House Dawnstrider

An Elven Noble House of Tanea

General Information

Overview

House Dawnstrider is an old and influential elven noble house on Tanea. Its wealth and influence are built less upon military strength than upon business, social connections, entertainment and a considerable network of pleasure establishments spread throughout the Xaverion Islands.

The family seat is the House of the Eternal Dawn, a grand estate on the eastern coast of Tanea. It serves as the residence of the head of House Dawnstrider, one of the most prestigious entertainment venues on the islands, and the primary base of operations of the Dawnstrider Order.

House Dawnstrider has long occupied an unusual place among the nobility. Its lineage, wealth and social standing are undeniable, yet its open involvement in brothels and adult entertainment has earned it a reputation that ranges from glamorous to scandalous depending on who is asked.

The current Lord Dawnstrider sees little contradiction between the two.

Wealth and Pleasure Establishments

House Dawnstrider owns a substantial network of brothels and pleasure establishments throughout the Xaverion Islands, including more than half of the islands’ known brothels.

Under the current Lord Dawnstrider, establishments belonging to the House are expected to follow strict rules regarding consent, treatment of workers and the privacy of visitors.

This has made Dawnstrider establishments particularly attractive to workers seeking places where their boundaries are actively protected. Customers, meanwhile, know that the same rules apply regardless of wealth, title or social standing.

Discretion is considered an important part of the service offered by the House. Many nobles and other prominent figures have visited Dawnstrider establishments at some point in their lives, but the House does not make a practice of recording private preferences for political leverage or exposing the activities of its guests.

Companionship may range from simple company to more intimate arrangements, and experienced companions may sometimes be sought by those wishing to explore unfamiliar aspects of intimacy in a private and controlled setting.

What happens within a Dawnstrider establishment is expected to remain there, provided no one has been harmed.

Lord of the House

The current head of House Dawnstrider is Lord Gregory Octavius Dawnstrider Mirathil, more commonly called Grov.

Grov is known for being proud, vain and exceptionally particular about his appearance. He favours cobalt blue, tailored clothing and a deliberately somewhat provocative style that does little to endear him to more conservative members of elven high society.

He is equally particular about the running of his household.

Loyalty, etiquette and consent are central to Grov’s rules, and he expects those rules to be obeyed by staff and visitors alike. Workers within his household commonly address him as Master, a title he is rather fond of.

His rules regarding consent are especially notorious. While staff generally attempt to resolve problems before they require Grov’s personal attention, those who seriously disregard another person’s boundaries may discover that Lord Dawnstrider has little interest in proportional punishment.

This reputation is very much part of the House’s allure. For those seeking pleasure, the House promises an environment in which exploration is welcomed and boundaries are taken seriously. For those considering ignoring those boundaries, the same reputation serves as a warning.

The Previous Lord

Before Grov, House Dawnstrider was led by his father, Lord Malgareth Vaelorin Dawnstrider.

Under Malgareth, the House became exceptionally wealthy and influential. The House of the Eternal Dawn was already counted among the prestigious estates of Tanea, and the family maintained extensive interests in entertainment, gambling and pleasure establishments.

Malgareth was also involved in dealings with a criminal organisation, although the extent of those dealings remains poorly understood outside limited circles.

In Year 16, the wider nobility received notice that Lord Malgareth had died and that his son Gregory Octavius Dawnstrider had succeeded him as head of the House.

Under Grov’s leadership, House Dawnstrider retained its involvement in pleasure and entertainment, but the rules governing its establishments changed considerably. Consent, worker protection and discretion became defining principles of the modern House.

The House of the Eternal Dawn

The ancestral seat of House Dawnstrider is the House of the Eternal Dawn, situated on a dune hill along the east coast of Tanea with a private beach below.

The eastern side of the estate overlooks the sea and is arranged to catch the sunrise. Ballrooms, entertainment rooms, family quarters and many of the estate’s most prestigious guest rooms face the horizon, often with balconies overlooking the water.

Although it remains the noble residence of House Dawnstrider, the estate is also famous as a luxury resort and entertainment venue.

It hosts formal gatherings, private celebrations, performances and adult entertainment, and also serves as the headquarters of the Dawnstrider Order.

The Dawnstrider Order

House Dawnstrider is closely associated with the Dawnstrider Order, an organisation founded and led by Grov.

The Order operates from the House of the Eternal Dawn and acts against slavery, kidnapping, trafficking, illegal narcotics and other forms of exploitation. It is especially known for intervening where people are being forced into situations against their will.

Although House Dawnstrider and the Dawnstrider Order are closely linked, they are not the same organisation. House Dawnstrider is the noble family and its holdings; the Dawnstrider Order is an independent operational organisation led by the same man.

The Order is particularly opposed to the criminal Rising Phoenix Syndicate.

The Starfall Masquerade

House Dawnstrider hosts the annual Starfall Masquerade, one of the four major noble balls of the year.

The Masquerade takes place on Bohrday in the cycle of Noent, during the final days of Myalanna, as part of the celebrations welcoming the coming season of Envylon.

For the occasion, the House of the Eternal Dawn takes on its most formal appearance. Masks, extravagant clothing, music, dancing and elaborate entertainment fill the estate as nobles and other invited guests gather from across the Xaverion Islands.

The House may be infamous for pleasure throughout much of the year, but during the Starfall Masquerade it serves as one of the great centres of noble society.

Or, at least, as close to respectable as House Dawnstrider ever gets.