The Old Blood Houses

Structure

The Old Bloods were founded by the eight Companions of the Highlander King and himself, and from there they established a feudal reign with lesser Houses, Knights, and Knightly Orders sworn to them. Human and other Humankind races took precedence over the Dwellers and Beastfolk races, but they too had a place under this feudal system.

Culture

The Old Bloods put honor first before anything, it was a source of pride and duty thus it gave form to a sense of chivalry. If things could not be resolved peacefully through coin and negotiations then there were occasional bouts of combat and death between fiefdoms for territory, money, resources, and power. But in the end the always deferred the final judgement to their King and House Highlander, though House Highlander preferred to let the other Houses sort things out themselves. The only time it interfere was when more than three Houses were involved at a time in a dispute.

Public Agenda

Their whole purpose was to preserve and protect the Kingdom of Man from threats both foreign and domestic, to keep out the Elves and to keep it from collapsing from its own weight. In the end they failed at the hands of the Holy Order of the Light and the New Bloods.

Assets

Each House of the Old Bloods had their own assets in the form of men, crops, land, and gold. In addition they each had their own fortresses and keeps spread throughout the Freelands within their territories, most of which were sacked and burned to the ground during the Great Rebellion. Their locations were lost and forgotten to time.

History

King Highlander, his eight Companions from the Great Revolution, and their descendants make up the Old Blood families in the Freelands. They are the founders of the old Kingdom of Man, but they and their kin have been lost to time due to the Great Rebellion lead by the Holy Order of the Light and the New Blood families.

Disbandment

With the Great Rebellion at the hands of the treacherous New Blood's Warforged army and the Templars of the Holy Order of the Light, the era of the Kingdom of Man and the Old Bloods came to an end.

Demography and Population

The Old Bloods and their Highlander King, along with the latter day New Bloods, sat at the top of society and ruled over them. It is fair to say roughly 10% of the population could of consider themselves part of if not indirectly related to the Houses of the Old Bloods in some way or another. Though the total population of Freelands pushes towards the hundreds of thousands, including the other races living within it.

Territories

The Shoal, Riverlands, Vale, Reach, Hinterlands, Eastlands, and the Rock all fell under the domain of the Freelands and by extension the Old Bloods as well under the Kingdom of Man.

Military

The Old Blood's military was astoundingly large and well equipped, ranging from Knightly Orders of infantries to cavaliers of both the land and air to great naval forces of the sea. But these once great armies were treaded underfoot by the machine hearts and minds of the New Blood's Warforged army and the Templars of the Holy Order of the Light.

Technological Level

When the New Bloods joined the Old Bloods as nobility, the level of technology skyrocketed throughout the Freelands. New forms of Alchemy, Artillery, Golems, and more spread throughout and took prominence. The New Bloods helped launch the Old Bloods, the Kingdom of Man, and the Freelands into an era of industry and growth... until they betrayed them in the Great Rebellion.

Religion

The Codex Stella and the original Holy Order were founded by Lucien Highlander, the young prince and second son of the first Highlander King, who later went on to be Father Lucien I and the first Hierophant of the Holy Order. As such, as a whole the Old Bloods worshipped the Nine Deities though some had favored deities.

Foreign Relations

Their relationship with Avalon was virtually nonexistant, a policy that has stood the test of time even after the fall of the Old Bloods and the Kingdom of Man.

Agriculture & Industry

Almost all the Old Bloods held control over some form of farmland and merchants guild of some sort. True agriculture was in its heaviest and richest in the Reach but all the regions and territories throughout the Freelands held a modicum if not impressive farmland. In addition the four latter day noble houses, the New Bloods, were also from the Reach initially and were born from the industry found there and the development of artifice magical practices.

Trade & Transport

Business was stellar through out the Freelands in regards to trade and transport during the height of the Kingdom of man and the control of the Old Bloods. The waterways and roadways were secure and safe passage almost anywhere was almost assured so long as travelers and adventurers kept to the predetermined routes, there were occasional monster or raider attacks for those off the beaten path. Even after the fall of the Kingdom of Man, the King's Road despite being in disrepair is still considered the most secure if not obvious route to get anywhere.

Education

During the height of the Kingdom of Man and the Old Blood's power, formal school systems were set up in each of the major cities in the Freelands. There young scholar could receive a quality education at the expense of the Kingdom of Man itself, both noble and commoner alike could find an education in the major cities of the Freelands. It is something the modern Freelands has lost for the most part unfortunately. Thus the Old Bloods along with other Freelancers within the Kingdom of Man were traditionally well educated folks, including in the matters of magic. For magic is what gave Humankind its edge against the Elves, so they believed as many people should learn it as possible even if it was minor tricks and skills.

Infrastructure

The Old Bloods held a feudal system beneath of the Houses with their own militaries, territories, cities, and guilds. They all however answered to House Highlander if the need call for it in case of an imminent invasion or monster attack. Beyond that, the Houses and those beneath them were left to their own devices so long as they paid their share of taxes in the name of protection and education.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

"We Nine, Serve the Nine"

6000 - 8000

Type

Political, Family

Capital

The Imperial City

Alternative Names

The Highlander King and his Eight Companions

Successor Organizations

Training Level

Elite

Veterancy Level

Decorated/Honored

Demonym

The Old Bloods

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

The Freelands from the time of the Kingdom of Man to the present day used the Gold standard for currency, their coinage recognized copper and silver coins as well however.

Major Exports

The Freelands makes no effort to export goods to Avalon either.

Major Imports

There are no imports to the Freelands from Avalon, just the trade within it. This still holds true even after the fall of the Kingdom of Man and the Old Bloods.

Official State Religion

The Nine Deities

Subsidiary Organizations