House Illwoll

House Illwoll, located in The Eastern Marks, is a major Noble House in Merion. As the home and seat of power of one of The Twelvescore Ennobled it is a major geo-political force in Merion, and an important contributor to the events prior to The Cataclysm and the resulting Merionese Succession Crisis.

As the middle ranking member of the "Big Three" houses of United Merion, along with House Wing and House Golscat, House Illwoll is considered of higher importance and rank than the average Twelvescore Ennobled House and is frequently thought of as an extension of the Candlebrooks themselves.

House Illwoll became a member of the "Big Three" through its constant fighting and defense against the forces of the Birchcrown.

## Geography and Climate

House Illwoll's lands are located just north of the Magewood border in the south-easternmost corner of the Eastern Marks and is mostly heavily forested with mountains forming the land's northern border. The house's eastern border touches the Joust, a harsh and mostly inhospitable piece of land used more for combat than anything else.

## History

Prior to becoming a noble house of Merion, the tribe known as the Illwoll spent centuries fighting against the forces of the Birchcrown. Life for a member of the Illwoll tribe was difficult, but there was a pride that came with the difficulty, and the Dukes of the League of the Palisades respected them greatly. Following her coronation, Queen Alice I, impressed with the tribe's combat prowess (and, possibly, their matriarchal society) extended an offer of ennoblement and superior rank to the tribe, which would make them more equal to House Wing than to the average Twelvescore House. Many believe the tribe did not entirely understand what was offered to them, but upon their acceptance and the sudden influx of military supplies and support from Alice, they quickly saw the benefits of the arrangement. Since then, House Illwoll has served as Merion's primary anti-Birchcrown force, a job they are both heavily qualified for and take no small amount of pride in.

## Personality and Atmosphere

Members of House Illwoll frequently come across as incredibly cold, rough, and odd. This is thought to be due to their incredibly insular nature, militaristic lifestyle, and (somewhat seriously, somewhat derogatorily) the significant amount of inbreeding within the house, which is far higher than any other noble house of Merion. The exception to this rule is members of House Illwoll who serve in diplomatic roles, such as a member of the Council of Graces. Members of House Illwoll who serve on the council are typically very polite but notoriously poor orators and typically need assistance from their colleagues from House Ouwoll.

### Notable Buildings and Monuments

Along the eastern border of House Illwoll's lands stand the Nine Fires, nine imposing, military-focused castles that serve the Illwolls as bases of operation and defenses against the Birchcrown to the East. Each castle is nearly identical, although the northernmost and southernmost ones have their own Ashervale and Magewood-related quirks, respectively. Each one has chambers prepared for Lady Illwoll who moves to whichever most needs her attention/has the largest Birchcrown problem at any one time. These chambers are considerably more bare than any other noble's chambers.

## Relationships and Diplomacy

### Relationships with The Crown

Despite being one of the "Big Three" and being well-regarded by the Candlebrooks, or perhaps because of it, House Illwoll is given more free rein than any other noble house, including House Wing. As House Illwoll is primarily focused with defending against the Birchcrown, and almost nothing else, the Crown is happy to leave them to themselves so long as they get results, although there is still some oversight. Additionally, a significant number of seats on the Council of Graces are held by members of House Illwoll, and Lady Illwoll is one of the monarch's chief advisors. In return, House Illwoll is happy and willing to serve the Candlebrooks, although it can be argued that they do so more for the support they have gained against the Birchcrown than any true belief in the Candlebrooks' right to rule.

### Relationships with The Twelvescore Enobled

House Illwoll is incredibly close with their neighbors, House Ouwoll, whose primary function is to provide mediation between House Illwoll and other Twelvescore Houses. House Illwoll tends not to interact much with other noble houses with the rare exception of gaining new recruits to help man the Nine Fires, although all candidates are first screened by the Lord of House Ouwoll. Because service at the Nine Fires is egalitarian/merit-based, other houses tend to view House Illwoll oddly, but they are still always respected for both their protective services and their rank among the "Big Three."

## Trivia

* House Illwoll is the only member of the "Big Three" that did not assist Alice I in establishing the Candlebrook monarchy.
* House Illwoll has been described as being "pretty eye-rolly" about the Six-Sided Church.
* It's been stated that House Illwoll "probably has all sorts of [things] not even the Candlebrooks know about" due to their capturing of Birchcrown military technology and lack of close Candlebrook oversight.