The House of Durani Arawac

This House of St. Humakt is one of the more popular houses of them all. It was formed centuries ago in 956 ST, by the Hero Humathi Leot Humathsblood. He was a member of the Li Phanquan sub-cult of Humath, and travelled across the length and breadth of Genertela . Followers have his set up numerous Hero shrines and spirit cults to honour him, but the house in Otkorion is the only one to survive.

Durani are skilled undead killers, and all join the Li Phanquan sub-cult. The Durani are hired for their expertise in Undead slaying missions, and the Church pays the House a handsome sum to have it's members station the barracks in the Diotcolm - the Diotcolm being that Bishopric that is closest to the Salantia Forest, and all good people know that only the dead walk the Salantia Forest. The anti-undead nature of the House is so great that all members vow to follow the orders of the Head of House in whatever he or she says in order to ensure the destruction of undead. The Durani, therefore, muster their own army. Durani associates itself with the Sword of Malkion but is not under their command, although they are part of the Church Militant.

While famous suicidal excursions into the Salantia Forest are known, the Durani normally content themselves with patrolling the Salantia border and rooting out other, rarer, nests of undead, sometimes travelling quite far to accomplish this. Attacking the necromancers of Naskorian has started to become a common pastime, although it seems likely to start a war. The lightning raids made into the Poldark and it's numerous Zorak Zorani temples and shrines (with their zombies, skeletons and vampires) are also noted.

Organization

The House is lead by a small council of five Swords. Election to this council is achieved via Divination, the Sword to have slain the most undead is the one who is selected. Of course, mistakes have been made as the results of the Divination are sometimes not so clear. The House is based in Valantia, but has chapters almost everywhere - being a very popular Humakti House to join. Beneath the Council of Swords are the Chapter-Swords who each own a Chapter House that fosters about 50-100 warriors, each organised into three groups, about 5-10 permanent warriors to attend to the Chapter House (usually doubling as a shrine), upto 50 warriors as a permanent battalion who are continually on patrol, working for the Church or the Church Militant, and the final group are non-permanent warriors of the house who can still be called up for duty but who aren't paid retainers to work as fighters.

To join the House the Humakti must have killed at least one undead creature, be a member of the Li Phanquan sub-cult and know either Detect or Sense Undead (or possess the gift that gives this ability). They must viw to destroy all forms of undead that they encounter and to obey the orders of the Council.

The House, in return, grant various spells and employment benefits. If they order a House member to some form of activity, usually aiding in a simple patrol or helping out in a Chapter House, they compensate the Humakti with 4 Orbs per day of work. Permanent residents and members of the battalion receive a retainer of 200 Orbs a season plus food and board.

Spells Taught by the House

Curse Vampire
2 points
Ranged, temporal, reusable
Can only be cast on Vampires. If the caster overcomes the vampires magic points with their own the vampire becomes unable to use their special powers of Enthrall, Shapechange, mp drain, fp drain and regeneration.

Destroy Undead
2 points
Touch, temporal, one-use
Can be cast on any weapon. For the duration of the spell the weapon becomes Powered versus undead. In other words, the success level scored on any attack or parry is increased by one level, so a failure becomes a success, a special becomes a critical etc...