House Ivanov rose by the sword. Now and ever after, it balances precariously on the tip of that sword to remain in power.
HOUSE IVANOV
Colors: Red and orange.
Mottos: Pro re nata (as the need arises); dura lex sed lex (the law is hard, but it is the law).
Language: Rede is the most common secondary language among House Ivanov's servants. Theirs is different to the Rede of Kaltlanders, beginning to drift linguistically (Tsar instead of Kaiser, Tsarevich instead of Kronprinz).
Members
- Aleksei Ivanov, Tsar, Lord of the House. Exalt of Ignis Synnove.
- Xandar Dranovich von Ivanov, Tsarevich.
- Jaz'gil von Ivanov, Tsarevich.
House Ivanov is an organization that spans two generations, two styles, two cultures. Long before it became recognized formally as a noble house anywhere, it was the custom that a house would be distinct from the person. A peasant would be born without a last name, only being known as the son of their father or from a certain land. A noble, someone risen into nobility, or someone adopted into a noble house would adopt the noble von into their name.
Aleksei has never bore the noble von, and his last name would mean son of Ivan. His adoptive children are not his own, so they do not bear the surname Alekov. Instead, they either bear no surname or the surname given by their father and the noble von as his children. Because the house's name is Ivanov, pedantically it would be appropriate to know the Tsar as Aleksei Ivanov von Ivanov, but to insist on such absurd pretenses would be mocked in the lands of the Exalted.
The Tsar's immortality is insisted on at every turn, at least by the Tsar. As such it is understood that his children will never inherit anything, there will never again be a permanent passing of the torch except in the event of abdication. Their formal title by adoption or birth is thus 'Tsarevich,' or 'Son of the Tsar.' Though the language is nominally gendered, in formal contexts the title is given to both male and female direct descendants of the Tsar.
Bondsmen
- Leonhardt von Ironwood, Third Inquisitor, Master of the Burning Chapter.
- Suhkoiza of the Ka'ar, Bondswoman
The concept of a bondsman in House Ivanov's society is a markedly ambiguous one.
Bondsmen are those who are trusted implicitly, at least by the Tsar. They've also sworn themselves to the Tsar - bonded themselves to them. Hence, the term bondsmen. Unlike the other formal or official terms in the house, Bondsmen is not a translation of any concept found in Rede or Old Arcturian texts. Even in passages written primarily in other languages, the words bondsman or bondsmen is untranslated. Nor is it treated like a proper noun in these texts, regardless of the language.
Yet, for how often it is referenced and how often the title is used almost as a form of praise, bondsman must mean something. Otherwise, the amount of respect given to the phrase would not make sense.
If pressed, it seems bondsman would be the equivalent of declaring someone a faithful servant. Someone bound to the Tsar, someone whose word can be relied on, someone who can be trusted in the way an old loyal retainer can be trusted. Perhaps not with everything. But, with what they can be trusted, they can be trusted implicitly.
It can be said that House Ivanov leans strongly on its Tsar in terms of culture, what is accepted, and what isn't. The Tsar is an absolute ruler, but he does not rule absolutely. That doesn't stop the Tsar from trying to. Even the smallest details in the lives of his subjects and the slightest policy can be at any time countermanded, forebade, ceased, or corrected by the Tsar. The servants of the Tsar, when tasked with work on his behalf, must always be mindful of their exact instructions if they do not want to suffer the embarassment of being replaced or having their role assumed by the Tsar entirely.
While his influence on government and the policies of his people cannot be overstated, this does not descend into the culture of the people themselves very much at all. There is no other society ruled by Ignites that is so permissive and tolerant as that of House Ivanov's. It has ever been the law of the land that those who come freely may leave freely so long as they do not steal, commit violence, or deface anything during their stay. This extends even to those who are actively at war with the House, even heretics or wanted murderers.
The House itself has a certain reputation for ruthlessness and violence, and one well deserved for its history. The culture of openness extends even to the darker sides of the faith. No secret is made of certain doctrines of the faith, however ruthless or bizarre. There is no denying that one can be prosecuted for "the sins of virtue," whereby one may be persecuted and put on trial as a heretic in spite of or even because of their sincere intentions of doing the right thing in a wrong way. Another aspect of the house's less pleasant side is its emphasis on martial skill. House Ivanov is founded by a knight of Anhald, and the bloody history of that long ago people is embraced more often than it is shirked. Whether by tradition or by doctrine, the traditional weapon of the house is the greatsword, and many greatswordsmen have been trained in the house.
While swords embodies the house's character, it is not in any of its official symbolism. The official symbol of House Ivanov is a flame, but more often the house is represented by symbols like towers, and being a house tied closely with Ignis suns are also ubiquitous. The chosen symbol of the Tsar is that of a dragon. The house is also associated with symbolism like ash, the great red-gold trees that grow in its lands, lakes, and other such more commonplace things.
In its time, House Ivanov has sponsored and participated directly in many organizations. The Inquisition of Saint Jacqueline, The Keepers of the Veil, and so on. These organizations remain apart of the legacy of House Ivanov, for they formed them and no one tried to make them exist independently of the house. While those organizations exist in a legacy sense, they have mostly fallen to the wayside as emphasis is put more on the house itself. All except for the inquisition. The inquisition and its association with House Ivanov is unshakable, for long ago it began the house's shift to faith, and long after the beginning House Ivanov is what saw it rise anew in the world.
