The Waxing Households and Bloodlines of the Golden Devil Clan
Circa 280 E.K1
By Aurelius Pupillus
This is an age of ascension. Silver-blooded Cores and Foundation Building Kings walk among us even as the Optimatoi gain control over the entirety of the Organ Meat Desert. In these times of rising strength for the clan, one begins to wonder about those whose influence begins to rise with it. While there are certainly individual centurions and legates who hold high influence, what this author wonders on are the households and bloodlines of the clan who are waxing with it.
The purpose of this record is to not only identify the great bloodlines that guard the clan such as the Xie, the Callista, the Tauros and many others, but also to potentially identify the many lesser known families growing in power on the backs of their young heroes. Those who will one day perhaps become the shields of the Optimatoi, as identified by their most modern and illustrious members.
Below this, we have placed a curated list of all the movers and shakers you need to be aware of in the Golden Devil Clan. Please see the format of the family presentation below:
NAME, COGNOMEN
PARENFAMILIAS (The Head of the Family, often the parent or the oldest ancestor)
MOTTO
SIGIL
History (How it was founded, how old it is, whether they are turtleborn or original SCA, Can be forgotten in time or skipped.)
DESCRIPTION (Headquarters, Composition, Specialties, Responsibilities, Notable Persons, etc)
NOTABLES (Good Seeds, Major NPCs)
[Credit Insane-Not-Crazy
1]
1 Era Konstantinos
Legate Antonius Ambrosius
No Motto
No Sigil
HISTORY:
House Ambrosius was born three hundred years ago when the young Centurion Ambrosius wished to establish his own legacy and create his house. Though Ambrosius had many children, after he passed away in the centennial trials in 0 EK, few chose to inherit his legacy. Most of his children used their inheritance to set themselves up with rich mortal lives or joined the clan's administrative apparatus and only Emmanuel, his youngest son, chose to take up the mantle of legionnaire. Emmanuel himself passed away a hundred years later in 95 EK, a victim of a blood path traitor. He left his inheritance to his then young son, Antonius Ambrosius.
DESCRIPTION:
The Legacy of this house revolves around the unique cultivation and martial arts style created by Ambrosius called the Body-building Bronzesmith. The style had been made by studying many bloodline manipulation techniques and martial arts styles in order to create a cultivation art that enhanced the density of bronze within the body (increasing its weight as a side effect) and a fighting style to best use that state to one's advantage. However, since Antonius Ambrosius, the only inheritor of the house cannot use the technique due to his unique mutation, the future of the technique and thus the House, remains uncertain.
Matriarch Ariadne Tauros
"Blood Above Heart but None Above Bronze."
A Red Spiral on an Black Field
HISTORY:
Once there was House Minos, the remnant of a long-forgotten and far more ancient House. They dealt with all things to do with death - investigating suspicious deaths, dealing with ghosts and recording the wills and histories of the fallen. But above all of that they dealt with the procurement of the corpses of fallen legionnaires and the processing of the energies accumulated in their bodies to be later used in arrays, the forging of tools from precious Gravebronze or the manipulation of the bloodline itself. House Tauros was a branch born from the oak that was Minos.
Asterios the Undying Bull was the youngest child of the last Minos Patriarch and also the least talented of his siblings, reaching merely Spirit Severing and progressing no further whereas his elders were to be the next leaders of the clan. Nevertheless, he stood unmatched among his peers having a will that could not falter and his bloodline adapted - granting him incredible toughness and strength to match.
When in a Tempering Trials that occurred long ago, he stood beside his sister Ariadne and faced down a Spirit Bull of a higher realm using a version of what would become the house's personal formation. While her father, the legendary Minos was facing an enemy of equal power, she and Asterios, held it down until her father could intervene. With this feat, she gained the right to form her own house and took the name of Tauros after the bull they defeated.
As a warrior known for his stubbornness and his ability to rise from defeat, Asterios was obsessed with the clan's own survival. He dedicated his House to producing powerful warriors who could defend the clan and array-masters who could ensure that the clan's defenses would not falter after the Tempering Trials every century. In time, the House grew in number and even outlasted its parent House becoming the family we know today.
After the fall of House Minos, much of the duties kept by them were taken up by others but House Tauros retained the processing and manipulation of Bronze. They still greatly respect the dead however and it is known for them to keep the wills of their fallen and to face ghosts in their territories.
DESCRIPTION:
Both situated in Waycastle Taurus, the 96th legion and the House itself has been considered one and the same for millenia, kept under control of the family by the aggressive recruitment of their own blood. While there is usually a mark-up on requisition points when recruited family to prevent nepotism, the house maintains a specific fund and reserve to ensure they can meet the increased cost. They are assigned to one of smaller cohorts within the legion - each dedicated to a specific speciality of the family. Details of those cohorts can be seen
here with the most seen being the cohorts of array engineers who fix the clan's defenses after the trials and the most famous being the seventh cohort containing the famous array-combatants who can use the house's formations in battle.
Much of this is tolerated due to the family's traditional devotion to the clan as a whole, to the point that the house considers the increased cost a patriotic duty. It is also because of the usefulness of their family arts. As long as it's led by an elder in Core Formation, the Labyrinthine Thread technique practiced by the Taurus family can create a metaphysical web of qi that allows sharing of power akin to the clan formations but put to use in the creation of arrays. Though famous for its use in battle during its foundational myth, it is most often used outside of that due to the modern variation's vulnerability to the slightest tremor in one's dao heart. Primarily, its use is during array creation and maintenance where it allows incredible feats of productivity that are often crucial in the wake of the Hundred Year Trials. Still, most of the clan knows of its seventh cohort, those iron-hearted warriors who wield strings of bronze as weapons and can arrange them into arrays swiftly enough to dynamically account for battle.
The House has also inherited a unique bloodline of the clan - the Eyes of Ariadne, a divinatory bloodline that allows it to 'see the truth of all things'. In practice, this means an increased sensitivity to flows of qi to the level only surfacing on others at nascent souls. It not only allows them great insight into qi in general from techniques to arrays, but also intent and the movements of greater powers, often allowing them to intuit the plans of others even as they are in motion. With the blood of bronze weakening however, this has also left them more vulnerable to greater powers, causing most with this bloodline to die at birth from exposure to the curses save for a few unshakable scions every few generations who are always great talents (for example, the previous Legate and Matriarch Wilhemina). While the curses have limited this inheritance, it has not stopped the house's speciality in esoteric arrays such as those of ghosts, divination, bloodline manipulation and others, though they tend to fall short in comparison to specialists such as the Zeno.
These circumstances have made the house both curiously superstitious and farsighted. For example, children are always named in the tongue of the third sea such as Xiao Long or Xiao Li. Only upon completing basic training and joining the legion properly, they take upon the name of the house and a first name in the ancestral tongue befitting of the child's ambitions such as the current Matriarch taking upon the name of Ariadne, their ancestor. This is done because they believe that taking upon an ancestral name marks the child in the eyes of heaven and they hope to shield them, until they are ready to face the world themselves. Whether this is a correct belief is difficult to say, however the worth of their other actions are more easily seen.
An example of such is the system of 'Heir'. The House has several dao that are considered traditional by them and treasures to aid in their cultivation. To become traditional, it requires a member to become core formation or higher and leave an inheritance for those who might wish to pursue that same dao after them. This has been remarkably successful in speeding cultivation, as while all carve their own path to heaven, those from the same starting place often take similar routes. The Heir then is the most talented centurion who is walking one of these traditional paths and with access to stockpiled resources, can swiftly break through to Core Formation upon the demise of the previous Legate. This is a system born in the environment of the centennial trials and has allowed it to thrive through the years.
Currently, there is no designated heir for the Tauri as the previous heir Ariadne Taurus, broke through in the trials before last. There is much competition between the heir candidates to see who will succeed her with the most obvious frontrunner being Antonius Ambrosius Taurus, but while his dao is a traditional one or at least, inspired by traditional beliefs, his innovative single pillar cultivation method makes it difficult to predict how his cultivation will proceed in the future and so, the debates regarding the next Tauri heir still rages on.
NOTABLES:
Ariadne Tauros, current Family Matriarch, Mid Core Elder with the Dao of Creation (The Ties That Bind All Things). As her name may suggest, her goals involve regaining the arts once used by her ancestor and recreating the feats she had performed. As the ancestor was at the very least a nascent soul and used a formation of multiple cores, she is quite ambitious.
Corvina Taurus, Heir Candidate and Late Foundation Expert. She is the only inheritor of the Eyes of Ariadne currently with the clan and has reached her current position in merely two hundred years. While pursuing the Dao Of Curses through the study of the curses of heaven, she is not pursuing a traditional dao, however the Eyes of Ariadne has its own set of inheritances that supersede the previous requirement.
Antonius Ambrosius Taurus, Heir Candidate and Single Pillar King. Though the only member of House Ambrosius, he is part of the house through his grandmother by blood and mother by connection to the current matriarch. He has performed many great feats in service to the clan and is a promising seed. [GOOD SEED]
Nicomedes Tauros, Peak Foundation Expert and Blood Path Traitor. Betrayed the clan on the eve of the disastrous trials at 100 EK by poisoning and attempting to consume Emmanuel and Eleanora Ambrosius, now passed away from the poison. Sworn enemy of both Antonius and Ariadne Tauros, he escaped justice through use of known clan resources during the clan's infrastructure issues after the trials and joined the Blood Cannibals. Was one of the Bandits threatening the conquered territories after their defeat and is currently missing, likely in the Great Battlefield.
KILL ON SIGHT
Myriad others.
Centurion Tormenos Theodoros
"By the Oath of Iron." (Current), "Born in Battle, Bred for War." (Old)
Three Red Seals shaped like a Winged Shield
HISTORY:
House Theodoros harkens back to the earliest days of the Sea Conquering Army, and possesses some of the largest and oldest records in the annals of the Optimatoi, however these origins are shrouded in mystery due to age, loss, mythmaking and the obscurations of Heaven. What little is known of their formation tells the tale of Theodora, First of her Name.
An Elder of an unstated Realm, Theodora was once but one Legate of many, who oversaw a great many of the conquests in the Imperator's name. As she ventured into the lands of a world now forgotten to us, she and her Legion faced the fury of a Divine Dragon, their battle lasting five seasons before she tasted victory, her body quenched in its heartblood as divine lightning shuddered through her bones.
Upon her return, Theodora would herself carry the carcass of the Dragon back before the Imperator, where she would present it to him to demonstrate her loyalties, now and forever. Suitably impressed by both her strength and her deference, the Imperator granted her two triumphs: First, he would have the Earl of Bronze anoint her and her heirs with a blessing that echoed her triumphs, blessing them with unending endurance and prowess in battle. Then, he would appoint her as the
Praefectus Praetorium, Commander of his Praetorian Guard, and charged her with carrying his banner to battlefields near and far, delivering his will and his voice to the far reaches of the
Coloneia. As part of these duties, she would need to find Legionnaires who embodied her virtues of loyalty and vitality. These she would find, and in them she would imbue the Blood of Iron with the Earl of Bronze's blessing and charter.
From these, the Vanguard were assembled, the vaunted ancestors of the Iron Legions of old. And amongst these were House Theodoros, the heirs and successors of Theodora's mission, who would go from strength to strength and know no life but that at the forefront of battle as the tip of the spear and the mail about the fist. From then on, her life and theirs would be one of unending battle in the name of the Imperator, their loyalties not once questioned, their purpose not once in doubt, for they were truly born in battle and bred for war. And even after Theodora fell, to battle or to treachery was never recorded, the
Theodoroi continued her eternal mission, the only mission that will ever matter: The destruction of the enemies of the Imperator.
DESCRIPTION:
Any discussion of House Theodoros must first delineate between What They Were, and What They Now Are.
As They Were, House Theodoros was the premier source of Heavy Infantry available to the
Optimatoi even after the extinction of the Blood of Iron, whose properties beyond the broad strokes are forgotten to this record, and managed a number of Waycastles and territories along the western edge of the Organ Meat Desert and the Great Scorpion Road. This allowed them to tax the difference and maintain three well-equipped and well-trained Legions to their name - the most notable of them being the 47th Legion
'Steelbacks', once the foremost of the Clan's heavy assault infantry skilled in shock assault and irregular combat before they were wiped out the last man in one of the Cannibal Crushing Wars - to their name at their height.
However, even as the distinguished and notable House they were, the
Theodoroi were fast diminishing; an unknown malaise or curse had long plagued House Theodoros and the other inheritors of the Blood of Iron, ensuring their Scions struggled to confront Heavenly Tribulation and limiting the ability of House Theodoros to maintain a sufficient strength of Elders or even Experts. Such was this burden that the
Theodoroi have not raised a Nascent Soul in an incalculably long time; the last Theodoros Nascent Soul, Elissa Theodoros, died in battle many millennia before the Clan was chased from Turtlebone Mountain, and none have shown the ability to shatter their Core since. Indeed, it has been a long time since a Theodoros served as part of the Clan's Inner Circle, when such appointments had apparently been relatively commonplace long, long ago.
The turning point came over a thousand years ago, during the Reign of
Archgetes Constantine, when the last of the
Theodoroi Core Formation Elders, Nagaeon Theodoros, died in the midst of a Rite of Karmic Purification at the hands of a Fifth Sea Hunter, and his heir, Simian Theodoros, perished in the midst of Tribulation. After that, the
Theodoroi fractured entirely, with Branch Families abandoning their names entirely and scattering to the four corners of
Optimatoi lands, while the Main Family was left to fallow amidst empty forts and open graves. The territories of the
Theodoroi were summarily redistributed, for the once-great House was no longer capable of administering them to the satisfaction of the Clan.
As They Are, House Theodoros is a decrepit corpse facing an imminent demise in quiet, undignified fashion. The Main Branch now numbers only three, lead by Simian's great-great-great grandson Tormenos, himself a mere Expert albeit one in the Great Circle. Were it not for the peerless talents of its current crop of twin talents, the extinction of this family would be inevitable within the next three generations. Holding only their ancestral estate and a small Spirit Stone Mine to their name, the House Theodoros of the present day pales in comparison to many younger families, and the only distinction they have from other minor Houses are the number of ancestors who watch them in judgeful disappointment and the past glories that can only drive them to greater shame.
With their meager income of resources and their reserves running dry, the House is a pathetic shadow of a shadow, incapable of maintaining a mortal staff of auxiliaries to tend their remaining lands and supporting its Cultivators at the same time. Rightfully, it has continued to dedicate these resources into their scions in search of a brilliant new Talent to drag the family back to prominence, albeit thus far to little avail.
Indeed, as the
Theodoroi have not raised a Core Formation Elder of their own in over a thousand years, they have no personal stocks of Celestial Bronze to infuse into their new scions and must beg and barter from the reserves of the Clan and other Houses in order to do so, either by calling upon old debts or trading their dwindling reserves. This practice has inspired fears that they are diluting their own ancestral legacy, but it is a tautological argument either way; the Blood of Iron was long lost even before the current state of affairs and will not be restored through something as paltry as an eugenics program.
The only hope the House has now are its current crop of talents, Rathos and Katha Theodoros, twin children of the late genius Riala who have each of them inherited some of the family's forgotten eminence themselves. Both of them have reached the Ninth Heavenstage in mere decades, Katha in particular leaping into the Twelfth within a single decade and awakening the long-lost Blood of Iron besides. In them lies the possibility of a restoration of the House.
But this is not the first time that the fortunes of the
Theodoroi have seemed to turn since the death of their Last Core; indeed, this is the third generation said to be 'talented' that the
Theodoroi have sired within the regency of
Archgetes Manuel Konstantinos alone. The current Patriarch Tormenos was himself such a talent, building seven Dao Pillars by his second century where even the geniuses of his generation - names like Rina Callista, Hektor Sarantapechos, and Xiao Yi, later Jin Muyi - were still in on their first or third before he realized that he would never be able to survive the Tribulation to cross into Core Formation. His own daughter, Riala, was often remarked to be a second coming of Rina Callista, before she tragically perished during one of the
Archgetes' 'special' lectures, immediately prior to the second Rite of Karmic Purification since the
Archgetes claimed the Regent Throne. Even in the present day, the young Katha - the tremendous talent who leapt eleven Small Realms in a single decade - was badly maimed by a Genius scion of the Jingshen in a recent foray into the Qiguai Secret Realm, leaving her cultivation base badly maimed and setting her progress back by decades.
As it stands, the star of the
Theodoroi has begun to rise once more, but only time will tell if that is the triumphant return of a fallen house, or the last gasp of a dried-up corpse.
House Theodoros currently maintains no formal Headquarters, for they barely qualify as a House, without even branches to their name. Their family holdings include a small Spirit Stone Mine, the village by it, and the Family Estate.
NOTABLES:
Tormenos Theodoros, current Family Patriarch and grandfather of Rathos and Riala. Foundation Establishment 7-Pillar (Great Circle) and a retired Centurion of the 3rd Legion
'Farflung Death'. Dedicated to the restoration of the
Theodoroi to the point of obsession.
Riala Theodoros, eldest daughter of Tormenos and mother of Rathos and Katha. Foundation Establishment True 1-Pillar. (d. 187 E.K.)
Saria Duca (Formerly Theodoros), second daughter of Tormenos and younger sister of Riala. Core Formation Misty Core (Early) and in possession of a strange Silver Blood variant. Estranged and uninterested in leading the House.
Rathos Theodoros, current Heir and twin brother of Katha. Foundation Establishment 1-Pillar. (Early)
Katha Theodoros, true identity of the enigmatic Centurion XXI (501st Legion
'Dawn's Fist') and twin sister of Rathos. 13th Heavenstage. [GOOD SEED]
Legate Aretaphila Myia
"You Shall Know Our Voice"
Crimson Banner topped by a Black Bell
HISTORY:
House Myia is primarily notable for serving as a test case of the successful integration of
barbaroi bloodlines and
auxilia into the larger organization of the
Imperial Optimatoi extending into known prehistory based on fragments of myth retained by the Dawn Fortress, the Myia Clan itself, and curiously the existing Theodoros Houses as well. While the most storied families of the Blood can trace their origins back to the original invasion of the Turtle World, before the conquest of the Nine Seas began what would later be known as the bloodline of the
Aquilifier.
Strictly speaking, the Houses origins lie with a Sea Conquering Army Officer of unknown rank and cultivation - Blacksmith Leontius, who had taken on a wife or mistress from the denizens of the Turtle World. For what purpose is lost to time, but the result of that union lies with the true founder of House Myia, Endymion of the Ringing Sky. It is said that he was the pioneer of the usage of Demonic Tunes amongst the Legions, and was the very first
Primo Auxilia in those ancient times. Eventually his deeds and loyalty were proven true over the course of many campaigns, and House Myia was formally adopted into the ranks of the
Imperial Optimatoi.
What is known of his life and that of his descendents is largely lost to time and the Clan's many indignities over the millennia. However, what is known is that over time the House Myia became inseparable from the Vanguard, said to be the only family willing and able to follow the in the steps of the Iron Bloods legendary recklessness and lust for the thick of battle. Like the Iron Blooded, the bearers of the Clear Summer Bell's Constitution came to settle in the Third Sea, placing their headquarters there to take advantage of the logistical nexus of spatial gates present, using it as a forward operating base with which to launch strikes at the Seas with impunity.
This came to an end with advent of the House's first and last Hero who surpassed Spirit Severing; Sophitia Myia - said to have mastered every aspect of the the House's inherent gifts to their maximum potential, even taking advantage of their unique Sounding method of body cultivation to forge a unique variant of Gravebronze, the technique for which lead to the construction of the Gate of Blood among…A certain other treasure held by another power.
What truly sealed the Fate of the House however, was the period of Soup Chef's rise and genocide in the region, the fallout of which included the inadvertent and irrevocable destruction of the Myia's ancestral homes. Precipitating their transformation into the modern Ash-Choked Peaks, and the loss of many of the family's secrets and Heroic Dirges.
The modern family until recently was hunted down for sport and profit by those who sought to use their inherent gifts to forge Demonic Tunes tools of surpassing potency, nearly rending the Myia extinct in their entirety. Leaving their hopes in the family's sole remaining scion - Aretaphila Myia, the current Silver King who has lead the House's reputation to see something of a resurgence in recent years.
DESCRIPTION:
It's important to consider that the Myia have always been defined by their need to prove themselves, inherited from Endymion and the legacy of his mad drive to prove himself equal to the rest of his Bronze Blooded brethren. This manifests itself in the lionization of intense bouts of recklessness and over the top risk taking. One that is not well matched to their variant of the Blood of Bronze.
The Clear Summer's Bell Constitution reconstitutes the bronze alloy of flesh emblematic to Cultivators of the
Optimatoi into a resonant structure incredibly well suited to the magnification of Demonus Tunes techniques. In exchange for this specialization, the rigidity and durability that the Blood is known for are lost. Though the drawbacks of lacking speed and the near-peerless regeneration are also retained. On top of this specialization, the Myia possess two cultivation techniques. The first is a Qi based Cultivation technique suited to the Blood within them, the second is a physical form of cultivation known as Sounding, which consists of refining and carving the Clear Summer's Bell Constitution into a more perfect instrument for the amplification of Demonic Tunes. It can be said that for every Legionnaire who reaches the 9th Heavenstage, the Myia must invest twice the effort to achieve the same result.
Though the results often speak for themselves upon reaching the rank of Expert, and their bodies manifest the ability to use Demonic Tunes to strike at the Soul to attack or bolster as they will.
House Myia are the historical
Aquilifer of the Clan, raising the standards and flags of the Legion as a focus for their Demonic Tunes to bolster their fellows as well as enhance the strength of it's Formations in battle. It is said that the Myia once possessed a technique which could raise the Cultivation of their compatriots to the baseline of its greatest officers, but that technique is lost. Though there are rumors that Aretaphila Myia has access to a similar Art, given reports of the legendary Stand at Pleuron in the 99th Year of Manuel Konstantinos' stewardship of the Clan.
Unfortunately, this role often served to validate the reckless nature inherent to House Myia. Often leading them to make stands with their Legions up until the last moments of any doomed action, as well as notably drawing the attention of any peer or greater opponents who would often strike at a Myia
Aquilifer with impunity in order to weaken the rest of their unit with their loss. It is said that the stories of a Myia scion recklessly attempting to duel a
barbaroi cultivator by dueling them with their Legion's flag before perishing "in badass fashion" are beyond counting. Needless to say, it is the rare Myia that died of a wound to their back.
NOTABLES:
Aretaphila Myia: Silver King, Third Reinforcement of the Single Pillar Path. Current Legatus of the
DI Legio. - Fist of Dawn. Currently driven to restore the House Myia to prominence by whatever means necessary, as well as mastery of the
[Heaven Shaking Song]. On the market for a husband. [GOOD SEED]
Legate Potiorus Rex
"Gazing Down From The Shoulders of Giants"
Five jagged lines, resembling the tearing of claws
HISTORY:
House Rex is relatively new as far as families of the Clan go, but the name itself is one with a considerable legacy to it. A common name for branch houses of Legionnaires in the ancient past, the name of "Rex" was as ubiquitous when the Clan was more numerous as the name "Outi" is in modern times. Though lacking the stigma.
The current - and notable - House Rex of the Western Foothills is defined largely by the efforts of their Patriarch and House Head, Potorious Rex. A talented
Centurion at the time of the Clan's near collapse after 99 RK, Potorious Rex near single handedly rebuilt the Clan's deployment and control over the northern Scorpion Road despite being a mere Foundation Establishment Expert who even lacked a Legion to his name. Through a combination of shrewd negotiations and incredible charisma he was at the front of the line for the Clan's experiments into assigning Legatus commissions to talented Centurions, being awarded the control of the
353rd Legio, and the Black Keep. Serving as the keystone of the Clan's defenses in its northern holdings. A role he fulfilled with aplomb, and upon reaching Core Formation shortly before the beginning of the Cannibal Extermination War, was awarded the title of
Legatus Augusti Pro Praetor of the Clan's Northern Territories.
Broadly considered one of the most powerful Core Formation Elders in the Clan, one wonders what he is up to after all but dissolving and rebuilding the 353rd from scratch in the leadup to the Jingshen War.
DESCRIPTION:
House Rex is a bloodline defined by the traditional features of the Blood of Bronze. Broad of build, tall of height. Exaggerated proportions and musculature as compared to the
barbaroi of the Region, the scions of House Rex are every bit the consummate Legionnaire. Owing to the House's relative youth, the Rex are deep in the throes of the
nouveau riche part of their development, beginning to churn out a bevy of Young Masters as the House seeks to establish itself into the long term. Though lacking in any great talents, it is expected to be only a matter of time before a talented Seed arises from their ranks to become the heir apparent of Potorious Rex, who in spite of his oft-rumored shady business dealings is notable for keeping the 353rd a scrupulous meritocracy. With the securing of the entirety of the desert and the Mountainwall seeing unprecedented traffic and taxes from the Great Battlefield, the wealth that House Rex possesses is nearly incomparable to any one of its less established peers.
NOTABLES:
Potorious Rex, Core Formation Fused Core - Great Circle,
Legatus Augusti Pro Praetor of the Clan's Northern Territories and the
CCCLIII Legio - The Defiant Slayers of Giants. Master of the Black Keep, Patriarch of House Rex of the Western Foothills. Determined to raise his House to prominence as the
sole House Rex of the
Imperial Optimatoi.
(no longer the Brotherhood of Sand, Dirt and Dust)
The First Builder/The First Brother, Xi-Wang
"One For All"/"All for One"/ "Everyone is a Brother" (each member focuses on one in particular)
A Green-Gold Hammer with a head made from Devil's blood.
HISTORY:
Though not technically a House, and certainly unique amongst the Clan's long history, it would be remiss to exclude the Brotherhood from this record.
They began less than 100 years ago, as a group of kids that decided to help each other as much they possibly could. While also trying to Cultivate, despite being almost completely ignorant of how.
Their greatest success in this period, at least according to them, was meeting a spirit beast that worked as a beast of burden, who they now call their Great Master.
Their first trial was listening to a cruel Core Elder from another sect that tried, as harshly as he could, to tell them how hard it is to become a Core Formation cultivator. He left after he made sure that all the kids were crying. But the Elder did not realise that those children were crying tears of happiness, for those children were content with just becoming cultivators. The Qi Condensation stage was already everything they could wish for. And said elder had commented that it would be far easier than entering the core realm.
The second trial that they had was discovering the cost of spirit stones. With that information, their leader, Xi-Wang, decided that they would become cultivators without using those 'evil stones'. For otherwise, there would be disparity among the family.
For years they worked and they grew in numbers, their overzealous mentality and the fervor of their work raising them head and shoulders above the other mortal workers. The community they were making convinced many to become part of 'the Brotherhood of Sand, Dirt and Dust'. And also convinced the new brothers to work as hard as two or more mortals, to give each member the time they needed to cultivate and progress.
Still, if that was all, then they would just be another mortal group to be forgotten. And for a time. it was forgotten.
They called it 'The time of disbelief', an era of much shame among the original members of the Brotherhood. Many decided to leave, for they had earned them 'just' a lot of gold and other mortal merits and that allowed many to retire comfortably.
With a smaller group, those who remained, the five sworn brothers, finally had the time to focus on raising their own families. Like the first brother marrying the thirteen 'brother' (sister), who bore him a kid that they nicknamed 'Little One'. With time, however, they noticed that the child they had produced was a tremendous talent, and more importantly possessed a fire inside himself that burned strongly. Seeing this, the First Builder himself decided to retire as the leader of the group, entrusting the Brotherhood to the next generation. He believed that they would be greater than he was and he would bet it all on that child's future. Indeed, this convinced the First Brother to leave with his wife and child to the Dawn Fortress, such was the talent within that Scion that he would certainly become the next Builder and make the dreams of all in the Brotherhood - and the Child - come true.
But then Disaster happened. The original thirteen died, and so did the child, the original 'Little One'. In his grief the First Builder did not leave his home for eight days, and would have died if not for the other four of the 'five sworn brothers', if they had not appeared in his time of need, to feed him and support him.
On the eighth day, Xi-Wang became a Cultivator. And yet, it was a bitter victory, for if he had ascended only eight days before this he would have had the resources to save his wife and child. That broke him. In his madness, his new grief, he found purpose. He found anger. He found a new self.
"There would be no Xi-Wang in this life if I don't become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator," he said in his grief. "Every resource, every merit, nothing is sacred to me. Everything that I am, and all that remains, I will give to you, my brothers. My Brotherhood."
In that moment, history records, the Brotherhood was truly born.
Broken and crazed by his loss, the First Builder left for the city of Sunnydale, where the Golden Devils managed a force. There, anyone who proved worthy could receive an infusion of the Bronze Blood and become a Cultivator - and, it was known, they were always desperate for recruits.Desperate enough to even use strange magic, the untested and unverified work of the Elder Destasia, on those recruits for the sake of making them stronger. It would be from one of these experiments that a new variant would emerge, the 'Green Devils' for which the members of the Brotherhood that took the blood would become famed for. Weaker Devils, with bodies that were more patina than bronze.
With time, more of the original members returned, and the fury of the First Brother and the fervor of the Brotherhood only grew. With each success that could have saved a family member of someone in the Brotherhood, it only reminded him of his loss, his pain. What would have been impossible in a mortal's lifetime was now easily possible - possible twice over, in fact. In only twenty years.
For a Devil walked the desert as a Sixth Heavenstage. Rising without spirit stones, without beast cores. No, they did this only through hard work and training harder - often while working, so they could be said to be working the hardest.
Somehow, the Brotherhood had devised a method to cultivate with the meager ambient resources of the Desert. Even only to the Sixth Heavenstage, it was a miracle among miracles. All of it, attributed to using 'the Builder Breathing Method', they called it, while working.
It made waves, in his group and beyond. It certainly made them a cult. And it made them popular, and the Brotherhood grew like wildfire.
This made them haughty, and inspired them to face the Fifth Sea Hunters head on in a direct confrontation, even throwing literal shit at a hunter a Greater Realm above them at one point. And yet, despite this obvious madness, there was a clear method to it.
Because not one member of the Brotherhood died that day, in those Trials.
So, with almost a century full of victories and gains for The Clan and the Brotherhood. With so many new talents being born or raised. The Brotherhood grew, and its fervor grew even larger.
Now in the Great Era, which they call 'The End of Days' , the Brotherhood intends to go even further beyond in their fervor. For it is far easier to reach the 4th heavenstage in the desert now, if you are in the right place and are willing to work hard enough to break your legs and keep going.
At the moment, the Brotherhood is currently moving to Waycastle Pleuron, now a living city, where the weakness of their cultivation method will be mitigated. There, they claim, nothing would hold them back.
DESCRIPTION:
Their main base is called the 'Eternal Building', a building that, as its name implies, would be eternally building. The Brotherhood takes great pains to keep the structure in a constant state of work, and it is regularly modified, grown and improved if the Brotherhood lasted that long. Right now, the Eternal Building has been improved with the ability to move - albeit with a great amount of effort - and is currently moving across the desert as the 'Final Little Dawn' towards Waycastle Pleuron, their future Headquarters. They expect the journey to last many years given their speed, but they do not consider legs broken until they are gone, so there is no fear of losing pace.
Compositionally, the Brotherhood is made up primarily of mortals, including not a small number of children, followed by an impressive number of Qi Condensation Legionnaires. Curiously, the Brotherhood is unusually coherent for a 'House', as it were, that does not have even a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Indeed, their loyalty and obedience is more akin to an eusocial network, like a beehive, than a House of Cultivators.
Thankfully, the Brotherhood is extremely Clan oriented and family oriented. Loyal to a fault, it makes it their goal to support the Golden Devil Clan as much as possible. While helping the mortals in their own family equally as hard as possible. That this demands the Brotherhood to apply two hundred percent effort at all times is considered an insult, as they claim that every Brother works five times as hard to make up for it.
The leadership of the Brotherhood are called its 'Adult' members, a position earned by conducting rituals called the 'Rite of Passage', and may only be attempted by members of the Brotherhood who have mastered a skill, typically a craft practiced by mortals, although exceptions are known to exist.
Primarily, the Brotherhood focuses on logistical, construction and craft missions, producing a noticeable amount of the Clan's courier force in addition to serving as highly efficient - if oftentimes misguided - construction crews. Given the Brotherhood's habitual workaholism, the merit-based economy of the Clan benefits them greatly, ensuring the Brotherhood a healthy income of Contribution Points and resources - at least, by Qi Condensation standards. These resources are then promptly re-invested into the Brotherhood, primarily the welfare of the children in their ranks.
Finally, the Brotherhood only nominally has a hierarchy and division of labour within itself, but essentially runs as an entirely communal regime, where almost everyone speaks with equal authority and commands equal share of the gains. The only exception is the Builder himself, who commands additional responsibilities and rights. There appears to be another exception called 'the Breaker', but this title is only whispered in hushed tones, and never elaborated upon. Suffice to say, the title of Breaker is currently vacant, with no known holder in history.
Each of the Brothers of the Brotherhood are named in linear order, with the seniormost brother of a given generation called the First Brother, the next-most the Second Brother, and so on. Permutations and nicknames like 'Little One' and 'Little Two' are also not unheard of. Amongst the first generation of the Brotherhood, it is known that the first hundred are unusually devoted and skilled, and certainly the most zealous and unusual members of an already unusual organisation. These hundred are also the Brotherhood's most notable members, and only a few outside of this circle are considered exceptional for whatever reason. One such example would be the 121st Brother, nicknamed the Roadbuilder, presumably because he builds roads.
Legate Calliope Delphi
Through our blood, ages past live
A spiraling staircase of gray stone ascending
HISTORY:
When the Sea-Conquering Army ruled the Nine Seas, the Blood of Bronze was subject to deliberate alterations to produce variants suitable to conditions on the ground. Many stories and venerable lineages were produced this way, the Delphi being one such.
The Resonant Bronze Compass constitution was developed during the years of occupation when the physical prowess of the standard Bronze-Blooded was no longer needed to take territories but rather enhanced perception, stronger qi reserves and heightened qi receptivity were desired to maintain defeated holdings. The energy of the Heavens and Earth was their province, qi in all its varied forms. The first Delphi were potent qi sorcerers, astute investigators and farseeing overlords. Above all else though, they were recordkeepers, disciples of enhanced cognition. Wisdom was a hard thing to teach in the best of times but access to multiple lifetimes of lived experience and knowledge made for a decent enough safety net.
The Delphi were crippled in the wake of Demonic Soup Chef's great gambit. What use are expansive qi stores and sensitivity when that very energy is wholly antagonistic to your spirit, a barely reined-in foe at the best of times?
DESCRIPTION:
The Delphi Family has never been wanting for cultivators as receptive as they are to qi. The problem has always been making those cultivators worth anything more than jumped up mortals. This heavy representation of cultivators in the Golden Devil Clan legion structure combined with the peculiarities of the bloodline have ensured that the Delphi quickly monopolized one legion. The 95th Legion is the Delphi family and the Delphi family is the 95th legion, a family with a lot of cousins around a dominant main core.
In the present age the Delphi are crafters, reserved and industrious producers of material rather than the fearsome spellslingers of yore. Their main holdings are within the core territories of the Clan: the Shrouded Glade Arboretum in Pill-Forge Forest, Chimaera Echidna Ranch in the Beast-Raising Forest and the Daedalus Atelier in Emporikipolis. They produce the occasional masterpiece of artifice but are most well known for producing affordable products of good if not excellent quality in volume.
The recent expansion of Clan territory has inspired a focus of growth among the family, first with the Apoikia and the Coloneia. They are making alliances with other families to expand into new markets outside Clan territory. The Heavenly Bandit Kingdoms and the Simmering Soup Sect are just a few of the areas being targeted. The current focus of the family is to set in a hub in Seven Temples City to act as a hub into the east of the Organ Meet Desert, penetrating into the Clan's new vassals and eastward lands.
Lady Xie Xinya
"Family Foremost"
Four interlocked circles, bound tight
HISTORY:
Compared to more storied houses, the Xie Family is one that has seen a more recent rise to prominence as the head of their family, Xie Xinya rose to the rank of Legate and was granted command over the 217th Legion or the Everburning Phoenixes. They are said to have a nepotistic streak, choosing to benefit the family over the legion, though the Lady's talent in administration still kept her legion afloat despite their alleged embezzlement.
Since rising to the position of Elder of Intrigue however, the Xie Family has been strictly dedicated to the ideals of the clan. Lady Xinya's dedication to her duty is such that she has stamped out any sign of corruption and ill-behaviour within her house. In fact, she has honed their skills such that every region seems to have a skilled Xie legionnaire having reached a high rank. Like the Phoenix Everburning, Xie Family has risen ever further, proving the superiority of the ideals of the clan to the eyes of all those who would see it.
DESCRIPTION:
The Xie Family is built on the back of successful investments. Even before Xie Xinya became the Elder of Intrigue, the family was famous for their rather extensive Spirit-steel mines and their hand in the trade going through the Scorpion Road. After that however, the house has been at the forefront of the clan's expansion, developing land in the Burnished Crags and expanding with every surge of growth of the clan.
Even in terms of martial excellence, the Xie Family is growing. The 217th Legion is well connected with the family with Xie Jun currently serving as its acting legate. Though they lack any ancient secrets or earth-shaking talents, they have still supplied many skilled legionnaires to the clan, testing every family member for talent when they come of age and then ensuring that they rise to a position to benefit the clan.
Lady Kleisthenes Sarantapechos
"From humble origins, seize Heaven."
Three seals arranged around a lightning bolt, black on one half and white on the other
HISTORY:
House Sarantapechos is an ancient and honored house, their names constantly among the legends and leaders of the clan. It is said that the Archgetes who lead the Golden Devils to the Third Sea was one of the Sarantapechos House and his legacy lives on today in the Second Elder Kleisthenes who has stood beside the current Grand Elder for countless centuries.
DESCRIPTION:
House Sarantapechos is a family of many skills and unlike many others, do not focus on certain specialities. Instead it allows their members to focus on their own talents so long as they are in service to the clan. They have a tendency to produce powerful warriors and skilled leaders, with much of the family's earnings coming from the sheer number of skilled legionnaires. That being said, considering the late Lady Euphrosyne's focus on the Dao of the Leaf and Lady Flavia's focus on producing life from the desert, the house seems to be focusing on the production of both common and specialized varieties of spirit herb at the current moment.
NOTABLES:
Lady Kleisthenes Sarantapechos,
Hetairarches and Second Elder of the
Imperial Optimatoi, follows the Dao of Sacrificial Exchange. Most famous and successful practitioner of the Spiral Yang Art currently alive. Twin sister of the late Euphrosyne Sarantapechos. Early Nascent Soul.
Lady Euphrosyne Sarantapechos, former
Stratopedarches of the
Imperial Optimatoi, follows the Dao of the Leaf. Twin sister of Lady Kleisthenes Sarantapechos, sacrificed herself to save Grand Elder Manuel Konstantinos from a Fifth Sea Nascent Soul. Great Circle Core Formation. (d. 100 E.K.)
Lady Flavia Sarantapechos, Legate of the 35th Legion i.e The Wonder-Workers. She is in charge of maintaining the infrastructure that provides the quality of life mortals enjoy in the Organ Meat Desert. Her dedication to her task has always been admired, though her focus on her personal assignment often comes at the cost of personal relationships.
Hector Sarantapechos, Centurion following a Dao of Balance. Son of Kleisthenes Sarantapechos and nephew of Euphrosyne Sarantapechos. A promising young seed who reached the rank of centurion and commanded a legion by himself in the chaos of the trials that took his aunt. Alas, he was forced to face a Core Formation enemy and was crippled in the process, passing a few decades after that happened. Mid Foundation. (d. 150 E.K.) [GOOD SEED - DEAD]
Festus Sarantapechos, an inventive blacksmith who had reached the Tenth Heavenstage. A promising young seed who, unlike his more successful peers, never lived long enough to explore his potential. Seeking to understand the fate of Euphrosyne, he found the site of her death and was slain by errant bolts of tribulation lightning. (d. 170 E.K) [GOOD SEED - DEAD]
Legate Bianor Theophylaktos
"Seize the shape of victory."
A quill drawing a spearhead
HISTORY:
In ages past, when the Clan had the liberty to do more than gasp for life and struggle against Heaven, House Theophylaktos served as actors and playwrights, dedicating their shapeshifting abilities towards recording and recreating the events of the past to share with the rest of the clan. Their Liquid Bronze bloodline variation allowed the Theophylaktos family to physically change body shape in order to mimic other beings, allowing them to cultivate a long legacy of artistry, performing in plays and dances. However, they sacrifice the resilience and some of the strength expected of the Bronze, which the House considers to be a worthwhile price to pay for excellence.
DESCRIPTION:
In the current state of the clan, the Theophylaktos and the Clan each no longer have this privilege, but the House's past expertise has lent them no small amount of skill in more subtle practices, providing the Clan a reserve of manpower skilled in espionage, subterfuge, sabotage, reconnaissance and assassination, an asset of no small value.
NOTABLES:
Nikephoros Theophylaktos, former
Parakoimomenos of the
Imperial Optimatoi, and before that the apprentice and assistant to Grand Elder Manuel Konstantinos. Died to a Fifth Sea Nascent Soul, in defiance of the rules of the Rite of Karmic Purification. (d. 100 E.K.)
Ioannes Theophylaktos,
Centurion of the
Imperial Optimatoi and nephew to Nikephoros Theophylaktos. Was part of a terrible mission to the Oasis where in misaimed vengeance towards his uncle, Child Corpse Gulper ambushed the team the youth was a part of and tortured him for three days before sending a jade slip recording to the Archgetes. The Archgetes' ultimate victory over Child Corpse Gulper can to some part be attributed to the insight granted by Ioannes' sacrifice. (d. 11 E.K )
Syntyche Theophylaktos,
Centurion of the
Imperial Optimatoi. She was a skilled spy and a powerful asset for the clan. No information of her current location seems to be publicly available, though given her abilities whether this means she is on a deep cover mission, died in some battle, left the clan entirely or her information is simply lost is unknown. [GOOD SEED - RETIRED]
[Credit Occipitallobe, Tarro, Insane-Not-Crazy
1,
2,
3]
Grand Elder Manuel Konstantinos (in theory); Centurion Alexia Konstantinos
"Clan Above All."
A black knife against a red backdrop
HISTORY:
House Konstantinos is, in truth, barely a House. Though few of the families of the
Optimatoi are young in any sense of the word, House Konstantinos does not have the storied histories of many older families, nor does it have the meteoric ascension of other more vigorous families like the Xie. Founded by the children of Legionnaires and turtleborn natives, the Blood of Bronze runs thinly in House Konstantinos, and thus far no notable variant constitution has been detected in its scions. House Konstantinos is a lesser house, with no great resources and few great legacies. It has but two claims to fame:
First, it has a noted, if small, talent for subterfuge and espionage, with the members of the house being notably meticulous and careful with their resources, knowing that their talent is little even by the standards of the Clan.
Second, it is the House of the Regent-Lord,
Archgetes Manuel Konstantinos, the Clan's most powerful and, prior to the ascension of Lady Kleisthenes with his aid, its only Nascent Soul.
The records of this House are too short to determine if their intrigue focus is due to their emulation of their greatest and most distant member and elder, or if it came about in the past and was what ultimately shaped the nature of the
Archgetes today.
DESCRIPTION:
In the present day, House Konstantinos is not of any particular note, and it produces competent - if unexceptional - Legionnaires. Service to the Clan is taught to be paramount, and its members often find themselves in the service of the Department of Intrigue, but otherwise the House and the
Archgetes who bears its name have little interaction, uniquely so in the Clan's history. To date, there have been no Chosen of the Clan who have hailed from House Konstantinos, though this does not preclude the possibility of one rising in the future.
NOTABLES:
Grand Elder Manuel Konstantinos, the reigning
Archgetes of the
Imperial Optimatoi, and the prior
Parakoimomenos under Grand Elder Alexios Nikeodemos. Under his rule, the Clan has experienced the greatest resurgence in power in thousands of years, and it is by his hand that three Nascent Souls have been slain. Follows the Dao of Heaven's Shadow. Mid Nascent Soul.
Alexia Konstantinos, a distant relative of the Archgetes who worked in intrigue. After the defeat of the Jingshen Clan, she released a tell-all book regarding the intrigues performed against the Clan where among other things, she assisted the Archigetes in conducting sabotage on a Cultivation Cauldron intended for Lady Jingshen Jiao. Currently in service as one of the Clan's many spies. Foundation Establishment 1-Pillar (True).
Legate Sertorius Nikeodemos
MOTTO: "We Lead the Way"
A winged sword cast over an antediluvian army
HISTORY:
The Earl of Bronze, as is the wont of great men, sprung many a talented scion from his fecund loins, and from those good seeds numerous dynasties drew their descend. They occupied a special place in the Legion - then the Clan - due to both the strength of their blood and the prestige of their lineage. These noble houses were numerous and similar in nature, which naturally led to feuds between the different lines about which bore the greatest claim to descent from their progenitor (and thus the greatest claim to who could stand as his heir). Their pride, power, and interminable bickering led to them oft being characterized as the stereotype of Clan nobility by those not of the blood, and perhaps also not unrelatedly these families led the reactionary protest against sharing the Blood of Bronze with the barbaroi when times grew rough and options dwindled, arguing most ardently in favor of preserving the legacy and heritage of the Sea Conquering Army.
Today, these families are gone. Wiped away through the unforgiving trials, the drive from the Plains and then from the Mountains, and through the power simply drying up with time and miscegenation, leading to their noble status being stripped by the ruthlessly meritocratic Clan leadership. The Earl of Bronze, along with so much else of the Clan's history, has been relegated to a near mythical nature, and his descendants rarely draw much note from their distant paternity, if they're even aware of it at all. For all the Bronze Progeny fought a rear-guard action against the ineffable winds of change, in the end it was for naught, and they were relegated to the half-forgotten relics they battled so hard to preserve.
All, that is, save for one.
DESCRIPTION:
House Nikeodemos was not a particularly unusual specimen out of the Hundred Houses. It was not the strongest of them, nor the weakest. What it turned out to be, however, was the luckiest.
As the wheel of fate turns at long last, and Fortuna once again waxes for the Golden Devil Clan, the last great remnant of the Earl's direct line remains standing. A combination of raw tenacity, judicious application of the better qualities of valor, some unscrupulous politicking, and a healthy heaping of luck have seen House Nikeodemos through the nadir of the Sea Conquering Army's position, not only surviving but thriving.
The Clan has plenty of ancient and powerful bloodlines managing to persist to the current era. The Clan also has plenty of wealthy and fecund houses with vast estates and vast branches. What makes House Nikeodemos unique to the Golden Devils, then, isn't that they're either of these things - it's that they're both. It's not surprising, thus, that they could boast the extremely rare privilege of birthing a Nascent Soul in the past millennium, nor that a notably disproportionate amount of Core Elders bear their name.
Although a recent spell or tragedy has seen both of these things wiped away, the House is well on the rebound due to harnessing one of their more morbid assets: a grand mausoleum of nearly unfathomable depth and breadth, in which the entombed corpses of Nikeodemos members stemming back to the zenith of the Sea Conquering Army rest. Such is the sheer concentration of deceased Spirit Severing legionnaires (and more) that venturing too deep can lead to the unprepared being outright killed from the sheer residual spiritual pressure, and even forewarned scions struggle to endure the deepest and most ancient catacombs that an interminable distance beneath the manor.
It's telling of the House's vast history, then, that reportedly their desert mausoleum pales in comparison to the ancient mortuary temple that was embedded in the mountains near their prior home, hidden and protected from even the most persistent and greedy Sorrowful Blacksmith tomb-robbers, often theorised to be one of the reasons House Nikeodemos tends to be the strongest advocate for the reconquest of the Clan's Mountain territories at the Sorrowful Blacksmith Sect's moment of weakness.
In bearing, perhaps surprisingly considering their almost gratuitous wealth and lack of hesitance showing it off, the House prizes the stoic, laconic bearing of their imaging SCA aristocratic predecessors. For example, the current patriarch, Sertorius Nikeodemos, commonly greets visitors with the dizzying combination of drinking boiled water in a wineglass worth more than the average cultivator will ever accumulate in their life. They're otherwise notable for the extreme emphasis they place on the Clan's and their own history - they will never speak of themselves as "Golden Devils," but are always
Imperio Optomoi, now and forever.
NOTABLES:
Alexios Nikeodemos, former
Archgetes of the
Optimatoi and master of Manuel Konstantinos, the serving
Archgetes. Died to a Fifth Sea Hunter's Treasure, when he sought to save his Foundation Establishment Grandson. Mid Nascent Soul, and considered powerful for one. (d. 0 E.K.)
Sertorius Nikeodemos, Core Formation Elder, Legate of the 217th Legion. Notable for the drastic measures he took to stabilize the House's situation after the disastrous second-to-last Trails, his laconic sense of humor, and impressive speed of cultivation.
Constantine Nikeodemos, 12th realm Qi Condescension Disciple, Aide to the Ninth Prince. The apple of his House's eye, his rate of cultivation has put even his grandfather's to shame, and seems like a shoe-in for one of the Clan's newest SP Kings. [GOOD SEED]
[Credit Occipitallobe, Taut_Templar 1,
2]
Zeno Angelus (acting)
MOTTO: "Our love shall oppose this raging world!"
HISTORY: It is well established as a canonized myth that this family began its first days somewhere in the beginning millenia of the SCA as scouts appointed directly for this army by the Earl of bronze, but the exact reason why and most other details are forgotten to time. The first ancestor the Clan Accountings can truly point to as historical is Alvanha Angelos, Great-Grandmother of Monima Angelus(born Angelos and damnatio by proxy), who fathered-in-spirit the blood traitor Ares Angelus. Though the Angelus family itself can point to some secondary evidence with some writings attributed to family members of far more ancient times, their status as traditional leaders of the 616th damnatio legio has seen their presence dwindle to a small handful of Foundation experts of note with no core experts remaining. This fecund family tends to see its fanatically loyal core experts burn out quickly against the hordes of Bloodpath standing in the Clans way, hoping desperately to regain the honor their hated ancestor threw away carelessly.
With the recent 3000th day of mourning for lost brothers and sisters to the Path of the enemy passing without murmurs of dissent and the notably subtle leadership under Archegetes Manuel "Old Gold" Konstantinos, the recent generation of higher command seem to have taken a different approach to handling the newest scions of this damned family.
Among the notable members of their house, Zeno and Abel Angelus have distinguished themselves in the plains with insights into the Single Pillar Path and attack siege logistics respectively. Whether this house can flourish in this new Great Era and reclaim their glorious birthright among the 616th or finally fall to damnatio memoriae only time will tell.
DESCRIPTION: A family known for its divinations and array masters. Any legionnaire who has buried their fellow comrade has used their teachings and burial shrouds to quell the restless spirits, disturbed by heaven's karmic wrath or find their way among a hostile world. Despite the small size of their holdings, this house makes good stones selling spirit shrouds and the families continued leasing of its lesser teachings to the Clan at large since ancient times. To find out why the Clan at large is leasing this knowledge to subsidize this one's family income is a quest many bureaucrats have undertaken, but none have succeeded to disentangle the reason why. Murmurs persist of the reason lying deep in the tower of spite under scrolls of unassuming harvest accountings. So far, no unprescribed expedition by glory seeking administrators have come back with results. With this family's reputation lingering among us, fewer still feel the need to hold out their neck for them and add to the glory of Angelus.
NOTABLES:
Zeno Angelus, acting Parenfamilias in lieu of his missing father and older brother of the twins Abel and Georgy Jr.. Foundation Establishment 6-Pillar. [GOOD SEED]
Abel Angelus, renowned Inventor and famously incorruptible Bureaucrat. 11th Heavenstage. [GOOD SEED]
Iulia Angelus, mother of Zeno, Abel, and Georgy Jr.. Foundation Establishment 5-Pillar (Late).
Georgys Angelus, father of Zeno, Abel, and Georgy Jr.. Currently missing. Foundation Establishment 4-Pillar.
Georgy Angelus Jr., twin brother Abel and younger brother of Zeno. Foundation Establishment 1-Pillar (Early).
[Credit: Juugo
1]
10756 Words Total
