House Carnelian

House Carnelian is one of the four remaining noble families of Arguros. They are distantly related to House Sardius. Like the other families, House Carnelian has its own city-state with its own set of unique laws while still owing allegiance to the central government.

Overview

Both House Carnelian and House Sardius descend from the legendary conqueror Dariel, the man who defeated the Bargod King Nebu at the cost of becoming cursed with maddening nightmares. As both families possess the curse, they are believed to be distantly related although any records that may have linked them together in heritage have been lost.

House Carnelian is known for practicing total discipline of the mind in order to dampen the effects of the curse that runs in the family. This involves controlling one's emotions and feelings towards others. As a result, Carnelians tend to be heavily analytical, and some even accuse them of being borderline sociopathic. Regardless, the Carnelians have become a shining example of chivalry, and are often considered paragons of self-control by the common man.

City layout

Covered in year round snowfall, the city of Carnelian is situated in the Magenta Peaks near the northeastern border of Arguros. A large stone castle carved from the mountainside stands as a prominent landmark while only a short distance from its base is a bustling mining settlement. Carnelian's primary export is coal and other natural minerals used for construction. Carnelian, however, does not possess an ekati reactor, instead relying on mining for natural ekati or importing the substance from Jacinth which is produces the most artificial ekati of all the city-states except for Amethyst. As a result, Carnelian still relies heavily on steam and diesel power.

Culture

Marriage customs

In an effort to contain the curse, House Carnelian heavily resorts to inbreeding, disallowing marrying with commoners and even nobles from other houses. Often, marriages are arranged between cousins which have resulted in the Carnelian royal family to have a fairly homogeneous appearance - light blonde or white hair, pale skin and blue eyes. These marriage restrictions only apply to the royal family and everyone else is free to marry whomever they choose as long as they are not a member of the royal family.

House Carnelian heavily despises House Sardius' practice of marrying commoners. While Sardius is more genetically diverse as a result, they also spread the curse into other bloodlines.

Sacrifices

Even though House Carnelian is highly disciplined in mind, they still require sacrificing others to ward off the nightmares at a rate of every few months. They do this in a heavily controlled environment. Often, a small group of criminals on death roe is chosen and taken to a dark room where the ritual is performed in front of the entire Carnelian family gathered at the edge of the ritual circle.

Members

• Quercus Carnelian - The earliest known member of the Carnelian family. Established the rule of self-discipline.

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• Corylus Carnelian - Previous baron, deceased.
• Dulcie Carnlian - Previous baronness, deceased. Wife of Corylus.
  • Jasper Carnelian - Current baron. Known in his youth for temporarily running away with Diana Sardius as unmarried lovers.
  • Diana Sardius - Former baroness, deceased. Never married to Jasper.
    • Alder Carnelian - Knight, illegitimate son of Jasper.
  • Opal Carnelian - Baroness. Married with Jasper after Diana's death. First cousin to Jasper.
    • Filbert Carnelian - Squire. Younger half-brother to Alder.