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[Sith Lore] House Sovros, the House of Greens


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House Sovros

“The House of Greens”

 

“Ein Hanobaith Sofran.”

 - House Motto of House Sovros. Translation: "Our Sovereign Desolation."

 

 

 

While House Sovros has not openly existed for much of its millennia-long life, nor has it always existed under that name, it is one of the oldest Dark Side cabals. Originating on Onderon thousands of years ago, the founders consisted of the various Dark Side enthusiasts among the nobility who eluded the purging of the planet by the Jedi and the Republic, namely by virtue of not being Force-sensitive themselves. The organization quietly preserved the teachings of their Dark Side masters, hoping for a new Dark Lord to rise from their bloodlines and return them to power. As time passed, other groups on Onderon, mostly minor nobility, who felt disenfranchised or threatened by the Republic or planetary government found their way into the fold, tempted by the promises of a dark uprising. However, no Force-sensitives were born into the old or new bloodlines, and at some undefined point the House's methods changed. They began to quietly acquire Force-sensitive human children wherever they could, raising them as family and marrying them off to members to introduce Force potential into the House's various family lines. The adopted Force-sensitives themselves never became more than minor Dark-side practitioners, partly due to fear and neglect of the House's noble members who disliked an adopted outsider gaining too much power. 

 

Then Abraxes Vastoga was born. A powerful Force-sensitive and the first born to the House, Abraxes was showered with opportunities and training, whispered by his family to be the new Dark Lord they had hoped for. Abraxes took on the name of Sovros as the persona he would use to conduct the House's business in secret and away from the judgmental eyes of the Jedi. He began quietly growing the power of the House, and eventually inducted non-humans with Force-sensitivity potential into their ranks, envisioning whole dynasties of Dark Side users spreading across the galaxy under his rule. This dream never came to fruition. While his sorcery did preserve his life beyond its natural limits, he eventually died to betrayal when another Force-sensitive was born to a different family line, and the new Sovros was chosen to ascend. Since then, House Sovros existed as a hidden entity on Onderon and the surrounding systems, emerging with the rise of the Sith Empire to embrace their long desired destiny of power.

 

Today House Sovros is an influential Sith house, mostly based out of their ancestral home of Onderon. Their patriarch or matriarch is always known by the title of Darth Sovros, and they see themselves as elite and sophisticated compared to other Sith. Class, legacy, and wealth mingle with their Sith hunger for power, intrigue being one of their favorite tools along with the more subtle applications of the Dark Side. New members looking to be inducted from outside of established bloodlines must show strong Force-sensitivity, a keen intellect, and a civilized demeanor to be considered. Even more importantly, a member is expected to marry (sometimes to several spouses) and bear children (not always with one of their spouses) as directed by the current Darth Sovros to ensure strong, numerous offspring. Where Force-sensitivity can't be found, partners are selected for their health and other talents in the hopes of breeding the positive traits into the family line and eventually into future Sith Lords. Families in the House determine their status by the deeds of their ancestors and the capability of their line to produce new Force-sensitives.

Much of the House’s wealth is tied up in the slave trade, with cloning, breeding, and capturing all used to supply the demands of Sith society. They sponsor auctions and run shipping lines specifically catering to slavers throughout the galaxy. Independent slavers are often sponsored by the nobles of House Sovros, and entertainment centers using slaves such as gladiatorial pits and brothels often have the Sovros seal somewhere on the paperwork. They savagely compete with other slavery-interests in the Empire, envisioning themselves as a monopoly on the evil trade in their promised future.

 

Outside of the slave trade, House Sovros owns some of the most fertile, valuable land on Onderon, which it exploits ruthlessly to fill House Sovros’ coffers and feed their extravagant lifestyle. They are extremely territorial, and lesser Sith who encroach on their claims or stand in their way often end up dead or disgraced before long. In the event that the House cannot rid itself of its rivals in such a direct way, the House of Greens turns to contracts to try and ensnare and litigate their obstacles out of power, eventually turning them into just another slave.

 

 

 

Orders

 

“You bear a legacy beyond millennia. A river of blood has carried you to this moment, and you shall carry our noble house along its path to our foregone destiny. Those who don’t will drown. Remember this as you take up the mantle we have graciously offered.”

-Sovros noble speaking to newly inducted warriors of Vu de Zakkeg

 

 

House Sovros is divided among several orders, ranging from the nobility to the commoners. All serve Darth Sovros, but outside of their master’s direct influence the orders are prone to cold and cruel competition with each other. Each plots to put their own Sovros in command of the House, and intricate plots years in the execution are an accepted reality among the House’s higher orders.

 

 

 

Vel de Malraas, the Order of Assassins

 

Sith who follow the path of the Assassin find themselves given over to the Vel de Malraas, an order named for the stealthy Malraas native to Dxun. This fraternity of killers, illusionists, and manipulators are currently the dominant order of House Sovros, largely due to the current Darth Sovros having risen from their ranks. The Vel de Malraas prefers subtlety and cunning to the brutality of the warrior or the strange magicks of the sorcerer. Indeed, it’s considered a blot on one’s honor to have one’s deeds attributed to one’s self. An ideal member of the Vel de Malraas will never be known as anything but another stuffed shirt sipping wine, at least until they bear the title of Sovros.

 

 

 

Vel de Drexl, the Order of Warriors

 

Named for the infamous apex predator, the Vel de Drexl takes on the martial duties of House Sovros. In particular, they take up the art of dueling with a fanaticism bordering on mania. Disputes are often settled by the saber among the warriors, though typically duels are only permitted to go until dismemberment, not death. Cybernetic limb replacements are a common sight on the warriors of House Sovros, and the rigorous scorekeeping of these contests determines a warrior's status. Outside of duels, most warriors are trained to dominate a drexl mount of their own, which they ride into battle at the head of the House’s common troops. No warrior can truly achieve greatness within the Vel de Drexl without a proper mount, and the most venerated warriors often duel atop these mounts in grand airborne spectacles excitedly watched by enthusiasts across the Empire.

 

 

 

Vel de Crasna, the Order of Sorcerers

 

Vel de Crasna’s titular creature is a good representation of the Order’s place within the House. Named for a carnivorous plant, the sorcerers of Vel de Crasna are known for approaching things from unconventional angles compared to their fellow, more predatory houses. Lurking in remote estates and in winding tunnels and catacombs, the Vel de Crasna is hardly ever seen by outsiders except at House functions and any opportunities for the scheming magicians to grab power. Accumulating lore and going through slaves like firewood, rumors abound as to the sorcerer’s goals and plots, something fed by the intricate and seemingly nonsensical rules and rituals followed by the order. Vel de Crasna earns its keep by providing the House with Sithspawn, “improved” slaves, curses, and Dark Side imbued talismans and weapons.

 

 

 

Vu de Zakkeg, the Order of Riders

 

The highest of the non-Sith orders, Vu de Zakkeg is composed of the failed children of the various family lines of House Sovros. That is to say, it’s made up of those born to House nobility without the blessing of Force-sensitivity. Their namesake animal, the tough and ferocious Zakkeg, are given cybernetic implants to allow the noble-born to control them, and the warriors of Vu de Zakkeg are trained their entire lives in the use of weaponry and battlefield tactics in order to serve the house in its conflicts and conquests. Some are trained in specialized fields, such as bounty hunting, finances, or technology, but most find their place on the back of a Zakkeg. Those who do well often find themselves a position of honor as a subservient spouse to a Sith, in an attempt to draw out the latent Force potential in the warrior’s bloodline.

 

 

 

Vu de Boma, the Order of Vassals

 

Near the end of his life, Abraxes Vastoga tried another method of creating Force-sensitives to increase House Sovros’ power. He secretly constructed an underground cloning facility, and began cloning himself and other Force-sensitives in the hopes that a few would bear the capacity to wield the mystical power he hoped to build his dynasty on. When clone after clone failed to display the necessary abilities and was promptly recycled, he refused to give up and expanded the operation. By the time he died, the cloning facility was truly vast, but had failed to produce any Force-sensitives. It was abandoned for a time, but with the coming of the Sith Empire the House saw the purpose of such a place and brought it back online. Short-lived clones were pouring out of the facility within a few years, and were being sold as high-quality slaves or made to serve as soldiers and workers for the House’s interests. Thus the Vu de Boma was born.

Composed entirely of clones, the Vu de Boma forms the bulk of the House’s military force. Each clone is flash trained and brainwashed to make them perfect for their planned occupation, and House Sovros has not been hesitant about utilizing species specific to the jobs they require the clones to fulfill. Abyssins, with their capacity to regenerate from the abuses heaped on them, are typically found in the role of common laborers. Wookiees and Talz can be found leading Sovros battle-lines as shock troopers. Zeltron are cloned and trained as supervisors, taught to use their pheromones and telepathy to keep other slaves in line and root out dissidents. There are even rumors of a special project to manufacture the notoriously difficult to clone Clawdites to serve as a spy force. Some say that the House has already succeeded.

 

 

 

Vu de Orbalisk, the Order of Servants

 

A small order stemming out of the clones of Vu de Boma, the Vu de Orbalisk are servants and bodyguards for the three Sith orders of House Sovros. By tradition, the highly trained and extremely subservient order are the only slaves permitted direct service to the Sith of the House of Greens. As such, they hold great authority carrying out their masters wishes among the lesser Vu de Boma, and are given greater access among the House’s many properties. The Vu de Orbalisk acts as the right hand of the Sith orders, valued for their skill and trustworthiness. Occasionally a member of the Vu de Boma proves itself exceptional enough to be promoted to this honorable order, but more often members of the Vu de Orbalisk are custom cloned for the purpose. Genetically modified consorts altered to their master’s tastes lounge in parlors while warrior cyborgs decked out in gold and green patrol the halls.

Edited by Krath Apothos
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