House Marvin (Novel: House Mórail)

Official Insignia

Approximate region under this house's authority

House Marvin (Novel: House Mórail) is one of the five Noble Houses of Duilintinn, spanning the entire Draoidh Valley. The Noble House is led by Lord Marvin the Magnificent and is primarily known for their pursuit of new magical and mundane discoveries, particularly in the fields of invention, magic, and natural science.

## History

### Pre-Duilintinn

The Draoidh Valley was initially a huge lake basin, with the waters Loch Glas covering almost the entire valley floor. However, when the people of Feadhainn diverted the Agrona River, ushering in their golden age of technology and culture, the water that was now being irrigated into the arid Monaidh Plains to feed the growing civilization was no longer flowing into the lake. Over time, the decreased flow from the Agrona River caused the water levels of Loch Glas to slowly drop, exposing more of the Draoidh Valley as we know it today. This region would then become part of the Feadhainn civilization as well.

The region was mostly untouched by Waldren during the Occupation Years, but the influence of Waldren’s culture would spread into the valley as time passed. This created a cultural divide between people who believed in magic, and those who rejected it entirely. As a result, during the Interim Years, mages began to stick together and migrate further west towards the Draoidh Valley, away from the primary hubs of Waldren influence in the east. This would be the foundation of the Mages Guild, which went on to support the Quest for Duilintinn’s founding and can be found in the valley to this day.

### Founding

The decision to title Lord Marvin was made in November 1587. Lord Jackie’s Titling and the founding of House Jackie had gone remarkably well, and King Sean and his advisors decided to go ahead and name a second lord. As with Lord Jackie, the decision to title Mage Marvin was initially made without the future lord present, with King Sean offering the title to him in person shortly afterward.

Marvin, in a moment of uncharacteristic humility, was startled by this offer. By his own volition, Mage Marvin told King Sean that he didn’t believe his personality would be right for a leader. However, Sean reassured him that regional governments that have been in place since before the quest would ensure the people were well taken care of. Marvin would be there as someone that King Sean trusted to understand the region and give the areas a sense of regional unity under the banner of both a Noble House and, by extension, Duilintinn itself. With this in mind, Marvin accepted the title, and preparations began once again.

In April 1588, exactly a year after Lord Jackie was titled, another grand ceremony was held to title Lord Marvin as the second Noble Lord of Duilintinn. During this ceremony, House Marvin, the second of Duilintinn’s Noble Houses, was founded in the name of the experimentation, curiosity, discovery, and constant change that would propel Duilintinn into a better and brighter future. His Noble House was given authority over the Draoidh Valley, with Monacoil as its provincial capital. The region already held a thriving Mages’ Guild and a growing group of brave explorers fascinated with the mysterious depths of the Western Forest, and the mission of this new Noble House soon attracted inventors to populate the valley as well.

Unfortunately, this also drew the ire of The Enemy, who was expecting a title after Lord Jackie received one and was extremely insulted and irritated that Lord Marvin was titled before him, despite the fact that Antonius had joined the quest long before either lord. This sows the seeds of resentment that lead to his eventual betrayal, but now, however, The Enemy does nothing, presuming that he must be titled the following year.

### Modern Day

House Marvin, much like House Jackie, is thriving during this era of cryptic uncertainty in Duilintinn's history. The Enemy never fails to provide them with new clues to discover and hints of unknown magic to unveil. As a result, House Marvin is, for the most part, relatively stable at this time. With the exception of the average amount of fires breaking out and the enemy that threatens the kingdom as a whole, House Marvin has very few struggles or conflicts to worry them. As one might expect, this has done nothing to temper their reckless investigation of the unknown, and as the enemy further demonstrates his growing power and hitherto unseen magical abilities, curious mages and inventors desperate for more information might find themselves in over their heads...

## Geography

House Marvin lies in a swampy, low-elevation region in western Duilintinn known as the Draoidh Valley.  To the north, the trees of the Western Forest climb into the Northern Mountains. To the east, the plains of House Jackie stretch beyond the banks of the Agrona River. To the south, across the massive body of water known as Loch Glas, the Western Forest continues to stretch into the Southern Mountains of House Jameson and beyond. To the west, the Rúnach River is the only thing standing between House Marvin and the vast, unexplored reaches of the Western Forest.

In terms of elevation, the basin of the Draoidh Valley is very close to sea level. The eastern slopes that rise to meet the Monaidh Plains are about the same size and steepness as those of the Beinnfaire Ridge, though with far more greenery. To the south, the slopes of the valley become very sheer, even cliff-like in some places, particularly along the southern banks of Loch Glas. The northern slopes of the valley merge with the foothills of the Northern Mountains, not quite as steep as their southern counterparts but definitely less accessible than the eastern slopes. Finally, the westernmost slopes of the Draoidh Valley are largely unexplored, due to being completely covered by the Western Forest.

### Major Geographic Landmarks

* The Draoidh Valley
* The Western Forest
* Agrona River
* Gáire River
* Rúnach River
* Loch Glas

### Borders

The borders of House Marvin to the north, east, south, and west are demarcated by the Northern Mountains, Agrona River, southern bank of Loch Glas, and the furthest explored reaches of the Western Forest, respectively.

There are a total of three ways to get out of the Draoidh Valley (and by extension, House Marvin): cross the Agrona Bridge, sail across Loch Glas, or attempt to cut through the Western Forest.

The Agrona Bridge is where the road crosses the river near its source, all the way up north next to the Agrona Bastion, hence the name.

Loch Glas is a bit less simple, but far more convenient for southern travelers. Monacoil has a harbor that sends boats to a similar harbor on the opposite side of the lake. They’ve been doing it now for decades, so transporting things like horses or carts full of cargo is standard procedure.

Finally, you could cut through the Western Forest to the Gáire Roosts. However, there is no road here; you’ll be fording two rivers, traveling straight through the forest, and climbing in elevation the entire trip. This route is technically faster than the other two, presuming that the dangerous conditions of the off-road route don’t cause some sort of injury or delay (which is extremely likely). That being said, if you want to avoid passing through Monacoil for whatever reason, this would be an alternative way into or out of the valley.

### Flora and Fauna

The majority of House Marvin (i.e. the Draoidh Valley) is a fertile freshwater wetland called a fen. Due to its low elevation, multiple rivers flowing into it, and Loch Glas itself, the Draoidh Valley is very, very swampy and humid. However, instead of swampland, the land in House Marvin is something… different.

Due to what can only be assumed is the magic coming from the Western Forest, which reaches into the valley approximately 10 miles east from the western edge of the basin, plantlife grows insanely quickly in the Draoidh Valley. Everything is ridiculously green and colorful, and most of the swampland is covered by a carpet of grasses and ferns.

Most of the flora and fauna in House Marvin is the sort of wildlife that enjoys swampy marshland. This is especially true in the central part of the Draoidh Valley, especially closer to the Western Forest, where you’re likely to see much of the Magical Flora and Fauna that the region is known for.

The deepest parts of the valley are particularly swampy and hard to navigate, especially during the summer fog. Any roads that have been constructed in the center of the valley are usually immediately overgrown by a thick layer of magical and mundane plantlife. This is why the main roads through the region travel along the edge of the valley’s basin. As a result, most towns located within the center of the valley are very isolated from each other, while the most urbanized parts of the region are located near Loch Glas and in the shadow of the valley’s slopes.

### Climate

House Marvin is an extremely humid, swampy climate, with a summer fog flowing out of the Western Forest each year. The region gets more precipitation than the House Jackie, but less than House Brody and House Jameson. During the winter, the valley avoids much of House Jackie’s intense winds, though might still get some frozen rain or a gross coat of sleety snow.

One of the most famous elements of the Draoidh Valley’s climate is the summer fog which flows out of the forest to fill the Draoidh Valley to cover the entire region during the warmer months. From Fort Conchúr, the low clouds make the valley look like a steaming cauldron, and Watchers in the region are reminded to tread carefully through the dense fog that now covers the forested and marshy lands of the valley. Many wonder if this natural phenomenon, like many things hidden away in the Western Forest, has magical properties, and it’s not uncommon to see dozens of curious experimenters, mages, and inventors excitedly rushing to the forest border at the first sign of the summer fog.

The Draoidh Valley can get very icky and humid during the summer. While not necessarily hot, at least not notably so, you find yourself sweating all the same. It’s as if the fog that permeates the air has settled in a layer over your skin. It’s bizarrely and uniquely uncomfortable, and the only way to alleviate it is to catch a breeze of some sort. The bad news: the valley isn’t exactly prone to gusts of wind. The good news: the people of House Marvin are extremely innovative. In addition to the variety of creative ways you can use magic to push the air around, the inventors of the region have created a number of fans and fan-like contraptions to battle the oppressive humidity. This is yet another reason why most of House Marvin’s population is near Loch Glas. The pressure changes over the lake cause more wind to spring up near its banks compared to the rest of the valley.

## Culture

House Marvin is full to bursting with colorful personalities, but they all have one thing in common; they love to make flashy, new discoveries and share them with the world. House Schneeplestein might be full of scholars, but House Marvin is full of innovators, and heaven knows they don’t always know (or care) what the consequences of their discoveries will be.

Flashy, competitive, and cynical, members of House Marvin like to focus more on the drama of discovering or creating something new than the resulting implications. Members of House Marvin also have a tendency to jump from idea to idea and project to project when they get bored or dissatisfied. They also will spend hours, days, or even weeks attempting an investigation or invention that clearly leads nowhere.

Despite this, members of House Marvin are making new discoveries almost every day. While members of House Schneeplestein gratefully begin integrating these discoveries into their understanding of the world and the threats they face, members of House Marvin revel more in the thrill of the discovery itself and the excitement it brings to others.

Within The Watch, they use their inventions or magical skills to dispel illusions and uncover secrets, clues, and messages about The Enemy and the missing lords. Watchers of House Marvin have a tendency to be a bit more cynical about their chances of success against The Enemy, and unlike House Schneeplestein, they focus on pointing out threats and harbingers of doom to the rest, rather than using their discoveries to find a logical solution.

House Marvin is ultimately a culture that values the thrill of the chase and discovery far more than any potential consequences, for good or ill. While one might assume this would cause House Marvin to be full of eccentric and anti-social hermits, the reality is quite the opposite. While it’s true that members of House Marvin will often spend much of their time hunting down their discoveries on their own, most of the visible culture from this house comes from what happens afterwards.

Each member has a unique form of solo study, from magic to strange inventions and everything in between, but when a discovery is made, every member of House Marvin will immediately share this discovery with the entire kingdom. There is little fear of others stealing credit for their work; the joy of discovering and sharing something new is the ultimate prize for a member of House Marvin rather than the fame. In addition, taking credit for someone else’s work is mostly unheard of in a culture that seeks the thrill of the chase over the hunt’s eventual end.

For this reason, members of House Marvin will vary between having extreme focus and no focus at all, depending on how much a project holds their interest. There is no point in studying something boring when you value the adventure of learning far more than the knowledge that comes from it. This is also the reason why House Marvin can be rather skeptical and cynical, especially regarding their chances against the enemy; facing a challenging, eternal foe with no perceivable solution could be seen as an entertaining quest for a member of House Marvin, rather than a doomed endeavor. In their opinion, knowing they are likely to be defeated only adds to the spice of it all, much to the dismay of other Watchers and citizens of Duilintinn.

In addition, House Marvin tends to be a rather flamboyant and dramatic house, especially when presenting their discoveries to the rest of the kingdom. Some have even been described as performers in the way they hype up their peers before finally demonstrating their latest invention or magical ability. This drama does lend itself to a competitive streak; though House Marvin cares little for who will use their discoveries after they’ve been made, they are extremely competitive over who can show off their efforts in the biggest, grandest, most astonishing way possible.

This, combined with a general recklessness and disregard for consequences of certain actions during their research, is why House Marvin sets more fires than any other house in the kingdom. On a side note, this is also how one member of House Marvin discovered how to create explosives, so it could be worse, depending on who you ask. Just be grateful that House Jackie is currently working on spreading their fire brigade concept to the other houses.

## Settlements

**Monacoil:** The capital of House Marvin on the banks of Loch Glas. Featuring heavy influences from Feadhainn Era architecture, this city is home to House Marvin's government and the political hubs of House Marvin's major guilds.

**Rúnach Hold Outpost:** An outpost of The Watch, located in the fringes of the Western Forest along the banks of the Rúnach River. Known as the primary source of reinforcements for Watchers defending Duilintinn's borders from The Enemy within the Western Forest.

**Sallabaile:** Small, isolated town deep in the swampy fens in the center of the Draoidh Valley. Birthplace of Lord Marvin.

**Kiltieve:** Small town, hidden away from the world on the northern edge of House Marvin, just out of reach of the Western Forest and Northern Mountains. Birthplace of King Sean.

**Glasbaile:** Small village surrounded by farms along the eastern road through the Draoidh Valley.

**Imforis:** Booming town on the road between Monacoil and Rúnach Hold, prospering from increased trade traffic from Watchers traveling to and from the outpost.

**Various Forest Ruins**: Old settlements of Feadhainn Era architecture within the Western Forest, some even beyond the Rúnach River. No one knows why they were abandoned. Rúnach Hold used to be one such ruin before it was turned into an outpost.

## Economy

House Marvin is the source of most magical education, goods, and services in the kingdom. Those who wish to study or benefit from the deep, unexplored studies of magic often travel or live there. In addition, House Marvin boasts the kingdom’s greatest- if also the most reckless- inventors and alchemists. New discoveries are being made there every day that benefit the kingdom as a whole (but so are new house fires).

### Guilds

Three specific guilds hold the most economic and political sway in House Marvin: The Mages' Guild, Inventors' Guild, and Foresters' Guild. However, all of Duilitintinn's guilds have at least a minor presence in every Noble House. In particular, the Inventors' Guild often works in collaboration with House Jameson's Artisans' Guild.

### Agriculture and Natural Resources

The eastern, sloped sections of the Draoidh Valley are mostly filled with heavy, chalky clay soil that’s near-unworkable without significant effort. However, it is great for brickmaking.

Further from the urban population on the banks of Loch Glas, many citizens of House Marvin make their living on the magical flora and fauna that thrive in the Draoidh Valley.

The only reason why House Marvin can’t use this natural explosion for agriculture is that the weeds will outgrow any crops they attempt to plant! The plants native to the region often have magical properties and are used in a variety of potions, drinks, and medicines, so most agricultural pursuits in House Marvin revolve more around hunting and gathering this magical flora and fauna than actual agriculture.

While these plants grow prolifically in the fall after Hallows Eve, many won’t bloom properly when not exposed to magic. This leaves gatherers with two options; try to use their own magic to induce a bloom OR to venture into the fringes of the Western Forest.  The latter was usually the default choice before The Enemy fled into the forest’s depths. While it was never perfectly safe to begin with, delving into the Western Forest with The Enemy’s forces on the loose is much more dangerous. Those who do so, however, would probably be much more familiar with the forest and its secrets than someone who only studied it from a distance, and probably make for excellent Watchers in the Gáire Roosts Outpost or anywhere else near the forest.

## Government and Politics

### The Lord

Lord Marvin has not been seen in so long that almost every story imaginable has been said of him and spread around the kingdom. Some believe he has been captured by The Enemy. Others believe there is no evidence for this, and that he is most likely still aiding the king with his powers. A growing number of people even suspect treason. The Watch can find no evidence for any of these theories. The last signs of Lord Marvin were seen in 1608, when members of his house discovered telltale signs of his unique form of magic along the castle walls. With no further clues, most Watchers assume that this is some sort of protective spell, though there is no way to know for sure. Some view with suspicion the fact that these signs were discovered two months before the attack on Lord Chase by the enemy. However, until further clues are discovered, The Watch can make very few theories regarding the whereabouts of Lord Marvin.

### The Bureaucracy

Each Noble House has a bureaucratic system running the day-to-day administrative stuff in the background, and has had one since Duilintinn's founding. The Lords were there to run the whole show, pick what they wanted their lands to strive towards, that sort of thing. The lords were more like a symbolic "this is what we stand for" heads of state than someone with actual administrative power, which was left to the bureaucracies.

At first, this required a lot of oversight from each lord to make sure that the bureaucrats were actually doing what they asked of them, but since each house is now full of people with similar ideology and goals, that oversight is much less necessary. Most officials in the bureaucratic part of the government legitimately want the same goals that the Lord wanted (otherwise they would have probably chosen a different house). When the lords disappeared, very little about the actual functioning of the government changed. Instead, the bureaucracy strives to carry on the legacy and aims of their missing lord.

## Symbols

The House Animal of House Marvin is a cat sidhe with reversed coloration and markings on its forehead.

## Meta IRL Theorist-Type

Every Noble House is based upon a certain type of JSE community member who engages with ego content in some way. House Jackie is based on those who get very heated over threatening Anti or defending their favorite ego; those who initiate community fires and community revivals.

House Marvin is the house of those who spend hours combing Sean’s videos for glitches, static, hidden messages, audio effects, and all the other hidden fragments and clues that constitute the majority of our recent ego lore. If Robin had a Watch AU counterpart (now that’s an idea), he would be House Schneeplestein’s arch rival and either a best friend or respected adversary to House Marvin. Many theorists live in astonishment at the means these clue-hunters manage to make discoveries in videos old and new, from extracting audio to find the codes within to slowing videos frame by frame and reporting every webcam glitch and discrepancy with other playthroughs that they find. Heck, even I’m not quite sure how you guys do some of these things, and I was a computer science major for a time! If you count down the hours for every video and enjoy the hunt for clues that will set the community aflame with your technological prowess or quick, observant eyes, you probably belong in House Marvin.