House of Staunton
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The House of Staunton are the former rulers of the north, and the founders and sustainers of the Duchy of Courland. They were founded officially as a noble house in Athera, but they have ancestors dating back to the time of Aegis. House Staunton was a great house of Oren, the elite of nobility. They have been a noble house for more than one hundred years and ruled the north for over half a century. They held the Ducal seat of Riga.
Contents
1 History
2 Notable Stauntonite Figures
3 Family Relics
History
Athera
Originating from the Eruthos, House Staunton started out as ignoble merchants, famed for selling their Stauntonic wines in the bustling city of Petrus, grown in the vineyards of Highclaire, Eruthos. When starting out, the Staunton family had a small and disorganised militia, which would protect the northern part of the Eruthos from raiders, and protect convoys coming and going to the capital. Vasili Vanir, who was lacking in manpower, decided to offer Percival Staunton the title of Baron of Eastbourne, should they decide to relocate to Vanaheim. It was at this point reforms began to take place within the Stauntonite ranks, seeking to strive to become a more organised and centralised group. Percival Staunton was named Baron Percival “The Loyal Man” of Eastbourne before the transition into Vailor.
Vailor
House Staunton became the Barons of Fjordham and served the Vanirs of Vanaheim up until the Duke’s war. After removing the Staunton’s just before the Duke’s War, the Stauntonite levy lead by Percival Staunton travelled south to the Orenian capital. Shortly after the war Percival Staunton was named the first Staunton Count, following his efforts in aiding the Savoyard Crown against rebellious Vanir and Barbanov forces. However following the death of Guy de Bar, Percival supported John Horen’s claim to the throne, and in turn, became one of the founders of the fifth Orenian Empire, serving as its first Duke of Courland and the first Lord Treasurer. Percival maintained a large and respectable force forming the backbone of the Empire up until his death in 1537, and founded the first city of Riga, the largest and most popular metropolitan trading hub of Riga. Under his eldest son, Richard, Courland, whilst respectable and large in magnitude and influence dwindled. Richard was able to bring in some military reforms, forming the Eagle’s Vigil, House Staunton’s elite military. House Staunton reached its peak under Duke Aleksander Staunton, briefly King Aleksander I of Courland.
Notable Figures
Percival Staunton - The founder of House Staunton, the son of a wealthy wine merchant and original Lord Patriarch. Edward Staunton-Hearth - The founder of the cadet branch of House Staunton, House Hearth, who attained the titles of Counts within the Duchy of Lorraine.
Alexander Staunton - The most infamous and controversial member of House Staunton, the fourth Duke of Courland and the protector of the North. He is known as the White Eagle of Staunton and considered by many to have been the greatest Stauntonite patriarch. Richard Staunton - The second Stauntonic Duke who brought in many highly relevant and long lasting military reforms, which laid the foundations for his son to create the largest single military and civilian population in Valior.
Sven Staunton-Hearth - The Count of Hearth, he bent the knee to a forgiving John III, however he was later accused of treasonous acts upon defending his wife, Renee Marchand, from a certain John Owyn who had married his sister, Madelyn Hearth, some two years before.
Amelie of Courland - Amelia Staunton was the Empress Consort of Oren, married to John Horen up until her untimely death, the likely result of enemies in the Imperial Court.
Natalia Staunton - The daughter of Karl Barbanov, Duke of Haense, Natalia was the wife of Richard and the mother of Aleksander Staunton. She is a descendent of the Carrion line from the fourth Empire.
Jacque Staunton - The descendent of George Staunton, brother of Percival I Staunton, he is the founder of the Felsen Watch mercenary group.
Viktor Staunton - Serving as the Archbishop of Riga towards the end of Aleksandrian Courlandia, he is still a member of the cloth, stained and pained by the Orenian barbarism he witnessed as a younger man.
Madelynn Staunton-Horen - Madelynn Staunton was the eldest daughter of Percival. She was married to Godwine Horen, former Lord Admiral of the Empire. They had three children, Josephine, Arthur and Malcolm.
Madelyn II Staunton - The daughter of Aleksander Staunton, she became Madelyn
Cassandra Staunton-Vimmark - Cassandra was married to Viscount Bryce of House Vimmark Horen and resided in the Knightly castle of Saltstone by-the-sea. She was the eldest daughter of George Staunton.
The House of Staunton has many blood ties with other prominent noble houses, such as House Horen, House Kovachev, House Chivay, House Barbanov and House Carrion.
Relics of House Staunton
The Staunton Hammer - A ceremonial ferrum hammer forged from the molten lava of the Eruthos by George Staunton, brother to the first Staunton patriarch.
The Ducal Crown - The crown taken from Tuvya Carrion, the final Carrion Emperor, passed down to each Staunton patriarch.
Percival’s Rapier - A blade passed down to the second son of every Staunton.
The Ring of the Eruthos - A large signet ring containing the eruthos diamond crafted by George Staunton during the fifthteenth century. It bares the official seal of the Staunton house, an eagle.�
