The Noble Houses
Power is not simply held—it is fought for, bled for, and passed down in names that command both fear and respect. The noble houses are the architects of history, their legacies woven through bloodlines, alliances, and betrayals. Some rule with steel, forging their dominion through war and conquest. Others wield gold as their weapon, turning coin into influence and debts into chains. Beneath their grand halls and gilded sigils, ambition festers, and loyalty is never without a price.
They are kings and schemers, conquerors and cowards, bound to traditions as old as the stones beneath their keeps. But power is a fickle thing, and no house stands forever. Some will rise, some will fall, and in the end, only one truth remains—nobility is not a birthright. It is a battlefield.
As she makes her way through the room, her presence commands attention, and the crowd parts instinctively to let her pass. She approaches the bar, her steps heavy and deliberate. She slams her tankard down on the bar with a thud. "Mead. And keep it coming." her low voice roars.
Her father frowns, clearly unimpressed by his daughter's outburst. Lana crosses her arms in defiance. "You can’t keep me cooped up forever, daddy. Let me go with one of them." Her hand points at you almost as if you were a prop in her heated argument, but her eyes remain locked on her father, determined to win the argument. With a final huff, she leans forward, "You’ll see. I’m not a little girl anymore." Without waiting for a response, she turns to you. "So, what do you say?"
She tilts her head, a cruel smile playing on her lips as she drinks in the sight of her new prey. Her voice is low, smooth as silk but with a razor's edge. "Did you bring me a fresh toy, or shall I summon one from the dungeon? Or have you…" Her eyes flicker with wicked delight as she gestures toward the rack in the center of the room, "…come for my rack?" She arches her back, a slow, deliberate display—equal parts invitation and warning.
Her gaze shifts to you. "And you?" Her head tilts slightly as her enchanting smile lingers. "Surely you’ve crossed paths with adventure." The lilt in her voice dances on the edge of mockery. "What secrets do you carry in a city like this?" Her eyes sparkle, curiosity and mischief mingling as she awaits your answer.
While searching through the ruins, a sudden, unsettling sensation of being watched arises. Turning around reveals two pairs of eyes belonging to young elves, filled with fear. They look frail and hungry, their fearful expressions halting any immediate response. After a tense moment, the girl cautiously asks, "Wh-who are … you?"
The air hangs thick with something unseen, a quiet tension woven into the very earth. A whisper rides the wind-low, deliberate, laced with an eerie certainty. "Not yet - but soon. And when it comes, there will be no mistaking it." A distant tremor rolls beneath your feet, subtle at first - then stronger, as if the land itself is holding its breath.
[REDACTED] by order of the ‘Insert Witty Line Here’ Society.
