House Sharva is an ancient and very proud noble house originating in the most inhospitable parts of the Astrals. They are a generally reclusive house with bursts of expansion and strengthening always followed by long periods of stagnation and isolation. Currently, they are getting more involved in the proceedings in the realm and recent dealings have made them an important political player but already, there are internal forces inside the House attempting to steer it away from the Crown Lands and back to focusing solely on their own homelands again.
[ +- ] Founding: Ascent
There are no clear records of House Sharva's founding. The legend of how the house came into being is that an ancient king traveled into the Astrals and fell in love with an extraordinarily beautiful peasant girl, the eponymous Sharva. He gave her lands, riches and titles, raising her into nobility so he could marry her. In mockery of the king's wishes, she rejected him but kept all his gifts, her family now a powerful entity in the realm.
The truth is probably much less interesting - a minor noblewoman marrying into a much more important family, this alliance allowing her family to work itself into a local power - but at least in House Sharva's lands, nobody questions the legend.
[ +- ] Glory
After generations of relative isolation following its founding, the younger brother of the then-head of the House left the Astrals to serve at the royal court. He earned fame and glory when he saved the king from a plot to assassinate him, earning his House a permanent place at the royal court.
[ +- ] Decay
House Sharva's arrogance and pride resulted in stagnation as they refused to trade or participate in affairs outside their homelands. Over a couple of generations, the house lost a lot of its influence and some of the favor they earned in the past was forgotten.
[ +- ] Glory
After an era of stagnation, the new head of the House decided to extend his influence again. By helping another noble house strike down a peasant uprising in their lands, House Sharva gained recognition once more and began to return to its former glory.
[ +- ] Victory
A military strike against a lesser House in the Astrals resulted in a large expansion of territory and influence for House Sharva. This is when they conquered what is now their second home city
[ +- ] Decay & Descent
Disagreements between different branches of the family lead to instability and again, House Sharva turned inside, ignoring the outside and again slowly losing a lot of the power and influence it had earned outside of its homeland in the Astrals. This time, this period lasted even longer and by the end of it, many doubted that the house would ever return to its full power.
[ +- ] Victory
Seeing the waning power of the ancient House, another House decided to make its move and attack them. They underestimated the impressive defensive capabilities of the noble family's cities however and after their siege was broken, House Sharva took the fighting to their enemies, defeating them and using the spoils of war to return back to relevancy once again.
[ +- ] Windfall
Due to its isolationist tendencies, House Sharva does not have many close allies. However, very recently, they managed to secure a very profitable alliance. A political marriage sealed the pact between Houses Tamer and Sharva and secured not only a fresh new influx of trade goods and an increase in political power but also provided House Sharva with a foothold in the Crown Lands for the first time in history. While expanding so far away from the family's homelands has proven to be a divisive choice, it has definitely put the reclusive House into the eye of many other families that until then dismissed the House and its influence in the political landscape beyond the Astrals.
Last edited March 18, 2020 9:57 am