House Tepet

The Air Stained By the Blood of Legions

Before the Realm there was the Shogunate, the divided period of warring between the Dragon-Blooded states of the Isle. In the Shogunate there were many competing daimyo in service to the military authority of the Shogun, and among them was the Daimyo Tepet, the Ataman of Pneuma, a powerful warrior-poet ruler of a confederacy of northern marcher-states. In the youth of the Realm, he took up arms against the Empress and laid siege to her for a year and a day before he conceded. He bowed before the Empress to offer his head, if only she would spare his soldiers. Instead, she married him, and raised a Great House in his honor.

House Tepet is the oldest Great House, the very first to be elevated, in honor of the Old General. They have spent the centuries cultivating their relationship to their ancient traditions and their roots in the Shogunate and the north. Only Cathak rivals the glory of Tepet’s Legions. Only Peleps rivals their heroism and romantic reputation. None rival their discipline and focus.

WARNING. In RY 675, House Tepet is devastated in the Battle of Futile Blood and reduced to a mockery of itself, struggling to recover from the loss of a full quarter of its membership in a failed campaign in the North. This will be during the course of our story.

Why Play a Tepet?

House Tepet is all about heritage. They are the heirs of an ancient tradition and code that is older than the Realm itself, and expect and demand that this tradition be respected. In the modern era, House Tepet is about failure. They are devastated by a crippling loss and must fight tooth-and-claw to survive without being devoured by their rivals.

Play a Tepet if you want to inherit the bushido of an ancient society; if you want to be a divine armiger or a yamabushi spirit-scout; if you want to play someone whose family and life is devastated in a massive event beyond their control; or if you want to examine the relationship between your personal creed and the goals of your House.

What Do You Know?

Tepet characters have an increased awareness of the following topics:

• You have a broad knowledge of politics in the Tepet holdings. You can name all the major players, their duties, and their allegiances. Likewise, you can name the leaders of the Legions and their great acts.
• Your childhood lessons focused on the ancient traditions of your House, and emphasized the importance of heritage. You have a broad knowledge of history, and can name the important figures, rebellions, and techniques of the Realm’s history.
• You have trained from the time you could walk to inherit the Tepet forms and martial wisdom. You know the names, functions, and use of all weapons that are common in the Realm. You have studied several; describe your fighting style by giving it a name like Seven Reeds Sword or Ascending Phoenix Knife.
• All Tepet adults have a swearing ceremony when they receive their adult name. In this ceremony, they swear fealty to a Code: either to the Tepet Creed, or to any other code they choose. You know all the major codes and myths that inform Tepet culture. What is your code?