One of the Great Houses of Bastenaken with the Crest of a snarling war hound, is known across the continent for their swordsmanship and a heavily induced sense of brotherhood.
House Vaushmar estate is located in the northern part of Bastenaken. They accept all into their household, even going so far as to give their surname to those who earn it, though it is an undeniable fact that the pureblooded Vaushmars are the true sword geniuses. Their current patriarch is the ‘Blade Vicar’ Caliban Vaushmar, who served on the frontlines as a young man, and now trains the next generation personally. The Vaushmar Rite of Passage commonly given to pure bloods, and sometimes to exceptional ‘half breeds and mutts’ (what elitists call bastards and adoptive family members) is to assume a fake identity and travel the continent as a sell sword for 3 years. Upon returning, they tell the family head their alias, and their deeds are catalogued and judged. If the reputation is high enough -or sometimes infamous enough- they pass. If not, they fail. They are never to take credit for the actions of their alias once they pass, but if they fail they are to assume their alias as their identity, as they will be cast out. The rite of passage IS optional, but to turn it down would be to become little more than a branch family or vassal.