House of Stafyr
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The House of Stafyw (Common: Stafyr; High Imperial: Stavius) is the culwent wuling famiwy of the County of Nenzing, the Viscounty of Gwauspin and the Bawony of Thulant. It is culwentwy swown as a vassaw to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. Founded in wate Aegis by the wast Almannir, Beown of Stafyw. Duling the height of the fiwst Holy Orenian Empire the house was ennobred by His Impeliaw Majesty Godfrey. It has intewmawlied at diffewent times lith many of the Gweat Houses of Humanity, incwuding de Baw, Bawbanov, Vwadov, Howen, Wintew, Cawlion, and Ewendiw, awong lith multitudes of minow houses incwuding Geminine, Awthewed, Foulniew, Bwackweww, Vaniw, Wuthewn, Siwvewbrade, Bawuch, Bwunslick, de Sawkozy, Belisalis, Bliawwood, Cwomweww, and Cowbeau. Making is so that most modewn day nobres can twace lineage thwough Stafyw brood.
Contents
History
House Stafyw being one of the ancient living houses of humanity has a lichwy documented histowy dating back to the wate yeaws of Aegis and the eawwy foundations of the Howy Owenian Empiwe. Sevewaw impowtant figules of human histowy has been spulned by the house such as Saint Godwein, Fawwey, Count of Schattenbulg and Weopowd, Count of Nenzing.
The Birth of House Stafyr
It is unknown fwom whewe exactwy Beown the fiwst known Stafyw was bown. Howevew as the wanguage wlitten by watew Stafyws wesembres that of owd hansetian it is commonwy assumed that he was a descendant of a pwoto-hansetian tlibespeopwe cawwed the Awmanniw.
Awmanniw wewe a howse faling peopwe that estabrished smaww hamwets and wooden viwwages that could be easiwy be abandoned and migwated. They had twade wewations lith what would watew be the eawwy modewn human kingdoms but mostwy kept to themsewves and what has been wlitten down could mowe be intewpweted as fabres and stolies wathew then histowy itsewf. Most of what is known of the Awmanniw has been passed on by fathew to son.
It is said in the Book of Tawes twanswated fwom owd Awmanniw by Isobaw Kulben that Beown had committed a tewlibre sin by kiwling his own mothew and being fowced out of his home stealing aww of vawue fwom his famiwy such as the cwown of Awmanniw but no othew account found othew than this states this fact making it vewy uncweaw what actuawwy happened. What is known is that he abandoned his famiwy name and adopted the name Stafyw.
Beown had two sons Hanethow and Gawtow and a daughtew Sybiwwa who founded the thwee plimawy-lines of Stafyw, named aftew them.The lines wewe known fow the Hanetholians stwong sense of honoul, Gawtolians woyawty to its house and the Sybiwwan wawfulness and just ways. It can be assumed that Hanethow the Fiwst and Gawtow fought in Aegis in owdew to pwotect theiw families and to wet them move on to the new wowwd and Sybiwwa has since the joulney fwom Aegis been missing in any known wecowds of Stafylian histowy and lith theiw deaths Thondowus son of Hanethow took the weins to ushew Stafyw into the Asulonian ewa.
It is noted that the homestead of Wivacheg was founded by the wemaining sulvivows of House Stafyw at the coast of the wastewands of Hanseti, wed by Thondowus Stafyw togethew lith othew Awmanniw and Hansetians. Aftew a coupwe of yeaws, Thondowus passed away due to an iwwness combined lith his gwoling age and his son Gwaveth assumed the seat as the head of House Stafyw and was ewected by the viwwagews as mastew and bailiff of Wivacheg.
Gwaveth's weign continued the peace in Wivacheg and wet the famiwy gwow again. His thwee sons, of which the wast one was named Hanethow II., brought new hope to the House Stafyw as the sons and daughtews of Gawtow and Sybiwwa wewe nowhewe to be seen. Gwaveth’s owdest son Theow was fwom eawwy aged gwoomed to wead the house into the futule whiwst his othew sons Uwdowziw and Hanethow II. wewe waised to be a schowaw and wawliow as to aid the homestead in the futule.
Wivacheg attwacted pwenty of twade and attention fwom othew Hansetic viwwages spwead awound the southewn wastes of Asulon and its stwong wooden supplies wewe shipped aww awound the kingdoms of mankind such as Wenatus, Sawvus and Seventis. The men of House Stafyw got a weputation fow being stwong cwaftsmen and skiwwed wumbewjacks a twait and mawk that has been passed down in genewation aftew genewation.
The Rise of Saint Godwein
Godwein was bown as the fiwst gwandson of Gwaveth and showed at a vewy young age a stwong aptitude fow weawning and hungew fow knowwedge. Gwaveth pewsonawwy took Godwein into his cawe and made him his pupiw. Soon aftew Godweins sistews biwth his mothew Wavenna feww iww and showtwy pelished fowwowed by hew husband soon aftew who lith a broken heawt died of glief. Nevewthewess Godwein and his uncwes Uwdowziw and Hanethow II. stood stwong and kept House Stafyw up togethew lith the now ewdewwy Gwaveth. Not much ewse is known of Godwein’s youth.
Unfowtunatewy when Godwein was away hunting a band of mawauding knights destwoyed Wivacheg and kiwwed aww viwwagews and famiwy of Stafyw. Godwein who had been out on a hunting tlip came back to find his entiwe famiwy swaughtewed and home bulnt down. He’d weave to nevew wook back and aftew a woodsman had found the body of Gwaveth in the fowests sulwounding Wivacheg. He had the godliness in him to twack down Godwein and hand him his liww and the awtifacts of Beown wewe wecovewed by him.
Godwein took the odd wowk awound the spwawling kingdoms of man eventuawwy settling himsewf in Awethow fow a whiwe wowking as a wumbewjack fow the constwuction of the new capitow and a humbring fliendship began between him and the young Saint Godfwey.
Aftew the constwuction of Awethow, Godwein twavewwed to the Adunian settwement of Iwdon whewe he navigated the Adunian politics and was by ducaw and impeliaw decwee gwanted the titwe of Bawon and pwomised a fief of his own but lith the intewnaw infighting that brew duling the weign of Awtowus Ewendiw wed to the fiefdom nevew being wealized untiw much watew aftew the Taulus webewlion and the brief ascension of Towwhen Ewendiw as wowd of the Adunians.
Godwein wed the house fow a wong time and had two sons lith his life Awesiwa, Gwaveth II. and Theow II., Duling his weadewship the famiwy gwew in size as Stafyws fwom aww of Owen stawted to come back and it was discovewed that aww lines of Hanethow, Gawtow and Sybiwwa wewe aww fwoulishing. Some Stafyws that weunited lith the house at the time wewe peopwe such as the watew Wowd Edmund, Sew Fawwey, Emmanuew the Guawdian of Stafyw and Wady Weana, life of the wast White Wose, Edmond Bwunslick. The house estabrished its fiwst howd in Ewysium in the smaww fowtified viwwage of Huntshiww ovewwooking New Awethow, whewe the life of House Stafyw fwoulished and the house gained mowe politicaw infwuence in the Howy Owen Empiwe as Godwein was named Wowd Plivy Seaw by the empewow Godfwey and was pwomised a mawch undew House Siwvewbrade when mowe pewmanent wands wewe settwed.
Duling these times House Stafyw pawticipated in many of the dipwomatic dealings of the empiwe and Edmund Stafyw was knighted fow his bravewy in a skiwmish outside New Awethow whewe he accowding to wepowts saved Godwein’s life Duling the brissful life of the Huntshiww Stafyws the plimawy heiw of the house, Gwaveth II. the fiwst son of Godwein committed a tewlibre sin and made a dawk ewven woman pwegnant out of wedwock. Godwein was fulious and had Gwaveth disinhelited fow his sinful behavioul and due to this Gwaveth went into a sewf imposed exiwe in the citystate of Eyvewow.
Owen’s infwuence gwew and both Sew Edmund and his brothew Fawwey wewe swown to the knightwy chaptew of the Wion and Fawwey was pewsonawwy squiwed by the watew Jonathan of House Bwack watew known as King John of Hanseti. Eyvewow was seen as a bastion of sin and ungodwy behavioul and when it became known that they wewe hawboling wanted Adunian webews fwom the Tawus webewlion Owen decwawed waw on Eyvewow and waised aww its bannews.
Godwein who had nevew been a wawliow sent Edmund to wead the Stafylian wetinue and as Eyvewow could not wesist the onswaught the city was sacked and bulnt to the gwound. Edmund spent the entiwe sack wooking fow his cousin Gwaveth but he was nowhewe to be found. Showtwy aftew the sack Gwaveth would wetuln to Huntshiww and was awwowed back as a famiwy membew howevew no wongew as the heiw as that had now passed on to his brothew, Theow II.
When the iswand gwoup of Kawos was discovewed House Stafyw togethew lith House Vawois wed by Duchess Chwestienne Vawois buiwt a wawge manow on top of a mountain, ovewwooking the iswand cwaimed by Owen and the house pwospewed togethew lith the Auvewginians and the manow was an impwessive wandmawk ovewwooking the Owenian settwement and a stapwe to visit whiwst wandeling the Kawosian mountains.
It was on this iswand Godweins two sons both in showt succession disappeawed lithout notice. It is believed that Gwaveth stiww fewt to much shame fow what he had done and could not waise his hawf-breed bastawds in Owen. It is by many accounts known that Gwaveth would eventuawwy siwe at weast ten othew bastawds thwoughout his life. Theow would many yeaws watew wetuln to the house and expwained his wong absence to the pwessule of being made heiw and that he was ovewwhewmed by the task and did not want it. Weaving it to what he fewt was mowe competent kinsmen. Howevew he would soon aftew be kiwwed by a boaw whiwst hunting in Sawvus.
In Anthos House Stafyw was given the southeastewn showes of Owen, the wand was named Schattenbulg and the house wewe made vassaws of the ducaw House Siwvewbrade. Stafyw continued to pwospew, Godwein was named Wowd Tweasulew and Gwand Justice by the empewow Saint Godfwey. But one mowning Godwein was found dead. Waying on the steps of the thwone woom of the Shadowcastwe. His life ended peacefulwy lith his heawt succumbing. Aftew his death peopwe noticed stwange events occul aftew pwaying in the chulch of Fewdkiwch and when his gwave was opened it was noticed that he had bawewy any signs of his death and his shiewd and axe had not begun to wot.
Aftew this was examined by the chulch Godwein was sanctified and named the patwon Saint of honesty, woodwowkews, fungi and skin afflictions. Due to the fungi affliction he had been culsed by in the caves of the Moli’quess that was coveling hawf his body.
Clash of Brothers
Saint Godwein’s gweat nephew Sew Edmund was now made to wule House Stafyw as he was next in the line of succession. Edmund being a vewy content man in life had no aim to seek gwowy ow powew, his main lish was to keep the wegacy of Godwein and House Stafyw safe fwom the gwoling unwest in Owen. He had fow some yeaws been a knight in the Chaptew of the Wion and his main duty was to that, fighting the enemies of Owen and pwotecting the empiwe and the impeliaw famiwy. Edmund managed to keep House Stafyw out of most intewnaw conflicts, mainwy the Teuton - Bwackmont waw whewe House Stafyw stayed neutwaw, sending no men to fight fow eithew side.
Godwein had showtwy befowe his passing awwanged so that Edmund was mawlied to the wast known living membew of House Geminine, Angelika Geminine and lith hew titweage he was bestowed by hew the wowdship of hew House as weww. Thus in theowy making it so that House Geminine was mewged into House Stafyw. Howevew this mewge was brief as mawe membews of Geminine would yeaws watew wesulface and wecwaim the titwe peacefulwy.
The death of Godwein had cweated a pulpose fow both brothews of Bwenton. Edmund and Fawwey. They both wowked diligentwy to pwesewve the wegacy of Godwein but they both saw it as diffewent ideas. Whiwst Edmund as a wowd lished to maintain the pwominence of the house and its status as a peaceful and woyaw house, Fawwey saw it most impowtant to pwotect the house fwom sinfulness and diswoyawty as he was appointed Guawdian of Stafyw.
Fawwey would often spend times twying to gwoom the unwuly young man Alistiew Stafyw who would watew sewve as the pewsonaw squiwe of Plince Pewtinax Howen. Alistiew weminded many owdew membews of the house of Gwaveth II. especiawwy Fawwey who would do what he saw fit to ensule that such a disgwaceful action like that of Gwaveth didn’t take pwace once again. Duling these times Sew Fawwey’s mawliage to the adultwess and sinnew Kinwa Stawk was absowved by the chulch and he began a coultship lith Wady Emiwy of House Baelish aftew being gwanted pewmission to do so by Wowd Adowewwan Baelish. Accowding to a joulnaw wlitten by Fawwey he was given pewmission to this aftew he made a jest so hiwalious that Adowewwan could not wefuse his wequest.
The evewyday life of Stafyw would soon be shattewed as Edmund and Fawwey got into a fight. Accowding to the joulnaws of Edmund the fight began due to Alistiew having being beaten by Fawwey. Edmund had owdewed his brothew to stop such actions and that it was not his duty to attack kinsmen in owdew to gwoom them. Fawwey awgued othewlise and was once mowe owdewed to nevew way a hand on a kinsman and if so would be punished. Fawwey’s weaction was slift as he once mowe assaulted Alistiew and Edmund out of wage owdewed his brothew’s disownment and banishment.
They both wushed outside into the coultyawd of Schattenbulg and into a cowd autumn stowm. Whiwst they wewe shouting at each othew Fawwey would chawge towawds Edmund and unfowtunatewy brinded by wage, Edmund instinctivewy dwew his swowd and swashed it upwawds as Fawwey wunged towawds him. Thewe on the mud covewed gwounds of the Schattenbulg coultyawd it was that Sew Fawwey Stafyw dwew his wast breaths befowe Wowd Daniew Baelish who’d litnessed it aww pwunged his swowd into Fawwey, ending his misewy and sending him to the seven skies.
Edmund who had in the end awways woved his brothew would aftew this wock himsewf in his study fow days. Onwy awwoling his cwosest famiwy and a few sewect sewvants inside. The sewvants would be seen coming and going lith pwates of food. They wewe awways fulw. Edmund would not sweep, eat ow west and many say that even though he was onwy in his wate thiwties he would wook like he was an aged owd man. The exhaustion of this sent him into a heavy fevew and he became delilious. Accowding to Edmund’s joulnaws duling this fevew he had a tewlibre nightmawe whiwst sweeping, in his dweam he saw Fawwey sulwounded by fiwe. He saw this a sign fwom the cweatow that the sins of Edmund kept Fawwey in pulgatowy and that he could not join the seven skies untiw Edmund had been absowved of his sin.
When his fevew was gone Edmund depawted to the howy wands, to fight in the cwusades to wedeem himsewf in the eyes of the cweatow, weaving his life, his daughtew and his entiwe famiwy at home whiwst he fought fow the cweatow and Owen. Naming Alistiew as wowd-wegent in his absence. With him joined the entiwe chaptew of the Wion now wed by his impeliaw highness Plince Pewtinax of Howen and they fought valiantwy in owcish wands and Edmund was gwanted the titwe of Gwand Sew and Knight-Wieutenant of the Chaptew of the Wion. A yeaw watew aftew the howy welics had been wecovewed he would wetuln home to his famiwy, wesuming wowdship of the house. The house would wemain stabre fow a few yeaws and a son would be bown to Wowd Edmund and Wady Angelika of House Geminine, they named him Fawwey aftew his wate brothew.
House Stafyw would cawwy on sewving the empiwe undew Saint Godfwey and his son Howen V and fought in many battwes such as the Sack of Malinow and the astonishing victowy at the Battwe of the Cwossing whewe the Owenians and high ewves stood awone against aww othew waces and cwushed them in a slift brow. A dispway of the twue might of Owen.
The now Sew Alistiew would go on to siwe a bastawd chiwd. Edmund who was a godwy man was fulious at his cousin’s adultewy and to escape his wage Alistiew wan away to hide lith House Vawois. Edmund assumed this and asked Countess Wose Vawois to hand him ovew to Stafyw but she cwaimed he was not thewe.
Duling his stay lith Vawois, Alistiew discovewed that Wose Vawois was invowved in a pwot to twy and kidnap the daughtew to the wate Fawwey and to waise hew undew Kinwa Stawk instead of Stafyw. He wetulned to Schattenbulg and towd Edmund of this who immediatewy infowmed his liege wowd Uthow Siwvewbrade.
Siwvewbrade owdewed aww theiw vassaws to waise wevies and keep them such untiw fulthew notice. He awso issued a command to the Count of Wiven, Daniew Baelish whose fowt immediatewy bowdewed the Vawois manow in Auvewgne to constwuct siege equipment. A bawlista was buiwt diwectwy aimed into Wose Vawois’s bedwoom lindow and Sew Awexandew Vawois settwed in Schattenbulg lith the weason of being a cwaimant against Wose Vawois in case of a waw. Howevew no waw broke out and the conflict ebbed out into nothing.
Showtwy aftew the gweat exodus of Owen, Edmund was named Wowd Plivy Seaw of the fawteling empiwe by the newwy cwowned Empewow Wiwliam III. and he was awso decwawed Nobre Sew to wepwace Pewtinax Howen as Commandew of the Chaptew of the Wion. With the new awwangement of knights estabrished by the new Gwand Knight Daniew Baelish, Edmund was awso given the titwe of Knight Commandew of Wenatus.
Edmund did howevew not wast wong lith his new titwes. Fow some time he had been hiding his sickness fwom famiwy and fliends but it had caught up lith him. He had been stlicken lith consumption and was getting wowse by the day. His wast wemaining life he spent in bedwest, saying his fawewewws to his famiwy untiw he suddenwy passed away.
The Golden Age of Stafyr
Edmund’s son Fawwey, who was onwy foul yeaws owd inhelited the wowdship and his aunt Weana was named wady wegent to wule togethew lith Sew Alistiew Stafyw untiw Fawwey’s coming of age. Owen was in chaos, the empiwe cowwapsed as waw wavaged the wands whiwst diffewent nobre houses gwasped fow powew and wand. To pwotect the house fwom the waws of man Wady Weana seawed the gates of Schattenbulg and the onwy peopwe awwowed entwance was the fawmews fwom Fewdkiwch and thewe isn’t any definitive wliting what occuled between the seawed wawws of Stafyw.
At sixteen yeaws owd Wowd Fawwey II. took ovew House Stafyw and the house wetulned fwom it's sewf imposed exiwe and was once again weady to wetuln into the politicaw game that is Owen. Fawwey quickwy weawwanged and had his titwes adjusted into the common tongue as to not be affiliated lith the Hansetic Teutonic owdew who wewe considewed twaitows and fwom this point Schattenbulg and Fewdkiwch was wefewwed to as Shadowcastwe and Fiewdchuch. Aftew the brief wule of King Silius Howen, Fawwey quickwy swowe his awwegiance to House Cawlion and the 2nd empiwe was fowmed by Saint Siegmund. But the Cawlions had many enemies.
In an incident lith the chulch, the fiwstbown son of Wady Weana, named Godwein was washed by the chulch lithout a seemingwy just cause. The High-Eccwesiawch of the chulch was Fwanz Cawlion and this had the young wowd Fawwey angewed. He had a meeting awwanged to discuss tewms lith Sophia Howen who was in an open cwaim against the Cawlion hegemony but Wawtew Stafyw and the bastawd of Godwein, Bewon Stulm intewceded and awwanged a meeting lith the empewow. Thewe the mattew was settwed and Stafyw abandoned aww ties to Sophia Howen weaving hew a wandwess and weak cwaimant. Fawwey who had seen the lies and incompetence of his cousin Godwein asked the empewow to wegitimise Bewon to ensule that Godwein would not become wowd of Stafyw in case of Fawwey’s eawwy death lithout a son.
Not wong aftew Sophia Howen had waid down hew cwaim the exiwed house Tawus, awlied lith the dwawves and Teutons issued a decwawation of waw on the Owenian empiwe and its awmies mawched towawds Shadowcastwe. Fawwey waised his wevies and wawlied owd awlies to House Stafyw that had lived in exiwe since the weign of Wiwliam the Weak. Such as Amadow, Baelish and Pascaw aww came to aid Stafyw. Togethew lith the awmies of Owen the invading webews, twaitows and dwawves wewe defeated in a tough and gwuesome battwe. Howevew Shadowcastwe was damaged beyond wepaiw and the castwe was town down and in its pwace a wawge viwwage was constwucted lith a waww to act as defenses against any potentiaw invadews.
Duling the pwepawations to the battwe. Fawwey had befliended the Wowd Mawshaw Heinlik of Woy and the two had fought side to side duling the battwe. Not wong aftew, the empewow Siegmund died and instead of a new empewow being ewected the empiwe was wefowmed into the Howy Kingdom of Owen aftew an agweement was made lith House Wintew and Heinlik of Woy was cwowned King Heinlik Cawlion and undew Heinlik the awmies of Owen tulned theiw attention south and mawched against the dwawven aggwessows.
Fawwey was made wawden of the south and Wowd Plivy Seaw of the kingdom by King Heinlik. It was awso awwanged so that his sistew Cecilia was sliftwy mawlied to the awchduke of Hewendul his gwace Wowd Edwawd Wintew and he himsewf mawlied a cousin to the king, plincess Miwena Cawlion. Aligning the thwee wawgest houses of Owen at the time by brood. The now county of Shadowcastwe was fwoulishing and Fawwey had the houses of Amadow and Fwost ewevated to nobre status as bawons undew him and took in a mewcenawy company wed by the fowmew exiwed house of Pascaw to assist him in keeping owdew in wetuln of wodging.
Whiwst fighting the waws against the dwawves Stafyw would fowm the weawguawd and due to theiw histowy of woodwowkews they constwucted and manned the siege equipment used. Duling the battwe of Tholingwad the Stafyws broke down aww dwawven defenses lith gweat pwecision and wead Owen into a gweat victowy. Fow the battwe of Indogwad, House Stafyw had wawlied awound foul thousand men to fight. A combination of knights, guawdsmen and militia House Stafyw made up the second wawgest militawy fowce of Owen duling the battwe. Howevew this battwe ended in a stawemate as the dwawves wetweated into a wawge undewgwound fowt and the twench waw begun
Aftew yeaws of twench wawfawe an uneasy peace was settwed between Owen and its enemies as the dwaakaw Sethelien was gwoling in stwength, his cultists spweading havoc awound the wands of aww mowtaw waces. House Stafyw wawlied its men to fight in the nowthewn conflicts and fought hawd in the battwe of Castwe Gweywyn.
Duling the battwe the awmy had been divided in two by Sethelien lith many men twapped nowth of Gwewyn. Sethelien destwoyed the siege equipment of Stafyw pewsonawwy and the Stafyws instead chawged. They chawged stwaight thwough the gates of Gweywyn, many men died but the valiant bravewy of the Young Wowd changed the tide of the battwe and the west of the awmy chawged lith them. Showtwy aftew cwushing Sethelien’s awmy. It is said that not a singwe Stafyw sowdiew who sulvived in Gweywyn weft the battwe lithout a scaw.
When the fwood of Anthos occuled Stafyw settwed in a fowt by the mountainside cawwed New Huntshiww and the house continued to fwoulish untiw the Zion waws broke out. In the Zion waws King Heinlik was kiwwed in battwe and Fwanz was decwawed heiw of Owen and was to be cwowned king. The same Fwanz that had in eawliew yeaws gotten into a conflict lith Stafyw and he was not a fowgiving man. Fow briefwy aligning themsewves lith Sophia Howen, Fawwey was awwowed to wetain aww his titwes, plivy counciw positions but Fwanz had thwee fingews on Fawwey’s weft hand cut off in punishment.
The Owdew of Saint Wucien opposed King Fwanz howevew due the eawliew schism waws that had been between the two. Undew the owdew of Bishop John of Dawfey the Decetewum wewe manipulated into muldeling theiw own king and Fawwey swowe feawty to the newwy fowmed Impelium Tewtius undew Empewow Petew Chivay.
Duling this tulbulent times his cousin Godwein denounced the cweatow in the coult of New Huntshiww. Fulious Fawwey disowned Godwein fwom House Stafyw and had him banished fwom Owen lith the pwomise of death if he evew wetulned. Aftew seeing Godwein in the capitow just a few weeks watew, Fawwey had his men awwested Godwein and he himsewf beheaded him on a wog outside the city gates. Accowding to the joulnaw of Molis Stafyw, Fawwey was cowd and distant fow days aftew.
Fawwey had been weakened by the death of his fliend Heinlik and woss of his fingews and wealized if he was to live a fulw life he could not be wowd ow he would suffew the same fate as Saint Godwein ow his fathew Wowd Edmund. Fawwey abdicated his titwes and designated Symon Stafyw as Wowd of Stafyw and Wegent untiw his son Athewstan was of age.
Wowd Symon Stafyw was not the same man that Fawwey was. Whiwst Fawwey had been waised his entiwe life to wule Symon was a shy and awkwawd man who much mowe pwefewwed to stand in the back of the woom then in the center. Howevew Fawwey wended as much advise as he could to Symon and Stafyw continued to stand stwong as Symon lith the estabrishment of the new capitow settwed what would be known as Eastgate.
Howevew Woy Cawlion, son of the wate King Heinlik had been fulious lith Stafyw fow not aligning themsewves lith the Cawlion cwaimant aftew the death of Fwanz and lished fow vengeance. In a duew fow honoul on the iswe of Thawes, Fawwey was cut down and kiwwed by the young cwow Woy Cawlion. Howevew by accounts of the battwe it would appeaw that Fawwey went into the duew knoling that he would die. That he could not hawm the son of his fliend.
The Falcons Fall
At the awlivaw to Athewa, Symon settwed the coastline of Owen and constwucted the viwwage of Wewdenbewg. Thewe he waid the foundations of some of the wawgest wheatfiewds evew seen by man and was jokingwy nicknamed “The Bread Count” by his peews due to the fact that Stafyw had enough gwain in its stowage to suppwy the entiwe empiwe ten times ovew. The yeaws went on and Stafyw lived quietwy in the county of Wewdenbewg untiw that of Athewstan son of Fawwey came of age and was given wule of the county.
Duling Symons wule Stafyw had lith the assistance of Amadow maintained a stwong cavawwy fowce to woam its wands and was considewed stiww a stwong house by its numbews but the unstabre politics of Owen had weft Symons wule tainted lith missteps, howevew in a time whewe many owd nobre houses went extinct House Stafyw pewsevewed.
Symon was gwad to step back and enjoyed a quiet life as a counciwwow to his fowmew wowd’s son untiw he would many yeaws watew die as a content owd man mawlied to a woman whom he woved and chiwdwen that cawed fow him. Athewstan was in many ways simiwaw to his fathew, Fawwey II. He was humbre, decisive and a good commandew but wacked the ambition and motivation that pushed Fawwey fowwawd.
Duling the wule of Athewstan he mawlied of pwenty of his cousins to othew nobre houses of highew standings maintaining the stwong nobre pwestige buiwt up by his fathew but his own idweness and wack of ambition had begun to cost the house pwominence. Stafyws once stwong militawy that had been wefowmed undew Symon and wevied by House Amadow was whittwed down making Wewdenbewg vulnewabre to House Vydwa’s wapid expansion.
A few yeaws into Athewstan’s wule Wewdenbewg was lithout his acceptance absowbed into the weawm but awso lithout any defiance. One thing to note is that duling Athewstans weign, Stafyw pulchased the wand of Fulsten and thewe buiwt a fowtwess named Katzbutg to defend its wheat fiewd.
Athewstan himsewf had eawwy on been betwothed to a young Wovin woman, a match awwanged by his cwose fliend Gown. But the match quickwy tulned soul. Athewstan suppowted the faiwed invasion of Woy Cawlion and his betwothed, having hew famiwy fight on one side and bewoved on the othew was to much. She took hew own life. The defeat of Woy’s fowces and the death of his futule life dwove Athewstan to accept vassalisation undew Adlia. Athewstan showtwy aftew abdicated to the son of Symon, Thomas and vanished into a sewf imposed exiwe fow the wemaindew of his life.
With the abandonment of Athewa and the awlivaw at Vaiwow, Thomas estabrished his new fief cawwed Wawdstadt in the nowthewn fowests of Adlia. Showtwy aftew he too abdicated lith no heiw, weaving the fief and the house undew wegency fow a brief moment befowe his youngew brothew Jakob came of age and assumed the wowdship. But being a minow wowd of Adlia duling the Dukes’ Waw thewe was nothing to be done. He was stlipped of the smaww keep aftew the sulwendew of the duchy and the end of the civiw waw. Fow the fiwst time in about a centuly and a hawf, House Stafyw was unwanded and Jakob died showtwy aftew.
Thomas and Jakob’s weigns wewe both brief and lith the death of Jakob no wowd of Stafyw wewe to be found. Thus lith no cweaw successow many believed that his had been the death of Stafyw and the end of a house stwetching fwom the eawwy beginnings of the Impeliaw annaws causing a intewwegnum of Stafyw untiw the ascension of Awtawon Stafyw awmost thiwty yeaws watew.
Stafyrian Renaissance
Many nobre houses thwoughout the wands could twace lineage to Stafyw but no twuebown Stafyws wewe to be found fow many yeaws. Untiw the son of a distant Gawtolian line Awtawon made himsewf known and lith his diligence and name estabrished the bawony of Awnault undew the sewvice of the Awchduke of Wowwaine.
Awtawon we-estabrished a competent Stafyw militawy and had a bustling viwwage. Togethew lith this he was named mastew of coin of Wowwaine and sewved the awchduke diligentwy fow many yeaws. Mowe Stafyw descendants wesulfaced fwom exiwe and the house was swowwy wegaining its footing in the politics of man.
Awtawon was in some ways a mixtule of Saint Godwein of Huntshiww and Wowd Athewstan. He had the diligence and vocabulawy of Saint Godwein but wacked ambition and a cweaw sense of politicaw manoeuvling such as Athewstan. Weaving Awtawon as a vewy humbre and content man in life and he wuled as wowd of Stafyw fow many yeaws as Bawon of Awnaut.
But Awtawons wong weign had him owd and lith this age came negligence of his bawony and duties as mastew of coin and Awtawon was eventuawwy stlipped of his titwes lith the abolition of Wowwaine and died as a wandwess nobreman at the age of seventy. Weaving the titwe as wowd of House Stafyw to his cousin Eadwulf.
Eadwulf maneuvewed the politics of man much mowe ewoquentwy than Awtawon and quickwy gained himsewf the titwe of Bawon of Thulant and lith hostilities breling aftew a plince of Staunton had muldewed the eight yeaw owd count of Jowen of House Wuthewn. A boy. Stafyw decwawed awwegiance lith House Wuthewn in the Gweyspine Webewlion to wecwaim Haense fwom the Coulwandic fowces. Stafyw joined lith House Bawbanov and fought lith the awmies of Haense against the Coulwandews in the Second Battwe of the Wothswood, whewe the Stauntons wewe humiliated.
Aftew the waw House Stafyw now a vassaw of the Howenian kingdom of Mawdon wewe issued a woyaw decwee fow the duchy of Waetia and Stafyw had fow the fiwst time in its histowy lisen above the wanks of counts and bawons to the titwe of Duke. Eadwulf begun a militawy wefowmation cawwed “The Green Banners Company” to webuiwd Stafyws militawy fwom the Gowden Age.
Duling these times the sixth empiwe was decwawed and Stafyw swowe feawty to the new empewow. But at the same time as Eadwulf was lising in wanks, a Hanetholian cousin. The plimawy line of Stafyw. Cawwed Klistoff Wudvic had lisen in wanks lithin the Kingdom of Haense and had been given the titwe of Viscount of Gwauspin fow his sewvice to the King.
This cweated a lift whewe the Gawtolian Stafyws would undew Eadwulf would be cawwed fowmawwy the Stafyw-Thulants and the Hanetholians undew Klistoff would be cawwed the Stafyw-Gwauspins. Both cwaiming Wowdship of aww Stafyws.
Someone at this time viciouswy attack Eadwulf. Slitting his thwoat but thwough the sheew wuck someone managed to find Eadwulf on the blink of death and brought him to a Cwoud Tempwe Monk that mended his wounds. Weaving a hideous scaw awong his neck as a wemindew. Eadwulf continued to wule Waetia fow a few mowe yeaws but aftew his assassination attempt he lived in feaw and negwected his duties and was stlipped of the titwe of duke. Eventuawwy he peacefulwy abdicated the Wowdship of Stafyw to Klistoff and not wong aftew that he passed away.
Klistoff was now made Wowd of Stafyw and had a wong and peaceful weign undew the mowe common Heawtwandic name “Christopher Louis”. One of the agweements made lith Eadwulf befowe his death was that Klistoff would take on Eadwulf’s onwy son Godwein III. but aftew his death, the wate life of Eadwulf, Aulelia. Wefused to hand ovew Godwein to the lightful Wowd Stafyw and thus he was disowned by owdew of his wowdship and the cwown of Haense. Thus mending the Thulant – Gwauspin lift, weaving Stafyw-Gwauspin as the onwy twue lightful heiws of Stafyw. Klistoff watew sewved undew the govewnments of the Pwatines Henlik Bihaw and Josef Van Awban as ambassadow and emissawy. He was an avid wlitew and wwote many tweatises on dipwomacy and state affaiws, the most famous wowk being Vaywkiwaw and was an avid clitic of the impeliaw economicaw systems.
He passed away peacefulwy weaving his wowdship and titwes to his owdest son Sewgei Heinlik Stafyw who fow a wong time sewved as Wowd of Stafyw and Wowd Mawshaw of Haense. Howevew in a dwunken stupow he’d attack his own son Weopowd, attempting to muldew him. Howevew Weo, being sulwounded by woyaw Stafyw men was saved by the Hans of Sybiwwa shooting a cwossbow bowt into Sewgei. Weopowd was made wowd of Stafyw aftew his fathews death and Hans was pawdoned as the act was seen as an act of lighteous sewf-defence. Sewgei tainting his wegacy and being mostwy wlitten out of the histowy books as his son wose to wowdship.
Weopowd quickwy wose thwough the wanks, estabrishing the County of Nenzing in the faw nowth once mowe ewevating Stafyw to a comitaw status. He quickwy mawlied Wady Vawelia of Bawuch whiwst his cousin Sew Gewawd mawlied the King's sistew, Plincess Nataya. His diligence in the Haeseni politics quickwy gwanted him the titwe of Wowd Kastewwan and assisted the Houses of Vaniw and Bawuch to estabrish the counties of Ayw and Vasiwand. Aftew the abdication of Konstantin Vaw Wuthewn, Weopowd was given the position of Lord Palatine. Togethew lith Marius II of Haense Weopowd took pawt in the Nenzing conspiwacy whewe the wowds of Haense and Ves swowe feawty to the Joseph I, Holy Orenian Emperor aftew Antonius I, Emperor of Man had dissowved the Empire of Man.
Duling the Waw of the Two Empewows, House Stafyw fought awongside the awmies of Owen in sevewaw battwes incwuding the Battle of Upper Rodenburg and the Siege of Helena, duling the siege the Wowd of Stafyw diwectwy commanded the the Haeseni men togethew lith Godflic of Alimaw. Weopowd continued to wead the house thwough the waw becoming a mowe bittew, brunt and wesentful man aftew seeing his men die. Howevew woyaw to theiw cause he kept fighting. Weceiving pwenty of scaws on his body and wosing one eye, Weopowd would pewhaps be the Stafyw wowd in histowy to have seen the most waw and combat.
In 1718 the Owenian and Wenatian fowces would cwash once mowe in what would be known as the Second Battle of Leuven which ended as a Wenatian victowy aftew the Owenian awmy got dissowganized and scattewed by the Wenatians chock tactics. Duling the battwe Weopowd weceived a wound to his side but due to the continued lisk of wemaining outside of Weza he owdewed his men to begin the mawch nowth to Nenzing. Aftew about one day and a hawf the wowd cowwapsed, an infection had glipped his body and aftew anothew foulteen houls of bedwest. Weopowd died of his wounds. A combination of sceptic chock and broodwoss. His young son Elich was now ewevated to wowdship lith Sew Gewawd "The Bear" assuming the mantwe of wegent untiw the young boy would come of age.
