The 14 Days of Blessing Day 11: The Noble Houses
The prizes up for grabs include:
A free ebook of The Binding (one to give away each day), the first book
A free paperback of Binding (one to give away)- international shipping available
One of seven original art prints (seven to give away, choice of any major character, the fox Nahbet or
the dove Rusephine)
You can choose one of the above character cards, or one of the two prints below- these will not be watermarked
A free ebook of The Parting (five to give away)
And, if you participate in at least 10 of the 14 days, you could win one of five ebook box sets of The Binding, the Parting and the Blessing!
Sounds great, right? But what do you have to do to be eligible? All you need to do is:
-make sure you like my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/maddoctorartist/)
-follow me on twitter @maddoctorartist (https://twitter.com/MadDoctorArtist)
-share my Facebook page
-leave a gold 💛 and purple 💜 heart emoji comment on each daily post (either here on the blog itself or the facebook post)
And that's it! Winners will be picked by random number generation and must be contactable via email. Each daily winner will get a free ebook of The Binding, plus one of whichever of the other prizes above catch your fancy (except for the box-set).
Please share with anyone who loves reading young adult fantasy fiction, and best of luck!
So, without further ado...
The Noble Houses
Azaria currently has ten (formerly twelve) noble Houses. Each House has contributed to the kingdom's history in one way or another, but rather than try to explain it all myself, I thought it would be better if you heard from an expert...
So allow Eliza, the protagonist of the Goddess Saga, to reveal all! Along with Lady Navinka...
[transcript of animation]
Eliza: Welcome back! You must be loving these little lessons. Right, we've got something more contemporary this time. We're going to have a quick tour of the twelve Noble Houses of Azaria.
Navinka: About time you stopped looking into the past.
Eliza: *eye twitch* Anyway, my special guest this time is Navinka...
Navinka: LADY Navinka.
Eliza: Sorry, LADY NAVINKA.
Navinka: Better. *adjust self* I am a Svendmar, one of the largest noble houses. As Eliza has pointed out, there are ten families left, after the demise of the Gladiers and Farrontines, and I am here to teach you about them. So, listen well!
Each family is represented by an animal and a weapon- a tradition that dates back to Azaria's Age of Darkness. Back before the kingdom was united, Azaria was plagued with natural disasters, and we were engulfed in a war with Esturia. This was before the Age of the Goddess. Instead, eight celestial creatures were worshipped, and it was from these beasts that each noble family took their crest. The only exception is House Kinslet, who were founded long afterwards.
So, perhaps they are the best place to start.
1. House Kinslet, the royal house. Their coat of arms sports a stag and a shield, representing resilience and strength. Before rising to royalty, they were prominent military strategists. The General of the Royal Army was of this line, and he kept the kingdom together when the Gladier-Farrontine feud played out. So impressed with his dedication, the people chose him as their ruler, and so his family continue to rule to this day. Their name means 'tolerant family'.
2. House Glenford. This is Ryan's family. Their major trade is in gemstones and fine jewellery. They are also known for their skilled swordsmanship, and have given us many great heroes, including Robert Glenford, a Captain of the Terent Guardsmen who was said to have beaten an entire platoon with only three men while besieged in a Goddess Shrine. Their symbol comes from the legendary pegasus who had mastery over air. Their name means 'river valley', for where Terent was founded.
3. House Balthanders. Lord Alexander Balthanders is the King's most trusted advisor, and he has performed many great feats for the good of Azaria. His family also inherited the Ornixa mines after the Gladiers died out, and have made several important discoveries such as flametar. His many brilliant achievements include the design and construction of the Greywater Canal, as well as being a leading scholar on the mysterious Holy Runes. Their symbol comes from the Celestial Beast who brought light and peace. Their name means 'saviour of the king'.
4. House Svendmar. My family are master architects, and several famous Azarian landmarks can be attributed to them, such as the Dragonvale cathedral, Ornixa's Council Hall, and Terent's Jewellers Guild. We also hold a musical tradition, and I come from a long line of pianists, violinists and cellists. Our symbol comes from the celestial sea serpent who could control water. Our name means 'boy of the sea', reflecting our earlier nautical origins, before the great flood made us move closer inland.
5. House Aspengale. Professor Aspengale is the current Dean at the Healer's College in Viens, but the family originally hail from Wolfdale. The family are noted scholars, and most published works of knowledge have ties to their name. There is also an Aspengale Scholarship one can apply for in the Viens Academy. Their symbol comes from the Celestial wolf who had power over earth. Their name names 'joyous tree', reflecting their keen interest in the natural sciences.
6. House deQuervan. Since the end of the war between Azaria and Esturia, the deQuervan's have kept mostly to themselves. Residing in Dhjerba, the old Esturian capital, they have remained true to their merchant roots and set up their guild. They also retain rule over the city, and do not use the judgement of the Guardsmen. Their open-hearted and generous nature have led to Dhjerba becoming a national trade hub, and they continue to prosper and expand their city. Their symbol comes from the Celestial lion who could control lightning. Their name means 'from the marshes', as they originally lived in the Blackspring marsh before they founded Dhjerba.
7. House Ezengarde. They are famous healers, and their founder, Jason Ezengarde, invented the iasometer, as Eliza revealed earlier. His descendant Lady Adenia founded the healing school in Lanaran. The family still reside there, very involved in teaching new healers and researching new medicines. Their symbol comes from the Celestial fox who possessed the power of darkness. Their name means 'protectors of the wind'.
8. House Voxwood. Famed for their shipping trade, the Voxwoods were also responsible for the creation of the canal city Estovan, which remains their home. According to rumour, the next Voxwood heir has supposedly disowned his family to live a simple life with his lover, which has left them a little distraught, given the wealth of their empire. Their symbol comes from the Celestial bear who controlled fire. Their name names 'voice of fury', representing their deterministic and oft-times aggressive nature.
9. House LaGuerrain. Based in Darkdale, the LaGuerrains are farmers, and are responsible for keeping most of Azaria fed. Thanks to their unusual methods and situation near the Airwater Gorge, they are able to produce even the most exotic foods on their plots, and in sustainable quantity, too. They are extremely protective of their lands, too, and employ an active patrol to prevent travellers from spoiling or damaging their fields and crops. A little harsh, one might say, but it is perhaps why Azaria's population has been able to grow as large as it has. Their creature comes from the beast who had power over ice. Their name means 'ones with spears'.
And finally,
10. House Ozier. Like the Glenfords, they took their symbol from the horse that controlled air. The Oziers are glass traders, and are famed for being able to produce almost any design. Tragedy almost befell Lord Gerard, though, when he had an accident on his way home from Terent. He was treated for his injuries in a local village, but there he become Bound to the woman caring for him. But Lord Ozier is known for his kindness, so he offered himself in marriage, and brought his lady back to his home in Estovan. Lady Ozier is now a remarkable astronomer, and contributes greatly to the Academy in Viens. Their name means 'twig of the willow', taken from their home estate which is famous for being surrounded by willows.
Eliza: So he did...*long pause, sigh*
Navinka: And there you have it. Don't say you haven't learnt anything.
Eliza: That was an awful lot of information...
Navinka: Hmph, well your simple brain might not being able to handle it...shall I go through it again?
Eliza: *snarl*
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