High Houses

## House Niriad

*golden ring on imperial blue*

Among the oldest of the Houses Major, Niriad always held a seat of the Executor Council. Interested more in matters of culture and history, Niriad has maintained a predominantly neutral stance for most of the past four centuries, acting as an impartial observer and mediator in conflicts both within and without the Technocracy.

Traditionally, House Niriad has viewed the discovery and exploitation of many of the Sapient Star's mysteries as a dangerous and reckless act, believing it to be the primary source of all conflict among the Pioneers. While advocating peace, the house is not beyond using considerable military force to hinder others in their advances.

Upon its namesake ring lies the first city founded by the pioneers in the Verrho Marches. This old metropolis has become a renowned hoard of historical knowledge and preservation, famous for its galleries and archives which house many of the Technocracy's most valuable cultural treasures. These most notably include some of the last artifacts from outside the system, brought to the Marches by the first settler generations. While the heritage of the old worlds, back in systems such as Sol, has been largely cast aside by many civilizations, House Niriad holds them dear still.

The trade with cultural goods and valuable artifacts are the mainstays of House Niriad's productivity, making it one of few houses focusing not primarily on heavy industry.

## House Tavos

*silver tree and stars on forest green*

The second of the three heartland rings presented the pioneers with a mystery. It was neither a realm perfectly prepared for colonization such as Niriad, nor a blank slate of habitat such as Novum. Instead, it contained a complex, pre-existing biosphere, made up almost entirely of artificial organisms, evidently created and seeded by the Sapient Star itself. Little could be made of their purpose, but they gave the Tavos ring the distinct impression of having already been taken.

Four centuries later, the tavosian ring remains dominated by this strange artificial nature, that has long since been transformed from an obstacle to the House's primary resource.

Unique materials, from tavosian wood to organic plastics, are harvested from the jungles of the ring, alongside a plethora of species used for scientific purposes, as well as livestock and pets. These goods make up the bulk of productivity for House Tavos, and the ring's cities house thousands of manufactories and production facilities converting the raw materials to goods in high demand far beyond the borders of the Technocracy.

In matters of the Great Game between the powers of the Verrho Marches, House Tavos often takes a provocative, though not an outright aggressive stance, frequently seeking to apply diplomatic and economic pressure to secure its interests abroad.

## House Novum

*yellow crest on sea blue*

Novum was the last of the three heartland-rings to be settled, but its colonization was the largest, best-coordinated effort undertaken by the early nations of the settlers. Originally a ring of almost entirely naked scrith, Novum required a huge and long sustained effort to develop habitable landscapes. This effort was undertaken by a unique alliance of many lesser nations, with the support of Niriad and despite the efforts of early Tavos.

As the project went on, Novum was settled not by a single colonial faction, but dozens of them, making it a crucible of trade and cultures from the very beginning. From these ambitious beginnings, Novum grew into a powerful trading nation, and when the Technocratic revolution overthrew the old order everywhere else, its merchant lords knew how to arrange themselves as part of the newly established Technocracy, rather than trying to fight it.

Since then, Novum has stood firmly as one of the most influential High Houses, facilitating trade and building infrastructure along the entire length of the Umbilical. Its heavy industrial capacity is rivaled only by the high houses of Atlan and Jotunn.

Many of Novum's people still maintain strong ties to the minor nations that once partook in the colonization, granting Novum its network of devoted protectorates and allies.

## House Atlan

*blue crest on silver-green*

The key to House Atlan's power lies in one of the few Arcadia Shards in the possession of the Umbilical Technocracy. This living artifact of the Sapient Star was recovered from the remnants of the slumbering wyrm Bake-Kujira and provides Atlan with a unique way to siphon vast quantities of viable fusion matter from the pale blue mists of the Skyward Passage. On this unprecedented fuel production, House Atlan founded a complex hub of heavy industry, specializing in the production heavy spacecraft and macro craft components, which are used by nearly all military and civilian forces throughout the Technocracy.

Without the luxury of a heartland-ring, Atlan has sprawled into a vast expanse of interconnected habitats and installations, chaotically grown from the central core where the shard is housed. Its extensive industrial capacity is also used to build up some of the strongest fortifications and cold reserves in all of the Technocracy. Even in times of peace, House Atlan maintains a strong isolationist policy and regularly votes for a conservative course Executor Council.

## House Jotunn

*white city on calax red*

Jotunn, industrial stronghold and the Technocracy's bridgehead on the Tassalid Notochord, specializes in experimental technologies and weapons. It is a sworn rival of House Atlan and opposed to it in almost every way.

On the Executor Council, Jotunn consequently pursues an aggressive and expansionist stance, seeking to push the Technocracy to the conquest of the Rupture. The High Houses' obsession with acquiring Arcadia Shards and exploring the ruins of the Tassalid has led to multiple unsanctioned military campaigns by them, of which some were indeed successful in expanding the Technocracy's territory temporarily. While Jotunn was as of yet unable to recover an Arcadia Shard as powerful as that of House Atlan, it has accumulated a large collection of smaller artifacts, which are stored in its deepest bunkers.

The entirety of House Jotunn is built into the ruins of the Notochord, inhabiting the ancient halls and avenues of the fallen Tassalid civilization. Following the well-organized architecture, the domain of House Jotunn has come to resemble the stratified structure of its society.

## House Mani

*crimson shrine on ashen grey*

Lying closest of all high houses to the Rupture, House Mani hosts many of the cults and movements devoted to Calax, the Sapient Star. The House itself is strongly influenced by the spiritual undercurrent that was present already by its founding. In even closer proximity, the strange realms of Semiaris rise from their plate and attract as many, if not more admirers. Expeditions in both directions and the recovery of artifacts from below are two of the main industries of this High House.

The habitat complex of Mani is arranged as a haven, serving for both expeditions and trade, of which there is much here between the Technocracy and other nations. The mercantile aspect of the House has made it less abrasive against other powers.

Less militant but equally ambitious as House Jotunn, Mani is a dependable ally on the Executor Council.

## House Ys

*white star on russet*

The people of Ys excel at the manufacturing of computing components and fine machinery. Their craftsmanship is renowned in all the Technocracy and creates one of the highest valued trading goods along the Umbilical.

Over the broken remains of the Notochord, their interconnected realms form a silvery ribbon at the end of the longest bridge of Novum's planitia railway web. It is said some of their expertise was gained by reverse-engineering parts of the Tassalid ruins below.

House Tys is the newest member of the Executor Council, replacing House Namadan after its fall one century ago. This is reflected by their voting behavior in matters of the Great Game, being the wildcard, and often siding with whomever they believe to be the winning party.

## House Umharan

*black chain on bright yellow*

The sole nomadic High House of the Technocracy is Umharan, wandering the length of the Umbilical even beyond the Verrho Marches. The domains of Umharan are concentrated on a wagon-train of cylindrical habitats, carried along the Umbilical via a unique locomotion engine, that has served house for at least three centuries.

Specializing in the trade of bulk resources and the production of consumption goods, House Umharan takes an opportunistic approach to issues both internal and external. Its interests often coincide with those of Novum and are most often at odds with those of Jotunn and Niriad.

Umharan is also a haven for many souls shunned from the other houses, as it is always eager to increase its population, which remains minuscule compared to those of the other High Houses.