Great House Monolith

One of nine current Great Houses of the Imperial Venerate, Great House Monolith was charged by Astralshaper to manage all aspects of Enchantment, from harvesting and handling to Transmutation and particulate bonding. During the first century of the Meridian, Great House Solens Arc reigned as the premier governing body for any significant territory within the empire, competently and effectively tending to any and all problems with a level of attention like no other. However, the other Great Houses and Houses grew ever fearful of the widely influential necromancers, presenting an ultimatum to Astralshaper herself that Solens Arc was plotting to undermine her reign. She dismissed these wild claims, though was held at proverbial gunpoint with over 90% of her entire aristocracy at her doorstep demanding that she did something to knock Solens Arc down a few pegs. And so she did what she thought would bring about the most good, yet sate the insatiable mob before her, splitting Great House Solens Arc into two in R.73, with the second half being ruled by the immediately ascended Great House Monolith. This was a two part decision to get the rabble off her back, and to ensure that such an embarrassing turn of events would never transpire again, electing to ascend a Great House of Enchantment similar in attitude and loyalty to Great House Solens Arc. They were immediately and coincidentally assigned to fiefdoms that Astralshaper was keeping close tabs on for being unruly subjects, dispatching the Enchanters to dissuade any civil resistance to her rule. They continued to work very closely with their parent Great House Solens Arc, pooling their resources and coordinating actions, believing themselves to still be their rightful subjects, but never bending to unreasonable decisions from the same however rare they may be. The exact application of Monolith and what they have done exactly for the past 200 rotations is largely a mystery, the enchanters boasting secrecy second to none, keeping all of their activities, movements, and records very close at hand and never openly available to anyone but Astralshaper herself. What is known is where there was strife, enchanters made an appearance; in just a few short days, many disputes that escalated to violence were settled with no hitches. The only exception to this is the Stenum Period: a time of mass hysteria when the Wastes first spread their hatred across the Meridian, inciting revolts and riots in fear of the world collapsing, for the scale of the era exceeded even that of Monolith's capabilities.
Since the conclusion of the White Turban rebellion, Great House Solens Arc and Monolith have receded from society, isolating themselves and relying on few outside contacts aside from their small handful of subordinate Houses, more-or-less stepping away from high-visibility government positions. Monolith's solitary outlook has been maintained since then, keeping very close the inner workings of their House and agenda to the point where no one is quite sure what goes on inside their well-protected towers, to include who or what even commands Enchantment. This is not to say they have completely shut-out the world at large, as they are still mandated to produce and manufacture enchantment goods and exports, advancing the field of mind-alteration and crowd control for the benefit of Astralshaper. They are most often seen working alongside Great House Solens Arc in the Wastes, usually charged with the upkeep of the Wards or overseeing harvesting operations at Necromatic or Enchanted magic fields, watching over their many slave Deckannima laborers as they toil. Additionally, they were also largely responsible for the formation of the Celestial Assemblies: a collaboration of eight senates, each representing a single school of magic, attended by only the most renowned and prestigious masters in their respective fields. They existed to advise Astralshaper in practical matters of state, addressing issues specific to each school of magic in addition to the operations of their ruling Houses. Often this was instead presided by the Vicarvoyancy, but the empress has been known to listen and chime in answers should she feel their concerns required direct input. With Monolith at the head, the Enchanters Assembly quickly became the dominate Assembly of the eight, with Astralshaper commemorating them for their versatility and contributions, complaining little and offering much; something the rest could seldom claim. However since the Assembly's abolition at the hands of the now ruling regent Vicarvoyancy, Great House Monolith seems to have grown entirely disinterested in interacting with civilization as a whole, but many speculate that they have ascended past petty banter due to their specialty as enchanters and psionics, negating the need for words entirely, as they can pry whatever information they desire from anyone they choose. They are also the only house that has yet to declare dissidence against the Vicarvoyancy, and thus are sometimes enlisted by the regency as Legionary advisers to the state military. In modern times, Monolith promotes themselves as adepts in crowd control and interrogation, historically suppressing mobs and rebellions much to the dismay of the other Great Houses; this was especially true during the founding days of the Meridian when the fate of the empire was uncertain. They have developed few notable technologies as compared to other Houses, but have never-the-less contributed advances such as Wards, Empathic Sensors, and Indoctrination methodologies. Due to the nature of enchantment, there have and likely will always be few practical applications of their school of magic, more so designed for use on sentient beings than as mechanisms within machines. Their products however are very popular on the black market as few as there are, purchased most by Privateer organizations and Great House Vertinal. Great House Monolith ensures that these listings do not last long if at all, carefully monitoring both the open and black market for illicit resales of their few items. While they don't host a very large military presence and control a very marginal share of the market, they are far from powerless. It is said that Great House Monolith has their proverbial fingers in all matters of state, from the regent Vicarvoyancy assembly and the Legion under the Stars to other Great Houses and Major Houses. Ultimately, the true extent of their reach is entirely unknown, with many rumors attributed simply to their inherent mysterious nature. No one but Monolith can say for sure what happens in their plain, unassuming massive White Towers they call home.
Under Great House Monolith, there are two subsidiary Major Houses:

House Sardanapalos

An unquestionably loyal House with an unknown purpose.

House Stronghold

An unquestionably loyal House with an unknown purpose.

Structure

Due to Monolith's tendency to keep all their operations and statecraft under wraps, it is entirely unknown how they function as a Great House, let alone who or what even rules them

One people, one voice, one song.

Founding Date

73

Type

Geopolitical, Great house

Demonym

Monolithic

Parent Organization

Regent Vicarvoyancy Assembly