House Almaviva

House Almaviva is one of the Noble Houses of the Virasana Empire, best known for its passionately extrovert style of leadership and penchant for drama. Its home planet is Nabucco.

## History

> “All the world’s a stage: You need a simple story and grand emotions.”
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Operatic, passionate and fearless, the Almaviva strive to invoke loyalty by inspiration. Everything they do, everything they feel, is always larger than life, the most beautiful ever or the end of the world. They are the unchallenged masters of oratory skills, and if their hearts get too full, they might burst into a song-and-dance number without any shred of irony.

They are literally playing their own life to the hilt.

Almavivas have the rare ability to bring out the best and the worst of mankind. And while the day-to-day dealings with an Almaviva can truly test anyone's patience, they are invaluable leaders in times of crisis.

## Luchadores y Carmencitas

House Almaviva is strongly gendered, but it has very little concern for biological sexes - you can fill any role regardless of your biology, but these roles are just as immutable as the classic genders of other houses.

Either you are a *luchador* - a soldier - and you are assertive, competent, ambitious, ideally athletic and in search for a damsel in distress to rescue. Or you are a *carmencita*: you admire lucheadores, you are charming and intelligent, and try your best to look as if you need a strong arm to cling to. Carmencitas aren't expected to do anything, except to get the best suited Luchador possible to do it *for* them. Or, in different words, Carmencitas decide what to do, Lucheadores do it.

While acting out of synch with your chosen gender is strictly taboo, swapping genders (and with them social expectations) is possible, although considered somewhat gauche. Empress Carlotta Almaviva is notorious for occasionally dropping her usual luchador attire and appearing in court in ruffled gowns, all fawning and chirping around her beloved husband. Needless to say, it creeps out everyone to no end.

Deciding on a gender is a big deal for a young Almaviva, and is usually formalized and officially announced with great fanfare at their fifteenth birthday (Los Quinceaneres).

## The Libretto

Once a young Almaviva has decided on their gender, they start working on their 'libretto' - a brief outline of their mission in life, their goals and aspirations. Like the blurb of a book, it usually consists of a few sentences at most, ideally less, and should give anyone an instant idea of who they face.

Also, it is considered abysmally poor manners to tell or - even worse - even explain one's own libretto. A libretto is something people tell *about* you, and it is your job to spread the news as elegantly and precisely as you possibly can.

## Style

### Genetics

* relatively diverse, predominantly athletic, striking

### Clothes

* for Luchadores usually military or sports uniforms, riding boots, sports outfits, dashing cloaks - practical but striking
* for Carmencitas usually ballgowns or embroidered waistcoats, ruffled collars, fans, enormous hats, always very advantageous and a little sexy.

### Architecture

* Natural stones in muted colours are preferred, beige and sand in particular. Architecture prefers clear layouts.
* Architectural style is surprisingly plain, but with an emphasis on staging options and public areas - grand sweeping staircases, balconies, ballrooms, courtyards, tearooms, private theaters and music halls, etc.
* Any decor is usually temporary, but all the more sumptuous - giant flower arrangements, thousands of candles, hundreds of banners, millions of fairylights in an orchard...

## Snippets

* often mocked as not having any sort of intelligence service, but a near-endless array of independent superspies
* The titles of Prince of the House and Duke of Nabucco are held by separate branches of the family. The Prince travels constantly from one (percieved) family bushfire to another.

 Bernardo Almaviva Carlotta Almaviva Cesare Rosa Almaviva Diego Corrado Almaviva Estefanía Almaviva Marcelina Almaviva Orlando Almaviva Ornella Almaviva Relais Almaviva Riccardo Laurano da Vega Almaviva Traiano Almaviva | Notable Holdings