Morvalis is led by a council of powerful, ancient families known as the Houses of Dusk. It is believed that the family heads have used powerful Athrian Magic in order to extend their lifespans beyond the norm, however, nothing can be proven without access to the Houses of Dusk – and they guard their secrets, and their familial connections, tightly.
Morvalis was formed originally from a group of self-imposed exiles from Hammerstadt after a schism – although the specifics of whether this was magiocratic or theocratic or some other disagreement is lost. Thought to have been primarily magic-users, they travelled what is now known as the Charnel Road and found a land marked by destructive magics, abandoned long ago on the very edges of the Ancient Kairosi Empire. There, they discovered the sanctuaries of the necropoli, safe from the Shroud and the beasts and other horrors that lurked beyond. The leaders of this group became collectively known after the necropoli they sheltered in – the Houses of Dusk – who carved out a nation for their own people, finding a home where others might see a barren wilderness.
At the heart of the Houses of Dusk were the individuals who mastered the arts necessary for Morvalin culture today – necromancy; the raising of the dead using Athria Sphere magic, and the protections necessary to survive in this sometimes-harsh landscape.
Smaller groups, those who wished to keep their own identities or their own codes and ideals, were adopted by the Houses of Dusk as Vassal Families, providing services or tithes in exchange for protection and infrastructure. Over time, the power of the Houses of Dusk grew, and many Vassal families began to compete in hopes of being invited to formally join their ranks. These are not the only ways people organise themselves in Morvalis but they are how the people who wish to gain power can work their way up the ladder of Morvalis internal politics.
The Houses of Dusk
At the top of governance are the ancient leading families, the Houses of Dusk. Drawing their names from words found in the ancient necropoli that the first Morvalins found and sequestered themselves within, these Houses rule each of the major settlements in Morvalis. In the larger cities they share the lands, ruling the city as a council of wise-folk, whilst smaller towns and settlements may fall under a single House’s control, or have a greater or lesser presence from other Houses. Each member of the Houses of Dusk recruits and empowers vassal families who are sworn to their service but are given considerable freedoms in how they operate, though they are expected to act in the interests of the Family to which they are vassals at all times.
In return, the Houses give gifts to their vassals, and those who do them great service are rewarded tenfold. Sometimes, however, such vassals do not survive to receive the reward.
Within Morvalis, the prefix ‘House’ is never applied to a Family directly – that honour is reserved for the Houses of Dusk. You do not say ‘House Vorgaloth’, but would refer to them simply as ‘The Vorgaloths’ or ‘The Vorgaloth Family’. The ‘Houses of Dusk’ is a term only used to describe the most prominent, powerful, leading Families that were established in Morvalis’ founding, consisting of:
The Evaeylir
Led by the Blessed Saint of Heart, Evander von Evaeylir.
This house values skill in diplomacy, statecraft and looking to the future. It is said that the inner circle of the family are all blessed with Oracle weavemarks, and their oracular dreams aid the Saint in steering the nation out of the destruction that threatens to befall all nations. Many of their Vassal Families have strong ties to the priesthood, and the Evaeylir usually field delegations of priests and diplomats whenever there is need for Morvalis to take part in international relations.
Vassal houses include a heraldic Chief in their coat of arms to show their alignment with the Evaeylir.
The Vorgaloth
Led by the Blessed Saint of Steel, Hildegarde von Vorgaloth.
This house has taken on responsibility for the defence of the realm, funding and training a large number of the Dreadguard who travel the realm keeping the wild places safe. Theirs is the domain of justice and of protection, sponsoring promising warriors in their training and managing the undead armies of Morvalis. In recent years they have worked closely with the Court of Daggers, supplying coin and resources to ensure law and order are maintained in the face of international chaos.
Vassal houses include a heraldic Chevron in their coat of arms to show their alignment with the Vorgaloth.
The Solarum
Led by the Blessed Saint of Night, Vincenzo von Solarum.
The Solarum are most invested in the magical basis of Morvalin society; it is believed they were the first to broker whatever deals were made with Athrian underdwellers to be able to build their culture from the ashes of Ancient Kairoi relics. They sponsor both the Shrouded Rock Academy and Nocturne Obscurum, seeking out magical prodigies for advancement, and sending out parties of scholars to study the strange magically-attuned regions of other nations in order to advance their understanding of Athria, among other spheres.
Vassal houses include a heraldic Pale in their coat of arms to show their alignment with the Solarum.
The Lacrimosa
Led by the Blessed Saint of Blood, Marcelle von Lacrimosa.
The youngest of the Houses of Dusk, it is said that the Saint of Blood personally foiled their overliege, the Blessed Saint of Roses Tereza von Läbelaicha from poisoning the other Saints, and was raised to sainthood for preventing this treason. The house’s main purview is trade and craft; they are responsible for the networks of food that is grown in far-flung regions of the nation by a largely undead workforce, and ensuring access to the raw materials required by artists and creators throughout the land, and are generous sponsors of craftspeople of all kinds.
Vassal houses include a heraldic Bend in their coat of arms to show their alignment with the Lacrimosa.
It is important to note that a key part of the way that Morvalis is structured, and the almost-stagnant stability that pervades Morvalin society, is that there have been no new members of any of the Houses of Dusk for decades. They are old, long-lived, and not open to new members – too tight is their grip on power to risk allowing an outsider in. With this in mind, player characters cannot be from the Houses of Dusk, instead coming from vassal families.
At times when there is a gathering where the Houses of Dusk should have a presence, they will often send a representative – The Eyes of Dusk. This representative, on paper at least, is independent, incorruptible, there to observe, declare whatever intentions the Houses have given them to pass on, and report back. In reality, they are often aligned with one house or another, albeit secretly, and are just as prone to corruption as any other person. The person holding the title walks a fine line, balancing their public-facing role and their private, or Familial, desires and pressures. It is not unheard of for them to be replaced suddenly, and often bloodily, but there will always be a new face ready to take over, ensuring that The Eyes of Dusk are always open.
Vassal Families
A Vassal Family is a group of individuals related by blood or other ties that operate to further themselves in Morvalis and in wider society. Every Vassal Family dreams of one day supplanting one of the Head Families, although examples of when this has happened can be counted on one finger. The fall of the Läbelaicha Family, formerly one of the Houses of Dusk, and their supplanting by the Lacrimosa, is still spoken about in hushed tones despite the story itself being decades old by now, but the precedent remains that it can be done. The fact that many details about this event are obscured or unclear in the run up to the bloody purge of all powerful members of the Läbelaicha does nothing to help rumours.
Citizens of Morvalis are provided with supplies of food, housing, and other services or infrastructure, and are thus free to pursue their own goals and motivations as they see fit provided they don’t interfere with the Houses interests, in keeping with the philosophy that drives Morvalis. A private citizen’s life is thus split between living their life to the fullest through crafts, hobbies, or practicing martial or magical arts, and seeking to gain the edge for their Family in the ever-shifting political scene that is Morvalis.
Individuals who amass their own wealth and power via their ambitions, can offer gifts to a House to increase their favour. In this way, Morvalis as a nation continues to go in one direction – as long as the Head Families agree on what needs to be done, their Vassal Families will support it and work towards it. This means that, although there is a great deal of political manoeuvring within Morvalis between Vassal Families, as a nation it remains competitive.
Humility is balanced with ambition – there is always the risk that if a Vassal family is seen to be too powerful, too rich, or too influential that it may be their undoing. It is important therefore for a Family to put on a show of modestly and humbleness to their Liege, indulging visiting delegates from the Houses with all the Family can offer, and performing the role of the “humble servant”.
Despite its efficiency, the system is fragile. The Houses are resistant to change and all worry what would be lost in the upheaval. The forming of new alliances and sundering of old are distasteful acts, rarely done and survived. The Houses of Dusk have before allowed famine rather than treat with Vassal Families demands.
Politics
Internal politics are complex and tangled, as the Houses of Dusk vie for position and the many vassal houses fight for power underneath them. There have been religious cults and political rebels over the centuries that have aimed to dismantle the system, but none survive to the records of the day. Generally it is acknowledged that if the Houses fall, it will be because of internal politics and in-fighting rather than outside forces on the power structures in place.
Although on the extreme other side of the continent from Avereaux, there is a certain amount of kinship between Dreadguard parties who go out to explore the wilds, deal with the monsters who attack frontier villages and spend their evenings in revelry to celebrate surviving the trials of the day, and the adventuring parties who travel the lands in a similar fashion. Those Avereaux adventuring parties who make it as far as Morvalis can quite often find an almost sibling-like relationship with the warriors of Morvalis, who project a resolute image to the rest of the world, and these relationships sometimes turn into friendly rivalries. Many Morvalis Revellers relish the opportunity to gain inspiration from Avereaux Chroniclers, and some of the finest works of art are in collaboration with foreign storytellers in this fashion.
Of all the nations, Morvalis has perhaps had the least dealings with the Wonder, due to geography and cultural disposition, however the biome of the forest known as Gloomgard has always fascinated practitioners of Athria magic, due to the high concentration of that magic in the area. Also known as the “humongous fungus” – although rarely to the face of Gloomgarders themselves – scholars from Morvalis institutes have on several occasions led expeditions here during the annual spore season, when the whole region is usually evacuated due to the lethality of the atmosphere. Generally, citizens of the Wonder find the raising of the dead a peculiar thing to base a culture on, but recognise the challenges faced in the natural environment that Morvalis exists within. The Shroud appears to be a natural manifestation of the world, so they respect Morvalins for living alongside it.
There has always been a coldness in political relations between Valdraeth and Morvalis – perhaps because the other represents something that their own culture finds distasteful. For Morvalins, Valdraeth’s inherent class divide, and the idea that a life could be spent mostly working for other people’s enjoyment is odious. For the Valdraeth point of view, Morvalis may have opportunities for hedonism and excess in life, but they are still under the thumb of a class that are rarely seen – many a Valdraeth citizen has pointed out this hypocrisy. Perhaps it is their similarities that chafe more than differences.
Hammerstadt, always favouring economic advantages in a city that has become cramped over the last few centuries, found a way to solve the problems of burial space in the city and disease from dead flesh, while also allowing its citizens a quick earner of coin in emergencies. The Morvalis Embassy exists in the Hammerstadt district of Corvolis, at the terminal point of the Charnal Road; here, a citizen can sign over their corpse to be collected upon death by one of the Gravecallers on the payroll of the embassy, in exchange for a ready purse of coin then and there. The city also provides all unclaimed corpses that wash up in the bay from shipwrecks and executed criminals to Morvalis. The practice is so common that Hammerstadters are a common sight among the dead armies and servants that maintain Morvalis, obvious as they are with their extensive Syndica and Coterie tattoos. The area they disagree is in politics – Hammerstadters have a tendency to refer to the houses as a monarchy in all but name, and encourage Morvalins, especially when drinking together, to throw off the shackles of their Houses of Dusk.
Portavas and Urdrevan share a realm with Hammerstadt, but disagree on values when it concerns Morvalis. The Charnal Road is a place of mild horror to them, where Urdrevan pack animals are often spooked by marching packs of recently raised undead from Hammerstadt make the long march to Morvalis. The two nations agree that one’s journey in life should be allowed to end, and by allowing a person’s physical form to be used as martial labour or physical labour, they are being forced to continue that journey beyond where it should be taken.
Morvalis has generally had an immense respect for the age and majesty of Kairos, living as it does, in and around the structures of an ancient, abandoned region of the landmass that was once all Kairosi. Records of joint expeditions into the depths of the catacombs have survived the Fading, although details of what they’ve found within have not. Kairos is considered the gateway to the rest of the world – both Syradonia and Morvalis rely on their fellow Sanctuary nation for access to luxuries not produced in their own borders. The Kolossi of Kairos are viewed as a marvel, and many pilgrimages are taken by devout Morvalins to view the glorious temples to the Gods and view the Kolossi that guard the nation.
Like Hammerstadt, Syradonia could easily become overrun with the problem of dealing with the dead, especially in times of illness or attack. In response, they export all of their dead to Morvalis, in exchange for freshly grown food, timber and medical herbs. They appreciate the Morvalis emphasis on community, uplifting the spirit through craft, and value the close economic ties, however dealings between the Syradonian ruling Orders and the Houses of Dusk have always been immensely businesslike. If Morvalin decadence spread to Syradonia, there could be a major internal incident.
Economic Interests
Morvalis exports art, clothing, leatherwork – prioritising things that can be made by passionate craftspeople using things harvested by a tireless undead workforce. Notably, Morvalis does not generally export raw materials – the entire concept of society in Morvalis is that people are making, doing things, and crafting. The exception is if the creation of something is in the making of the raw material, such as timber from delicately tended trees.
Morvalis is one of the primary exporters of food to Syradonia, with vast fields of leeks, carrots, potatoes and other simple crops tended by undead workers in areas that are commonly affected by the Shroud. Some foreigners have a distaste for vegetables grown in these regions, but Syradonians and Morvalins see the pragmatism of it.
Morvalis imports bounties of the sea from Kairos, as it has no coastline of its own and therefore also lacks trade routes by sea, and, among other things, lightstones and edible mushrooms from Syradonia. Greenhouse technology is also an import from Syradonia – not because Morvalis lacks the resources, but because Syradonia is simply better at it.