Arborean, House Illynor
History
House Illynor has ancient roots and gained its power through a combination of commercial prowess, extortion and political manipulation. The Illynor's have always been the engines of trade in the realm of Arborea, their preeminence never questioned until recently; when House Flori opened for trade with the Merchant League. Before then, the political and economic power of the Illynor family has always prevented any merchant from accessing the kingdom of Arborea, carrying out all commercial negotiations on the borders of the kingdom, in trading points managed exclusively by the Illynor family.
Structure
The High Priest is the supreme head of the house and holds absolute power over all members. He is chosen by the oldest and more ruthless members of the house and is responsible for setting the direction of the organization.
Priests are the intermediaries between the High Priest and the other members of the house. They have the task of interpreting the will of the High Priest and spreading it among the members. They are also responsible for running religious ceremonies and training new members.
Executors are the armed force of the house. They are trained in combat and assassination techniques and act as the right hand of the Priests, carrying out the most delicate and risky operations.
Councilors are the oldest and wisest members of the house. They are tasked with assisting the High Priest in shaping the strategy and politics of the house and guiding the Priests and Executors in their missions.
The Indebted are those who have borrowed money from the family and have not been able to repay it. They are forced to work for the family as slaves and to perform the most menial jobs.
Servitors are undead created through a complex ritual that reanimates the corpses of debtors and poor people. They are used as cheap labor and as troops when needed.
As far as training and recruitment methods are concerned, Illynor has a very selective and secretive selection process. Candidates are identified through a network of contacts and are subjected to various tests of ability and loyalty. Only those who pass all tests are admitted into the congregation as Indebted and undergo intense religious and military training. Only the best of these can aspire to become Priests or Executors.
Beliefs
House Illynor believes that wealth is power and that faith begets wealth. Their philosophy is based on the belief that the gods favor those with money and that wealth is the key to accessing all the world's goods, from political power to personal happiness. Because of this, the Illynor are often seen as greedy and corrupt.
Furthermore, House Illynor believes that guilt is the basis of faith. They believe that guilt is the feeling that drives people to seek redemption, and therefore to seek faith. In this way, House Illynor often manipulates people in trouble or debt into becoming members of their congregation in exchange for financial help. This manipulation can often lead to heavy dependence on the part of those involved, as House Illynor profits from their weaknesses and addictions.
Obviously these heresies and nonsense have not gone unnoticed by the deities, in fact no member of the House receives spells from a cleric or druid. To maintain this façade, many of them study wizard or sorcerer spells.
Business Activities
House Illynor's businesses are often tied to their criminal activity, as they often use their legitimate businesses to cover up their illegal activities. For example, House Illynor owns a chain of banks that serve only as a front for money laundering or for lending money at exorbitant rates to those who cannot afford to pay.
House Illynor often has conflicts with other houses due to their unfair trade practices and beliefs. However, they are also able to form alliances with other houses when it serves their financial interests. In general, other houses see them as a negative force within the Kingdom of Arborea, but are rarely willing to risk their prosperity to go head-to-head with them.
Organizational Structure
House Illynor is divided into several sub-organizations, each specializing in a specific type of criminal or commercial activity. For example, there is a section dedicated to scams, a section dedicated to the sale of slaves, a section dedicated to usury, etc. Each section has its own leader, who reports directly to the head of the House.
Secrets
Illynor House is a very closed and secretive organization, and many of the illegal or immoral activities they engage in are not known outside the House. Many people might be interested in what secrets they may be hiding behind the walls of their headquarters, and how those secrets are being used to manipulate the powerful of the Kingdom.
Relations with Other Houses
House Illynor has complex relationships with other houses, consisting of both alliances and conflicts. Some houses have a dependent relationship with Illynor House, having taken out loans from them in the past and are now indebted to them. It is likely that some houses, such as the Suntravellers, have discovered the criminal activities of Illynor House and are trying to use it against them.
House Shadowsword is engaged in an underground war with House Illynor for control of the illicit activities in the Kingdom of Arborea. As both houses rely on secrecy, manipulation and underhandedness, they are a great threat to each other. House Illynor is currently the dominant house in this type of illicit activity, but House Shadowsword is proving to be a very dangerous rival, capable of stealing customers and profits from their businesses.
Shadowy Plots
They have a specific division dedicated to espionage and assassination operations. This division is led by a group of highly trained and trusted agents, who work closely with the House leadership.
Agents are recruited with great care, selecting only those who demonstrate the skills, dedication, and ruthlessness required to perform such duties. Additionally, they undergo rigorous training, which includes infiltration, intelligence gathering, and assassination techniques.
The Illynor House's espionage activities involve the creation of a vast network of informants working across the kingdom, often infiltrating rival organizations to obtain valuable information about their affairs and plans. This information is then used to make business decisions or to plan sabotage operations against rivals.
The assassination activities are equally professionally organized and managed. Agents are trained in the use of a wide variety of weapons and assassination techniques, and are highly skilled at infiltrating their targets' locations. Targets are selected based on the threat they pose to the house or the revenue opportunities they might offer.
House Illynor espionage and assassination operation is handled very discreetly, with the agents acting undercover and using secure communication techniques. Furthermore, the house has a very strict internal security system, to prevent sensitive information from being compromised.
In interactions with other houses, House Illynor often portrays itself as a strongly religious house, abiding laws and regulations, but behind the scenes it continues to use its operations of espionage and assassination to maintain control over the commercial activities of the kingdom. This behavior often creates tensions with other houses, who suspect that Illynor House is not as honest as it makes out.
Ties to Magic
Within Illynor House, magic is seen as a powerful tool for attaining power and wealth. Many of the members of the House consider themselves practitioners of magic, even if not all are endowed with the same ability. All members, even those of low rank, are capable of casting small spells, while high-ranking members have higher-level magical skills.
Priests of Illynor House are typically the only members of the House who actively practice magic. They use spells to manipulate creditors, debtors, and other enemies of the House. They often use mind control spells to get their debtors to do as they please and protection spells to ensure their premises are safe.
Some House members have different views on magic. This dissident group believes that magic should only be used as a last resort or that using magic to cover up their lack of faith is morally reprehensible. However, these members are clearly outnumbered within the House and when discovered are excluded from the House's circle of power if not purged to silence dissenting voices.
Either way, magic is seen as a powerful and necessary tool for House Illynor. They are willing to do anything to protect and maintain their power, even if it means using magic in immoral or dangerous ways.
Structure
House Illynor, is lead by Count Eldaernth (Age 482, Power 29) of House Illynor, son of Lord Ilbryn, whose children are Orym (225), Tasar (183), Seiveril (114), Aubric (75), Siirist (56), Laamtora (25)
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