House Varundom
The War of the Stripes
Stirring the Pot
During the Age of Order, the wasps, bees, and bumbles lived under their respective royal houses, Varundom, Zenith, and Amrita. Under the guidance of Aurius, these fledgling nations flourished with mutual peace. However, the Age of Chaos began, and the gods withdrew, leaving the early nations devoid of guidance. Unsure what to make of his disappearance, the Zenith called for an alliance that would combine the three nations, citing their Gift of Order allowed them this power. Pressed against the Celestia Peaks and squished between the other two nations, the wasps’ noble houses felt threatened, unwilling to give up their independence.
It was here that the leading royal house of Varundom devised a smear campaign to worsen the Amrita’s view of the Zenith, sowing lies of the Zenith’s intentions. The other noble wasp houses readied for war in secrecy, mobilizing forces and drafting the peasantry. This way, once the Amrita were convinced the Zenith’s intentions were foul, they would join the wasps against the Zenith, and place the wasps’ royal houses in power.
All hell breaks loose
With hostilities between the vespoid powers rising, the Amrita and Zenith scrambled to pull together forces for protection in the coming fight. Seeking to de-escalate the tension, the Zenith leaders called for a peaceful meeting where all three nations’ borders met. On a spring day in 28 AC, the nation's figureheads convened to discuss intentions, the Zenith attempted to give their proposal, a unification process for all three nations.
However, using their work on the smear campaign, the wasps countered their points and expertly painted them as villains. Constantly being goaded, a Zenith official snapped, and threw a punch at the wasps' leader. Fighting began to break out. The Amrita attempted to quell the fist fight, but soon the situation spun out of control. War broke out in earnest, with soldiers and peasants alike being thrown into the sudden conflict. The Zenith and Amrita were unprepared, struggling to mount a defensive to the Varundom army ready for this moment. The War of Stripes had begun.
Amidst the Chaos
Unwilling to choose a side within the conflict, the Amrita were strictly defending themselves against attacks. The wasps encouraged them to act, citing their cunning story of Zenith tyranny as reason enough to enter the conflict offensively. However, House Varundom did not expect for this lie to crumble at the hands of their own. Many of the peasants drafted into the conflict already disdained House Varundom prior to the war, because of how little they cared about their people’s conditions. Now thrust into the heart of the conflict, these peasants learned the nature of House Varundom’s lies.
The peasants were to be disguised as Zenith troops, and attack the Amrita defenses to bring the Amrita into the offense. Refusing to take part in such heinous tactics, the peasants instead surrendered themselves to the Amrita, and explained their mission. Enraged by such foul subterfuge, the Amrita forces slammed into the backside of the wasps forces, sending the wasp defectors to the Zenith to explain the truth once more. From here, the tide of the war changed.
Banishment
After the grueling war came to a close, the royal wasp houses were destroyed, with House Varundom being the sole survivor. Backed into a corner, House Varundom sent their civilians through a mountain pass in the Celestia Peaks, hoping to escape. The combined forces of the Zenith and Amrita fell upon their old capital and saw their escape. It was here that the Zenith showed their nobility, and granted the wasp people mercy. Instead of completely destroying their nation, the Zenith allowed the wasp nobility to flee, showing the honor and mercy Aurius had chosen them for. Through the Celestia Peaks, the remaining wasps would stumble into the Amber Fallow. With nowhere else to go, the wasps were forced to adapt to the harsh conditions of the region, leaving hundreds dead.
A Mask of Lies
House Varundom would do little in the way of adapting to life in the Amber Fallow, instead attempting to subsist off of old traditions from the Zenith Valley. It wasn’t until Lefairshon Varundom united them and his Leaf Group that the house was finally given a new purpose. Creating The Black Leaf Guild in 34 AC, Lefairshon would task the royal house with masking the guilds operations and managing their political relations. Once the united factions had properly established themselves by 100 AC, House Varundom sent out agents to officially reenter the political scene of Varzzen. Their first interaction was with Auroma, and despite their past differences, the two nations made a proper agreement. Centuries later, this official recognition from Auroma would cause House Varundom to be called into The Royal Hexagon Alliance, where they represented the interests of the Black Leaf Guild.
Working symbiotically with the Black Leaf Guild, the Stems of the Guild are often within Varundom Hall, communicating their actions to the present nobles to publicize. It is here that the actions of the Guild are instead masked as the hard efforts of House Varundom, raising their public opinion. High ranking Guild members and Varundom nobles have little difference in uniform, allowing members of either group to tell the difference but keeping the public unaware. To this end, House Varundom is believed to be the sole authority within Sapperville and the Amber Fallow, with the Black Leaf being used for more dirty and dangerous work. This became apparent during the formation of the Royal Hexagon, where House Varundom took center stage, with the Black Leaf guild master disguised as the role of advisor. This dynamic has only developed over the centuries, with the Guild focusing on material efforts, and Varundom mastering the art of political intrigue and diplomacy.
The Varundom family carefully trains their progeny in these arts, and also exposes them to the workings of the Guild. Potential candidates are selected to be either Guild members or Varundom politicians, depending on where their passion and talent lies. These youthful prodigies have brought forth many improvements to the Guild’s workings and campaigns for Varundom publicity. In recent times, at 20 NA, one such idea was enacted, and House Varundom launched a fake campaign against the Black Leaf Guild and its criminal activities. This campaign was considered a success, with most residents and travelers believing the reduction in Guild activity, increasing the influx of travelers and boosting the local economy. Meanwhile, the Guild acted in tandem with this campaign by outfitting more of their agents as Varundom guards or officials, and tightened their shifts to reduce public exposure. Thanks to the efforts of House Varundom, the Guild has more room to operate, without curious and questioning citizens getting in the way.
Sting Tongues Type
Geopolitical, Great House, Ladyship/Lordship Population/Inhabitants
90% Vespoids (80% Wasp, 10% Bumble, 10% Bee), 10% mixed race. Demonym
Varun Government System
Monarchy Official State Religion
The Order Pantheon Dates Active
- Founded in the Age of Order, active until exile in 32AC
- Officially reinstated 360 AC - today
Sapperville, Varundom Hall Notable Members
Queen Valta Varundom, Vasha the Gentle Sting, Lefairshon Varundom
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