House Rhia

From Himitsu no Sensou

Rhia, the Great House of the South, lies about a week’s ride from Diarnay, to the south. It is the third largest city in Dentoria and the largest city in the south.

Rhia is the wealthiest province in Dentoria, due to its lands being the most fertile for farming. The southern lands grow fruits such as berries, stone fruits and melons, as well as potatoes, tomatoes, corn and sugar beet. The people of Rhia are friendly, cheerful, and very fond of food, and so the city is filled with vendors selling Dentorian adaptations of foreign cuisine as well as more traditional Dentorian food. One can find almost anything in Rhia, as it is the centre of all Dentorian trade routes, famed for its vibrant marketplaces and its relaxed and sometimes festive atmosphere. Some parts of the city seem to be in a perpetual state of celebration for something or other; music, singing and busy chatter can be heard from anywhere in the city. A university has also been established in Rhia, though it is more renowned for its parties than anything else.

Craig, an elderly, but still spritely man is the High Lord of Rhia — much to the irritation of his children -- and is the patriarch of a huge family of nobility. It is said that nearly every noble in Dentoria can trace his or her line back to House Rhia. The sheer numbers of House Rhia is so large that younger southern Dentorian nobles have taken to calling their peers from Rhia “Rhiaspawn”. According to most historians, Rhia’s eventual support of unification was a turning point in its success because of the house’s wealth and size. Stephan, the first son and heir of the Lord of Rhia, holds a place in the King's Council as the master of trade and agriculture. It supervises and regulates trade within Dentoria, as well as its imports and exports to other countries, and takes account of crops, food security and food storage. Rhia’s relationship with its lesser houses, as one may expect from southerners, is quite lax when compared to the other domains – it is almost as if the houses are one extensive family, with Rhia at the head. A black cockatiel on a gold background forms their crest. Their words are We Prosper.

[edit] The Family Rhia

Craig, High Lord of the South, Lord of Rhia. A robust man of eighty-nine. Also known as Old Man Rhia.

• Stephan, his eldest son and heir, a man of sixty-one. A sensible man who fears failure and age. Represents his father at Council as master of trade and agriculture. Head of the regent council for Keirnan.
  • His children, among them:
    • Hayden, his eldest son, a man of forty years. Fond of cooking and eating.
    • Rosalind, his eldest daughter.
      • Harmonia, her eldest daughter, a woman of seventeen. Lazy and spoiled.
• Colin, his second son.
  • His children, among them:
    • Vincent, his eldest son.
      • Lachlan, his second son, a man of seventeen. Rash and seemingly aimless.
    • Fara, his daughter, twin to Serila. Married to Jason of House Aeda.
    • Serila, his daughter, twin to Fara. Married to Iram of House Diarnay.
• Kyal, his third son.
  • His children, among them:
    • Devine, his eldest son, seventeen years of age. Desires more from his life than Rhia can provide.
• Cate, his eldest daughter.
  • Her children, among them:
    • Eriena, her second youngest daughter, a woman of twenty one. Now Lady of Keirnan and with child. Proper and dignified.
    • Leisa, her youngest child, nineteen years old. An incorrigible flirt.
• Heinrich, his youngest son.
  • His children, among them:
    • Annika, his youngest daughter, a woman of nineteen. Pleasant, but seems to change markedly under the influence of alcohol.
• Gaila, his second daughter. Married to a younger brother of King Donal.
• Felicity, his third daughter.
  • Her children, among them:
    • Rachelle, a woman of nineteen. Quick to laugh and fond of drink and dancing.
• Eimear, his youngest child.
  • Her children, among them:
    • Lorcan, her youngest son, a man of twenty-two. A knight of the southern guard. A loner, but extremely loyal.