House of the Crescent Moon

The House of the Crescent Moon is one of the family houses under the larger Lunar Clan and is divided around the world in familial branches. The House of the Crescent Moon at it's creation was a small family of spiritually gifted humans that have cat features. Although in modern times, very few now show these traits or possess the gift of spiritual powers.

The House of the Crescent Moon has fallen far from their predecessors. A House that was once built on the betterment of others has become a battleground of competing families and factions aiming to increase their own power. The center of the conflict resides in the European continent, the birthplace of the house as the fringes are seen by many as unpure blood not worthy of consideration.

While a small minority of traditionalist try to bring the house back to it's roots and stay true to the house motto of being "The Light in the Darkness" others use underhanded tactics to get ahead of relatives to further their standing in the house. As few children began to inherent feline traits and it's spiritual powers, many have demanded changes to inheritance laws before there is no one left to be heir.

## History

While the family of the House of the Crescent Moon can be traced as far back as the Roman Republic, the House itself was not established until the late medieval era in Europe. The original family branch established itself in France and gain influence and wealth as healers and merchants. When the Hundred Years War hit France in the 14th Century, a second branch was formed in England as ship builders. By The Renaissance era, the third branch was established in Italy as a banking family.

With the three branches combined monetary might and influence in Europe. The House of the Crescent Moon was able to fund expeditions to the newly discovered Americas and the far east. Parts of the main French branch settled in North America seeing the opportunity in the Canadian region, thus creating the New World Branch, now known as the Canadian Branch. The Canadian Branch became wealthy creating coastline settlements that excelled at producing different foods that would be exported. To this day, the Canadian branch has a popular ale, simply known as Moon Fish Ale.

Another expedition to the far east discovered trade opportunities in both China and Japan. It was discovered that while china was a excellent place for trade, it was next to impossible to settle there due to the Chinese attitude for foreign powers. Japan on the other hand was in middle of a civil war known as the Sengoku Jidai. Taking advantage of the opening left by the Portuguese traders and Jesuit Missionaries, a trading post was made in Japan and thus creating the Far East Branch. The Far East Branch became a vital part to Japan, to the point of the branch being included into the imperial court.

## Branches

#### French Branch

The French Branch is the original and therefore the oldest branch of the House of the Crescent Moon. In the beginning they settled France sometime in the Late medieval ages and used their spiritual gifts to become healers and help anyone that came to their pesthouse for medical treatment. They became famous with the commoners especially due to their low healing prices and extremely high success rate at the time. They also traveled selling their medicines as merchants.

In Modern Times, the French Branch run some of the greatest hospitals in the world. However, while there are records in the branch of using spiritual energy to heal people, the lack of people gifted with the ability besides the head Lord Constantine causes these priceless records to be useless to most.

#### British Branch

The British Branch was formed when a number of French Branch merchants were stranded in Britain following the breakout of the Hundred Years War. Seeing that they were stuck on a giant island, the group learned the art of shipbuilding and settled in the Wales region. The ships made from their shipyards were highly coveted by the English military and would continue to do so for generations. By the time of the age of sails, some of the highest quality ships made for the British navy were made in the British Branch's shipyard, which is now known as Lleuad Shipyard.

In Modern times, the British branch is still one of the go to places for the Pan-Oceanic Commonwealth for their ships. There have been strides by the branch to expand into starship manufactory with prototypes awaiting approval.

#### Italian Branch

The Italian Branch was formed from a traveling French Branch merchant that married into a wealthy Italian family that were bankers. The merchant would learn the trade from them. When a family feud caused the family's bank to go under, the merchant used their own wealth gained from their travels to open a new bank called Banca Della Luna. This bank is still operated by the Italian Branch in modern day.

The Italian Branch in modern day is a very controversial topic in the House of the Crescent Moon. Around the time of the Industrial Revolution, a radical faction began to rise rapidly in the branch. This faction would do many immoral actions behind the backs of the leaders of the branch to further their rise to power. They gained wealth and allies in the mafia by funding them, influence the police to look the other way, or even smuggle them to the United States. Following the chaos of the Great Depression and the rise of Facism in Italy, the radical faction took advantage of the chaos to assassinate the leadership of the branch and take over. To this day the Italian Branch is well known for its cloak and dagger antics to get what they want and the leaders of the radical portion in the House of the Crescent Moon.

#### Canadian Branch

The Canadian Branch, formerly the New World Branch, was created by ambitious youths in the French Branch that saw a opportunity to make a name for themselves. The youths after much pestering were able to get the leaders of the French Branch to fund their expedition and vouch for them to the French Government. They would make landfall in Canada and created their first settlement with much success. The new branch would become highly valued mediators between French settlers and the natives, and would create a food based trading business that would be known as the Silver Moon Company. There was a unforeseen effect on the Canadian Branch due to the far distance between the rest of the House. They would preferring to keep to themselves and is the smallest branch of the House.

Currently, the Canadian Branch is the hot topic in the House of the Crescent Moon after two of it's children, Zelkova and Zella, both inherited the gifts required to be head of the House. It is also the House that Lady Luna favors the most as the small branch never strayed far from the House's core values. The result is the branch being the chosen guardians of her mirror.

#### Far East Branch

The Far East Branch, also known as the Japanese Branch, was founded by ambitious members of the British Branch that wanted to trade in the far east. European trade to the far east had been cut off for a long time and rarely any merchants were brave enough to make the journey. Unlike the expedition to the Americas, this expedition was entirely under the British Branch's banner. The journey was long and difficult for the expedition but the craftsmanship of their famous ships were able to survive the journey with ease. They traded all along southeast Asia and found a treasure trove in China. However, when the subject of a trading post came into works, the Chinese immediately scoffed and shut the plan down.

Disappointed, the traders went east when they heard talks of the island lands nearby to make one last trade before planning a return trip home. What they found was the islands of Japan. A Feudal nation that was in the midst of a civil war, today known as the Sengoku Jidai. The lord of Japan were far more welcoming than those of the Chinese, who'd looked down upon them. Not only that, they wanted any western knowledge they could get their hands on. The traders seeing the opportunity, have decided they have found their home and got their trading post easily approved by one of the local lords.