House Oake
House Oake have been loyal servants and protectors to the Dillestone line for generations, but have also borne the brunt of their sufferings and have remained in their shadow. Countless Oake knights have given their lives in service of Dillestone’s rule. Is this the time they step out to seize their due? Can they be swayed away from their generational loyalty to House Dillestone by another faction?A House of knights, bodyguards, counselors and generals, steadfast to several generations of Dillestone rule. But loyalty has its price, paid in blood upon the battlefield time and time again as Oake lives up to their ancient creed: Our Shield, Unbroken. It is said that were it not for the wars fought in Dillestone's name, House Oake would have rapidly overtaken them in might and grandeur. Instead, the fields have been watered with the blood of countless heirs of Oake, pains they have borne with sternfaced resolution. They helped put Dillestone on the throne, wresting it away from the tyranny of King Robern of House Sandoreale , and have been their staunchest allies ever since.
But what if they could have been more?
Today, the armies of House Oake are among the finest in the land, well-disciplined and well-tested. They are the mailed fist and sharpened sword of the King, and there is no challenge they have not answered and no call they have not heeded. But while the house of Oake stands vigilant, the Heartland begins to wither under Dillestone mismanagement brought on by an infirm king, drowning in grief and drink. Their line of succession is in doubt, and no viable candidates seem ready to step up and assume the mantle. With the addition of this bastard babe Mair Dillestone into the picture, there's little doubt that the surviving Dillestones will fall to bickering and strife until, surely enough, one of them draws steel.
The Kingdom stands on a precipice... and after so many years clenching a shield in the name of the King, shouldn't House Oake reach for the crown, if only to protect it from Dillestone ruin?
Military
House Oake's military tradition is a point of pride, and many of their commanders train at the revered War College situated in the Barony of Troth .
Chief among House Oake's elite is the Crownwall, a loyal, disciplined and reliable honour guard. Many members of the Crownwall have served as personal bodyguards for the King or Queen of Banteave in ages past. Their reputation as vigilant wardens is well known, though of late King Eadvard III has elected to supply his own personal guard, which has been received by the Crownwall as a bit of a snub.
But the Crownwall are not the only well-laurelled company under Oake's banner. The Red Hound, a veteran company of pikemen, found themselves on the front lines during the Tambar Rebellion. Though their numbers are greatly diminished, their valour in combat remains unsullied.
Equally depleted during the Rebellion was The Heralds of Orim, a unit of heavy horse now stands leaderless after the loss of Lowenna Benett Oake . Several captains from outside the company have offered to take her place, but all have been spurned. After her death, the Heralds all wore the mourning black for five seasons.
Hailing from the Backbone of Banteave, House Oake can also call upon The Grey Deer, a unit of scouts and rangers who have safeguarded their kingdom from the ravages of the Ostamber. Specializing in hit-and-run tactics and unconventional warfare, members of the Deer have often gone for weeks without official command after being loosed upon the enemy, operating in near silence as they whittle down their targets one man at a time.
While House Oake can call upon the manors within their domain to provide them with mustered levies, it is their archers that receive the most acclaim. The Company of the Half Moon are capable of magnificent feats of archery, each wielding a war-bow made specifically for the wielder. During midsummer festivals, contests of marksmanship are almost always won by any of the Half-Moon archers that happen to be in attendance.
Our Shield Unbroken
Founding Date
1174
Type
Geopolitical, Great house
Family Leader
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Allied
Peace
Friendly
Longstanding neighbours separated by the Fossian river, Oake and Ildrafn are joined by the famed bridges connecting their two holdings and years of cooperation on either side of the river.
By association alone with Dillestone, Oake remains in the good graces of the Church of the Six Saints. However, there are whispers that the Cult of Resshe has taken root among House Oake, which gives the Church cause for concern.
Peace
Peace
Thinly-veiled disdain between the two houses. Oake fought alongside Dillestone during the Usurpation War a hundred years ago, and was instrumental in Dillestone's victory. Sandoreale respects them and their battlefield prowess, even though the old wounds still run deep.
