House Peake of Khar-Mordune
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HOUSE STATISTICS
Planet: Imperius
Region: Mount Mordune, the Spine
Seat: Khar-Mordune
Motto: "Steady"
Colors: Brown and Yellow
Liege: The Paramount House of Arboren
Vassals: Harrow, and others
LEADERSHIP MILITARY STATISTICS
Head of House: Lord Sir Trentin Peake Emphasis: Irregular Infantry
Predecessor: Lord Xander Peake Footmen: 1,000
Heir: Young Lord Aidan Peake Cavalry: 100
Bowmen: 1,000


Within the staggering peak of Mount Mordune is the ruling seat of House Peake. They are a sturdy and hearty clan of men and women whose origins are based long before the Reversion. They were naturalists and survivalists, managing to perfect guerrilla-like warfare that was a great asset during the First System War. Their first Lady Peake was Aurellia Peake — a fiercely protective woman who brought hundreds of stout warriors through the Ways into Landing to answer the call of Governor-General Matthias Sev. For their dedication, they were ennobled and placed under the leadership of the Arboren.

Those of House Peake are known for their skilled craftsmanship, skirmishers, and incredible directness. They are not known for their political savviness, but they are for their battle prowess. Like most other vassal houses of the Paramount Arboren, the Peakes and their Citizens are more egalitarian in their political structure.

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Domain

House Seat: Khar-Mordune
Fortification: The Nether Keep

Built within the heart of Mount Mordune is the underground city of Khar-Mordune. Its architecture is a combination of simple, cuboid buildings and intricate elfin edifices. Stairways wind their way through the various tiers of raw stone, utilizing the cavernous space of the large antechamber. Much of the natural features of the caverns are integrated into the metropolis. Unique bio-luminescent technology has been used to illuminate the city since it lacks natural light. Sconces, braziers, and lamps are all filled with this strange glowing substance. There are twisting, maze-like tunnels in the lower caves that are kept mostly uninhabited. They do provide an interesting playground however to those both young and old, and are wonderful places to hike or go spelunking.

The entrance to the Nether Keep is in the same twilight zone as the rest of the city, though it expands downward into the mountain rather than the typical upward of other noble fortifications. The cold dark zones are kept warm through tapping into geothermal energy.

Most agriculture has to be imported into the city, though there are several gardens that possess genetically altered flora that thrive in the dank, cool darkness of Khar-Mordune. Its prime export is raw ore that is mined from deep within the mountain and neighboring peaks.

Prominent Features

It goes without saying that the most well-known feature about House Peake is its mountain home. There are very few replicas of the construction of Khar-Mordune anywhere else in Haven, though some have certainly tried. Their stone masons are the most honored, and it only lays the groundwork for their other master craftsmen, especially jewelers and gemcutters. Most of their crafts are exported to other cities to be sold as Khar-Mordune does not host a large market or trading district, but there are plenty of centralized businesses that draw people into the mountain for their rare goods.

For those of strong enough constitution to stomach the depths, there are various stone gardens in the depths of Khar-Mordune, some lit by modern lighting, some by natural phosphorescence, but all gorgeous in their own way. In the deepest of these stone gardens there are curiosities found nowhere else in the Haven System: blind, albino fish, blind lizards with nearly-atrophied limbs, and fungi with flavors that cannot be duplicated through any other means.

Those of Peake are also known for utilizing natural resources and functions rather than falling back on artificial means. As already mentioned, they utilize geothermal energy for heat, but also use phosphorescent bacteria for light, natural stone for structure, and the like. There are even some instances of utilizing windy mountain peak to provide wind energy that is funneled down into the city below.

Peake has adopted — or re-adopted depending on the perspective — a fashion statement in the form of the kilt. They vary in color and design, from the more utilitarian style to formal styles.

Citizens of Khar-Mordune

The people of Khar-Mordune tend towards the blunt and direct. Beneath the mountain, there is no room for anything else, especially the overblown egos of nobles. When there are thousands of tons of rock above your head, everyone has to pull together to ensure that things get done. The Citizenry respect their nobles in part because of their birth, but also because of their willingness to get their hands dirty and do the job before them.

The Citizens tend to be blue-collar, although there are certainly scientists, merchants, and businesspeople among them, as there are among every House. But if they wanted a cerebral life, there are better places for it — although there are few better for working with stone, gems, or some specialized culinary areas.

House Military

In the high mountain passes around Khar-Mordune, there is no room to form a shieldwall of any significant size, and horses become more of a hindrance than a benefit. Instead, the irregular infantry of House Peake are trained to climb up the slopes above the passes and attack from above, using the constrained nature of their lands to their advantage.

Current Members

Aidan Young Lord Aidan Peake : Second child and Heir of the main line.
Cyrus Lord Cyrus Peake : Third child of the main line.
Viannea Lady Sir Viannea Peake : Fourth child of the main line.
Brigham Lord Brigham Peake : Fifth child of the main line.
Orren Sir Orren Tylos : An uplifted citizen turned Knight.

Wanted Members

Head of House, spouse to Head of House, children of the main line, cousins, aunts, uncles. Head of House and their spouse requires a special application. Contact STAFF for more information.

Family Tree

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Image credit: Khar-Mordune - "Underground City" by anndr

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