Family Register
The Family Register has a lot of power as they have the authority in listing and cataloging all Houses major actions and family lines. They play a large part in perpetuating the idea of Ascendancy and keeping track of all Firstknights. However, it is so much part of the everyday life of people that it is often overlooked when surveying the battlefield of intrigue in the Court.
The Register's sigil is an ink pen on a white and black shield with 5 wavey lines.
About
One of the other main effects of Helfram's empire was the emergence of the Family Register which, as a single neutral party, continued to increase in estimation by other houses. As their goals were of history and accuracy alone, all sizes of nobles respected their services. And since they had no aspirations of power, they were never percieved as a threat.
Today the organisation is so powerful, even if their trust should wane, they could simply enforce their laws. Alas, they are still looked upon as bookworms of no significance, just providing a service to the Houses.
The one visible power they have is the Order of the Tree, their knightly order (accompanied by a small army of foot, pikemen and archers). They are considered among average knightly orders and sometimes less noble as they are not dedicated to Rahn or some such noble case, but they are ,in fact, one of the best.
About 15% of the order is on guard duty at the Register Fort, and the rest joining defenses at West Watch.
While the original documents for all Peer papers are stored in the Register Fort, copies are made of any pertient paperwork and stored in the Capitoleum Campus of the Haldean University as well as the Scima Campus. Most of the analysing resreach is held in the universities and there is a close cooperation between the Register and the University.
History
After the Warlock Wars, when the Mageslayer was sorting out the last bit of conflict, some noble families came together to create a registry as they were afraid to lose power or to end up in a situation where an outside force ruined their family histories. The registry got funds from further families and it set about collecting, cataloging and copying all known documents relating to the noble families. The group called themselves the Family Register.
The individuals who joined the Family Register had to promise all Houses that they would do their work impartially, a promise that later became a solemn vow and forcing these individuals to forgo their family inheritance and any claims to titles or land. In return they would receive a very healthy monthly bursary and luxurious living quarters in the future head quarters of the Register.
During the course of the Barbarian- and Midrealm Conquests, its importance grew, as did its resources and members, despite the loss of inheritance. The Register attracted especially noble sons (and a few daughters) who preferred the solitude of study and books over warfare or political intrigue.
Throughout the Prosperous Times until modern day, the Register kept amassing not only documents, but also responsibility, such as looking up lineage and other details for the Houses but also for marriages and important acts and actions. For everything they do, a service charge is made to the House or Houses, and is part of the tradition as well as a useful service.
In the past 20 years, the Register has tried to incorporate a system to classify merchants. Merchants in turn have tried to stop it.
Economy
The biggest economical factor for The Register are fees associated with modifying records, accessing records or give geaneaology advice. Like any good drug, it's usually "free" for Ascendancy issues, with economic demands appearing well after a new Kingdom or nobility is established. Services are essentially also for free for all landless knighthoods. Symbolic fees are used and poor knights may not afford them, but these fees were not designed as a money-making feature but simply to keep administration down.
The second main income for The Register is through just owning land and selling produce from the lands. In times of immediate conflict fees may be non-existent for quite a while and standard farming of different kinds is generally reliable. It's also a way to get more use out of their standing army as they provide land (sometimes with freemen/villeins/cotters) to use in their off-time.
The third source of income is capitation, which is essentially a small "secular tithe" primarily from Royalty and high nobility. It's essentially voluntary and all families who pay capitation also needs to pay no fees to access or modify records. On the whole, capitation is more expensive than simply paying fees as needed, but it's also part of the long-term plan to keep all old ancestry records alive. General decisions in regards to capitation is handled by the Court of Houses in the Midrealms and similar organisations in the rest of the Realms.
Families who send candidates to be Adepts to the Register get rebate on capitation fees or free services entirely. The upside is obvious as any Adepts have to renounce any inheritance which reduces competition within the family, ensures a respectable status and income for the new Adept and maybe even a good political standing with the Register. Not all candidates are accepted and some university training (or equivalent) is required. Being sent to the Register is seen very differently for different people; some see it as a punishment or disrespect and others may see it as finally getting freedom from under their family (though they essentially adopt a new family with its own quirks).
Careers
The Register's employees are called Adepts. Though they have not much of a lust for power (other than what corrupt individuals inside the Register might have), they are important and part of the foundation of this society. They have chapters in any major castle city and town with copies of the most prominent books available as well as some originals (though most originals are in Capitoleum).
Many a career in politics started in the Register, and some Sickle Wizards even have positions there out of interest (or search for power). The fact that some Adepts within the Register are Wizards is of great pride to the Register. Adepts are among few people in the city that are not afraid of magic wielders.
Adepts ceremonially take off their House colours when entering the Register for the day and are by all standards not nobility until they take their colours on again in the evening.
Naming conventions
The Register takes a backseat role when it comes to dictating how nobles (or merchants) should name their families, but they have a dedicated full-time specialist position giving advice. This advice is based in historical usage as well as modern trends.
- Main article: Names
Characters
- Henric - Admin in Wellbarrow
- Nina Willeni - Representative Wellbarrow
Random notes
- Killing a Registry official is punished by drawn/hung/quartered and any ownership of property of land taken from them (to local lord)
- Registry needs to be satisfied with who did it, which means proper investigation
- Deals with border notes and the documentation/evidence, not the ownership.
- Local originals and central copies
- Organises border marker stones and guides
- Register takes apprentices for mostly lower ranks of clerks.
- Long time ago, the practice of beating the bounds
- Local lords generally patrol their own border, once in a while county patrols and once in a while kingdom patrols.
- Generally, local militia keeps track of the border locations
- The Register has for the past 20 years tried to incorporate a system to classify merchants, merchants have tried to stop it.
- Entering new information into ledgers is called "matriculating".
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