[Psektos]

After debating with a bunch of people online about just how a Cabal system should work I have come to the conclusion that Avendar has done it right.  They have a system based on the collecting and holding of the ten Stones of Power in the Vault of the House in question.  Which House powers are accessible by members depends on how many of the Stones of Power currently reside in their Vault.

The Stones of Power are not only useful to the Houses but to others as well.  The religion of Dolgrael has empowerment for its followers by securing the Stones of Power and sacrificing them to Him at their altar.  There is also player begun organization called the Knights of Enaerai who are charged with the balancing of all things in Avendar, including the Stones of Power.  The Knights are now a House unto themselves with their own goddess, Enaerai, and are a potent force in the land.

The Stones of Power can also be used by adventurers not affiliated with any House or Religion.  When one of the Stones of Power is sacrificed to the Gods it imbues some of its power into the character doing the sacrifice for a fair duration.  Quite the well-rounded system for keeping the Houses of Avendar from having a single one overwhelm all others, and also to create the tension that drives characters to evolve.

Now to discuss the different Houses(aka Cabals) of Avendar because without an analysis of them the concept of the Stones of Power is not complete. From the help files of Avendar:

House of Guardians with patron gods Iandir and Rveyelhi

Out of the chaos, they brought order, as their God Iandir stood over them in pride as they made cities safe. He spake out the law, and they steeled themselves to enforce his will.

The Guardians of Law are a noble House now under the protection and guidance of the god Iandir. The origin of the Guardians may be found  many centuries ago, when the nobles of the Ipsoli line began offering  monetary rewards for the apprehension of the land's most notorious bandits. This system evolved into a system of laws instituted by the  Ipsoli, and a corresponding reward put on the head of any who dared to violate these laws. Eventually the heroes of Order were received by Iandir, who declared that their system was under his divine protection.

Today, the Guardians of Law are universally recognized by local governments as impeccable enforcers of peace and order, and welcomed in every city. Any who violate the laws set forth by the Guardians are marked for a reward, which is granted to any citizen apprehending the criminal.


House of Champions with patron god Jolinn

Crusaders for the weak, champions of the downtrodden, and perhaps even destroyers of evil, they are cradled in the hands of the gods of light, and unleashed upon the wicked.  The Champions of Avendar are known throughout the realms as defenders of the light and as evil's chief enemies.  Renowned for their bravery and devotion to the protection of the innocent, their order has stood as a bulwark against the forces of darkness since the War of Fire.  The champions pay devotion to three principles:

Justice:
The only proper punishment for evil is the destruction of their plans and capacity to harm the innocent. Contra-wise, those of pure heart must be protected at all costs.

Courage:
Champions must show courage in facing evil. Whether facing the hordes of evil as a lone hero, or as a general directing the armies of the light, a Champion never allows his fear to overcome his devotion to the salvation of all Avendar.

Mercy:
Champions must show mercy to those who truly repent of their deeds, for it is better that one be lead from darkness by thought and deed than to destroy the body without saving the innocent. Succour should always be rendered to the innocent, for theirs is the essence of why a champion fights.
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Above all, a Champion should and must strive to become the embodiment of the ideals he or she represents. The Champion strives to be an example for all of Avendar, and an unstoppable force in the war against evil


The Coven of the Shunned with patron god Serachel

A secretive conclave of sorcerers and practitioners of black witchcraft, members of the Coven of the Shunned seek to subjugate the minds and hearts of those of weaker will to their dark purpose. Initiates of the Coven delve into mysteries both forbidden and infernal, and readily make pacts with demon-kind in their ruthless ambition. The ultimate goals of the Coven are shrouded in secrecy, although it is said that they carry out the will of the dark gods upon Avendar, in exchange for unholy favour.

The Coven of the Shunned is known to have a highly organised structure, with multiple positions of authority within. The schemes of Coven Initiates tend to be similarly well structured - in many cases years of planning will precede the fruition of their goals. Although political manoeuvring within the Coven structure is commonplace, Initiates tend to be fanatically loyal to the Coven itself. This is in part because many of their magic may only be cast in concert with other Initiates, but loyalty is also ensured through rumours of the dark fates met by those who have betrayed the secrets of the Shunned.

It is told that two sects make up the Coven of the Shunned. Wielders of magic and the masters of mind-craft are trained to turn their studies to darkness, and to enfold infernal power into all their works. Those of a more martial calling may find a place in the vanguard of the Shunned,  whereby making pacts with the demon houses allied with the Coven they gain unholy power over enemies and minions alike.


The Raiders of the Twilight with patron god Arkhural

The Raiders of Twilight are a band of thieves and bandits, devoted entirely to the satiation of their basest desires.  They live for the bloody acquisition of loot and plunder, and the notoriety that follows in its wake. Power, then, is only desired by Raiders insofar as it is a means to the
satisfaction of their ends.  

Originally known as the Circle of Twelve, the Raiders eventually grew in strength and numbers.  Their savage attacks made their names feared throughout Avendar, and brought the attention of the dark gods, who gave them the power to become the Raiders of Twilight.  With the guidance of the dark powers, the Raiders evolved into a highly efficient engine of destruction, first striking with overwhelming force and savagery, then ravaging the remains with gluttonous ferocity.  Over the years, they have developed an uncanny ability to find weaknesses in their opponents, and have been known to ruthlessly take advantage of them.  

The Raiders of Twilight are predominantly motivated by greed for wealth or power, and use force and cunning to satiate these desires.  Raiders are never lawful, using their position as rogues outside of the bounds of society to their own advantage.


The Knights of Enaerai with patron goddess Enaerai.

The Order of the Knights of Enaerai is military society of devotees to the ideals of balance. These devotees have taken the most solemn and binding of oaths to live a balanced life and serve the greater balance by seeing it maintained in the world around them.
 
The paramount duty in maintaining the balance is to keep an equilibrium among the Great Houses who would horde the Stones of Power.  The Knights seek to limit the influence of the Stones by keeping them as separate and divided as possible.  The Knights make full use of any means available, but are organized as a military order, as force can often be the only means of intervention in House affairs.
 
The life of a knight is a difficult one, requiring much dedication, fortitude, and perseverance.  It should not be chosen lightly.  Those who are neutral in both alignment and ethos may become Knights of Enaerai, if they are deemed worthy of the order.  However, any who are tainted with imbalance by the practice of powerful spirit or void magic will not find entrance.  
   

That covers the Houses and what they represent.  As for the House powers all I can say without giving away too much is that they greatly enhance the member's ability to attain the goals of each House.  The Stones of Power act as a currency in the game of Houses and that makes for quite a bit of intrigue along with all out war on occasion.

Come give Avendar a try. I am sure you will enjoy it once you have delved beyond the little taste I have given you here.



Cheers,
Cawaell aka Psektos.

[Psektos]

A few things I have to add to the above post:
1) I am a player not an Imm.
2) An apology to any other game developers or Immortals whom felt I cast a negative image upon them or their game. That was not my intent. (I apologized in my return email but now this is more official)
3) Dolgrael's Religion quoted from the helpfiles:

Dolgrael is a deity whose domain concerns the matters of war and
conflict.  He believes firmly that only through conflict and discord can
society, and more importantly, individuals, grow stronger.  Dolgrael was the
deity who reintroduced the art of all metalworking, and most importantly
that of steel, to the races after the Sundering.  He feels that mortals,
much like the best steel, must be put through the forge of conflict to bring
out their true potential.  

Dolgrael often does not meddle directly with the affairs of mortals, usually
being content to work within his forge, coaxing forth weapons and armors of
great beauty and power.  Mortals who wish to follow his ways however often
join the ranks of the Invincibles, a legion whose reputation for prowess in
battle is legendary.  

The Invincibles follow the standards of valor, of cunning, and of honor.
They fear not pain and death, for they know that such only forges their
souls stronger and brighter.  They follow cunning and strategy, for they
understand that reckless squandering of their energies and powers are merely
a waste and serve no purpose.  

And they know honor, because honor is a reflection of the mettle of ones
soul.  Honor in the eyes of Dolgrael is a combined factor of many things.
He expects his Invincibles to be trustworthy; they will never break their
word, and always follow any conditions agreed to, regardless of
circumstances.  Greed for simple material wealth is frowned upon by those of
the Invincibles; they shall take what they need to better defend themselves
in the trial of life they must go through, but no more then that.  They will
not attack an unclad foe, unless they must retaliate against an attack.
Also never will you find an Invincible who cowardly defeats a foe through
the use of superior numbers.  Allowances are made of course in cases of self
defense or to answer an insult or challenge; though even these circumstances
will not permit an Invincible to use superior numbers against his enemy.
Honor is the fundamental issue in their life, whether against evil, or good,
or those that walk the balance.  

The Invincibles serve as the martial arm of Dolgrael, casting their strength
into a conflict at the command of Vashel, the Mistress of War, Captain of
the Invincibles.  As the avatar of Dolgrael, Vashel takes care of the day to
day matters that the God of War does not wish to concern himself with.

Members of the Invincibles are also encouraged to seek worthy conflicts
themselves, in order to better themselves and bring further glory to the
legion.  The ranks of the Invincibles are often filled with warriors,
templars, and even scholars that have honed their magics into a fearsome
fighting weapon.  People of all alignments are accepted, for Dolgrael
recognizes that the qualities he looks for can be found in both those who
pursue the Light, and those that dwell in the Darkness.  Rogues and those of
chaotic ethos often find a hard time finding admittance, due to the fact
that Dolgrael looks unkindly upon those that skulk within the shadows and
those that are undedicated of mind and spirit.  

Those that are deemed worthy in the eyes of Dolgrael or Vashel to join the
Invincibles are marked with the Sigil of the Hammer of Iron.  Members whose
service within the legion is impeccable, and whose sterling reputations are
known throughout the lands are rewarded with the Sigil of the Hammer of
Steel.  

Lastly there have been those rare mortals who have risen above all others of
their generation, and impressed even Dolgrael.  These are bestowed the Sigil
of the Hammer of Dolgrael.  Mortals that wish to catch the attention of
Dolgrael should visit his central temple within the woods of Nendor and pray
at the altars there.  It should be noted that there is a risk involved in summoning
the attention of Dolgrael if you are found unworthy.  Dolgrael does not suffer
fools lightly, and takes offense to those who seek to waste his time.
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Dolgrael is one of the more active Immortals and I have found interacting with him to be quite a pleasure.  His religion is just starting out and has some very interesting role paths available to characters.   The Powers gleaned from using the Stones I will not discuss, though they are definately useful.   I would say the real reason to follow Dolgrael is the amazing interaction your character gets from other characters and Dolgrael himself.


Cheers,
Psektos aka Cawaell.