NationStates Jolt Archive

Table of Contents:
(1): History
(2): Customs and Traditions
(3): Religious Life
(4): Economy and Trade
(5): Military

(1): History
To explain the origin of the Nine Fenarine Houses correctly, one must first go back to observe the foundation of the Fenarine Empire.

The Fenarine Empire was founded by a wealthy man known as Fenar, whe carved out an empire of habitable worlds using a small fleet. Many human factions in the area fell under his sway, and the Fenarine Empire prospered under his reign. A military and administrative genius, Fenar built the Fenarine Empire into a power to be reckoned with in the region. However, Fenar had six sons.

Makar, Hule, Juilan, Sanus, Tenmar and Uric. Fenar left the throne to his first son, Makar, leaving many other holdings to his other sons. This marked the first year of the Houses, a reign which has persisted for thousands of years. For the first generation, the six families were friendly. As time went on, though, the power of Makar's family diminished significantly, and the significance of the Fenarine Throne dimished with it. It was in the year 115 that the families were first known as Houses.

Makassar, Hulon, Juilan, Sanus, Tenmar, and Uricca were the Six Houses of the time, each controlling roughly a sixth of the Empire. However, in HY 166, House Makassar was beset by a succession war, in which two contestants, one of lesser power - one of greater, fought bitterly for the Fenarine throne. However, in the end, the one of greater power, Emperor Talya, was unable to decisively defeat High Lord Ikkar. As such, he offered him a peace - Ikkar could keep the world of Ragusa, in return for his allegiance to the Fenarine Throne. House Ikkus was founded in HY 167, by general assent among the houses. Although House Makassar remained decently powerful, it no longer was capable of dominating the other houses. With the degredation of the throne, Makassar lost the throne, and House Uricca took it up for almost fifty years.

Defeated by an alliance of Hulon and Juilan in 254, Uricca lost the Fenarine Throne, and the Hulon took up the role of Emperor. From then until 612, the throne has never remained in the hands of one House for any more than three generations. Although the supposed power of the Throne was still great, the Emperor's power extended only in to his own House. In reality, he had the same power he did as a High Lord, ruler of his House - but holding the Fenarine Throne added great legitimacy to his actions.

It was in 560 that the next great change came about for the Empire. House Faralanor was founded by an outside family of merchant, who had purchased huge holdings in the Empire. Although not legitimised by the High Lords at the time, the Fenarine Emperor in 560 was of House Ikkus, and, lured by the promise of Faralanor loyalty and wealth, granted them Houseship. Faralanor was to remain the dominant force in the Empire for almost a century, although it has, to date, never held the crown.

The alliance between the militant Ikkus and the wealthy Faralanor ensured that no single House could take the throne from the Ikkus. However, as the fourth Ikkus Emperor in a row was to be crowned, an offended lord of Faralanor, who had been humiliated by the Emperor's refusal to marry off his son to one of the Faralanor's daughters, shot him dead. This threw the alliance between Faralanor and Ikkus into jeopardy, which left the throne open for the taking. House Makassar took up the throne once more, renewing their long-lost power.

In 612, House T'velya was founded. T'velya was created by dissident lords from Tenmar and Sanus, and has long been the weakest house. Despite this, House Makassar and House Faralanor took up T'velya's banner, constantly placing them on the throne as Fenarine Emperors. Both Houses have always chafed at the authority, little as it is, of the Fenarine Emperor, and so both Houses saw an oppurtunity to control the Fenarine Emperor's authority. The weakness of House T'velya, despite it holding the post of Emperor, has ensured that the Imperial Legions and Fleets could never exert any authority beyond Fenara itself.

It was in the year 708 when the sixth T'velya Emperor took the throne. His name was Layinen. He founded the 'genewarrior' legions, who served as incorruptible soldiers to the throne. With the genewarriors, he subdued the rebellious Uricca and Hulon, and managed to construct a fleet that eclipsed all others in the Empire. After over half a millenium of house infighting, it looked as if a strong central authority had finally arisen.

However, House Makassar and House Sanus saw their own ruin in this. Though the Faralanor had long been dedicated to trade, and saw a strong central authority as a boon that would increase their revenues, the power of the High Lords of Makassar and Sanus was vastly curtailed under the reign of Layinen.

Layinen died in 747, having accomplished huge reforms across the Empire. Trusting in the Makassar and Faralanor High Lords completely, he crowned his son Laine Fenarine Emperor, giving them regentship for two years until Laine reached his majority. However, the balance of power between the Faralanor and the Makassar ensured that none of the reforms were shifted back. Instead, relations between the Faralanor and Makassar reached a new low. On his crowning, Laine banished High Lord Juilin from Fenara, as the Faralnor revealed a plot to have his dethroned.

Enraged, High Lord Juilin, still the most powerful lord of the Empire, raised his fleets and troops in rebellin against the Fenarine Emperor. His Sanus allies came with him, and both Uricca and Hulon joined their cause - although their fleets and legions had been brutally crushed by Layinen, leaving them with little more than the occasional bit of material and moral support for the rebellion.

House Juilin, Tenmar, Ikkus, Faralanor, and T'velya remained loyal. The difference, however, was startling. Juilan and Tenmar had been Fenar's two youngest sons - and Faralnor, Ikkus, and T'velya were houses that had not been there since the founding.

The rebellion was outnumbered perhaps two, or even three to one in space, and often five to one on the ground. Despite this, Laine was untried at war, and espoused attempting to reconcile the rebellion with his views. However, what Laine was willing to give was not enough. The 'corruption' of humanity that comprised the Fenarine Chapter of troops was an abomination in the eyes of the common man, who, generally speaking, had House Churches who espoused certain views. In six of them, the Fenarine Chapter was a horror. Popular support for the rebellion was high, especially when High Lord Juilin stated that the "Oppressive Fenarine Chapter has been created to replace humanity. The T'velya have used forbidden technology to enhance the length of their lives as it is, and they have used forbidden ways to give them dominion over those of us who serve true humanity."

Part of a famous speech, it was sent across the holonets on every world. Uprisings on six loyalist worlds were crushed, but Laine could not afford to send the Fenarine Chapter out to destroy the rebellion. He had no other great military power - if he sent the Fenarine out, the Empire would collapse into a mob, dedicated to tearing him apart. The support of two of the Great Houses on his side was wavering as it was. If he did not, however, he risked being unable to strike at the rebellion.

As Laine was indecisive, and unable to make a decision, Juilin struck first. The rebel fleet struck at Fenara, alongside ten thousand men. Although the loyalist fleets were descending on Fenara to aid Laine, Juilin managed to get what he came for. Nuclear weapons were unleashed on all of the Chapter-Houses of the Fenarine, destroying the mutants entirely. The Emperor's personal Chapter was slain by Juilin's ground forces, although he lost over half of his own men.

Laine attempted to hide in a bunker, knowing that if Juilin could not find him before the loyalists arrived, he would be safe. Juilin killed Laine's wife in a fit of rage when she would not tell him where Laine was, and then ordered a search of the palace. Laine's bunker, however, was discovered as the loyalist fleets entered the system.

Juilin then forced Laine to sign the now-famous Decree of Dissolution, removing the power of the Fenarine Emperor. Realising Laine could reverse his decree, he killed Laine, and left Fenara, telling the loyalists of what had happened. No longer having someone to unite behind, the loyalist movement collapsed, and the Nine Houses seperated, without a central authority to bind them together.

The Nine Houses today are almost independent nations, however, centuries of tradition bind them together as closely as actual authority does. Negotiation happens with individual Houses, not with the Houses as a whole.

(Individual House histories will be forthcoming over time)

(2): Customs and Traditions

Kras duelling is a popular sport within the Fenarine area, although it is considered close to heresy, and has been banned on several words.

The Kras Staff is a rather inefficient tool that connects to the neural network of a person, and is then able to manipulate kinetic energy fairly accurately, using (in smaller arenas) immensely conductive power-lines, or (in larger ones) nuclear power sources. Kras is the most popular sport viewed in the Fenarine, as gladiators (who are often poor, but are also sometimes 'nel who enjoy the notoriety and glamour of the Kras life) fight, sometimes to the death.

The appearance of 'wizardry' appeals to many of the less educated classes, and the fact remains that, despite the immensely padded walls and floors of the Kras Arenas designed to absorb as much force as possible, broken bones and death are common in the Arena. Throwing one another around, setting the air aflame, and even, in the hands of the most talented Kras wielders (with specially set arenas designed for such useage), summoning small 'elemental' effects such as lightning and electricity (or drawing water moisture from the air and throwing balls of it, though this is an effect more commonly summoned by having water pools hidden under the floor of the arena).

Some Kras duels are decided by having limited amounts of power in each staff – each wielder must either kill or render unconscious their opponents before running out of power. Others are just decided by forcing surrendering or leaving an opponent unable to fight.

Although one-on-one is the most popular form of Kras duel, battles from history are often re-enacted, and Kras Staffs are also used in operatic art, the kinetic capabilities granted by the staff given to people in plays in order to enhance impressiveness and the like during the play. Many foreigners express surprise at the natural ability of the Fenarine people to wield such powers, however, the affinity for wielding the Kras Staff is given by a large dose of blood-faring nanites, who align the wielder's nervous system temporarily to match the Kras Staff. Only some people can use the Kras Staff, as the blood-nanites are not designed for individuals, and doses of the nanites adjusting the nervous system can result in some temporary loss of senses, the entering of a state of coma, or even death.

Traditional sports exist as well, although dogfighting, war, and other military pursuits are considered to be the finest sports that exist. Duels are believed to be the best arbiter of justice (provided they are between two men of age sufficient that they are in their prime and capable of fighting), although courts of justice exist as well.

The mixture of people that make up the Fenarine ensure that there are no real 'traditional' customs, except, of course, between the Lords of Houses.

Ja-ran is the word of greeting between High Lords, provided they are on good terms. It is considered a holy word, for the Prophet Ja-ran (The Second Prophet) is widely considered to be the first true saviour of mankind. It is often used in the lower classes, but the tradition of using the name of the Second Prophet as a greeting between lords is an ancient one, and, when not used, offence may often be taken.

(Not yet complete)

(3): Religious Life

Religion in the areas held by the Nine Houses is unique in that the churches of each area is run by each House. Despite the fact that the religious life of each House is taken quite seriously, no real seperation of church and state exists. Each church preaches what they term the "Bible of True Mankind", which is a mixture of the former Bibles from Earth, and a significant amount of anti-mutant preaching.

It is strange to note that the Fenarine Houses have no real compunction against aliens - if they threaten mankind, naturally, they must be dealt with, other than that, though, it is believed that aliens may coexist with humankind. It is the threat posed by "demon-mutants" that is forbidden.

Illuminus, Chapter 6
Consort not with the mutant;
the maker of the mutant,
or the tolerator of the unclean.

Jatticus the mutant was born of heresy,
and he was told to multiply his abomination.
In time, a whole city of filth existed, an insult to mankind itself.
It was at this time the Third Prophet commanded his armies.
"Go, and sweep the mutant from Our holy planet, and bring peace to Illuma."

And so the armies of the Prophet set forth, and laid siege to the city of Jatticus.
Jatticus knew fear, for in his heart, he realized that his heresy could not last,
against the power of the Prophet and his holy Word.

Even with his devilish powers granted by the heresy which brought him forth,
Jatticus could not win. The army of the Prophet took the city, and slew all within.

And the Prophet, having realised the threat of heresy and abominations, spake thusly.
"My children. Jatticus the Mutant has threatened mankind itself. He has opposed our
very existence. Never again shall we let mutants come to be. We must always
oppose such things."

And the servants of the Prophet knew his words for truth, and acclaimed them with
a mighty roar.



Some houses preach a small amount of tolerance, however, ever since the T'velya created 'gene-enhanced' legions to ensure their hold on the Fenarine Throne, the anti-mutant sentiment has been running high, and House Makassar has declared a crusade to purge mutants from their borders.

Despite this, the Bible of True Mankind also bears a significant similiarity to the New Testament of Earth, and although the hatred of mutants runs high in the Fenarine area, it is remarkably less vitrolic, and preaches love and forgiveness (although many of the passages have been altered to include the bias against mutants in the Fenarine area), as well as belief in the "Child of God."

The Three Prophets, all of whom came after the Child of God, are said to be descendents of the Child, his power passed down from generation to generation, until it was given into the right hands, the hands of a Prophet, who could then utilize it for good. The First Prophet was born in 2600 AD, and brought the first seeds of mankind to the Fenarine region. The Second Prophet led a crusade against a series of AI-beings who warred on mankind, and, in the end, defeated them, after forming an alliance with a species of alien who lived in the region.

The Third Prophet was born about a hundred years before the birth of Fenar, and is said to have prophesied his birth, as well as defeating the growing mutant population of the Fenarine region. The Prophets are said to be "Men who were of mighty birth, and knew what was right, and what was unutterably wrong. Though they contained but a fraction of the Child's power, each arose to save mankind in its hour of need, whether from corruption, or from threats dark and alien."

The Prophets are revered as men who kept mankind on the true path, but are not seen as perfect beings to be emulated.

Generally speaking, religious life takes up only a little time of each person's life, with church attendance being non-mandatory, but non-religious people tend to be shunned by more religious folk, although not directly discriminated against. Provided they don't actively create/aid mutants, religious faith is free.

(4): Economy and Trade

The economy and trading ways of the Fenarine must be divided down into the nine seperate Great Houses. Although there are a legion of lesser Houses (most of whom pledge allegiance to a Great House), it is the nine Great Houses who drive the economy of the Fenarine, and it is the Great Houses who maintain trade links with the outside world.

House Makassar: With almost 2 billion citizens under its rule, House Makassar is the driving economic force in the Fenarine. Makassar holds two populated worlds, Makalan, their House Seat, and Kalnon, a smaller agricultural colony. Makassar also has two mining colonies, as well as large asteroid-mining operations. Although House Makassar does not actually produce any rare goods, its manufacturing and mining power is second to none.

Makassar also exports large amounts of fissile and fusionable materials, although it imports the majority of its antimatter.

House Hulon: House Hulon is half the size of Makassar, with 1 billion people. Hulon only rules two worlds, one their House Seat, Hulon, the second a major agricultural centre, Iun. House Hulon is not economically significant, but has well-trained soldiers, and often serves as a mercenary force to other Houses.

House Juilan: Juilan has about 1.1 billion people, however, House Juilan only holds a single world, their House Seat, Juinar. Their lack of worlds can be explained by the close-knit nature of Juilan society, as House Juilin took the Fenarine love of isolation to a much larger degree. They trade for minerals and fissile material, but tend to have somewhat of a trade deficit.

House Sanus: House Sanus has around 900 million people. Their strong ties to House Makassar, as well as their ability to sell antimatter wholesale has brought them from economic strength to economic strength. Although having few other industries, the demand for antimatter in almost all sectors of every industry ensures they do not need any other major exports. House Sanus has a single world, however, they control three systems in which they have large reserves of antimatter (not wishing to store the volatile material in the same system as Sanaria, their House Seat)

House Tenmar: Tenmar is a house with around 1.3 billion people. Not especially distinguished by anything, they are almost self-sufficient, brought on in part due to their unpopularity with most of the other Houses. Tenmar holds their House Seat of Teinan, as well as two other colonies, Ernil and Golii.

House Uricca: The last of the Houses founded by the children of Fenar, Uricca is the smallest of these Houses, with only 800 million people. They hold the planet of Urcina, from which they direct their House business. Known as a House of fearsome traders, Uricca has a strong enmity with House Faralanor, with whom they compete for trading contracts and hauling jobs.

House Ikkus: The first, and the largest of the 'upstart' Houses, House Ikkus trades greatly in luxuries and other consumer goods. Their lack of a major fleet has often made them prey for the raiders of other Houses, however, their ties with Hulon have kept them in strong mercenaries. Economically weak, Ikkus has 700 million people, distributed over three worlds. Without a traditional House Seat, Ikkus holds three worlds, Inmar, Juhn, and Xexis.

House Faralanor: The second of the 'upstart' Houses, House Faralanor is the second-smallest House in the Fenarine. With 500 million people, Faralanor is by far the most distributed House in the Fenarine, holding no less then eighteen worlds - more than all of the other Great Houses put together, Faralanor is a trading House, and prizes trade and merchantship above all else. The richest house per capita, Faralanor is military weak, and has many worlds to protect - most mere outposts held for the sake of some rare or useful resources that can be found on that world. Faralanor's House Seat, Fai'dan, is where they base their operations,

House T'velya: The last of the 'upstart' Houses, House T'velya is a shattered remnant of what it once was. Forced to cede many of its possessions to Makassar as a result of the War of
Dissolution, T'velya holds only the former capital of Fenara, which was greatly depopulated and weakened by the Makassar bombardment. With only two hundred million T'velya left - the capitol has seen almost all of its wealthy leave, as well as almost anyone who can afford a shuttle-flight to other worlds. A hundred million died in the bombardment, and what was once a billion-person House is scarcely holding on to a stable government and High-Lordship. T'velya now has a massive trade deficit, incurring huge loans in order to try and rebuild its shattered infrastructure.

(5): Military

Reserved for future post.