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BookWyrm wrote:I don't think this has been clarified yet. Some smaller Houses could have the numbers that would rival a Great House like Barren Marsh, while others have fewer populations but are acknowledged as 'Great' by reputation, prowess in combat, ect.
I think a few authors here are working on a set of House Generator rules to be published in a Rifter in the near future.

boxee wrote:

BookWyrm wrote:I don't think this has been clarified yet. Some smaller Houses could have the numbers that would rival a Great House like Barren Marsh, while others have fewer populations but are acknowledged as 'Great' by reputation, prowess in combat, ect.
I think a few authors here are working on a set of House Generator rules to be published in a Rifter in the near future.

Thanks BookWyrm for the reply. Yea I just thought someone might have known.

boxee wrote:Minimum population of great house? How about lesser houses?

Step One:
Determine the Size of the House

This first step not only determines the total population of the House, but it also describes the organization’s stability. In general, a larger House tends to be a more stable House, but that is not always the case. Realize that resources on this planet are not infinite. In fact, they are often quite scarce. A larger House needs more resources for its people and more space to put them all. Expanding an underground haven requires supplies, as do the people. Even Bio-Tech construction requires that someone go to the surface to collect organic material for the Gene Pools, and every trip to the surface increases the chance of leading the Machine back to the House. While growing a House and gaining strength in numbers always helps, it is important to know and remember that no matter how many soldiers the House has for its defense, N.E.X.U.S. always has more. A larger population is also more difficult to control. With more people stuffed into a tiny space, fighting for resources, tensions can be extremely high. Larger Houses tend to need tighter systems of control, which further elevates overall tension. Ultimately, there is a middle ground where a House is strongest. Small Houses exist in a rather precarious state. As they grow in size, they grow more stable, but once they grow past a certain size, the risk of destabilization from internal or external threats grows as well.

Fledgling House: Considered the seeds of a Great House than an actual House. The members of this fledgling kingdom set out on their own from another Great House to lay the foundations for their own home. They could either be loyal expatriates sent from their previous House with the blessings of their former Warlord, or they could be a breakaway splinter faction running from their last home as fast as they can. The total population can be as little as 100 people to as many as 1000 people. They may have left with a few mature Saints in tow (if they favor Bio-Tech that is), so they could have an Engineer or even a Librarian among their ranks. This would allow them to produce Bio-Tech, and perhaps even create new Bio-Tech designs. Of course, this new House might have been formed by humans that hate Bio-Tech and fled their last home because they thought it was evil and monstrous. The rules, structure, and even the underground haven itself are far from established. This House needs to find its feet before it can even consider large scale combat operations against the Machine (or rival Great Houses). Of course, that does not rule out smaller raids.

Devastated House: This Great House is similar to a Fledgling House, except its origin is far more tragic. Instead of springing forth from a thriving Great House to stake their own claim, the members of this new House are refugees from one that was previously destroyed. Whether it was the Machine, a rival Great House, or an internal civil war, someone obliterated the last underground haven and slaughtered most of the residents. They had to leave the ashes of their old home behind and find a new one. They may have brought Engineers and Librarians with them or they may only possess whatever Bio-Tech they could evacuate. Total population can vary radically from as few as 500 people to as many as 5000. Like with the Fledgling House, the members are most concerned with building a new underground haven and reestablishing some sort of structured society. These beaten dogs are trying to get back on their feet before they can hope to join the larger war effort.

Small House: This House may be small, but it is firmly established. Construction of their underground haven has been completed (although it is likely still expanding) and they have well defined rules, customs, and traditions. The total population can range from 1000 people to 5000. This House may be small, but it is large enough to be a player within its Area of Influence (and possibly beyond).

Medium House: This is the most common (and preferred) House size throughout much of the Resistance. After years of trial and error, many Resistance leaders have learned that a population between 5000 and 20,000 people is small enough to easily house within the tight confines of an underground haven without stretching resources too thin, yet it is still large enough to create a formidable army. What keeps this House size so common is that many Houses will generally send out envoys to create a new Resistance cell once their population hits the upper end of this scale. Great Houses have found it incredibly beneficial to sponsor an ancillary branch since it basically expands the total territory of the original House while still protecting its internal resources, plus it instantly creates a loyal ally that can be counted on during Blood Feuds and massive engagements with the Machine.

Large House: Not every House likes to spread its people out all across the planet. Some Resistance leaders see the Machine’s strength in numbers and try to build similar strength within their own empire. This type of House was able to handle its resources well enough to enable it to continue to expand the borders of its underground haven and grow its population. This population growth could have just been from natural births, but it could also have been due to heavy recruitment from surrounding Retro Villages and even rival Great Houses. These Houses tend to be a major player not only in their Area of Influence, but in surrounding regions as well. It is nearly impossible to get up to this size without ruffling a few feathers. This size House is almost certainly on the Machine’s radar, and more than likely it has also developed a few bitter rivalries with jealous Great Houses. Population size typically ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 people.

Enormous House: Houses of this size are extremely rare. These Resistance powerhouses are respected, feared, and often envied by other Houses (even if they should not be). Outsiders believe that any House that was able to grow to this size must know how to succeed in this harsh and unforgiving environment. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen. The House leaders may simply be skilled at putting up a strong front. In reality, they may only be holding their empire together with strings. Of course, the House could also be just as powerful as it appears. Just remember, that a large House is not invulnerable. No matter how many soldiers the House may have, the Machine has billions more. A large House makes a large target, and on this world, a large target with a large number of mouths to feed is far more prone to collapse than the smaller ones. Populations in this category typically range from 50,000 to 200,000 people.

Human Kingdom: The only known Human Kingdom within the Resistance is the Great House of the Barren Marsh. This House not only crossed the 200,000+ person threshold, but it also established settlements on the surface. In theory, a Human Kingdom could continue to thrive and grow to impressive numbers, but growing to this size also puts a House right at the top of the Machine’s hit list. It also fosters incredible envy and even resentment among other Resistance cells. On a world with so little, being perceived as having so much is a great way to become a target of more than just N.E.X.U.S