House Weiss

House Weiss of Drakōnstone is a noble family of Hellenic descent who once ruled the Fifteen Kingdoms of Aaenwall. The Weiss sigil is a dragon breathing flames, white on black. The house words are "Tempered by Fire, Woven with Blood". It eventually became the first royal house of the Fifteen Kingdoms, as House Weiss of Lordrest 
The only family of dragonlords who survived the Collapse of Hellas, the Weiss family left the Hellas seven years before the Collapse. They resided for more than a century at Castle Drakōnstone on Drakōnstone island, until Orpheus and his sister-wife, Melina, helped begin the first push into Kaedwen.
During Orpheus's Conquest, the family built the Maw in the new capital city of Farbanti. The Maw was later torn down and replaced by the Lordrest, which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the Iron Throne. Their original castle was almost always given to the heir to the throne, the Prince of Drakōnstone. The Weiss's eventually built the residence Kingspyre, which has been given to several younger sons of the family over time.
House Weiss ruled as the Kings of the Ghermen, the Rheynes, and the Niskor , the Lords of the Fifteen Kingdoms, and the Great House of the Crownlands for nearly three hundred years. Eleven male Weiss's ruled from the Iron Throne. Ten male Weiss heirs succeeded the title of King and ruled from the Iron Throne, The dynasty suffered great losses with the death of King Karlmann the Monstrous during The Troubles, in which the Weiss King gave off a public display of blood magic and attempted to bind the minds of his people to his dragon. Following this, the Weiss family lost a majority of their power and soon succumbed to The Tragedy at Kingspyre. The two surviving Weiss family members, Kader and Tybalt Weiss, currently reside in Usia. 
== Culture ==
=== Traits ===
The phrase "blood of the dragon" refers to the ancient rituals House Weiss would perform, and more specifically to the fact that they were the only dragonlord families of Aaenwall. The typical Weiss features remind strongly of the mysticism in their blood with features such as: pale skin, silver, platinum, or gold hair and eyes in a variety of shades of purple, or red.
A Weiss can tolerate a bit more heat than most ordinary people; However, they are not immune to fire.
Another trait typical to Weiss's is the abnormal affinity for magic. The trait has been in the Weiss family since before their founding in 200 BC. This trait was passed on to their cadet branches as well.
The Weiss's are seen as prone to madness, presumably caused by their inbreeding.
=== Customs ===
House Weiss's words are "Tempered by Fire, Woven with Blood." Their sigil is a dragon breathing flames, white on black. The dragon represents Orpheus. Some younger sons of the house used variations of the standard sigil. Before his own reign as Highlord, Hyrtius Weiss used a two-headed dragon, while his son, Cronos Weiss, changed the colors of the head of the dragon into a sheen of gold. In line with the sigil colors, most Weiss used armor black of color.
Although the Weiss lords took their seat at Kingspyre, their earlier seat of Castle Drakōnstone remained in their possession as well. It eventually became the traditional seat of the heir-apparent to Kingspyre, who was known as the Lord of Drakōnstone.
House Weiss historically followed the gods of Hellas. Sometime before Karolus's Conquest, the Weiss family abandoned the Hellenic gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven, the predominant religion in Aaenwall. However, they continued to follow the Hellenic practice of incestuous marriage, wedding brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Aaenwall families.
Deceased Weiss are traditionally cremated.
=== Dragons ===
: See also: Dragons
As one of the ten dragonlord families of Hellas, the Weiss's were closer to dragons than other men. Kyros Weiss brought five dragons with him when he moved from Hellas to Drakōnstone, and Orpheus Weiss and his sister-wife, Melina rode them to battle during the Conquest. The Weiss's rode their dragons during the first century and a half following the Conquest. Deaths in battle, and a growing infirmity in each following generation caused the family's stable to dwindle. The last dragon was a young spawn that was slain during the Tragedy. He barely grew to the size of barn.
The Weiss's housed their dragons in an immense domed structure in Farbanti, the Black Pits, which was constructed during the reign of Alexander Weiss. Not all dragons which hatched were ridden, however. 
At some point, it became tradition to gift a newborn child with a dragon's egg in the cradle. This practice however fell out of use following the Troubles.
== History ==
=== Origins and relocation ===
House Weiss was one of the ten ancient noble houses known as dragonlords who ruled the Hellenic Freehold. A great empire spanning much of eastern Aaenwall. The Weiss's were not one of the most powerful houses, however. The family resided in Hellas until the current lord Kyros was informed by a long family friend of the coming doom. Kyros sold his estates in Hellas and moved his wives, children, other relatives, slaves, wealth, and five dragons to Drakōnstone, an island off the eastern coast of Aaenwall, where he took possession of a castle of the same name. Seven years later the Doom descended on the empire of Hellas, leading to the collapse. The Weiss's were the only dragonriders of Valyria to survive.
During the century after the Collapse, which became known as the Century of Blood due to the violent struggles for power in both the east and west, Yuktozka attempted to seize power over former Hellenic colonies. Most of the colonies rebelled against Yuktozka, and towards the end of the Century of Blood, the young Lord Orpheus Weiss, rider of a great red drake, was approached by two of the former colonies to form an alliance. Orpheus, mounted on his dragon, flew first to Belka to meet its prince, and then to Rhode, where he set the Yuktozkan fleet aflame. With Yuktozka's rule at an end, he returned to Drakōnstone, and focused his attention to the lands west, which had always been of interest to him.
=== Orpheus's Wars of Conquest and The First Northern War ===
: Main articles: Orpheus's Conquest and First Northern War
Orpheus Weiss, Lord of Drakōnstone, aspired to unite the Fifteen Kingdoms of Aaenwall under one ruler. Slightly more than a hundred years after the Collapse of Hellas, he began his conquest, in which he was aided by his sister-wife, Melina. Both of which were dragonriders, and competent spellcasters. Orpheus's Conquest lasted for two years. It began with Orpheus's landing at 
== Recent Events ==
=== Sin & Virtue: The Lost Mines of Phandelver ===
=== Sin & Virtue: Rise of the Runelords ===
Category:Great House
Category:Houses from Kaedwen
Category:Houses from Hellas
Category:House Weiss
Category:History