>>6047510>>6047524>>6047580>>6047697>>6049226>>6049338You rise from the bed, careful not to disturb the queen sleeping unclothed beside you. The first light of dawn filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow on Jocasta's sleeping face. Silently, you dress and stride through the marbled halls of the royal palace.
As you pass beneath archways carved with the visages of ancient warriors, you ponder your next moves in securing the future. The cheers from the arena still ring in your ears—a simple distraction for the masses, a bloody spectacle to win their fleeting favor. Yet, hearts that can be turned with so little can doubtless be turned again. Your true challenge lies in winning over the nobility, those who wield real power in the Kingdom of Thebes.
Your thoughts turn to the dusky-skinned Inaja and the red-haired Rhoda, two of the concubines who once shared the bed of Suial the Third and now whisper secrets of the kingdom to you. Their insights are invaluable, each word offering you insight into the puzzle that is Theban politics.
"Five great noble houses," you mutter to yourself, remembering the lessons of your discussions. These houses—the Blood—are the pillars of Theban nobility, each tracing lineage back to the legendary heroes who fought beside Sumdaq the Great, the founder of the kingdom.
The great noble houses, ranked by power, are Chion, Daeus, Thonius, Erenor, and Lorus. House Chion stands as the most powerful among them. Queen Jocasta, Suial’s widow and only legal wife, is a daughter of House Chion, and her brother is its current lord. Winning Jocasta’s favor and securing her kin as allies could ease your path to consolidating power. Making them enemies, however, could spell disaster.
You consider the dynamics of the other houses. House Daeus and House Thonius, ever ambitious and competitive, could be manipulated into checking each other's power, their longstanding rivalry preventing any united front against you. House Erenor, with their deep-seated traditionalism, would oppose drastic changes but prefer a stable rule over the chaos of war. Lastly, House Lorus, the least powerful but potentially the easiest to sway.
As you walk the cold, stone floor of your new domain, the weight of the crown begins to press upon you. Not just a crown of gold, but a crown of responsibility and cunning. You killed a tyrant and took his crown, and now you must deal with the aftermath.
“Which house to tame first…” you ponder, feeling the gaze of ancient statues upon you. Suial's ancestors are unrelated to you by blood, but they are still your predecessors as king. Your decision will shape the future of Thebes—whether it steers towards a reign marked by peace or the bloodshed of civil war.
> House Chion, leveraging Jocasta's influence.> House Daeus, backing them in their rivalry.> House Thonius, backing them in their rivalry.> House Erenor, appealing for stability.> House Lorus, potentially the easiest to sway. 