Du Valroux Family

Origin

The Du Valroux family originates from settlers of York, Leohampton, Northhill, and possibly Rotherthorpe.

They were in ancient times a group of families united by marriages among the lines of Chieftains in a patriarchal rule. Sometimes confusing, this marriages (called "Chaffing") over the centuries obscured the "royal" lines among this tribes.

A famous historian of the family genealogy, Markus Dévoix, suggested the name " Du Val-et-Roux " (From Val-et-Roux, a location wich is today a part of York City) for its historical meaning- The warlords of the tribes used to hold their reunions and feast at Val-et-Roux. This was largely accepted.

The clan Du Val-et-Roux was born, and its coat-of-arms had a silver sword and a silver parchment crossed, golden scales at the background, red and purple colors adorning the shield.

With the passage of the time and simplification of old terms, Du Val-et-Roux became Du Valroux. Hunting and farming was replaced by lobbying favors, trading overseas and more recently leading troops for rulers.

The Du Valroux family first entered the struggles in Atamara shortly before the fall of Vikland by the request of the realm's late King. Since then, the family expanded its holdings to the East Continent, having territorial claims both in Troyes and Bruck.

Branches and Castes

As a great clan, the Du Valroux is composed by many lesser noble families, and after a century engaged in politics and warfare each of those groups formed different opinions on how to handle political and social affairs. Although the Patriarch's still the final word on Du Valroux important matters, the lesser families formed something resembling political parties amongst themselves to discuss new ideas and manage day-to-day decisions.

Political Branches

• Conservative

• Liberal

• Moderate

• Unaligned

Also the Du Valroux family has a system of castes, an old habit dating from the times of the chieftains.

Royal Nobility: Used to adress the Patriarch of the Du Valroux and his immediate family.

Greater Nobility: All members of the family who hold a title in any realm, and more recently, the chiefs of political branches fall under this category.

Lesser Nobility: Any noble from Du Valroux who doesn't meet the requirements of royal and greater nobility.

Needless to say, this caste and branch systems doesn't always end in perfect harmony, creating many feuds between the conservatives and the liberals.

Famous Members

The family has many famous nobles within its blood.

Jean-Luc Du Valroux, Count of Bruck

Royal Nobility, Conservative Branch

The older son of the patriarch Louis, Jean-Luc fought both for Vikland and Minas Ithil. Sadness filled his heart during to the infamous sacking of York, so he decided to emigrate to Beluaterra and oversee the trade of his family.

Most of their business was being made over Wudenkin and Vale, so he swore fealty to the Grand Duchy of Wudenkin. He was titled Count of Vale and fought bravely to defend his people during the undead invasion.

He was forced to retreat west to Marca da Pantera, and there he became Duke of Latlan, an honor still remembered in the halls of the family. A second wave of undead destroyed this realm, forcing Jean-Luc to exile in Varyamo Nolvo. This proved a bad choice when he was captured and forced to flee to the East Continent, where he joined Old Rancagua in their struggle against the Church of Rancagua.

He was titled Count of Bruck by Sir Dekion, King of Old Rancagua, in honor for accomplishments in the past years.

The newly appointed Count of Bruck fought many years under the banner of his new realm with fierce loyalty. Once he considered retirement from leading troops, his many scars and bruises from the past starting to slow him down, as he believed the campaign against Kalmar Islands would be his last one.

Now Jean-Luc passes most of his time riding on the vast plains of Bruck and attending tournaments. Recently converted to the Flow of the Balance, he is now 43 years old.

In his prime, Jean-Luc was considered sort of a happy-go-lucky and carefree nobleman, enjoying the "finer things" in life. His immigration to Beluaterra was "made out of emotion and childish behavior", as he declares in his memoirs, but he is better known is his late years, as a steady, calm scarred war veteran who talks little and prefers not to involve himself in politics. Highly regarded to become the next Patriarch of the family.

Miscellaneous

A letter from the King of Old Rancagua, Sir Dekion of House Flockhart:

I would like to announce Jean-Luc, for his long and excellent service to the realm shall now be named the Lord of Bruck.

Jean-Luc, I am pleased with your performance and grant you this title. May you continue to serve Old Rancagua honorably.

Countess Étienne Du Valroux, deceased

Greater Nobility, Unaligned Branch

Cousin of Jean-Luc, Étienne also fought for Vikland and Minas Ithil. In that time, Minas Ithil had too many troop leaders and she was asked by its ruler to find another place in favor of her cousin. Étienne never took that well and severed relations with Jean-Luc, traveling north to the Barony of Makar.

She lived on the Barony for almost ten years. There Étienne started a trading business in the family name and after various trips in search of good deals and exploring the vast lands of Atamara, she decided to leave this kind of work to employees of her House, starting a career based on sacking other realms as a troop leader of Makar.

News of trouble in Beluaterra worried Étienne, who feared that her family holdings would be crippled by undead assaults. As she judged Jean-Luc less capable than her, she immediately embarked on a ship to the new world. There she discovered that Wudenkin was ravaged by plague and undead, ruining the trade routes of the family. After a week of planning, Étienne decided to invest her time and remaining family gold on a promising realm in the east, Midas Chia.

She was warmly welcomed by troops leaders of that Realm, strengthening their borders with her experience in tactics from Makar. After some time of service Étienne was appointed Countess of Glongin and given the task of protect the county against the neighbor realm of Luz de Bia, who already had the upper hand against Midas Chida.

Étienne died at age 29, during an open field battle in Glongin against Luz de Bia. Outnumbered and weary from many battles, Étienne was cut down along her entire unit in a desperate charge attemping to gain time for reinforcements.

A woman that never married, Étienne had few friends and an adventurous approach to life. Sometimes a bit rude and impolite, she wasn't very liked in most social circles, being somewhat of an outsider. Nevertheless, her talent in dealing both with trade and battles brought much prestige to the family.

Miscellaneous

She had a younger brother, Gaspard, who became inspired by her history and joined the realm of Tara as a mercenary.

Rumors in Beluaterra point to a bastard son named Gerrard, but information is sketchy at best.

Leon Du Valroux, Count of Troyes

Greater Nobility, Liberal Branch

Raised in the liberal branch of the family, Leon was instructed in tactics and fencing in York (Atamara) until age 10. On his father's behalf, he was sent to study politics in the democratic realm of Fontan. At first Leon was shocked with his studies, as freedom of speech and thought was encouraged along with a better treatment for the peasantry, very different from the Kingdom he used to live as a child.

When he turned 20, Leon decided to remain in Fontan and lead troops for the Chancellor as a free noble. There he took part in the war against Caligus, helping in takeovers in Tokat and Sordidus. A few years later he was knighted in the Order of the Thunder on its first formation. Some members back then were Sir Aeropagiptica, Sir Klaus and Sir Thelonius.

A few months later Chancellor Gregor made a decree appointing Leon as the Marquis of Viseu. There, he made a steady job to improve fortifications and to restore the war-torn region, on the battlefield, he defended Viseu in various occasions against Caligus and Perdan. After receiving an arrow in the chest that almost took his life, Leon took his time to heal in Fontan City. As the wound slowly healed, he decided to take a role in the realm management and thus becoming a bureaucrat in the service of Fontan.

Few weeks later a peace agreement was made with Caligus, so Leon maintained his role as a bureaucrat for almost two years. When war against Oligarch started, he answered the call to arms and entered battle once more.

Under the leadership of Lord Katsuyori the Order of Thunder was reformed and Leon joined in their ranks once more.

With the fall of Oligarch, Fontan marched to fight his old enemy, Perdan. The first battles were very successful and Chancellor Gregor, pleased with Leon's performance in Viseu, awarded him the title of Count of Troyes. Once again he managed to restore a devastated region and win some skirmishes against Perdan. For his good job, Duke Sartan Morningstar granted Leon the position of Marshal of the Army of Westmoor. This position became extinct some years ago due to reforms on army management in Fontan.

Some years ago, Leon has showed some prowess at the tournament in Castle Ubent, where over 210 other nobles fought. Using the unorthodox fencing style of the Du Valroux, mixed with his real-life experiences in the battlefield, he managed to beat several other nobles and win the finals against Yarah from Ibladesh. Over the next years he entered most competitions with mixed results, winning once and coming in second once.

Leon is now 42 years old and shows no plans of retirement.

Miscellaneous

Leon is a very competent swordsman, although he stopped taking fencing lessons at a young age. He seems to have plans on building a fencing academy to teach his swordmanship style to younger nobles.

Converted to the Flow of Balance and built a small temple in Troyes for the religion.

Gaspard Du Valroux

Greater (or Lesser) Nobility, Unaligned Branch

Gaspard is the younger brother of the Deceased Countess Étienne. He was raised in Du Valroux manor at York and lost contact with his older siblings when he was 13 years old. As a teenager he spent most of his time hunting and practicing fencing, oblivious to family politics. When Gaspard reached adulthood he quickly left his home region and enlisted as a mercenary in Tara, against the wishes of his late father who still mourned the loss of her daughter Étienne an had hopes that Gaspard would follow a quiet and peaceful life, as he is the last living and direct heir of his family branch.

"Life is never dull on Tara", Gaspard once wrote to his uncle Louis The Patriarch. The young mercenary enjoyed raids and pillaging maybe a little too much, ending wounded or captured a few times. But payment was good, so he didn't bother. Practicing his fencing while away from the battlefield, Gaspard came in second on his third tournament.

When Gaspard completed ten years of service in Tara, he mysteriously discovered documents on the County manor of Meldeen that suggested that he is a descendant of some Gasparis Desonestus Maximus Du Val-Et-Roux, an old Count of Meldeen about a century ago. He quickly presented the documents to officers in the region, who hailed him the new Count. Twenty minutes later, a sudden wild fire caught on the County libraries, burning many documents related to region history and genealogy, a real loss to historians everywhere.

Unfortunately his success was short-lived as rebels of Meldeen loyal to a charismatic bricklayer proclaimed independence. Gaspard now fights to claim what is rightfully his by birthright.

Gaspard is now 30 years old.

Gerrard Du Valroux

Unrecognized, No Branch

A Freeman in Beluaterra, claiming to be the lost son of Countess Étienne Du Valroux.

Gerrard was the newborn child of a servant in the trading house of Étienne when she conducted trade for the Barony of Makar about twenty years ago. She took a liking to the baby and secretly sent money to their parents while she was traveling to barter for goods.

When she decided to embark a ship to Beluaterra, only a handful of servants embarked with her, including Gerrard and his parents. At the age of nine their sponsor died in battle and his family fled south to Enweil.

At Gerrard's 20th birthday, his father revealed the truth regarding his parents. Étienne had a secret affair with a nobleman while serving at Vikland and discovered that she was pregnant with child. So she fled from York and Minas Ithil fearing that The Patriarch would discover the truth, exile her and kill the child.

This child was born in the way to Makar, named Gerrard and given to her most trusted servants.

Those news affected Gerrard deeply, as he considers his adoptive parents the only real parents he have and ever will. By his father's request, he started a life in Ete City to gather information about his true mother and claim his place in the Du Valroux family.

Gerrard still isn't quite sure of what to do, but right now he follows his father advice.

Gerrard is now 24 years old.