The Banners of Neo-Europa are the Right Hands of the Seven Families—megacorporate dynasties descended from the noble houses of medieval Brussels. In the dual structure of noble representation, the Banner serves as the public, honorable, and diplomatic extension of a House’s will, contrasted with the covert, often ruthless actions of the Left Hand, known as the Daggers.
Each Banner embodies their Family’s ideals in appearance, speech, and deed. They attend Council sessions, represent their superiors in state matters, and serve as paragons of image, honor, and narrative control. A Banner is not only a political agent, but a living symbol—part ambassador, part knight, part icon.
Role and Responsibilities
Banners serve as the:
- Public voice and face of their Noble
- Representative at official Council functions
- Diplomatic envoy to rival Houses or external entities
- Spokesperson during crisis events or public disasters
- Cultural and moral emblem of their Family’s philosophy
Unlike Daggers, who operate in secrecy, Banners are highly visible figures. Their appearance, reputation, and rhetoric are tightly choreographed and scrutinized. They are expected to resolve matters without bloodshed whenever possible—unless honor, image, or myth demands otherwise.
Selection and Training
Banners are typically selected from:
- Blood relatives or trusted cadet branches
- Lifelong retainers or retainers-in-training
- Citizens groomed through elite education programs run by the Families
Once chosen, a Banner undergoes intensive preparation in:
- Rhetoric, protocol, and symbolic law
- Veil performance training
- Controlled mythic presence (for appearances in Chapel Nodes)
- Defensive combat and ceremonial martial arts
- Crisis negotiation and crowd manipulation
Known Banners
- Walter Berthout – Banner of Julia Clutine (Serhugh Group). Known as “Dragonbeard,” he is a paragon of chivalric virtue and stability.
- Phillips Hardenberg – Banner of Ray Stenweg (Stenweg Cyber). Flamboyant, performative, and provocative. Master of spectacle diplomacy.
- Sota Tanaka – Banner of Arata Swert (Swert Systems). A literal samurai, representing ancestral honor with terrifying precision.
- Rashid Rodenbex-Darwish – Banner of Gérard Rodenbex (Rodenbex Industries). A stoic philosopher and Marcus Aurelius devotee, balancing idealism with resolve.
- John de Graaff – Banner of Oleg Serolov (Serolov Conglomerate). Laconic and blunt, reflecting Serolov’s brutalist ethos.
- Pierre Papillon – De facto Banner (and Dagger) of Severus Sleus (Sleus Dynatek). Unorthodox, feared, and respected in equal measure.
The Banner/Dagger Balance
Banners are often paired with Daggers in a symbolic duality:
- The Banner upholds law, honor, and diplomacy
- The Dagger enforces secrecy, sabotage, and control
Together, they form the right and left hands of their ruling Noble. It is widely believed that any House whose Banner and Dagger are not in communication is either nearing collapse or preparing for betrayal.
Cultural Role
In Neo-Europa, Banners are celebrities, political actors, and mythic figures all at once. Children imitate their gestures. Street artists remix their speeches. Veil poets compose odes to their public conflicts. Each one is sculpted by a mix of media exposure, Council appearances, and their own personality.
However, behind the spectacle, Banners are expected to carry the moral burden of the Council. They are the ones who must make peace when war is brewing, or issue challenges when insult demands satisfaction.