Dynasty & Decadence/Worldbuilding

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Current Context for House V’Neef

V’Neef, V’Neef, V’Neef – if you talk politics, it is all you ever hear. From the technical officers in the ministries in charge of manse allocation to the roughest fisherman in the furthest northern tip of the Isle, her name is on everyone’s lip.

Twenty-three, stunningly beautiful, effortlessly charming and holding in her veins the purest blood in the entire Realm (bar, possibly, the Empress herself). A golden child, beloved by the entirety of Creation, she was without an enemy in the world – until she was given her own Great House two years ago. Suddenly, her fast-tracking through the Spiral Academy isn’t talent, but favouritism; her marriage to Cynis Thepru isn’t romantic but jade-mining; and the extraordinary Exaltation of her first child at age six is less a draconic miracle and more a harbinger of interesting times.

The first sign of danger was Cynis Thepru’s poisoning at the hands of the Society of the Veil & Lilly. The fruitless investigation has lead to accusation and counter-accusation – was it House Cynis? V’Neef? A would-be suitor? And then Mnemon, previously the youngest child of the Empress to receive her own House (at age 55) and formerly the very image of an affectionate sister, has been marked by a new chill, though no hostile action has been taken.

Offshoots of House Peleps rise and fall almost as often as they have a member to powerful to control and not powerful enough to oust the current leaders. These only last a generation before reabsorption, and the reabsorption usually goes down with minimal hard feelings. Usually, this is done with the a pragmatically ruthless appraisal of what the new House contributes by having its own ‘brand’ and whether they are worth protecting from hostile outside forces.

In your case it is different – senior figures in House Peleps wants you gone and the name ‘Taric’ to be forgotten. Taric offended the House seniors greatly by courting V’Neef as a potential husband, doing her favours against the interests of Peleps and implicitly offering to defect with his entire family (and critically, their incredibly vast wealth) if she accepted.

V’Neef has managed to offend House Peleps thrice over– first, by cancelling her importation of wine from the East and relying entirely on her own vineyards to meet demand; second, by sponsoring the young libertine and famously sarcastic playwrite, Cynis Somat, to the senior post of minister of the Righteous and Accountable Ministry of Weights and Measures as a ‘new broom’; and finally and most critically, by adopting as ‘children’ a retired Leedal naval general and a Lost Egg Guild factol with a fleet of vessels plying the Inner Sea, raising questions as to her House’s interest in maritime trade.

Politics

• The Salt Rate was recently lowered to 2.75%, increasing market activity and speculation and serving as a strong indicator of the economic and spiritual stability of the Isle. This has greatly agitated the Small Gods of Salt, and House Peleps Tanic has been requested by the Treasury to deal with them before they openly defy the Empress in some way they cannot take back.

• The patrician family, Dragarchi, continues it's unhindered ascension through both legitimate and illegitimate society, thanks to the support of Peleps Tanic Taen and Grolush (respectively). The second son, Dragarchi Correal, has taken a seat in the Lesser Chamber in the last election, adding his presence to lead the deliberators already on the family payroll, and this growing political power is supported by the family's extortion, gambling and fencing rackets. The family's success can be attributed to punctual and full payment of it's sizable dues – of both kinds - to House Tanic Peleps.

• The Gracious Upright Fox is a legend in the world of espionage, known to be Lookshy's greatest living spy. In his earlier days, he assassinated the previous Tri-Khan of Chiaroscuro, destroyed the infectious Raksha, Curious Blue, and infiltrated Cathak Canian's Wyld Hunt. Now, a rumour is starting that he runs Lookshy's assets on the Blessed Isle. And it seems he has a score to settle with defectors!

• The Perfect of Paragon has identified and turned another undercover agent answering to the Eye. The thaumaturge has used his plundered power to compel the spy to return to the Realm's embassy, now loyal to a new master. The Eye has been instructed by the Foreign Office to try again, but not to attempt any retaliation, as diplomatic relations with the upstart Scavenger Lord remain paramount as the tribute levels are renegotiated next year.

• Eye Turned Inwards, the Internal Affairs branch of the All-Seeing Eye currently suspects over a half-dozen graduates of the Spiral Academy recruited subsequently into the Eye have been turned by House V'Neef to become their personal assassination squad. So far, no penalties or terminations have been authorised as the Eye Turned Inwards seeks to find out how House V'Neef are predicting who they will recruit.

Law & Crime

• The Blessed Isle hosts over a dozen cities with populations well over 100,000 people. This is a relatively recent phenomenon (though historians note is merely e return to a fraction of the post-Contagion population) and has born an inescapable consequence – rampant and uncontrolled crime. The traditional method of bucolic maintenance of the law – a magistrate for each prefecture to decide cases and root out corruption and vice; a few dozen blackhelms to break up riots and deal with unruly foreigners; and an understanding with the local tongs to keep themselves to quiet extortion, illicit prostitution and animal fights – have completed fallen apart under the pressures of the increased urbanised populations.

• The nights are now an alternate ecosystem of roving gangs, highwaymen and cammorae and the citizenry who venture from their homes are entirely at their mercy. Even by day, there is an explosion in crimes such as heroin dealing, selling slaves to mortals, armed robbery and rape.

• These are being politely ignored by the Imperial Government and, as Exalts are immune to their depredations due to their elemental power and patricians mostly protected by their armies of servants, there is no sign that this will change. The Thousand Scales have developed statistical data to ‘prove’ crime is stable and to pour scorn on any ‘unmanly babblers’ that suggest there is a crime problem. Powerful political factions, lead by legendary magistrate archon-hunter, Leedal Tomei, and the current Paragons of Danaa’d and Heiesh, have subtly made their disapproval known for those who suggest that blackhelms – armed peasant-thugs whose place is institutional violence on the direct orders of their betters – should conduct investigations or develop proactive strategies or that power should be derivated away from magistrates towards prefects by expanding the blackhelms to a wing or even, Empress forbid, a dragon for a major city.

• Only in such degenerate days could the family have gathered conclusive proof of Rat-Kin, degenerate beastmen living the sewers of[your city]. These filthy anathema-spawn kidnap the dregs of society- indentured servants and slaves- but what they do with their victims is still under investigation.

• Magistrate Leedal Tomei, graduate of the Heptogram and ex-Immaculate Monk, is the greatest man-hunter in the Realm. Rather than having his own circuit, he awaits invitations from other Magistrates to pursue criminals that have left their chosen jurisdiction and chases them down relentlessly wherever they may go. Currently, he has besieged Pelep Tanic Alaric’s best pupil’s cloister near the Dam of Serpents, demanding they turn over an itinerant monk that has claimed sanctuary but is wanted for child-abuse.

• Not everyone is taking the matter of crime quietly - There is a rapidly growing cult of Invisible Cricket Practitioners (think a Terrestrial style that carries the vibe of Mantis Style and Ebon Shadows Style) in Tuchara. This hidden cult utilize a new and entirely forbidden art in honour of the mysterious urban legend known as the Invisible Embodiment of Justice Black. This figure is usually portrayed as a tall black clad man in a black cloak, wearing a Black helm's helmet modified with the visage of a praying mantis. He is beloved for having brought down the Red River of Laugher gang (cocaine smugglers led by a faeblood), the Monarchi family (a patrician clan heavily involved in extortion and supported by House Peleps) and the Abbot Dandelion (who was subsequently shown to be using his temple as a brothel for children).

• The Society of the Veil & Lilly are ancient and mysterious order of assassins and poisoners. Half their agents are spread throughout high society and focused in the Realm, Lookshy, Great Forks and Whitewall, waiting to strike, while the leaders are alchemists with no established identity. The society is known for never giving up on a contract and never being caught- so far, they have not failed a single time. Magistrate Krati of Barrosk captured one of the agents recently, but the agent had taken a poison that activated only when the agent was asked charm-enhanced questions. An antidote has been developed and awaits another possible subject for interrogation.

Society

• Dynasts accrete titles like 'Ancient Master of the Jade Monkey Gate[/i] or Princep of the Kaputa Kingdom or Slayer of the Coral Harrower the way computers accrete cookies – sometimes deliberately, often carelessly and almost every time they do anything new. Most are harmless, merely adding more lag to introductions and correspondence; some are beneficial, granting access and recording preferences; and a surprisingly large number of harmful, imposing (sometimes dangerous) duties on the hapless scion that cannot be turned down without causing great offence.

• Three Mountain Folk have recently emerged from the Imperial Mountain and into the light, opening a small store in an expensive corner location in Aerulius Avenue in the Imperial City. This incredible boutique store specializes in china tea sets, plates and the like and the products are of superlative quality. The merchandise is expensive beyond the income of even most Dynasts (Resource 4 purchase to fill a Dynastic household with matching pieces).

• A fad for pets has swept society - sales of cats, rats, peregrines and lizards have skyrocketed and become the No. 1 gift for parents to give their children. Portee ivory dogs, songbirds and monkeys have romantic connotations and successfully taking one as a familiar is a sign that you are a great lover. There is a growing subculture of salons held by dynasts devoted to these creatures. It is noted that Sesus Nagezzer is very, very fond of his four tiny simian companions.

• Dogs, horses and austriches are considered too noble to be treated as playthings in that manner. Instead, these grand beasts are bred and sold for great sums as bodyguards, hunters and mounts, companions not allowed to go to waste. Blackstaff mastiffs are the most popular hunting dogs at the moment, while the thunderstride horses of Cynis Four-Hoof Glory Rider are peers of the elite nomadic horses used by the Lookshy legions.

• The last year have seen a competition between celebrating Mnemon’s 350th nameday and the first party thrown by House V’Neef, celebrating their inception. Because the two are to occur only five weeks apart, attendance at both is impossible for anyone without sorcery or an airship. The Empress has indicated she will attend both, leaving those hoping to follow her lead scrambling for direction. V’Neef has elected for a pictorial theme – the event will occur in the woodlands and rolling hills around her newly constructed manse and it has recently been leaked that she has compacted with the Grandfather Oak of the largest forest on the Isle to serve as the event coordinator and maitre de. Mnemon has eschewed a theme, unless it is perhaps Mnemon herself, and instead has focused on letting it be known she will recall who attends and who does not. For those who get by hosting salons, it may well be a make-or-break decision.

• Ragoly Aglde of the Wings Conjoined in Flames has struck down Impious Manosque Rivaldi, last of the Manosque family, for daring to summon his seneschal, Broken Wood Splutters for the Inferno, for a months service. This brutal and public slaying- the smell of burnt flesh would not leave the Lord's Crossing Eastern Plaza for days- has greatly concerned the the Immaculate Order, and they have sent their own emissaries to speak with Ragoly.

• The Most Numinous Jagalza, Diefied Overseer of the Realm and Patron of Provincial Governors, has made overtures of for the Dance of Fluttering Bladed Eyes with Sesus Sereda, Seneschal of the Honorable and Humble Caretakers of the Common Folk. The pair is engaging in monthly tea ceremonies, with invitations to Sereda's manse being matched with those to Jagalza's sanctum, games of Gateway, and gift-giving sessions of mutual admiration, respect and love. This relationship is the greatest favor Jagalza has shown to a Dynast in over 500 years, and the growing respect and appreciation will grow to it's proper and assigned climax, with one party assassinating the other without feeling the slightest hesitation, guilt or hostility!