Recluse Family
The Recluse family has only recently come to notice by the Nobility of the world.
The First Noble Generation
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Ancient Origins
They originate from Matakonis in Abington, on Atamara. Purple Recluse was the first of their sons to take up a military career. Soon his older twin brothers, Gold and Black, saw the opportunity in his choice and left the family farm and tannery business as he had.
The Recluse family has been in Matakonis for as long as can be determined. That would be five generations, stretching back more than one hundred five years. This is known from oral history related by the oldest family head, Gray Recluse XXIII. He tells stories he remembers from his grandfather, Gray Recluse XXII. There are stories about Recluse patriarchs and matriarchs from long ago which have to be considered legend. So here is what is known for sure, from Grandfather's stories:
Gray Recluse XXII was born 106 years ago, on this same farm that the family still runs. He raised chickens, fruit trees and grain, and sent his portion of harvest in as 'taxes'. He kept up a good supply of firewood, up to twenty cord, it is said. Thus he could sell a bit in winter to those who might have run out. In early March he often had a bit of silver from that enterprise, and was proud to be able to take his family on a trip to town, usually the Capital, Riverholm. Honesty, hard work and good husbandry were the virtues he taught his children. They guide the family still.
Brown Recluse XVII was born 85 years ago. He maintained the farm much as his father had. He believed that Industry would lead to wealth for the family, and so became the first Recluse to try Cobbling. His footwear was appreciated by the family, farmhands and neighbors, but not much further. He did gain some skill at tanning, however, earning enough to replace the very aged one-room hut with a sturdier three-room house. The family slept in the back room, while cooking was done in the front room. The third room did not enter into the first two. It was servant's quarters. Brown XVII also found a cave in a western stretch of Matakonis. He went to some trouble and expense to acquire title to that portion of land, ten acres that we still own although it lies fallow. He was convinced there was a 'treasure' or something of considerable value within the "Family Cave". Today we're not sure what it might be.
Gray Recluse XXIII is our current family elder, our grandfather, 62 years old. He has told us the above stories about his father and grandfather. He has focussed his attention on running the farm and family business. He still has a pair of shoes that his father made mounted on a plaque in the Cobbling Shed. He became very successful as a cobbler, making sturdy and comfortable footwear. His father had brought him to the legendary cave only a handful of times. They had to crawl on their bellies most of the way. There were two branches someways in, and two or three spots where they could rise up to a stooped sitting position. Brown XVII collected several minerals and told his son their properties, but grandfather thinks some of those were imaginary. Some of the minerals were colored crystals, others white and many of dull colors. Nothing much yet has come from any efforts spent in that cave.
Grandfather treasured the time he got to spend with his father on these expeditions. It took most of the day to get there, so once they arrived and their cart was hidden in the forest some way off the road, they would enter the cave to spend the night. When they woke they lit their oil lamps and started collecting, first down one branch, then the other. Great grandfather had made a small sled to pile the collection on, extracting twenty kilos or so whenever they went there. After telling his son different things about these rocks he would hide them in a pile someplace away from the cave. He never brought more than a pocket of crystals home, or showed them to an alchemist or other scholar.
For centuries the Recluses had named their Firstborns either "Brown" or "Gray", alternately. Even this was considered 'uppity' by the peasantry of Matakonis. Family names were little more than the name of the profession they followed, 'Tailor', 'Cooper', 'Smith', etc. Keeping a Family Name reflecting some ancient weirdo gave some Matakonins the impression that the Recluses were a bit presumptuous, holding onto an ancient 'Destiny' rather than simply accepting their role as farmers and tanners. This habit of alternating firstborn names was too much like a habit of Royalty.
Then came Brown XVIII, whose "firstborn" were identical twins. There had been some sort of confusion during delivery, so by the time he was brought in for the naming (yep, another "royal" custom, while peasant children were just called 'lad' until they got a nickname that stuck) well, by then no one had taken note of which child appeared first, so XVIII saw that there could be no Gray Recluse XXIV, at least not in this generation.
With that tradition broken and his sons still needing names, Brown XVIII sat and held his sons for a while, eyes closed. Then he rose and handed one boy back to his wife saying, "this is Gold", and the other to his sister (the midwife) saying, "This is Black. These men will share my inheritance and lead the family together when it is their time. My first grandson from either man will continue the Family line in his time."
When a third son came then Brown XVIII did not attend. Nonetheless his wife had a strong feeling that all her children should be named. Going further than her husband had years before she called this boy "Purple".
Gold and Purple
They were often side by side in the defense of Abington, while Black migrated to The Colonies to join Giblot. Later Sir Gold joined his twin in Giblot, eventually experiencing a spiritual awakening after some experiences in East Giblot. He has become "Episcopus Maximus" of the "Ryou Gu Tykou".
Sir Purple moved soon after to Beluaterra and joined Mesh, where he became Count of Chot. Here again his quick wit has worked against him. Otherwise he might have become Chancellor by now.
Black Recluse
He came to the notice of Sir Sera, Banker of Giblot, and eventually was rewarded with the Barony of Steepglades, A mountainous region on the Frontier opposing Outer Tilog . He had won the hearts of many peasants of his region, but soon lost his Barony to an overwhelming assault by the Tilogian dogs. This drove him nearly mad with thoughts of suicide and worse. After a few weeks of recovering from this horrid setback he has built his resolve back stronger than before, eager to win back his Barony and resume the care of those people he had grown so fond of. ((More on his personal page, linked below.))
Saffron
For some time not considered a "real" member of the Recluse family. Her mother dumped, er, 'presented' her at our family table during our Spring Moon celebration when the child was about six years old. None of us knew of this woman before, and her tattered smock was of Sudfernan style, not Matakonan. She defamed our family with her accusations, especially our patriarchs, although she would not give the name of the supposed father of the girl. We took her to be a bit mad. Another reason to pity the girl. So we took her in, cleaned, clothed, and fed her for more than ten years. The summer that Saffron would be about sixteen or seventeen she wandered off, sullen and resentful of the chores and education required of youth in our family. After about a year Purple saw her name in a report and tried to contact her. She was less than courteous in response. Purple made little of her rudeness, for he held many happy memories of their shared youth. From the start he was glad to have a new 'little sister', always acted as the older brother (by about a year or so), helping with her studies and taking her on hunting and other wilderness excursions. In time Purple offered her some hospitality in his Estate. Saffron was long accustomed to life in the wild, so a soft warm bed was almost more than she could bear. Eventually the decent treatment from Purple and other Nobles of Mesh softened her resentful attitude toward her superiors. She started accepting and seeking personal tasks from Nobles, honing certain skills to an exceptional level, and accomplishing extraordinary feats. By her late twenties she had earned several documented commendations from Nobles of Mesh and came to be seen by all as a worthy member of the Nobility. She has personally submitted much of her own history for inclusion alongside this scroll. |