, being deprived of two hard-won planets in the TRAPPIST-1 and one more in Theta Librae. While other Houses affected, most notably Hagal, Ecaz and Mutelli, have come to terms with losing control of both holdings as well as education and art centres in one go, finding Taligaris rather accommodating to their continued influence over the lost worlds, House Uchan have not - the world of Taligari, just like Pliesse, is tidally locked, and given Uchani unique experience with developing those they have never ceased laying claim to it. The development of Artesia, the capital of Taligari, on the nightside into one of the finest cities in the Imperium has been an affront to their ways. They would have long destroyed it if they could.
So why wouldn't they? Taligari has no defences to speak of. However, since its inception its academic founders have developed a surprisingly successful survival strategy for a House that has no spatial consistency, its holdings being scattered across the Imperium, and with many potential aggrieved rivals. It has gone strictly militarily neutral, fully open and... attractive. All its worlds were decentralised and rendered autonomous, extending the academic standards of governance planet-wide. House Taligari has long abandoned any claim to effective rule, allowing for the interplanetary Senate and elected Docents to run their fiefs, what has allowed the prior holders of Taligari worlds to negotiate special privileges. In fact, the cornerstone of the strategy is to attract as many high-ranking members of other Great Houses onto Taligari worlds as possible so that an attack on any would rile half of the Imperium against the attacker. It's 'heirs as human shields' as a Landsraad delegate of House Uchan accusingly claimed once. In fact, the Docents have made the Taligari worlds so engrossing for the golden youth of the Imperium that they are often compelled to stay as long as possible. It is justified to their parents by providing the noble offspring with some of the most comprehensive tutelage in the Imperium. There's everything here what counts as refined entertainment and quality amusement. The resort world of Zanovar was once a hallmark of this approach. For the above purpose, a special relationship was forged between House Taligari and House Jongleur so that the preternaturally talented actors of the latter would regularly tour Taligari worlds with their productions. It's also a thinly veiled secret that a lot of noble bastards are spirited away to the Taligari for upbringing under strict confidentiality, serving as insurance in case dynastic policies go awry at home.
All this might have failed still at some point if not for the tacit endorsement of House Taligari by House Corrino throughout centuries... that was brutally rescinded without warning by Shaddam IV when he sent the Sardaukar to lay waste to Zanovar as the site of Taligari spice hoard in his opening salvo of the Great Spice War. The casualties reached 14 million and after full destruction of its five major cities Zanovar is no longer considered habitable. The shock and awe eventually backfired on Shaddam, with the Landsraad eventually stirred to decry the appalling Sardaukar atrocities. However, despite vindication and the fact that the eight other Taligari worlds still have a lot to offer, the wound of Zanovar remains and festers, as it has broken a taboo, and the Docents-ruled planets are not considered as great a haven as they once were, something House Uchan may finally exploit. For now, the Taligari can count on some limited support from other Houses Major recently aggrieved by the Corrinos - Richese, Vernius, and Thorvald.
Culture:
Impressive, refined, diverse, open, with an academic bend. Liberal freedoms, gender equality and high culture underscore how the Taligari conceive of their position and role in the Imperium. The intellectual development and well-being of the student protege is paramount to the Docents, who are sometimes likened in their dedication to how Suk doctors consider the health of their patients.
Taligari worlds are saturated with festivals and other cultural events of both domestic profile and as exclusive tours of offworld artists, though operas staged in Artesia are probably the most famous.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Basque
Homeworld: Bela Tegeuse (Iota Leporis B in Kuentsing)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Droplet, Teal and Brown
Head: Baron Urquidi Basque
Heirs: Born to BG concubine
Main exports: Fungal antiobtics, coolies, industrial gases
Current Allies: Corrino, Uchan, Wallach
Current Frenemies: Thorvald
Current Enemies: ?
Position:
The fifth planet of one of the stars in a trinary system of Kuentsing is humid, poorly lit and bleak. Without significant capital inputs it allows for subsistence agriculture only. No-one really vies for control over it; resources that could make this world truly profitable were extracted long ago, in times when Thinking Machines ruled it. There are Houses Minor more potent than whatever this planetary fief can boast, but the Padishahs are slow to demote its rulers given their consistent record of support for Corrino policies in the Landsraad. The planet is harsh enough to give some mental spine to its population, so some Sardaukar recruits are pulled from here.
House Basque doesn't always recognise its own insignificance and often acts cocksure in Imperial politics, trying to punch above their weight, what earns them some recognition among Houses with a defiant streak like Thorvald or, until recently, Moritani, and annoyance of many others, but in the end they do what the Emperor demands. If its ruling barons earn any true enemies, its is because of their particular Landsraad votes or personal mishaps. They do, however, show restraint when Bene Gesserit interests are at stake, perhaps due to their astrographic closeness.
Bela Tegeuse has some industries revolving around gases extracted from swamps which more industrial houses like Uchan purchase, but its most important exports are fungal moulds that can be turned into antibiotics. This earns them some recognition of usefulness from the Suk School ad the Sisterhood. Little of the actual pharmaceutical processing happens onworld, however. While the Kuentsing trinary si moderately rich in resources, most of the exploitation rights rest with House Wallach, and House Basque doesn't have the right technology and capacity to make use of it, and even in finer days rulers of Bela Tegeuse rarely challenged the asymmetry.
Culture:
Once a prominent slaver hub in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad, Bela Tegeuse degraded over millenia to the proverbial backwater. What remained from slaver times is a strong Zensunni creed among commoners which are nevertheless rather keen to migrate to labour-stricken worlds, especially those that harbour other pockets of Buddhislam. The planet doesn't depopulate too rapidly, however, as Missionaria Protectiva is relatively active there and some influx also happens, mostly due to no-questions-asked immigration policies. It's not as good an asylum as what Guild can offer, but for many it's certainly more affordable. Real estate is one of the cheapest in the Imperium, given out with no infrastructure or amenities. That makes big swaths of the planet undergoverned, letting local groups of whatever origin establish whatever rules they can enforce. It's quite possible House Basque sustains itself in part from bribes of those who want to remain hidden, or even taxes some illicit activities originating from the planet under the table. In addition, the Sisterhood and House Wallach support the Basques in order to maintain status quo and a measure of control over the neighbouring planet.
The planet is not without its natural curios, it sports breathtaking auroras at almost all latitudes, and the planetary ecosystem is a lesson in survival against the odds, like with hala-cypresses that can move across swamps on their roots in search for nutrients, but few people want to live there if they can be elsewhere.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: Droplet, Teal and Brown
Head: Baron Urquidi Basque
Heirs: Born to BG concubine
Main exports: Fungal antiobtics, coolies, industrial gases
Current Allies: Corrino, Uchan, Wallach
Current Frenemies: Thorvald
Current Enemies: ?
Position:
The fifth planet of one of the stars in a trinary system of Kuentsing is humid, poorly lit and bleak. Without significant capital inputs it allows for subsistence agriculture only. No-one really vies for control over it; resources that could make this world truly profitable were extracted long ago, in times when Thinking Machines ruled it. There are Houses Minor more potent than whatever this planetary fief can boast, but the Padishahs are slow to demote its rulers given their consistent record of support for Corrino policies in the Landsraad. The planet is harsh enough to give some mental spine to its population, so some Sardaukar recruits are pulled from here.
House Basque doesn't always recognise its own insignificance and often acts cocksure in Imperial politics, trying to punch above their weight, what earns them some recognition among Houses with a defiant streak like Thorvald or, until recently, Moritani, and annoyance of many others, but in the end they do what the Emperor demands. If its ruling barons earn any true enemies, its is because of their particular Landsraad votes or personal mishaps. They do, however, show restraint when Bene Gesserit interests are at stake, perhaps due to their astrographic closeness.
Bela Tegeuse has some industries revolving around gases extracted from swamps which more industrial houses like Uchan purchase, but its most important exports are fungal moulds that can be turned into antibiotics. This earns them some recognition of usefulness from the Suk School ad the Sisterhood. Little of the actual pharmaceutical processing happens onworld, however. While the Kuentsing trinary si moderately rich in resources, most of the exploitation rights rest with House Wallach, and House Basque doesn't have the right technology and capacity to make use of it, and even in finer days rulers of Bela Tegeuse rarely challenged the asymmetry.
Culture:
Once a prominent slaver hub in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad, Bela Tegeuse degraded over millenia to the proverbial backwater. What remained from slaver times is a strong Zensunni creed among commoners which are nevertheless rather keen to migrate to labour-stricken worlds, especially those that harbour other pockets of Buddhislam. The planet doesn't depopulate too rapidly, however, as Missionaria Protectiva is relatively active there and some influx also happens, mostly due to no-questions-asked immigration policies. It's not as good an asylum as what Guild can offer, but for many it's certainly more affordable. Real estate is one of the cheapest in the Imperium, given out with no infrastructure or amenities. That makes big swaths of the planet undergoverned, letting local groups of whatever origin establish whatever rules they can enforce. It's quite possible House Basque sustains itself in part from bribes of those who want to remain hidden, or even taxes some illicit activities originating from the planet under the table. In addition, the Sisterhood and House Wallach support the Basques in order to maintain status quo and a measure of control over the neighbouring planet.
The planet is not without its natural curios, it sports breathtaking auroras at almost all latitudes, and the planetary ecosystem is a lesson in survival against the odds, like with hala-cypresses that can move across swamps on their roots in search for nutrients, but few people want to live there if they can be elsewhere.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Thorvald
Homeworld: Ipyr (Omega Lyrae)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: hammer standing on its head; indigo and yellow
Head: Earl Memnon Thorvald
Heirs: Secured
Main exports: minerals, hydrocarbons, polymers, blades, ship guns
Current Allies: Richese, Taligari
Current Frenemies: Corrino, Uchan, Atreides, Harkonnen
Current Enemies: Londine, Verdun
Position:
House Thorvald is an old house, though their claims of hailing back to the times of the League of Nobles are disputed. It's old enough though to have experienced all kinds of fortunes and certainly carries a reputation in the Landsraad: of impetuousness, tempestuousness, ruthlessness, defiant streak and an unending thirst for grandeur. The Thorvalds have long been giving the Imperium troubles and crises whenever they feel their position as one of the foremost Houses Major has been slipping. They do not shy away from threat of use of force, boasting fleets at times second only two those of Sardaukar (though always by a wide margin). They are not rabid dogs, however; they usually know how to play the political game in the Landsraad, riding on the moods among other nobles, seeking coalitions to bring pressure either on their enemies or on the Emperor himself. Playing high stakes games have led to diverse outcomes in the past, with the Corrinos seeking to appease House Thorvald or to censure it, depending on circumstances. During his reign, Shaddam IV has tried both, first making Earl Memnon his brother-in-law by marrying Firenza Thorvald, only to see her removed after half a year to make way for his newest wife Aricatha, and then stripping Sikun from the Thorvald list of fiefs with the emergence of House Londine. At this point Earl Memnon is quite openly resentful of the Corrinos, for what makes him a prime suspect of being involved with the seditious Noble Commonwealth, but he remains buoyed by Landsraad support, justified in his grudge. Still, the Earl hasn't tipped his hand yet by making any of trademark bold moves of his forebears, being unusually distanced from the politics of the day, as if letting Duke Atreides to have full attention of the Golden Lion Throne, perhaps knowing from experience where it eventually leads...
House Thorvald governs a collection of cool worlds, mostly on the outer end of habitability. Of them, Ipyr is the largest and the most temperate, with open, only partially glaciated oceans. Others, like Galicia, and Jericha, governed by vassal Houses Minor, are wilder and harsher. They provide Landsraad votes nonetheless. The Thorvalds are satisfied with those kinds of fiefs, having long specialised in cryomining, being able to make steady profits on mineral riches others wouldn't know how to extract. In fact, Ipyr is not their first homeworld, the initial one got depleted and forgotten. The domestic supply of raw materials have also allowed them to become mostly self-sufficient in military procurement. Dependence on food imports makes Thorvalds wary of antagonising houses governing agri-worlds like Atreides or Mutelli, but they have no qualms about waging economic warfare on fellow mining and heavy industry powerhouses like Uchan and Harkonnen. They do so mostly by forceful tactics rather than seeking innovative edge. While their closely guarded tech is tried and tested, relying on human craftsmanship more than on mechanised processes, and Thorvald products are known for sturdiness and durability, they have been losing some ground due to low sophistication. Marrying one of the daughters of Ilban Richese by Memnon's father was meant to help Thorvald industries rebound, but the marriage didn't bring as much boon as the senior Earl might have hoped; the Richesians have also fallen into a tech slump in recent decades. Still, the relationship is rather complementary and both houses remain close, especially as the victims of Shaddam's tyranny, along with House Taligari. In the end, however, House Thorvald is rather entrenched in its ways of doing things and doesn't respond well to any disruption of the core features of their identity, in manufacturing or otherwise. In the past they were offered siridar governorship over Arrakis once but they didn't do well, maladjusted to governing a world so different from theirs. Even so, Thorvald specialists sometimes end up on spice mining contracts.
Culture:
Thorvald worlds know slavery, but most of the work is done by free men, with strong family traditions of passing expertise from generation to generation, especially in more traditional crafts like smithing their high quality blades. The population is quite eclectic and superstitious, though generally very skeptical toward religious fervour of any kind. Cold climates and open spaces shape people who are gruff and fiercely independent, hardy warriors and prospectors, and so Earl Memnon's leadership is primarily charismatic and based on personal qualities. Actually, Earl is an imperial designation; domestically, Thorvald rulers are 'Jarls'. Their aggressive policies are at least in part dictated by the need to satisfy their subjects' belligerence, whose measure of worth is 'besting' the opponents in some way, preferably with fierce competitiveness, and violence. They are also people not bothered by holding contradictory opinions: they generally hate the Harkonnen, but they love their ales and the Bjondax whale furs from Lankiveil; they have contempt for farming planets, but they are very appreciative of fine foodstfuffs they purchase from them; they envy technological sophistication of other industrial houses but they don't want to adopt it; they cherish unspoilt nature but they spoil it without mercy the moment they discover any mineral wealth underneath. They're difficult to govern, but easy to convince to act on whatever grudge or bias they may be holding.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: hammer standing on its head; indigo and yellow
Head: Earl Memnon Thorvald
Heirs: Secured
Main exports: minerals, hydrocarbons, polymers, blades, ship guns
Current Allies: Richese, Taligari
Current Frenemies: Corrino, Uchan, Atreides, Harkonnen
Current Enemies: Londine, Verdun
Position:
House Thorvald is an old house, though their claims of hailing back to the times of the League of Nobles are disputed. It's old enough though to have experienced all kinds of fortunes and certainly carries a reputation in the Landsraad: of impetuousness, tempestuousness, ruthlessness, defiant streak and an unending thirst for grandeur. The Thorvalds have long been giving the Imperium troubles and crises whenever they feel their position as one of the foremost Houses Major has been slipping. They do not shy away from threat of use of force, boasting fleets at times second only two those of Sardaukar (though always by a wide margin). They are not rabid dogs, however; they usually know how to play the political game in the Landsraad, riding on the moods among other nobles, seeking coalitions to bring pressure either on their enemies or on the Emperor himself. Playing high stakes games have led to diverse outcomes in the past, with the Corrinos seeking to appease House Thorvald or to censure it, depending on circumstances. During his reign, Shaddam IV has tried both, first making Earl Memnon his brother-in-law by marrying Firenza Thorvald, only to see her removed after half a year to make way for his newest wife Aricatha, and then stripping Sikun from the Thorvald list of fiefs with the emergence of House Londine. At this point Earl Memnon is quite openly resentful of the Corrinos, for what makes him a prime suspect of being involved with the seditious Noble Commonwealth, but he remains buoyed by Landsraad support, justified in his grudge. Still, the Earl hasn't tipped his hand yet by making any of trademark bold moves of his forebears, being unusually distanced from the politics of the day, as if letting Duke Atreides to have full attention of the Golden Lion Throne, perhaps knowing from experience where it eventually leads...
House Thorvald governs a collection of cool worlds, mostly on the outer end of habitability. Of them, Ipyr is the largest and the most temperate, with open, only partially glaciated oceans. Others, like Galicia, and Jericha, governed by vassal Houses Minor, are wilder and harsher. They provide Landsraad votes nonetheless. The Thorvalds are satisfied with those kinds of fiefs, having long specialised in cryomining, being able to make steady profits on mineral riches others wouldn't know how to extract. In fact, Ipyr is not their first homeworld, the initial one got depleted and forgotten. The domestic supply of raw materials have also allowed them to become mostly self-sufficient in military procurement. Dependence on food imports makes Thorvalds wary of antagonising houses governing agri-worlds like Atreides or Mutelli, but they have no qualms about waging economic warfare on fellow mining and heavy industry powerhouses like Uchan and Harkonnen. They do so mostly by forceful tactics rather than seeking innovative edge. While their closely guarded tech is tried and tested, relying on human craftsmanship more than on mechanised processes, and Thorvald products are known for sturdiness and durability, they have been losing some ground due to low sophistication. Marrying one of the daughters of Ilban Richese by Memnon's father was meant to help Thorvald industries rebound, but the marriage didn't bring as much boon as the senior Earl might have hoped; the Richesians have also fallen into a tech slump in recent decades. Still, the relationship is rather complementary and both houses remain close, especially as the victims of Shaddam's tyranny, along with House Taligari. In the end, however, House Thorvald is rather entrenched in its ways of doing things and doesn't respond well to any disruption of the core features of their identity, in manufacturing or otherwise. In the past they were offered siridar governorship over Arrakis once but they didn't do well, maladjusted to governing a world so different from theirs. Even so, Thorvald specialists sometimes end up on spice mining contracts.
Culture:
Thorvald worlds know slavery, but most of the work is done by free men, with strong family traditions of passing expertise from generation to generation, especially in more traditional crafts like smithing their high quality blades. The population is quite eclectic and superstitious, though generally very skeptical toward religious fervour of any kind. Cold climates and open spaces shape people who are gruff and fiercely independent, hardy warriors and prospectors, and so Earl Memnon's leadership is primarily charismatic and based on personal qualities. Actually, Earl is an imperial designation; domestically, Thorvald rulers are 'Jarls'. Their aggressive policies are at least in part dictated by the need to satisfy their subjects' belligerence, whose measure of worth is 'besting' the opponents in some way, preferably with fierce competitiveness, and violence. They are also people not bothered by holding contradictory opinions: they generally hate the Harkonnen, but they love their ales and the Bjondax whale furs from Lankiveil; they have contempt for farming planets, but they are very appreciative of fine foodstfuffs they purchase from them; they envy technological sophistication of other industrial houses but they don't want to adopt it; they cherish unspoilt nature but they spoil it without mercy the moment they discover any mineral wealth underneath. They're difficult to govern, but easy to convince to act on whatever grudge or bias they may be holding.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Hagal
Homeworld: Hagal (Theta Shaowei vel Theta Leonis)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: clamshell; lavender and gold
Head: Count General Bain O'Garee
Heirs: Elected
Main exports: jewellery, decor, fashion products, architects, masons, etiquette advisors
Current Allies: Corrino, Atreides, Mutelli, Bene Gesserit
Current Frenemies: Uchan, Harkonnen, Taligari
Current Enemies: Verdun, Tull
Position:
House Hagal is in decline. It has long been. Its ancestral home, called the Jewel Planet, is all but mined out at this point, and other planets House Hagal controls, like Buzzell or Harmonthep, have crossed the point of sustainable exploitation. It must rely on anonymous suppliers to maintain the output of luxury products it has addicted the Imperium to. It'd be hard for the House to secure CHOAM directorship again even though in the past it used to hold onto it on near-permanent basis. The main bloodline of the house is not even in control of the government, vested now with O'Garee cadet line, and the elderly Count General Bain is holding onto power mostly because there is no worthy successor in sight that could manage the house's difficulties with the required skill.
On the other hand, the House has proven to be rather resilient despite those odds, still having many assets in their hand to use in their favour, albeit cautiously. Their position in the Landsraad remains strong. The Hagals are probably in the trio of those houses who've come to dominate the bureaucracy of the Imperium, after the Corrinos and the Mutellis, with whom they regularly consult behind the scenes. It was no accident that Bain O'Garee was chosen to preside over Leto Atreides' Trial by Forfeiture in the Landsraad, and his readiness to do the Emperor's bidding in saving the Duke have won him favours of both. The rapprochement with the Atreides is relatively recent even though both houses have long shared a gentleman's agreement on non-aggression, sharing the Delta Pavonis system that hosts both Caladan and Harmothep. It is now more firmly grounded in voting alliance in the Landsraad and in economic gestures - Duke Leto has enlisted Hagal help to add grandeur to Castle Caladan, House Hagal has increased imports of rare corals and fire pearls from Caladanan seas. In addition, Leto still owes Bain for his support on the Baekkal military affair.
In contrast, the relationship with the Corrino is much deeper and more profound. House Hagal has long been one of the pillars of the stability of the Imperium, and nothing symbolises it more than the Emperor's throne itself - made of a unique single block of Hagal emerald quartz. House Hagal knows to call upon the favours of the Golden Lion Throne sparingly but meaningfully, like with the marriage between late Padishah Emperor Elrood IX and Yvette Hagal that is considered a model Imperial marriage in the modern era, cherished in art and celebrated as Yvette was the only wife Elrood had purportedly loved, in addition to producing three princesses, Crystane, Tara and Edwina, with the use of whom he had strengthened his alliances, rendering several Great House heirs 'cher cousins'. Arguably, Shaddam IV has less reason to favour House Hagal, and he could have taken it personally when a rather ungratifying inflatable effigy of his was set adrift over a stadium on Harmonthep by unknown perpetrators, but in the end picking fights with House Hagal seems very counterproductive as they give him few reasons to question their loyalty.
Many other great houses think similarly, if for no other reason than the quiet alliance the Sisterhood maintains with the House, providing it with relevant intelligence that strengthens Hagal hand in diplomacy and intrigue and more general support in exchange for... helping Bene Gesserit keep their dirty secrets. The cold oceanic planet of Buzzell has long hosted Sisterhood's facilities where disobedient or otherwise problematic sisters are isolated. Semi-officially - for the 'crime of love', though there may be other profound reasons. In addition, House Hagal has been a willing participant in Bene Gesserit breeding programs. In fact, its succession system is built in a way that accommodates it, with many cadet lines of House Hagal holding titles of Counts and robust fiefs simultaneously, giving them Landsraad votes and significant stature, but only one, elected during a family conclave for life, is considered due representation of the House Major at a given time, the others considered Houses Minor until the next election... in which the Sisterhood seems to have a say.
What House Hagal certainly has is the brand. Every good it exports is considered high-quality and worthy of nobility, whether its Buzzell's soostones, Hagal's emerald quartz, blue obsidian or fire opals, Harmothep's moss pearls, Chusuk musical instruments, or any other. In fact, it's a thinly covered secret that many of the jewellery exports are only processed on Hagal at this point, originating elsewhere or even synthetically manufactured at some of the industrial worlds. The Faufreluches aren't bothered as long as the 'Oooh, it's from Hagal, how tasteful!' effect holds, especially that House Hagal makes sure that the final quality deviates as little from the famed original as possible. This has of course led Hagal to be the victim of many counterfeiting attempts, or just theft. A rather embarrassing affair is related to the Buzzell's soostones, in which impostors posing as Emperor's cousins set up a skimming operation on the planet before they were uncovered and went rogue. Count-General Bain, whose ancestral fief is actually Buzzell, insists that Houses Verdun and Tull were involved, though given its own volatile dynastic situation stopped short of invoking Kanly and starting a War of Assassins, focusing on mounting diplomatic and economic pressure on both, piling counterfeiting accusations on them. Alas, those efforts are mostly ineffectual now after both have secured CHOAM directorship, with no CHOAM arbitration having a chance of passing the required voting threshold unless Shaddam IV himself decides to take sides. The time may have come for the House to take greater risks in settling the score.
Culture:
Hagal economy increasingly relies on intangible exports, like expert services in architecture, stonework, decor as well as training in fashion, etiquette, music, good taste and preparedness to courtly life in general. Tutors of that kind are often outsourced at high fees by Houses of the Imperium for their heirs and debutantes from the planet Chusuk, home of House Varota, one of Hagal Elector Houses, renowned for their baliset players and poets. That it facilitates trade of accessories of haute couture the House boasts goes without saying.
Hagal systems are very diverse religion-wise, from Buddhislam on Harmonthep to Navachristianity on Chusuk to variations on Orange Catholicism on other planets. Hence, it clinches with the Bene Gesserit on rather instrumental treatment of beliefs and has long let Bene Gesserit to deploy Missionaria Protectiva onto their worlds to make the population more governable and complacent, especially on those planets where maintaining slavery saves the bottom line. What they do stick to as an original house of the League of Nobles are the general strictures of the Butlerian Jihad and the sanctity of the Great Convention.
Outside, their nobles are tasked with serving as the living examples of everything the house represents, advertising Hagal values and products by their very conduct, maintaining dignity, opulence and sophistication.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: clamshell; lavender and gold
Head: Count General Bain O'Garee
Heirs: Elected
Main exports: jewellery, decor, fashion products, architects, masons, etiquette advisors
Current Allies: Corrino, Atreides, Mutelli, Bene Gesserit
Current Frenemies: Uchan, Harkonnen, Taligari
Current Enemies: Verdun, Tull
Position:
House Hagal is in decline. It has long been. Its ancestral home, called the Jewel Planet, is all but mined out at this point, and other planets House Hagal controls, like Buzzell or Harmonthep, have crossed the point of sustainable exploitation. It must rely on anonymous suppliers to maintain the output of luxury products it has addicted the Imperium to. It'd be hard for the House to secure CHOAM directorship again even though in the past it used to hold onto it on near-permanent basis. The main bloodline of the house is not even in control of the government, vested now with O'Garee cadet line, and the elderly Count General Bain is holding onto power mostly because there is no worthy successor in sight that could manage the house's difficulties with the required skill.
On the other hand, the House has proven to be rather resilient despite those odds, still having many assets in their hand to use in their favour, albeit cautiously. Their position in the Landsraad remains strong. The Hagals are probably in the trio of those houses who've come to dominate the bureaucracy of the Imperium, after the Corrinos and the Mutellis, with whom they regularly consult behind the scenes. It was no accident that Bain O'Garee was chosen to preside over Leto Atreides' Trial by Forfeiture in the Landsraad, and his readiness to do the Emperor's bidding in saving the Duke have won him favours of both. The rapprochement with the Atreides is relatively recent even though both houses have long shared a gentleman's agreement on non-aggression, sharing the Delta Pavonis system that hosts both Caladan and Harmothep. It is now more firmly grounded in voting alliance in the Landsraad and in economic gestures - Duke Leto has enlisted Hagal help to add grandeur to Castle Caladan, House Hagal has increased imports of rare corals and fire pearls from Caladanan seas. In addition, Leto still owes Bain for his support on the Baekkal military affair.
In contrast, the relationship with the Corrino is much deeper and more profound. House Hagal has long been one of the pillars of the stability of the Imperium, and nothing symbolises it more than the Emperor's throne itself - made of a unique single block of Hagal emerald quartz. House Hagal knows to call upon the favours of the Golden Lion Throne sparingly but meaningfully, like with the marriage between late Padishah Emperor Elrood IX and Yvette Hagal that is considered a model Imperial marriage in the modern era, cherished in art and celebrated as Yvette was the only wife Elrood had purportedly loved, in addition to producing three princesses, Crystane, Tara and Edwina, with the use of whom he had strengthened his alliances, rendering several Great House heirs 'cher cousins'. Arguably, Shaddam IV has less reason to favour House Hagal, and he could have taken it personally when a rather ungratifying inflatable effigy of his was set adrift over a stadium on Harmonthep by unknown perpetrators, but in the end picking fights with House Hagal seems very counterproductive as they give him few reasons to question their loyalty.
Many other great houses think similarly, if for no other reason than the quiet alliance the Sisterhood maintains with the House, providing it with relevant intelligence that strengthens Hagal hand in diplomacy and intrigue and more general support in exchange for... helping Bene Gesserit keep their dirty secrets. The cold oceanic planet of Buzzell has long hosted Sisterhood's facilities where disobedient or otherwise problematic sisters are isolated. Semi-officially - for the 'crime of love', though there may be other profound reasons. In addition, House Hagal has been a willing participant in Bene Gesserit breeding programs. In fact, its succession system is built in a way that accommodates it, with many cadet lines of House Hagal holding titles of Counts and robust fiefs simultaneously, giving them Landsraad votes and significant stature, but only one, elected during a family conclave for life, is considered due representation of the House Major at a given time, the others considered Houses Minor until the next election... in which the Sisterhood seems to have a say.
What House Hagal certainly has is the brand. Every good it exports is considered high-quality and worthy of nobility, whether its Buzzell's soostones, Hagal's emerald quartz, blue obsidian or fire opals, Harmothep's moss pearls, Chusuk musical instruments, or any other. In fact, it's a thinly covered secret that many of the jewellery exports are only processed on Hagal at this point, originating elsewhere or even synthetically manufactured at some of the industrial worlds. The Faufreluches aren't bothered as long as the 'Oooh, it's from Hagal, how tasteful!' effect holds, especially that House Hagal makes sure that the final quality deviates as little from the famed original as possible. This has of course led Hagal to be the victim of many counterfeiting attempts, or just theft. A rather embarrassing affair is related to the Buzzell's soostones, in which impostors posing as Emperor's cousins set up a skimming operation on the planet before they were uncovered and went rogue. Count-General Bain, whose ancestral fief is actually Buzzell, insists that Houses Verdun and Tull were involved, though given its own volatile dynastic situation stopped short of invoking Kanly and starting a War of Assassins, focusing on mounting diplomatic and economic pressure on both, piling counterfeiting accusations on them. Alas, those efforts are mostly ineffectual now after both have secured CHOAM directorship, with no CHOAM arbitration having a chance of passing the required voting threshold unless Shaddam IV himself decides to take sides. The time may have come for the House to take greater risks in settling the score.
Culture:
Hagal economy increasingly relies on intangible exports, like expert services in architecture, stonework, decor as well as training in fashion, etiquette, music, good taste and preparedness to courtly life in general. Tutors of that kind are often outsourced at high fees by Houses of the Imperium for their heirs and debutantes from the planet Chusuk, home of House Varota, one of Hagal Elector Houses, renowned for their baliset players and poets. That it facilitates trade of accessories of haute couture the House boasts goes without saying.
Hagal systems are very diverse religion-wise, from Buddhislam on Harmonthep to Navachristianity on Chusuk to variations on Orange Catholicism on other planets. Hence, it clinches with the Bene Gesserit on rather instrumental treatment of beliefs and has long let Bene Gesserit to deploy Missionaria Protectiva onto their worlds to make the population more governable and complacent, especially on those planets where maintaining slavery saves the bottom line. What they do stick to as an original house of the League of Nobles are the general strictures of the Butlerian Jihad and the sanctity of the Great Convention.
Outside, their nobles are tasked with serving as the living examples of everything the house represents, advertising Hagal values and products by their very conduct, maintaining dignity, opulence and sophistication.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Wallach
Homeworld: Wallach VII (Laoujin vel Iota Leporis A in Kuentsing)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: book encircled by a serpent; black, silver, brown
Head: Marquis Wolfram Wallach
Heirs: Born to BG Concubine
Main exports: Assassins, assassination tools and materials, antidotes
Current Allies: Bene Gesserit, Hagal, Basque
Current Frenemies: Corrino, Vernius, Ecaz
Current Enemies: Harkonnen, Tull, Bene Tleilax, Jongleur
Position:
House Wallach is a peculiar house. Founded by a militaristic explorer in Corrino service during the early Imperium who gave his name to the whole group of planets in Kuentsing trinary orbiting Laoujin, it has long changed its purpose and creed. Right now it is best defined by its symbiotic relationship with the Sisterhood, to the point when it is often considered their secular arm.
While Wallach IX is bleak, cold, rainy and poorly lit, Wallach VII of House Wallach is decently habitable and cultivable, despite flat topography and rather violent storms. It produces just enough consummables to support itself, the Sisterhood, and offer some assistance to nearby Bela Tegeuse, but not enough to make any commercial mark on the Imperium in bulk trade. However, the rarity of Wallachian economy stems from the fact that neither the Spacing Guild nor the CHOAM have too much say in whether it prospers as most of its exchanges happen within Kuentsing and is being carried out by own sublight cargo fleets. House Wallach has relearned how to live off one star system (albeit trinary), and it makes good use of its ancient economic rights to the whole Wallach Group of celestial objects.
This level of autarky wouldn't be possible if not for the Sisterhood, which has long protected the House Major status and related privileges of it in a myriad of ways despite occasional push from CHOAM and the Guild to strip extended rights from House Wallach and force it to rely on interstellar supply chains. The Bene Gesserit, quite accurately, take it as a move against them and spare no effort to thwart it. The last such attempt, spurred by Padishah Emperor Fondil the Hunter, who was finding the subservient role of Wallach demeaning given its proud ancestry, failed miserably. The Wallachian relationship with House Corrino, while not entirely stable, leans toward constructive, also because House Wallach is not interested in pushing the Basques of Bela Tegeuse to pick sides.
The relationship with Bene Gesserit goes deeper. As their birth practices are dictated by other concerns than sustainable fertility rates, most of the ordinary staff as well as a good portion of rank-and-file Sister material is outsourced from the population of Wallach VII. Wallachian Marquises hardly ever marry off any of their progeny for political gain in the Imperium, forming few outside alliances, relying on the Sisterhood in managing their breeding. Instead, their Landsraad politics are governed by the outlooks of the Sisterhood and are therefore fluid, dictated by the necessities of the moment. Hence neither does House Wallach engage in Kanly nor does it seek permanent alignments, except perhaps with those Houses whose relationship with the Bene Gesserit is somehow similar, like House Hagal.
In return for their unswerving cooperation, Wallachians have wider access to Bene Gesserit knowledge and teachings than probably any other House Major. In fact, their planetary education system is built on generously delegated Sisterhood tutors, many of them originating from the planet. That gives wider populace an edge in physical and mental preparedness that in the wider Imperium is usually reserved only to the carefully nurtured elites. While still rudimentary when compared to Sisterhood training, it has led House Wallach into specialising in a service sought-after: assassination.
Wallachian assassins-for-rent are rather expensive and can only be acquired on-planet, though a network of intermediaries preserves the clients' anonymity. Their assignments must be short and precise, so attempts to use them as infiltrators or advisors are turned down. They do boast a wide gamut of means of murder, excelling in chaumurky, chaumas, contact poisons and good old knifework, less so in complex devices Ix has been flooding the black markets with, to Wallachian chagrin. They also guarantee consistency of their methods with the Great Convention that allows their mandated actions be easily defended if any War of Assassins conduct is subjected to Landsraad censure. In fact, some of the best editions of the Assassin's Handbook, with rich appendices and commentary, come from Wallach VII - any self-respecting Master of Assassins serving a House Major should have one of those. If not assassin services themselves, a selection of poisons and non-machine tools of the craft can be acquired there on similarly anonymous basis, what may signal some undisclosed exchange with Ecaz where many of the poisonous botanics originate.
For both religious and economic reasons the Wallachians abhor the Tleilaxu. The latter may be even more profound, given how the Face Dancer assassins compromise their main source of income, outbidding Wallach on both ruthlessness and circumventing CHOAM purview. House Wallach has been one of the key opponents of letting House Jongleur exist as it often provides cover for Face Dancers.
Culture:
This all renders Wallachians rather cynical and pragmatic, austere and self-disciplined. The society functions without many of the grand illusions that sustain other domains of the Imperium, except for what Missionaria Protectiva has been implanting in their consciousness to ensure their cohesion and sustainability of the ruling house and continued receptiveness to Sisterhood influence. The Bene Gesserit paradigm that being homo sapiens doesn't automatically render you human is widely accepted, what opens the society to the idea of cruel trials and ordeals as well as conditioning of children. Such rituals don't serve entertainment, at least not primarily, however, but always have selection and education as their higher purpose, even if death rates are not unlike in houses that revel in bloody sports like Harkonnen or Uchan. To the ignorant, House Wallach may resemble House Harkonnen. Similarites are mostly superficial, however, and both Houses are actually enemies at this point. Less so because they compete, and more, like with House Tull, because this is what the interests of the Sisterhood dictate, especially after the Harkonnen attempt of gunboat diplomacy against Wallach IX fifteen years ago.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: book encircled by a serpent; black, silver, brown
Head: Marquis Wolfram Wallach
Heirs: Born to BG Concubine
Main exports: Assassins, assassination tools and materials, antidotes
Current Allies: Bene Gesserit, Hagal, Basque
Current Frenemies: Corrino, Vernius, Ecaz
Current Enemies: Harkonnen, Tull, Bene Tleilax, Jongleur
Position:
House Wallach is a peculiar house. Founded by a militaristic explorer in Corrino service during the early Imperium who gave his name to the whole group of planets in Kuentsing trinary orbiting Laoujin, it has long changed its purpose and creed. Right now it is best defined by its symbiotic relationship with the Sisterhood, to the point when it is often considered their secular arm.
While Wallach IX is bleak, cold, rainy and poorly lit, Wallach VII of House Wallach is decently habitable and cultivable, despite flat topography and rather violent storms. It produces just enough consummables to support itself, the Sisterhood, and offer some assistance to nearby Bela Tegeuse, but not enough to make any commercial mark on the Imperium in bulk trade. However, the rarity of Wallachian economy stems from the fact that neither the Spacing Guild nor the CHOAM have too much say in whether it prospers as most of its exchanges happen within Kuentsing and is being carried out by own sublight cargo fleets. House Wallach has relearned how to live off one star system (albeit trinary), and it makes good use of its ancient economic rights to the whole Wallach Group of celestial objects.
This level of autarky wouldn't be possible if not for the Sisterhood, which has long protected the House Major status and related privileges of it in a myriad of ways despite occasional push from CHOAM and the Guild to strip extended rights from House Wallach and force it to rely on interstellar supply chains. The Bene Gesserit, quite accurately, take it as a move against them and spare no effort to thwart it. The last such attempt, spurred by Padishah Emperor Fondil the Hunter, who was finding the subservient role of Wallach demeaning given its proud ancestry, failed miserably. The Wallachian relationship with House Corrino, while not entirely stable, leans toward constructive, also because House Wallach is not interested in pushing the Basques of Bela Tegeuse to pick sides.
The relationship with Bene Gesserit goes deeper. As their birth practices are dictated by other concerns than sustainable fertility rates, most of the ordinary staff as well as a good portion of rank-and-file Sister material is outsourced from the population of Wallach VII. Wallachian Marquises hardly ever marry off any of their progeny for political gain in the Imperium, forming few outside alliances, relying on the Sisterhood in managing their breeding. Instead, their Landsraad politics are governed by the outlooks of the Sisterhood and are therefore fluid, dictated by the necessities of the moment. Hence neither does House Wallach engage in Kanly nor does it seek permanent alignments, except perhaps with those Houses whose relationship with the Bene Gesserit is somehow similar, like House Hagal.
In return for their unswerving cooperation, Wallachians have wider access to Bene Gesserit knowledge and teachings than probably any other House Major. In fact, their planetary education system is built on generously delegated Sisterhood tutors, many of them originating from the planet. That gives wider populace an edge in physical and mental preparedness that in the wider Imperium is usually reserved only to the carefully nurtured elites. While still rudimentary when compared to Sisterhood training, it has led House Wallach into specialising in a service sought-after: assassination.
Wallachian assassins-for-rent are rather expensive and can only be acquired on-planet, though a network of intermediaries preserves the clients' anonymity. Their assignments must be short and precise, so attempts to use them as infiltrators or advisors are turned down. They do boast a wide gamut of means of murder, excelling in chaumurky, chaumas, contact poisons and good old knifework, less so in complex devices Ix has been flooding the black markets with, to Wallachian chagrin. They also guarantee consistency of their methods with the Great Convention that allows their mandated actions be easily defended if any War of Assassins conduct is subjected to Landsraad censure. In fact, some of the best editions of the Assassin's Handbook, with rich appendices and commentary, come from Wallach VII - any self-respecting Master of Assassins serving a House Major should have one of those. If not assassin services themselves, a selection of poisons and non-machine tools of the craft can be acquired there on similarly anonymous basis, what may signal some undisclosed exchange with Ecaz where many of the poisonous botanics originate.
For both religious and economic reasons the Wallachians abhor the Tleilaxu. The latter may be even more profound, given how the Face Dancer assassins compromise their main source of income, outbidding Wallach on both ruthlessness and circumventing CHOAM purview. House Wallach has been one of the key opponents of letting House Jongleur exist as it often provides cover for Face Dancers.
Culture:
This all renders Wallachians rather cynical and pragmatic, austere and self-disciplined. The society functions without many of the grand illusions that sustain other domains of the Imperium, except for what Missionaria Protectiva has been implanting in their consciousness to ensure their cohesion and sustainability of the ruling house and continued receptiveness to Sisterhood influence. The Bene Gesserit paradigm that being homo sapiens doesn't automatically render you human is widely accepted, what opens the society to the idea of cruel trials and ordeals as well as conditioning of children. Such rituals don't serve entertainment, at least not primarily, however, but always have selection and education as their higher purpose, even if death rates are not unlike in houses that revel in bloody sports like Harkonnen or Uchan. To the ignorant, House Wallach may resemble House Harkonnen. Similarites are mostly superficial, however, and both Houses are actually enemies at this point. Less so because they compete, and more, like with House Tull, because this is what the interests of the Sisterhood dictate, especially after the Harkonnen attempt of gunboat diplomacy against Wallach IX fifteen years ago.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Vernius
Homeworld: Ix (Alkalurops vel Mu Bootis)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: helix; purple, copper, silver, white
Head: Earl Bronso Vernius (titular), Technocrat Council
Heirs: None
Main exports: Heighliners, Innumerable Hi-Tech Products
Current Allies: CHOAM, Spacing Guild
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Wallach, Uchan, Corrino, Verdun, Harkonnen
Current Enemies: Richese, Bene Tleilax, Bene Gesserit
Position:
From the outside, one can read the story of House Vernius, the rulers of Ix, as a spectacular comeback. Once a supreme economic powerhouse under Earl Dominic Vernius, it had won a showdown for tech markets with Richese, secured exclusive lucrative heighliner building contracts with the Spacing Guild, enjoyed Imperial support after the Earl's role in quelling the Ecazi Revolt and at least a few stalwart allies, including House Atreides. And then, over three decades ago, all was lost overnight. A Tleilaxu-instigated workers' revolution across the subterranean manufacturing facilities on Ix succeeded, House Vernius was accused of violating the Great Convention with its inventions before the Landsraad and neither the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX nor other Great Houses intervened on Vernius' behalf. Ix was thus taken over by Bene Tleilax and renamed Zuta, the royal couple Earl Dominic and Lady Shando went renegade and were eventually hunted down by the Sardaukar, their children Rhombur and Kailea found political asylum on Caladan, but lost their claims by Elrood's dictum. Whatever intrigue had led to this demise, it seemed final, especially that that takeover seemed to be favoured by the Corrino, brutal Tleilaxu occupation of the planet thoroughly remade its society, and the heirs seemed incapable of any acts of restoration, with Rhombur maimed by an aerial accident on Caladan and his sister committing suicide after the death of her son Victor, the bastard son of Leto Atreides, in the same event.
And yet, at the moment of Shaddam IV's political nadir of his Great Spice War debacle 15 years ago, House Atreides decided to near-bankrupt itself and gamble all its military might to reconquer Ix for Rhombur, who had been rebuilt as a cyborg with novel technology developed on Richese, and narrowly succeeded. Rhombur, absent from Ix for two decades though supporting whatever resistance had been surviving Tleilaxu stranglehold, took part in the military affair that ousted the Tleilaxu and was able to reinstate his house in the Landsraad, earning the support of the Houses aggrieved by the Corrino, but also getting backing from the Spacing Guild and CHOAM as Ixian tech production had significantly collapsed in quality under Tleilaxu overlordship and the operations of both had been lessened for it. Even the Bene Gesserit might have favoured Vernius restoration, not just on principle because of the heretical practises of the Tleilaxu, but also because of Rhombur being wedded to one of their own, Tessia.
Soon enough, Ix returned to performance many stakeholders in the Imperium had known and loved (with the obvious exception of Richese). Earl Rhombur soon secured an heir, son Bronso, and his alliance with House Atreides seemed ironclad. Still, the political and industrial relations within Ixian society were no longer anything like under Earl Dominic. With its intelligentsia brutalised by the Tleilaxu and forced into collaboration, it had produced a cynical and ruthless corporate class that harboured resentment to the restored noble family. Inventors brought back from exile or outsourced from other worlds to bring Ixian production back online as soon as possible, also to pay the Atreides back for the extremely costly military operation, didn't add to much-needed cohesion of the restored rule. In the end, Earl Rhombur saw the reins of power pulled from his hands by the Technocrat Council, headed by Bolig Avati, via legislative and operational creep he found no way to prevent without compromising Ix's economic commitments to the Imperium. By the next decade after the restoration, his reign over Ix was rendered mostly titular.
Just two years ago, a fatal blow was dealt to the House Vernius' hold of Ix when an assassination attempt on Balut aimed at the planetary governor staged during a celebratory artistic performance in the Theatre of Shards collaterally claimed Rhombur's life, just after his wife Tessia had suffered a critical condition and had been returned to Wallach IX by the Sisterhood. Orphaned underage Bronso had no hope of reasserting Vernius power, which has made Avati the de-facto leader of Ix. Avati's policies have been pragmatic to boot, with little concern for noble obligations or sentiments, just for business. If it makes Ix re-venture into dangerous research that strains the precepts of the Butlerian Jihad, the Imperium has so far been none the wiser. The prior Vernius alliance with the Atreides has mostly unravelled, with little resistance from Bronso himself as he seems to have been harbouring some resentment toward them, and to the Sisterhood. At this point it is safe to say that Ix has no allies among the Great Houses, only business partners, though it may change if Bronso pursues any Landsraad policies once he comes of age.
Culture:
Ix has ever been technocratic, and the concepts of bottom line, efficiency and productivity substituted for moral education pursued on other worlds. Elan of any kind was limited to the ruling family, and with that mostly gone, the values of the Faufreluches are mostly lost on them. Neither labour, made up of suboids, humans genetically modified toward physical performance and docility, nor specialists and management, have recovered from the trauma of Tleilaxu rule. The Ixian society is broken, held together by sophisticated control rather than social contract, not far from a grim corporate dystopia, only amplified by the realities of subterranean life. Societal wounds go deep as Tleilaxu abductions of Ixian females to an unknown fate have let the planet with a stark gender imbalance. To the outside galaxy, however, it is not known, as if there is one constant in how Ix deals with the rest of the Imperium, it is secretiveness.
The ruthlessness translates to outside policies. Long has Ix controlled the resources of its home Alkalurops system due to technological fiat, but recently it has committed to a policy of strategic acquisitions and hostile takeovers on those worlds whose ruling families are too weak to oppose. It is not unlikely that this is done with the ultimate goal of marginalising the local nobility completely, just as it has been done on Ix itself, and pave way for emergence of a more intergalactic technocracy. You are free to speculate as Bolig Avati won't tell.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: helix; purple, copper, silver, white
Head: Earl Bronso Vernius (titular), Technocrat Council
Heirs: None
Main exports: Heighliners, Innumerable Hi-Tech Products
Current Allies: CHOAM, Spacing Guild
Current Frenemies: Atreides, Wallach, Uchan, Corrino, Verdun, Harkonnen
Current Enemies: Richese, Bene Tleilax, Bene Gesserit
Position:
From the outside, one can read the story of House Vernius, the rulers of Ix, as a spectacular comeback. Once a supreme economic powerhouse under Earl Dominic Vernius, it had won a showdown for tech markets with Richese, secured exclusive lucrative heighliner building contracts with the Spacing Guild, enjoyed Imperial support after the Earl's role in quelling the Ecazi Revolt and at least a few stalwart allies, including House Atreides. And then, over three decades ago, all was lost overnight. A Tleilaxu-instigated workers' revolution across the subterranean manufacturing facilities on Ix succeeded, House Vernius was accused of violating the Great Convention with its inventions before the Landsraad and neither the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX nor other Great Houses intervened on Vernius' behalf. Ix was thus taken over by Bene Tleilax and renamed Zuta, the royal couple Earl Dominic and Lady Shando went renegade and were eventually hunted down by the Sardaukar, their children Rhombur and Kailea found political asylum on Caladan, but lost their claims by Elrood's dictum. Whatever intrigue had led to this demise, it seemed final, especially that that takeover seemed to be favoured by the Corrino, brutal Tleilaxu occupation of the planet thoroughly remade its society, and the heirs seemed incapable of any acts of restoration, with Rhombur maimed by an aerial accident on Caladan and his sister committing suicide after the death of her son Victor, the bastard son of Leto Atreides, in the same event.
And yet, at the moment of Shaddam IV's political nadir of his Great Spice War debacle 15 years ago, House Atreides decided to near-bankrupt itself and gamble all its military might to reconquer Ix for Rhombur, who had been rebuilt as a cyborg with novel technology developed on Richese, and narrowly succeeded. Rhombur, absent from Ix for two decades though supporting whatever resistance had been surviving Tleilaxu stranglehold, took part in the military affair that ousted the Tleilaxu and was able to reinstate his house in the Landsraad, earning the support of the Houses aggrieved by the Corrino, but also getting backing from the Spacing Guild and CHOAM as Ixian tech production had significantly collapsed in quality under Tleilaxu overlordship and the operations of both had been lessened for it. Even the Bene Gesserit might have favoured Vernius restoration, not just on principle because of the heretical practises of the Tleilaxu, but also because of Rhombur being wedded to one of their own, Tessia.
Soon enough, Ix returned to performance many stakeholders in the Imperium had known and loved (with the obvious exception of Richese). Earl Rhombur soon secured an heir, son Bronso, and his alliance with House Atreides seemed ironclad. Still, the political and industrial relations within Ixian society were no longer anything like under Earl Dominic. With its intelligentsia brutalised by the Tleilaxu and forced into collaboration, it had produced a cynical and ruthless corporate class that harboured resentment to the restored noble family. Inventors brought back from exile or outsourced from other worlds to bring Ixian production back online as soon as possible, also to pay the Atreides back for the extremely costly military operation, didn't add to much-needed cohesion of the restored rule. In the end, Earl Rhombur saw the reins of power pulled from his hands by the Technocrat Council, headed by Bolig Avati, via legislative and operational creep he found no way to prevent without compromising Ix's economic commitments to the Imperium. By the next decade after the restoration, his reign over Ix was rendered mostly titular.
Just two years ago, a fatal blow was dealt to the House Vernius' hold of Ix when an assassination attempt on Balut aimed at the planetary governor staged during a celebratory artistic performance in the Theatre of Shards collaterally claimed Rhombur's life, just after his wife Tessia had suffered a critical condition and had been returned to Wallach IX by the Sisterhood. Orphaned underage Bronso had no hope of reasserting Vernius power, which has made Avati the de-facto leader of Ix. Avati's policies have been pragmatic to boot, with little concern for noble obligations or sentiments, just for business. If it makes Ix re-venture into dangerous research that strains the precepts of the Butlerian Jihad, the Imperium has so far been none the wiser. The prior Vernius alliance with the Atreides has mostly unravelled, with little resistance from Bronso himself as he seems to have been harbouring some resentment toward them, and to the Sisterhood. At this point it is safe to say that Ix has no allies among the Great Houses, only business partners, though it may change if Bronso pursues any Landsraad policies once he comes of age.
Culture:
Ix has ever been technocratic, and the concepts of bottom line, efficiency and productivity substituted for moral education pursued on other worlds. Elan of any kind was limited to the ruling family, and with that mostly gone, the values of the Faufreluches are mostly lost on them. Neither labour, made up of suboids, humans genetically modified toward physical performance and docility, nor specialists and management, have recovered from the trauma of Tleilaxu rule. The Ixian society is broken, held together by sophisticated control rather than social contract, not far from a grim corporate dystopia, only amplified by the realities of subterranean life. Societal wounds go deep as Tleilaxu abductions of Ixian females to an unknown fate have let the planet with a stark gender imbalance. To the outside galaxy, however, it is not known, as if there is one constant in how Ix deals with the rest of the Imperium, it is secretiveness.
The ruthlessness translates to outside policies. Long has Ix controlled the resources of its home Alkalurops system due to technological fiat, but recently it has committed to a policy of strategic acquisitions and hostile takeovers on those worlds whose ruling families are too weak to oppose. It is not unlikely that this is done with the ultimate goal of marginalising the local nobility completely, just as it has been done on Ix itself, and pave way for emergence of a more intergalactic technocracy. You are free to speculate as Bolig Avati won't tell.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Ecaz
Homeworld: Ecaz (Alpha Centauri B)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: stylised fogwood tree; green and silver
Head: Archduke Armand Ecaz
Heirs: All Deceased
Main exports: rare timbers, narcotics, antidotes, produce, artistic materials
Current Allies: Atreides, Ginaz
Current Frenemies: Taligari, Wallach, Corrino, Vernius
Current Enemies: Harkonnen
Position:
The current status of House Ecaz in the Imperium is defined by two relatively recent chains of events. The first one is the so-called Ecazi Revolt, the second the protracted conflict with House Moritani that ended in a brief War of Assassins 3 years ago.
The former happened at the end of the prior century and revolved around the fate of Alexandra Ecaz, sister of then Archduke Ferdinand, who was the third wife of the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX and the first one to give him a male heir, Fafnir. She was the cornerstone of Ecazi bid for power and influence in the Imperium. Beautiful and charismatic, even before she left for Kaitain she had been an immensely popular figure at home, much more than her reigning brother. In the Imperial Palace, she refused to be an inconsequential Empress Consort and often engaged with the Landsraad, supporting agendas that benefited her personal allies. And then, she 'disappeared', with Elrood quick to remarry. That triggered a violent rebellion against the Corrino on Ecazi worlds; Ferdinand, who acted to suppress it so as not to bring the Emperor's wrath on his House, failed and was ousted. The rebels' success inspired many other restive elements across the Imperium, and other worlds joined the Ecazi banner, like House Kolona of Zabulon, or quietly supported it, like House Moritani of Grumman. Sardaukar had been spread thin, so Elrood enlisted the help of eager Houses Major, offering rewards. Paulus Atreides of Caladan and Dominic Vernius of Ix answered the call and their armies quelled the revolt in the Alpha/Proxima Centauri trinary, restoring Ferdinand to the Mahogany Throne of Ecaz. While the gratitude of House Ecaz made the liberators its staunch allies, and Ferdinand's son Armand has honoured those bonds, the events drove deep estrangement between the Ecazi rulers and their vassals and population, with domestic events jeopardising the Archdukes' authority continuing for the last century.
The latter had been long in the making, but only recently exploded and yielded a very pyrrhic victory to House Ecaz. It had flared after a festival of insults and accusations in the Landsraad in the latter years of Elrood IX's reign led to envoy of Grumman on Arrakis murdering the Ecazi one during a banquet. Further hostilities followed, with Archduke Armand's brother and two of his daughters, Sanya and Mesa, dying by unsanctioned bombing raids and executions of hostages mandated by Hundro Moritani. After Ginaz showed solidarity with Ecaz by expelling Grumman students of the Swordmaster School, House Moritani retaliated in force against the Ginazi homeworld, situated in the same Xi Draconis binary system. The outrage in the Imperium led to mediation attempts and finally to an Emperor's censure and deployment of Sardaukar peace-enforcing mission on Grumman. Once the Sardaukar withdrew following the Great Spice War, however, hostilities returned. Finally, during a wedding ceremony on Caladan when Ilesa Ecaz was to be married to Duke Leto Atreides, mass assassination was attempted that cost the life of the bride, Archduke's closest retainer and Swordmaster Rivvy Dinari, and mutilated Armand himself. A joint Ecazi-Atreides war on House Moritani was sanctioned under Kanly that led to the killing of Armand's traitorous vassal, Duke Prad Vidal of Elacca, and then to an all-out military deployment on Grumman. The battle of Ritka was lost by House Moritani, albeit Ecazi forces suffered heavy losses. Padishah Emperor's personal intervention aborted hostilities and stripped Hundro Moritani of the planet and titles, who didn't even 'survive' transit to the prison on Kaitain. Shaddam IV granted Grumman to House Ecaz as a compensation for its losses, though the world was unprofitable due to its mineral depletion.
House Ecaz thus lingers, and the one-armed Archduke Armand has survived the bombing of Otorio. His voice of moderation in the Landsraad is often well-regarded, and his alliances haven't degraded too much, even without any children left to wed to solidify them. Ecazi role in the economy of the Imperium is as undeniable as ever, as many of the crucial botanical commodities coming from Ecaz, like fogwood, bloodwood, sapho, verite or semuta, remain in high demand. The enmity against now fallen House Moritani have brought it close with whatever remained of House Ginaz, making it a dominant power in Niushe (Xi Draconis) system. And yet, the incumbent of the Mahogany Throne is a physically and mentally broken man after all that he has suffered, and his House shall die with him as he has no living heirs. For now, another talented Ginazi Swordmaster, Whitmore Bludd, serves as his steward, governing multiple Ecazi assets well, but it is very likely that the Emperor shall elevate one of the Ecazi Houses Minor to the new status after Armand's death. Currently, since House Vidal of Elacca was destroyed, Prince Xidd of House Orlaq has the greatest chance for it, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Culture:
Ecaz was the first exoplanet to be colonised from the Old Terra, and was subjected to intense terraforming that turned it into a jungle garden world. The local life and that brought from the cradle of mankind merged into a unique ecosystem that is unrepeatable anywhere else, rendering the planet the sole source of many rare medicines, narcotics, timbers, and produce. It is also known as the sculptors' paradise, as fogwood yields to even the most fantastic artistic imagination, and directly so! House Ecaz, likely the oldest noble family in the Imperium, has long prided itself on living in accord with ecological precepts, true to their ancient mandate as the repository of genetic traces of Terran life. The world thus is subjected to population controls, and much emphasis is put on sustainability of harvested natural bounty. It renders the lives of Ecazi nobility somewhat rustic, sylvan even, with technological interventions in daily lives mostly out of sight. For instance, Vidal estates on the Elacca continent was modelled mostly from fogwood.
That also means that the family's homeworld is given priority over other holdings, and so burdens for maintaining the House Major are unequally distributed. The resentment of more heavily populated and industrialised Ecazi planets had long been dare, even as it was mollified by mass use of drugs for population control, but it burst during the Ecazi Revolt and has never returned to comfortable levels, also because the memory of Alexandra and of the brutal crackdowns is alive. Even if Duke Vidal conspired with Grummans or even the Harkonnen against his liege, it wouldn't be far off to say that he represented the will of a good portion of Ecazi people. Corrino reign is immensely unpopular anywhere beyond the Royal Palace, irredeemably so after the sudden death of Alexandra's son Fafnir that paved the way for Shaddam to inherit the Golden Lion Throne. Buddhislam and Navachristianity are the most worshipped denominations, though modified in their rites by the widely available psychoactive substances.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: stylised fogwood tree; green and silver
Head: Archduke Armand Ecaz
Heirs: All Deceased
Main exports: rare timbers, narcotics, antidotes, produce, artistic materials
Current Allies: Atreides, Ginaz
Current Frenemies: Taligari, Wallach, Corrino, Vernius
Current Enemies: Harkonnen
Position:
The current status of House Ecaz in the Imperium is defined by two relatively recent chains of events. The first one is the so-called Ecazi Revolt, the second the protracted conflict with House Moritani that ended in a brief War of Assassins 3 years ago.
The former happened at the end of the prior century and revolved around the fate of Alexandra Ecaz, sister of then Archduke Ferdinand, who was the third wife of the Padishah Emperor Elrood IX and the first one to give him a male heir, Fafnir. She was the cornerstone of Ecazi bid for power and influence in the Imperium. Beautiful and charismatic, even before she left for Kaitain she had been an immensely popular figure at home, much more than her reigning brother. In the Imperial Palace, she refused to be an inconsequential Empress Consort and often engaged with the Landsraad, supporting agendas that benefited her personal allies. And then, she 'disappeared', with Elrood quick to remarry. That triggered a violent rebellion against the Corrino on Ecazi worlds; Ferdinand, who acted to suppress it so as not to bring the Emperor's wrath on his House, failed and was ousted. The rebels' success inspired many other restive elements across the Imperium, and other worlds joined the Ecazi banner, like House Kolona of Zabulon, or quietly supported it, like House Moritani of Grumman. Sardaukar had been spread thin, so Elrood enlisted the help of eager Houses Major, offering rewards. Paulus Atreides of Caladan and Dominic Vernius of Ix answered the call and their armies quelled the revolt in the Alpha/Proxima Centauri trinary, restoring Ferdinand to the Mahogany Throne of Ecaz. While the gratitude of House Ecaz made the liberators its staunch allies, and Ferdinand's son Armand has honoured those bonds, the events drove deep estrangement between the Ecazi rulers and their vassals and population, with domestic events jeopardising the Archdukes' authority continuing for the last century.
The latter had been long in the making, but only recently exploded and yielded a very pyrrhic victory to House Ecaz. It had flared after a festival of insults and accusations in the Landsraad in the latter years of Elrood IX's reign led to envoy of Grumman on Arrakis murdering the Ecazi one during a banquet. Further hostilities followed, with Archduke Armand's brother and two of his daughters, Sanya and Mesa, dying by unsanctioned bombing raids and executions of hostages mandated by Hundro Moritani. After Ginaz showed solidarity with Ecaz by expelling Grumman students of the Swordmaster School, House Moritani retaliated in force against the Ginazi homeworld, situated in the same Xi Draconis binary system. The outrage in the Imperium led to mediation attempts and finally to an Emperor's censure and deployment of Sardaukar peace-enforcing mission on Grumman. Once the Sardaukar withdrew following the Great Spice War, however, hostilities returned. Finally, during a wedding ceremony on Caladan when Ilesa Ecaz was to be married to Duke Leto Atreides, mass assassination was attempted that cost the life of the bride, Archduke's closest retainer and Swordmaster Rivvy Dinari, and mutilated Armand himself. A joint Ecazi-Atreides war on House Moritani was sanctioned under Kanly that led to the killing of Armand's traitorous vassal, Duke Prad Vidal of Elacca, and then to an all-out military deployment on Grumman. The battle of Ritka was lost by House Moritani, albeit Ecazi forces suffered heavy losses. Padishah Emperor's personal intervention aborted hostilities and stripped Hundro Moritani of the planet and titles, who didn't even 'survive' transit to the prison on Kaitain. Shaddam IV granted Grumman to House Ecaz as a compensation for its losses, though the world was unprofitable due to its mineral depletion.
House Ecaz thus lingers, and the one-armed Archduke Armand has survived the bombing of Otorio. His voice of moderation in the Landsraad is often well-regarded, and his alliances haven't degraded too much, even without any children left to wed to solidify them. Ecazi role in the economy of the Imperium is as undeniable as ever, as many of the crucial botanical commodities coming from Ecaz, like fogwood, bloodwood, sapho, verite or semuta, remain in high demand. The enmity against now fallen House Moritani have brought it close with whatever remained of House Ginaz, making it a dominant power in Niushe (Xi Draconis) system. And yet, the incumbent of the Mahogany Throne is a physically and mentally broken man after all that he has suffered, and his House shall die with him as he has no living heirs. For now, another talented Ginazi Swordmaster, Whitmore Bludd, serves as his steward, governing multiple Ecazi assets well, but it is very likely that the Emperor shall elevate one of the Ecazi Houses Minor to the new status after Armand's death. Currently, since House Vidal of Elacca was destroyed, Prince Xidd of House Orlaq has the greatest chance for it, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Culture:
Ecaz was the first exoplanet to be colonised from the Old Terra, and was subjected to intense terraforming that turned it into a jungle garden world. The local life and that brought from the cradle of mankind merged into a unique ecosystem that is unrepeatable anywhere else, rendering the planet the sole source of many rare medicines, narcotics, timbers, and produce. It is also known as the sculptors' paradise, as fogwood yields to even the most fantastic artistic imagination, and directly so! House Ecaz, likely the oldest noble family in the Imperium, has long prided itself on living in accord with ecological precepts, true to their ancient mandate as the repository of genetic traces of Terran life. The world thus is subjected to population controls, and much emphasis is put on sustainability of harvested natural bounty. It renders the lives of Ecazi nobility somewhat rustic, sylvan even, with technological interventions in daily lives mostly out of sight. For instance, Vidal estates on the Elacca continent was modelled mostly from fogwood.
That also means that the family's homeworld is given priority over other holdings, and so burdens for maintaining the House Major are unequally distributed. The resentment of more heavily populated and industrialised Ecazi planets had long been dare, even as it was mollified by mass use of drugs for population control, but it burst during the Ecazi Revolt and has never returned to comfortable levels, also because the memory of Alexandra and of the brutal crackdowns is alive. Even if Duke Vidal conspired with Grummans or even the Harkonnen against his liege, it wouldn't be far off to say that he represented the will of a good portion of Ecazi people. Corrino reign is immensely unpopular anywhere beyond the Royal Palace, irredeemably so after the sudden death of Alexandra's son Fafnir that paved the way for Shaddam to inherit the Golden Lion Throne. Buddhislam and Navachristianity are the most worshipped denominations, though modified in their rites by the widely available psychoactive substances.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going
House Verdun
Homeworld: Dross (Lalande)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: fire-breathing bear; yellow and brown
Head: Duke Fausto Verdun
Heirs: Junu Verdun (daughter), Franco Verdun (child son)
Main exports: cheap mass-produced industrial goods, fertiliser
Current Allies: Tull, Londine, Uchan, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Harkonnen, Mutelli, Vernius
Current Enemies: Atreides, Corrino, Richese, Thorvald
Position:
Dross was once a bleak, one-commodity of phosphate minerals planet that granted it a brief call to fame and a boisterous title of dukes to its rulers. Then, the mined resource got depleted and the Dutch Disease showed its ugly teeth: the Verdun economy folded, the demotion to House Minor was a real possibility, and the planet Dross turned to a synonym of worthlessness and a target of jokes and ridicule, a complete backwater. The House got by just barely on exporting the dung of its native donkeys, whose metabolism apparently retrieved the worthy mineral residue and was greatly appreciated on agricultural worlds like Caladan or Kirana. Still, it gave an easy and obvious edge to the jokes.
Then, three generations ago, it all changed. The great-grandfather of Duke Fausto (or that great-grandfather's twisted mentat) found a way to create a comparative advantage for his planet, skirting CHOAM legality in his economic moves. He leveraged cheap rural labour, which Dross had in abundance, offworld investment - mostly from House Uchan - and no-questions-asked policy for the outcasts of the corporate and scientific world of the Imperium to kickstart an industrial imitation economy. Accusations and calls for censure quickly followed from the Houses whose trademark goods were being counterfeited, but a mutually beneficial arrangement with House Mutelli gave it access to legal assistance that helped it thwart most litigation and diffuse attempts for CHOAM or Landsraad punitive measures, also because of Corrino leniency, who apparently somehow benefited. With time, many Houses learned to live with House Verdun's quasi-speciality, as loads of cheap household articles for unsophisticated needs of their own populations contributed to stability, and in fact more followed the Uchani example of outsourcing those onto Dross, thus exercising some control on how high in value chain House Verdun can go. Harkonnen and Vernius were among those who adjusted, Richese and Thorvald among those who did not.
Duke Fausto, following his immediate predecessors, splurged his newfound wealth on status symbols that secured him allies, ordering expensive luxury goods and building and furnishing ducal palace and residences. Old jokes didn't entirely die, but Verduns came to be associated with sponsoring high culture and foppish preference. He modelled his family life on that of old nobility, bringing up his children like a Mutelli would. Unlike them, his thirst for power and influence is unquenched; just as the CHOAM mission was departing from Kaitain to Arrakis, he was seeking an audience before the Padishah Emperor to ask for being rewarded new domains vacated by families who had perished heirless on Otorio.
Signs that House Verdun may have overplayed its hand, however, are there for a mentat to see. It had good relations with House Moritani but that one is gone, and part of their dirt has stuck Its close dependence on cooperation with House Uchan antagonised the Mutellis when they lost their CHOAM Directorship to the ruler of Pliesse during the last reshuffle. Duke Fausto beat Vernius to capturing the one help by House Richese, but there is little love lost there either way. Why Atreides, who used to be one a decent footing with the Verduns, have abruptly stopped imports from Dross is anyone's guess. Still, Landsraad hubbub might not have mattered so much if not for the factor of Corrino suspicion of all those Houses Major who didn't participate in Otorio gala. Duke Fausto has disavowed Jaxson Aru and his Noble Commonwealth agenda, but is he believed?
Culture:
The culture of Dross is one you could expect from a poor rural society elevated too fast into an urban-industrial dystopia. It isn't as garish and nightmarish as Giedi Prime, but it certainly getting there in some regions. House Verdun has no qualms about controlling the population via chemical bliss, cheap gadgets and indoctrination via mass media. Still, there are manicured bucolic wonderlands on Dross, rural residences, forests and meadows, where Duke's daughter Junu can gracefully ride her large horses imported from Grumman and make everyone forget about Drossian donkeys and their dung.
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: fire-breathing bear; yellow and brown
Head: Duke Fausto Verdun
Heirs: Junu Verdun (daughter), Franco Verdun (child son)
Main exports: cheap mass-produced industrial goods, fertiliser
Current Allies: Tull, Londine, Uchan, CHOAM
Current Frenemies: Harkonnen, Mutelli, Vernius
Current Enemies: Atreides, Corrino, Richese, Thorvald
Position:
Dross was once a bleak, one-commodity of phosphate minerals planet that granted it a brief call to fame and a boisterous title of dukes to its rulers. Then, the mined resource got depleted and the Dutch Disease showed its ugly teeth: the Verdun economy folded, the demotion to House Minor was a real possibility, and the planet Dross turned to a synonym of worthlessness and a target of jokes and ridicule, a complete backwater. The House got by just barely on exporting the dung of its native donkeys, whose metabolism apparently retrieved the worthy mineral residue and was greatly appreciated on agricultural worlds like Caladan or Kirana. Still, it gave an easy and obvious edge to the jokes.
Then, three generations ago, it all changed. The great-grandfather of Duke Fausto (or that great-grandfather's twisted mentat) found a way to create a comparative advantage for his planet, skirting CHOAM legality in his economic moves. He leveraged cheap rural labour, which Dross had in abundance, offworld investment - mostly from House Uchan - and no-questions-asked policy for the outcasts of the corporate and scientific world of the Imperium to kickstart an industrial imitation economy. Accusations and calls for censure quickly followed from the Houses whose trademark goods were being counterfeited, but a mutually beneficial arrangement with House Mutelli gave it access to legal assistance that helped it thwart most litigation and diffuse attempts for CHOAM or Landsraad punitive measures, also because of Corrino leniency, who apparently somehow benefited. With time, many Houses learned to live with House Verdun's quasi-speciality, as loads of cheap household articles for unsophisticated needs of their own populations contributed to stability, and in fact more followed the Uchani example of outsourcing those onto Dross, thus exercising some control on how high in value chain House Verdun can go. Harkonnen and Vernius were among those who adjusted, Richese and Thorvald among those who did not.
Duke Fausto, following his immediate predecessors, splurged his newfound wealth on status symbols that secured him allies, ordering expensive luxury goods and building and furnishing ducal palace and residences. Old jokes didn't entirely die, but Verduns came to be associated with sponsoring high culture and foppish preference. He modelled his family life on that of old nobility, bringing up his children like a Mutelli would. Unlike them, his thirst for power and influence is unquenched; just as the CHOAM mission was departing from Kaitain to Arrakis, he was seeking an audience before the Padishah Emperor to ask for being rewarded new domains vacated by families who had perished heirless on Otorio.
Signs that House Verdun may have overplayed its hand, however, are there for a mentat to see. It had good relations with House Moritani but that one is gone, and part of their dirt has stuck Its close dependence on cooperation with House Uchan antagonised the Mutellis when they lost their CHOAM Directorship to the ruler of Pliesse during the last reshuffle. Duke Fausto beat Vernius to capturing the one help by House Richese, but there is little love lost there either way. Why Atreides, who used to be one a decent footing with the Verduns, have abruptly stopped imports from Dross is anyone's guess. Still, Landsraad hubbub might not have mattered so much if not for the factor of Corrino suspicion of all those Houses Major who didn't participate in Otorio gala. Duke Fausto has disavowed Jaxson Aru and his Noble Commonwealth agenda, but is he believed?
Culture:
The culture of Dross is one you could expect from a poor rural society elevated too fast into an urban-industrial dystopia. It isn't as garish and nightmarish as Giedi Prime, but it certainly getting there in some regions. House Verdun has no qualms about controlling the population via chemical bliss, cheap gadgets and indoctrination via mass media. Still, there are manicured bucolic wonderlands on Dross, rural residences, forests and meadows, where Duke's daughter Junu can gracefully ride her large horses imported from Grumman and make everyone forget about Drossian donkeys and their dung.
The Maker | Blessed Her Coming and Going