Randir politics were said to rival those in the so-called poison courts of the Central Lands, tangled webs of intrigue, feud, and assassination—not that anyone outside Wilden ever learned the half of it. Above all else, the Randir was a house of secrets.
– Jame's narration, Seeker's Mask, "Part VII: Wilden", I
The Randir are one of the powerful major Kencyr house.
Some Randir only use their true names along other Randir, and some seem not to have names at all, like the Randir Tempter.[6]
The Randir tend to call all their blood-kin "cousin".[8]
Inter-house relationships[]
Caineron[]
The Caineron and Randir are allies[9]—at least so far in that they are united against the Knorth. It is a "my enemy's enemy" type alliance. Both houses want power, and if the Knorth were out of the way, the Caineron and Randir would surely turn on each other in a heartbeat, as their former ally would then be their greatest threat to power. But with the Knorth in power, the Caineron and Randir unite in working to pull them down—and the question of which of the two of houses would take power next can wait.
Danior[]
The Randir have long had tense relations with the much smaller and much less powerful Danior, their neighbors across the river, who they would like to take over.[10]
Knorth[]
They've had bitter feuds with the Knorth for many years. This came about through a series of secret conflicts and grudges among the Highborn of both houses, and as a result, though most people know of the conflicts, they don't know why.[11]Rawneth courted the Knorth lordan Greshan, with hopes of having a half-Randir, half-Knorth son, who would be the next Highlord, giving the Randir power. Greshan's grandmother Kinzi, seeing Rawneth's intentions, forbid the match. This began the feud between Rawneth and Kinzi. Rawneth introduced Greshan to her favorite cousin Roane, who became his friend. At Tentir, Greshan and Roane called upon Ganth one night, and it ended up Roane's death. Blood-prices cannot be demanded for deaths at Tentir, but the Randir were still angry. This is where the larger feud began.[12] After that, Gerraint tried to make a match between Ganth and Rawneth, to heal things between their houses,[1] though that didn't happen. After Greshan was killed, Rawneth got Gerraint to agree that if she would restore Greshan, he would recognize any child of theirs as the Knorth heir.[13] Gerraint died that night, so that did not happen, though Rawneth did conceive a son, with the changer who had assumed Greshan's form. Kinzi saw this, and after the child's birth, summoned them to Gothregor to have Adiraina read the boy's bloodlines. To prevent this, Rawneth took out a contract with the Bashtiri Shadow Guild against the Knorth women, resulting in the Knorth Massacre.[14]
Those of Randir Highborn blood are described as having thin, sharp features and hooded eyes.[15]
References[]
↑ 1.01.11.2Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry, "Hearts of Woven Shadow" — " 'You s-sent me to Wilden to make a contract with "that woman," Lord Randir's daughter, to heal the breach between our houses.' "
↑Honor's Paradox, "Chapter V: The High Council", IV — " 'I have decades yet to rule my house. Ask for my choice of lordan fifty years from now.' "
↑Seeker's Mask, "Part II: Gothregor", III — "She remembered Ganth raving about it in the Haunted Lands keep on those nights when no one slept. […] the ambitious Randir,"
↑The Sea of Time, "Chapter XVIII: 'Please' ", I — "That secretive house liked to conceal its comings and goings from outsiders, perhaps even from members of its own community not within the inner circle."
↑ 6.06.1To Ride a Rathorn, "Chapter VII: In the Bear's Den", I — " 'A strange house, the Randir. Secrets within secrets. Of course, it doesn't help that the Witch has chased out their natural lord and set her son in his place, which is enough in itself to set up some fierce cross-currents. […] A strange house it was then,' Harn was saying, 'and stranger still it's become. Some Randir never use their true name unless among themselves. Some don't seem to have names at all outside their own house.' "
↑To Ride a Rathorn, "Chapter VII: In the Bear's Den", I — " 'The old Randir lord died, and Rawneth put a contract with the Shadow Assassins on his heir, Randiroc. Your father Ganth was to have sorted out that mess, but then came the massacre of the Knorth ladies and the White Hills. With no highlord in power to stop her, Rawneth did as she pleased.' "
↑To Ride a Rathorn, "Chapter VII: In the Bear's Den", I — " 'On the other hand, the Randir tend to call all their blood-kin "cousin." ' "
↑The Gates of Tagmeth, "Chapter VII: All Things Rampant", V — "The Coman were aligned to the Caineron, who in turn were allies of the Randir."
↑Honor's Paradox, "Chapter V: The High Council", II — "the Randir, who would love to take over tiny Shadow Rock so temptingly placed just across the river from them."
↑To Ride a Rathorn, "Chapter IV: Testing", II — "The other randon stirred uneasily. They knew there was bad blood between the Randir and the Knorth, although not all knew why."
↑Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry, "Hearts of Woven Shadow" — "Gerraint ignored her. 'It goes back to last autumn and the death of that wretched Randir, doesn't it? Doesn't it?' "
↑Blood and Ivory: A Tapestry, "Hearts of Woven Shadow" — "He turned to Rawneth with bitter courtesy. 'Restore him, and I bless your union. No doubt Lord Randir will do likewise. Beget whatever offspring you will, or can.' "
↑Honor's Paradox, "Chapter XV: Wilden", III — " 'Kinzi saw Rawneth and Greshan together in the Moon Garden several days after the latter’s death. They made love, in the midst of which Greshan’s face changed, […] She assumes, therefore, that Keral was Rawneth’s lover and the father of Kenan. When Kinzi summoned Randir mother and son to Gothregor for Adiraina to test the bloodlines of the latter, Rawneth forestalled her by taking out a contract with the shadow assassins on all the Knorth women. Hence the Massacre.' "
↑To Ride a Rathorn, "Chapter IX: School Days", I — "The Randir cadet whom he had addressed scowled sullenly at the floor. Like many of her house with some Highborn blood, she had thin, sharp features and hooded eyes."