Noble Houses

Based on The Welsh Piper's Random Noble Houses tables. Abulafia is not affiliated with The Welsh Piper in any way, and Abulafia's Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license does not apply to the original source material. Used with permission.

[main]

1,House [Fantasy Names.Surname] The house's [head_gender] is [head]. [approach_secret] The house has [influence] influence and [holdings]. [size] The house leader's current pet project is to [ambition]. The house's coat of arms is [CoatOfArms.FantasyMain]
 * main

2,patriarch 1,matriarch
 * head_gender

1,young and [young] 1,middle-aged and [middle-aged] 1,old and [old]
 * head

1,naive 1,bold 1,confident 1,fearful 1,rash 1,arrogant 1,charismatic
 * young

1,calculating 1,assertive 1,savvy 1,cautious 1,aggressive 1,bullying 1,reckless
 * middle-aged

1,cunning 1,demanding 1,prudent 1,subtle 1,detached 1,domineering 1,wearied
 * old

1,In general, the house pursues its goals in a
 * approach_secret

1,lawful %a[lo_secret] 1,neutral %a[med_secret] 1,chaotic %a[hi_secret] 1,evil %a[hi_secret] 1,benevolent %a[lo_secret] 1,ethical %a[lo_secret] 1,traditional %a[lo_secret] 1,progressive %a[hi_secret] 1,machiavellian %a[hi_secret]
 * approach

5, 1, The family holds a secret: [secret].
 * lo_secret

2, 1, The family holds a secret: [secret].
 * med_secret

1, 2, The family holds a secret: [secret].
 * hi_secret

1,outwardly, things seem a little too perfect... 1,engaged in treasonous activity, other conspirators include: 1,perpetrated and covered up a crime ([Fantasy Criminal History.CRIMES]) 1,under the enchantment of a [enchantment] 1,manipulates the system to avoid military service 1,supports a band of [band] 1,withholds the king's fees to [fees] 1,sideline poacher of [poach] 1,afflicted with lycanthropy (or similar disease) 1,family history of mental illness 1,member of [member] 1,addicted to [addiction]
 * secret

1,none, they act independently 2,an official governing body 2,a malicious foreign power 1,the local dissident element 1,a secret council of noble houses
 * treason

2,cursed item 1,sorcerer 1,demon 1,fey creature 1,geas (or similar spell)
 * enchantment

2,outlaws 1,monstrous humanoids 1,organised thieves 1,dangerous mercenaries 1,corrupt officials 1,swindling merchants
 * band

2,amass personal hoard 2,divert funds 1,cover gambling debts 1,pay an extortionist
 * fees

2,fish & game 3,natural resources 1,valuable commodities
 * poach

2,death cult 2,outlawed profession (e.g. sorcerer) 2,seditious faction 2,a conspiracy against the crown
 * member

2,opiate 2,hallucinogen 1,stimulant 1,exotic drug 1,brothels 1,gambling
 * addiction

1,no 1,scant 1,marginal 1,average 1,significant 1,considerable 1,great
 * influence

1,modest holdings ( sq. miles) 3,appreciable holdings ( sq. miles) 1,extensive holdings ( sq. miles)
 * holdings

2,[Dice.2d6] close relatives can lay claim to the resources of this house.[small_recent] 3, close relatives can lay claim to the resources of this house.[med_recent] 1, close relatives can lay claim to the resources of this house.[big_recent]
 * size

5, 1, Recently, the house [recent].
 * small_recent

2, 1, Recently, the house [recent].
 * med_recent

1, 2, Recently, the house [recent].
 * big_recent

1,was favoured by the monarch for its [favour] 1,achieved overwhelming military victory 1,achieved Pyrrhic military victory 1,supported a new vassal 1,drove out a marauding monster 1,slew a great monster 1,returned after an adventuring expedition to [expedition] 1,captured [captured] 1,brokered a [diplomatic] on the monarch's behalf 1,discovered a valuable commodity ([commodity]) 1,celebrated a birth in the family 1,suffered a death in the family due to [death] 1,had part of its holding visited by [visitor] 1,had a family member held for ransom by [ransom] 1,participated in a duel that resulted in a [duel] 1,was afflicted by plague 1,has adventuring family member(s) presumed lost or dead 1,lost money as a result of [lost_money] 1,had a vassal settlement endangered by [vassal] 1,suffered military defeat 1,was snubbed by the monarch for [snub] 1,leader was replaced because the former leader [replaced]
 * recent

1,staunch loyalty 1,tribute 1,shrewd politicking 1,military performance
 * favour

3,local wilderness 2,king's wilderness 1,foreign country
 * expedition

3,outlaws 2,strategically important territory 2,spies 1,marauding monster 1,humanoid rabble
 * captured

3,trade agreement 2,mutual defense pact 1,truce
 * diplomatic

2,[Utility.MetalExotic] 3,[Utility.Metal] 1,[Utility.GemType]
 * commoditiy

2,natural causes 2,a battle 1,a duel 1,an accident 1,questionable circumstances 1,old age 1,illness
 * death

2,outlaws 2,a wandering monster 1,wandering monsters 1,refugees 1,humanoid band 1,a natural disaster 1,a member of another noble house
 * visitor

2,a foreign enemy 2,outlaws 1,humanoids 1,an unknown kidnapper
 * ransom

1,win 1,loss 1,draw
 * duel

1,a stolen heirloom 2,bad business 1,raiders 1,a rival noble 1,a freak accident
 * lost_money

1,attack 2,plague 2,low food supply 1,bandits
 * vassal

1,poor military performance 1,late rents 1,causing trouble at court 1,no discernible reason
 * snub

2,abdicated 2,died from [death] 1,went mad
 * replaced

1,support the monarch's top priority plan ([plan]) 1,advance the church 1,acquire more land [land] 1,dispose of [dispose] 1,marry into a particular family for [marry] 1,bring about political reform 1,bring a local ring of [band] to justice 2,build a [build] 1,establish a new settlement 1,clear a stain on family name 1,make a name for the family via [fame]
 * ambition

2,expansion 1,warfare 2,diplomacy 1,rooting out dissidents 1,building the economy 1,exploration
 * plan

2,in a strategic location 3,that contains a valuable resource 1,that has a special feature 1,which is yet unclaimed 1,from a rival house
 * land

2,another noble 1,a non-secular official 1,a military officer 1,a high-level bureaucrat 1,a powerful adventurer
 * dispose

1,wealth 1,love 2,political advantage 1,lust 1,nefarious purposes
 * marry

2,cathedral 3,defensive wall 2,tower 1,keep 2,road 2,bridge 1,watch tower 1,signal beacon 1,statue 1,library 1,shrine 1,secret passageway
 * build

2,adventuring/exploring 2,amassing wealth 1,military conquest 1,political influence
 * fame