House Murad

**House Murad of** **Serpent's Keep** is the Great House of The Dunes. The leader of House Murad holds the titles of Lord of Serpent's Keep and Lord Paramount of the Dunes. The sigil of House Murad is a black star on a tan field.

## History

### The Murad Uprising

House Murad of Sultgraad was originally a noble house of the Dunes before their attempt to overthrow House Nazari during the failed Murad Uprising. Nearly all members of House Murad were killed in battle or executed for treason. Amalia Murad and her son Lazar, who were only members of a cadet branch of House Murad, fled The Dunes and went into exile. Amalia Murad, who was born into House Karras, was able to take refuge in The Coastlands under the rule of House Reyne. It was there that she commissioned the construction of a small keep, Amal's Rest, which served as House Murad's temporary seat.

### Robert Maddox's Rebellion

During Robert Maddox's Rebellion, Lazar Murad, seeing his opportunity for revenge and the opportunity for a chance to acquire power, offered his service as King Clovis's Master of War. Utilizing his knowledge of the Dunes, he was able to lead the armies of The Coastlands to defeat House Nazari and in doing so remove a key ally of House Maddox. After House Beaufort's victory, Serpent's Keep was granted to House Murad for their service and Lazar Murad was named the new Lord Paramount of the Dunes.

### Beaufort Civil War

In the Beaufort Civil War, Lord Emir Murad and his brother Lord Malik Murad led House Murad as staunch allies of Octavian Beaufort and The Coalition. Additionally, Emir's youngest sister, Ziya, led Coalition forces in the Pale in the name of House Clareworth. The one major detractor from The Coalition from House Murad was Ali Osorio, second oldest Murad sibling, and wife of Gordian Osorio who became Maximilian Beaufort's Hand of the King. Despite the rest of her family siding against her, Lady Ali was an ardent supporter of The Alliance and even occupied a seat on Maximilian's War Council to advise him on matters of House Murad and The Dunes. For the majority of the war, Emir ruled from Serpent's Keep and only left the Dunes to lead the armies of his house and those of his vassals in The Battle of the Brothers and to travel to Whitehill where the Coalition temporarily ruled for the final days of the war.

Emir's younger brother Malik played a much larger role during the war and was a member of Octavian's Inner Circle as Master of Ships. Malik formed an armada combining the ships of his own house with the Royal Fleet to create ''The Murad Fleet'' which he used in an assault on the Lothair and Osorio Fleets to kill the remaining members of House Osorio fleeing the Coalition's attack on Goldreach. Malik was ultimately unsuccessful, his fleet was destroyed, and he was killed during the Alliance's attack on The Palace of the Kings. Having his brother killed, one sister imprisoned, and his other sister a key member of the Alliance, Lord Emir had no choice but to surrender and pledge fealty to the new King Maximilian.

### War of the Heirs

As the primary military power backing Raphael Beaufort, House Murad played a major role in the War of the Heirs. House Murad entered the war with the marriage alliance between Raphael and the widowed Lady Reema Murad as both saw the war as an opportunity to seize power in the realms, while the newly appointed Lord Ishak Murad was an ardent supporter of his new father-in-law and became his Second In Command and claimant Hand of the King. Lord Ishak led the Murad forces alongside Raphael in their campaigns in the Alpines to remove Queen Mother Julia Beaufort and House Lothair from the war. While the campaign was successful, Raphael and Ishak left the Dunes largely undefended and vulnerable to attacks which proved to be their downfall. When Queen Reema and Prince Emeric, Raphael and Reema's only child, were taken prisoner and Serpent's Keep fell to Jacques Beaufort's forces, Raphael and Ishak immediately withdrew from the Alpines and were met with the full force of Jacques Beaufort's host. Raphael was killed in the ensuing battle, and Ishak Murad surrendered peacefully after hearing that Reema had died in captivity.

After the war, both Lord Ishak and his sister Lady Azra Wynn were invited to the Meeting of The Great Council to determine who would become the new King. The Council determined that the last remaining Beaufort son, Emeric, would become King and that a Council of Regents would be formed to rule until Emeric came of age. As one of the principal Lords of the realms and as Emeric's closest surviving relative, Lord Ishak was offered a place as one of Emeric's regents.

### Conquest of the Sunset Isles

House Murad entered the Conquest of the Sunset Isles midway through the war after the Ambush on the Royal Coast and the Hand of the King, Gunther Lothair, had been killed. Lord Alemdar Murad led armies to liberate Kinross from House Sol occupancy and later assisted many of the other noble houses of the realms to drive House Rovos from the Reach.

## Notable Members

* Lord Osman Murad- Spearheaded the Murad Uprising along with his three sons, He was later executed and the remnants of House Murad were exiled from the Dunes.
* Lady Amalia Murad of House Karras- Negotiated House Murad's respite in The Coastlands. Amal's Rest is named after her.

* Lord Lazar Murad- Served as Clovis Beaufort's Master of War and fought to overthrow House Nazari during Robert Maddox's Rebellion. He was granted Serpent's Keep and became the first Lord Paramount of the Dunes from House Murad.

* Lord Orhan Murad- Served as Christophe Beaufort's Master of Laws.
* Lord Malik Murad- Served as Octavian Beaufort's Master of Ships.
* Lord Ishak Murad- Served as one of Emeric Beaufort's original regents and held a position on the Regency Council of King Emeric.
* Lady Drusilla Murad of House Osorio- Served as Emeric Beaufort's Master of Laws
* Lord Ibrahim Murad- Served as Gaspard Beaufort's Master of Laws
* Lord Sadiq Murad- Served as Laurent Beaufort's Hand of the King as well as Laurent's brother-in-law.