House Tassadar
Written by Xole

Despite being the smallest of the Houses Major, Tassadar seems to attract more attention than any other House. All the Great Houses keep large dossiers on Tassadar, most of which are contradictory. Hendrake call them battle-mages; Helgram call them sorcerer-assassins; Amblerash call them necromancers; Minobee call them demonists. There is a steady stream of theories about just what Tassadar are up to; even more than other Houses, their motives and goals are difficult to determine.

The facts about them are surprisingly few. Tassadar surfaced shortly after the Second Demon War, replacing House Ilanth, who had suffered crippling losses in the war. Why the King agreed to give Ilanth's place to a virtually unknown House remains a mystery, but historians smugly note that the subsequent Kings of Chaos employed Tassadar mages in their personal guard.

Tassadar are quiet and unassuming, preferring to blend into the background. Their lords always attend court, but rumours rarely circulate about them, and few people actually remember their presence unless pressed. They simply seem too nondescript to notice, or too uninteresting to start rumours about. Of course, that is probably the point.

Closely allied with Ayanth and Dis, Tassadar mages are often found in the employ of these two Houses, either as bodyguards for Ayanthi trade delegations or as consultants on Dis artefact construction. Their magical versatility serves them well; while they are not individually as powerful as the Helgrams, they supposedly keep alive the so-called 'lost' or 'forbidden' magics. Amblerash have in the past tried to censure them for their studies, but each time they either cannot find enough evidence, or are blocked by other Houses.

There is a rumour, kept alive by Amblerash, that Tassadar serve the demon-gods that were displaced eons ago by the Way of the Serpent. Tassadar refuse to dignify the rumour by commenting.

A Mike GM note: It's been established in this campaign that the knowledge of the demon gods was actually suppressed by Amberlash. The rumour is more to the effect that Tassadar are heretics, who are serving demon-gods who only pretend to have been displaced eons ago. And it might not be Amberlash keeping those rumours alive.


Titular Head ~ Duchess Cyrazil Tassadar
Daughter of the late Duke Liano and Lady Mirielle Dis, Cyrazil has led House Tassadar for nearly ten years. Despite her high-profile position, little is known about her personally, and she seems to go to great lengths to keep her private life out of court circles. She attends most court functions, but never dances and rarely engages members of other Houses in conversation. This has, of course, spawned much gossip about her, but to date she remains a mystery to most.

Diplomatic Head ~ Lady Venshan Tassadar
A staunch loyalist, Venshan was one of King Swayvill's bodyguards for more than fifty years, and was commended several times for her service to the king. After Swayvill's death, she was awarded a more diplomatic posting as House Ambassador. Like most of her House, Venshan is quiet, competent and unflappable. She considers her words carefully when she speaks at all and is well liked for her rational and largely neutral political views.

Other Notables
Baron Irandeth Tassadar is the youngest sibling of the late Duke Liano. Citing 'differences' with his brother, Irandeth spent many years in shadow, only returning to Tassadar after Liano's death. He acts as an adviser to the Duchess and is sometimes referred to as the unofficial Duke of Tassadar because of his closeness to Cyrazil.

Lady Rusébeth Tassadar, Cyrazil's sister, is only slightly better known than her elder sibling. She has been in the public eye recently because of her betrothal to Baron Leil Chanicut, and of course her background was thoroughly aired by Chanicut. By all accounts a kind and friendly woman, Rusébeth is often underestimated by those who forget she is also a highly trained sorceress.