House Durnmere: Merchant's Rise
@Dowager Lady Eveline Dunmere and Cedric Durnmere's story is etched into the very stones of the house they built—a tale of ambition, secrecy, and shadowed legacy. Their marriage was not born of love but of strategy. Eveline, a minor noble from @Arinn, was wed to Cedric of @Thelidor to secure vital trade routes between their lands. The union was calculated, and steeped more in espionage than romance. They had a son, @Lord Bastian Durnmere, and two daughters. Cedric had one illegitimate son, @Morris Fitz Cedric who went on to become a scribe.
Cedric Durnmere was a man of ruthless ambition. Through blackmail and foreign dealings, he expanded the reach of @House Durnmere, weaving a web of influence that stretched far beyond its borders. His death, shrouded in mystery, occurred during a voyage to @Veloria. Whispers persist that Eveline herself may have orchestrated his demise.
In the aftermath, Eveline's legacy took on a darker hue. Within the manor, she maintains a secret chamber—a hidden shrine to Cedric filled with maps, ledgers, and coded letters. Whether this room is a monument to grief or a covert command center remains uncertain, but its existence speaks volumes about the woman who survived and thrived.
Political Position: Expansionist and pragmatic. Bastion is currently seeking a wife that will bare him children. Eveline wants Bastion's future daughters to marry @King Liam of Thelidor, securing Durnmere's royal destiny.
Key figures in House Durnmere
@Lord Bastian Durnmere - A young, handsome, calculating and charismatic nobleman from a merchant family, Lord Bastian Durnmere is a master manipulator and dealmaker seeking to expand his influence with the crown.
@Ida Wieland - Personal secretary to Lord Bastion, a @Hesan Empire expatriate who fled an unwanted marriage. Stoic and uncompromising, Ida's quiet intensity and disciplined demeanor make her an unnerving presence in council chambers, often extracting truths others would rather conceal.
@Dowager Lady Eveline Dunmere - shrewd and pleasant noblewoman with a mysterious past, known for her sharp intellect and inscrutable demeanor as the mother of Lord Bastian Dunmere.
@Eldric Voss - starchy, officious human legal advisor for House Durnmere, known for his precise legal mind and impersonal demeanor, currently negotiating marriage arrangements for Lord Bastion Durnmere at @Castle Durnmere.
@Bravado Poinsettia - charming and handsome human swashbuckler born to circus performers, now serving as a courtier and spy for Lord Bastion Durnmere, known for his wit, charisma, and impeccable style.
@Morris Fitz Cedric - charming and secretive bastard brother of Lord Bastian Durnmere, serves as a scribe in Thelidor, his true loyalties unknown. He seems to resonate with destabilizing forces within Thelidor, regardless of the direction of the wind. Morris has forged a secret and unlikely alliance with @Lady Selene Estiellet's cause to legitimize her son @Malrec Estiellet. Morris resonates with the undermining force Malrec poses toward the regency.