House Hagal

[Kannon]

Homeworld: Hagal (Theta Shaowei vel Theta Leonis)
Status: House Major
Crest & Colours: clamshell; lavender and gold
Head: Count General Bain O'Garee
Heirs: Elected
Main exports: jewellery, decor, fashion products, architects, masons, etiquette advisors
Current Allies: Corrino, Atreides, Mutelli, Bene Gesserit
Current Frenemies: Uchan, Harkonnen, Taligari
Current Enemies: Tull

Position:
House Hagal is in decline. It has long been. Its ancestral home, called the Jewel Planet, is all but mined out at this point, and other planets House Hagal controls, like Buzzell or Harmonthep, have crossed the point of sustainable exploitation. It must rely on anonymous suppliers to maintain the output of luxury products it has addicted the Imperium to. It would be hard for the House to secure CHOAM directorship again even though in the past it used to hold onto it on near-permanent basis. The main bloodline of the house is not even in control of the government, vested now with O'Garee cadet line. The elderly Count General Bain is holding onto power mostly because there is no clear successor of his gravity that could forge consensus among the electors and manage the House's difficulties with the required skill. Either of the Ptolemaios siblings might be coming close though.

On the other hand, the House has proven to be rather resilient despite those odds, still having many assets in their hand to use in their favour, albeit cautiously. Their position in the Landsraad remains strong. The Hagals are probably in the trio of those houses who've come to dominate the bureaucracy of the Imperium, after the Corrinos and the Mutellis, with whom they regularly consult behind the scenes. It was no accident that Bain O'Garee was chosen to preside over Leto Atreides' Trial by Forfeiture in the Landsraad, and his readiness to do the Emperor's bidding in saving the Duke at that time have won him favours of both. The rapprochement with the Atreides is relatively recent even though both houses have long had a gentleman's agreement on non-aggression, sharing the Delta Pavonis system that hosts both Caladan and Harmothep. It is now more firmly grounded in voting alliance in the Landsraad and in economic gestures - Duke Leto has enlisted Hagal help to add grandeur to Castle Caladan, House Hagal has increased imports of rare corals and fire pearls from Caladanan seas in addition to the usual import of foodstuffs and raw materials. On top of that, Leto still owes Bain for his support on the Baekkal military affair.

In contrast, the relationship with the Corrino is much deeper and more profound. House Hagal has long been one of the pillars of the stability of the Imperium, and nothing symbolises it more than the Emperor's throne itself - made of a unique single block of Hagal emerald quartz. Entrusting House Ptolemaios, a House Minor of the Hagal, with breeding and training the golden lions on Harmonthep is also a strong indication of Corrino confidence in House Hagal. They know to call upon the favours of the Golden Lion Throne sparingly but meaningfully, like with the marriage between late Padishah Emperor Elrood IX and Yvette Hagal that is considered a model Imperial marriage in the modern era, cherished in art and celebrated as Yvette was the only wife Elrood had purportedly loved, in addition to producing three princesses, Crystane, Tara and Edwina, with the wedlocks of whom he had strengthened his alliances, rendering several Great House heirs Emperor's 'cher cousins'. Arguably, Shaddam IV has less reason to favour House Hagal, and he could have taken it personally when a rather ungratifying inflatable effigy of his was set adrift over a stadium on Harmonthep by unknown perpetrators, but in the end picking fights with House Hagal seems very counterproductive as they give him few reasons to question their loyalty.

Many other great houses think similarly, if for no other reason than the quiet alliance the Sisterhood maintains with the House, providing it with relevant intelligence that strengthens Hagal hand in diplomacy and intrigue and more general support in exchange for... helping Bene Gesserit keep their dirty secrets. The cold oceanic planet of Buzzell has long hosted Sisterhood's facilities where disobedient or otherwise problematic sisters are isolated. Semi-officially - for the 'crime of love', though there may be other profound reasons. In addition, House Hagal has been a willing participant in Bene Gesserit breeding programs. In fact, its succession system is built in a way that accommodates it, with many cadet lines of House Hagal holding titles of Counts and robust fiefs simultaneously, giving them Landsraad votes and significant stature, but only one, elected during a family conclave for life, is considered due representation of the House Major at a given time, the others considered Houses Minor until the next election... in which the Sisterhood seems to have a say.

What House Hagal certainly has is the brand. Every good it exports is considered high-quality and worthy of nobility, whether its Buzzell's soostones, Hagal's emerald quartz, blue obsidian or fire opals, Harmothep's moss pearls, Chusuk musical instruments, or any other. In fact, it's a thinly covered secret that many of the jewellery exports are only processed on Hagal at this point, originating elsewhere or even synthetically manufactured at some of the industrial worlds. The Faufreluches aren't bothered as long as the 'Oooh, it's from Hagal, how tasteful!' effect holds, especially that House Hagal makes sure that the final quality deviates as little from the famed original as possible. This has of course led Hagal to be the victim of many counterfeiting attempts, or just theft. A rather embarrassing affair is related to the Buzzell's soostones, in which impostors posing as Emperor's cousins set up a skimming operation on the planet before they were uncovered and went rogue. Count-General Bain, whose ancestral fief is actually Buzzell, insists that Houses Verdun and Tull were involved, though given his own volatile dynastic situation he stopped short of invoking Kanly and starting a War of Assassins, focusing on mounting diplomatic and economic pressure on both, piling counterfeiting accusations on them. After the fall of House Verdun and takeover of their position at CHOAM Board of Directors by House Mutelli, the Hagals can feel vindicated in strategic patience.

Culture:
Hagal economy increasingly relies on tangible imports and intangible exports, like expert services in architecture, stonework, decor as well as training in fashion, etiquette, music, good taste and preparedness to courtly life in general. Tutors of that kind are often outsourced at high fees by Houses of the Imperium for their heirs and debutantes from the planet Chusuk, home of House Varota, one of the electors, renowned for their baliset players and poets. That it facilitates trade of accessories of haute couture the House boasts goes without saying.

Hagal systems are very diverse religion-wise, from Buddhislam on Harmonthep to Navachristianity on Chusuk to variations on Orange Catholicism on other planets. Hence, it clinches with the Bene Gesserit on rather instrumental treatment of beliefs and has long let Bene Gesserit to deploy Missionaria Protectiva onto their worlds to make the population more governable and complacent, especially on those planets where maintaining slavery saves the bottom line, like Harmonthep. What they do stick to as an original house of the League of Nobles are the general strictures of the Butlerian Jihad and the sanctity of the Great Convention.

Outside, their nobles are tasked with serving as the living examples of everything the house represents, advertising Hagal values and products by their very conduct, maintaining dignity, opulence, and sophistication.