House of Aldersberg

House of Aldersberg Parent house: House of Novellen Country: Empire of Oren (Formerly) Kingdom of Oren (Formerly) United Kingdom of Aaun Founded: 1787 Founder: Joseph Leopold Novellen Current head: Cressida of Aldersberg Titles: County of Aldersberg Barony of Aldersberg (Formerly) Ethnicity: Heartlander

The House of Aldersberg is a cadet house of Novellen, having been granted as a comital title to Prince Joseph Leopold Novellen in the year 1887 until the year 1809 when it was made hereditary by Imperial addendum, creating the official cadet branch of House Novellen-Aldersberg. In 1888, the Austina of Aldersberg would strip the house of its Novellen interests, thus christening the House of Novellen-Aldersberg to the House of Aldersberg.

History of Aldersberg

Origins

The beginnings of Aldersberg would be that of a Barony granted to Hadrien de Sarkozy in the realm of Anthos. He would establish the Palace of Aldersberg within the fortress of the White Rose. Handrien would later be promoted to the Count of Norfolk and serve as the chancellor of the Kingdom of Kaedrin, and with the help of his family, create a bustling town under the Archbishop of Savoie, Lucien I, in the Crownlands. It would slowly become the industrial capital of the empire with many of the best goods originating from it. Notably, an important figure would be St. Tobias, who was the treasurer of Aldersberg and accredited to industrializing the city.

Tragically, the city of Aldersberg would be destroyed in a strange meteor shower, leaving no remnants other than the few who escaped. Hadrien would die here, leaving this title to his firstborn, Helaine de Sarkozy, who married Siegmund Carrion. Siegmund was the Marquese of Raev, adapting the consort titles that came with his marriage. At this time, it was unheard of to hold a woman as patriarch, so Siegmund also adopted the title of patriarch of House de Sarkozy. However, the titles would be defunct to the family de Savoie upon both of their deaths, the children's Carrion last name, and no de Sarkozy present to inherit.

Lucien's grandson, Olivier de Savoie, would be titled Count of Aldersberg shortly after and constructed another town north of Petrus. With the help of Sylvester Halcourt and Augustus Fornier, the city and its citizens would flourish. After Olivier inherited the Duchy of Savoy, it would become the capital for some time. Through trials and tribulations in the Empire of Oren, it would default to an elected monarchy following the Schism War. Olivier set his eyes on becoming the King of Oren and used Aldersberg as a launching point. In 1499, he would find success and the titles of Aldersberg would be absolved to the crown. The city itself would be burned and brought to the ground under the Horen Restoration.

The Petrine Era

The House Novellen-Aldersberg finds its origins with Joseph Leopold Novellen, the sixth issue of Empress Anne I and Emperor Joseph II, and thus was not expected to inherit. Yet as an Imperial Prince, he was granted a title, that being the County of Aldersberg. The land would be used by Joseph as a retreat from the imperial palace. The county is a territory not much more than an estate and a small plot for farming. Joseph would have five children with his wife, Henrietta Maria of Osterland, for whom the Osterland Tiara would be named, which is traditionally worn by the Countess of Aldersberg, and the collection of Alderberian Tiaras began.

Succeeding Joseph was George Alexander. His reign was mostly unremarkable, his wife Juliya of Susa and children, mainly that of Georgiana Maria, taking up the responsibilities of day-to-day management. Hosting court events, which Aldersberg has become known for. George would die of an abrupt illness that ended his life in 1862.

Succeeding him was his son, Edward Clement, Who would boast a large collection of antiques and tiaras, began the Aldersbergian Vault. Edward is best known for his work in the Court, serving as the Lord Chamberlain under the reign of Philip III and Anastasia I. Edward married Anne of Sunholdt in the Aster Hall and the two had three children, in order, Alexander Leopold, Arthur Marie, and Austina Prudence, each of them boasting blonde locks inherited by both mother and father.

The Novellen Kingdom

During the [1875 Royal Audit], the family was demoted from a County to a Barony after a period of inactivity after the Brothers war and during the reign of Frederick I. Soon thereafter, Edward mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead, leaving his eldest and heir inherited. 12 years came and went with monumental change to the landscape of Oren, then in 1888 Alexander Leopold died in a bandit attack which left his younger sister, Austina Prudence, the Baroness. Austina would go on to detach the family from its Novellen roots, classifying herself and her kin as simply Aldersberg.

The Duchy of Adria

Austina would marry the Count of Veletzia and soon be named Duchess-consort of Adria, furthering the collection of [Aldersbergian relics] during her tenure as Baroness and having four children of the Sarkozic last name. She would honorably hold the title for a number of years under the Duchy of Adria, and eventually, restore the House to its former station as the County of Aldersberg.

Austina would pass in 1914 with no will written or inheritance marked out, which left the title to her niece, Cressida of Aldersberg. Cressida would go on to rebel against Austina's tyrannical husband, Heinrik, Duke of Adria, and claim the County for the United Kingdom of Aaun. In 1919, after the Adrian Rebellion seemed to subside, the Duchy would proclaim that Austina's heir would be her son, Markus Marie Sarkozic. However, this was disputed considering that Austina herself left no instructions nor was Markus of the Aldersberg name.

The House Novellen-Aldersberg

Name	Portrait	Birth Parentage	Marriage(s) Issue	Death	Coat of Arms	Titles
Joseph I HIH, Joseph Leopold 1787 - 1849 (62 yrs)		1765~ The Novellen Palace, Helena, Oren Son of Anne I, Holy Orenian Empress and Joseph II, Holy Orenian Emperor	Henrietta Maria of Osterland 5 Children	Died of natural causes, 1849		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg The Count of Aldersberg
George I HIH, George Alexander 1849 - 1862 (13 yrs)		1802~ The Augustine Palace, Providence, Oren Son of HIH Joseph Leopold and Henrietta Maria of Osterland	Juliya of Susa 5 Children	Died of an illness, 1862		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg Count of Aldersberg
Edward I TRH, Edward Clement 1862 - 1880 (18 yrs)		1834 Johannian Hall, The County of Aldersberg, Oren Son of HIH George Alexander and Juliya of Susa	Anne of Sunholdt 3 Children	Went missing in 1880		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg Count of Aldersberg (Formerly) Baron of Aldersberg
Alexander I TRH, Alexander Leopold 1880 - 1888 (8 yrs)		1867 Johannian Hall, The Barony of Aldersberg, Oren Son of TRH Edward Clement and Anne of Sunholdt	No Issue	Died in Bandit Attack, 1888		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg Baron of Aldersberg

The House Aldersberg

Name	Portrait	Birth Parentage	Marriage(s) Issue	Death	Coat of Arms	Titles
Austina I TRH, Austina Prudence 1888 - 1914 (26 yrs)		1867 Johannian Hall, The Barony of Aldersberg, Oren Daughter of TRH Edward Clement and Anne of Sunholdt	Heinrik, Duke of Adria 4 Children	Died from Leukemia, 1914, Velec, Adria		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg Duchess of Adria, Countess of Aldersberg, Countess of Veletzia, Dame of the Circle of Saint Emma
Cressida I TRH, Cressida Marie 1914 - Present (Disputed)		1892 Valwyck, Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska Daughter of Arthur Marie Aldersberg and Nastasya Reza Ruthern	Jan, Count of Vaska 6 Children	Alive		Head of House Novellen-Aldersberg Countess of Aldersberg (Disputed), Countess-Consort of Vaska

The Sarkozic Claim

In the year 1917, Cressida of Aldersberg released a missive stating the House of Aldersberg's departure from the Duchy of Adria during the Adrian Civil War[1], which would garner popular support. In response, two years later, the Duchy would claim they still owned the title and that it belonged to the previous Countess' son, Markus Marie Sarkozic, naming him Count of Aldersberg[2] despite Austina having never named an heir.

Name	Portrait	Birth Parentage	Marriage(s) Issue	Death	Coat of Arms	Titles
Markus I TRH, Markus Marie 1919 - Present (Disputed)		1904 Castle St. Emalyne, Velec, Aaun Son of His Grace, Heinrik, Duke of Adria and Her Grace, Austina of Aldersberg	Unwed No Issue	Alive		Count of Aldersberg (Disputed)

Notable Figures

St. Richard of Aldersberg - The fourth Grand Master of the Order of St. Amyas, sainted the Patron saint of Bastards, Transmutation, Bravery, and the Desert. Canonized by High Pontiff Bl. Daniel II, in 1523.
St. Tobias of Aldersberg - The Treasurer of Aldersberg, sainted the Patron saint of merchants, wealth, and benefactors. Known now as St. Tobias of Sarkoz for his service to Hadrien de Sarkozy. Canonized by High Ecclesiarch Radomir I, in 1444.
St. Adrian of Leuvaarden - First Baron of Aldersberg, Count of Norfolk, sainted the Patron saint of Statesmen, Lawyers, and Politics. Canonized by High Ecclesiarch Radomir I, in 1444.
Charlotte of Aldersberg - The Duchess of Adria, married to the Duke of Adria and Heir Apparent to the Empire, Philip Aurelian, making her empress-to-be before his assassination.
Austina of Aldersberg - The Duchess of Adria, married to the Duke of Adria, Heinrik Otto, and brought the title of Aldersberg back to its former glory after being lost to her older brothers' ineptness.