Vasa

The Imperial and Royal House of Vasa(officially the House of Zor-Mako-Vasa-Nassau, though officially and commonly shortened to Vasa) is the reigning house of the New Sarovian Empire and many other countries across Graal. It is one of the most prestigious and powerful families in the history of the Graal Military Community, and traces its lineage back to Tristam, the first King of Graal. The family is a cadet branch of the illustrious Zor-Mako family, which makes the official family name technically Zor-Mako-Vasa-Nassau. The family has held many high posts and positions in the Graal Military Community, some of which are the King and Emperor of the New Sarovian Empire, Emperor of Oxeria, King of the State, King of Bavaria and Constantine of Classic. In relation to the New Sarovian Empire, though, the House of Vasa controls both the domains of the Kingdom of Reuss and Nassau, as well as the New Sarovian Empire.

Zor (Zoar) Family
The Zor (or Zoar) family traces its roots to the sons of King Tristam, the first King and unifier of Graal. The spelling difference comes from Carolus I Zor and Carolus II Zoar, who had a naming dispute early on in their reigns, and breaks off from one another as the legitimist Zoar branch and separatist Zor branch of the dynasty. While current ruling house of Zor-Mako-Vasa-Nassau should technically be Zoar, the name was shortened to add legitimacy by Aros I, who styled himself as Zor-Mako. The family were Kings of Roisa (Reuss) and Emperor of Imperial York before merging with the Mako family.

Zor-Mako
The cadet branch of Zor-Mako began when Princess Johanna, eldest daughter of Carolus VII Zoar, was married to the Comes of Lochland Michael Mako (Comes being the old form of Viscount.) This marriage was unique as during marriage negotiations, the two parties agreed to form a new branch of the Zoar family, the Zor-Mako dynasty. The dynasty would come to become influential all through the continent - becoming the first Kings and Emperors of Sarovia and then New Sarovia. It was the Zor-Mako branch that led the May 21st Revolution against Malum, and the dynasty that gave the Constantine name to Sarovia. The dynasty experimented with official titles for members of the family, though decided against it in the end. The Mako family gave the dynasty the imagery of the "Mako bear", which was used extensively in propaganda and artwork in the era. The red bear still plays a prominent, although diminished, role in Sarovian artwork.

Zor-Mako-Vasa
The cadet branch of Zor-Mako-Vasa occurred when Princess Sophia of Vasa, a small kingdom from another continent, married Emperor Constantine IV Zor-Mako. The marriage was highly political with little love - and allowed his son, the future Constantine V, to adopt the name to gain legitimacy and claims outside of the Classic continent. The name was shortened, though never officially changed, to just Vasa by Carolus XII Vasa who had no love for pomp, circumstance and elaborate names and titles. The name continued on to Constantine VI who led Sarovia through the golden age. The coat of arms was changed under Carolus XII to the arms of Vasa, itself a mixture of other ducal arms.

Zor-Mako-Vasa-Oxeria
The cadet branch of Zor-Mako-Vasa-Oxeria, often shortened to just Vasa-Oxeria, occurred during the personal union between William I of Sarovia and Emily I of Oxeria, known colloquially as Saro-Oxeria. The cadet branch and its name was given to all of their heirs and successors - including Empress Brianna and more, but upon the dissolution of the personal union, Sarovian monarchs renounced their Oxerian ethnicity and vice versa. The coat of arms never changed, at the behest of William I.

Zor-Mako-Vasa-Nassau
Upon the marriage of Empress Brianna of Vasa and Emperor Jacob of Nassau, the two combined their names to form the dynasty of Zor-Mako-Vasa-Nassau, often shortened to just Vasa-Nassau. The family gave Sarovia monarchs such as George I, Francis I, Edward II and constituent monarchs such as Philip I, Katherine I, Jacob II and Henrique I. Under most of its monarchs, the arms remained the same until Constantine IX Vasa paid homage to his Zor-Mako ethnicity and, upon the Jacobite Rebellion, changed the official coat of arms and the official family name to Vasa.