House of Wittenbach
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(Work In Progress) The House of Wittenbach is a young but notable Adunian Clan, appearing in the later stages of Arcas, it would become a prominent player in international institutions like the Northern Geographical Society but also in international politics with treaties like the Wittenbach Accords during their time in Almaris.The Wittenbachs are a family of merchants and scholars who over the decades and centuries have been great Patrons to the arts, Sciences,magical studies as well as local and international politics and continue to be to this day.
Contents
Culture and traditions
The culture of the House of Wittenbach and that of the Clan to an extend as well is a mix between Waldenian (Germanic) and Adunian Clahn culture (Celtic/Scottish/Highlander), as its Founder Otto Wittenbach was born to Adunian parents and raised by traveling Waldenian merchants. This has continued down into the generations, while wittenbachs would often adopt to the local culture where they were currently working or living in, each one would still speak their native waldenian tongue and often wear the family red and green tartan or kilts. While Wittenbachs will always be wordly peoples ever going for scholarly and adventures persuites their traditional values and customs remain an important and integral part of their family, proudly displaying their tartans and speaking their mother tongue.
History
Arcas Early Years
Everything started around the years 1740s when Otto Wittenbach was found by traveling Waldenian merchants, lonely baby in a raided Adunian camp. Those Waldenian gave him the name Otto and surname of Wittenbach as Otto was found near a little creek called "witten" and "Bach" being waldenian word for creek. Hence Otto although Adunian by blood grew up with the waldenian culture and language, traveling the roads together or Arcas until around the years 1760 when he found finally decide to settle down in the city of new Reza in the Kingdom of Haense. There he would build up his shop the Wittenbach Warenhaus and join the NGS and even a monster hunting guild, going out on many adventurers, seing dragons, or going on NGS expeditions down into the Nether regions. Around this time he would also work on many engineering projects, creating and researching many smart little contraption and devices for the NGS. It was an exciting time to live in! Finally in the later years of Arcas Otto would marry the President of the NGS Celestine Herbert, after courting her for several years, founding the Wittenbach Family. By then Otto was Vice president of the NGS, a well worked architect, one of the high judges of Haense and accomplished engineer and buisness owner.
Almaris Years
As the young family arrived in Almaris a first golden age began for it together with the first golden age of the NGS that the young Wittenbach Family were investing so much of their time and wealth in. The family itself would be growing as Ottos childreen would marry and have childreen of their own. As the years went on Otto would take over as President of the NGS while his daugther Elizaveta would be rising the ranks in the Government in Oren, reaching the position of Foreign Sercretary quickly. Around this time the Wittenbachs would also manage to get their first proper manor of Witten´s End, While theyve had a good Home in Haense it was located in the busy loud main street with the Warenhaus taking up most of the space, the manor located in the quiet southern country side of Oren presented itself as a much more homely place for the entire family to come together. It is there that the Family would start to connect with the Adunian Clans living in Oren and officially Caling out the Wittenbach Clan as one of the many wandering Adunian Clans. But every golden age needs to end and so did this one. In Haense the Wittenbach Warenhaus was torched, while the NGS became target for criminals and the local government put it under more and more pressurer. At the same time the Wittenbach manor ended up in the center of many of Oren´s battelfields in the war against coalitions or its very own civil wars. Around that time Eliza would take over the NGS as Otto has left looking for his wife who had disappeared years earlier. Although for a while things seemed to pick up again it seemed like it was end of the Family and its Clan as most of them had disperesed, no more Manor to call home and even the NGS was closed down eventually after a terrible cave in would burry most of its archives and exhibits.
Aevos
Aevos was a new beginning for many, including the now dispersed Wittenbach family. Around the time just before the end of Almaris, some Wittenbachs and former NGS members managed to gather in the commonwhealth of Petra, finding a new home there, helping out the ailling commonwhealth during its last difficult year in Almaris. The proper new beginning though would start off in Aevos, as the Family once more invested much of its time and whealth rebuilding the NGS but also helping Petra to setup a new Capital city. Eliza would spearhead the effords for the NGS, reviving it on the new continent after it had been disbanded a few decades earlier. On the Petran front two young Wittenbach Brother, Nicolas Emmanuel and Karl Ludvig would spearhead their own effords, quickly rising the ranks and eventually both serving on the Petran River council, partaking the the governing of the Capital city and the commonwhealth. After several fruitfull years and a flourishing new Commonwhealth the Wittenbach family would be granted their own Barony in the river valley where a small castle would be build quickly and named Witten´s End II in honor of their first home in Almaris. Much lays ahead for the new House of Wittenbach in Aevos with many stories and adventures to come...
The Wittenbach Warenhaus
The Wittenbach Warenhaus or also Wittenbach Maison de commerce is the main buisness venture and income of the Wittenbach Clan. It was Founded in 1762 in City of New Reza in the Kingdom of Haense. There it started as a very small shop in the back alley off the Marius column but over the decades it would grow into the large warehouse that it is known for selling a large assortment of items for toys and plushies for childreen over to mechanical waldenian clocks or carefully crafted adventuring equipment. But also not to forget a large cellar full of the finest wines, brandy´s, Whisky´s and Beers one could want for. The Hight of the Wittenbach Warehouse would be reached during the early years of Almaris in the city of Karosgrad where the Clan would expand it to a multistory store with an even large variety of items. As the deacdes would pass new stores would be opened in the Orenian Capita of Providence and later New Providence... although by this time luck had run out for the prospering Family buisness.. first a fire was set to the grand store in Karosgrad, and even as the Clan rebuild its flagship store its days in Haense were numbered.. in addition with the fall of the Orenian Empire so would end the Wittenbach ventures there.. for several decades the Wittenbach Warenhaus would be defunct until the near last years of Almaris where a new Store would be re-oponed the the Commonwhealth of Petra, beginning of new chapter in the Wittenbach Clan buisness venture.
Involvement in the Nothern Geographical Society
Saying that the Wittenbach Clan was involved in the Nothern Geographical Society is perhaps a bit of an understatement since the Clan has since the founding of the NGS had 3 of its members holding the position of president of the NGS. For context the NGS has at the time this is written had a total of 3 presidents since its founding. Now of course you could argue Celestine Herbert, founder of the NGS hasn´t been a clan member until her marriage to Otto Wittenbach but even a 2/3 Wittenbachs as NGS presidents still shows quite a commitment to the organisation.
This long Lasting relationship between the Wittenbachs the NGS started very early on in both the Clan and NGS History in the late 1760s in New Reza. Back then Otto Wittenbach, a young shop owner in town had joined the newly created NGS as a tour guide for the opening of its museum. At First the NGS and mostly its President Celestine were rather skepticle of this new young man they had never seen or heard from before... it didn´t take long though for Otto Wittenbach to be accepted into the NGS Family and rise through the ranks first as Curator of the Reza museum, later on as head architect of the NGS up to Vice President! By then Otto was also paying for many of the expenses of the organisation, investing heavily into state of the art equipment. This trend would only re reenforced in Almaris when Otto Wittenbach became the second President of the NGS taking over from his now wife Celestine. Estimate are hard to make but the Wittenbach at that point would have likely covered a third if not more of all the costs and investements of the NGS, regularly providing free adventuring equipment as well as food and beradges from their own stores.
And Finally as time would go on as father did so would his daughter, Elizabeth Brae-Wittenbach would become President of the NGS following Otto Wittenbachs depature. She to would continue the strong bond of the Wittenbach and the NGS, giving herself fully to the organisation and its members, after all the NGS is full of friends and the Wittenbach Motto is, "My Friends are my Family".
Clan Politics
The Clan
The Wittenbach Clan can best be described as a big family of friends. At its core stands the Wittenbach and around it honorary clan members as well as close friends who would be living or staying with the Wittenbachs at their home of Witten's End. The first Clan chief was Otto who also founded thr family and Clan itself. Succession of the Clan is chosen by tanistry laws, as clan members will chose amongst the wittenbach family for the next Clan leader. The Wittenbach Clan and the House of Wittenbach are two seperate entities, while House of Wittenbach ecompasses the family only, ruling the Barony of Wittenbach by the traditional Petran Inheritance laws The clan includes the House as well as all the honorary and friends of the Clan, A Baron von Wittenbach can also be the Clan chief but could also be another family member.
Barony of Wittenbach
The Barony of Wittenbach was granted to the family in 134 SA / 1930 Imperial Time by the Archduchesse Renilde I of the Commonwhealth of Petra. The wittenbach had served Petra for close to a decade already with the teo brothers Nicolas and Karl both serving on the Petran river council. After a large donation to the Commonwhealth a small Barony was granted in the river valley across from Chambery with Karl Ludvig become the first Baron von Wittenbach. however after two short years Karl gave up the barony in 1932 /136SA to his Brother Nicolas Emmanuel, making him the second Baron von Wittenbach.
Notable Members
| Name | Portrait | Birth Parentage |
Marriage(s) Issue |
Short Intro | Coat of Arms | Title(s) | Succession Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otto "The Father" Otto Wittenbach 1743 - 1959 (Dead) |
|
1743 Unknown, Arcas |
Celestine Herbert
3 Children |
Father of the Wittenbach Family and founder of the Wittenbach Clan, Achieved many things during his lifetime going on many Adventures with the NGS inventing and construction many buildings, went on to serve as judge and president of the NGS. | 
|
President of the Northern Geographical Society Clan Chief |
Clan Founder |
| Elizaveta "The Ambitious" Elizaveta Alexandria Brae-Wittenbach 1782 - Today (Alive) |
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1782 City of Helena, Arcas Daugther of Otto Wittenbach & Celestine Herbert |
Quentin Brae
1 Child |
Favorite Child of Otto would go on taking the NGS Presidency, making a stake in international politics as foreign secretary of Oren and serve as Clan Chief for many years. |
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President of the Northern Geographical Society | Elected Chief after her Father |
| Karl "The Founder" Karl Ludvig von Wittenbach 1901 - Today (Unknown) |
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1901 Karosgrad, Almaris Son of Emmanuel Karl Wittenbach. |
None
No Children |
Worked hard in securing housings for the peoples in Vallagne and in donating a large sum of Minas to the commonwhealth, was granted the Baron by the archduchesse Renilde I for the hard work of him and his Brother Nicolas. Gave up the Barony after 2 years due to disagreement with the commonwhealth. | 
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First Baron von Wittenbach, Commissaire of Petra | Founded the Barony of Wittenbach |
| Nicolas "The Decisive" Nicolas Emmanuel von Wittenbach 1900 - Today (Alive) |
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1900 Karosgrad, Almaris Son of Emmanuel Karl Wittenbach. |
Ophelia von Wittenbach
3 Children |
Nicolas Political career was short yet decisive.Serving as Vice-Chancellor of the Petra from 1930 to 1936 and then as Chancellor from 1936 to 1941. His biggest achievements were the Garmont Assembly reforms, securing realm unity and starting to reform the administration.He would end his Political Career and retire to family life, supporting his sickly eldest son. |
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Second Baron von Wittenbach, Vice-Chancellor of Petra Chancellor of the Petra, Master of Chambery. | Inherited Barony from Brother |
| August "" August Alcaeus von Wittenbach 1937 - Today (Alive) |
[[File:|150px]] | 1900 Petra, Aevos Son of Nicolas Emmanuel Wittenbach. |
None
No Children |
WIP |
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Prince of Abrana, Third Baron of Wittenbach, Knight Captain of the Order of Currents, Prince-Consort of the Petra | Barony was gifted to him by father |
