Zhargari
The Zhargari kin are the long-standing rulers of the Gorhad region. For centuries, the leader of their kin has sat on the Seat of Liberation, claiming the title of Khah, which entitles them as the king of all the land within the region of Gorhad.
As noble kins go, however, it is a rather recent addition to the roster. In 1000 AW (just south of 400 years before An Obrian Tragedy), Hadryad Zhargari, who would later be known to history as Hadryad I, led a revolution against the then-Khah of Gorhad, Vernon the Vile. After emerging victorious in the Battle of the Whirling Sands (1000 AW), Hadryad I Zhargari, the Rebel King, erected a wall around his safehaven, which is now where the city of Shanghala stands, and established the Zhargaris as the new ruling kin of the region.
The coat of arms is a tiger rampant wielding a black scimitar on a gold field. The black scimitar is symbolic of Hadryad I’s sword, Azadi.
Poroluc
The Poroluc kin is an ancient noble kin of Gorhad, once the Tusked Kings of the Rottas Plateau. They were historically one of the most formidable powers in the continent of Obria. Their seat resided within the inner-most keep of the Harssad, an impregnable fortress high on a mesa overlooking the city of Rotta, known as the Grotto.
A notable and recent achievement of the Poroluc kin was their near 130 year reign during the Era of the Tusk, spanning from 1239 AW to 1366 AW, until the Seat of Liberation was reclaimed by Darius I Zhargari, the Dark King, after a sixteen-year effort to reconquer Gorhad.
Although once a name which invoked great fear to the ears of nobles and layfolk alike, tragedy now surrounds the Poroluc kin. Since the death of Prottos III Poroluc at the hands of the Dark King, the Poroluc kin has been considered extinct by the bookkeepers from the Pillar of Eadala.
Their kin sigil is an statant fortified elephant atop a mountain on a field of red.
Dadan
The Dadan kin are the wealthiest family in the Obrian continent, who dwell the halls of the Dorado Keep in the eponymous port city of Dadan.
For centuries prior to the arrival of Hadryad I, they ruled the west of Gorhad as kings in their own right, and it was thus until the reign of Hadryus I (1141 AW – 1173 AW) that the Dadan kin finally bent the knee.
A defining aspect in the kin’s history is attributed to their founding of the Dadanian Bank, the cornerstone of the Obrian economy, and a key player in other economies across the seas. Though, by virtue of the Moyab Accord (1142 AW), the Dadanian Bank was entrusted to their cousin kin, the Dinaris. The Moyab Accord brought peace between the warring factions, and had the Dadans relinquish ownership of a substantial portion of their wealth, in return for more flexibility in regard to the liberties a dahn is granted when governing their lands.
The Dadan coat of arms is three statant giraffes on a field of green with yellow spots.
De Caldera
For as long as recorded history is concerned, the De Calderas have never submitted to the will of the Khah of Gorhad. Striclty speaking, they are not a kin of Gorhad, as they rule the region of Ferte, a volcanic island to the north of Gorhad. The island is sparse and largely inhospitable, save for the insulated and fortified haven of World’s End in the depths of the Ires.
To sit the Wrathrone, their seat of power, the contender must win the approval of the senators in the Court of Cinders. In order to become the next Signor of the Lakes (the kin leader) they must hold the Thorned Sword upright until the sun sets, and walk the Branding Bridge barefoot. These deeds are known as the Basalt Rites.
In terms of genetics, they are distant descendants of Tuni settlers, but it is a well-known fact amongst historians that Fertelian blood is a mixing-pot of Gorhadi and Tuni descent. However, due to the harsh environment they inhabit, they have often shielded themselves from the outdoors, and have lost the distinct Gorhadi dark skin.
Their sigil is a flaming caldera on a parted field of grey and red.
Not much else is known about the De Calderas and the Fertelians due to their isolationist culture.
Dinari
A cousin branch of the Dadan kin. The Dinaris are the heads of the Dadanian Bank, thus lacking a traditional seat of power. Nevertheless, they play a critical role in the politics of Gorhad.
Their kin leader, by convention, has been granted the role of Minister of Tribute, but this has not always been strictly adhered to (see the reigns of Hadryad III, and Prottos II).
Manasya
The Manasya kin form the largest naval fleet of the Four Faces. Although now they are fiercely loyal to the Zhargari kin, they posed a considerable threat to the various old kingdoms of Gorhad prior to the unification of the dahns in 1000 AW.
Manasya is an island directly south of Shanghala Bay, which has in recent times become a trading mid-point between ships coming from Tagaldir to Obria.
Their sigil is commonly reffered to as the anchor and the trident, representing their willingness to passivity but their fearlessness to a strong retaliation.
More entries to come!