House of Vuiller

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House of Vuiller
VuillerCOA.png
Country: balian.png Kingdom of Balian
Titles:
Duchy of Aquilae
County of Aquilae
Barony of San Haraldo
Viscounty of Vuillermoz
Barony of Aquilae
Founding Father: Harald Vuiller
Current Head: Johan Stor Vuiller II, Duke of Aquilae
Ethnicity: Highlanders
House Motto: "With the Eagles foresight, we reign victorious!"

Beginnings

Arcas

Vuillers originated as a heathen clan in the far north of Arcas. Their mythologized history recalls tales of ancient Kings and warring cities, but the reality is more humble: they were a superstitious tribe, worshiping now-forgotten mountain gods with whatever piety such paganas can muster. Arcasian winters were harsh, so the family shared a single longhouse, occupying their time principally with forging idols and weapons from the mountain’s exposed ore veins. Summers were spent raiding for food, gold, and more importantly, captives to bolster the clan’s numbers. The Vuiller family retains a strong adoptive tradition from this practice.


Before the mass settlement of Arcas by Atlasian exiles, some Canonist missions had already made their way to the continent. After a particularly difficult winter, the Vuiller clan swore themselves to a group whom they believed to be the lords of a nearby castle--in reality, it was a monastery. The Vuiller conversion was obtained fairly easily, as the Holy Scrolls were the standard tool used to teach literacy. The family was instilled with a deep devotion to God, and became sworn protectors and advocates of “their” monks, thereby replacing their tradition of raiding nearby villages with missionary work.


However, other Northman raiders were not so willing. Over the course of years, Vuillers repelled numerous attacks on the monastery. Eventually, a siege began, one so fearsome that the family could not repel it; raiders made their way into the building, slaying nearly every member of the nonviolent order. Only a few brave Vuillers lived, tearing their survival from the jaws of the heathen warriors. The survivors rechristened the monastery Vuillermoz, and for several generations, they were the only Canonist presence on the continent. It is from this crucible that the crusader family was born, where fire, faith, and family are all weighed in equal measure.


After the arrival of the Atlasian exiles, House Vuiller saw an opportunity to undo the failure of their ancestors: Vuillermoz was given back to the Church of the Canon. It was rededicated by St. James II as the Holy State of Vuillermoz, the Church’s capital in Arcas, and the Vuiller patriarch became its Knight-Regent.

Notable Figures

  • St. Harald Vuiller - First recorded lord and the founding father of the House Vuiller, Harald Vuiller is regarded as a saint due to his two miracles gifted to him by GOD.
  • Johan Vuiller - Second Lord of House Vuiller, he served as a pillar in the Orenian Empire as well as a cardinal for the church.
  • Rev Vuiller - First Baron and Viscount of Vuillermoz and First Baron of Aquilae. In Oren, Rev Vuiller would serve as the Inquisitor General and the Solictor-General.

House Culture

Heirlooms

  • The Trident of St. Harald Vuiller
  • The cane of St. Harald Vuiller
  • The Body of St. Harald Vuiller
  • The Armor of St. Harald Vuiller
  • A Neckless (name to be added later)
  • A Few Broadswords (to be added later)

Family Traditions and Teachings

  • Vuiller Eagles - The silver or white eagle is their hunting companion of choice; brought from the icy north of Arcas, where Vuillers go, so too do these eagles, bred for their speed, intelligence, and eyesight. The Companion Ceremony where each Vuiller gets their loyal companion often takes place around a Vuillers 15th winter. The young Vuiller joins the family patriarch and often their parents or other members of the household as they go towards the eagles nests. Here they will await to see which eagle picks the young Vuiller.
  • Adoption - Although most Vuillers do not know it, their family tradition of adoption originates in an older practice of taking captives--once their loyalty was proven, these captives were permitted to swear oaths and take the family name. Though, this tradition having been out of practice for many years. Those formerly adopted whom still lived taking the moniker of Vuillerian.
  • Crypt Internment - Learned by imitating their monastic charges, this Vuiller tradition was prompted by frequent raids; in order to prevent desecration by foreigners, the bones of family members were interred in the monastery’s crypt rather than buried outside. Today, even Vuillers living in urban homes will keep the bones of deceased relatives in consecrated coffers until they may be properly interred in a family crypt.
  • Scroll Literacy - The first words a Vuiller will learn to read are those of the Holy Scrolls. Although memorization is not a requirement, the Scripture often forms the earliest and most dear memories of any Vuillers-- many of them are inclined to quote from the Scrolls often, in particular the verse “The hand of GOD is the greatest weapon to bear, and His word is the paramount strategy.” (Spirit 2:12)
  • Priesthood and Holy Knighthood - Although the ancient Vuillers had no priests to guide them after the death of their monastic charges, they maintained certain devotional acts through rote repetition. After being exposed to the broader Church of the Canon, Vuillers quickly spread throughout its hierarchy. Their patron saint, St. Harald Vuiller, was the founder of the Palatine Guard Order of All-Saints. Today, three living members hold positions in the Church: brothers Victor and Stor are a priest and deacon respectively, and Johan Vuiller retained for many years his role as Auditor of the Tribunal. Although the Vuillers no longer serve in the Palatine Guard (due to Owyn III’s persecution of their family), the family avidly remain as warriors for the Church. Both Johan and Rev served in the Tenth Nordling War, and Johan participated in the Inferi War, leading a group of soldiers who saved the life of Empress Anne I and St. High Pontiff James II.
  • Name’s - The family in itself has a long tradition of having reused names of their ancestors when naming a new born. This is a way to honor them as well as bringing their values with their namesakes. Their names hold back to when their family were a clans tribe in the northern mountains of Arcas often given with a deeper meaning behind the names.
  • The Tulips of Aquila. - The Tulip of Aquila is a title within the Vuiller family only given to those who have shown their true colors, honor, and love, to House Vuiller. Traditionally, members of the clan gifted a medallion with a blue tulip on it, and blue tulips are placed upon the graves of the worthy who have passed.

History

Almaris

Upon arrival to Almaris, the Vuillerian family gave all of their resources and possessions to the betterment of the people of the Canonist nations. Continuing their service both to the Canonist church and the Empire herself. Some years later the world would be struck with the death of not only her Imperial Majesty Anne I but also Saint High Pontiff James II. The election later on choosing the man known as Laurence Jrent as the next High Pontiff, with this Johan would be removed from his positions within the Church, thus seeing the Vuillers removed from their home within the Pontifical Apartments. Standing lost without a home for his children and having donated all of their finances to aid the noble flock, they found themselves lost upon the streets of Providence for some time before Johan would meet a friend he believed to be long since passed in Nikolas Barbanov. The next decade saw the family living within the camp of Southbridge, where Johan served as the Deputy of the Rangers of Eastwood. The years went by, and the Rangers continued on in their service. But one day they found their Captain Nikolas to have vanished into thin air. The group would continue for some years seeking to continue their duty in defending the eastern border of Oren, while Johan watched his children grow. As the remains of once had been the Ranger of Eastwood would go their separate ways, holding the fort alone would become too much work for the aging man. His family decided to gather their belongings once again, riding back to a life in the city of Providence. The family continued with their daily life, having once again saved up enough money to buy one of the larger houses within the city of Providence. After all, their family was rather large one, Johan and his wife having had seven kids of their own, as well as having adopted five more over the years. Johan, having become an older man, would return to the faith, becoming ordained in his late 60s after having lived a life of service to the church already. Rev Vuiller joined the office of the Civil Affairs aiding and for some time leading the Immigration office where he and his later to-be wife Diana Valentina Vuiller would create and complete the Vuillerian Immigration program. Later down the line, Rev would join the Ministry of Justice in Oren and down the line become appointed the Solicitor-General. The other children of Johan such as Mink and Ravn Vuiller would find their talents in sewing coming in handy when wishing to aid the family, starting a small business called the Vuiller Sisters tailory. Stor P. Vuiller would continue following his passion for smithing having run a successful smith within the city of Providence for many years before becoming part of the Lectorate of Owyn. With this the family continued to prove itself, multiple of their members such as Duncan and Kristofer Vuiller serving in the Imperial State Army, and with the amount of different work the other family members did proved to the Imperial Crown and Government that they were to be trusted, thus allowing them a Estate where the family put down a small payment in which the money would be returned to the family if they were to ever become Peers of the Empire. As the years continued the day finally arrived, Rev Vuiller being named the Baron of Vuillermoz and the peer of his family as a show of appreciation by the Imperial Crown for the family's hard work and devotion for generations. They continued their hard work, the plans for the building of Vuillermoz, a small town down by the Crossroads Abbey having started, the land arranged, and the building plans being ready to proceed to the building phase. Sadly, these plans were cut short as the attacks by the Dweds grew, making it unsafe for the family to continue their work. Later with the loss of the Lower Petra after the siege of Southbridge where the Tripartite Coalition had pushed back the Orenian forces, the family once again found themself without home. The Crown quickly started to work on the moving of their peers and families who called the Lower Petra home, the Vuillers taking up a new home in the Grenzi regions of the Empire. Here they would build what was to become The Viscounty of Vuillermoz. However it was not to be a soon after they established the Viscourt the Brothers' War broke out. Having sided with Peter IV in the war, the Vuiller family moved with the imperial faction to southern Almaris. Due to their aid in the founding of Grand Duchy of Balian, Rev Vuiller would be named the baron of Aquilae.

Name
Reign
Portrait Birth Marriage(s)
Issue
Death Coat of Arms Succession right
Harald Vuiller
N/A
Harald Vuiller.png 1699 Johanne Vuiller
2 children
Died 1760 VuillerCOA.png No Title was Given
Johan Vuiller
1760-1838
John Vuiller.jpeg 1742 Laurelie Vuiller
6 children
Died 1856 VuillerCOA.png Title created
Rev Vuiller
1839-current
Rev Vuiller.jpeg 1802 Diana Vuiller
8 children
Deceased VuillerCOA.png Title granted & inherited
Johanne Alstromeria Vuiller
N/A
[[]] 1855 Drako Rickard
7 children
Deceased VuillerCOA.png Title granted & inherited
Eirene Linh Vuiller
N/A-1948
[[]] 1917 Elio Augusten-Kervallen
5 children
Died 1953 VuillerCOA.png Title granted & inherited
Johan Stor Vuiller II
1948-current
[[]] 1926- Dame Gwenyth Vilac Vuiller
6 children
Living VuillerCOA.png Title granted & inherited