House of Relak
The House of Relak
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Contents
Ancient House of the South
The House of Relak was formed in the ancient days of Ibladesh, Isadril, and Itrount. Comprising members were those who had distinguished themselves on the fields of battle, be it in open warefare, diplomacy, or the senate floor. The greatest of these would later form their own sub-houses which can still be seen today, but all remember their roots and find comrarderie and companionship amoungst their fellow kin. Unrelated by blood, only by the meritocratic ways of their house the bonds are stronger than that of a normal house. They are the elite, and do not hesitate to remind anyone of this. With their great history has come an overwhelming list of vendetta owed, though the actions taken to mete out these ancient grudges is often as hard to comprehend as it is their relations with one another.
With their ancient beginings the House of Relak found their kind spread far on the eastern continent, and few of the houses can claim to have had as many rulers as the House of Relak.
Family Tree of the Relaks
Relak
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(Centuries)
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Lelnor Nerol Gregor--Evangeline Serko Boeth
0?-43 0?-26 0- Uceek 20- 10-
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Norel (?) Horel (Giselle) (Son) Lelrok?
28- 22-41 58- 52- 27-
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(Son) Haorl
97-
Great amoung the House
Nerol
First amoung them was Nerol, the dead king. Once he ruled over the great realm of Perdan in the earliest of recorded history. Then the Darkness came and he fled, and for many months was not heard from. Until one day word began to spread that he had taken up the crown in Oligarch. Under his rule Oligarch grew strong and fought long and hard against her enemy Perdan, the realm he had once ruled. During a momentous battle he was near mortally wounded and an usurper took his crown from his dying body. Yet through a stroke of luck he survived and rebeled against the traitorous king. High on the ramparts of Oligarch his loyal men were struck down nearly overwhelming the palace guard. Standing proud and triumphant until the last he died reclaiming what had been stolen from him.
- Ruler - Peradan (King), Oligarch(King)
- Lord - Oligarch
Lelnor
Of Nerol's captains was Lelnor, the proud and loyal. He fought alongside his liege, and during the rebellion he joined his fallen king. But he was separated from the true king and was thrown out of the city, his honor the only thing protecting his life for the mob would never allow his death. Exiled to Fontan he fought bravely against the Sirion invaders and tipped the scales with his calvary on more than one occassion, of special note is the defense of Avamar in which his swift horses carried the day against near overwhelming odds. It is here that his love of horsemanship, and the thrill of the charge took hold in him. Soon he found that the Fontan leadership was not nearly as honorable as he had hoped and he left for Ubent, the small mountain realm which promised much for ambitious, and learned leaders. There he fought against Perdan, and Ibladesh. When news began to spread of a new world which was untamed, and lawless he boarded a ship bound for Kanzum, and with an old friend forged a new realm, based on honor and justice. He was made Duke, and his feared calvary rode out to strike down invaders, and unjust men. To this day he leads a company of calvary who are ferocious in their quest, and more than capable when it comes to decimating their foes. When Kanzum was betrayed by Lamar and ultimately defeated Lelnor took refuge in the Ash Sea Isles. There he served various in various posts. He witnessed many of the defeats which befell the realm and saw it fight valliantly against its enemies. Often he would attempt to bridge the gap between what should be his realm's friends and allies. As time passed slowly he was elected King by a conference of the nobles. Quickly he enacted sweeping reforms which restructured the manner in which landed nobles were selected. Having been a hero for nearly all his life he knew one day he would fall to the blade of his enemies. That day came when fighting against the vile realm of Redspan, spawn of the traitorous Lamar. Fighting to liberate Ambermel, he fell as his men pressed bravely on against overwhelming odds. When he was cut down his men broke and ran, their morale shattered by the enormous loss they witnessed that day. Few lived to tell the tale, and they wandered dumb through the lands which had become his home. A historian for the family traveled to Sullenport to listen to the tales of that fateful day. What they penned can be found in the SagaLelnor
- Ruler- Ash Sea Islands(King)
- General - Oligarch, Kanzum, Ash Sea Islands
- Judge - Kanzum
- Lord - Sullenport, Wor'ight
Gregor
In the Ancient south lay Ibladesh. The heart of the Relak heritage, and the finest vestiage of its virtues. Gregor was the President of Ibladesh for near as long as anyone could remember. He served as Senator of Al Arab, Senator of Ibladesh, and commander of her forces. He fought on the battlefield along side his fellow realm captains, and commanders. He fought on the open forums of the senate floor, and he fought in the chaos of inter-realm relations. Much of what has colored the old world today can be traced to this one man. The destruction of Isadril was his conception, and with his silvered words he convinced many others of it's need as well. Using all his craft he brought about its downfall. Yet it was an error in judgement which finally took away his glory. He trusted Calgius, and its ruler to continue its friendship. His glorious war against Ubent was lost when he was betrayed. Forced into a vacation by his own disgust he found himself facing the prospect of never becoming ruler of Ibladesh again. Rather than contemplate such a thing he too disembarked for the new world and took up residency in Falasan. Serving it's king, and its lands with his vast knowledge and expertise. Long though is his memory, and all of the vile deeds carried out against him will one day be avenged. To this he has sworn his life. In time Gregor returned to the East Continent and took up residence in Fontan. His skill was quickly recognized and he was elected as Chancellor. The realm had been in general disarray and he quickly organized the ministries founding the system of governance which still exists to this day. Having led the realm for several years he stepped aside. Having taken up the profession of a mentor he taught Alexi, The Revenger, and several of the later Chancellors who would go on to lead Fontan to greatness. He served the realm as general, and banker. His collected books of which there are currently five can be found in most major libraries so famous they have become. Gregor Relak's Collected Essays and Lectures on Leadership and Governance. Briefly he would come out of retirement to see an end to the war against Perdan, and Oligarch. Securing Caligus' survival a peace was found. It was during this time that Gregor fell in love, and bore a child late in his life with the Perdanese Queen, Evangeline Uceek. Surviving an assasination attempt in Itrount, he retired from council life and took up his most cherished role as Duke of Fontan. During the subsequent war against Old Rancagua and Sirion, Gregor grew disgusted with the increasing militarization of Fontan. Conspiring with a few select others he founded the Confederacy of Fontan and led a civil-war against the military elite. Following his defeat he was nearly executed, but managed to flee to Westmoor where he was made Lord of Morshes, and later Duke of Westmoor. When word of a rebellion reached his ears, Gregor concieved of a plan that would ensure the coming rebellion would ultimately fail. Joining with the traitors he rebelled against the Queen Micna, only to organize a counter-rebellion. Banned before he could lead the counter-rebellion himself he joined with then Duke Corwin and sucessfully defended the Westmoorian monarchy.
- Ruler - Ibladesh (Prime Minister), Fontan (Chancellor)
- General - Ibladesh
- Judge - Ibladesh, Falasan, Westmoor
- Banker - Fontan
- Lord - Ibladesh, Barad Riel, Oporto, Fontan, Morshes, Westmoor
Boeth
Entering onto the scene during the Ibladesh war with Perdan early in Gregor's rulership was Boeth. The youngest of all the Relak's. Ambitious, honest, and above all charismatic he took the Al Arab elite by storm and was quickly representing them in the Ibladesh senate. Often finding himself in the shadow of Gregor he rarely had time to show his own true abilities. But he watched and learned from one of the greatest masters to ever grace the House of Relak. When the time came for him to leave he boarded a ship to the new world, bound for York, and the realm he would unite into one powerful body. His tales are found in the history of Hasland, and need not be repeated. All that need be said of him, is that as the waning of Gregor began, so too did the waxing of Boeth. See also:HaslandIntro
- Ruler - Hasland (King)
- General - Ibladesh, Hasland
- Judge - Hasland
- Lord - Al Arab, York
Serko
Serko was a freelance who showed great talent and promise. Long did he wander in the early days of the House. Strangely however shortly after being recognized for all that he had done, he vanished. One day he emerged in Fontan along side Gregor, however he had changed. Now Serko fell to the seedier side of warfare leading a group of infiltraitors and assasins. To this day he continues his craft, honing his skills waiting to earn his place in the history of the world. That day came upon discovery of the new world. There he traveled to the far east and came upon Arcaea. The Relak Family dispatched two of its finest. One knew politics and the art of diplomacy, the other a master of shadow and deception. Once in Arcaea the two quickly set about surveying the realm. The weak link was discovered early. The Patriarch controled the populace and once removed they would take over. They traveled with the war party to put down the Drow, in the heat of battle they put down the King using a blade of Arcaean steel. Riding quickly in controlled recklessness they found the Patriarch's son. Quickly they slew the young boy. As Serko was the younger he was selected as the replacement. Using the ancient arts of their house, and of the craft Serko had learned they transformed his visiage into that of the young boy. Slowly then they let the empire implode. In time the elder Relak left back for Al Arab and Serko remained to oversee the project they had started. Following the fall of the Arcaean empire, he traveled to Ethiala where for a time he was King before removed from office due to massive protests. Leaving for Svunnetland, he heard tales of Dwilight and traveled to Caerwyn where upstart noble families quickly disposed of him as a threat. Settling in Shadowvar, later D'hara, he was promised the Dukeship of Sallowtown, but was exiled by a rebel faction before he could be entrusted with the Duchy. Arriving in the Lurian empire he was made Lord of Cadier, and eventually with the Queen's support its Judge. In the events leading up to the forced secession of Giask, Serko attempted to mediate a middle of the road solution. However, this backfired when the Queen dissolved the Giaskan oath to the Empire, forcing Serko into a new relationship with his now King. After the war was lost Serko went possibly mad and wandered the deserts of the Palm Sea turning into a hermit. Visions appeared to him telling him a coming doom from the northern stars. He traveled to Balance's Retreat and there began to reform his sense of self. He now serves in Astrum his motives once again his own.
- Ruler - Arcaea (King), Ethiala (King)
- General - Ethiala
- Judge - Pian en Luria, Giask
- Lord - Remton, Topenah, Cadier
Norel
Son of Lelnor he passed his exams and was allowed to travel to Atamara and the Ash Sea Isles. Declining to be the general upon his arrival, Norel bore a son, and has turned to the ways of the hero. In time he took up lordship in Yacon following its liberation from Abington. The Duke of Ash'rily Doc's Revenge Primus desiring him to be his Marshall invited Norel to become Lord of Veshin, and to serve as his general. Accepting the Duke's offer he moved followed further into his father's footsteps, and was made Lt. General of the realm. During peacetime he was visited by Magnus the great serpent, and was given a vision by the god. He soon took up the banner of the god's faith and became it's prophet. Quickly the religion spread across all of Atamara, reaching from the far south of Riverholm, up to York, and west to Falasan. Through a series of religious wars the faith was badly damaged, and many gave up faith in Magnus. Surviving only with a few remaining Ashlanteans in Carelia Norel was briefly Lord of Hegado. He died fighting as a Hero protecting the last vestiges of the proud Ashlantean empire and its faith. The story of his legendary death can be found in the Saga Lelnor
- Lord - Lerss, Hegado
- Prophet - Magna Serpaensism
Giselle
The daughter of Gregor Relak, and Evangeline Uceek, she was recently dispatched to the republic of Sirion where she has slowly been making a name for herself. Accusations of being a spy during Sirion's war with Westmoor did not deter the young headstrong woman. She was twice voted a Countess, first in Rollbar and again in Flismar. Her impact in Sirion society was blunted by her ties to Westmoor, but she continues to serve faithfully. Her hatred of the Duke Erik Eyolfis is legendary.
- Lord - Rollbar, Flismar, Krimml
- Marshal - Silver Legion
- Tournament Champion - Sword
Lesser amoung the house
Haelor
Haelor, short lived, and burning bright. He fought valiantly in Ubent, though was slain executing a maneuver which would forever be remembered by the House of Relak, and is still taught to this day. None will say what it is for so jealously guarded is it that it has never been used. That it has never again been performed many believe is proof that it is only an excuse for the failings of a dead man.
Horel
Having traveled from Al Arab to the realm of Tara, he was quickly falsely accused of spying for his uncle and executed at the age of 19. His bastard son proved to be his most lasting accomplishment
