Living Greyhawk:Hummingbirds

Greyhawk Organization

Hummingbirds
Type:	Upper Class Organization
Founded:	583 CY
Leader:	Lady Delina Coriner
Symbol:	A hummingbird
Headquarters:	Seltaren
Allies:	House Coriner

Hummingbirds is an organization within the Duchy of Urnst.

Description

House Coriner's true power lies in their courtesans, known as the Hummingbirds. These highly educated and charming individuals navigate all social circles, attending elite events and mingling with the upper class for a fee. Valued for their wit, intelligence, and cultural knowledge over mere beauty, the Hummingbirds excel in the arts, speak multiple languages, and set trends with their avant-garde fashion, making them both envied and influential.

History

In Suloise culture, courtesans are highly respected and skilled in diplomacy, performance, history, and pleasure, symbolizing cultured taste and status. The Coriner family, historically non-noble courtesans in the Duchy of Urnst since the Suel migration, leveraged generations of favors and accumulated wealth to purchase noble status in 583 CY.

Members

Though Hummingbirds are most frequently female, this is not always the case.

Notable individuals

• Danole Isgothe—a "Brilliant" level Hummingbird
• Lady Mizza—"Fiery Heart" level Hummingbird of the "Turquoise" branch
• Lady Terrabessalla Coriner—"Brillant" level Hummingbird

Past Members

• Lord Jasper Kilbourne

Structure

Members are trained at Lady Delina Coriner's Finishing School in Seltaren.

Branches

There are two branches within the Hummingbirds. While the Coriners are not personally discriminatory, the branches cater to different populations and hence are usually divided by race. All Courtesans must choose one of the branches when they become a Magnificent. Bonuses from the Branch stack with the bonuses given by the Levels of Training.

Turquoise Branch

"Those of the Turquoise branch cater to the wealthy among the non-nobles of the duchy. This branch is largely made up of non-Suel humans and half-elves, but occasionally elves, halflings, and half-orcs may be found in its ranks as well."

Ruby Branch

"The Rubies exclusively serves members of the noble and merchant houses. Ruby courtesans often come from nobility, but not exclusively, and are primarily of Suel descent."

Ranks

As members of the Hummingbirds gain experience and skill, they can progress through successive levels of training.

Brillant

Brilliants are new, inexperienced courtesans who are still learning their trade. They are not in a branch

Magnificent

Magnificents are more experienced courtesans who have earned a degree of trust within the Hummingbirds and have begun developing a stable client base. They must choose a branch.

Fiery Heart

The most trusted courtesans are the Fiery Hearts. These experienced courtesans have developed a stable client base and have earned the confidence of their clients and of the Hummingbirds.

Alignment

Generally good to neutral

Creative origins

Michelle Bellon designed the Hummingbird concept.

External links

Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.

• The film Dangerous Beauty is given as historical inspiration for Hummingbirds. It is the story of Veronica Franco, a famous Italian courtesan.

References

Notes

"The Hummingbird Courtesans are not cheap whores. They are closer in nature to a Japanese Geisha. Their services are to entertain, advise, listen, and delight. Nobles pay for their time and talents (not necessarily sex).

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

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