The Noble Households
Brighton Below is "ruled" by four Noble Households, the Prestons, The Kemps, The Roes and the Palmeiras. There is also a fifth Household; the Dials; which is considered to be defunct following the assassinations of Lord and Lady Dial
The Household of Lord Alexander Preston
It is said that Lord Preston was born sometime in the late 1500’s, though he is not entirely sure when. The son of a local landowner he lived with his family in a large estate in the north of Brighthelmstone as it was called at the time.
He was apparently in his mid teens when the conflict between the forces of King Charles and Oliver Cromwell first broke out, and as the Lord Protector of England’s influence spread across the country, all of the larger family were paid a visit. Lord Preston’s father, Bartholomew, was presented with an option of supporting the King or the forces of Cromwell. Being a staunch royalist and opposing what he saw as a military coup of a God-granted right, Lord Preston’s father refused to assist or swear any allegiance to any other power than God or the King.
The Preston’s land and possessions were confiscated, and the manor burned to the ground.
Lord Preston’s father, though somewhat severe in manner, had always treated others fairly and with respect and the generosity and kindness of other locals ensured that they did not starve. However their new standard of living was hard, and Lord Bartholmew soon succumbed to an illness from which he did not recover, and his wife followed soon afterwards.
The new Lord Alexander Preston found the loss of everything he knew to be too much and soon sank into the depths of despair and drink. It was in this time that Alexander discovered the World Below, and Jemima, now his wife and Lady Preston
Alexander learnt of Brighton Below and saw the situation how it truly was. He decided that from then on this would be his new home (not realising that he didn’t have a choice) and that he would re-establish the Preston Household in this new domain. He had lost everything in the World Above with little chance of recovery, but there was a new opportunity here in the Underside
Preston saw this as a sign from God, and returned to his father’s teachings on the way forward. Though Alexander had signed up for military service, he had not yet been called into duty. His father however had formerly served in the Kings army, and taught that power comes though loyalty and respect, and those are gained from showing discipline, strength in the face of adversity and honour. Preston took these beliefs and the basic military drilling he had received and put this into practice
Within weeks he was sober, and assisting others within the Underside to also clean up their act. He gave them some basic military training, to instil some self confidence and discipline
Those people became the first members of the Preston Household. In return for assisting them Lord Preston merely asked that they work with him and for him for a year. Many of those who had completed their year of service decided to stay on.
The Preston Household is the strongest of the four Hosueholds in regard to physical might. All members of the Preston Household receive some form of training in combat, and many others have skills which would be useful on the battle field. It is that training that often brings the control over ones life back into the hands of those who need it the most
The "origins" of Lady Preston
Lady Jemima Preston was born in the Underside, though she has no idea when exactly this was. It is believed to be around the 1750’s somewhere.
Her parents were both craftsman of unique ability having both been trained by The Engineer, and there are apparently few who are as gifted with their hands as Lady Preston (Some of the more uncouth residents of the Underside have suggested that this is the reason that Lord Preston married her in the first place). She has a knack for identifying Artefacts
Lady Preston was simply Jemima Clyde prior to about the 1800’s when she married Lord Alexander Preston. They met whilst she was assisting The Engineer in activating a rather perplexing flute which had come into the possession of Lord Preston. Not realising that the Engineer had a new “apprentice”, Lord Preston assumed that she was a thief who had broken into the Engineers quarters and seized her. Once the truth became apparent Lord Preston was apparently so embarrassed and apologetic that he offered whatever the lady desired in way of compensation. Apparently she asked merely that Lord Preston take her for a picnic in the World Above
And the rest the say is history ...
The Curse
Some time ago Lord Preston uncovered a plot by certain members of the Roe Household to kill him. He was to be slain and his family banished form Brighton Below and his lands confiscated by the Roes. Having lost everything in the World Above to such greed, Preston was not prepared to let this happen again. Rather than simply kill Roe or reveal that he was aware if the plot, Lord Preston called upon a Mystic to assist him. Using ancient curses, Lord Preston cursed the Roes, and all their generations and all their supporters with a vile rot.
This ailment was originally believed to be a natural disease, and the other Households of the Underside immediately quarantined all members of the Roe Household into a small area of the city (known as the Rotting Dean) to prevent the spread of the disease
The Roe Household lost many followers and family members, including Lady Roe who unable to bear the hideousness of her face, took her own life. The Roes suffered with poverty, starvation and isolation
After a number of years, Lord Preston revealed the true origin of the disease and promised to lift the curse if Roe would confess to the plot and ask for forgiveness. Lord Roe was not prepared to go through this indignity, and so the curse remains
Lord Preston’s Prophecies
Lord Preston has a well known “hobby” which is collecting the many pieces of the prophecies which have been issued by the Dial child and also by The Druid. Lord Preston has stated on more than one occasion that he would offer a great reward to anyone who could locate it and present it to him
Apparently Lord Preston has over the years collected over one hundred of the prophecies. Many of them have been identified however a good portion have yet to be “translated” or have perhaps still yet to occur
Lord Preston will offer rewards to anyone who can increase his collection further
Lord Preston’s stubborn mannerisms
It is known that Lord Preston has something of a stiff upper-lip, and a respect and adherence to the rules.
Lord Preston would support a decision which he was not happy with merely because the rules and traditions state that they must be done that way
Lady Preston has apparently chastised him on more than one occasion due to his failure to support friends or family instead of the rules, and believes that his rigid thinking has held the family back in more ways than one
Many have said that Lord Preston should lift the curse on the Roe Household. They have suffered enough, and whatever evil deeds were plotted by Lord Roe and whoever else was involved, the sins of the father are not the sins of the son. Lord Preston still steadfastly stands by his decision, but the offer of the removal of the curse remains provided that Lord Roe will admit the plot and beg for forgiveness
The end of an era
Lord Preston was believed to have been killed by a Bravo who was believed to have been sworn to the House of Lewes. The Lord Lewes (both of them) have denied any knowledge of the apparent assasination, and have declared that the man responsible was no longer a member of their Household.
The sword of the House Preston was returned to the House, and is now apparently being wielded by Lord Julius Preston, who did agree that Lord Alexanders murderer to a trial combat. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful, and Lord Alexanders death goes unpunished
The Household of Lord Gregory Kemp
Lord Gregory Kemp was born in 1802 in Cheltenham, as the youngest son of the Earl of Gloucester. His childhood was noted as being particularly uneventful, which many state is the reason for the excessive lifestyle he developed in later years.
The Earl of Gloucester was renowned for being a man of dull wit, both in conversation and in business affairs, and much of the family affairs were looked after Henry, another of the Earl’s three sons. Henry was a man of much sterner disposition and devoutly religious
At the age of 16, Gregory moved to London to continue his education, where he quickly found himself moving in more interesting circles and the education he was gaining was not that expected by his father.
Life at the time was easy for the young Lord Kemp, and revolved around drinking , gambling and copious smoking of opiates. He found himself mixing in the strangest of company, one minute with a Duke, the next a cheap courtesan and, on more than one occasion, the Prince Regent himself.
Each night there would be trouble. Fights, murders and robbery were commonplace, but Gregory saw this as the excitement he had been looking for. Despite having spent many an evening in drunk tank, he seemed completely unwilling to give up this new hedonistic and self destructive lifestyle
Though his allowance was meant to pay for his studies, Gregory soon found he spent more of his time in the tavern than the schoolroom. He told his father and family that he was studying hard and that was leading the life of a respected and upstanding young gentleman.
At the age of 24, Lord Kemps father passed away, and the entire inheritance passed to Henry, as he was the eldest of the sons. Henry knew of the lifestyle which Gregory had chosen to adopt and vigorously disapproved. He was ashamed of the “path of immorality and damnation” that his sibling had followed and immediately ceased his allowance
Gregory relying upon the money to sustain his lifestyle (and addictions) resorted to every tactic to get his brother to change his mind and re-instate his income, but Henry refused.
By this time Gregory had run up significant debts, though his income had ceased, he failed to control his outgoings, and when friends stopped loaning him money, he resorted to using the services of the money lenders.
When Gregory stooped to the low-tactic of staging a beating in order to illicit sympathy, Henry decided that he had hay enough of his wayward brother, and disowned him. Gregory was told that he was no longer considered to be a member of the family, and that he would not be welcome at the estate
Sadly though Gregory’s failure to change his ways only meant that he sank further and further into debt. He moved to Brighton in order to avoid their constant watch and in a somewhat vain attempt to gain the confidences of the former Prince Regent (now George IV). However it was not long before the money enders caught up with him. The next beating he received was not faked, and earned him injuries that left him near death
It is said that Lord Kemp found Brighton Below when he awoke to find someone chewing on his fingers. Though he was not in any state to fight the carrion-eater off, the sight of “lunch” appearing to be still alive was enough to scare the creature away. From there on Gregory Kemp has known only the Underside
Partying in the Underside
It seems that the near death experience did nothing to hamper Lord Kemps appetite for hedonism. If anything he saw his fall into the World Below as the blessing he had been praying for. He had escaped his debtors, who now believed him dead and was alive and well to continue his lifestyle in the Underside
Certainly the home brewed ale may not be as tasty (or even palatable), but when you can sneak into the finest wine cellars in the World Above with no-one batting an eyelid, who needs to brew their own.
Lord Kemp essentially had his ideal presented to him on a plate. For some time his personal grooming had been left by the wayside, so his new standards of living were not something which bothered him too much, and his outrageous but amendable manner meant that he soon secured many friends, primarily amongst the other drunks of Brighton Below.
After several years of within the Underside, he decided he was going to “reclaim” his inheritance and declared himself to be Lord Gregory Kemp of Brighton Below, and set up his own estate in an abandoned brewery. Others were keen to support his claim, probably swayed somewhat by the copious amounts of alcohol which Kemp was able to supply.
Hence the Household was formed
Lady Petunia Kemp
His wife, Lady Petunia was the “Gin-house” landlady, and though able to drink the majority of her punters under the table was impressed with Lord Kemp’s abilities to remain upright after 7 cups of her strongest rum. Not only that her business was losing money with Kemps “free bar”, and whilst once he was her best customer, he was now her biggest rival.
She settled the matter with a simple proposition of marriage. Lord Kemp agreed shortly afterwards, she became Lady Petunia Kemp. The gin-house was now run for the profit of the Kemp household, and became the hub of the Kemp domain.
Lady Petunia can often be found at the Floating Market selling her wares, running the Kemps gaming stalls or searching for her errant husband
The friendship with the Palmeiras
One of Lord Kemps his closest friends and supporters when he first arrived in the underside was Lord Clarence Palmeira. When Clarence came to the World Below, he too was struggling with the ravages of alcohol and prior to his meeting with Lady Madeleine was ready to join Kemp as one of his Household
The influence of Lady Palmeira drew Clarence away from Kemp, and though some say that he has never forgiven her to taking his best friend, they are cordial whenever they are present.
It is known that Lord Kemp was “responsible” for Lord Palmeiras return to the demon drink, and some say his untimely death. Though Kemp states that he did not force a drink upon Lord Palmeira and that it is not his responsibility to monitor the alcohol consumption of anyone else, some feel that had Lord Palmeira not re-established his friendship with Kemp that he would still be alive today
It is said that the night he was killed, Palmeira had been drinking for nearly 4 days solid, with Lord Kemp, and that he stood no chance against the Bravo he challenged.
The matter of children
It is a long standing rumour that Lord Kemp has at least a dozen mistresses and over thirty illegitimate children. Whilst he thanks people for their graciousness in assuming his prowess is such he vigorously denies these rumours and states that his Petunia is the only one for him. He refutes any allegations that he has illegitimate children, and says that the only “spawn” he has are those of his family
The Household of Lord Severinus Roe
The Roe’s are the newest of the Noble Households in Brighton Below, and some say it is through no good deeds of their own. The Roes have a tarnished reputation in the Underside though they, and some others, state that their maligning of their name is somewhat unjust
The History of the Roe Family
The story starts many years ago. The Roes were the fifth largest family in Brighton Below, behind the Kemp, Preston, Palmeira and Dial families. Shortly before the death of King Alfred, Lord and Lady Dial were murdered by an unknown assassin for reasons also unknown. The apparent lack of motive was somewhat explained when Alfred passed away and handed over the control of Brighton Below to the 4 most powerful families.
As the Dials had been removed from the picture, and their seven children had all gone their separate ways, this put the Roe Household as the fourth most powerful family. Many down the years have pointed the finger at the Roe’s for the death of the Dial family, though they deny any knowledge or involvement to this very day
Their most notable feature is their affliction by the Sewerblight. This disease is something of a misnomer in that its is of no natural origin but rather is a curse placed on the family by Lord Preston as a punishment for an action taken against his family about 50 years ago.
Lord Roe was developing a good deal of territory in the North East of the city. Many in his lands were being forced to swear loyalty to him instead of Lord Preston who controlled the majority of land in the north.
The Sewerblight
Lord Roe’s desire for acquisition became his downfall. In secret and with his chief advisor Davigdor, he plotted the death of Lord Preston and the exile of his family from Brighton Below. He would then move in and claim all Preston land for his own. This would make him by far the most powerful of the three remaining households, and from there would pave the way for him to reclaim the title of King of Brighton Below.
The plot however was uncovered, and Lord Preston was told of Lord Roe’s dark plans. He called upon some of the most powerful mystics in the Underside and cast a curse upon Lord Roe and all those in his household. They were to be afflicted by a loathsome disease which caused their skin to rupture into weeping sore and boils. Skin would peel off, flesh would be desiccate and flake away, but they would not die. The Roe’s would be forever cursed with a most disfiguring illness, in constant discomfort and suffering
Lord Preston’s curse was kept secret from the Roes and the rest of Brighton Below, and the results were far greater than the curse itself. The Roe’s not aware that their affliction was the result of Lord Preston’s curse believed that they had contracted some form of leprosy. They researched a number of cures, but none had any success. The rest of Brighton Below began to shun these zombie like figures stumbling and oozing their way around Brighton Below. Each of the three other Households stated that the members of the Roe Household were not permitted in their lands, for fear of contamination. The Roes were effectively trapped
Their quarantine lasted for 4 years in which time their numbers and power dwindled. They holed themselves up in a small area of their territory, which became known as the Rotting Dean. There they stayed for 4 years, unable to attend the Floating Market when it was held in other territories, and having few traders at those held in Roe lands. They starved, or succumbed to real disease until there were only a few left.
At the point where all of the members of the Roe Household were at the brink of political extinction, Lord Preston made his “confession” declaring that he was the true source of the disease (which had since been named Sewerblight) and that he would lift their curse on the condition at Lord Roe would bow down before him and beg his forgiveness.
Lord Roe naturally refused.
The Roe Family
The Roe’s are lead by Lord Severinus Roe, who is believed to be the oldest of the Household. He no longer has a wife, after she killed herself a number of years ago during their quarantine in the Rotting Dean. His three sons are all that are left in the male line of the Roe Family, though Lord Roe apparently keeps a number of consorts and companions, and one of his sons is believed to be capable of reproduction (the Sewerblight affects the entire body). His daughters are all thought to be fertile so its possible that the line may pass to the oldest of them in order to allow the lineage to continue
They are somewhat tragic figures, as though who see their true faces are naturally revolted and repulsed. Relationships are almost solely between members of the Household (as only they can bear to see the sight of each others true visages). Lord Roe apparently does have a Concubine who is not of his Household though it is said that she has been blind from birth
Their story is something of a tragic one, and it is the decades of suffering inflicted on them by Preston that drives them. Whilst they are not inherently evilly aligned they are all aware of the origins of their suffering. Whilst they would all dearly loved to be rid of the Sewerblight, all are united in their decision that their punishment has been more than adequate and that they will not stood further to beg for forgivness
The Roe Household
The Roe Household is fairly small, as the curse affects all those who swear fealty to Lord Roe. The Nobles of the Household are the most badly afflicted though, those who spend a long time in the service of Lord Roe will be equally disfigured.
Lord Roe is quite often seen with Davigdor, his lieutenant. Davidgor is a man of imposing height who deals little with others. He is rumoured to be the most knowledgeable of all the mystics in Brighton Below.
The Roe Dress / Masks
The true face of the Roe Nobles is so hideous that those who see it are often paralysed with fear, or so overcome that they flee in sheer horror. This obviously makes things somewhat impractical when dealing with others.
The Roes opted sometimes ago that they should cover their faces so that none can see their true faces. Furthermore they often cover their bodies head to toe in order to hide their affliction from those too easily disgusted by their cadaverous forms
In order to be able identify each other, they each create for themselves an elaborate mask. These are often styled on elaborate Venetian Carnival masks, the Roes feeling that they must find a new beautiful exterior for themselves.
The higher the ranks, the more elaborate the mask. Whilst the lower members of the Household will merely have a simply decorated mask, the Nobles of the Household will often try and outdo each other in their fanciful designs. They will however wear the same mask for their entire lives. Lord Severinus is the exception; his mask being simple and plain as it was the first one available at short notice.
This is their new face, now that Lord Preston has taken away their real ones
The Death of Lord Severinus Roe
At the acceptance of the Lord Lewes as a rightful landowner in the Underside, Lord Roe also disappeared. No-one at this stage is entirely clear what has happened to him However, ever attempt to contact him has failed, and a blood stained mask known to belong to Lord Severinus was also found. Considering that Lord Alexander Preston met his end that same night, the omens do not look good
The Household of Lady Madeline Palmeira
The Palmeira Household has undergone some dramatic changes in the last few year, primarily due to the death of Lord Palmeira in a duel. Rather than permit her son Oswald to take over the running of the household when he came of age, Lady Palmeira declared that she herself would remain as the head of the Noble Household of Palmeira.
Since then the Household has turned itself around, and is considered to be a powerful contender against the Preston Household as being the most influential family in Brighton Below
The History of the Palmeira Household
The Palmeira’s first appearance came with the arrival of Lord Clarence Palmeira in Brighton Below, shortly after Lord Preston. Lord Palmeira at that time was a drunkard who could barely stand or speak most of the time. He had been the second son of Lord Palmeira in Brighton Above, and his older brother was due to inherit that. Estranged from his own family due to his inability to control his licentious drinking, he declared himself to be the rightful Lord Palmeira of Brighton Below.
He lack of sobriety meant that few considered his claims or rambling however a young woman called Madeleine took pity on this shambling wreck of a man, and helped him sober up. They apparently shared a common history in that they were both rejected by their world above families. Madeleine had already spent time talking to others about the great qualities of this man, and had made deals and favours to ensure that he would consider her as a potential spouse. Not too long afterwards, she became his wife, and is the Lady Palmeira who runs the Household today
Now sober stated again, Lord Palmeira made a claim to territory of Brighton Below and this time people listened. Lord Palmeira had made a number of good friends in the World Below, and with the efforts of his wife in making secret arrangements and alliances, the city agreed to provide the Palmeira’s with their own lands to the west of Brighton, the area called Hove in the World Above.
Lord Preston respected Palmeira’s dedication getting sober and staking a claim in Brighton Below. They were considered to be good friends as well as close allies for a long time. The Palmeira Household took time to establish itself more firmly and reached quite grand heights
Lord and Lady Palmeira gave birth to a son, Oswald shortly after their marriage, and others have followed. The house was thriving, though things were not as they seemed and the initial success of the Household was to be short-lived
Lady Palmeira’s story
Lady Palmeira was a young woman in the Victorian era of the World Above. She was the youngest daughter of a local shipping exporter and was from fairly well to do background. When she wasn’t taking time with her studies she spent much of her time socialising with friends. Madeleine (as she was at the time) met a young man called Henry Wickett who came from a wealthy American cotton plantation owners family.
Whilst they were close, Madeleine’s feeling towards Henry were considerably more intense than Henry’s. He was a young man exploring the world for the first time and he had no intentions of settling down with just the one woman. Henry had a number of other young women who he was “courting”, and enjoyed the company of many others.
It was at this time that Madeleine fell pregnant. Henry immediately disowned Madeleine, claiming that the child was not his. Fearing the responsibility of parenthood and the wrath of his father, Henry made a hasty exit from Brighton and was never heard from again
Madeleine’s father also shunned her, shutting her out and ignoring her pleas for forgiveness and assistance. He was from a strict religious background and Madeleine’s “sin” was too much for him to bear. He declared that she was no longer his daughter, and forbade any other member of the family from even acknowledging her existence.
Other friends gradually distanced themselves from her until she had no-one left.
Madeleine found some sanctuary in a home for “fallen woman”. She gave birth to her child, a young son, but it had been agreed that the child would be given to a local family for adoption. She never saw her baby after she had given birth, and never discovered to whom he was given
Madeleine sank further into depression following the birth, and was soon made to leave the home.
She had nowhere to go and no-one to turn to, then Brighton Below found her and it was there that she met her late husband Lord Clarence Palmeira
The death of Lord Clarence Palmeira
The downfall of House Palmeira had been predicted for some time. With the arrival of Lord Kemp and his entourage, Lord Palmeira began to slowly submit to his old habits. Whilst he’d been sober for almost two decades this desire for fun meant that he spent more and more time with the Kemps, and eventually began to drink again. They say that old habits die hard, and before long Lord Palmeira reverted to his old ways. His management of the estates and territories began to wane, the Floating Markets held in their territories were less successful and the family was losing power
This didn’t seem to bother Lord Palmeira at all, and whilst his wife tried to maintain control, he was busy pursuing the hedonistic lifestyle that he so envied Lord Kemp for having.
Several years ago Lord Clarence Palmeira had been drinking with Lord Kemp for a number of days when an altercation broke out between Lord Palmeira and an unknown Bravo. Lord Palmeira challenged the youngster to a duel, believing that his abilities were enhanced by his somewhat inebriated state. The fight lasted a merely few seconds, Lord Palmeira was stabbed through the heart, and died immediately. The Bravo left without a word, though no-one can quite remember his face or name
Lady Palmeira was quite naturally devastated at her husband’s death, as were her children. The greater tragedy was that vengeance is not something easily taken. Not only was the unknown Bravo able to conceal his identity, but reports state that it was Lord Palmeira who suggested the duel, and that he was the aggressor; the Bravo merely accepted and bested him.
Since the death of Lord Palmeira though, his wife Madeleine has taken over as the head of the household. This is an unusual arrangement, as although Oswald her eldest son was not of age when his father died, Lady Palmeira has since refused to hand over control of the Household now that Oswald has reached adulthood
In that time Lady Palmeira has brought the Household to even greater levels than it had ever attained with her late husband in command. Lady Palmeira is known as being the information broker, advisor and politician of Brighton Below. There is no piece of information she does not know or cannot obtain, there is no favour that she cannot do, and there is no person she cannot bring to her side.
Whether through seduction, bribery, blackmail or simple offerings of friendship or alliance, Lady Palmeira’s business acumen is matched only by her political cunning.
This ability has served her well. The Palmeira’s have reclaimed much of the territory which was lost to the Fishers and their devices. Her Household continues to grow, and her influence strengthens daily. The Palmeira have power through information, and the exchange of secrets. It is believed that they have an extensive network of information gatherers, and it is this network that provides them with the tools to control others
The Lewes Household
The Lewes Family are a new addition to the Underside. A family with a long and chequered history, their arrival and acceptance has met something of a mixed response
The Household itself was originall one of the principal families in the Underside of Brighton Below. Gifted with lands from King Fildlas the occupied the lands for services provided in the protection of the Underside, they were well regarded by those who lived in their lands. They were however respected more from fear than love. The Lewes Household fell from favour in the rule of King Alfred who stripped them of their lands and gifted them instead to the Dial Household. The Lewes family without land or recognised title moved back to their original homestead in Lewes.
There they spend time festering, stewing and plotting their revenge against the King and the community which threw them out of the lands which they had called home for so many years.
Lord Lewes called upon every favour they were owed, and every favour that all the members of their Household owed and garnered enough support to lead a revolution. They marched on the underside of Brighton, over 160 men armed and ready for war. However, not all those who Lewes tried to enlist were as easily swayed or as loyal. Someone tipped off King Alfred who called upon the Households in the Underside to issue a call to arms. On the Red Hill the two forces clashed, but it was Alfred who was to be victorious. Lord Lewes was slain, and his generals captured.
It was not without cost though for two nights later King Alfred died of his wounds. In vengeance a curse was laid on the surviving generals that they would live a cursed existance as wraith like creatures who would live out the rest of their lives in agony, being permitted only on the night of the Market to take corporeal form but then never being permitted to set foot within its boundaries
The Vultures were recently freed by the residents of the Underside, and once restored to semblence of life (albeit in an undead form) they also raised their former master back from the dead. Their triumph was completed by their appearance before the Households of the Underside and requesting a challenge. Four of the Lewesmen versus one champion from each of the Households. Should The House of Lewes win then they would claim back the lands they once owned. Should they lose they would sacrifice their lands in Lewes.
Though the four Houses stepped into the Arena, only 3 chose to fight, and the House of Lewes were victorious. The House of Roe have never explained their decision
The Lewes Nobles have the ability to move wherever they choose, though it takes a great degree of mental strength and can take some time. This ability made them the perfect assassins.
What good are the thickest walls and the toughest guards when your would-be murderer can walk past them all. This left everyone knowing that there was nowhere that they go where they could be assured of privacy, or safety or sanctuary. Wherever you were, the Lewes Nobles could get to you.
There are those who say that the greatest of the Nobles can even exist in two places at the same time. Some
The Dial Household
No-one really talks of the Dials anymore. Though their lands are held open there are no more Nobles of that line in Brighton Below.
Following the murder of their parents, all seven of Lord and Lady Dial's children left the city. The younger members were taken away by household members, fearing for their safety. The older siblings left in horror and grief
Everyone knows that they will return at some point. No-one knows when though, and none are quite sure whether they still want to be here when they do