Xian's notes on Arcade Politics

note: this is very preliminary and unfinished

The Great Houses

There's a mechanic. We're in it now.

The Third Treaty of Houses was slightly less than a Cycle of Cycles ago.

House of Benevolent Oversight

Zhu Cai-Wen thinks the Hon'eth family is one of the families that joined together to form the House of Benevolent Oversight.

Would restoring the name require replacing the House of Benevolent Oversight? How about if Magpie were being replaced, would that require regime change?

Hubris of Kings would cause significant political trouble for the current head of the House, and possibly lead to the downfall of either him or the entire House.

This king was the one who sent that monk into the World Above and then there was a vial of Crane's blood.

Autumn Rose stayed with one of the scions of the house when she was in the Harbor of Fortunate Arrival.

House of Gainful Protection

Was at one point trying to foment open warfare between Enticing Vintage and Resplendent Decoration.

Yang Tsi-Ya, Shen-Ji's long-lost sister, works for them. Autumn Rose hired her as a bodyguard during a trip to the Harbor, asking for her by name, despite staying at a Benevolent Oversight manor.

The cook has been working with this House to help restore House Sung in the Forest.

I need to do something about the head of this House, he's a bozo.

Someone named Konghua (from Gainful Protection) arranged for the genuine kidnapping of Myo and Liet.

Konghua sounds like a bozo, too.

House of Beneficent Travel

A Tso of this House was looking for Yanyu to provide matchmaking services.

Did we ever find out what this was about?

When the Obsidian Warlord was generating an excuse for blockading the Shrouded Isle, the story was that a longshoremen's strike and riots in the Port of Propitious Voyage were actually instigated by the Shrouded Isle. People from the House of Beneficent Travel and the House of Judicious Increase were singled out as being especially prominent among the dupes.

House of Judicious Increase

Ayuki works for the bankers.

In Travelling_with_the_Butterfly_Prince:_Part_II, we encountered a merchant from Judicious Increase travelling to the City of Spires, with Yang Tsi-Ya (Shen-Ji's sister) as his bodyguard. He was attacked by a squad from the Sonyu clan (the ruling clan of the Savanna). He was very cagey about where he was going, and even wouldn't give his name, although Cai Wen deduced that he was a very important person within Judicious Increase.

What the heck was going on here? Was it just an attempt by the Savanna to foment war between the Arcade and the Forest? What was the secret thing Judicious Increase was doing?

The six prisoners were sent to Teng Keep. Did we ever find out what happened to them?

Lady Chow (aka "Pai Gow Chow"), an avid panda collector, obtained Lijuan's endorsement, which was worth points in the Great House mechanic. She was also especially interested in information about the Merit Trade Company.

House of Enticing Vintage

Liet's house. Originally hostile to Resplendent Decoration, but allied as of Zen Sinker Tour. We found in Zen Sinker Tour that Prince Ti Jun had been assisting Enticing Vintage (specifically Lord Miyato, in the Port of Auspicious Voyage) with unspecified inter-House politics. Miyato considered the cursed silk to be a countermove retaliating for whatever it was the Prince had assisted them with. Ezokin was behind the cursed silk, and he was in disguise under the name Kinoze in both Enticing Vintage and Resplendent Decoration (strange to use the same name for what were effectively two separate identities as a cloth merchant and a wine merchant).

A caravan from the House of Enticing Vintage hired Wei Han as a guard for a trip from the Port of Propitious Voyage to the Harbor of Fortunate Arrival. Wei Han's presence allowed them to enter the city without being searched by the Dragon Army occupation force.

Liet's uncle is head of the House, and her father is the heir.

Liet and Myo were kidnapped for real by some bandits who got the idea from someone named Konghua from the House of Gainful Protection.

Curiously, when the Arbiter wished to meet Yoshi in A Note for You, he chose to meet at an Enticing Vintage establishment (the Saddlehouse winehouse on Mill Street, if you're curious).

House of Resplendent Decoration

Myo's House. As of Alike in Dignity hostile to the House of Enticing Vintage (Liet's House), but by Zen Sinker Tour they were allied. In Zen Sinker Tour, Ezokin was in disguise as an elderly cloth merchant in the House of Resplendent Decoration, and was selling cursed silk. The curse seemed to affect ships of both Resplendent Decoration and those of Enticing Vintage.

Myo and Liet were kidnapped for real by some bandits who got the idea from someone named Konghua from the House of Gainful Protection.

House of Quiet Concordance

They're pretty quiet. Also concordant. They like feng shui, and may be trying to conquer the kingdom using urchins (street urchins, not sea urchins) (I hope).

The Less Great Houses

House of Transparent Purity

Their heir is Tsu Yi-ju, who is still a child.

House of the Lotus

Flower house

Hidden Orchid

Cai Wen's patron (technically shouldn't it be matron?)

House of Ornamental Vessels

Storage jars.

In A Busy Day, Snow Leopard informs Shuyan that the House of Ornamental Vessels has arranged for the kidnapping of the heir to the House of Transparent Purity.

House of Continuous Sustenance

Rice. Got smushed.

House of Piquant Sapidity

Spices, maybe?

Not Houses

Cup of Five Virtues

A very fashionable teahouse

Merit Trading Company

Possibly about to become the hub of the House of Exuberant Interference.

Monkey King Opera Company

An opera company, led by Han Hsu, who made his name playing the Monkey King.

Various Tongs and Pork Buns and Ninjas

Cai Wen's favorite ninjas. We should take them more seriously, but we end up treating them like comic relief. OK, maybe we shouldn't take them seriously.

The League of the Hidden Hand is active in the northern Arcade, and the Circle of Spite is active in the south.

The Messengers of the Black Spot are a ninja clan in the Harbor of Fortunate Arrival. Autumn Rose paid them 40 li to get a message to Li Merit. They were also the couriers for the ransom notes when Myo and Liet were kidnapped for real.