House Fanel
History
To begin on what is House Fanel, it is originally and still primarily a human family with many extensions, and a long solid bloodline that stretches back hundreds of years, if not thousands even, carefully chronicled. They are the last and the first of their kind. A House that had absorbed every aspect of humanity into itself, or at least the notable aspects, this include major bloodlines of human history to draw relations from the pass and to increase their importance. They have survived the many centuries on Earth and beyond as a single entity. Hidden their culture under a cloak of secrecy even to this day, no one truly knows how House Fanel operates, but it is assumed that they are bounded by no laws of any nation, human or otherwise, but their own law and enforce their own brand of justice. That being said, their laws are also supposed to be fair. It is seves them and goes beyond simple truths. Fanels might still be emotional beings that have common sense, but their laws are what keeps them in accordance with truth. They aren't ones who simply accept things at face value or let themselves be blinded by benefits, or emotions. Sometimes they can bend or ignore the law for their own self righteous gains, but because not every Fanel is the same even in believing the ideals, it's hard to know what one would do if you piss them off.
Something unique in this human based society is that they are raised to be warriors, each defenders of the House honor and to fight whenever they are called to do. The traditions of the House remains to present history. As a Fanel, one can grow up to have any occupation at all, but one always maintain the self discipline and training one was given since birth. Every Fanel is a possible combatant in any conflict involved in, except for those married into Fanel. People who are wives or husbands to Fanels most likely haven't had the training a true born Fanel is given from birth, but in these causes, most of the Fanel spouses can be found in the homeworld of Fanel. Since the population of the Gaian system is numbered many, mostly from non-relation to the Fanelian blood, and is more ideal, many Fanels would stay in system and eventually take a wife or a husband closer to home.
When a Fanel is born, be it male or female, it is said some slight genetic enhancements are given to them, this is rumored and not confirmed. When a young Fanel could stand up and think for him or herself, he/she is baptized in the fires of combat. Taught the knowledge of martial arts, war, battle, learning to deal with it as they grow older. Females are given some exceptions to some tests, but all are given hard tests to pit their will and knowledge to make them strong against a harsh universe. They are taught to live in peaceful time, and also taught to be focused in times of war and battle. When the child is old enough, rough the age of 15, he or she will wisely pick a sword of any type. This weapon is more than just a symbol that they are ready and willing to face adulthood, it is a weapon forged in fire, like a true weapon. Once picked, they will face off in combat with a hologram with a matching weapon that they chose. Safeties off and fight until one is left standing. In the old days, it used to be a living person, and when hologram technology came along the safeties were off, but in the recent generation, it is said that those killed in this final test of adulthood would kill more ranks than bringing more, the safeties were brought back online. Though it still means one cant get hurt by a hologram. The hologram is programmed not to make a final killing blow and its attacks wont cause too much injuries, but the test must be answered if one proves to earn his or her Fanel name. It is more than what some other "Civilized" race would say barbaric to pit children in this violent act, but to the Fanels, swordsmanship, the way of the warrior is more than just knowing how to kill, it is knowing the ultimate truth. Every species is capable of killing. It is naturally required of any race to know of killing to know of hate, anger, lust, wrath, the sins of a race. Only when one is fully informed of these living trials that one faces in life, can they avoid it and defeat them when these tests surprises them.
Trial by Fire and Ice
There is a test for every kind of sin a Fanel must pass in order to become an elite. The universe outside the safety of Gaia is unpredictable and harsh and dangers from outside and within the mind can come and pass. One has to learn how to be immune to these and strengthen their resolve and learn to adapt to the ever changing situations must be tested first. Fanels fight each other to keep each other in check, competition is more to let the House grow. The fight without fear, they live without regret, everyday they treat as if it was their last day, to the fullest and the proudest. To always stand tall for whatever cause they strive for, and to believe whatever belief they pick, to be just and strong.
After the trials, it is believed that a Fanel has a vision before or after and in this vision will also determine what sword will represent him or her and be with him or her from this moment on. Most wouldn't have such a vision and pick a sword depending on what they prefer.
There is also a tradition where the next in line for the throne of House Fanel must challenge the previous Duke to a duel. Usually not to the death, but the blades they will be using are live and in the past, deaths have happened. It is just part of the way things are.
-House Fanel, the name Fanel, and the planet Gaia is loosely based on the Japanese Anime Escaflowne
Religion - Entil'Zha - "The One Who Creates The Future"
Unlike many other religions where one would believe in one God or many gods, House Fanel believes in something they all called Entil'zha, or widely spoken as simply "The One". Not an actual person in reality like a god, but more as an ideal. They believe that there is a higher power, a higher level of understanding that every race currently has no means to attain at the moment because we have not yet ready to reach such a peak of existence. Since we do not understand The One who creates the future, we simply live in it. The One isn't one particular thing, or object or person. It is all around us, shaping us, influencing us. To compare, the closest thing would be to compare this to The Force. It binds us, it is all around us and it shaped the past, it shapes the present, and it will shape the future. They respect all other religions from other races, but this is the ideal religion they believe as to have faith in. Essentially, you have faith in literally yourself because The One is within you, and you have faith in who you are, what you do, and that it creates the future. This also means you believe in the others around you because they shape the present and the create the future as well. It allows you to have a natural respect for everything and everyone in your life. That in reality there is a natural balance that must be upheld and an order of things that comes to life.
To this end, the Fanels have a mantra:
We are Holy Warriors.
We tread in the darkness no others dare enter.
We do not break away from combat.
We stand on the bridges, and no one may pass us.
We do not retreat, we do not faulter.
We fight in the name of honor.
We live for the One, we die for the One.
But this mantra is reserve only for those who are either House Fanel born or dedicated loyalist to House Fanel. This includes the distaff cousins relations to House Fanel that doesn't bear the Fanel name, but remain loyal and within the House.
House Fanel as influenced by the religion they believe in are all raised, but not necessarily believe in it. One consistency is that they believe they are, as a whole, a symbol of balance. That they take a path that knows there is no true evil or good in the universe. That good and evil are grey and to live a well off life, it is best to stay in between the good and evil, to live beyond good and evil.
Hence they have another mantra:
I am grey.
I stand between the candle and the star.
I see balance in chaos.
We are grey.
We stand between the darkness and the light.
We are here.
Where are there.
We are everywhere.
We are nothing.
And We are everything
-Inspirations from Babylon 5
Fanelian High Guard
Unlike the Gaian military which is also in the control of House Fanel, there is the High Guard which the sole purpose is the protection of House Fanel, employing honored men and women who have earned to be named a Fanel. This would increase the genepool of House Fanel and ensure that anyone named Fanel has proven sole loyalty to House Fanel no matter what. They will fight and die in the name of the House no matter what.
These High Guard are currently armed with an innovation thanks for Jacen, the Force Lance, which all carry as a weapon of symbolism than a weapon of practicality.
The High Guard also has a higher jurisdicition since the situation they are usually thrusted in might break a few laws or regulations. They are sometimes a shadow that protects the House's intersts as well as a very seen guardian force everyone can see.
The Pledge of Valor"
For the many loyal men and women under the rule of House Fanel, they swear their lives to defense of the nation built buy Fanel and the worlds they stretch control over. A general pledge was created generations ago, recited by not only the citizens of Gaia and the Fanelian worlds, but by members of House Fanel themselves, for they are all equals under one flag.
We pledge to the spirits of the founding fathers
And the glory of the realm of our motherland
That we shall be the shields which defend our homes
And the swords which smite those who would harm us
All hail Fanelia
This pledge even comes up the moment you turn on a military computer system as part of the Operating System.