House Loyalties

Your House is your blood, your shield, and your eternal chain.

People are born into one of 14 Colors, which determine their physical characteristics and specialized roles. The system relies on the belief that the hierarchy ensures order, with the ArchGovernor Nero Augustus and the Sovereign Octavia au Lune at its apex.

Lore & Background

The Society organizes humanity into a strict caste system where Golds rule as the mentally and physically superior elite. At the Institute, the students are divided into 12 school Houses. During the Institute, students are drafted into these Houses to compete for dominance in a massive recreation of medieval warfare within Valles Marineris. Each House is assigned a castle and must conquer others using a system where capturing an enemy's standard allows them to enslave opposing students, forcing them to obey commands.

House Mars fractures into factions, one of them led by the bloodthirsty Titus au Ladros, until Darrow manipulates House Minerva into defeating it and becomes house leader. Other major players include House Minerva under Virginia "Mustang" au Augustus and House Pluto led by Adrius "The Jackal" au Augustus. The Proctors, such as Fitchner au Barca of House Mars, oversee these conflicts, though they are sometimes bribed by figures like Nero to rig outcomes in favor of specific students.

Reader's Guide

For Golds, success is measured by conquering other Houses during the Institute or gaining favor with the Sovereign on Luna. The system rewards ruthless ambition, as seen when Darrow traps The Jackal, who amputates his own hand to escape, only for Proctors to intervene and kidnap Mustang. To win one must master the rules of enslavement: capturing a House's standard forces opposing students to obey. However, loyalty is fragile; Fitchner reveals Nero bribes Proctors to ensure The Jackal wins, exposing the corruption beneath the surface.

Darrow's strategy involves freeing slaves from captured Houses to amass an army, eventually conquering Houses Ceres and Apollo. The ultimate test of loyalty comes after Darrow learns from Fitchner that Mustang is The Jackal's twin sister: instead of betraying Darrow, she dutifully delivers her brother, and with House Mars having conquered all others Darrow wins the Institute title. Yet, even victory brings new chains: Nero Augustus offers Darrow a position as his Lancer if he hides the rigging of the games, forcing Darrow to publicly join House Augustus despite his hatred for the man who killed his wife.