Panorah (My STAF Setting)

[LoA]

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Government
The land of Urhtlind is a somewhat dark feudalistic society governed over by several Lordly houses, each presided over by a family who are kings and queens, or Lords and Ladies over their respective regions. There are usually two types of houses in Urthlind, a greater house, and a servant house that are usually subservient to the greater house. The jobs of the greater house are to make sure that there kingdoms are run properly, but also to gather armies when trouble starts brewing. Also, according to a written law that was instituted by the Greater Houses, all spell casters are to be sworn to Kings and Lords, and to the good of the land, so as to make sure that a second "Black Age" never happens again. The Servant houses are to act as overseers of smaller areas within each Greater Houses realms, and while given a certain amount of autonomy, are too act on the behalf of their overlords.

The Greater Houses

Eastern Houses
The first and greatest of all the Lordly Houses is House Forgestrong, family of the Badger Kings. The words of House Forgestrong are "Honest as Stone" and as the words suggest are very wise, yet very harsh and brash. They don't mince words, and are very careful when selecting Diplomats for their House, for the simple fact that it is rare for a silver tongued badger to be born in the Forgestrong family. There sigil is a green background with a brown Fortress wall on it, representing the construction of Urthheight's walls, securing the people of the East in the age of Beasts. The Badgers were one of the first of the races to colonize the continent known as Urthlind, and there language is the root language of the common tongue of Urthlind. Ancient Common was called "Urthspiik", and is still often spoken by the Badgers of Urthheight, the ancestral home of Forgestrong. Like the name suggests they are master Smiths, and produce some of the finest steel in the world and on top of that, many consider the craftsmanship of Urthheight to be unchallenged by anyone in Urthlind..

House Venomfell is the greater house of the River Princes whom are Otters. There words are "Fear no Fangs" and there sigil is a yellow banner with a black snake on it. There name, words and banner is to always remind everyone exactly why they are in charge of the Forked Tongue, the primary river canal that connects the east with the west. Throughout the Age of Beasts, Snakes ruled over the rivers with coils of iron, and fangs of fire, and only Dragons were more feared than the horrid Snake Sultans of Urthlind. When the Creeps rose up against the hated beasts that ruled over the land, and sought to drive them out, most feared to rise up against the Snake Sultans. However a family of Otters who were close with the Badger Lords of House Forgestrong rose up on behalf of their Badger friends and fought a long battle against the cursed vipers. Eventually they won, and declared themselves the Lords of the Rivers. This has caused many problems over the centuries. For one they control the Forked Tongue which is the primary connection between the East and the West. Therefore this has given Forgestrong a certain degree of sway over the whole continent. The two houses still maintain a great deal of affection for one another, but the Great Houses of the East detest this alliance.

Fort Vigilant stands astoot in the East like a guardian angel, and that is the ancestrol home of the great Hare family, Longeye. House Longeye's words are "Ever Vigilant", and it's sigil is a half in half banner colored red and dark blue with a wide eyed owl in it's center. House Longeye is by all intents and purposes a gerater house, but many of the Western houses think of it as nothing more than a glorified Servant House. House Longeye was started back in the Age of Beasts when House Forgestrong needed a detachment army to deal with the monsters in the northwestern sector of their lands. They were greatly impressed at the military skills of a Hare named Gob Longeye, and he was commisioned with standing command of a new fortress. Him and his sons stood guard and did their duty admirably. For this servitude to the realm House Forgestrong granted Gob and his sons Lordship over the fortress, which they dubbed Fort Vigilant. They took the Owl as they're Sigil due to the nickname bestowed on Gob as "General Owl" for his extreme sense of wisdom and awareness of everything around him. Nowadays they stand guard against the Pirate Hordes and have been the primary militant power to keep them at bay in the East.