Clan Veruza

Interactive Timeline

Interactive Clan Veruza History Timeline

The Black Hunger

Hekate's Arrival

Though some of the elders themselves claim that Clan Veruza dates back to the 2nd Age, the established nobility of the house in Therrania is documented as far back as 3A Y112. Shortly after the signing of The Benevolence Accord, Zeus levied his decree that all of his people's territory would be governed by appointed Gods from the Olympian pantheon. When Hekate was given ownership of the peninsula in the far southeast, she found it teeming cities struggling to survive, creatures constantly attacking them, and an abundance of would be warlords attempting to assert control.

Among these was a vampire cabal calling themselves Black Hunger. At the height of their power they controlled everything south of Lake Mortvia, reducing the mortals to cattle. Hekate took the commands of her lord Zeus seriously and set about with an immediate edict in her new territory, that none but her may claim dominion in her queendom. The Black Hunger retreated to their hold initially, but in 3A Y110, the Cabal Overlord, Gideon Lothorne, gave the command to sweep forward and expand the territory.

The Salvation Rebellion

Fearing the divine retaliation of Hekate, 5 prominent members of the cabal met in secret to discuss their options. It was decided that the cabal would never have the strength to strike down a full Goddess and their salvation lay only in loyal service, not rebellion. The five of them separately went back to their own tribes and began sewing the seeds of rebellion. By 3A Y112, each of the five had amassed a loyal following in secret, prepared to strike down Gideon and his loyalists.
Gideon called a meeting of the ruling cabal leaders to prepare for a new assault even further north, to take the new temple of Hekate that had been built, as a final show of force. As the leaders sat in council, the outer walls of the manor lit ablaze as the loyal soldiers of the five leaders began their assault. Seizing the opportunity as Gideon gave orders to defend the manor, the 5 rebel leaders made their move, slaying Gideon's personal guards and managing to claim his head; securing it with necromancy to provide as a trophy and show of fealty to Hekate. Marching out of the council chambers in unity to display the head to his loyalists, the rebel leaders declared an end to The Black Hunger.

The Red Guards

Together with their offering of loyalty, the rebel leaders journeyed north to Hekate's castle, where they were welcomed by her court guards and allowed to enter the throne room. There they presented their gift and promised forevermore that any who held loyalty to their own banners would in turn hold superior loyalty to hers. Hekate agreed and granted the rebel leaders all of the lands south of Lake Mortvia as their stewardship, but they must entirely renounce the name of The Black Hunger and ensure that all of those loyal to Gideon were cut down.
The rebels agreed and the five of them together brought forth a request that they be now known as Clan Veruza, from an ancient vampiric word meaning salvation. Hekate proclaimed that Clan Veruza would henceforth occupy a seat of nobility in her lands and a serve as her military council, giving them the title of The Red Guards. In the following years, Clan Veruza rebuilt the manor that The Black Hunger had once used as its seat of power, began to establish new tribal lines, creating 5 houses of equal standing to rule the clan, and set about to hunt down the scattered remains of Gideon's followers.

The Founders Exit

In 3A Y285, almost 200 years after the destruction of The Black Hunger, Clan Veruza was beginning to thrive and become respected throughout Hekate's queendom. However, some living still remembered the actions of the founding members of the 5 Houses of Veruza, and stories outlive memories every time, so full support of the people was still out of reach. Adrian Maxim, founder of House Maxim, called his fellow elders together and proposed the time had come that the fate and lifeblood of Clan Veruza be turned over to those who were only ever loyal to the Clan and did not carry the stain and history of The Black Hunger with them. After several weeks of debate, the dissenters were convinced and in a unanimous decision, the choice was made to voluntarily step down and appoint a direct blood family member to become the new head of each house.
The announcement to Clan Veruza was met with mixtures of confusion and hesitation, but the clan accepted their elders' decision. The transition was rocky at first, but the elders stayed in advisory roles for 2 years to ease the transition before leaving the clan entirely, each taking a different path into the world.

Veruza's Exile

The Death of Hekate

Clan Veruza served loyally for over 300 years, advising Hekate on the defense of her territory as well as overseeing the defenses of every new city and village that was established in her lands. In time, the inherent fear of the mortal races towards their vampiric stewards faded and they were seen as protectors. During this time, they were joined in service to Lady Hekate by another noble family, House Silverberg, that had risen up and become her diplomatic advisors; Her Silver Voice. Together the two factions served in her court the utmost of their ability and honorably in her name.
In 3A Y471, the entire territory was rocked by the unthinkable; the death of Lady Hekate. Since the signing of The Benevolence Accord and the coming of peace, it had been nearly 500 years since the death of a God. Many wept, some feared it was a sign, and others turned on each other in panic, made even worse by the entirely unknown cause and suddenness of it. Both Clan Veruza and The Silverbergs immediately went to work trying to restore calm to the region.

The Empty Throne Conflict

After a year of scattered decisions and no immediate leadership, fractures in the clan began to arise as they squabbled with House Silverberg over minor and major details in running the territory. Eventually the fights began to turn the 5 houses of Clan Veruza against itself. There was a growing sentiment that with Hekate no longer queen, their pledge of loyalty was completed and fulfilled. The loyalty and service they had shown to the region predated even House Silverberg and therefore gave them the only legitimate claim to the empty throne. Small inter-house conflicts began to break out in Clan Veruza's territory as tensions continue to rise.
A diplomatic council meeting with House Silverberg in The Red Pines turned violent when one member of the Silverbergs suggested that despite the length of servitude from Clan Veruza, they themselves were more suited for true leadership as Hekate's voice and conscience, while the Veruza were her blunt force weapon. 3 prominent members of House Silverberg died at what would later be known as The Empty Throne Conflict, kicking off a deep bitterness from House Silverberg towards Clan Veruza.

The Arrival of the New Queen

By 3A Y473, Clan Veruza was barely holding itself together in the face of civil war as the 5 houses fought among themselves and across the territory. Lesser leaders in the five houses would raid villages for food, spoils, and ego, only to be forced to pay back what they took. The hard earned reputation of Clan Veruza was rapidly falling away as the leaders squabbled. The internal fighting was briefly set aside in an instant in 3A Y474 when, in the middle of the day, the sky fell black, the sun vanished, and a great white moon appeared, fixed in the center of the sky, unmoving.
A voice, unknown but somehow familiar, was cast across the entire territory all at once.

"Children of Hekate's queendom, hear me now. I sit upon my mother's throne by Lord Zeus' command from this day forth. I am Circe, Goddess of Night and now new Goddess of Magic in my mother's name. This land shall be cloaked in my eternal night and the watchful eye of my moon. As my mother was before, I am your queen and mother now, and you will be my dear children."

The House Rebellion

Unprepared for the sudden installation of a new queen, the already fractured houses of Clan Veruza descended into full rebellion as two of the houses openly declared to the rest that they would sooner be dead than submit to more centuries of servitude when they deserved leadership. Unable to stop them, the two rebelling houses marched north en masse with intent to assault the castle and depose the new would-be-queen before she could secure her rule.
Terrified on the potential punishment from not only Circe herself but possibly even Zeus for defying his direct decree, the remaining house leaders sent their two fastest agents north ahead of them; one to inform Circe's court directly and plead mercy and the other to House Silverberg with a request for forgiveness and support in negotiating with Circe for the salvation of their family. By the time the rebelling army reached the gates of Lykofos, they were greated by Circe's new royal guards, but moreso, by Circe herself, flanked by both agents and the head of House Silverberg.
Clan Veruza maintains that Circe spoke only a single word: "Loyalty". The force of the words from her lips dropped all of the rebelling army to one knee. Those who were there purely to follow their house leader's orders were spared, but those with true rebellion in their hearts were killed outright. 520 of Clan Veruza died that day, including both of the present house leaders. Circe then bid the survivors rise, and gave them a new edict:

Clan Veruza, I am told that you came to my mother of your own power and swore loyalty to her; a loyalty that served truthfully under for over 300 years. It is that loyalty and the words of House Silverberg that allow any of you to survive this day. For this attempt at rebellion and breach in fealty, you are hereby stripped of your titles in my queendom. Your entire clan will return immediately to your manor in The Red Pines and you will remain their until such time as you are able to demonstrate the loyalty and honor you once gave my mother. Your territory is rescinded back from Lake Mortvia to the village of Morgarta, whom you will watch over and rebuild as caring stewards as a firth show of faith.

Clan Veruza has remained in their own now limited territory since, but continue to bicker and debate internally; the debate turning from whether the clan should submit to Circe, beg forgiveness, and return to their former position under her service or if Circe had no claim to the throne and she must be made to pay for the 520 slain.

Paralyzed in Commitee

For the first centuries of Circe's rule, the internal fights of Clan Veruza returned to being aggressive but civil, with angered words and heightened voices being the worst of it; none of them willing to escalate further for fear of drawing her attention. Eventually, a new set of Clan Laws were established to handle the constant bickering. There could be no longer be any choices made in the name of the clan itself without a clear majority agreement among the 5 ruling houses. After another 50 years of debates under the new rules, one of the house leaders chose to enact a specific bylaw and announced that he was pausing his house's activities by voluntarily entering torpor.
This sudden shift in the power structure all but removed the clan's ability to make a decision, as there were 2 houses seeking atonement and loyalty and 2 houses seeking vengeance and retribution. The clan had been locked into a potential eternal stalemate. The fifth house of Veruza has remained in torpor for 466 years, and still the deadlock has not been settled.

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The Five Houses

The leadership of Clan Veruza is split up evenly across 5 houses, as established when The Black Hunger was dissolved and Clan Veruza was created to serve under Lady Hekate. Each house has a leader, who is a direct descendant to their house's original founding member, and a lieutenant who serves as their 2nd.

House Hanak

• Current Head: Ceanna Hanak
• Current Lieutenant: Celice Hanak

House Hanak is the only house who can claim that their full leadership has never left the bloodline. Every head and lieutenant of the house going back to their founding members has been direct lineage, continuing to this day with Ceanna Hanak and her daughter, Celice. Ceanna and Celice are the loudest voices in Clan Veruza calling for returning to their place of authority and honor in Circe's court, regularly reminding the other house leaders that were it not for their house dispatching their swiftest agents to the court and House Silverberg, the entire clan may have suffered for the mistakes of a few.

Leadership History

Founder: 3A Y112 - 3A Y285

Callidora Hanak

2nd Reign: 3A Y285 - 3A Y415

House Head: Carissa Hanak
House Lieutenant: Celene Hanak

3rd Reign: 3A Y415 - 3A Y599

House Head: Celene Hanak
House Lieutenant: Camila Hanak

4th Reign: 3A Y599 - 3A Y1023

House Head: Camila Hanak
House Lieutenant: Ceanna Hanak

5th Reign: 3A Y1023 - Current

House Head: Ceanna Hanak
House Lieutenant: Celice Hanak

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House Maxim

• Current Head: Damon Maxim
• Current Lieutenant: Artem Meyer

Though he does not have full authority, Artem Meyer is the de-facto leader of House Maxim at the moment as Damon Maxim has been in torpor for nearly 500 years. Artem's roll is to advise between the remaining houses and maintain House Maxim's charges, but he has no voting power in clan affairs while his house head remains in torpor. Artem staunchly believes that Clan Veruza are meant to be the blade of Circe in protecting the innocents of the Queendom.

Leadership History

Founder: 3A Y112 - 3A Y285

Adrian Maxim

2nd Reign: 3A Y285 - Current (In Torpor)

House Head: Damon Maxim
1st House Lieutenant: Vesper Maganti 3A Y285 - 3A Y592
2nd House Lieutenant: Remus Crane 3A Y592 - 3A Y671
3rd House Lieutenant: Quill Linlett 3A Y671 - 3A Y857
4th House Lieutenant: Opal Frosten 3A Y857 - 3A Y1140
5th House Lieutenant: Artem Meyer 3A Y1140 - Current

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House Veeka

• Current Head: Lorelei Veeka
• Current Lieutenant: Radomir Campton

House Veeka have always maintained that it was their ancestor that personally removed the head of Gideon Lothorne, as a matter of pride and ego in clan debates. Radomir Campton has served as Lieutenant for the last three heads of House Veeka. Lorelei is a shrewd negotiator, but despite constant teases of defecting to the views of Houses Belo and Rallid, she has maintained an intention of loyalty to Circe unwaveringly. She is known to privately laugh at the ongoing struggles in the clan.

Leadership History

Founder: 3A Y112 - 3A Y285

Aurora Veeka

2nd Reign: 3A Y285 - 3A Y475

House Head: Rylee Veeka
House Lieutenant: STRICKEN

3rd Reign: 3A Y475 - 3A Y613

House Head: Lorenzo Veeka
House Lieutenant: Radomir Campton

4th Reign: 3A Y613 - 3A Y985

House Head: Caleb Veeka
House Lieutenant: Radomir Campton

5th Reign: 3A Y985 - Current

House Head: Lorelei Veeka
House Lieutenant: Radomir Campton

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House Belo

• Current Head: Melchior Belo
• Current Lieutenant: Jocasta Thorn

House Belo is credited with the foresight to take the techniques and tools developed in the original hunts for Lothorne loyalists and developing a codified set of training that has produced the specialized hunters of Clan Veruza that are known today as the Darkstalkers. Jocasta Thorn is the Arch Hunter of the Darkstalkers. Melchior himself is known to be calculating, shrewd, and brutal in negotiations. House Belo was one of the two houses that rebelled against Circe.

Leadership History

Founder: 3A Y112 - 3A Y285

Melka Belo

2nd Reign: 3A Y285 - 3A 475

House Head: STRICKEN
House Lieutenant: STRICKEN

3rd Reign: 3A Y475 - 3A Y985

House Head: Mauro Belo
1st House Lieutenant: STRICKEN 3A Y475 - 3A Y480
2nd House Lieutenant: Castor Tobin 3A Y480 - 3A Y985

4th Reign: 3A Y985 - Current

House Head: Melchior Belo
1st House Lieutenant: STRICKEN 3A Y985 - 3A Y1125
2nd House Lieutenant: Jocasta Thorn 3A Y1125 - Current

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House Rallid

• Current Head: Adrien Gilbert Rallid
• Current Lieutenant: Isadora Benedict Rallid

House Rallid was the 2nd house that rebelled against Circe and more than half of the Lost 520 came from their house. Adrien and Isadora were only recently installed as head and leader after an angry house voted to depose their mother and father after perceived centuries of failure. While Adrien is calm and collected, Isadora is prone to fits of manic behavior and flights of fancy.

Leadership History

Founder: 3A Y112 - 3A Y285

Sabien Donovan Rallid

2nd Reign: 3A Y285 - 3A Y475

House Head: STRICKEN
House Lieutenant: STRICKEN

3rd Reign: 3A Y475 - 3A Y706

House Head: Eve Talbot Rallid
House Lieutenant: Draco Cole Rallid

4th Reign: 3A Y706 - 3A Y1170

House Head: Delilah Cane Rallid
House Lieutenant: Felix Tobin Rallid

5th Reign: 3A Y1170 - Current

House Head: Adrien Gilbert Rallid
House Lieutenant: Isadora Benedict Rallid

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Religion

Opinions vary considerably across the Clan, especially house to house, but the official stance is that Zeus and the High Olympians are the ultimate authority in Therrania as a whole, regardless of territory and that they recognize that each territory has a governing deity assigned. Even Belo and Rallid officially recognize Circe's authority, even if they don't want to let the house Serve her again. As far as the others, most pay little mind aside from remembering the laws of The accord that all gods are to be respected, even if not worshipped.
However, there is a general stance within each of the 5 houses that there is a specific other Olympian that aligns with their particular viewpoints and holds a specific place of veneration.

• House Hanak: Athena, Goddess of Wisdom
• House Maxim: Eirene, Goddess of Peace
• House Veeka: Persephone, Goddess of the Afterlife
• House Belo: Ares, Former God of War
• House Phobos: Phobos, God of Fear

Laws

Circe's Edict

"Without explicit consent by Circe's court, Clan Veruza is forbidden from operating in any official capacity north of Morgarta"

Clan Law

1. No decision may be made for the clan without clear consensus of the Five Houses
2. The grounds of each House are sacred and will not be violated
3. Each House must serve the clan at all times, except in times of torpor
4. A House in violation of these laws is subject to death by the remaining

Table of Contents

Founding Date

3A Y112

Type

Geopolitical, Clan

Alternative Names

Formerly The Red Guard

Demonym

Veruzian

Government System

Oligarchy

Power Structure

Dependent territory

Gazetteer

Veruza Keep - Seat of power and manor house for Clan Veruza.
Morgarta - Southernmost city and only cultural charge for Clan Veruza.
The Final Dance - Formerly the maximum security prison of Hekate's Queendom.
Fort Wygol - Former lookout post and wizardry tower.
Fool's Crossing - Common location for attempting to bypass Circe's Veil.
The Red Pines - Forests immediately surrounding Veruza Keep.

Location

Circe's Queendom of Night

Notable Members

• Venette Belo

Related Historical Events

• 3A Y474
  Therrania - The Forming of the Queendom of Night
• 3A Y471
  Therrania - The Death of Hekate