House Karalis

House Karalis holds the County of Trapezus in eastern Dyria. Its head is Countess Elene Karalis.

History
House Karalis has a credible claim to be the oldest house in Dyria. It pre-dates the formation of Dyria as a unified realm and indeed the empire as a whole and has held what is now the County of Trapezus for a long time indeed. The details of the house's early years are lost to the mists of time. It is generally held that their home, in the mighty fortress of Wayguard, was built after the First Greytide, but the circumstances of its founding remain a matter of speculation. It is known for certain that it is of dwarven construction and that it contains an entrance to the Underway - once the network of underground routes that linked hubs of dwarven civilisation, now a dark and dangerous place. It is also known that dwarves have lived in Wayguard since long before their exile about a century ago, and are well-integrated with the human denizens of the place.

Wayguard withstood the Second and Third Greytides, its walls impervious and defenders dauntless. In the centuries since the Third Greytide, it has seen off incursions from the Red Waste. The exile of the dwarves from their home in the Worldspine saw the population of Wayguard surge.

House Karalis has been a strong advocate for the dwarves resident in the empire, to the surprise of nobody. Where matters relating to them arise in the imperial court, it always speaks in their favour. Being that the dwarves rarely participate in imperial high society, many have taken to regarding House Karalis as a de facto ambassador for an entire people.

It has been a steady backer and supporter of House Kournis over the years, including in the Dyrian coup.

Holdings
The County of Trapezus is arid, hilly land in the eastern part of the Duchy of Padokis, held by the royal House Kournis, with farms clinging to what arable areas exist, while the rest is used mostly by animal herders. A few quarries and mines operate in the hills, but not enough to bring genuine prosperity to the county. Most trade in Padokis is done in the town of Voros, held by House Kournis, some distance to the west, although some merchants from the nomadic tribes of the Red Waste stop at Wayguard instead.

The saving grace of an otherwise poor county is Wayguard. The fortress sits on the very edge of the Red Waste. It is of ancient construction, but so fine that it scarcely requires maintenance. The artifice involved in its building is far beyond the skill of anyone currently in the empire - or at least anyone who is willing to be forthcoming about it, and considering that even the secretive dwarves laud it, it is generally assumed that it is beyond their abilities too. The fortress has a substantial underground portion, in a vast cavern that links into the Underway. The Underway is a perilous place, and the sentries posted underground often outnumber those on the surface.

The town around Wayguard, although far more modern, is home to many dwarves - by some reckoning, it is the largest assembly of them in the empire, surpassing even the Dyrian capital of Elis. They go about their craft, which is usually sold farther afield, pay their taxes, and even, uniquely for dwarves in Dyria, engage in military service.

Current Events
House Karalis' home is stable and its nobility are able to look outward, to the world beyond. The recent activity among dwarves in the empire which has seen bands of them making for the Worldspine invariably involves them congregating first in Wayguard. Many in the empire assume that House Karalis must know far more about the dwarves than anyone else, but being that exactly what is happening has not yet been made public, either the Karalises are very good at keeping secrets or they are not sure themselves. What is sure is that they are happy to facilitate and support the dwarven expeditions, though no human has yet been invited to accompany one.

At the imperial court, the foremost concern of House Karalis is mercantile matters, with trade in fine goods being vital to them. It has a long tradition of some of its nobility taking to adventure, driven in part by their home essentially being one vast artifact of the ancient world.