House Rayes
One of the 13 Great Houses of Asrinheim, House Rayes are an exiled noble family from northern Asrinheim who first came to the Aedrinaran Islands with Frigga and the other great houses. One rulers of the northern most region of the island of Asrinheim, House Rayes were nearly extinguished and their few survivors driven from their ancestral home of Sel Thiran by Mothrar Gildaron during the War of the Great Houses at the end of the second age.
Since their exile, the family have settled in the city of Jameleska, and are now technically headed by Falia Rayes as she holds the ancestral family Oathbow. Taron Rayes, the first to move to the city, intermarried with Jameleskan humans, which would see an Aspect of Varpak passed to his son, Maethir, then into Falia. There are four Rayes left, Damin, Falia, Cassie Rayes and Sarn.
Assets
House Rayes are one of the few vaniri families still in possession of their ancestral Oathbows. Created in the Vale, most of the ceremonial weapons of the vaniri would be lost or destroyed across time, with the War of the Great Houses sullying most of what remained. The Oathbow contains fragements of the souls of every wielder of the bow, allowing a deep connection to the family name.
The House also once ruled from a great city known as Sel Thiran. This city is a mystery, as despite existing for centuries, and only being lost just over a thousand years ago, its location remains illusive. Taron, Maethir, and Falia Rayes devoted much of their lives to trying to find it - never getting the answers from the spirits bound to the Oathbow. On the maps it does appear in, Sel Thiran is in conflicting locations across Asrinheim, and information on the city was either highly secret or destroyed during the War of the Great Houses itself. Sel Thiran would eventually be found again by The Dragon Clan in the 1050s of the third era. Its vaults of Friggan treasure being the theorized target.
History
Once a powerful family in the Vale of the Elves, the house would leave with Frigga and the other 13 great houses and assorted refugees from their lands during the collapse of Primal Elf society. The family would devout their cause to Frigga in stamping out the Forgotten Gods across Asrinheim, accompanying their queen into the island of Asrinheim, marching north gradually. In the aftermath of The Long Night, House Rayes were granted dominion over the northern most reaches of the island itself, and constructed their mythical city of Sel Thiran.
Sel Thiran's location, and nature, is disputed. On no map does it ever appear in the same place, but it was said to be a powerful fortress citadel with a grand cathedral devoted to Aerdrie Fayena, the consort of Corellon. The family ruled in relative peace from this bastion, overseeing smaller settlements throughout the north. They would participate in the Jotun-Vaniri war, devoting longships and 'griffons' to their battles.
A respected, and middling power of a house, the Rayes kept a good relationship with House Ardiylir of Thevensyne. By the end of the Second Age, Asrinheim's population began to swell and the political machinations of the great houses would lead to war between them. House Rayes had begun to oppose the power hungry schemes of Elder Mothrar Gildaron of Iminiyas, and their first border conflicts would spark the whole civil conflict.
Despite their alliance with the powerful House Ardiylir, the Rayes' would fall in battle to Gildaron. Sel Thiran was destroyed, and 'scoured' from the face of Prima Terra - its location lost to time. Only A young Karana Rayes would survive the slaughter of their family in 2550 and the fall of Sel Thiran, saving only the family Oathbow and fleeing Asrinheim on a mercenary ship.
The Rayes entered exile, Karana traumatised by the fall of her people. She would meet another elf in Vanaheim, Rallin Gardener, the two marrying. Living a nomadic existence for centuries. The family would continue, and her youngest son, Taron, would become the new head of the family - inheriting the oathbow and swearing to find the ruins of Sel Thiran. After the loss of his first family, Taron would move to Jameleska where he married Lydia Erikasdottir, a human and distant descendent of Jamel and Valeska. Here the Rayes would stay for two more generations, their son Maethir being a half-elf who inherited the oathbow until his death, where it passed to his 3/4 elven daugther, Falia.
Type
Geopolitical, Great house
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
Comments