Zhu'Drahinuaw

Type

Noble Bloodline, Political, Secretive

Leader

Controlled by a handful of Shpachhad that run the family almost democratically.

LAZ

ZHU DRAHINUAW --- What is a Laz?
Everyone in the family has the full, formal name tattooed around their wrist like a bracelet, in all blocked caps. Anywhere else and it is assumed you are a spy, infiltrator, etc and such people disappear.

Mark

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

Animal

This is a reflection of an earlier time period when the royal families were represented by not only colors, but their Marks and animal symbols.

Spider

Founding Date

1250

Drahinuaw was formed during the Reconstruction - they are the only noble bloodline of a counter culture that was nearly wiped out.

Colors

Territory

Drahinuaw Shpachhad own expensive, elaborate estates in the largest cities with advanced security. Otherwise, pockets of Drahinuaw are dotted across the planet.

Motto

Everyone guesses. When they're wrong, don't bother correcting them.

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

Time to roll the dice, you know I'm the type
Type to risk my life, not afraid to die
Type to make you cry, type to put a price
all up on your head, do just what I said
I'm a straight up villain

In control
That's how I like it and I'm never letting go
Never had a soul
So you ain't taking nothing from me when you go

This world yearns for the simple base pleasures of forgotten life
Where every want or need leaves a record and a price
And so inside my kingdom of bits and bytes, the data flows in like a million lights
And I know what they're willing to sacrifice
I can corrupt, manipulate, control what you see
I am the instigator of your future technology
I know your vices and desires, but won't fix 'em for free
No apprehension, pay attention, keep your Eyes On Me

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

Appearance

Drahinuaw are gray skinned and red eyed, if they are 'full blooded'. These physical traits are desirable in the family, important but not THE most important. Skill will always trump appearance.

Their family name is tattooed as a bracelet around their left wrists and they are one of the few families that do not have an official Zi. Otherwise, there are two 'dress styles' for Drahinuaw. Shpatya, or the hackers, assassins, rogues, thieves, etc dress in full body layers so the only thing you ever really see of them are their red eyes. It's about concealing their identity, leaving no trace wherever they've been - so even if you see them and can guess they're from Drahinuaw, there are no distinguishing features to begin to point a finger at any one member. Shpatya are the ones who tend toward elaborate make up around their eyes in more 'casual' setting around their peers - when they want to stand out a little. Heavy eye shadow and eye liner is prominent amongst them.

Then, there are the Shpachhad - the faces of the family. Well dressed, charismatic, suave. These Drahinuaw are the voice and face of the family. They display hints of wealth such as expensive tech or flashy expensive pieces or jewelry or property from other families - usually depending on who they're going to meet and what they want to impress upon their guest. While they have very similar training to Shpatya, they are the chess masters who move pieces on a board, know more secrets than anyone else, and are the only ones who can even play on the same field as the Shpazh family.

About

Drahinuaw make it their business to know things. Secrets, trade, who knows who, who is messing around with who, and play the other families against one another - they've turned it all into a profitable business. Most of the time, when someone is hiring a hitman or a thief, they don't know they're hiring someone from Drahinuaw… There isn't a server on the planet that is safe from them, a bank they can't get into, or a system they haven't played around in. They don't count their wealth in coin or precious metals, though the family does well for itself, but rather measure their wealth in the amount of blackmail, secrets, and systems they have access to. Information is their power.

Despite being one of the smaller families, Drahinuaw's high rank isn't disputed. They have only a handful of small Fa families scattered around the countries - no one knows who they are - and no one knows where any of their workrooms or guild halls are. They operate in the shadows of nearly every major city and keep all their Fa families off records.

Drahinuaw Shpachhad own expensive, elaborate estates in the largest cities with advanced security that doesn't ever appear to have guests - but there are always comings and goings via hidden access tunnels and backdoors.

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

Public Agenda

To the public, the Drahinuaw might as well not exist. They are not a known noble family that runs circuits in gossip news, they don't use the Vyouz for any sort of propaganda, and they tend to keep to themselves even amongst the higher class. There is a vast network of companies, factories, research warehouses, and offices that work for Drahinuaw and don't know it - IT professionals who have been trained by Drahinuaw, who work for them, and have no idea that they're being used by a noble family.

There is a sort of cyberspace underground that talk about the Drahinuaw like children talk about the boogeyman. Wild stories talk about hackers who enter systems and take it all effortlessly, those who create code that consume entire networks and shut down systems... When something seems too good to be true, too advanced, or too over the top, those in the know like to chalk it up to the Drahinuaw phantoms that live online; like ghosts that haunt a house.

Drahinuaw's agenda, though not public knowledge, is all about information control. They laid the ground work for the internet infrastructure that exists across the planet and enabled the easy mass production of chips, cards, and motherboards. They're the pioneers when it comes to technology. Rather than hoard it as many other nobles have with their intellectual property, Drahinuaw cast it out to the world with the determination that they would always be the master of it. They deal in secrets, hacks, and technology. None of the nobility know how to actually contact anyone from Drahinuaw - they simply let it be known they're looking for someone through the internet and, if Drahinuaw cares, they'll get in contact. This makes them exceedingly frustrating to deal with but invaluable as information brokers since the nobles like to keep tabs on one another. When it comes to digitized information, Drahinuaw has a monopoly. Something they guard viciously.

Organization Structure

Shpachhad

The 'head' or boss of the estate. They carry the Drahinuaw name though they don't generally use it publicly. Most nobility know to use them to contact Drahinuaw in some way though aren't aware they might be speaking to Drahinuaw in doing so. There are only six - this number can and has fluctuated - but it does so infrequently. Though Shpachhad work together, they largely operate independently. Unlike their Shpatya counterpart, the Shpachhad's name and face are generally easily recognizable. Whether it is because of who they are as a Shpachhad or because of their public front, the Shpachhad isn't someone meant to hide away.

Hya-Hyum

Under-boss to the Shpachhad, a right-hand and trusted advisor. Roughly means 'iron plan', referring to the power that is meant to back the Hya-Hyum and the strength they are meant to bring to both the position and the Shpachhad. They are generally the ones to be feared while the Shpachhad keeps their hands clean. The Hya-Hyum is frequently appointed by the Shpachhad when they claim the title and retain it until they are retired or moved to a different rank / title. Formally addressed as Hya-[name]. In the proper Naming Conventions, their name will read [ blood relation ]'Shra-[grade] Hya-[name] [lastname]. EX: Shpou'Shra-Lo Hya-Dynatorodech Zhu'Drahinuaw.

Sa-Hyum

Advisor adjacent to the Hya-Hyum though usually not as favored. They are still trusted and generally highly educated, able to navigate the complicated and complex bureaucratic web the nobility and upper-class live in. Be it law or politics, Sa-Hyum are unrivaled in their competency in the Drahinuaw. They can hold their own in a Blemang courtroom.

Oudaza

The homemakers and non-combatants of the Shpachhad estate. Support staff who are 'in the know' or trusted family. They frequently take precedent and often outrank everyone by nature of their 'caretaker' status.

Shkays

Refers to the quality of trained soldiers in a Shpachhad family. Denoting them as the work-force. Separate from the Oudaza, responsible for the safety of the family and the people in it. This tends to be the vast majority of the 'of age' vnou in a Shpachhad family if they are not Oudaza.

Kath

Roughly refers to an untrained dog in unkind slang. These are those in training, usually shadowing Shkays to learn the ins and outs of the organization and family. The younger family members will 'graduate' into either Kath or Oudaza.

Shpatya

Though they are technically ranked below a Shpachhad and have no household of their own, Shpatya are the masters that manage the more targeted, destructive forces of the Drahinuaw family. They tend to be unassuming loners, drifting in and out places as they will. Frequently referred to as Shpatya [name] or just [name]'ya. The 'ya is a slang way of referring to Shpatya without actually saying their title - giving them respect or notoriety without actually calling them out as what they are.

Shni

Refers to a cultivated synthetic Drahinuaw poison and the highly trained thieves that work under a Shpatya. Like their Master, Shni tend to operate on their own or in pairs and don't generally recognize any other authority.

Jhah

Refers to a talented and protected hacker under a Shpatya. They are usually sequestered somewhere where they are watched and looked after, sometimes without their knowledge, and take jobs exclusively from the Shpatya. They don't always know that they're associated with Drahinuaw but they know they're in something deep, for life.

Nuus

It takes a special kind of vnou to be a killer. Nuus are the very rare few who are capable and trained assassins. Shpatya are frequently 'elevated' from this class when the former is ready to retire. It is not uncommon for a Nuus to be the one to retire their Shpatya at the behest of another, often referred to a simple change of order.

Fa Families

As a family of secrecy and technology, they are relatively small and made up of branches called Shpachhad. Some of these Shpachhad could be considered Fa, though they likely don't know they are. Some don't even know they're working for Drahinuaw. It's just a gang, an organization, a front, a business. Drahinuaw is a name people know as the leaders in technological development, as innovators and creators, not as hackers, blackmailers, and traders of secrets. They thrive in the shadows and keeping things as hush hush as possible. This means that not even the other nobility really know how many Drahinuaw there are or how the family is really doing. If they have Fa or who they might be. While Drahinuaw has records archived like any other family, they aren't available for perusal of just anyone and it's nigh impossible to find anything about them or their Fa online. Most don't want anything to do with them until they want their services for something.

No one knows they're marrying into Drahinuaw until they've Connected or it's happening. Then it's a process, there are protocols, and their lives are rewritten and adjusted to fit whatever narrative Drahinuaw needs. Like most nobility, they tend to prefer candidates out of Fa. Unlike other nobility, this doesn't exactly mean a smooth transition since their Fa can be ignorant to their existence.

Drahinuaw is also one of the few that will pick up common vnou based purely on looks, as their appearance is one of the few unique ones. With darker skin and red eyes, these physical features are desirable traits to maintain in their family.

Geopolitical

Industry

by SanctifiedSavage via Midjourney

The Drahinuaw name is known for the innovation and invention of the computer, networking, and the internet. This accreditation has aged somewhat as the world has moved into the modern, technological era and so the Drahinuaw name isn’t exactly a home brand or wildly known name. It’s the sort that is studied it textbooks and forgotten or seen stamped on the side of packaging but shrugged off as some corporate trademark that doesn’t mean anything to the population at large. It’s one name in a world of names that’s more or less meaningless except to the few in the know, and even those are more apt to point to the historical importance of the name and not the geopolitical power behind it.

Drahinuaw, in some form or fashion, has their hand in almost every computer manufacturing plant. Either through Fa, ancillary companies, or manipulation of records to connect to shell corporations, Drahinuaw maintains a monopoly on technological hardware and software.

Foreign Relations

Every bloodline's main focus is to take care of their people and their assets. In this, Drahinuaw is no different. What makes them one of the outliers of the powerful bloodlines is that they are extremely secretive. They don't crave the recognition, spotlight, or notoriety of the other nobility. What Drahinuaw wants is their secrets. This makes dealing with them both imperative, as it's assumed other families are likewise utilizing them, but also incredibly frustrating. Drahinuaw isn't beholden to the same sort of public scrutiny or social pressures the other families are nor do they work with Vyouz on any sort of propaganda campaign. It isn't too much of a stretch to say they exist a step outside the law. The only thing that keeps Drahinuaw from being able to alter information entirely and manipulate records to suit them is the vnou's base bureaucratic nature. Everything is not only filed electronically but done via physical copies and stored at the Library of Archived Records and its offices scattered across the planet.

When it comes to the Library, Drahinuaw is both one of its best protectors and one of its greatest threats. Like the rest of the planet, the Library of Records uses technology developed by and often maintained by Drahinuaw or their Fa. While the Library staff are supposed to be removed from any familial attachments, that doesn't prevent the nobility from wanting to put in their own safe guards. No one trusts any one else which is why their bureaucracy can be so complicated and convoluted, instituting layers of checks and requiring verified chains-of-custody. There are entire branches of noble families that dedicate themselves to learning the nuances of the vnou law to navigate this field and the Drahinuaw are no different. While they do have an upper hand in that they are the creators of the machines and technology used, they are hardly the only ones who know how to use it, and no matter how they might edit a digital file, the paper records filed will always supersede the digital ones.

All of this makes Drahinuaw seem like a necessary evil to the vast majority of the nobility. The only reason that they hold the power they do is because of their advancement regarding the technology they both created and use - which means they are very zealous in keeping their place as the best in terms of their field of expertise. They might be willing to teach the vast populous of vnou how to use the things they've created but no Drahinuaw is teaching coding or how to navigate complicated networks. While they have certainly monopolized this market, they are not the only ones. There will always be outliers or specialists in the other noble bloodlines.

Ethics & Intrigue

While all of the nobility play in the political intrigue of the upper class unbeknowst to the common vnou, there are very few families that take the darker edge to the game. Murder is extremely rare amongst the nobility - the preservation and protection of the bloodline is seen paramount. There is nothing more important to the noble bloodlines than that. The death of a noble is a big deal to them. Not just because it's a loss of a life, which should be enough, but because of the implications and ripple effect that death might cause. Nevermind the paperwork. It doesn't just upset the status quo, but it can cause large shifts in land and corporate ownership, messy inheritance disputes that can last literal decades, and wreck chaos in entire branches of families that can be extremely difficult to settle. Most nobility would much rather embarass, insult, steal, and ruin other nobility than kill them. That process is usually cleaner than murder or assassination.

All of that being said, Drahinuaw is one of the few families that deal in death - the other loosely associated with violence are Pra'Stazrach, Zhu'Thlach, Pra'Oisvas, and Sid'Chiengie. Drahinuaw is happy to take contracts with anyone assuming they can pay. Their assassins aren't cheap. Their clients tend to be those wealthy, upper class vnou who have no clue about the actual role of the nobility. The sort that believe they are at the top of society.

Nothing is beyond Drahinuaw. No law, no moral. Anything is permitted in the name of the family. The most important thing in the family is not to get caught. If anyone is compromised in such a way, Drahinuaw is quick to cut connections and erase any presence of that person. They become a new target for the family and its considerable power until every trace of them is deleted.

History

Long before the Reconstruction, during the developmental era of the vnou civilization, there was more segretation and variation in their cultures. Drahinuaw is an echo of one of those long dead cultures, now only preserved in their gray skin and red eyes. Much of the planet has been homogenized during the period of conflict before the Reconstruction and certainly more so after the fact. Drahinuaw's culture was nearly wiped out during the conflict and, in the aftermath of the Reconstruction, their one remaining Zmutwe managed to secure the name amongst the newly established nobility.

The aftermath of the Reconstruction, however, saw much of the planet unified under that insular rule so they could no longer remain separate or segregated. Generations - some 1800 years - of intermingling amonst the rest of the vnou has muddied their coloration a fair bit but the gray skin and red eyes is still very much a desirable Drahinuaw family trait. It crops up in the populace now and then and the Drahinuaw do their best to fold such physical characteristics into their family. At this point, so long after their integration into the nobility, most Drahinuaw don't know why they tend to look different or whyt it matters, only that it does. It's one of the very few family traits that survived the integration while nearly everything else that might've set them apart from the rest of the vnou was folded into the culture as a whole - just like everything from any of the other noble families. Part of the Reconstruction was the destruction of the individual territories and amplified the nobility's control and scope to the entire planet. Drahinuaw no longer had the luxury of remaining separate on a cultural level.