Midnight Cabal- The Noble Cabinet of Diamond City

Welcome back.

I'd like to tell you a little bit about my home, Diamond City.  Without wasting time on blithering, I'll introduce you to our fine leadership, the Noble Barons of Diamond City.

Duchess Hazel rules the City, and serves on the Senate of the Noble State of Alam. However, the Duchess must rule with the consent of the barons; she can be replaced if an election is called for by the Noble Council.

Diamond City is ultimately managed by 95 noble barons, each in control of a city district.  The barons serve the Duchess, but swear their allegiance to the protection of the city and its inhabitants.

The barons organize into factions, and each faction sends a representative to the Noble Council of Diamond City.  The barons and their immediate families are all referred to as the nobility, while the extended families of the barons are referred to as the gentry. The immediate and extended family of each baron is collectively referred to as a noble house.

As the primary defenders of the city, the barons are expected to be adept in combat.  Each baron periodically leads a contingent of warriors from his or her district into the frontier regions of Alam, and even to other planets to battle the demonic forces of the Tetrahedron.

Most barons engage in subterfuge or even brute force in order to position themselves for titles of power, or to push their agendas.


Midnight Cabal: The Duchess’ Noble Cabinet
The Midnight Cabal is the ruling organization of Diamond City.  It is made up of the Duchess’ senior attendants and confidantes.

Duchess Hazel of House Veroxid
Level 22 Kalashtar Psion 
Grand Duchess of Diamond City

The regal and intelligent Duchess Hazel of the prominent kalashtar House Veroxid is a contentious figure among the barons of Diamond City.  She is the first kalashtar to have been elected to the Duchy in over two centuries.  She has held the position since 2120, when the previous Duke Alvord was eaten by a chord of powerful ghouls.  When she first took the position, she was not particularly powerful.  Her leadership has been focused on assembling a grand coalition among the various races that inhabit the city.  She has made allies with the refugee merchants and has bolstered her own psionic order with criminal elements.  Some whisper that she has made a deal with the ghouls, or even with a demon lord, perhaps the Conductor himself.  The official position of the Church of Bahamut is that Duchess Hazel has made no arrangements with demonic forces, and has a full right to the Duchy, having been elected by a majority of the barons.  However, in reality she does not have the support of many members of the Church.  Her hold on the Duchy is tenuous.  She was formerly the Executor of the Gracious Order of Accord, and passed that position to Executor Ferrix.

Grand Countess Silvias Octotripus
Level 26 Warforged Slayer
Grand Countess

Grand Countess Silvias of the warforged House Octotripus is the Duchess’ muscle.  She is extremely formidable in combat, and leads the Ducal Agents in their execution of the Duchess’ will.  I've heard it said that the Grand Countess secretly harbors a deep longing to be a being of the flesh.  She tortures, slays, and mutilates her enemies as a way of attempting to prove to herself the weakness of flesh, to stifle this longing.

The Grand Countess is fascinated with the power of psionics, and holds the Duchess in very high regard.  Some might say she envies the Duchess’ beautiful fleshy form.

Master Ernuk Agobala
Level 18 Goliath Weaponsmaster
Grand Steward

Master Ernuk of the wealthy goliath House Agobala is the Duchess’ Grand Steward.  He executes the administrative functions of the Duchess’ office.  He appoints other gentry of his noble house to government management positions.  He is most often found in the company of several of his gentry.  The Agobala gentry have long been outsiders of the goliath gentry in Diamond City, and have recently come into power and wealth as a result of managing the governmental affairs of the city.  The Agobala are now the wealthiest of the nine goliath noble houses that provide political support to the Duchess.

Mistress Lucioda Haska
Level 17 Kalashtar Wildmind
Head of Court

Mistress Lucioda of the kalashtar House Haska is the freewheeling baroness closest to the Duchess.  During the summer she is the life of the rooftop party known as summer court, but in the wintertime she becomes sleek and graceful, and sophisticated, and the winter court becomes an elegent affair.  Mistress Lucioda is truly the mistress of both courts.  Using her potent empathy powers she gently wins everyone’s confidence and mines them for information.  No one in Diamond City could possibly have access to as many secrets and rumors, and the ability to tell the two apart, as Mistress Lucioda Haska.   Prior to becoming the Head of Court, Mistress Lucioda was the Gracious Order Councilor.

Master Villic Kafligur
Level 12 Kalashtar Mage
Grand Herald

Master Villic of the small yet wealthy Kalashtar House Kafligur is the son of the previous Grand Herald, Lord Atonis.  Atonis was a powerful psion, and was Duchess Hazel’s instructor.  Lord Villic is learned in his own right, but his power is outstripped by his rank.  Only fear of the Ducal Agents keeps the opposing barons in line when Master Villic calls.  Master Villic was once the Lieutenant of the Gracious Order of Accord.