House Aknelith

Crest: Cross with Black Spot

What could be seen as one of the strongest houses, House Akneltih maintains influence over many of the Houses of Mashangist. While some cities may boast champions or archmages that have been placed upon thrones by positions of authority, House Aknelith is a patronless house. Their power comes from the arcane rites and binding power of their own discovery. During the destruction of Mashangist, House Dar'den was assumed to be responsible for the manufacture of horrific weapons and essence harvesting devices. The truth is that House Aknelith was the originators of the innovation. The alchemy and incantations blended together to create a device that could take a living essence and convert that to a concertrated power. While House Aknelith faced a similar destruction to House Dar'den, most of their people knew what ws to come. They hid themselves within the commonwealth and shelters beyond the city. Since the destruction of House Dar'den was absolute, none recall the true role of House Aknelith.

Structure

The House Lord presides over the service of the house. Beneath the House Lord is the House Halflord. The Halflord oversees the administration of the House Adjuncts. The House Adjuncts must be paid by the House Lord in which they are serving, but are hired by other houses. The sole-purpose of a House Adjunct is to take notes and report to their hiring house. A house adjunct serves to make record of the actions and meetings within each house. While a house may elect not to have a House Adjunct serving within other houses, they must have a certain number House Adjunct present at the House of the Lords at any given time. This is to ensure the transmission of notes and summons to the House Lord at any given time. The number of House Adjuncts required has changed as Mashangist has grown, currently requiring three House Adjuncts. Beneath the Halflord is the Butler. These fulfill the requirements of the the House Lord to the House of Lord.
Within House Aknelith a Seer falls under the House Lord. The Seer is council to the House Lord. Beneath the Seer are the Masters. The Masters of House Aknelith are the alchemists and arcanists that administer to the apprentices. While the number of Masters and Apprentices change from time to time, there are around twelve masters within House Aknelith. Under each master are a number of apprentices that range in number from one to more than fifty.
Reporting to the House Lord is the Bursar. The Bursar manages the collection of funds to the House. The Bursar employs a treasurer that secures the funds. It is also the responsibility of the treasurer to manage the relics and artifacts within House Aknelith. The Bursar also employs the House Guard. The House Guard is more superficial as House Aknelith utilizes secrecy more than force to protect itself.
While many note that the structure of House Aknelith is far less bureaucratic than the other Houses, House Aknelith is far more rigid in their adminstration. Set upon a foundation of secret things, House Aknelith demands exactness and devotion. They are a course and unrelenting house.

Culture

House Aknelith carries an air of superiority. The House Lord, Shalhe Aknelith, speaks in short clear ways. Her responses answer the question asked and no more. Outside of House of the Lords, Shalhe shuts herself within the walls of her House. There, she demands constant work. With the help of the Seer, Shalhe pursues deeper arcane insight into true power. Firmly believing that the form of their creation is imperfect, House Aknelith pursues modification and ascension. All of House Aknelith must refrain from discussing their intentions. Many within the house are given tasks that subvert their true designs, exploring alchemies impacts on preventing disease, improving crops, or even the flavor of foods.
But the facade is not as believed and this is well-known. House Aknelith has been called on many times by the House of the Lords using reports from the House Adjuncts. Each house holds a House Adjunct within House Aknelith, much to Shalhe's distain. Occasionally, words will be foolishly spoken, causing a stir. As House Aknelith was associated with the Nostarian (though within Mashangist, the name of this device is forgotten), they are highly scrutinized. Thus, House Aknelith has created workshops beyond the eyes of the House of Lords. These are dark places where a privileged few have been told.

Public Agenda

House Aknelith seeks to ascend themselves to a glorious stature. While associated in the past with the Nostarian, the creation of that device was to fuel something much more grandiose. The alchemical process of refinement requires essence to excite the elements within the subject. Without that essence, material cannot be transformed. While some minerals appear to be of higher order than that which makes up the form of the Ashun, these are not easily integrated into the body. House Aknelith has found that these minerals require large stores of essence to reorder into the Ashun body and reach apotheosis. Thus, essence must be acquired. However, House Aknelith no longer has the Nostarian or House Dar'den to manufacture it. Thus, they must resolve to traditional methods of rites and incantation to transfer the essence.

Type

Government, Leadership