The Council of Five: The Council of Five consists of the five noble houses of Shillen. They include House Dharnan, House Zenfan, House Hulvan, House Firenze, and House Washen. The kingdom was established jointly by the five houses, six hundred years ago.
House Dharnan: House Dharnan was historically the most powerful of the five houses. Their ancestral home is in Mintra. They were, in fact, the first royal family, and ruled Shillen in a time of peace and prosperity. The Council of Five took the crown from House Dharnan and gave it to House Zenfan forty years ago, when House Dharnan accused House Zenfan of developing secret methods of making their warriors inhumanly powerful. These methods, House Dharnan felt, should be studied jointly and made available to all the houses. The Council of Five, finding no evidence to support this, and deciding that House Dharnan was acting out of jealous spite at House Zenfan's rising military power, and further, was sowing the seeds of dissension through the kingdom, took the crown from House Dharnan and gave it to House Zenfan. Relations between the two houses appeared to be friendly, though rumors were that this was just the face they put on for the public. Thirty years ago, when the Gorukans took Castle Rogan and slew the prior Duke and his family, the Venerable Zenfan appointed House Dharnan as the protector of the Duchy of Rogan. The new Duke Randal Dharnan retook Castle Rogan, and ruled the Duchy well. He was well-loved by the people. Unfortunately, Duke Dharnan was slain in the last Gorukan invasion. The Duchy of Rogan is the largest and most powerful part of Shillen, and as the first defense against Goruka, very strategic as well.
House Zenfan: House Zenfan is the ruling House in Shillen. It is led by the Venerable Kedric Zenfan, King and Canon of Shillen, and is based in the Shining City of Mintra, capitol of the Kingdom of Shillen. House Zenfan has ruled Shillen for forty years, and are the most powerful family in Shillen, both politically and militarily.
House Hulvan: Little is known of House Hulvan. Although a member of the Council of Five, they previously held no lands, and ruled no citizens. They recently were entrusted with ruling the Duchy of Rogan after Duke Dharnan's untimely demise. Their ancestral home is a stone fortress on the southern borders of the Severin Forest.
House Firenze: Historically allied with House Dharnan, and recently allied to House Zenfan, House Firenze rules the small Duchy of Venga, strategically placed along the Tand River. The recent attacks from Pachik across the Tand River have weakened House Firenze.
House Washel: House Washel holds its power through trade. They control much of the distribution networks and banking in the kingdom. They are located to the south of Mintra, and have been affected the least of the five houses by recent events.
High Priests of Shillen: Shillen is a theocracy, with most of the legislative functions falling to "The Holy Order of Righteous Emmissaries of his Divine Holiness and Deity of Valor, Heironeous" They are known more commonly as the High Priests of Shillen.
