YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN I'M GONNA RUN THIS NOTHING TOWN WATCH ME MAKE THEM BOW ONE BY ONE BY ONE
FERDIA
YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN YOUR SILENCE IS MY FAVOURITE SOUND WATCH ME MAKE THEM BOW ONE BY ONE BY ONE
ferdia; an ancient family of honour, wealth and royal blood of distant lands. unlike the many lesser families of their homelands, the ferdias did not claim their status through brute strength but strength of mind - knowledge is true power, charisma a weapon. you needn't lift a paw if you have pawns to handle the dirty work for you, and there is plenty of dirty work to be done to retain nobility. believing their cunning and prosperity to be the gifts of a long-shackled entity from the days of their ancestors, the ferdia traditionally revere the darkness, as they do their best work hidden in the shadows, though tradition has recently been cast aside in the wake of the recently-appointed patriarch, @Caderyn. all who are not ferdia or within the closest circle of confidants are, while often useful, inferior - why else would royalty exist if not for the peons under their rule?
under the guidance of caderyn, the ferdias only have one goal in mind - to rebuild their wealth and power in these new lands and restore the name ferdia to its rightful reputation as the name of noble sovereigns. there is nothing the family won't do in pursue of this ambition - save, of course, bringing deliberate harm to another ferdia. despite their callousness, the ferdia are sure to look after their own, offering rewards for those willingly under their service ( and punishment for the pretenders, the pawns that must be forced to comply).
CULTURE
Names are vitally important, especially family names. Generations of Ferdia have worked tirelessly to ensure the name commands fear, respect and awe in those who hear it. One of the family's main goals is to ensure the Ferdia name remains synonymous with power and glory. Blood Ferdia tend to have three or four names, such as Caderyn; servants or those employed by the family may also be given the Ferdia name should they prove worthy or useful enough, but it is not given lightly. Names are almost exclusively Celtic, and all blood members can speak Scottish Gaelic.
The needs of the Ferdia always comes first. The family do not care who or what they must manipulate, seduce or destroy to do it, though most will generally pick the path of least resistance. They tend to look down on those not within the family, even pity them, but are protective and close with their kin - without each blood member of Ferdia, the name and its prestige would disappear into nothing.
The Family is lead by an atriarch, usually the oldest son of the previous atriarch, though if no sons are available the oldest daughter will be given the role. The heir is appointed as soon as possible and is raised from birth to excel in every field of knowledge possible and to hold their own in a fight; anything less than perfection is a disgrace to the Ferdia name. To go against the atriarch's orders without solid proof that it will harm the family or its reputation is likely to result in shunning and even complete disownment or death in some cases. An atriarch can be overthrown by another as long as they are a Ferdia and can defeat the atriarch in a challenge, usually a fight to the death.
Ferdias are particular with their breeding. Only the atriarch and a few selected Ferdias (usually blood Ferdias) are permitted to take partners and have cubs, to ensure the quality of progeny adding to the Ferdia name. Any offspring of a non-approved pairing will be killed without question, as will the partner - the Ferdia responsible will be given a warning if they are a blood relative or killed if they are not, though this is ultimately up to the atriarch's discretion. It is common for Ferdias to have multiple partners, and even encouraged as it reflects on the Ferdia's power.
Ferdias often outsource their work. Bodyguards, servants, medics, nursemaids - if they are deemed beneficial to the family, a Ferdia may employ an unrelated person to work for the family. In exchange for utmost loyalty, secrecy and service, the employees are able to share in the gains of the family, albeit less so than full blood Ferdias. Willing employees are treated well, especially compared to those forced into service - honey catches more flies than vinegar, after all. Particularly talented and loyal employees can even become an official Ferdia family member if approved by the atriarch or heir.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Ferdias are almost exclusively dark in colour, with black coats highly prized within the family. Pale coats are not impossible, but are considered an ill omen for the family. Eyes can be any colour, but warm colours such as red, pink or orange are favoured. Any markings present tend to be subtle.
Due to the rather small genepool provided by previous generations of Ferdia, mutations have begun to occur in a slightly higher frequency in the Ferdia clan. Maneless males and maned females are not uncommon; curly/wavy fur may occur. Melanism and albinism are possible as well, as shown in Caderyn and his sibling respectively.
Ferdias tend towards medium or large builds - size is not as important to this family as some others, as they value mental and social prowess just as much as physical strength, if not more.
BELIEFS
The Ferdias may all have differing spiritual beliefs, but all know the importance of the Shadow in the family's origins. Supposedly the Ferdia ancestors made a bargain with an ancient spirit whose name has long since been lost, a spirit that had been banished to fester at the root of the mountain the Ferdias built their kingdom around. The exact nature of the deal varies depending on who is telling the story, but almost everyone agrees that the Ferdia ancestor successfully tricked the Shadow into gifting all those with the name Ferdia with the ability to prosper, their natural talents emboldened ten-fold.
As such, tradition had dictated that the darker a Ferdia's pelt, the stronger this blessing is. Not every member of Ferdia believes this, but it is one of the few superstitions they have - the other being to avoid stepping on the shadow of another.
CURRENT MEMBERS
aoife ferdia ♔ x laisrén ferdia (nee dilgahén)
┕abban ii ferdia ♔, f sibling, f sibling, m sibling
abban ii ferdia ♔ x keeva ferdia (nee verdanee)
┕ i. caderyn ferdia (current patriarch)
┕ ii. eithne
f sibling one ferdia x teimhnín ferdia (nee vindago)
┕ cub, cub
f sibling two ferdia xurard ferdia (nee loche)
┕ cub, cub, cub
m sibling ferdia x tressa ferdia (nee cadarine)
┕ cub
m sibling ferdia x uainfind ferdia (nee falneia)
┕ cub, cub
NON-BLOOD FERDIAS
name | main role
name | main role
name | main role
under the guidance of caderyn, the ferdias only have one goal in mind - to rebuild their wealth and power in these new lands and restore the name ferdia to its rightful reputation as the name of noble sovereigns. there is nothing the family won't do in pursue of this ambition - save, of course, bringing deliberate harm to another ferdia. despite their callousness, the ferdia are sure to look after their own, offering rewards for those willingly under their service ( and punishment for the pretenders, the pawns that must be forced to comply).
CULTURE
Names are vitally important, especially family names. Generations of Ferdia have worked tirelessly to ensure the name commands fear, respect and awe in those who hear it. One of the family's main goals is to ensure the Ferdia name remains synonymous with power and glory. Blood Ferdia tend to have three or four names, such as Caderyn; servants or those employed by the family may also be given the Ferdia name should they prove worthy or useful enough, but it is not given lightly. Names are almost exclusively Celtic, and all blood members can speak Scottish Gaelic.
The needs of the Ferdia always comes first. The family do not care who or what they must manipulate, seduce or destroy to do it, though most will generally pick the path of least resistance. They tend to look down on those not within the family, even pity them, but are protective and close with their kin - without each blood member of Ferdia, the name and its prestige would disappear into nothing.
The Family is lead by an atriarch, usually the oldest son of the previous atriarch, though if no sons are available the oldest daughter will be given the role. The heir is appointed as soon as possible and is raised from birth to excel in every field of knowledge possible and to hold their own in a fight; anything less than perfection is a disgrace to the Ferdia name. To go against the atriarch's orders without solid proof that it will harm the family or its reputation is likely to result in shunning and even complete disownment or death in some cases. An atriarch can be overthrown by another as long as they are a Ferdia and can defeat the atriarch in a challenge, usually a fight to the death.
Ferdias are particular with their breeding. Only the atriarch and a few selected Ferdias (usually blood Ferdias) are permitted to take partners and have cubs, to ensure the quality of progeny adding to the Ferdia name. Any offspring of a non-approved pairing will be killed without question, as will the partner - the Ferdia responsible will be given a warning if they are a blood relative or killed if they are not, though this is ultimately up to the atriarch's discretion. It is common for Ferdias to have multiple partners, and even encouraged as it reflects on the Ferdia's power.
Ferdias often outsource their work. Bodyguards, servants, medics, nursemaids - if they are deemed beneficial to the family, a Ferdia may employ an unrelated person to work for the family. In exchange for utmost loyalty, secrecy and service, the employees are able to share in the gains of the family, albeit less so than full blood Ferdias. Willing employees are treated well, especially compared to those forced into service - honey catches more flies than vinegar, after all. Particularly talented and loyal employees can even become an official Ferdia family member if approved by the atriarch or heir.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Ferdias are almost exclusively dark in colour, with black coats highly prized within the family. Pale coats are not impossible, but are considered an ill omen for the family. Eyes can be any colour, but warm colours such as red, pink or orange are favoured. Any markings present tend to be subtle.
Due to the rather small genepool provided by previous generations of Ferdia, mutations have begun to occur in a slightly higher frequency in the Ferdia clan. Maneless males and maned females are not uncommon; curly/wavy fur may occur. Melanism and albinism are possible as well, as shown in Caderyn and his sibling respectively.
Ferdias tend towards medium or large builds - size is not as important to this family as some others, as they value mental and social prowess just as much as physical strength, if not more.
BELIEFS
The Ferdias may all have differing spiritual beliefs, but all know the importance of the Shadow in the family's origins. Supposedly the Ferdia ancestors made a bargain with an ancient spirit whose name has long since been lost, a spirit that had been banished to fester at the root of the mountain the Ferdias built their kingdom around. The exact nature of the deal varies depending on who is telling the story, but almost everyone agrees that the Ferdia ancestor successfully tricked the Shadow into gifting all those with the name Ferdia with the ability to prosper, their natural talents emboldened ten-fold.
As such, tradition had dictated that the darker a Ferdia's pelt, the stronger this blessing is. Not every member of Ferdia believes this, but it is one of the few superstitions they have - the other being to avoid stepping on the shadow of another.
CURRENT MEMBERS
┕
┕ i. caderyn ferdia (current patriarch)
┕ ii. eithne
f sibling one ferdia x teimhnín ferdia (nee vindago)
┕ cub, cub
f sibling two ferdia x
┕ cub, cub, cub
m sibling ferdia x tressa ferdia (nee cadarine)
┕ cub
m sibling ferdia x uainfind ferdia (nee falneia)
┕ cub, cub
NON-BLOOD FERDIAS
name | main role
name | main role
name | main role