[Neus]

DOMRAYE

Sigil: A black crow sitting in a nest of Zeran horns.
House Domraye's sigil, which depicts a crow roosting in a nest of Zeran horns, is less ominous than it seems. The crow is often associated with foresight and intelligence, and as diviners, the Domraye have similar qualities, using their occult magic to steer away from misfortune much like the crow in mythology.

Colors: Silver, black, purple.
The primary, silvery sheen of the Domraye reminds of the polished mirrors they carry with them. Black and purple serve as complimentary colors.

Heirloom: Margeaenne
A nine-pointed standing mirror, it was created by polishing broken portions of Zera's carapace until they were reflective and thin, and is rumored to also have a large shard of the legendary Dragon's Mirror. While this mirror is technically broken, the pieces have been shaped in such a way that it appears to be seamless and fits very tightly together. This mirror is how the Domraye communicate with what they believe to be the second coming of Zera, a goddess named Ereshkigal.

Size: Large
House Domraye's core members are not particularly numerous, but they have much in the way of lower members, in part due to their 'new religion' earning them a lot of supporters.

Stronghold: Evenstar
Located on a tall hill in the west of Alstalsia, Evenstar is a stone fortress with a large central tower in its walls. The top of this tower is a large, flat room where Margeaenne is stored, and it's more similar to a roof than a chamber. Its outside is decorated by a globe of stained glass laid between a sparse stone framework, and it is the most eye-catching part of the entire structure. This globe can retract with some mechanism, opening up the top to the sky, and it's said that the Domraye do this during special ceremonies involving Ereshkigal.

Evenstar is a short distance away from the Domraye-ruled town of Dragonfield, the second most popular town with tourists on Alstalsia, losing only to the capital. Dragonfield is named such due to the history of the location. The field part of Dragonfield is very large, nowadays filled with farms and plantations, but once upon a time, it was simply a field with many rainbow-colored plants. During Heaven's Contention, the field was, at one point, razed by the firey breath of a dragon, which filled the air with a pleasantly smell, rather than the choking, ashy smoke you would expect from such a scene. The plants were revealed to have uses the natives were unaware of, and in common times, they are used to produce spice and incense. On some days, when a strong wind is about, the entire air is filled with a unique, relaxing scent.

Values:
The Domraye are the most social of all the Alstalain royal houses, and seeing as how people are more willing to accept your beliefs if they like you, the ones who rise to the highest positions are often those with a lot of charisma. At the top level, however, what House Domraye ultimately values is what Ereshkigal commands, and this varies from time to time. Some whispers from the upper echelon suggest that the true goal is to summon her to Sigrogana, rumors that the other houses and even other factions, such as the Church Knights, take seriously enough to consider the Domraye very dangerous if left unchecked. Added onto the relucatance of most Zerans to accept any but Zera as the true god of Alstalsia and it comes as no surprise that the relationship they share with other Houses is tense or neutral at best.

History:
House Domraye has a long and storied history as diviners, some tales even dating back to before The Enlightenment, where an ancient Domraye ancestor originally sealed the great dragon spirit inside of the Dragon Mirror. This would make sense, considering that House Domraye used a shard of it to create their Heirloom. They rose to the status of royal house roughly 50 years ago, after a large swell of foreign support; similar to the Tyrmela, but in the Domraye's case, it is due more to the religion they preach, rather than diplomatic acumen.

Politically, House Domraye has remained very clean, which has no doubt played a part in the positive image they have, but has given them a less glorified past than the other houses. Still, House Domraye's strength lies in looking towards the future they are hoping to create, rather than the past.