Continuing my series on the Noble Houses of Psi-Wars, let’s
have a look at the conservative, elitist Grimshaw, and why people see them as “obvious”
bad guys and how they can be much more than that.
House Grimshaw
Who are they?
House Grimshaw, one of the great pillars of the Federation,
was also one of the last to join. Following the execution of Shio Daijin,
Grimshaw distanced itself from the feuding that had enveloped the Galactic
Core, patiently watching over the Alexian homeworld of Maradon, the great
factory cathedrals of House Alexus, and the central archive held on the moon of
Atrium, waiting for a true successor to claim them once more.
When the Federation arose, Grimshaw reluctantly admitted
that no such heir was likely to be found, and so as the last remnant of the
Alexian government, they gave the Federation the legitimacy of their approval.
Over time, they grew to become the great industrial base of the Federation, and
in the days before the rise of the Empire, Bale Grimshaw was counted as one of
the leaders of the noble houses.
Despite their prestige, the Grimshaw never truly considered
themselves a member of the Federation, and kept their power concentrated in
their homeworlds of Maradon space. This proved wise, for following the Emperor’s
coup, Bale Grimshaw was able to escape with a largely intact power base.
Disgusted with the petty squabbling and the erosion of
traditional noble values that they see as leading to the uprising, Grimshaw now
calls for a return to the ancient ways, with an aristocracy dedicated to the
duties their heritage brings. That this would also promote the power of
Grimshaw is a burden they are willing to bear.
How do the common folk see them?
Cold, distant, and ruthlessly efficient, there is little
love for the Grimshaw among the people of their worlds. Yet, they have also
maintained order in their region for centuries, and their government functions
with the regular, predictable pattern of clockwork.
While this desire for efficiency and order led Grimshaw to
be a leader in the adoption of robotic labor, they took great care to avoid the
disrupting effects found in other noble domains. Where they could, they
retained their current workforce as technicians and overseers, and where they
couldn’t, Grimshaw attempted to find new roles for them.
The price of this order is freedom. House Grimshaw expects
that its people will know their place in society, and to keep to it without
complaint. In many cases, this place is also hereditary, where if someone’s
father was a factory overseer, it is likely that his children will eventually
assume oversight of that factory.
Despite Grimsahw’s best efforts, there is a growing
population of people without such a role. Use of robotic labor displaced more
people than they could accommodate, and addressing this is a primary concern of
the house, with the specter of another uprising haunting them.
How are they seen by the nobility in general?
House Grimshaw’s position as the stewards of the legacy of
Alexus affords them respect by traditionalist, and their economic might draws
both admiration and envy. Their support for the traditional rights and
privileges of the nobility is another point in their favor.
However, Grimshaw’s devotion to duty and order is seen as
insufferably self-righteous by many, and while other nobles respect their
traditionalism, their call for a return to the days of the Alexus and the
Oracular Order is considered terribly antiquated. Still, the stability of the
Grimshaw realm lends weight to their arguments, and some are starting to take
the idea seriously.
Others fear Grimshaw’s claim to moral authority as a cloak
for their political ambitions, and they see in Bale Grimshaw someone who wishes
to revive the Alexian Empire with himself at its head.
What are the strengths of House Grimshaw?
The economic power of Grimshaw is one of the keys to the
Alliance’s continued survival, for while not a match for the Empire’s full
power, it is sufficient to keep ahead of the losses in the ongoing conflict.
Without it, the Alliance would not collapse immediately, but attrition would
eventually force them to sue for terms with the Empire. House Grimshaw has
parlayed this power into influence, exchanging the output of their factories
for support from lesser houses.
House Grimshaw’s continuity with the government of Alexus,
the stability of their realm, and their support for traditional noble privilege
affords them a moral authority. While this is denigrated by many who would
rather break from the legacy of the Alexian Empire, many others have come
around to Grimshaw’s point of view, and represent a growing bloc within the
House of Lords.
Stewardship of the remaining holdings of House Alexus is
another asset, though it is one that Grimshaw, strictly speaking, cannot make
use of. But if an heir to Alexus could be found (or fabricated), then House
Grimshaw is in a position to support their claim to the throne.
What are the weaknesses of House Grimshaw?
Grimshaw’s distance from the people and their promotion of
traditional noble rights and privileges earns them many enemies in the House of
Commons. While much of the nobility is hesitant to undermine their own position
by backing the Commons, if Grimshaw looks to be growing too powerful, other
nobles may choose to do so.
The conservatism of House Grimshaw, while well-founded and
also one of their strengths, could also hamper them. The Empire is rapidly
developing new technology, and Grimshaw’s desire to carefully consider the
impact of technologies they adopt could leave them at a disadvantage in the
arms race.
How can House Grimshaw be the good guys?
Grimshaw is right. The galaxy is meant to be ruled by the
aristocracy, who have been carefully bred over the years to produce better
rulers and a better fit for their Communion role. Their insistence on order,
while it may seem stifling, truly is for the benefit of those they rule. The
unbridled populism of the Empire and the slower egalitarianism of the Alliance
goes against the proper order, and will lead to a dark age.
The discovery of a true heir to Alexus would strengthen
Grimshaw’s position. A revival of the Oracular Order, perhaps precipitated by
the discovery of their lost lore, would also do much to enhance their position.
How can House Grimshaw be the bad guys?
Bale Grimshaw is cynically using the concepts of duty and
order and tradition as a means of promoting his own power. Under his rule, the
common people will be oppressed and confined to their prescribed roles, the
rest of the Alliance subjugated to his will, and a new Empire will take shape
under his direction.
Alternatively, Bale Grimshaw himself is sincere in his
beliefs, but he is being used by a resurgent branch of the Oracular Order, who
have promised him that following his path will lead to a new golden age for
humanity. This conspiracy seeks to topple the Empire, only to rule the galaxy
through their own puppet Emperor.
Which Communion Paths do they follow?
Grimshaw’s dedication to duty and the preservation of order
inclines them to follow the path of the Righteous Crusader, though more as
inquisitor and upholder of the regime than as a standard bearer of
righteousness. The Mystic Tyrant is another common path, stemming from their
distance from the people and their belief that only they have the vision to
rule.
Less commonly, Grimshaw’s isolation from people leads them
to fall into the path of the Other, becoming strange, distant monsters without
a shred of human empathy.
What role does House Grimshaw’s psionics play?
In many ways, Grimshaw’s psionic talents plays to a sense of
theatrics. With Light Amplification, Presence, and Flash, a scion of House
Grimshaw can make themselves very obvious, serving to both awe and intimidate
onlookers. Their most dramatic ability, Lightning, is as much a display of
power as it is a damaging ability.
More than that, Grimshaw possesses the power of ergokinesis
in a setting dominated by technology. The implications of this become readily
apparent when you consider that all weapons in common use are susceptible to
it, droids and computer systems control the machinery that society relies upon,
and people routinely carry communicators and other devices on their person.
With a contemptuous wave of their hand, they can completely knock out all of
those.
With Electric Vision, you’re not going to sneak spy gadgets
past a member of House Grimshaw, nor could an Imperial Commando sneak up on
them in the dark. If they try, they’re going to be lit up like a beacon!
Those with an even stronger gift and access to the full
power of Ergokinesis are even more potent. They have no need for fancy gadgets
to compromise your computer system, for with Data Retrieval, I/O Tap, or Remote
Control, all they need to do is touch them to make it give up its secrets,
catastrophically compromise the systems they control, and more. Those with
higher levels of these abilities only need to be near it!
Just imagine what they can do in the Empire, with all of its
highly centralized systems!
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