Editing Lineage:House Lineages (section)

=House of Flavii=

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Positive Stereotype:  Wise counselor.

Negative Stereotype:  Ambitious liar and degenerate necromancer.

Symbol:  Open scroll.

Signature Spell:  Command Spirit (Ghost).  “Enslave the Dead”

Magical Style:  Ancient Roman.

One of the most ancient great Houses in the world, the House of Flavii dates back to the earliest days of Rome.  They long ago abandoned the insecurity of direct rule in favor of mentoring, advising, and generally making themselves indispensable cogs in the administration for whichever upstart Houses happen to be ruling at the time.  They cultivate their reputation for experience and wisdom, playing the elder statesman and wise sage.  The Flavii do their best to manipulate events behind the scenes, showing a patience and a feel for long-term strategy that has allowed them to survive for thousands of years.  For most of the middle ages their most important power-bases were in the middle-east and many Flavii living in the U.S. have middle-eastern facial features.  Apprentices are trained to handle themselves in political and business negotiation.  Magical training focuses on necromancy, as a means to knowing useful secrets.

The House of Flavii was one of three great ancient Roman Houses who overthrew the House of Romulus and established the Roman republic in the 6th century BC.  The rocky alliance between Julii, Claudii and Flavii lasted until the first century BC, when Flavii plans to turn the republic into an empire were supported by the Julii but opposed by the Claudii, who felt that royal monopolies might strangle its wealth.  The Claudii were duly exterminated and a Roman Empire was established.  The remaining two Houses fell to fighting each other for ultimate power, Julii with particular influence over the armies and people and Flavii with particular influence over the nobility and senate.  Neither side could achieve a final victory and in the 3rd century, the empire was split between them with the House of Julii getting the west, ruled from Rome, and the House of Flavii getting the east, ruled from Constantinople.

At first, the Flavii fared better in the east than the Julii did in the west, ruling directly over the Byzantine Empire and doing mutually-profitable business with eastern mages.  Swimming with the flow of cultural change and changing puppets freely, the Flavii transformed their Christian Byzantine Empire into a Muslim Ottoman empire, holding off Hapsburgs, Romanovs and other challengers.  When the Julii fell out with the House of Stuart in the 17th century, the House of Flavii were quick to capitalize on the power vacuum in Britain, eagerly offering their services as advisors and forging ties with the Stuarts that stand to this day.

Mortal Politics:  High taxation is a good thing because the people don’t know how to spend their money wisely.  The US needs to get out of the middle east.  It is a war we cannot win and the longer it drags, the less conservative America is going to get.  We would be better off fixing problems at home.

Cost:  22 points.

Disadvantages:  The Fury.  Mages of the House of Flavii have been disturbing the dead for so long that their very aura revolts dead spirits.  Reaction rolls from any undead creature will be at -3.  (10 points)

Skills:  Administration, Diplomacy, History (Modern USA), History (Roman Empire), Literature (Classical), Occultism, Politics, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing (Classical), Thanatology, Thaumatology.

Spells:
Communication and Empathy:  Compel Truth, Sense Emotion, Sense Foes, Truthsayer.
Healing:  Lend Energy, Lend Vitality, Minor Healing.
Mind Control:  Fear, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Permanent Forgetfulness.
Necromantic:  Bind Spirit (Ghost), Command Spirit (Ghost), Death Vision, Sense Spirit, Soul Jar, Steal Energy, Steal Vitality, Summon Spirit, Turn Spirit.

Relations

The Houses

House of Anjou:  They have a talent for war and a taste for it.  Their violent nature makes them easy to tempt but hard to control.

House of Cain:  You can cut useful deals with them, but never make the mistake of thinking that you own one.

House of Capet:  The blood of the Capet is strong and as long as they survive, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

House of Carolus:  They have more sway in the European Union than people recognize, leading them to be underestimated.

House of Hapsburg:  They are consolidating their power in Europe.  Whatever they are doing, we must be a part of it.

House of Julii:  In the end, the battle for the world has always been between them and us.

House of Lancaster:  Brilliant yet foolish.  They are almost single-handedly responsible for the industrial revolution, yet let the House of Stuart rise to power on its back.

Order of Lilith:  They are often powerfully individually, but are nothing as an order.

House of Medici:  They have made themselves far too useful for anyone to destroy.  A brilliant move.

House of Romanov:  They refused to head us, thinking themselves wise and paid the price.  Time has yet to show if they have learned humility.

House of Stuart:  The dominant House, for now.  They need us as advisors and must never be permitted to forget it.

House of Trastámara:  Cruelty is a fine tool, but when it is your only tool you will never get anywhere.

House of Ummayad:  More subtle and thoughtful than their western rivals, they could make very useful leaders if only they could be convinced to participate in world affairs.

House of Warwick:  Oh, what worthy adversaries!  They want to be us and have been dedicated students.

House of York:  They can be obedient servants but make tough opponents.

The Rebellion

Order of Boudicca:  Courage without forethought is suicide.

Order of Copernicus:  One day soon space will become territory and then, we will need them.

Order of Darwin:  The study humanity at the most fundamental possible level, making them invaluable tools.

Order of Eve:  Quiet, thoughtful anarchists are the most dangerous kind in peacetime.

Order of Jesus:  They annoy the Medici and anything that distracts the Medici is good.

Order of Judas:  How useful they are to blame.

Order of Siddhartha:  They are very thoughtful and I wish I knew what they are thinking.

Order of Solon:  When the people, with no training in statecraft, take over the state, they always destroy it.

Order of Spartacus:  They cannot stand to see one human being master another and so they must be crushed for the universal good.

Order of Thales:  Good company.  Talking to them expands the mind and sharpens the wits.

Order of Utnapishtim:  Too weak to face life, too incurious to care.