Organisation of the House

Head of House: Ian, Grand Duke Helgram (son of Bleys of Amber and Swayvanna of Chaos)

Heir Apparent: Duke Wolfram, son of Ian

Grand Duke Ian is married to Marina, a granddaughter of the late Brand of Amber

Administration

For the most part, the Grand Duke allows each of the various departments of the House to run their own day-to-day affairs. The Helgram Cabinet is comprised of the various department heads, and meets roughly once a month. The Grand Duke keeps an overall eye on things and chairs the meetings.

The House Treasurer, David Helgram, works closely with the Grand Duke to make sure that the fortunes of the family and its various trading concerns continue to make a decent profit. Much of this goes back into the House to improve facilities and institutions.

The Helgram Cabinet comprises:

  • Grand Duke Ian and Grand Duchess Marina
  • Dowager Duchess Joan
  • The Heads of the Cadet Branches
    • Duke Daveth, Master of the Arcane
    • Duchess Matilda
    • Duke William, Keeper of the Ways
    • Duke Arran Harrison-Helgram
    • Duke Llewellyn Stephenson-Helgram
    • Duchess Eleanor, House Minister of the Exterior
    • Duke Richard, House Historian
    • Duke John, House Trump Artist
    • Bishop Edward
  • Cíaran Richardson-Helgram, Lord Chamberlain
  • Mikel Daveth-Helgram, Lord Chancellor
  • David Helgram, House Treasurer
  • Dhugal, Keeper of the Lineage
  • Gwenith Eleanor Helgram, House Infirmarer
  • Lindsay Eleanor Helgram, House Commercial Director
  • Nikolas Matheson-Helgram, Head of the Helgram Diplomatic Service
  • Sandro Harrison-Helgram, Director of the Helgram Institute for Magic and Science
  • Jowan Daveth-Helgram, House Representative in the Black Zone

Military and Police

While Helgram isn’t known for being a particularly martial House, its strong links with House Hendrake mean that it has a very competent standing military. This is commanded by Warmistress Joan, a Hendrake by birth, and the widow of the previous Grand Duke, Graham junior.

Policing duties were originally also handled by the Helgram army. However, eventually the more liberal members of the House insisted in separation between the two, leading to the formation of the small Helgram police force, under the command of Chief Constable Fionn Harrison-Helgram. Most of its duties relate to the main public and communal areas of Helgramways. Within the sub-Ways, the Ways owner can make his own policing arrangements, and will deal with most of the everyday matters. However, the House Police do get involved if a serious crime, such as murder or rape, takes place.

Fionn Harrison-Helgram, Chief Constable

Fionn is the second son of the late Duke Henry, and inherited both his father’s inherent magical skill, and his grandmother’s flair for matters military. He was taken in hand at a young age by his Uncle Daveth, who made sure that he didn’t lose control of his magic, the way his father had. Daveth kept him focused, and he graduated safely from the Helgram Academy with specialism in combat and investigative magic. He then spent some years training in House Hendrake, to develop his military ability, before returning to House Helgram and applying that knowledge to the Helgram armed forces.

When policing duties were split out from the straight military, Fionn volunteered to become the House Chief Constable of the small but efficient House Police. Most of their duties relate to the main public and communal areas of Helgramways. Within the sub-Ways, the owner usually makes his own policing arrangements, and will deal with most of the everyday matters. However, the House Police do get involved if a serious crime, such as murder or rape, takes place.

The Chief Constable runs the small but efficient House Police. For the most part, their responsibilities are restricted to the main communal areas of Helgramways, although they may get called into an individual sub-Ways if a serious crime has been committed.

The Lion Court

Unless an offence has been committed against The Dragon Throne, and King Swayvill, demands extradition of the accused, Helgramways deals with its own legal matters, both civil and criminal, and has a high proportion of lawyers in the family because of that.

From the civil side, the trial process is slow, so out of court settlements are preferred. Civil sentences are more often fines or community service.

Criminal proceedings are somewhat faster. Sentences depend on the crime, so less serious crimes and misdemeanours like theft, breaking and entering, blackmail, assault, etc, will usually result in community service or short custodial terms in the “Open” prison Shadow. Financial crimes such as fraud and embezzelment are treated rather more seriously, and the custodial terms are usually numbered in years but are also served in the “Open” prison.

More serious crimes such as robbery with violence, grievous bodily harm, crimes against children, kidnapping, rape, trafficking, murder and treason suffer much stricter penalties, including longer terms of imprisonment in the “Closed” prison, and very occasionally execution.

The Helgram prison complex is a small, highly-defended sub-Ways off the Citadel. It is made up of four sections:

  • The central security office, from where the on-duty guards observe and patrol all their charges. This is reached from within the Citadel, with the prison employees having their own entrance and limited access to the rest of the building.
  • Remand, where prisoners awaiting trial are kept. These prisoners share their cells with one other person, and have the right to meet with their legal advisors regularly and can receive visits from their immediate family and close friends.
  • The “Open” prison, which has decent security but the conditions are reasonable, the cells are of a reasonable size, each accomodating two prisoners comfortably, and it is set in well-kept parkland. Prisoners in the open section can take classes to learn new non-criminal skills, and can receive visits from their immediate families and legal advisors. Visits from friends have to be agreed in advance.
  • The “Closed” prison, which has the highest security and the least favourable conditions. All visits must be agreed in advance. The closed section has no external areas, save for a central courtyard for exercise. The cells are about 10ft square and each accomodates a single prisoner, but are at least well lit between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

The External Office

The External Office oversees the wider picture monitoring political and military situations within Thelbane, the other Houses, the Black Zone and out into Shadow. It also oversees both the Diplomatic Service, and the Overseas Enquiries Unit (effectively Helgram external intelligence!).

The Helgram Diplomatic Service

The House has an extensive diplomatic service, maintained under the External Office. The Diplomatic service deals with maintain good relations with the other Houses, and co-ordinating the various  Helgram Embassies across Creation. This is overseen by Duke Nikolas Matheson-Helgram who manages to keep everything on track and co-ordinated. Helgram Ambassadors are known by the title Representative.

Full Embassies are maintained with the Dragon Court of King Swayvill, the various Great Houses of Chaos, the Black Zone and the Court of Amber.

The Commercial Office

Working closely with the House Treasurer, the Commercial Office is responsible for co-ordinating all of House Helgram’s internal and external financial endeavours: keeping an eye on manufacturing, looking for good trading opportunities with other Houses, and investing the Helgram coffers wisely.

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