As a House Major, the House is the ruling power of an entire planet. Several Minor Houses serve its interests and it is a serious contender in the politics of the Imperium. The House has agents and soldiers at its command and is a leading force in at least one area of commerce. Unfortunately, this sort of power does not come without making enemies. Spies and assassins are everywhere, and there are many rival Houses, Major and Minor, that covet the power and resources the House possesses. Having established the general level of your House, we now turn to what it produces, or what it is famous for. As most Houses rely on mercantile power and CHOAM shares for their fortune, each House has developed a specialty in an area of business or produce that is important to the Imperium. We call these areas of acumen domains.

Your House begins with one primary domain and two secondary domains. It also has two enemies: the first is a House Minor in its service, the second is another House Major.

A primary domain is the area your House is most famous for. This is because it is something the House is considered to be one of the best in the universe at. Whatever it is, the whole universe knows your House is the best one to provide it. This might be a unique resource like spice, but it could be a common product your House is the unrivaled expert on. A primary domain need not be especially glamorous, but its power is unmistakable. While many sneer at the pundi rice of House Atreides, it is a staple food on hundreds of planets. For the Harkonnens, their control of the spice trade makes them vastly wealthy, but it is a power that can be taken by the Emperor, can only be found in one place, and is coveted by every other House and faction in the universe.

A secondary domain is an area that the House is known for but is not their main source of income. However, it is still lucrative. The House is considered a serious contender in this arena of business, but is far from controlling a monopoly. They are vying with several other Houses in their attempts to make it a primary domain and the competition may be exceptionally fierce. This means that a primary domain is a narrative aid to explain what your House really does, but a secondary domain shows where the House is in conflict and what business direction it is moving in.

It is important to note that a House's domains are not the only areas of business in which they engage. Even a Minor House will have several interests, and those of a planetary power are vast. Just because industrial produce is not a domain for a House does not mean their home planet is empty of factories. However, they can only excel at a few things given the powerful competition among the Houses. So, for most Houses, it makes business sense to play to your strengths and corner a particular area of the universal free market.

The nine domains that follow are grouped into areas of expertise for the sake of simplicity. They are further subdivided to help offer ideas for what precise domains might be found within each area of expertise. In some cases, you might even choose domains from the same subsection. A farming House might make three different types of crop produce for their primary and two secondary domains. There is nothing wrong with creating new areas of expertise if what you want your House to excel at isn't listed. Each area of expertise is divided into the following sections:

• Machinery: This is any large-scale machinery or devices that might be created, either by the area of expertise or to help craft or maintain the area of expertise.
• Produce: This is something the area of expertise actually produces. Many areas of expertise offer several different types of produce.
• Expertise: Your House excels at training or managing the people who lead the area of expertise.
• Workers: Your House either trains or produces dedicated staff who are responsible for doing the actual work that makes the area of expertise flourish. They are usually required in large numbers.
• Understanding: This is the theoretical part of the area of expertise and allows a House to develop secret new techniques or strategies they might share with others, for a price.

---

ARTISTIC: Artistic domains may not be very powerful, but they grant the House both fame and respect across the universe. Those famed for their performers might also use the opportunity to put spies within a traveling company. The (in)famous Face Dancer spies of the Bene Tleilax were originally designed as performers (officially at least).

• Machinery: Stage effects, scenery pieces, scenic art, lighting and sound systems
• Produce: Plays, poems, novels, comedy sketches, musical pieces
• Expertise: Playwrights, poets, composers, directors
• Workers: Actors, stage crew, musicians, speakers, traveling companies
• Understanding: Philosophy, literary criticism, theatrical performance styles

ESPIONAGE: Intelligence operations and secrets are the meat and drink of many Houses. As such, there are several who are renowned for supplying the mechanisms of the spy trade. A few even infiltrate other organizations to learn their secrets, not for themselves but so they can sell them to others.

• Machinery: Surveillance devices, sensors, jamming technology
• Produce: Information and secrets from other Houses, probably by a particular specialty (such as military secrets or blackmail information)
• Expertise: Spymasters and agent handlers
• Workers: Agents, spies, infiltrators
• Understanding: Particular forms of espionage and counterintelligence techniques

FARMING: Houses that rely on farming tend to be pastoral and peaceful places. However, their power lies in creating something basic the other Houses may not realize how much they rely upon.

• Machinery: Tractors, harvesters, large-scale farming equipment
• Produce: Crops and animal products (from special wheat to sheep and cheese)
• Expertise: Stewards, land managers
• Workers: Farm laborers, shepherds, and herders
• Understanding: New farming techniques, such as crop rotation and animal husbandry, that increase productivity

INDUSTRIAL: Industrial Houses tend to control planets full of factories and production facilities, but most do not let productivity destroy their home. Industrial items can range from filmbook readers to Guild Heighliners, although any technical House must take care to follow Butlerian proscriptions on what they develop.

• Machinery: Factory machines, spacecraft, large vehicles
• Produce: Mass-produced goods, refined alloys, toys
• Expertise: Supervisors, business managers
• Workers: Factory workers, craftsman, mechanics
• Understanding: New techniques for business management and factory operation

KANLY: The next step forward from espionage is assassination. To avoid chaos, the Great Houses agreed on a set of rules for assassination to prevent a slaughter. These forms of kanly are designed to limit both assassinations and the inevitable responses and are ruthlessly enforced by all the Houses. As such, they are also a lucrative area of business.

• Machinery: Assassination weapons and traps (hunterseekers, mines, bombs, etc.)
• Produce: Poisons (not just to kill but to stun or weaken and to be near-undetectable)
• Expertise: Assassin masters, operation planners, and trainers
• Workers: Assassins, thugs, infiltration specialists
• Understanding: Means of assassination, infiltration techniques, deadly combat strikes

MILITARY: While war is rarer than assassination, no House wants another to see they have a weak military, as that may be considered an invitation. Military actions are costly and logistically difficult, often requiring expensive Guild payments to move troops to another planet. But if you want to take land or facilities from another House you need soldiers to claim and occupy it.

• Machinery: Battlefield weapons, artillery, large-scale shields, tanks
• Produce: Ammunition, personal weapons, small arms (rifles, pistols, etc.)
• Expertise: Tacticians, officers, strategists
• Workers: Soldiers, engineers, pilots, logistics personnel
• Understanding: Military strategies and new tactics

POLITICAL: To some Houses, politics is their meat and drink. These social gadflies don't just play the complex games of the Landsraad for extra power, they make these games their business. They don't have much personal power, but they have powerful friends, very useful for a Minor House seeking to rise. Such Houses are the ultimate courtiers, and the leaders of style  and etiquette. They know who is doing what to whom and how to get the ear of the most powerful figures. However, they also make good mediators, understanding the complexities of House politics and how to keep everyone happy.

• Machinery: Couture fashion, expensive trinkets, courier services
• Produce: Information, secrets, and favors, possibly even from the Imperial House
• Expertise: Political analysts, mediators, diplomats, fashionistas, social planners
• Workers: Courtiers, spies, administrators, servants, entourage
• Understanding: Diplomacy techniques, forms of etiquette

RELIGION: Faith still plays a large part in the society of the Imperium. It remains a force powerful enough to create leverage in business ventures and is even a service that can be sold. The trappings of religion are popular, and some Houses have found a way to monetize religion and package it for sale.

• Machinery: Churches, statues, prayer beads, religious symbols, religious books
• Produce: Prayers, hymns, religious and inspirational writings
• Expertise: Philosophers, clergy
• Workers: Choristers, altar servants, community managers
• Understanding: New religious philosophies, new forms of faith

SCIENCE: While the tenets of the Butlerian Jihad remain in force, it does not mean humanity cannot research and develop new scientific ideas. Many Houses have a research and development department to advance their domains and keep ahead of the competition. This domain often couples well with Industrial domains where a House might take full advantage of what they discover, rather than pass it on to others to make money from.

• Machinery: Laboratory equipment, quarantine areas, entire scientific facilities
• Produce: Chemical compounds, drugs, genetically adapted humans and animals
• Expertise: Scientists and researchers
• Workers: Lab assistants and managers
• Understanding: New scientific research (many different possibilities in many areas)

Let's begin with the primary domain of our House, so as to keep the discussion simple. Once we've decided what the House is famous for, we can move onto secondary domains. Please make your suggestions as specific as possible, such as Science (Understanding): Genetic Manipulation or Kanly (Expertise): Master Poisoners. The central trio of Houses from the novels — Atreides, Corrino, and Harkonnen — have as primary domains Farming (Produce): Pundi Rice, Military (Workers): Sardaukar Soldiers, and Farming (Produce): Spice, respectively. Please do not stray into discussions of secondary domains. We'll get to those soon enough.

Well, since spies were a major theme, I propose as primary one of the three:

The obvious: Espionage (Workers): Training Spies
The runner-up: Political (Workers): Training spies/courtiers
The outlier: Artistic (Workers): Travelling companies.

[Shai Hulud: I do not recall any explicit mention of spies.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:38, Thu 04 Apr.

My suggestions:

Primary Domain: Industrial - Machinery
(Perhaps this is what original brought us wealth and power to be a House Major, before recent changes in the shipping lanes with CHOAM because of a rival House?)

[Shai Hulud: Please hold off on discussing secondary domains for the moment, we want to settle on what our House is noted for before anything else. Also, please suggest the specific thing you have in mind. What kind of industrial machinery does the House manufacture?]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:07, Thu 04 Apr.

Just FYI, The Great Game: Houses Of The Landsraad introduces a detailed system for House management for those who may be favorably inclined toward more crunchy development mechanics. No obligation to use them, just letting you know what's available.

What if we manufactured Holtzman Suspensors, which are used for a dizzying array of products, and necessary for modern quality of life and labor. Very valuable.

What do y'all think?

That would be Industrial (Produce) more than Industrial (Machinery). You could make glowglobes, suspensor chairs, suspensor tables, suspensor belts and harnesses.

I was also including the suspensors for large scale things, like ships, industrial sized machinery, construction equipment, etc.

[Shai Hulud: Large-scale things would be Industrial (Machinery) and a completely separate domain.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:14, Thu 04 Apr.

What about Military: Machinery?  We could make Thopters or tanks and the minor house in our employ could make a major part of the components.

And a military primary focus may lead to more opportunities for intrigue than a manufacturing one. [Shai Hulud: Industrial espionage will always provide opportunities.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:17, Thu 04 Apr.

Hmm, I don't know why I got that impression. I am fine with everything so far, though I would be more inclined towards military production. [Shai Hulud: Someone clearly wants to be the galaxy's foremost arms dealer. LOL]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:19, Thu 04 Apr.

I like the idea of Kwyna's outlier of Artistic (Workers): Travelling companies being our Primary domain. [Shai Hulud: Again, please leave discussion of potential secondary domains off until we have settled on a primary.]

Characters can have whatever role they like, but would travel as part of a performing company to mask their true work. [Shai Hulud: The player-characters would not themselves be members of a House theatrical company, but House agents would use said companies as cover.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:26, Thu 04 Apr.

In reply to Eklo (msg # 9):

I second this suggestion, I like where it could take us.

How does everyone feel about my commenting within prior posts, rather than making new posts with those prior posts quoted? Is it too jarring?

I In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 16):

It works for me, I find it easy enough to follow and the red color is a helpful indicator.

In the House management system, each domain generates two things: Wealth and Resources. Wealth is a measure of the financial power of the House and the spare funds it has available. Resources are a measure of the raw materials and trade goods the House has available. Wealth allows upkeep (maintaining what you have). Resources permit ventures (expanding what you have).

In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 16):

I'm fine with it.

Re-proposing that our Primary Domain be Workers: traveling companies (performing companies)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:01, Thu 04 Apr.

I don't seek being theater kids will bring us much wealth, or prestige.

I reiterate the industrial suspensors, or go with being a House of arms dealers, as was suggested.

I'll offer this:

- I like Eklo's suggestion of Industrial (produce) via Holtzman Suspensors; it seems rich with potential narrative hooks into what I gather is a probably violent political conflict that is ensuing on the periphery
- There is a possible angle that interests me about Vidad's suggestion: travelling companies of performers serve a plausible secondary role as a spy/informant network (which I could imagine being quite lucrative in its own way)

Honestly I could go either way, but between possible shipping lane intrigue and conflicts on the horizon, I am slightly more drawn towards Industrial (produce).
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Thu 04 Apr.

I'm good with that.

Primary domain is what our House is best known for.
The following suggestions are our front-runners:

1. Artistic (Workers): Traveling Companies
   
2. Industrial (Produce): Consumer Suspensors
   
3. Military (Produce): Small Arms

Kindly indicate your preference via PM. Thank you.

And the winner is — Industrial (Produce): Consumer Suspensors (two votes plus tie-breaker)! Second was Artistic (Workers): Traveling Companies (two votes), third was Military (Produce): Small Arms (one vote).


Artistic (Workers): Traveling Companies could easily build off Industrial (Produce): Consumer Suspensors if we re-imagine them as, say, sponsored suspensor-sports competitions rather than theatrical performers. Swoop racing and hoverboard leagues, anyone?

Had Military (Produce): Small Arms won, you might have built off that as well with Military (Expertise): Weapons Trainers to truly be full-service arms dealers.

I mean, we don't have to have the same ones, diversification is a good thing.

I would suggest Science (Understanding): Suspensor R&D (at least officially...) and Military (Machinery): Thopters (or whatever uses suspensors I guess).

[Shai Hulud: Science (Understanding): Suspensor R&D is very specific, you could also opt for a broader Science (Understanding): Holtzman Effect Research.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:19, Thu 04 Apr.

My ideas:

Secondary Domain: Kanly - Expertise
(We might not have the sheer numbers and might of the more militaristic Houses, but our spies and assassins can prevent threats from ever fully rising to meet us)

Secondary Domain: Political - Produce
(We play the game, and we play it well)

[Shai Hulud: Again, specifics are required. Kanly (Expertise) is not a domain; Kanly (Expertise): Operation Planning is.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:12, Thu 04 Apr.

I second Kwyna: it would be nice to be able to open the field a little bit for secondary domains if we have settled on a primary domain.

That said, I'm a bit taken by the potential travelling performers angle here. A travelling team of aerial acrobats could give cover to specialized assassins (be they a sports team or otherwise). The sport angle is also interesting: there is potential for a cultural feedback loop with other houses whose fiefs practice (or spectate) the sport. [Shai Hulud: What I had in mind was equivalent to our competitive motorsports. Think about the fanbase for Formula One, NASCAR, motocross, road-rally, etc.]

I would also support Kanly (expertise) or Kanly (understanding), on the basis that our industrial technology has given birth to a companion assassination tradition that we export.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:31, Thu 04 Apr.

A terrific complement to Industrial (Produce): Consumer Suspensors would be Industrial (Machinery): Industrial Suspensors. That would put our House near to cornering the suspensor manufacturing market. Develop that domain to the point where it becomes primary too, and you would achieve that goal.

I like Science: Understanding or Science: Expertise as a complement as it may give an explanation to why our repulsor tech is better than other houses. [Shai Hulud: Our tech does not need to be superior, it may just have better market penetration or greater affordability.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:32, Thu 04 Apr.

One I've always loved is Political (Produce): Information, Secrets, And Favors. It encompasses things like Influence peddling (the use of position or political influence on someone's behalf in exchange for money or favors) and 'wheeling and dealing' (working as an intermediary to make a profit from buying and selling things or arrange contracts between parties). Another fun one is good old-fashioned Espionage (Produce): Propaganda.

What about a slight mixture?

Artistic (Workers): Traveling Companies for fun, unique flavor, and Secondary Domain: Political - Produce for pragmatic reasons?

My favorite suggestions for secondary domain so far have been (in no particular order):

- Artistic (Workers): Traveling Athletes
- Industrial (Machinery): Industrial Suspensors
- Political (Produce): Information, Secrets, And Favors

I could see an angle for Political (Produce) to be paired with either of the two others.

Here is one portrait, building off of Eklo's suggestion:

We have leveraged our suspensor expertise and related revenues towards popularizing a new high-stakes racing format (I'm picturing something like pod racers), and our leadership in that domain - and the fact that events will visit many locales - has brought us certain opportunities to act as information brokers or intermediaries. The events are a convenient Schelling point for political operators who are looking for a diversion or cover for wheeling and dealing.

[Shai Hulud: All this Holtzman tech has me thinking about the final scene of the film Dark Star. Games (Workers): Re-entry Surfing, anyone?  Games (Workers): Orbital Regatta? Just need a shield and a hoverboard. Our potential racing circuits need not be down a gravity well, either. Games (Expertise): Transplanetary Racing or Industrial (Machinery): Racing Pinnaces a la The Expanse.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:18, Fri 05 Apr.

We can always create a new area of expertise to better fit our conception of things. If we really want competitive spectacle to be part of our universe, we can call our new domain Games and run with it. After all, it has precedent in the canon Dune universe thanks to the Caladan tradition of bullfighting. Rome had its chariot racing and gladiatorial games. Greece and the modern world have their Olympics. The modern world has its automotive racing and sporting leagues. Our House could act as the official body that judges some event or circuit, or could sponsor a team or teams of athletes.

Oo, I like that. Not to mention the original book, which showcases gladiatorial games on Geidi Prime.

Heck, I could even argue in favor of a Tourism area of expertise. Maybe our homeworld is famous for its museums, annual events, theme parks, hospitality, or natural beauty. Tourism (Machinery): Swordfishing. Tourism (Produce): The Running Of The Salusan Bulls. Tourism (Expertise): Fox Hunts.

In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 32):

Well, THAT is a reference I haven't heard in forever.

https://youtu.be/m9h8hxBY7pk?si=qETSwRWMakp2mUCY

What about Tourism (Produce): Suspensor games, races, and theater?

If you want floating car races, or gladiator games that change levels in a 3-D manner, or acrobatic theater with actual flying performers (unlike now) - https://youtu.be/06Ml-tSyNuk?si=Lgxy76Na7X1dup8F you come to our planet!

I'm a fan of

- Artistic (Workers): Traveling Athletes
- Political (Produce): Information, Secrets, And Favors

The aspect of travelling athletes where our games (whatever they are) traverse a circuit of locales (e.g., the fiefs of other houses) would be a compelling advantage for our information-brokering endeavors.

I admit I had pictured small, high-speed aerial vehicles like the one Duncan Idaho is flying in the scene that introduced his character in the more recent Dune: Part One.

That said, 3-D gladiatorial games makes me think of the zero-g battle school competitions in Ender's Game, which would also make for a great spectacle.

Should we do voting again?

I'm down to do a vote, but it seems like the table got quiet all of a sudden. We should pray...

Bless the Maker and His water.
Bless the coming and going of Him.
May His passage cleanse the world.
May He keep the world for His people

Weekends always tend to be slow on RPOL.

Vote for exactly two of the following:

1. Artistic (Workers): Traveling Theatre Companies
   
2. Espionage (Produce): Other Houses' Secrets
   
3. Games (Machinery): Racing Pinnaces/Speeder Bikes/Ground-Effect Racers
   
4. Games (Produce): Sporting Equipment
   
5. Games (Expertise): Orbital Regatta/Grand Prix Racing
   
6. Games (Workers): Traveling Sports Teams/Gladiators/
   
7. Industrial (Machinery): Industrial Suspensors
   
8. Industrial (Machinery): Ornithopters
   
9. Kanly (Machinery): Hunter-Seekers
   
10. Kanly (Expertise): Counter-Intelligence
    
11. Military (Machinery): Large-Scale Shields
    
12. Military (Produce): Small Arms
    
13. Political (Produce): Imperial Favors
    
14. Science (Understanding): Suspensor Research And Design/New Holtzman Effect Applications
    
15. Tourism (Produce): Safaris/Party Circuit/Botanical Gardens/Zoological Gardens

After two rounds of voting, our secondary domains are Games (Expertise): Grand Prix Racing and Science (Understanding): New Holtzman Effect Applications.

Excellent!

Unnamed House

Primary Domain  : Industrial (Produce): Consumer Suspensors
Secondary Domain: Games (Expertise): Grand Prix Racing
Secondary Domain: Science (Understanding): New Holtzman Effect Applications


So, now what is up for discussion?

Osimir is the second of six planets orbiting the star 27 Serpentis, a yellow-white main sequence star. It was sparsely settled even at the very height of the Old Empire, largely depopulated as a consequence of the Hrethgir Rebellions toward the end of the Time Of Titans, and subsequently lost to history until 'rediscovered' in 4701 AG. Osimir might have been relegated to the dustbin of history owing to its extremely high percentage (95%) of surface water, save that its ecosystem was nigh ideal for human habitation apart from the relatively high water-vapor content of its atmosphere, and the existence of ruins later confirmed that humans had visited the planet before the arrival of the rediscovery expedition. Two large moons, Mmir and Mmuo, orbit the planet. Mmir, the closer and larger of the two, is tidally locked and always presents the same face if viewed from Osimir.

So much personality in the house details, this is going to be fun.

Some suggestions for House name (taken from all over the place): Ashtar, Codrus, Dilgar, Enuma, Junek, Kirish, Lompok, Molay, Norsai, Petrie, Szisz, Tseida, Vilis.

I like House Kirish!

So cool!

I like Kirish too, but I'll put in a second vote for Ashtar.

Szisz is fun and pretty Polish-sounding one.

I do like House Codrus though, or House Enuma. But I'm ok with Kirish too.

Junek and Kirish sound best to me.

Ashtar: an extraterrestrial entity from ufology religion.

Codrus: last of the semi-mythical kings of Athens.

Dilgar: cruel and warlike species from Babylon 5.

Enuma: Opening word of the Babylonian creation myth.

Junek: professional surname of the first female Grand Prix winner.

Kirish: name of Russian town in Leningrad Oblast, minus the terminal 'i'.

Lompok: home of a motorsports race track in Indonesia.

Molay: last grand master of the Knights Templar, famously named in a quote.

Norsai: peaceful and agrarian species from Babylon 5.

Petrie: early motorsports star, borrowing the missing 'i' from Kirishi

Szisz: winner of the first Grand Prix racing event.

Tseida: Great House from Dune: Chronicles Of The Imperium, 'House Of The Phoenix'.

Vilis: name of a planet and subsector in Traveller's Spinward Marches.

I'm partial to Junek, but let's take the easy path for this one and go with Kirish. :)

I know we are picking a name now, but I just had a cool idea!

If our homeworld of Osimir is 95% water, that must mean most of the land is islands or archipelagos.

What if, because we specialize in Suspensors, our House...estate? compound? headquarters? whatever, is itself actually always floating from suspensors.

I can think of a few reasons our House might have chosen too in the past:

-If Osimir has heavy rainy seasons, or tsunamis, it might actually be more practical to move or raise the House estate rather than rebuild.

-It would be impressive to tourists and other Houses. Making an impressing is its own reward.

-A floating, mobile fortress is much more difficult to access from the land, making security tighter, and our vehicle landing ports easier to control.

-We could travel between islands to more easily overlook/protect/control our factories and labs which produce our livelihood.

-It's just cool.

What do y'all think?

I like it!

In reply to Eklo (msg # 54):

I had just such an idea in mind whilst fleshing out Osimir ('osimiri' being the Igbo word for 'river'). Partly inspired by the Blue Planet roleplaying game and the  Bellerophon Estates from the Firefly episode "Trash".

Oooh I like the moving House idea!

I noticed at least two B5 references, bonus points for that.

I think everyone's ok with Kirish, more or less?

If we do it, such a wonder needs to have a cool name.

I propose The Basilica Fleuganą (which is a Proto-Germanic word meaning "To Fly" which I think sounds pretty).

Not to be a spoiler but now that I see the definitions I'm leaning towards Junek. I'll be happy with Kiresh if there is a majority in favor of that though.

I also love the moving house idea. It reminds me of Castle in the Sky (https://youtu.be/8ykEy-yPBFc)!

I'm down with the name, "The Basilica Fleuganą" too. Can someone help me: how does the "ą" influence pronunciation?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Thu 11 Apr.

The Japanese surname Kirishi means "to be passionate and devoted to something". I cannot find the meaning for the Russian placename or surname Ки́риши.

Happy 100th post, by the way! ^_^

Well, that is just a cool name meaning then.

Dang, missed the 100th post!

Alright, info so far!


House Kirish



Status      : House Major

Symbol      : Undecided

Army        : Normal House Army
              Spies
              Assassins

Uniform     : Undecided

Colors      : Undecided

Homeworld   : Osimir

Capital     : Mobile - The Basilica Fleuganą

Ruling Title: Undecided

Expertise   : Primary Domain - Industrial (Produce), Consumer Suspensors
              Secondary Domain - Games (Expertise), Grand Prix Racing
              Secondary Domain - Science (Understanding), New Holtzman Effect Applications
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:00, Thu 11 Apr.

Some thoughts...

1. Do we want to change any of our assorted domains, given what we have recently established?
   
   
2. Do we want the struggle to achieve Great House status to be a major aspect of the campaign?
   
   
3. Should our reply to the prior question be no, do we want to begin the game as a Great House?
   
   
   We'd have a second primary domain and a third secondary domain to choose, as a Great House, but we could tailor everything to adhere strongly to specific thematic elements. As a Great House, the politics and intrigue would be extremely high-level.

I would prefer having a goal of achieving great house status over starting as one.

1. I'm good with things as they are.

2. Yes, that would be dope.

3. N/A.

1. I am satisfied with the domain choices as they are

2. I echo Farok, I prefer the posture of striving towards Great House status

3. N/A

A friendly bump for my question from earlier:

According to Google: letter "ą" is pronounced as a nasal vowel, similar to the "on" sound in the English word "on", but with a nasal quality.

So…Fleuganah?

1) I am fine with everything so far

2) That would be a great long-term goal, yes

3) Nop, I prefer the climb.

Mmmmmm...gonna get me that Great House status...

Osimir was rediscovered 5,173 years before our starting date of 9,874 AG. Terraforming, including the establishment of a network of weather-control satellites, would've taken at least the first millennium, and the planet retains a bit of wildness to this day owing to powerful equatorial cyclones. These storms can usually be charted well in advance of their onset, but can be highly unpredictable and thus a danger to all settlements in the tropics. With its two moons, tides also present a serious problem for coastal regions.

Where in that span of 5,000+ years did the planet come into our House's possession?

1. I like our choices
2. I prefer to strive rather than start
3. N/A

I would say at least 4,000 years, if not from the very beginning. Having a deep, storied, and ancient connection to our homeworld sounds good.

Where did you get the planet visualization?

In reply to Farok (msg # 74):

I cannot for the life of me locate the website in my browser history, but it was devoted to the Blue Planet roleplaying game. I borrowed pretty much all the system and planetary data for Osimir from that game.

Can we work on things like heraldry and colors now?

In reply to Eklo (msg # 76):

I'd prefer more answers to my last question first, but go ahead and throw out suggestions.

Since we are the "make stuff that floats good" House, I was thinking our House symbol and Heraldry could be flying/floating/soaring things.

Like Pegasus, Stars, Ravens, Phoenix, etc. Obviously no Hawks, Falcons, or other Raptors, because House Atreides has that locked up.

And I've always been keen on navy blue with silver trim, like this: https://cdn10.bigcommerce.com/...58.1280.1280.jpg?c=2

Or, second choice, black and gold: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g...pdk7Fgg/s-l1200.webp

Gules, a hoverboard proper!

Cyclonic storms would be much more of an issue, lacking large landmasses to limit them. Imagine hurricanes that circle the entire planet multiple times, building up strength. On Earth you'd need to maintain an altitude of ~50,000 feet to get above a normal hurricane. It might be safer to submerge, or just build highly-reinforced (or -shielded) structures.

Oooh, I second the mythological fliers one! Especially Phoenix. I love phoenix imagery and pretty much anything about them.

Surely we don't need more than 1500 years for that?

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 81):

And to think, one of the name choices had 'House Of The Phoenix' as its epithet.

I think the flying motif is too on the nose with the major domain that might have come after the house was created.  It seems more fitting to tie it to the planet?  Something like a jumping dolphin/whale, or generally something aquatic themed (does not have to be an Earth aquatic creature of course)

With a blue or green featuring in the heraldry.

I think there's more opportunity for history in the planet if we haven't been ruling it the whole time, and if the main house compound is mobile we don't have to be dug into a fortress for eons.  It would be interesting if it used to belong to another house that was unable to handle the storms on the planet.

Maybe our house was formed with the merging of two minor houses, generations back?

In reply to Farok (msg # 84):

The weather-control satellites mitigate the cyclonic storms somewhat, the largest such are much less common than they once were. Cetaceans could be considered mythological creatures given that several millennia have past since the last of them died.

Se-Lion / Merlion?

Sea-horse (mythologic or natural).

Sea-goat (such as the constellation Capricorn).

Merfolk (and there have been sightings of such on Osimir).

The Merlion with the blue-silver colors I suggested earlier:



Edit: And I suppose after consideration, you are right...1,500 years should be enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:27, Mon 15 Apr.

I like the more stylized merlion. Some color variations...

I like the color of the third banner. No problem with the merlion as a heraldic beast.

Without more input, I may just roll a d5173. Osimir will have secrets aplenty to explore, whatever the result.

Farok suggested 1,500 years, and I agreed.

That is at least two votes of agreement.

Some waypoints to ground my thoughts:

- 4,701 A.G. Osimir is 'rediscovered'
- 8,677 A.G. House Atreides moves to Caladan
- 9,874 A.G. Current year, the third year of the reign of Fondil III

Osimir wouldn't be the most economically appealing fief at a glance, given that it is mostly water. So, I would say that the house that controls it was an entrepreneurial upstart who saw it for a diamond in the rough in the early days after its rediscovery. Perhaps House Kirish was among the first (or only) to volunteer to make productive use of the planet. It may have been a credible path to raise their station within the Landsraad.

So: I would say perhaps closer to the date of the rediscovery. Maybe within 1,000 years of it? What do others think?

On heraldry:

It didn't occur to me before today but the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a wonderful logo that immediately invokes the kind of natural world I might expect on the planet Osimir. It's even shaped like the letter O! https://pentagram-production.i..._DBlueBG_v01copy.jpg
This message was last edited by the player at 19:31, Mon 15 Apr.

That's not exactly what I said.  I said you don't need more than 1500 years to have a deep storied, and ancient connection to the homeworld.

1000-1500 years of history puts us on par with a lot of Europe.
On the other hand, western colonization of the Americas ranges from 400 years for the Northeast and parts of the Carribbean to more like 150 for parts of the West Coast (also look at Australia for the 150 years of colonization mark)
4000 years is Egypt levels of history.

With our tech we don't need ancient fortresses carved into stone so we could be on the newer side.

It's mentioned that terraforming took a millenia after rediscovery, so that's 1000 years we can leave out.  Does it get jumped on right away by a house?  Was there another house there before us that failed to tame it?

Yah, this is the main timeline-setting question in my mind. Did we settle the land and use our local knowledge to hold it for thousands or years, or did we take it by force or other means from another house at some point in the timeline?

I would lean towards the former. My rationale is:

- Osimir is not an obvious gold mine
- A house that "failed" to control it may be seen as a canary in the coal mine by other would-be governors
- As experts on planetary conditions it would be difficult for an outsider to take the planet from us by force

That said, 4,000 years is a long time to control the planet without incident, so I would buy-in to a narrative that suggests we came into it more recently. In that case, I would guess that the planet had been somehow taken by force, or else "given" to us by the coercive mandate of a capricious emperor.

What if another house was there previously after terraforming, but pulled a Roanoke, and when someone from our house went looking for them all they found was what they left behind, so we claimed it for ourselves?

Something like this gives a lot of opportunity for plot hooks.  I like it.

Seconded, that's really interesting. Should we come up with the canonical explanation for the prior house's disappearance (even if our characters don't know it), or perhaps leave it a mystery that may be uncovered through play?

If we went that route, I could see us inheriting the planet sometime in the 7-8,500 A.G. window.

Roanoke equivalent?

Love it.

That is a nice little piece, I concur.

What is that symbol? Seaweed?

In reply to Eklo (msg # 103):

"Our logo was designed by Richard Graef, one of our early exhibit designers. He was looking at kelp fronds and got inspired to make some sketches. Richard knew ... that our crown jewel was the Kelp Forest exhibit."

It is certainly a nice bit of graphic design. But I don't know about y'all, but kelp doesn't exactly scream powerful and respected House symbol to me.

lol

:p

Muad'dib wasn't a name that screamed for power and respect. Paul chose that name because muad'dib is wise in the ways of the desert. Muad'dib is the teacher of children. Muad'dib makes his own water.

Also worth noting: some house crests that we know well are traditional symbols of power like the Atreides Eagle or the Corrino Lion. But, there are other canonical crests such as the "Lamp of Knowledge" of House Richese or the "Helix" of House Vernius. The crest tells a story about the house; we get to choose the story.

Anyway, I'm totally down to consider alternatives!
This message was last edited by the player at 23:46, Mon 15 Apr.

In reply to Eklo (msg # 105):

"Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of Rhodophyta (red), Phaeophyta (brown) and Chlorophyta (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; other species, such as planktonic algae, play a vital role in capturing carbon and producing at least 50% of Earth's oxygen.

Though commonly called seaweed, Sargassum is a type of macroalgae. Like all algae, it produces oxygen. Based on 1975 measurements of oxygen production, and estimates of the total mass of Sargassum in the sea, it can be calculated that the Sargasso Sea may produce 2.2 billion litres of O₂ per hour. This makes it a very important part of global ecology."
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 02:17, Tue 16 Apr.

Chinese civilization is also roughly 4,000 years old. Keep in mind that the Faufreluches period was a time of great conservatism. Commitment to traditional values and ideas, with opposition to change or innovation, is the norm.

In reply to Vidad (msg # 98), Farok (msg # 99), Loyxo (msg # 100), and Eklo (msg # 101):

That is all Roanoke-dokey with me. I think the mystery should be left for play. Entire chapters can be devoted to past events, after all. Part of the joy of being relatively new to your siridar fief is discovering all its secrets... else all its secrets discovering you.

The Roanoke thing sounds amazing and full of potential... and essentially the whole place is water so anything could be hidden in those depths.

For heraldry, so far I'm partial to the merlion or something equivalent. Maybe a compass (though not very heraldic?)



As for how long a civilization needs to flourish... huuuuge topic. I'd say let's not overthink it as there's very few precedents in history (probably China and Japan being the outliers), but if it's also artificially stifled then that's another question entirely. Also, since we're technically "nomadic" that could also impede large-scale technological industry, no?

I love the compass rose suggestion! It has seen a lot of use as a sort of heraldry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...s_rose#Use_as_symbol

So, do we want votes on House symbol and age of House?

I think everyone is onboard with the Roanoke-style planet acquisition.

I will call for votes when warranted, thank you. I know everyone is eager, but we are currently jumping all over the place.


Even if not, it has become fact as far as I am concerned. I would fail in my duty as Shai Hulud were I to not seize such a lovely idea and run with it.

The age of our House is a thing apart from its length of time in possession of Osimir. The histories of most Houses are lies, partial fabrications at best, with very few facts to support them. Even as melange made it possible for people to live longer — a generation gradually doubling in length to roughly fifty years for those at society's apex — the loss of computer-based recordkeeping means that a great deal of information has been lost or mythologized (such as the Atreides claim of descent from legendary Mycenaen kings). Some of the time periods useful in fabricating just such a history:

1. The Old Empire (c.2,500 to 8th century BG)
   
2. Time Of Titans (1287 to 1182 BG)
   
3. Rule Of Omnius (1182 to 201 BG)
   
4. Butlerian Jihad (201 to 108 BG)
   
5. Seige Of Corrin (108 to 88 BG)
   
6. Foundation Of Imperium (88 to 5 BG)
   
7. Galactic Civil War (5 BG to 1 AG)
   
8. Rise Of The Great Schools (1 AG onward)
   
   From here on out, things are easiest dated by centuries or millennia AG.
   
   
9. Establishment Of The Guild Peace (1st century AG)
   
10. Establishment Of The Great Convention (3rd century AG)
    
11. The Salusa Incident (c. 2,000 AG)
    
12. Rediscovery Of Osimir (4,701 AG)

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:08, Fri 19 Apr.

Really wish Dune had a House history questionnaire like the clean history questionnaire from Sartar: Kingdom Of Heroes The house history generator from A Song Of Ice And Fire Roleplaying isn't a horrid substitute, although it is terribly vague. The timeline of Westeros is comparable to that of Dune, however, in terms of total years.

I wouldn't say no to a quick side-game of Microscope to help establish House history.

(Joking. Unless...)

I'm up for Microscope too, haven't played in a while (and never PbP so that will be interesting)

ASOIAF, uuugh, please let's not use that. I was so excited to try it out and play and I got disappointed on every front. Like. Literally everything.

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 117):

The house history generator from A Song Of Ice And Fire Roleplaying would only give us the general tenor of the major events which shaped our House — Ascent, Catastrophe, Conquest, Defeat, Descent, Doom, Favor, Glory, Infrastructure, Invasion/Revolt, Madness, Scandal, Treachery, Victory, Villain, Windfall — the details would be up to us. System-related details would be totally meaningless in a 2D20 context.

In reply to Loyxo (msg # 116):

Microscope and Universalis are certainly collaborative tools I have considered, though we needn't anything so structured necessarily. SIFRP's house history would only give us a rough idea of events and the order in which they occurred, and we can always opt to order the events to our own liking if the rolled events make more sense that way.

Ascent: An advantageous marriage, a great deed for a liege lord, or heroism in a decisive battle can all improve the fortunes of a noble house. If this is your first historical event, it indicates that your house was raised from the commoners by marriage or through some great act that warranted your elevation to a noble house. Otherwise, ascent indicates that your house participated in some key historical event that improved their fortunes.

Catastrophe: A result of catastrophe usually indicates a natural disaster, such as an outbreak of plague, blight, or drought, any of which can diminish your population and ability to control your lands. If catastrophe is your first historical event, it means your family may have gained their status through dubious or tragic means, perhaps replacing the previous lords who were wiped out during the catastrophe or were a lesser branch that rose in station as they inherited the holdings of their kin.

Conquest: Your family fought and defeated an enemy, annexing their lands and holdings to their own. With such a victory comes the trouble of old loyalties, weakening your house’s hold and influence over the commoners. If conquest is your first historical event, you gained your noble status by defeating another lord or landed knight.

Defeat: Your family fought a war or smaller conflict but was defeated, losing status, precious resources, and influence. If defeat is your first roll, your family might have been swallowed up by another house and forced to marry into a lesser branch until your original bloodline became all but extinct.

Descent: Whether from a poor marriage, a downturn in trade, or a series of tragic losses in a conflict, your house entered a period of decline. If descent is your first roll, your house was probably born from a poor marriage—a desperate lord wedding his daughter to a merchant prince—or of a major branch becoming extinct, leaving the holdings to a lesser branch to rule.

Doom: Easily the worst possible result, your house suffered a terrible series of mishaps, disasters, and tragedies that nearly erased your family. Depending on the era, doom might be of a technologic origin — enslavement by the thinking machines or falling to the Omnius Scourge. In more recent eras, doom would be purely natural, combining the results of several downturns into one catastrophic setback. For a first historical event, your family might have clawed their way out of the ashes of a destroyed house, maybe being loyal retainers or even just commoners that seized the old lord’s holdings.

Favor: Your family gained the favor of some powerful individual or body. As a result, their fortunes improved, and they climbed in standing. This favor might also result from the naming of a family member to high rank in the Army Of The Jiaad or attaining a directorship in CHOAM. Should favor be your first historical result, the Emperor likely raised your family to nobility.

Glory: A family wins glory through a military victory, personal achievement, or by a great act of heroism. Glory is similar to ascent, but it focuses on one figure in your family’s past. The result of this individual’s deeds advances your family’s standing in the eyes of its peers. Generally, glory as a first historical event should imply that your house was formed as a reward for the great acts of their founder.

Infrastructure: Infrastructure describes a period of peace and prosperity, a moment in your house’s history remembered for growth and expansion. If infrastructure is your first result, your house was born during a period of expansion under your lord or king’s rule.

Invasion/Revolt: An invasion or revolt marks a period of collapse, destruction, and ruin. Most of these results come from an external invasion by an enemy house, but it can also stem from a period of inept rule that led to a widespread revolt by the commoners. Invasion/revolt as a first historical event means your house was born from the strife and came to power in the aftermath.

Madness: Inbreeding, fell secrets, disease, or mental defects can produce derangement and madness among any people of Westeros, including its rulers. A madness historical event indicates that a particular figure suffered from some insanity, producing unpredictable results, with positive or negative outcomes. If this was your first result, your family was instead raised by an insane individual as appropriate to the period of your first founding.

Scandal: Your family was involved in some disaster, a scandal that haunts them still. Good options include insurrection, failed conspiracies, and so on. In the case of your first roll, the scandal created your family as a way of covering up the crime.

Treachery: Either you suffered the results of treachery or you were involved in committing a treacherous act. In either case, the historical event stains your family’s name. Should treachery be your first result, you gained your house by means of some dark deed, possibly betraying another lord or noble.

Victory: You family achieved an important victory over their enemies. Foes could include pirates, slavers, thinking machines, or a rival house. In any event, your family rose in prominence and power because of their victory. As an initial historical event roll, this victory was so great that your family was raised to nobility.

Villain: Your family produced a character of unspeakable cruelty and wickedness, a villain whose name is still whispered with dread. Such a character might have committed terrible crimes in his home, killed guests under his roof, or was simply just a bad person. A villain as a first roll usually wins this position by dint of his evil, possibly murdering a rival and seizing his identity or birthright.

Windfall: A windfall is a boon, a blessing that catapults your family into fame (or infamy). Possible results could be an advantageous marriage, a gift from the Emperor, discovery of new resources on one’s lands, and more. If windfall is your first historical event, you won your lands by attaining a victory at a tournament, performing a great act, or something else of the like.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:27, Thu 18 Apr.

Like player-characters, our House has five skills:

Battle is the military power of the House. It represents the quality of the training and equipment of the House’s soldiers, spacecraft, and weapons, etc. But it really represents the tactical skill of its lieutenants and generals and how well-placed and positioned its military.

Communicate is a measure of the House’s diplomatic reputation and the favors it is owed. It also represents the acumen of its various envoys, spies, and diplomats across the Imperium. It is used when trying to exert influence in the court or the Landsraad.

Discipline shows the loyalty of the people and forces at its command. If it cannot trust its people, there is a strong chance the House will not have the support it needs to act. It will also make it easier for the enemies of the House to plant false information, spies, and rumors. How the House maintains this loyalty is up to its ruler. Both House Atreides and House Harkonnen command high levels of Discipline from their subjects. But where the Atreides are loved by their people, the Harkonnens are feared. Discipline might be used just before any House action to ensure there are no internal problems that will endanger the mission.

Move is a measure of the House’s response time for any crisis. It is determined by the amount of well-placed agents and resources across the Imperium. The ability to Move is not restricted to weapons and war. A well-placed diplomat can respond to allegations made against the House quickly before they become more damaging.

Understand shows the level of academic excellence the House can rely on. This might be in terms of new scientific research or advanced art and craft. It is a vital skill when developing a new project or trying to upgrade and improve the technology the House has available.

Skill values are chosen from the array 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. Each value can only be assigned to one skill.

Off the cuff, I might assign values this way:

8: Understand

Our primary domain is highly technical, and one of our frontier secondary domains will entail a great deal of applied research.

7: Move

Generations of our house have had to contend with the mercurial and violent natural conditions of Osimir. We have internalized this state of being and treat the greater imperium as though it were equally complex and threatening.

6: Communicate

To some extent, our primary domain is commoditized. Our ability to work the other houses of the Landsraad is a critical x-factor to grow our economic position.

5: Discipline

Perhaps a necessary trait for those who survive the natural environment of Osimir, our people are relatively entrepreneurial and value some amount of sanctioned autonomy.

4: Battle

Probably a controversial choice, but my rationale here is that we are an economic power and Osimir is a relatively easy planet to defend. The double edge is that we may be safer from assault but also less inclined to develop our military capabilities.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Thu 18 Apr.

A random roll dates our House's origins to around the time of the Rise Of The Great Schools. The event rolled is Windfall. My suggestion is that our House's elevation to noble status came as a result of the Venport Holdings' dissolution in the Galactic Civil War. Its lucrative suspensor-production assets were gifted to our House's founders by Emperor Roderick Corrino, along with the rights to use all Venport suspensor patents free of licensing fees in perpetuity.

The next significant milestone occurred during the Establishment Of The Guild Peace. The event rolled is Victory. I suggest that our House had to defend their patent rights against a rival House seeking to seize our House's production capability. A legal battle in the Landsraad was won by our House, leading said rival House to attempt a full-scale invasion. However, they were thwarted by the Spacing Guild's refusal to transport their troops.

The next significant milestone occurred during the time of the Salusa Incident, the first major test of the Great Convention. The event rolled is Treachery. I suggest that our House gave succor to those members of renegade House Tantor seeking to elude justice for their horrific act of nuclear terrorism. Whatever our reasons, that treacherous act is still remembered and held in contempt by some members of House Corrino and the Landsraad.

The next significant milestone occurred circa 5,700 AG when our House was joining its leige's to celebrate the completion of Osimir's terraforming. The event rolled is Catastrophe. The ruling lineage of our House, of which we were originally but a cadet branch, disappeared under unknown circumstances. The fate of the vanished families remains unknown to this day, although investigation proved our cadet branch was innocent in the matter. Our branch was elevated to the ruling lineage of House Kirish in full and retained possession of the siridar fief of Osimir.

No comments or questions regarding msg #125, msg #126, msg #127, and msg #127?

In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 129):

I'm stewing in the history, but I thought I should give others the chance to post about msg #123 before I go further

Our primary is the applied domain, whereas that secondary is more theoretical in nature. Breakthroughs in Holtzman Effect research haven't really occurred since the days of Norma Cenva 10,000 years ago.


An excellent observation. And even with advanced prediction and control capabilities, weather remains chaotic at best. No systems or models are 100% accurate, even on a garden world like Old Earth before it was glassed. On worlds like Osimir or Arrakis, opposite climatological extremes, things stay... interesting.


Good and valid points.


Plus the surfing is tubular. Like, bitchin'. Totally rad.


The defensibility of Osimir is its strength militarily. The same satellites that dampen the cyclonic forces can also be used to heighten them, making invasion difficult at best. Anyone not a part of the House armed forces is part of the House militia, akin to Britain's Home Guard during the Second World War or the US's National Guard.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:43, Fri 19 Apr.

I've been dealing with a sick cat all week, sorry for the delay.

125/126: We have the founding of our house via windfall at the end of the galactic civil war, rise of the guilds.  Within century later we achieve a great victory.  Maybe the windfall was military tech?  It's far enough in our history to not matter so much.

127.  I'll come back to this one.

128.  Yes a significant branch of the house should absolutely disappear at that time in a Roanoke-like incident.  Given it's timing with the completion of terraforming it seems like a good idea to tie in the storms on the planet with this.

Perhaps the terraforming did not subdue the storms as well as expected and our original fortress home on the planet was lost without a trace (even the landmass was gone) in the first two years.  This is why our house stronghold is now able to relocate itself with repulsors.

This event shifted our houses former military focus to a more economic one.

I am here, mulling over the rolls and the fact we're not really who we say we are (which matters little of course). But I don't have much to add honestly.

In reply to Farok (msg # 132):

Hope the kitty feels better soon, the poor thing!

Our House's focus has never really been military in nature, given its domains involving consumer suspensors, Grand Prix racing, and theoretical physics. The suspensor-related windfall ties in with our House's primary domain and establishes what we're most famous for. A legal victory can certainly be just as important as a military one.

The original fortress home, all the settlements, were found completely intact. No evidence of violence or disaster, natural or otherwise. The people just vanished for no apparent reason. The mystery may factor into the campaign, should the player-characters seek answers.

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 133):

Not who we say we are? In what way?

The total population of Osimir is somewhere between two and three million people, best estimate. The US state of Utah is at the top end of that range, by way of comparison; the US city of Chicago is roughly in the middle. Is that our House's total population, or are they somewhat smaller with the remainder made up of vassals and/or independents?

Well, how dense do we want our population centers on the various islands? Are we going Hawaiian tranquility, or Hive city, due to lack of space? That would dictate the overall population of the planet, no?

It would make sense to have a combination.

Hive City for the middle and the biggest moving center and most people, while there could be smaller "flying cottages" all over the place for people who either want tranquility, prefer it, or their job involves large areas of water.

Great place to hide Black Ops labs...

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 138):

So-called 'flying cottages' are far too expensive and unstable to be practical. Doesn't mean building such a palace is out of the question, though it's more a matter of conspicuous consumption than anything else. Only the nobility have that kind of disposable income, and any reasonable architect would call it folly to think such an edifice could survive Osimir's storms if weather control ever failed. The energy cost to raise one to a sufficient altitude to escape cyclonics is prohibitive, to say the least. Solid ground and shields are the default. After a few thousand years' experience on the planet, underwater would be safer.

In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 139):

The next significant milestone occurred circa 7,200 AG. The event rolled is Doom. Natural disaster, human folly, and freak chance collided, nearly resulting in the eradication of our entire House. A malfunction of Osimir's weather-control network whips an otherwise-unremarkable tropical storm into a self-sustaining hurricane of apocalyptic proportion. Inept response to the developing crisis nigh transforms it into an extinction-level event. A lone young scientist repurposed an early, failed prototype of Holtzman's — the alloy-resonance generator — to destroy the orbiting satellites and ultimately the storm.

The last significant milestone occurred roughly twenty-five years ago. The event is Glory. Whilst visiting Kaitain on business with the Landsraad, a member of our House foiled an attempt to assassinate the Imperial family at great personal risk. The Imperial heir recalled this event on the occasion of his ascension to the Golden Lion Throne three years ago.

If you haven't launched your kiteboard off a 400 meter wave in the middle of a bomb cyclone, have you really even touched the ocean?

On population density (msg #136, #137, #138):

I picture at least one high density city - like a Taipei - and relatively sparse settlements everywhere else. It seems like there needs to be at least one high-density urban center to support our Holtzman Effect-related industrial endeavors.

On flying accommodations (msg #138, #139):

My earlier thought was that it would be the ostentatious aspect of our House palace/castle/etc. (probably not something that the common people would have access to). Our wealth would probably afford us this conspicuous luxury, and it would be a striking display of the technology we are in the business of selling.

That said, an underwater palace (or even a city?) sounds intriguing as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Sat 20 Apr.

In reply to Loyxo (msg # 142):



It worked for Naboo. Also Prince Namor, Aquaman, and the Legion of Doom!

I've been offline for a couple of days, just catching up now. I have nothing to complain about here; it all looks like it's coming together in a very interesting way. Is there any specific feedback you need to keep things moving?

Do we want to add any more events to our House history?

Any thoughts on the six historical milestones I generated?

Nothing from me!

I think everything is covered so far, as far as house generation is concerned. I am surprised that the ASOIAF generator worked, but then again that was one of its best parts, and it's very dependent on a good interpreter to make sense!

I think it's really helpful to give some history of the house - maybe it adds some names to events once we get to our characters but other than my notes earlier I don't have anything else.

FYI, I'm traveling for the next week - I should still be able to post but may be at weird times or on my phone.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Thu 25 Apr.

It does assume a certain familiarity with the setting to flesh things out properly, but it givesa great sense of a House's place in the established lore. Fortunately I know my Dune canon, and the two settings have commonalities.

No trouble. I don't tend to post on anything like a regular schedule, myself.

In reply to Shai Hulud (msg # 131), Loyxo (msg # 124), and Shai Hulud (msg # 123):

Minimal commentary on this particular thread-within-a-thread. Does everyone concur with Loyxo's assessment?

Recap so no one has to go hunting for these...

Sorry for my silence these past few days. I'm gearing up to sell my comic as a vendor at a convention this weekend.

I'll try to catch up by Monday at the latest.

In reply to Eklo (msg # 152):

Enjoy your convention-going, hope sales exceed your expectations!

Back from convention!

Didn't quite hit our goal, but they are always fun to attend and meet new people.

And I like the history stuff. Gives us a good shared foundation, and enough variation to be interesting.

What is the next step?

The key thing is tying the House to the setting so that its history feels as compelling as those of Houses Atreides, Corrino, and Harkonnen. We definitely have room for a few more historical events; Ideally I would like each of you to develop one with me, or jointly work one out as a group. We don't have to flesh out every detail, those will mostly be lost to time... or suitable flashback plotlines.


Deciding on House skills should be next, summarized in msg #151 above. Loyxo gave us an excellent take, to which I replied way back in msg #131, but each of you may have your own priorities. A low rating in Discipline, for example, could mean our House is constantly having to keep their vassals in check, whether that means putting out brushfire rebellions or preventing them from selling our industrial secrets to competitors.

Someone who wants our House to be shrewd negotiators, as skilled in commerce as diplomacy, might give Communicate the highest rating and shift Understand lower. Someone who adores the notion of our Scientific domain mostly being the province of self-promoting showmen and neurodivergent geniuses rather than a tradition of academic excellence might give Understand a low score and rate Battle higher. A perplexing plethora of permutations possible, alliteratively speaking,

I agree with Loyxo's assessment, actually. Another alternative might be

8 Move (focusing on the "always moving" aspect and the whole "being on the right place at the right time" which ties in with the last event as well)
7 Understand (Solid grasp of science but we're not really cutting-edge, we're making strides though)
6 Discipline (We have a firm grasp on our people but we're not indoctrinating them; we're just good employers)
5 Communicate (We're building on that, but we are an upstart House and bound to step on some toes)
4 Battle (We focus too much on the individual and location, location, location, and we never really had to bother with war, that our military is advanced but small)

'One step ahead of the competition' would be a good metaphor here.


New Holtzman research would be about as cutting-edge as one can get, if there were new breakthroughs made. There's been none since the days of Norma Cenva, and by all rational standards she was a freak. There hasn't been a mind like hers before or since. Your Holtzman research pays off in the tiniest of increments — more efficient power use, miniaturization, etc. Anything big would require huge investment of House resources to develop and would be a campaign arc all its own.


Less a noble house than a corporate hierarchy?


House Kirish's upstart days are 10,000 years behind it, unless you want that massive disaster 2,600 years ago to have essentially knocked our House back to Nascent status. The slow climb back up from near-extinction could be an entire campaign in itself!


A rating that low says the opposite of advanced-but-small. More like large-and-poorly-trained-and-incompetently-lead.

Well upstart not in the sense of how old we are (that little, umm, change of guard notwithstanding...) but more like us trying to grasp beyond our means.

Or for Battle 4, maybe just small, poorly trained and with lots of shiny toys XD

Is there potentially a way to distribute them more equally, or do we have to do 8-7-6-5-4? I kind of always disliked extremes, but not super picky here.

But, again, just a suggestion, I'm up for any distribution.

You needn't desire power, wealth, and influence, truth be told. Every other House will assume you do regardless, and act accordingly.


Ah, shiny toys in the hands of weekend warriors. Corporate team-building masquerading as military training. Such fodder, for both cannons and tragedy on a massive scale.


The numbers reflect the level of priority assigned to each area, and the extremes are where the stories are typically found. You'll face similar arrays in character creation. Characters in Dune tend to be specialists rather than generalists. I'm open to discussion, though.

Just because of the nature of our world, wouldn't we need highly trained soldiers? Or at least beyond what a typical House might need, even if it is only a small force, would need to be an amphibious force at the very least, if not heavily reliant on mechanized transport ala a navy or air force.

Just to get around and deal with the terrain and weather, we'd need like...paratrooper Marines, right?

In reply to Eklo (msg # 160):

You have yet to settle on final values for Battle, Communicate, Disciple, Move, and Understand. The two suggestions both give Battle, which represents the extent to which our House effectively trains its troops, the lowest possible rating. Doesn't mean you lack materiel, especially troops and vehicles using suspensors, just that they aren't well-trained.

8. Discipline
7. Understand
6. Battle
5. Move
4. Communicate

Any particular reason for this? This is the loyalty of our people and troops, it doesn't make them more effective. They support the House and its policies, that's all. There may still be protests, strikes, and so forth, but they'll be peaceful and nonviolent.


Again, any particular reason? This could potentially cripple our House's ability to advertise its products, negotiate favorable trade deals, and engage in diplomacy. It's also how well we manage our reputation and how influential we are in the Landsraad. Need to build a coalition to oppose Harkonnen aggression or protest a new system of tariffs? Communicate.

8. Of all the conflicts that we face, I would hope the loyalty and support of our people and our world would be the least of them.

4. I'm used to playing Cha as a dump stat. ;)

In all seriousness, its just the unfortunate result of prioritizing other things.

In reply to Eklo (msg # 164):

It's your fellow players you need to convince, not me. I'm merely pointing out the pros and cons of particular choices. I can always assign the numbers myself, if you all don't reach a consensus. ~_^

Hi all, I'm not online much at the moment as my special needs son is currently in the hospital with a respiratory infection. I'm happy to run with whatever folks agree on until my return, which will hopefully be soon. Thanks for your patience.

Don't worry about us, Vidad. Here's to your son's swift recovery.

8. Discipline
7. Understand
6. Communicate
5. Move
4. Battle

Where we are currently at in choosing House skills:

Eklo	Farok	Kwyna	Loyxo	Vidad
Discipline	Discipline	Understand	Understand	n/a	8
Understand	Understand	Move	Move	n/a	7
Battle	Communicate	Communicate	Communicate	n/a	6
Move	Move	Discipline	Discipline	n/a	5
Communicate	Battle	Battle	Battle	n/a	4

Kwyna:

I agree with Loyxo's assessment, actually.

I'm happy with Loxyo's ordering.

If we add values up, we get the totals below. Could argue for swapping Move and Communicate on the basis of Communicate having three votes at 6 what with Move being more a split decision.

Understand = 7 + 7 + 8 +8 = 30
Discipline = 8 + 8 + 5 + 5 = 26
Move = 7 + 7 + 5 + 5 = 24
Communicate = 4 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 22
Battle = 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 18

Well, this average looks fine to me.

Looks to me like Loyxo got three votes though, which would be the majority.

I didn't want to do a simple majority thing, since this is a bit more elaborate. This to me is more effective and collective, an amalgamation of everyone's contributions.

Loyxo has not checked in or contributed for more than two weeks. I have therefore removed them from the game.

Given how slow the discussion has become, is there any reason to continue? Interest seems to have totally waned.

I'm still totally invested.

I still am, and that's saying a lot since I've actually read the book and wasn't particularly impressed with the system XD

I'll be honest and say that I thought the reason we were taking so long to jump in is that you as the GM wanted to weed out the unreliable folk. Which I don't mind at all.

There frankly is no 'jumping in' with Dune apart from using Agents Of Dune and having the House and characters already established. The process of House creation is neither quick nor easy if you want a solid foundation for one's campaign. An original House requires time and effort to fit into the setting. Dune isn't generic science-fiction or space opera. You need to have a clear idea how one's House fits into the greater scheme of things. I've tried to give a sense of the collaboration we'd have in a face-to-face game, but it's easier to achieve consensus around a table than it is in play-by-post.

Don't really have a choice, though. None of the previous attempts at rules for a Dune roleplaying game were complete.

I'm definitely here and if I was slow it was due to my travel, not disinterest.

Oh I don't disagree at all, if anything it feels a lot faster (mechanics-wise) then ASOIAF and to be fair I did have a blast using those rules (though the end result was often pretty confusing- looking at you, castles and villages!).

Honestly I picked up the older Dune set at some point but didn't get to read it, will eventually get to that for my (never-ending...) research.

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 181):

The 'older Dune set' was Dune: Chronicles Of The Imperium. It used Decipher's CODA system, the same one as their Star Trek and Lord Of The Rings games.

Aaah yes, I had read some ST, which explains why it felt familiar.

Funny how ST and Dune seem to end up in the same systems, though they are diametrically opposed philosophy wise!

In reply to Kwyna (msg # 183):

Federation culture is certainly not at all like Imperial culture. Dune's setting has more in common with Star Trek's aliens and adversaries.

So, if that stuff was decided by averages, what is the next step?

Hello, I will be on vacation from tomorrow until Sunday, so I can post on Monday!

Next up is choosing two House traits. Traits are a type of Asset, akin to Aspects in FATE. Any member of a House can call upon its traits, as well as their own personal traits, to decrease the Difficulty of a task. Various examples: Atreides (Honorable, Popular), Corrino (Imperial, Wealthy), Harkonnen (Brutal, Cunning), Moritani (Independent, Vengeful).

Other possible traits: Ambitious, Amoral, Artistic, Competitive, Creative, Cruel, Cutthroat, Deceptive, Determined, Diligent, Discreet, Dogmatic, Expansionist, Faithful, Impartial, Industrious, Innovative, Just, Passionate, Pragmatic, Refined, Respected, Respectful, Resourceful, Righteous, Secretive, Subtle, Unthreatening. These are only a select few potential traits, the list is basically endless.

I like Industrious and Respected.

Ambitious could tie into our Science (Understanding) secondary domain as well as build a reputation for being an 'upstart House' as someone suggested previously.

Innovative could tie into our Industrial (Produce) primary domain and cement our reputation as the manufacturer of choice for consumer suspensor goods and a source of cutting-edge Holtzman Effect research.

Secretive would give us a reputation for keeping a tight lid on our proprietary knowledge and manufacturing processes, and implies effective defenses against industrial espionage and sabotage.

Determined and Pragmatic could both reflect the pioneering spirit of a House settled on a planet with the sort of climate that rivals Arrakis in its extremity. Heck, could call it Pioneering and apply it to research as well as lifestyle.

I like Resourceful and Innovative.

Industrious is pretty good too.

My votes are for Innovative and Determined. I like how we can "tag" the first to come up with wonky solutions (as long as they're not techno-babbly, but I'm ok with McGyvering stuff), and the second to doggedly pursue our goals.

I found a couple other sources for the name Kirish. One is derived from the Elamite word Kuraš , which became Old Persian Kuruš, Farsi Kūroš, Hebrew Koresh, Greek Kȳros, and Latin Cyrus. There are several Central Asian villages named Kurush or some variant thereof.

The Quraysh were a mercantile Arab tribe that historically inhabited and controlled Mecca and its Ka'aba. The kuruş was a unit of currency in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey.  Köräş (anglicized as Kurash) refers to a number of folk wrestling styles practiced in Central Asia.