The Houses of Kilane
House Salain (March of Salain)
House Rawlin (County of Rawlin)
Crest: The Kilane crest is a red anchor with crossed spears behind it, on a field of blue.
Motto: “Charting a True Course.”
Before the conquest that united the Five Kingdoms, House Kilane was the only House which had a navy that could contest the great Navy of Arilan, and could potentially choke the trade which gave House Arilan its wealth. When Arilan’s conquest was done,, Kilane was not allowed to keep their ancestral home in what is now the Dutchy of Macann. Instead, they were forced to trade places with Macann, taking their territory in the North and adopting Macann nobles. In this way, King Arilan ensured that Kilane was farther away, had questionable support, and was forced to deal with a potential neighboring threat with Bassilith to the North.
As the loser of a war, Kilane could hardly balk at the inconveniences. It was already a generosity that he was being allowed to live and remain a person of power and influence in the Kingdom. House Kilane settled into their new Dutchy and began to work hard to gain the allegiance of the nobles who had previously belonged to House Macann. The lands of the North were harsher and more dangerous than those they’d held before, but Kilane were a house of formidable warriors, and they embraced the harshness as a test of character.
Over the past two-and-a-half centuries since the conquest, Kilane has proved itself a loyal House, keeping the oaths they swore after the unification of the five Kingdoms under House Arilan. They have also formed strong bonds of trust with their subordinate nobles. Their greatest achievement has been the re-construction of a Navy and naval trade in a region ill-suited to it. They have learned how to navigate the harsh waters and treacherous shoals of the Deepwater Rush and the Chasm, and have engaged the entire Dutchy in a system to ensure they can become the most formidable military in the region. To what ends this effort shall serve remains to be seen.
The biggest setback to Kilane’s ambitions came 80 years ago with the burning of the Salt Fleet. An incursion of raiders went into the Burning Sea and enraged the dragons, causing them to retaliate against every human vessel in the region. Dozens of trade ships were lost, as well as nearly the entire House Salain navy and the docks and shipyards at Salt Bay. It has taken generations to rebuild the Dutchy’s naval power at the Bay of Crabs under the personal direction of this Great House. It is Kilane’s hope that the Bay of Crabs’ distance from the Burning Sea will prevent the Dutchy’s navy from being lost to another incident like the burning of the Salt Fleet.
House Kilane has made its seat of power in Crogan County, at a seaside fortress within Shellton at the mouth of the Bay of Crabs. Trade ships come into the Bay of Crabs, and transfer their goods to galleys of House Kilane which take them through the Deepwater Rush and on to Salt Bay. Then return trade comes from Salt Bay and into the Bay of Crabs. This arrangement is necessary because of the treacherous waters of the Deepwater Rush and the unpredictable gusts of the Chasm, which only a galley can navigate safely. While fewer trade goods move this way than come into King’s Bay, it has still proved to be a lucrative trading operation for the Dutchy and allows them to continue to build up their navy..
Culture of House Kilane
Kilane is a house that prides itself on its military past and military reputation. In particular, their strength has been in naval warfare and shipborne marines. Their ambitions take a long view, with moves made today that will benefit the House’s next two generations. However, they are not idle and they will respond quickly to a threat The House participates in tourneys and takes any available opportunity to showcase their military strength so that no one forgets what they are capable of.
Martial Traditions
Members of House Kilane favor leather armor made from the skins of Megalodons and giant Rays. When they enter tourney and must wear heavier armor, they wear expensively enameled plate, stained red. Their favored weapon is the short spear, and their favored sword is the short sword. They use shields with a cut-out which acts as a spear-rest. When fighting on land, their tradition is to fight as infantry units in phalanx formations. They have no tradition of archery, either with traditional bows or crossbows. However, they have a strong slinging tradition. Their ranks include some soldiers who carry neither spears nor shields, but instead wield staff-slings loaded with clay firepots containing highly flammable oils. At sea, these pots can destroy ships. On land, they can disrupt formations of enemy forces as men burn alive. But their effective range is relatively short, only 20-80 yards. House Kilane relies on their sworn houses for serious ranged support.
Dark Secrets of House Kilane
House Kilane swore a secret vow among themselves at the conclusion of the war against House Arilan. They vowed that- though it take then a hundred years or a thousand- they would have their revenge against House Arilan and take back all that had been lost. Each Duke of Kilane has passed this vow on to their sons and daughters, assuring that it is never forgotten.
Those that have ears to hear the whispers from the Howling Islands may know that House Kilane is secretly providing support to the pirates there, hoping that strengthening them will harm House Arilan and make trade through King’s Bay and Queen’s Bay more costly.