Editing Lineage:House Lineages (section)

=House of Julii=

[[Image:2856297520099704772RjiUxXph.jpg]]

Positive Stereotype:  Upright councilor.

Negative Stereotype:  Ambitious liar, waiting to enslave the unwary with foul magics.

Symbol:  Red seashell.

Signature Spell:  Enslave.  “Chains of Enslavement”.

Magical Style:  Ancient Roman.

Powerful since the dawn of Rome, the Julii have had their hands in world politics for thousands of years.  Like their rivals, the Flavii, they long ago gave up ambitions of direct rule, preferring the long-term security of working behind the scenes to get what they want.  They have long offered their advice, on political and military matters alike, and have secured themselves positions wherever the wisdom of the ancients is sought.  Though they mix easily in high-society, they have also traditionally shown a deeper understanding of the rabble and the army than the Flavii and regard themselves as masters of realpolitik.  The entire House suffers from epilepsy and both deformity and madness are unusually common, even for a House.  Apprentices are trained in the science of politics and the art of persuasion, with enough combat training to allow them to understand the uses of violence.  Magical training focuses on mastery over the minds of others, on the grounds that this is where true power lies.

The House of Julii 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.

Weakened by centuries of fighting, the Julii could not stand up to the barbarians that hammered at their borders and the empire of the Julii was soon crushed.  Disavowing all claims to rule outside of Italy, the Julii sought power through alliance and intrigue.  They offered the barbarian mages of the west their knowledge of civilization and culture, serving as advisors and instructors.  At the same time, they infiltrated the armies, knowing well where ultimate power in a state lies.  They served in this capacity throughout the medieval period and the European Renaissance owed a great deal to Julii influence and nostalgia.

The Julii and the Stuarts fell out in the 17th century, when the military ties of the Julii lead them to side with the Roundheads in the English Civil War.  When the Stuart monarchy was restored under Charles II, the Stuarts conducted a purge of the Julii.  The two Houses remained at war until the 19th century when political challenges for the Stuarts and the increased military needs of the British Empire led to a reestablishment of Julii power.

Mortal Politics:  The government needs to keep taxes as high as they can and should be liberal with social services.  People are more grateful to you if you spend their own money on them than they are if you don’t take their money in the first place.  It makes them feel looked after.  The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were excellent, but the US doesn’t know how to make peace with a conquered peoples.  You can’t simply set them up as independent allies, because if they are independent, they will ally with whoever they want.  You have to take over and appoint your own ruler, answerable only to you.

Cost:  1 point.

Perk:  Line of Venus.  The Julii have long had a reputation as skilled seducers and manipulators of romantic feelings.  A Julii mage gets +1 to Sex Appeal and +1 to any spell that increases romantic or sexual interest.

Disadvantage:  Epilepsy (30 points).  The House of Julii calls this “the falling sickness” and they have suffered from it since the early days of Rome.  Stories persist that some Julii make prophecy while suffering fits.

Quirk:  Stain of the Claudii.  A mage of the House of Julii cannot cast Healing spells, except those associated only with fatigue.

Skills:  Diplomacy, Gun (Pistol), History (Modern USA), History (Roman Empire), Karate, Leadership, Occultism, Politics, Public Speaking, Savoir-Faire, Symbol Drawing (Classical).

Spells:
Communication and Empathy:  Sense Emotion, Sense Foes, Mind-Reading, Mind-Sending, Persuasion, Presence, Telepathy, Truthsayer. 
Mind Control:  Bravery, Charm, Emotion Control, Enslave, Fear, Foolishness, Forgetfulness, Loyalty, Lure, Weaken Will.
Movement:  Haste, Quick March.

Relations

The Houses

House of Anjou:  Their passionate nature makes them unpredictable allies, but it is profitable to remain on good terms with them.

House of Cain:  Warriors like this are obsolete.  This is the age of the soldier.

House of Capet:  They owe us everything they had, of course.  They have outgrown their usefulness in the main, but are not quite worth abandoning yet.

House of Carolus:  For better or worse, we backed their enemies the Capet and it is too late to change horses how.

House of Flavii:  History for the last two thousand years is nothing but the story of our conflict with them for control of the world.

House of Hapsburg:  They have forgotten that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.  They are weak, rich and ripe for the picking.

House of Lancaster:  They are economically indispensable.

Order of Lilith:  It doesn’t matter how strong you think you are.  Without allies, you are powerless.

House of Medici:  The power, money and influence that they have belongs rightly to us, since it was founded in our state of Italy.  When the time is right, they must be called to account.

House of Romanov:  They need our support.  The price must be their commitment to drive the Flavii from eastern Europe.

House of Stuart:  They hold the reigns of power, at least officially.  We must be the power behind their throne and so we must make them see how indispensable we are.

House of Trastámara:  All the political nous of a sledgehammer, but fine enforcers.

House of Ummayad:  Their attempted conquest of Europe was merely a Flavii plot to take power from us, but we saw the hand of Flavii at work and countered it.

House of Warwick:  These upstarts are masters of the game, but they have no guts.

House of York:  They make good soldiers and we make good generals.  We are natural allies.

The Rebellion

Order of Boudicca:  Has there ever been a less effective, less successful resistance?  They are amusing.

Order of Copernicus:  Maybe with their help we could win a nuclear war or better yet, make people think that we could.

Order of Darwin:  Strange mages with very useful talents.

Order of Eve:  They make valuable servants, but they are always looking to turn the tables on you.

Order of Jesus:  There must be a way of controlling them and a political use for them.

Order of Judas:  Beware them!  But don’t be afraid to use them.

Order of Siddhartha:  Bah!  Too eastern to be useful in the west, too western to be useful in the east.

Order of Solon:  The will of the people is a very powerful tool if it can be channeled correctly.  This order is a resource waiting to be harvested.

Order of Spartacus:  These anarchists must be wiped out, but fortunately they are tough enough to be good practice.

Order of Thales:  They corrupt the minds of otherwise intelligent individuals like an infection.

Order of Utnapishtim:  Time and again, they must be put down, but they never learn.