The spirit of Verastin lives on in his household. Verastin was a martial mage, an expert in the use of light magic and abjuration. He took no sides during the Year of Fire, instead using his sorcery to fight the worst of the damage and lay low those whose tactics were the most obscene. House Verastin keeps this focus on war magic, in particular stressing the importance of purity and discipline. They specialize in the secrets of light magic and abjuration. There is apparently no truth to the rumors that the Verastins swear oaths of celibacy before completing their apprenticeships — although it’s rare to find a Verastin mentioned in salacious gossip.
The Verastin heraldry is that of a golden shield laid across a flowering staff. Worn as a brooch it takes a similar form, with small variants such as omitting the staff or depicting the staff as a burning brand. Verastin favor light colors, usually white, gold and pale blue. When they take familiars, they prefer spirits that assume the form of birds of the air, particularly falcons and hawks. The house motto is “Ve Vicusi Virasera” — “From Vigilance, Illumination”.
House Verastin established its seat in Bastinea. The estate is as much citadel as manor, laid out in the form of a protective circle, with seven towers from which the Verastin study the movement of the skies. Though they refuse to swear loyalty to the Bastinean prince as a House, rivals who’ve chosen to invade the principality must tread very carefully in the lands surrounding the Verastin home. All it takes is the injury of one person that a Verastin had grown fond of, before the offenders find themselves assailed with the might of half a dozen furious war mages.
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