Great House Ule

*"Let them not shame you, Varla. You and your siblings will be derided as monsters and butchers by the naive and cowardly. The words of these livestock and tools are worthless. Hold your heads high and take pride in who you are. You are made to be predators, and predators need not listen to their meat. As my children, you are unequalled and unrivalled. Embrace your status and revel in your being."*

Ule the Creator speaking to Varla during a parade after the Ulemedi's first victory over a rebellion.

House Ule is one of six Great Houses within the Ulemedi ruled Empire of Six.

## Description

The House of Ule is the Great House most closely associated with Ulemedi martial prowess and conquest. The house fulfills a large proportion of the Empire of Six's military needs, contributing much of the heavy industry and personnel for martial endeavours. House Ule is the largest and arguably the oldest of the Great Houses, having its origins linked directly to the creator of the UIemedi.

## Culture

The House of Ule is a highly hierarchical and traditionalistic house with a strict social structure. At the highest positions within the House are the Ulemedi themselves, followed by species and entities that joined the Ulemedi in their rebellion against the Kin. The latter are known as swordbearers within the House itself. The swordbearers are then followed by species who had willingly submitted to House Ule rule after the establishment of the Empire of Six. These are often referred to as bannerbearers due to the accessories they carry as symbols of their allegiance to House Ule. At the bottom are the slaves, those that resisted conquest by House Ule and their descendants. Out of all the Great Houses, Ule bears the greatest political and cultural resemblance to that of its Kin forbears due to its direct inheritance of Kin era governance and society.

House Ule places a high amount of emphasis on martial deeds and prowess. Warrior-champions who topple armies and strategists that win wars with their gambits are held in equally high regard. This regard for martial prowess, however, also extends to those that support them; intelligence, support and logistical personnel tend to be more muted in their glory but nevertheless are afforded a great deal of respect by the House.

House Ule and its subordinate houses operate on a meritocratic system, whereby Ulemedi and bannerbearers can be promoted in status through expressions of high competence. This system is both strict and demanding, filtering out all but the best from top positions in the hierarchy. Those aiming for promotion must undergo multiple tests for each position above them, often against countless competitors angling for the very same position. All within the House are expected to earn their share and thus any idleness is heavily frowned upon.

Accompanying the above is a perhaps paradoxical reputation for great generosity and hedonism within the House. Those higher in the hierarchy are given a greater share of the House's resources and thus are expected and even obligated to provide for their lessers by giving back. This often comes in the form of lavish feasts and entertainment events, paired with spending on infrastructure and other facilities for bannerbearers and Ulemedi of lower position. A more cynical perspective may regard this obligation as a way to prevent the hoarding of wealth and power by leaders and as a way to keep the masses satisfied, though most in House Ule would deny such views.

The passion for hedonism within the Ulemedi as a whole is emphasised particularly within House Ule. Grand and lavish displays of art, immaculate feasts and festivals filled with cruel and grisly pleasures involving masses of slaves are a common sight within the House. Members of the House who don't partake in these events tend to be viewed as dull puritans, especially if they are Ulemedi and not just swordbearers and bannerbearers. This desire stems from a concept in the Ulemedi known as "irkuuuz"; to be unbothered by life's hardships and relish every pleasure.

Social mobility for the slave species is almost nonexistent, restricted to some scant exceptions granted to individuals who have proven themselves to Ulemedi nobility as valuable aides or retainers.

## History

The House of Ule has its origins in the faction headed by the creator of the Ulemedi; Ule. The Ulemedi at their creation by default belonged to Ule's Clade, having been the latter's creations and children. Among the first batch of Ulemedi was an individual whom Ule had taken a fondness to. This individual was Vala, whom was the first to choose a name for herself thus attracting Ule's direct attention. Of all the Firstborn, Vala was the one who Ule had spent the most time with, passing down his skills as a scientist to his daughter and instilling the values of the Kin within her. Ule wished for his sons and daughters to stand proudly, and encouraged Vala to fully express and embrace her traits as an Ulemedi. As the Ulemedi grew in number, more of them joined other organisations and factions within the Kin's empire. Nevertheless Ule's Clade retained a large core of Ulemedi within its ranks. Despite Ule's ambitions to become the sole Emperor of the Kin and shaping the empire to his design, the scientist was still a fierce traditionalist and adhered strongly to the Kin's tenets. This was passed down to those within Ule's Clade, forming the founding membership of the future Great House whom would continue many of the Kin edicts and traditions that had been passed down to them.

After several decades serving Ule as his personal assistant, Vala was frequently sent to conquer new realities and species for the Kin. Vala found herself at home on the battlefield, embracing the insticts given to the Ulemedi. Vala and her followers relished the bloodshed, conquering vast swathes of territory for the Kin and suppressing rebellions that erupted on the frontiers of the empire. Acompannying this were the celebrations held after victories, as Vala and her followers indulged in every pleasure.

After the bulk of the Ulemedi came back from their conquest of the Arish, Ule was forced by mounting pressure from suspicious Kin to prematurely launch a violent coup against the Kin leadership. The Ulemedi rose in rebellion with Ule, and although the latter failed (having been maimed and crippled into complete incapacitation) the former managed to claim the empire for themselves and enslave the Kin that failed to escape. During the short period where the Ulemedi consolidated their new empire and split off into factions, those formerly under Ule quickly transitioned to the House system before the other factions. Within the newly founded Great House, the enslaved Kin saw humiliating treatment, with most being put to work in menial tasks and as communal slaves that were free to be used and abused by the Ulemedi and their swordbearers.

As House Ule consolidated itself, its leadership began to establish their own hierarchies. Vala herself was heavily involved, making sure that those with proven records were put in charge of the houses underneath her.