A Song of Ice and Zest

Heslington Westeros. A land of Intrigue. Ambition. Flogging. Idiocy.

Can House Lemon rise to glory in this world of Ice and Zest?

Royalty
The Kingdom of Heslington Westeros is an elective monarchy.Anyone from any house, greater or lesser, may stand for election to the YUSU Throne, although in practice only the heads of the Collegiate Houses ever rise up to the position of King of Heslington Westeros and Heslington Essos, Kings  of the Students and First Geese.

The High Council is also appointed in this way, including the Master of Coin, Lord of Activities, as well as a representative from the forces of Yorksport.

The Houses
Many Houses populate Heslington Westeros, many landed, and some unlanded. Roughly, they can be split into four groups;

The Colleges
Firstly there are the Great Houses, known as the Colleges, or Collegiate Houses. These are the most powerful groups, owning almost all the land between them, dominating the political landscape. The Houses are:

Of Heslington Westeros:
·        House Alcuin: Purported to be the wealthiest college, their Maesters specialise in Economics, unsurprisingly.

·        House Derwent: One of the most ancient of Houses, it can trace its lineage back to the Age of Founding. Having taken over the lands formerly of House Langwith, their estates are amongst the largest in the Kingdom.

·        House Halifax: Once an outlier in the Kingdom, House Halifax now is the most populous of all Houses thanks to its many barracks and courts.

·        House James:  Their words are “Let them hate, so long as they fear”, and their modus operandi is no different. Their side of the Lake is ruled with impunity. It is no surprise the YUSU Throne is nestled behind their fortifications.

·        House Vanbrugh: On the adjacent shores of the Lake sits the estates of House Vanbrugh, who immerse themselves in music, art, and leisure, all from their seat atop the aptly named Vanbrugh Paradise.

·        House Wentworth: Esoteric and unknown to many, House Wentworth sits apart from the other Houses, rarely contributing to the politics of the YUSU Throne.

Of Heslington Essos:
·        House Constantine: The youngest of all Houses, they are viewed as upstarts and petty by the older institutions they intended to be a facsimile of. Styling themselves on Emperors of ancient times, will they be a contender for the YUSU Throne?

·        House Goodricke: The first of the Collegiate Houses to make the voyage across the Field Lane Sea to settle in Heslington Essos. The myths and legends surrounding the voyage of the Argobus are many, but ships based on its design ferry back and forth hundreds of travellers a day

·        House Langwith: One of the first Colleges to form, they were driven out of Heslington Westeros by their eternal rival, House Derwent. Plotting their revenge from across the Field Lane Sea, House Langwith is still a mighty contender.

The YUM Houses
Secondly there are the lesser Houses formed into a confederacy known as YUM. Lacking the military might of the Collegiate Houses, they rely on intrigue and misinformation instead. The YUM Houses share holdings within Grimstone Palace, and they are:

·        House Nouse: One of the more straight-faced and conservative Houses, their power struggle with fellow YUM House Vision has lasted almost as long as the rivalry between Houses Langwith and Derwent

·        House Vision: Unafraid of controversy, House Vision aims to stir the hearts of the smallfolk to win them to their cause. Their whistle blowing has been the ruin of many YUSU Kings,

·        House Lemon: Known to almost all as the Mummer’s House, House Lemon has never amounted to much beyond being a backwater power within Grimstone Palace, emerging only to mock and jibe the other Houses.

·        House Hard: Hedonists, artists, visionaries, wastrels. House Hard has been called many of these things, but their tastes of fashion has alienated many a Lord and Lady, giving them perhaps less political impact than even House Lemon.

·        House Zahir: Practically none in the Kingdom know who or what House Zahir is. Some even believe the House to be extinct.

The lesser Houses and Wildings
 Many lesser Houses and Wilding tribes, populate the kingdoms, some affiliated, some independent, some landed, and some simply wandering companies. Amongst their many, many ranks are Tribe Fragsoc, House PhysSoc, Tribe FetSoc and House Inklings.

The Houses of Yorksport
Finally there are those Houses belonging to the mighty league of Yorksport. Houses in name only, the majority of them were free companies, warbands who now swear their blades to whoever sits upon the YUSU Throne. Currying favour with one or more of these companies can sway the balance of power for the YUSU Throne significantly.

Religion
There are many faiths in Heslington Westeros, although many Houses strictly adhere to one.

Most Houses, including the Collegiate Houses (barring one), follow the faith of Vice-Chancellorism. VC-ists believe their god, the “Vice-Chancellor”, and his divine agents are constantly in a state of activity, ensuring by divine will that the world runs smoothly. They believe at the end of each epoch the Vice-Chancellor departs this realm and another great spirits receives the mantle, continuing the work of the deity before him.

A new faith, Taylorism, has taken root in House Vanbrugh and many smaller Houses. Taylor himself was King on the YUSU Throne for many years before going into exile, travelling beyond the borders to a mythical realm known as “HomeSensia”. His followers believe his journey was also spiritual, and that he is now ascended to full godhood, mantling the role of the Vice-Chancellor for good.

Very few Houses follow the Old Ways, venerating no god in particular, but instead worshipping the spirits of nature (i.e. the lake, the wildfowl, the trees). Some followers of the Old Ways may be courtiers in other Houses, but the duck droppings which are central to their faith can be at times abrasive to diplomatic relations.

Finally, some minor Lords in Houses Derwent and James follow an esoteric cult religion inherited from the indigenous tribes, worshipping a Lake deity known only as the Ringed Lord. Not much is known about this sect other than their bizarre focus on the rites of marriage.