House Icon

Every house in Imperlia has a token or icon on their dinner table. Firstly, it shows every visitor which house your family belongs to. In Imperlia, everything is run by the houses. I've heard visitors compare houses to guilds or companies, but neither of those accurately describe what a house means in Imperlia. For anyone living underground; dwarves, gnomes, goblins, or anyone else; your house is your family and code of honor. It is the guidelines each person lives to uphold and embody. There are seven major houses and each encompasses a different goal in life. There is Ormi Glanhig, whose purpose is healing and protecting others. There is House Borthanodrar, whose aim is political power. Or you could be part of the Farmer's Clan and focus on creating and providing food and nourishment for all of Imperlia.
  Whatever your house, having an icon on your dinner table is an important show of support and prestige. I also learned the hard way that the type of icon matters. When I was young I was always jealous of my friend and neighbor Uriam Caebrek. His family had a shiny new metal badge showcasing their recent induction into Ormi Thast. Our icon was a dusty, faded copy of a military medal of some kind. They don't even make medals like that anymore. Being young, I thought I could help my family advance, or at least look more important in Ormi Glanhig than we actually were, by trading that old tarnished medal for a brand new shiny trophy with the guild symbol stamped on it in bright colors.
  At first no one wanted to trade with me. Those in Ormi Glanhig did a good job showcasing why we are considered the most caring house in the nation because no one from the house wanted to trade with me. They kept telling me that my icon is a showcase of the strength and longevity of my family, something, something, blah, blah. I never really listened to their answers. Eventually I did find a shady vendor willing to trade my old icon for a shiny new one. I should have realized something was wrong, but I was a young naïve dwarf of only 38 years old. I snuck into my house and took the icon. I traded it away for the shiny new one and stealthily replaced before anyone noticed it was missing.
  At our next family meal I was waiting for some comments and praise about our new house icon. It didn't take me long to realize how badly I messed up. That was easily the most trouble I've ever been in. It turns out that medal was an award won by an ancient ancestor hundreds of years ago. It was irreplaceable, priceless, and excetopionally important to my parents. So if you go into someone's home in Imperlia, check the house icon on their table. If it is old, they are a well established, prestigious family.
  The story of how I got the icon back is another long tale, for another day. I'm not sure how it all worked out, but my father found the shopkeeper and ended of having the black market merchant detained and stripped of all legal documents and capabilities to sell anything in Imperlia. My dad got the icon back after the investigation was resolved.