“The Age in which we live in is an unholy time. Anything that tries to live, will struggle, anything that tries to die will be brought more pain. The World seems too large; I have journeyed far in my long life, never seeing the same region twice. The changing lands play tricks on your very soul. The creatures out there in the wilderness are things of nightmare. The howls of beasts echo through the wind, the screams of children haunt my dreams.
House Houghton reside in the city of Carcassonne and have in the past centuries risen from a peasantry kingdom to the most Noble in all the Realm. This rise has been mostly due to the ruthlessness of their previous Lord. The bloodlust of the last century saw House Houghton ride many many times to battle in what is now known as the Kingdom Wars. The previous King of Bretonni, in the Realm of Ghur was weak. He ruled from behind his Grail knights, protectors of his throne. Bretonni was continuously invaded by savage Beastmen, Orcs and Skaven hordes. The Lord of House Houghton did not enjoy seeing his fellow kinsmen fall to savagery. He took it upon himself to overthrow the King. He rode many times gathering support from other Noble Houses and eventually went toe to toe with the Old King and struck him down.
The following years were seen as a recovery period, but House Houghton gathered strength, the old Lord died a few years later and his son, who was strong, wise beyond years and Noble as they came took the reins. He was crowned new King of Bretonni and House Houghton completed their rise from the ashes to the great house it is today.
House Hulks residing in the City of Renee are one of only two other Great Houses that remain in Bretonni, Forged from steel, they have the most mighty of warriors. Their lands sits on the edge of the Great Blasted Plain and the constant change in weather conditions have hardened their very skin. To become a Knight of the Realm in these parts, you will be trained from as soon as you can walk. Those who do not make it past Knight Errancy are sacrificed with 100's dying each year. Most do not have the opportunity to quest as this is seen as weak. A quest is only completed by one candidate as part of the House initiation to promote a new leader.
The current Knight who leads the House is a huge beast of man called Tarmiran. His strike with his lance could split five Orcs in one. The history of this House is blurry beyond a hundred years, only fragments of the time before this are recorded from other House's scrolls. But the past has been no less brutal than the present. Stories of individual Knights going to war with monstrous armies are mostly from this area of the Realm. Dare not upset House Hulks.
Born to the Fangwood Forests, House Holden are a myth in most parts of the Realm. But still, mostly because of their unknown size, they are considered the last of the Great Houses. A select few ride out to war alongside their Lord and King. Most are considered to be questing in Ghur, finding their own way before returning back having sipped from the Grail. Outsiders would see them as magical as they can disappear amongst trees at will.
The truth being, they are heavily connected to the Aelf Forest Race to the North. The Knights learn their way from these Wood Elves, how to move and how to evade being seen.
No known leader is known to the other Realms, but legend has it, an Aelf Nobility lineage has been in charge for many centuries. A House that keeps itself to itself and expects the same in return. Only dire circumstances would call for them to go to war. But these are dire times.
House Moral resides in the town of Montpieu, South of Carcassonne. Most famous for the music they produce, they are a gentle market town with one Chateau that sits atop a hill with a Noble House controlling the lands. The Knights are trained early in the art of music as they believe this to be the way of the Lady. Nearly all Lance formations from days gone by have had at least one musician that has been learned in Montpieu. They're also famous across the mortal lands for the wine they produce, myth has it the music helps the grapes fill with sweet juices.
The Lord of this land is Resa Moral, Son of Renn. The House has close connections to House Houghton from their shared peasantry days. House Houghton has never forgot Moral and still to this day, most aid leaving Carcassonne heads towards Montpieu.
Residing in the town of Mase, North West of Carcasonne, House Garcia used to be a Great House in olden times. Their numbers were reduced greatly during the Kingdom Wars and was preceeded with a lack of Male Nobility for the following years. The current Lady in charge is Renita Garcia who currently has no heir. She is now too old to bear anymore children and therefore the House seems doomed. The top seat is currently under debate within the chambers with games being held to decide the next Lord. This will of course mean a change, but change is what is needed, the lands are in poverty with no crops being produced and imports being stopped from Carcassonne until the games have finished. Some knights have taken to questing in the hope of returning better suited to lead.
There is one Garcian who could take the seat, but he hasn't been seen for 25 years having gone away to far off lands to prove his worth. He is pressumed dead.
House Henry resides in Lency, a town way out in the East of Bretonni. Cut off from most of the other cities, the Lord believes himself to be the rightful King of the Realm. He calls himself The King upon the East. The peasants here feed mostly of meat as no crops grow in the arad lands. The kinsmen are not unfamiliar with cannibilism either and after many battles they can be found gathering the dead to feast on later. The Lord here is named Karab Henry, the knights are all produced to become champions of armies and so you will mostly find them in the front row of a lance formation ready to rip apart the foe.
The town is small, but the lands are vast, most of the time the sky is grey, this is thought to be from spells cast by the mages of the area as the sunlight is believed to burn the skin of the men of the land.
This House is so called from an Old Empire Captain from days long ago who found himself on the wrong side of the General of Scottsdale. He found himself cast out of the City and decided to flee East towards Bretonni, he came across a group of settlers in a village called Braund. He took refuge on a farm for many a years helping grow crops and tend sheep. He found love in a young damsel who practised the art of magic and they bore a son named Greg.
As Greg grow, he grew in the ways of the Bretonni, he showed promise in the art of battle and so took it upon himself to quest the lands to the North. Legend has it, he visited many different Realms through openings in the Land, battling many a different beast before setting foot in the gardens of Alerielle herself. He was blessed directly and returned to Ghur immortal. He led the Bretonni through many campaigns, bore many children until he finally died upon the battle field a century ago. His grandson who leads House Lambert now is named George Lambert, a Grail set in old ways of war.
In the far South of Bretonni, there lie a town called Lucas, named after the great Noble Paladin Thierre Lucas who founded the House many years ago. This region is cold due to its close proximity to the Southern Pole region which is caked in ice and snow. The free people here are larger folk, with lots of fat to keep them warm. They dwell mainly in huts and are constantly on the move seeking food and shelter. They are not aclimitised to the warmer conditions of their cousins so rarely venture North.
The current Lady of this town is Vena Lucas, a gracious woman built of diamonds. She has three sons, of which Gregor is the eldest and heir to the House. He has completed his quests and returned a Grail, he is a holy giant man of which the current King is aware of. Much aid arrives from Carcassonne, subsidising the regions lack of crop. A great ally to the current King, this house is currently on the rise.
There is no more records of this House since its fall from power. The previous Great House that ruled Bretonni, before the weak King destroyed the great name it once belonged to. The City of Pares sits close to Carcassonne but is now just a ruin from the Kingdom Wars. The Weak King bore one son, who in turn bore one son. The last of the name, but one who has no other name than 'The Black Knight'.
'The Black Knight' only appears in times of great need and allies with the current King championing the Grail's. He knows of his previous forefather's weakness and his sole duty is to put right what the old king took away from the name. House Dufour will die with 'The Black Knight' unless the King decides otherwise, as only a blessing from House Houghton would mean The Black Knight would bear children.