@TheEdVerse I was wondering if you have had any thoughts of noble houses in Sembia(Forgotten Realms). I know of a few from the official Novels, but was wondering if you had any other noble families up your sleeve?
— Asbjørn Loua (@AsLoua) January 1, 2022
1)
The problem (for a sage or cataloger) with Sembian nobility is that they’re self-styled (i.e. anyone with wealth or nerve enough can call themselves noble, and MIGHT get away with it; over the years, many have, including a fair number of charlatans who adopt the…
#Realmslore 2)
…surname of a currently prominent noble house and pretend to be a part of it, sometimes accusing the ‘real’ nobles of being impostors).
So there’s never been any clear, agreed-upon list, at all.
Moreover, most of the wealthy nobles have a “country estate”…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 1, 2022
3)
…(hunting lodge or feasting-house or food farm or horse-breeding ranch, or some combination of those) in “upcountry” (northern) Sembia, and houses or rented-out business premises in most of Sembia’s cities, with a luxurious mansion in at least one, so it’s hard.. 4)
…to say where any Sembian “noble” family is based—especially when they have internal feuds, and each side claims to either be the only legitimate branch of the family, or the senior branch. And you can find bastard or black sheep sons and daughters and nephews…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 1, 2022
5)
…and nieces “cast off” to live alone or with “lower-born companions” just about anywhere in the Dragonreach, Cormyr, and Sembia proper (and for real criminals, Westgate, too).
So here are some of the longer-established, “oldcoin” Sembian noble families not yet… 6)
…featured in official Realms fiction (though some of these have been mentioned at Candlekeep or in my columns on the Wizards website or other places).
I present the houses of:
Aukanor
Beltarn
Duthtan
Harcantel
Hilmhaven
Horstanneth
Ircrimmeth
Kremond
Kylantor
..#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 1, 2022
7)
…
Olandor
Orvrant
Ravensword
Rylant
Szabelzar
Selandovur
Tarantur
Waeln
Yhauntyl
and the house known as either Zhaundyl or Zhondammur, depending on which family members you heed.
That ought to be enough lofty, flamboyant, ill-behaved folk to get you started. :}#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 1, 2022
You're very welcome! May all of those nobles not annoy you too much! ;}
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2022
Most of them are classic "new money, nose-in-the-air arrogant big time splashy spenders." There's a reason many folk call Sembia 'the Land of Fat Rich Merchants.' ;}#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) January 2, 2022