Nobility of High Hold
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[The various families of High Hold who would be considered 'noble']
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Noble Families of High Hold
Sent:
Lord Ewan Sent:
Gor:
Ackerman:
Devon Ackerman:
Stockley:
Ekvark Stockley:
Rose Stockley:
Gadvun Stockley:Emerson:
Hiliam:
Tyloran:
Thane:
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Lesser Families of High Hold
House of Aster
Family Crest
A white crescent moon emblazoned on a black shield.
History
The family name of Aster is a relatively new one to the lips of many. The Aster family’s history begins a few generations past, when the famed Nar Sorceror Alastor took Miriam Aster, a commoner, as his wife and she bore him a child. Alastor, hating the binds and confines of society, took Miriam deep into the Rawlinswood with him where he was able to engage in his studies of ancient Nar magic without interference or judgement. Their first and only child, Conan, inherited Alastor’s innate magical abilities but none of his father’s mysterious interests. As such, when he became of age, he left his family’s homestead in the woods and traveled to Norwick, where he intended to settle. The people of Norwick, savage as they were, feared the son of a woodsy sorcerer and had an intense distrust of Conan, refusing to exchange services with him and eventually running him out of town, some even blaming him for bits of wild magic that seemed to pop up. Eventually, he made his way to Jiyyd where he settled down and earned a meager living transcribing runes for visiting adventurers.
It was in Jiyyd that Conan met Marie von Goerig, an acolyte at the Temple of Helm, and became a married man himself. Conan and Marie spent their young adult life quite content in the town of Jiyyd without any aspirations of greatness. While life in Jiyyd was tumultuous at times, together they raised a son, Kraig Aster. Early on in Kraig’s life, his own innate magical abilities manifested; however, as the son of both a sorcerer and a knight, Kraig struggled to find a path that could please both of his parents. As a confused young man, Kraig discovered the Ceruleans of Peltarch and pleaded with his family for their blessing to join the famed magical warriors of the Jewel. Conan and Marie relented, allowing Kraig to join the Ceruleans and slowly rise in their ranks, eventually peaking as a quartermaster.
While under the employ of the Ceruleans, Kraig met another young Cerulean named Hermione Fergus, with whom he settled down with and began his own family. Kraig and Hermione had two children, a son named Kalio and a daughter named Helena. Noting his own talents in Kalio, Kraig began teaching him the ways of the eldritch knight early on, and by manhood, Kalio was a much more adept spellsword than his father had ever been. Like his father (and with his father’s connections) Kalio also joined the Cerulean Knights, and developed a reputation as a rather loyal and formidable man. During the era of Captain Korreth’s rebellion in Peltarch, Kalio departed his post rather than take up arms against those who had been his brothers. His parents and sister remained in Peltarch.
While away from the city, Kalio rallied with other disgruntled Peltarch veterans, whom eventually led him to High Hold. No longer seeking to serve in a military capacity, Kalio began to earn his living by employing his magical prowess, enhancing the abilities of wandering adventurers for a price, transcribing runes from local raids, and doing some minor enchanting of gear for the soldiers of High Hold, and anyone else who could pay. While enchanting the garrison weapons and armor, Kalio met Gloria Stoutshield, a priestess of Helm, whom he quickly developed a relationship with. The product of this marriage was Victus Aster.
The Present
Today the Asters are comfortable with coin, but still lend aid to the people of High Hold when required, particularly in the enchanting business, for as High Hold grows, so too does the demand for magical goods and services. The individuals of the Aster family are:
Kraig Aster: The Patriarch of the family. 70s, bald, slender, rarely seen without a smile. Kraig is the patriarch of the Asters in name only, as he is contented to stay in his warm house in Blackbridge with his wife, Hermione. Kraig has tremendous influence over his family, but prefers to remain out of politics. He remembers Peltarch fondly from his experiences there as a young man, but is disappointed with the dramatic political changes that have happened in the City, particularly it’s change in governance to monarchy. Kraig has an intense dislike for Norwick, though he hasn’t been to the city in decades and knows little of their current structure. Kraig is on good terms with merchants from Oscura.
Hermione Aster: Matriarch of the family. 70s, long grey hair, slender, rarely seen without a smile.
Hermione, despite being a particularly skilled mage, has taken on the roll of the caring grandmother. She stays out of the family business entirely, and is more interested in the well being of the people of High Hold. She frequently ‘accidentally’ makes too much food and delivers it to sentries and outposts on her morning walks around the region. She defers to her husband in all matters.Kalio Aster: 40s, moustchaed and muscular, tall, with cropped black hair. Kalio is the face of the Aster family. He looks more like a traditional soldier than a mage, but he has gained a reputation as a spellsword and businessman. Kalio has an intense dislike for the city of Peltarch, and an intense loyalty to High Hold, the elite of whom he views as family for taking him in. Kalio is more grim and matter-of-fact than his parents. He is more soldier than businessman, but is rarely taken advantage of. He is not greedy, but he is an opportunist. He is comfortable with his current wealth and influence, but would not take kindly to his status being reduced. There are rumors that some of his wealth has to do with his family’s involvement with Darkmoore Tower, but this is unfounded.
Gloria Aster (nee Stoutshield): 40s, stout, short, medium length blonde hair, rosy cheeks. Gloria is the wife of Kalio, and often seen in his company. She is a sturdy woman with a kind face and a serious demeanor. Gloria is just as matter-of-fact as her husband, and generally defers to him in any political matter. As a priestess of Helm, she has pledged herself to protect her family at all costs. She is kind, but stern. She has an unfavorable view of Peltarch, and views it as a city that has wronged her family. She has family in Norwick.
Helena Aster: Kalio’s sister. 40s, attractive, long black hair. Not much is known of Helena. She lives with her mother and father in Blackbridge, but is often seen wandering through the streets and local area with a basket of freshly picked flowers and a smile on her face. Some claim she is a simpleton, but others swear she’s a seductress. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but she seems nice enough.
Victus Aster: 20s, slender. The ‘heir’ to the Aster family. Victus is the only child of Kalio and Gloria. He is not as serious as his parents, and much more interested in exploring the land of Narfell. Having grown up with money and status, he shows little interest in politics or the acquisition of wealth.
Other Asters:
Alastor: The Eldest member of the Aster family. Rumors abound that this old man is a Nar Demonbinder from centuries past, but he hasn’t been seen in decades. It is unknown if his family has contact with him.
Arlene Noctus: Gloria’s mother and a former member of the Temple in Oscura. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
Uther Stoutshield: Gloria’s father, an aging Helmite last seen assisting in Jiyyd.
[Family done by SatansAdvisor - 2021-09-02]
Brokenblade Clan
Family Crest
A broken sword crossed with a miner’s pick
History
The Brokenblade men can trace their lineage back through generations of legendary Var tribe barbarians and have been settled in the mountains surrounding High Hold longer than the keep has physically been present. When the Gor family settled in High Hold during the Giantwars, the Var tribe, and specifically the Brokenblades, were already mining gemstones in the region to trade with the other Nar Clans. Though the two families had a rough hewn agreement for peace and mutual interest in cooperating to fight the Giants, sporadic acts of violence against each other were somewhat common due to the conflicting cultures, which resulted in generations of mild distrust and racism.
After the Giantwars, the Brokenblade Clan continued to live in the shadow of the massive keep, mining their gemstones and trading with Peltarch and High Hold both. Over the decades, their relationship slowly grew warmer until a true peace treaty was brokered between a young Haldur Brokenblade and the Gor family some time in the mid 1200s, allowing the Brokenblades to reside within the city. Seeing the ways of the city from the inside, Haldur and his clan quickly became shrewd traders of gemstones, using the High Hold caravans to move their wares further and further away from Narfell and into previously untapped (by them) markets.
By the time Haldur died at a ripe old age in the early 1300s, the Brokenblade Clan was well known throughout High Hold as the most lucrative gemstone miners in the region and the previous bad blood they had shared with the families of High Hold was all but gone. Since Haldur’s death, three generations of Brokenblades have resided in High Hold and toiled inside the mountain for what is suspected to be a dragon’s hoard worth of gemstones, the true value of which has only ever been speculated at.
The Present
The current generation of Brokenblades are all childless and in their 40s, but instead of actually working in the mines, they simply own the rights to various gemstone deposits and charge others a fee to work them. They are on good terms with most of High Hold, especially the other merchants and traders, but only so long as their mines produce coin. They are quite civilized, as far as Nars tribesmen go, but are still leery of any of whom their family hasn’t done business with for at least a generation.
The current Brokenblades are:
Torgar Brokenblade III: 40s, large, muscular, long black hair, cleanshaven. The eldest. Torgar III is the spitting image of a Var barbarian. He is a big man with dark features and has a permenant scowl etched on his face. He is never seen without his fur armor and massive pickaxe. He has an intense dislike of his family’s dealings with ‘non-natives’ and wishes to return to a more conservative and traditional Clan role, one where ‘non-natives’ are not taxing his family’s hard earned profits from mining. He either does not understand the mutually beneficial business arrangement, or does not care.
Kaldur Brokenblade: 40s, large, muscular, shorter black hair, cleanshaven. Kaldur is more businesslike than his brother, yet still looks like a Var Barbarian despite obvious efforts to appear more like the Damarans that live in High Hold. He wears elegant clothes and rarely is armed with anything more than a dagger. He is proud of his family’s role in High Hold and wishes to rise in local politics and influence. He does not share his brother’s traditional Nar values.
Elsa Brokenblade: 30s, large, muscular, long black hair. Elsa is the eldest daughter and wishes her family would return to a more traditional role. Like Torgar, she feels the people of High Hold are only tolerant of the Brokenblades because of the wealth their mining brings in. She fears once the mines run dry, they will be cast out.
[Family done by SatansAdvisor - 2021-09-02.]
