Benara

The House of Benara was an Orion clan of Orion legend.

History

Lord Benara, the tahedri or patriarch of the family, murdered the patriarch of a rival family, and parceled out his lands and family amongst his sons and retainers. Among these was the Lady Katam, who was married to Lord Benara's youngest son. She vowed that she would not die until she had brought the House of Benara to an end as well.

Finally, when Lord Benara retired, he shared out his lands amongst his three sons. Lady Katam persuaded the youngest son that he'd been insulted in the inheritance, that his brothers were secretly mocking him and plotting against him. Angry and resentful, he launched a terrible against his brothers to decide who should succeed their father.

In the end, the two other sons laid siege to their sibling's palace, and he was killed. The middle son seized the youngest's lands and palace, though with the intention of sharing the estates equally with the eldest. He also took the Lady Katam herself as his bride. She told him that the prizes were his by right of conquest, and that if he showed any weakness, his eldest brother would claim it all.

Meanwhile, the Lady Katam, now fifteen years a bride to the House of Benara, secretly met with the elder brother and told him that the middle brother plotted to retain control of the lands. Despairing yet determined, the eldest increased his armies and gathered allies to his side, all to delay or prevent any attack from his rival sibling.

For five long years, the two brothers prepared for war. Though they held wary negotiations, they could not reach an agreement. They neglected the disputed lands and they lost productivity. Other powerful families threw their lot in with one or the other or both brothers as they plotted to profit and improve their positions in the event of conflict.

At long last, the two feuding brothers agreed to meet and decide an equitable arrangement, at the site of their father's abandoned palace. However, each had secretly brought their soldiers and those of their most trusted allies. The middle brother was lured out on some ruse, only to ride into an ambush by his eldest brother's allies, and he too was killed. His retainers raised the alarm in time, and both armies took to the field, the lines of battle stretching from one horizon to the other. Other opportunistic families seized land from the two brothers, and the old palace went up in flames.

Armored and with weapons drawn, the eldest brother and his retinue went through the palace to confront the Lady Katam. They found her in her chambers, unarmed and kneeling. She explained her twenty-year-old vow to bring an end to the House of Benara, and finished with "It doesn't matter what you do to me." With one cut of his sword, the eldest brother beheaded her where she kneeled. Leaving the burning palace, he left to rejoin the battle and suffer the end of the House of Benara. (FASA RPG module: The Orions: Book of Deep Knowledge)