House Melifloran

## Aspects

* Situational Aspect: The City Waits for our Song
* Situational Aspect: Trusted by All, Respected by Few
* Situational Aspect: Marked by the Fey
* Situational Aspect: Adaptability Leads to Survival

## Overview

While not the most powerful, House Melifloran nevertheless seems to subside as a rather steady and needed existence as the local House for Healing, Art, and Entertainment of all sorts, finding myriads of ways to bring joy to a life full of danger and hardship. Well known for both its non-hidden location, and its willingness to let allow more than those just bound to the House through its doors. Between these open Wards, and their notoriously low number of Oathsworn, they would appear at first an easy target. Yet somehow they have developed friends and tendrilled connections within many of the Great Houses, and many more of the Lesser, shaping and molding public perception of the whole system through their Art. It is not just the Citadel's shadow that keeps them safe, but the fact that the role they fulfill seems to be a vital one, and thus the Great Houses seem content to let House Melifloran carry on.

## History

Despite the tales woven by its storytellers and poets, the origins of House of Melifloran are not an illustrious affair. From the moment of its founding 257 years ago, the House served largely as a puppet to the mighty, puppets dancing on invisible strings to the insistent and often compettitive pull of Eli isillideras and Arnin Yassir. For House Melifloran was founded to serve a distinct purpose, to ensure that the will of Yosthaven never turned against the Great Houses. Through art, music, and healing Craft, the House was tasked with ensuring that the lower classes always saw the Great Houses as heroes and saviors against the Kryat. For more than a hundred years they served their role admirably, shaping and guiding the more revolutionary instincts of the city into serving the Great House's needs. They built a Great Academy of Art, opening the doors of their House to serve as a place of education and of healing for the lowborn of the city. Within the shadow of House Yassir, under House Isillideras' watchful eye, they served their hidden masters well.

Yet the poets, painters, philosophers, and healers of Melifloran eventually found a way to break their chains. The key to their freedom came from across the Sea of Mir, in the form of travelers and sailors from distant Nuravia. One of the few Open Houses within Yosthaven, House Melifloran accepted any who had talent, and they found it in spades among the Soulscribed of that land. 120 years ago, Anca Miar overthrew the Speaker of Melifloran, becoming the Head of House.  She bound the House to the Greater Powers of the Fey realm, and in doing so gained enough power to shatter the contingencies laid into the wards of their House by those who sought to control them. By that point, the House had become too valuable an asset to punish, and too connected within the city to simply reabsorb.

In the century since, the House has maintained its role and function within the city. They foster Dependents within Yosthaven's artists, singers, bards, and criers, which double as a remarkably efficient network of eyes and ears. They seek to place these agents as close to the other Houses as they can, for who would fear a simple painter or poet? Housebound too they place where they can, for the secrets of their Craft ensures that their agents are exceedingly useful for the other Great House's to have around. More than one Oathsworn of the Great Houses has a tale of some mighty work of Craft only succeeding thanks to one of House Melifloran's agents weaving color and magic by their side.

## Domain

One of the few revealed Houses, Melifloran rises over the surrounding apartments and alleyways on an expanded cliff shaped plot of land seemingly only accessible from a single winding path, shadowed only by the Citadel and overlooking the rest of the Songs.

## Housebound

### Principle Speaker Ońora Bardan

Ońora has only been the Head of House Melifloran for three years, having succeeded their mentor Speaker Emilia Alsar after her passing. They endured a short but vicious coup attempt, when some of the old blood of Melifloran attempted to exert their influence and resume control of the House after twelve decades at the periphery. The competing interests of Melifloran would never stoop so low as to shed blood over something as petty as an internal House squabble, masters of Psychecraft would never stoop so low, but the three months of contention were no less brutal despite their lack of overt violence. Ońora weathered the campaign masterfully, eventually negotiating a compromise so deftly that even Speaker Donia Melifloran appears mollified with the state of things. A brilliant sculptor of bronze, Speaker Bardan cultivates relationships with House Mortren and House Shem, having been commissioned for a number of projects by both Great Houses.

### Speaker Donia Melifloran

While it might be indisputable that no one bearing the surname Melifloran has occupied the position of Head of House in well over a century, none would know it having conversed with Speaker Donia Melifloran. Currently the Headmistress of the Great Library, Donia was likely responsible for the attempted coup that occurred three years ago following the death of the previous Head of House, Speaker Emilia Alsar. However, given her remarkable adeptness in working entirely through cats paws and patsies instead of the more traditional Dependents, even divine intervention would likely be insufficient to prove any culpability. Whatever Ońora did to end the conflict, Donia seems mollified with things as they currently stand. Indeed, she has adapted to the new arrangement in ways many of her predicessors had failed. She is the first Melifloran to become one of the Soulscribed since Speaker Anca Miar's revolution, binding herself in contract and spirit to the The Lord of the Infinite Mirror. A risky patron, to be sure, but Donia has never been one to be adverse to risks.