- This page is about the House of the Teckla. For the book, see Teckla (book). For the animal, see Teckla (animal).
The Teckla, named after a salt marsh harvest mouse, are the only one of the seventeen houses without noble status. They make up over 90% of the Empire's population.
It is possible to join the House of the Teckla by swearing fealty to a noble of the Dragaeran Empire; there are no "tests" to join, and indeed several notable Easterners (such as Miklós, Brigitta, and Sándor) have joined the Teckla in order to acquire a link to the Orb, which remains even after they abandon their lords and return to the East.
It should be noted that a Teckla's oath of fealty technically ties him to the land (and service) of whichever lord rules the region he settles in. It is therefore technically a crime for a Teckla to abandon his lord and move to a large city, such as Adrilankha. The large populations of Teckla in the major cities of the Empire, however, illustrate how little this crime is actually enforced. This is especially true in the years following the Interregnum, which resulted in countless Teckla becoming dispossessed due to the death of their liege lords.
Many additional laws and customs governing the Teckla serve to reinforce their subordinate status in society. A Teckla cannot be issued a safe-conduct badge within the Imperial Wing of the Palace; if imprisoned, their confinement will be both far more crowded and far less comfortable; upon speaking to any noble in a manner that noble deems impudent, admonishment by beating is customary (albeit a bit disreputable if the Teckla is female and the noble is male). Conversely, Teckla are largely exempt from higher expectations of honorable behavior, permitting them to refuse challenges, tell social lies, and flee danger with relative impunity.
At Deathgate Falls, the carved icon of the Teckla sits on the Blood River's east bank, separate from the others on the west. Whether this is coincidence or yet another example of House Teckla's separate-but-unequal status is unstated.
The Teckla are acknowledged as the historical inventors of agriculture, although this achievement is vastly underrated by many non-Teckla.
- See also Speculation:Cycle Turnings.
House Characteristics[]
- House colors: yellow, green & brown or blue
- Associated concepts: cowardice and fertility.
- Physical appearance: round-faced, lack of a "noble's point".
- Personality traits: varied, but not expected to be heroic in any manner.
- Social status: peasant, servant, lackey.
Notable Teckla[]
- Srahi, Khaavren's servant
- Mica, Tazendra's lackey
- Lar, Piro's lackey
- Clari, a maidservant
- Paresh, a revolutionary
- Savn, a farmer's son and physicker's apprentice
- Polyi, Savn's sister
| Follows: Orca |
Place in Cycle 15 |
Followed by: Jhegaala |