In the Protectorate of Bleda there are eleven noble houses, which are divided into three categories being the Royal House The Royal House is descended from the royal family of Pelliny, as the second son of a former king of Pelliny founded Bleda. This royal house has ruled Bleda since its founding. The second category are the Great Houses, of which there are three. House Tsurar, House _, and House _. Of these three only House _ is not based in Bleda residing in the harbor town. The other two Great Houses live within the city of Bleda, with the War Master chosen from the greatest warrior of either of those houses. The third category are the Lesser Houses, of which there are seven. In recent years House Kvyn has risen to prominence among the Lesser Houses. There have been talks among the court of making Lord Beljr Kvyn the next War Master should Bleda officially join Athera’s war. These Lesser Houses rule many of the smaller settlements as well as helping to manage the administration of Bleda.
The noble houses of Bleda also provide the majority of Bleda’s knights, with all able to trace their lineage back to the first knights who settled Bleda. Although not all knights are from these noble houses, as many knights were elevated to knighthood during Bleda’s wars.
In the Royal Court of Bleda each of the Great Houses have a permanent seat and role, while the Lesser Houses compete for seats within the Court. However, House Kvyn has maintained a seat in the court since the end of the Vvulfjr revolt and has been instrumental in getting the Chieftain of the Vvulfjr Confederation named Steward of Beda. With the current Lord Beljr Kvyn having spent several years of his youth living among the Vvulfjr, and the Chieftain acting as his adoptive father during these years. With their growing renown and significance there has been talks among the court to elevate House Kvyn to the position of the fourth Great House. As Vvulfiend the Vvulfjr Confederation strongly backs this with their Chieftain a strong ally of House Kvyn.
The Great Houses
House Tsurar
The first of the Great Houses and the largest, this noble house was founded by the bodyguards of Bleda’s first Prince. The members of House Tsurar field the largest number of knights of any noble house, and are renowned for their martial skill. Of all the houses the vast majority of Bledan War Masters have come from House Tsurar including the first and most recent. Many of House Tsurar’s knights still serve their ancestral role of guards of the Prince.
House #2
The second great house is the smallest of all the Great Houses, with the fewest knights. This House has historically managed the administrative and logistical matters of running the state of Bleda. As one of the most educated families, members of House _ also administer the University of Bleda. This also has led to the Bledan Chronicler historically coming from this house, granting a second seat in the Royal Court. This soft power and administrative control has kept the status of a Great House even though their numbers have declined significantly through the attrition of war.
House #3
The Lords of the Harbor City maintain control of the cold water port and oversee its function. House _ boasts a large number of knights and the man-at-arms that the city can leverage. As lords of this harbor city they are wealthier than most other nobles as for seven months of the year there is a decent amount of trade and commerce coming and going through the harbor. Additionally as the only Great House based outside of Bleda they enjoy more autonomy than the other houses. That autonomy also comes with the burden of having to levy this larger force than the other noble houses, and historically has had to deploy its forces first to battle.
Lesser Houses
The Lesser Houses refer to the lower ranking noble houses. These houses generally hold less authority, and typically oversee a small settlement outside of Bleda or help manage the administration of Bleda. The Lesser Houses are the cornerstone of the Prince's power, allowing effective management of Bleda and the division of power prevents the Lords from accrewing too much power and being able to rival the Prince.
The rising House Kvyn is verging on becoming a Great House in tandem with the rising power of the Vvulfjr within Bleda. The House dates back to the founding of Bleda as a pair of twin knights who came over from Pelliny in the first wave of settlers. House Kvyn stayed active in all the wars of Bleda, which kept the family small but garnered them a noble reputation bearing the weight of war. Their history of battle and nobility also earned them the respect of the Vvulfjr, in both skill and integrity. This respect was so great that the first member of House Kvyn to earn the title of Vvulfiend did so while in battle against Vvulfjr during the first Vvulfjr war. House Kvyn has not held a permanent seat in the royal court, but has always maintained a strong presence in Bleda’s Knights, often serving as Knight Commanders. In more current times, the late Lord Kvyn had worked hard to further integrate the Vvulfjr into Bleda and was instrumental in getting the Chieftain of the Vvulfjr Confederation named Steward of Bleda. The current head of House Kvyn, Lord Beljr Kvyn may be next to be named War Master of Bleda.
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