Rothenstein Family
Based in Orz, a farming region in eastern Dwilight, the Rothenstein family is the result of a union between an impoverished line of minor nobles from the Far East Island and native Dwili landowners who had built their wealth and status primarily through agriculture. Painfully aware of their reputation as jumped-up farmers, the family elders have encouraged the most gifted of their heirs in the pursuit of political and military careers.
Notable Members
Konrad, Knight of Demyansk
As a youth, Konrad was sent to Golden Farrow, the capital of Caerwyn, to pursue his studies. After the death of his older sister, Cathrin, his parents had second thoughts about the wisdom of sending their son to the other side of the island, and sent him gold and guards, in the understanding that he would immediately purchase passage on ship and return to Orz. Konrad, having no great love of Orz, but a very great desire to make a name for himself, had other plans. He kept the gold, and the men, and at age 17, swore an oath of fealty to Earl Jax Mithras of Demyansk, State Purser of Caerwyn and Marshal of the Southern Border Protectors.
Leona, Dame of Brackhead
The black sheep of the family, who emigrated to Atamara with the intention of quite literally carving a niche for herself amongst the barbarian vikings of the Barony of Makar, "the only people I've heard of yet who don't blather on about chivalry and honor and all the rest of that bollocks." The rest of the Rothensteins prefer to pretend that she doesn't exist.
Leona's fortunes have risen and fallen like the tide. Shortly after she'd entered his service, her liege, Baron An'ton II Unitea of Howling Waste, stepped down from his position following a disagreement with the realm's newly appointed Banker, Thistledown mortis. Leona, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, quickly moved to secure the position of Baroness for herself, despite her inexperience and youth. The Banker's poorly worded introductory letter had incited more Lords than An'ton II to bloodlust, and in the ensuing debate her own minor coup appeared to pass largely unnoticed, just as she'd hoped.
It didn't last, however. Her sudden and unexpected success proved shocking to her family, who felt compelled to recognize her and insist on her presence at the funeral of the family patriarch (some say that it was the fact that Leona, of all of them, had been the first to make the leap into landed lordship that caused the old man's heart to fail - that, or the news that she had become an enthusiastic practitioner of the Hörgr of Makar). Keenly aware of the reasons why she was suddenly back in favor, Leona attended the funeral - but only after relinquishing her position.
Upon returning to the Barony, she took up a position in the service of the Duke of Brackhead, Salem O'claude Ve. As Brackhead had been recently destroyed, it wasn't as lucrative as she had been hoping. However, there was little time to stew over it, as the Barony came under attack and it suddenly seemed that there was more than the health of her bank account at stake.
Deceased/Retired
Cathrin
The eldest daughter of the main branch of the Rothenstein family, Cathrin had little success ingratiating herself into the high society of Pian en Luries. Stung by her failures, she boarded a ship from Giask to Port Nebel - accompanied, apparently, only by her handmaiden, as she had dismissed her bodyguards in a fit of pique. Her plans were unclear, and would remain unexplained, as the ship did not reach its destination. She is presumed lost at sea.
Alexia
A member of the branch of the family that remained on the Far East Island, Alexia grew up in the city of Ozrat. Once she had come of age, it seemed only natural to swear her allegiance to her liege lord, Duke Balthazar Bathgate. Her position was lucrative, quiet, easy and ultimately boring. Her cousins, with all their varied fortunes, made her feel that her own career was stagnating, so she gave everything up and boarded a ship to the Sultanate of Asena on the East Continent, where she quickly became caught up in the war with neighboring Sirion that was engulfing the realm. Alexia was, at heart, a sensitive soul, and had always strugged to deal with the deaths of the men under her command. She was completely unprepared to deal with the carnage and wholesale slaughter that marked the Sultanate's engagements with Sirion. After a particularly bloody battle, in which her archers were slaughtered to a man, she suffered a nervous breakdown. For a period afterward, her captain took command of her forces, but eventually it became clear that Alexia was not going to recover. She boarded a ship and returned to the family estate.
