Graves Family

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History of the Graves

The Graves Family, though recent in its rise to fame, can trace its roots back far in the annuls of history. Prominent family members include, or have included: Kanali, Jai, Erwin-- with Kanali just recently dead and the two others, cousins to the dead hero, living. The family spans several continents, several realms, and has many nobles of little consequence living unheard of and unsung-- in obscurity, waiting to make their marks on the world. The family also possesses several bastards, two of any repute whatsoever, who have been raised as awkward black sheep of the well-blooded family. Daniel of Graves, an Adventurer with no claim to the title of noble-born, has decided to try to earn the right to be a Graves through his deeds and battles with the undead of the land. Alinys, however, his half-sister (who Daniel is closer to in status than any other of his "family") has little desire to ever be known for her deeds, though may for all her wishing be known nonetheless.

In the Beginning

The House of Graves, like many other noble houses, has roots that can be, if so desired, traced back to the dirt of the earth and the peasants who lived upon it. From those peasants it could furthermore be traced back further-- to the very beginnings of time itself, but for simplicity's sake the House of Graves generally claims that the first of their line was a man by the name of Jake who earned his keep on his lord's manor by burying the dead and making sure the graveyard was in good keep. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and a barreled chest that he was wont to throw out at times to accentuate his speech. Though common born he had a noble bearing and was often the subject of much gossip for the lord of the manor was fond of him and had him taught well, gave him a decent plot of land near the woods and even license to hunt in the wood at times if he so desired. Life was decent, even if difficult, and Jake grew into full manhood with the status of a noble's bastard son: given certain attentions by his liege-lord, the best of scraps, but ultimately left alone to live out his life among those who plowed the earth.

Several years into his prime, Jake heard rumors of an impending war between his lord and of another lesser noble over poaching in the woods. His lord's sons, all of them knighted except for the youngest, who was squired off to a family in the north, returned home from abroad to aid their father in the campaign and groups of serfs, bringing what rudimentary weapons they possessed, were organized under them into four groups, the fifth group (of which Jake was a part of) being organized directly under the lord himself. Jake was given loose control over the group in the abscence of his liege as he was considered most able, having become proficient with the hunting bow during his time hunting in the woods, and his lord leaned towards meritocracy in that regard. The campaign itself was straightforward and relatively simple, especially on paper. Three of the groups of peasants-- that of two sons and the lord of the manor-- would circle around the woods, cut onto the other lord's fief, and meet with the enemy east of a gently sloped hill. The other two groups would cut through the woods on foot and hope to surprise the enemy by an attack from the side.

They met with the enemy as planned and began a steady advance forwards after firing off a short, poorly aimed arrow volley. Jake, who wore a padded tunic and carried a battered wooden shield on his left arm, took up his dull, rust-bitten sword in his right and proceeded with the rest of the serfs across the field, to clash with those serfs who were also coming across the field towards him. The groups met noisy and hectic; Jake's clumsy shield was shorn in half just above the plank attached to his arm and rendered useless by an axe swipe meant for his face. Another stroke gashed his arm deeply but Jake by then had regained his wits and countered with a slash that disembowled the axe wielding man who had just previously rushed him like a maniac. This would later be proved to have been the enemy lord himself who, thinking Jake was noble born by his stature and bearing, had rushed forward to kill him. The battle broke quickly after the rival lord was slain and further ended by the surprise attack from the woods on part of the other two groups.

After the fight, Jake found himself knighted by an overly eager lord and given a small holding on what had been part of the rival noble's land. He settled down and took as his shield a solid blue field, a black stripe running diagonal across it, with a broken shield off center of the stripe itself. Several years passed and, though he bore scars to the end of his life and had the hands of a peasant, he married a young girl from the town, who's father had made a small fortune as a merchant, buying and selling among the various noblemen. He gave his house the name Graves after his first profession-- that of the undertaker and gravedigger.

His wife, Katlian, bore him two sons and a sickly daughter who died only days after her fourth birthday. Jake never got over the death of his precious girl, but his sons grew up strong and strapping-- the picture of their father in his youth, but educated and brought up as young noble men ought to be, even if only poor noble men of birth. Youngest was Keith and after him, two years his elder, was John. John would grow into manhood and become a priest in service of a local pagan cult; it would be Keith, the youngest, who would carry on the fledgingly House and keep it from ruin in the days ahead.

Fie, a soldier, and a'feard?

Information on Keith's life.

The Rise of Jacob

Jacob, son of Keith.

The (Short) Life of Kanali

Kanali Graves sought her fame in Minas Ithil, near where her family had, under the guidance of her father Jacob, relocated their estate. She spent much of her early career as a soldier, seeking fortune and honor but ultimately fufilling the role of what normally the eldest son would have-- upholding the honor of the family through duty to the realm, etc. As the only child of Jacob she was not only entrusted with the family line but with taught much in the way of swords and men. She began to follow the path of the Hero, for before or worse, and survived several wars. Still young, though not as young as she had been when she began, she was appointed as Marchioness of Amdor. Kanali fell in love with Amdor quickly and was never the same afterwards, as Amdor was soon to be given away to the northern realms as appeasement. When war came regardless, Kanali was Countness of Lothruin. She, with most of the realm, gathered faithfully in Winwich. The first few skirmishes her men, called faithfully The Dogs, did well with no dead and she herself fared fine. Soon, though, her luck turned. She took a wound when a relatively small force of northerners moved across the border in attack and continued to fight. She died, along with twenty three of her men.

Description

Kanali was of average height, slim and had dark, expressive brown eyes. Her hair, also brown, fell in an unruly mass down her shoulders and, as a result, was often tied back by a leather thong, or piece of cloth, or shredded tatter of green silk. Though slim, she was hardly scrawny and built boyishly. Her calves were toned, and arms toned-- though her chest was hardly flat and served most often as a dead giveaway as to her gender, unless she was wearing armor. At her hip rode a plain, unadorned longsword of good iron, kept in a fine scabbard set with a single, rough-cut ruby. Her shield, gouged and nicked, bore the sigil of her House-- the blue field, black diagonal striping, and the off-center circle. Her armor, mostly chain, was well-kept but often patched and the tunic had silver rings riveted between its iron ones so that she was often set apart from the otherwise dull outfit of her own men as she fought alongside them, on foot.

The Feuding Cousins

As the House of Graves gradually grew up out of what had basically amounted to poverty, they began to expand-- John, the priest, would father several children who took the name Graves though they were not truly of the House. Keith's own large family saw children married off to other distant families, dispersing the entire House throughout several continents. On the East Continent, two such cousins of the daughter of Jacob, Kanali, are prominent:

Erwin, son of Hrothal

Brief background/summary.

Description

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Jai, daughter of Hrothal

Brief background/summary.

Description

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The Bastard

Like many noble families, the House of Graves has its fair share of bastards, most never rising above the class they were born into, many with no idea they ever shared half an ounce of noble-born blood in their veins. Some, however, for one reason or another are known, or do rise above their peasant caste, to seek fame, glory, or what titles they believe they deserve through their birthright, however weak those claims may be.

Daniel of Graves, Fame Seeker

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Alinys of Graves, Ally for Short

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