Vindus Family

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Vindus-large.png
Coat of Arms of the Vindus Family

Family Overview

Despite being an older Family, it is interesting to note that for most of its history, the Vindus family was rather unremarkable. The Vindus family was not rich or poor. I never did anything to distinguish itself. It was never renown for its honor or lack thereof. In fact, it was almost boring enough to be known as such. Then the family began to shrink. Less were born and more died until the Vindus Family consisted only of one man, his wife and their children. Then they betrayed the Empire.

The Vindus family, under the leadership of Dreider Vindus, had resorted to selling sensitive Imperial information to the enemies of the Empire. Even worse, the Vindus family had been found guilty of murdering several prominent nobles in exchange for foreign gold. In response, the Empire stripped the Vindus family of its noble status, wealth and then all living members were executed. The only person to escape death at the hands of the Empire was the bastard Arathorn Vindus, Dreider´s youngest son.

Many years later, Arathorn Vindus joined the Imperial army. He managed to distinguish himself through hard work and determination showing a steadfast loyalty that few could match. During this time he managed to bring new honor to the family name and even managed to convinced the Empire to restore the Vindus family´s noble status. Since the family´s restoration, it has repeatedly shown itself to be loyal to the Empire.

The Bastard House

House Vindus has earned the unusual nickname “The Bastard House.” In fact, many in the house have embraced it. The name first came into use when Arathorn Vindus used his status as a bastard to help convince the Empire to restore his families noble status. He had argued that, while his parents and their true born children had committed treason, being a bastard, he was intact barely a Vindus and was not likely to carry on any of their more unsavory traits. While it was his merrit that convinced the Empire to bestow nobility upon him, many found it amusing that he would so openly embrace his bastardhood.

Further cementing the use of the name was the fact that Arathorn never married and gave birth only to his two bastard sons. In fact, Arathorn was quite proud of his bastards, and even called them such. Additionally, his eldest son Ergos, while being married and fathering legitimate children, has also sired his fair share of bastards and always took them in, giving them the same status his legitimate children enjoyed.

Old House and New House

Many feel the Vindus Family to be two separate houses: the old and the new. The term "old house" is used to describe the Vindus Family up until their fall. The old house is considered to be dirty, corrupt and traitorous. The term "new house" is used to describe the Vindus family since its restoration by Arathorn Vindus. This distinction has been encouraged by the Vindus family as it attempts to seperate itself from the tainted reputation. Many also feel that the term "new house" fits the Vindus Family quite well as a way of expressing the fact that there is so much "new Blood" in house Vindus today.

Coat of Arms

Vindus-small.png

Originally the Vindus family's coat or arms was a tree covered in silver green leaves standing before the sun. After the family's fall to disgrace, it was changed to a bare, dead looking, tree standing before the moon. Shortly after the family's restoration, a single silver-green leaf was added to show that life was indeed coming back to the Vindus family.

Prominent Members

Dreider Vindus and Family

Dreider Vindus grew up as an only child and the sole heir to the Vindus name. When Dreider turned 17 years old he served briefly as a Troop Leader. During this time he met and married his wife, Mesilia. A few months before his 18th birthday, both of his parents mysteriously died (many now suspect foul play on Dreider´s part). This brought Dreider´s career as a Troop Leader to an abrupt halt as he returned home to manage the family´s affairs (at this point the family consisted of Dreider and his wife Mesilia).

At the age of 19 Dreider sired his first son, Krextor. At 20 came his daughter Vestilia and at 21 came another son, Nester. Much to Dreider´s grief, Mesilia died while giving birth to Nester. 11 years later Dreider sired a bastard son, Arathorn, to an unknown woman. He took in the boy, and provided for his well being, but never recognized the child and refused to grant him nobility.

Six years later, when Dreider was 38, he, and his children, were discovered to be guilty of selling sensitive Imperial information and murdering several nobles of the Empire in exchange for foreign gold. It was discovered that Dreider and his sons would collect information valuable to the Empire´s enemies and the sons would then sneak it out and sell the information while performing their duties as Troop Leaders. Additionally, the sons would use the cover of battle to murder several nobles. The daughter, Vestilia, would often seduce nobles and use the opportunities to gather valuable information or even murder them using poisons.

The only member of the family found innocent of any wrong doing was six year old Arathorn, and so his life was spared. The others, however, were stripped of title and wealth, then executed. Arathorn was, unfortunately, never granted the status of a noble and was sent to an orphanage to be raised as a commoner. At the time of their deaths Dreider was 38, Krextor was 19, Vestilia was 18 and Nester was 17.

Arathorn Vindus

Arathorn Vindus was born the bastard son of Dreider Vindus and an unknown woman. Dreider Vindus took care of Arathorn´s needs, even to the point of making sure that he had a quality education, but he never recognized Arathorn, allowed him the status of nobility or even talked to him. Arathorn was cared for by Krista, his nanny, and his various tutors. Even his contact with his older half siblings was limited due to a lack of interest on the elder siblings part and the large age gap. In fact, Arathorn rarely even saw any of his family.

When Arathorn turned six, his world changed drastically. His father and siblings were all executed for treachery and he was sent to an orphanage to be raised as a commoner. Only his nanny followed him and remained a constant in his early life. In fact, it was Krista who put Arathorn on the path to success by ensuring that his education continued. She did this by convincing a religious order to take him and train him in the scholarly arts when he was nine years old. The only disadvantage for Arathorn was the fact that upon being taken in by the religious order, he never saw Krista again.

Arathorn stayed with the priests for four years, until he was 13, and was educated in a variety of subjects before making the decision to leave the order and join the Cagilan Imperial Army. Once in the army, Arathorn continued to excel in many disciplines until eight years later he was noticed by his Troop Leader and taken in as his personal assistant. Arathorn served as his Troop Leaders personal assistant for nine years, or until he was 30 years old. During this time Arathorn learned about his heritage and a great deal about how to be a noble. He then struck out on his own, with the support of his Troop Leader, to convince the Cagilan Empire to grant him nobility.

This was no easy quest and it took six years before he had managed to convince the Empire that he was worthy of nobility, despite his heritage. After gaining the status of a noble, Arathorn began to focus his efforts on rebuilding the Vindus family. When Arathorn was 42 years old, he sired his first bastard son, Ergos. Then four years later he sired his second, and last, child (also a bastard) Hestor. Arathorn never married or sired legitimate children during his lifetime.

When Arathorn died at the age of 65, control of house Vindus passed on to his 23 year old son, Ergos. Since then Ergos and Hestor have continued their fathers attempt to rebuild and restore the family´s honor, even if they both went about it in entirely different ways.

Ergos & Trillia Vindus

Hestor & Niela Vindus

Vance Vindus

Ril Vindus

More information about Ril Vindus can be found here.

Siglorn Vindus

More information about Siglorn Vindus can be found here.