House Telar

Culture

Magic is all to House Telar, and those not born with magical abilities are seen as weak in the house. So the Drow of Hosue Telar seek to maximize their chances of siring magically talented offspring, resulting in a extremely complex web of arranged marriages based on magical abilities. It is said no witch or wizard of the Drow community could best those of House Telar, and through them they are able to offer their magical services to other houses and even craft magical items. They have begun as of late seeking to infiltrate surface dweller magic academies thanks to an initiative set by their current Matron Mother Chadra Telar. She hopes that learning of the surface dwellers may one day allow them to best utilize their weaknesses to rule over them, once they return to the Underdark.
Another important feature of House Telar is their oracles, an all female order of warlocks and witches who use their binded demonic slaves to help them scry the future. Using carved bones, and other complex and dark rituals, they are able to see glimpses of the future. However, some spies from other houses have argued that it is truly a great question: are these visions from Lolth, whispering warnings of the future, or are they from something else? Are they all accurate, or what something wants us to believe will happen? In the end none can say, but even still many houses seek to hire the services of House Telar oracles to help warn them of potential plots against their houses.

History

Magic is a powerful force, and can be even more raw in the Underdark then anywhere else. For this reason, those born with magical ability must be very well versed in the arts of magic. A great house forming out of the magical academies was to be largely expected, as House Telar was made up of those noblewoman running the academies. Through them and a complex web of political marriages and other such methods, they managed to quite easily secure themselves as a great house, with most of their families being incredibly magically gifted.
However, a history that conveniently they have not shared with the surface races they now walk amongst, many of these magically gifted Drow summon and bind demons to their will to grant them magical power. They skirt the line even for Drow society in the art of binding demons to their will, with some Drow warlocks even taking on the service of demons to grant them power. However it was not unheard of for demonic pets to "slip their leash" as it were. Some of these warlocks became oracles scrying the future, and that was when the oracles kept suffering a reoccurring vision of death, destruction, and darkness, and of chains binding a great spider. The oracles kept trying to understand the meaning of this maddening vision, however it would prove too late.
Unbeknownst to the other houses, and even House Telar itself, their obsession in seeing this vision would lead to that damnable thing that caused the Underdark Cataclysm. With the destruction of the Underdark, and the luxurious magical academies, much of their knowledge of prophecies and omens was lost. They have since struggled to regain their footing, but have at the very least managed to re-secure their standing as a great house. Now House Telar seeks to continue to scry the future behind closed doors, and infiltrate magical academies to learn of what passes for magic amongst the surface dwellers to know how best to rise once again.

"Scry the Fates"

Type

Geopolitical, Great house