House Estiellet: The White and Black Lion of Thelidor
House Estiellet is the family name of the current @King Liam of Thelidor and the former King Bertram. It is an old house spanning generations. The deceased wife of @Lord Arthur Caelthorn was also an Estiellet.
Notable members
@King Liam of Thelidor - Current reigning king, under regency due to his age.
King Bertram of Thelidor - Former king. Passed away. Father of @King Liam of Thelidor and @Malrec Estiellet
@Dowager Lady Rowenna Estiellet - Widow of King Bertram and mother of @King Liam of Thelidor . She is an Estiellet by marriage. Her maiden family name is Alberes.
@Lady Selene Estiellet - Cousin of former King Bertram, with whom she had an affair. She is the mother of King Bertram's bastard son @Malrec Estiellet . A formidable and ruthless figure within the regency’s inner circle. Her rivalry with Dowager Lady Rowenna Estiellet is whispered about in court, fueled by bitter resentment and competing claims to influence over the late king’s legacy.
Selene has a child, Malrec, fathered by the late King Bertram, whose legitimacy she is determined to establish through any means necessary. This ambition drives much of her political maneuvering, including alliances with shadowy operatives and the use of blackmail and forgery. She wants Malrec to marry as soon as possible, despite his age, to a woman of a royal bloodline. She sees this as imperative. A sure way to bolster his legitimacy in Thelidor.
Her vision for Thelidor was once aligned with strengthening centralized power and strict order, but scandal and circumstance forced her into a more ruthless path. She endorses espionage, intimidation, and sanctioned violence to root out dissent and consolidate authority.
Her ambition is fueled by cold pragmatism and a belief that only iron rule and pure royal blood can preserve Thelidor’s fragile stability. While some admire her decisiveness and clarity of purpose, many fear her growing influence and the erosion of civil liberties under her watch. Selene’s presence in the regency council is a constant test of the other members’ principles and alliances.
Memorable incidents that mark her ruthlessness include the public disgrace and exile of a rival noble family based on forged evidence, and the mysterious disappearance of a vocal critic shortly after a heated council debate.
Rumors swirl that Selene maintains a secret prison within the castle’s depths, where political prisoners vanish without trial.
Selene's Shadowy Alliances
Selene has forged shadowy alliances with key figures in several noble houses to bolster her influence and further her ambitions:
@House Caelthorn : @Lyle Grandview - clever and enigmatic human politician serving as chief visor and Castilian to Lord Arthur Caelthorn, known for his warm charm with nobility and cold dismissal of commoners. Lyle agrees with her emphasis on pure blood ruling Thelidor. He has formed a secret alliance with Lady Selene in Malrec's cause for the throne of Thelidor. Lyle greatly admires Selene's cold pragmatism and a belief that only iron rule and pure royal blood, and closely heads her instruction. Lyle greatly admires Selene's cold pragmatism and a belief that only iron rule and pure royal blood. He is here eyes and ears in Caelthorn. And helps her search for a distinguished wife, hopefully of royal blood, for Malrec.
@House Durnmere : @Morris Fitz Cedric - the bastard brother of Lord Bastion Durnmere, born out of a secret liaison that the noble family prefers to keep hidden. Despite his illegitimate status, Morris received a well-rounded education, making him a charming and articulate individual. He operates in Thelidor as a scribe, a role that allows him to move quietly among the nobility and common folk alike. His true loyalties remain a mystery, as he offers his services to various factions, including those opposed to his own family. Morris seems to resonate with the destabilizing power that Malrec represents.
@House Halebrandt : @Lady Fiona Halebrandt - daughter of Lord Godric Halebrandt. Selene has not formed an alliance with her, but rather manipulated her into thinking of her as sympathetic through their shared distrust of other figures. Fiona is particularly resentful of House Durnmere, which Selene exploits.
@Malrec Estiellet - Bastard son of King Bertram and @Lady Selene Estiellet , half brother of @King Liam of Thelidor . A dangerous rival to young King Liam. At approximately 14 years old, Malrec is old enough to claim his own right to the throne, bypassing the need for a regency and threatening to destabilize the fragile balance of power in Thelidor.
Malrec is a boy of unnerving intelligence and cruelty, raised in the shadows of court intrigue and taught that power is the only truth. Wielding it over others, the only pleasure. His charm masks a calculating and ruthless nature; he delights in manipulation, intimidation, and the suffering of those who oppose him. Unlike Liam, whose youth and inexperience temper his rule, Malrec’s presence is a looming threat—his ambition unchecked and his methods dark.
His supporters whisper of his cold, unyielding gaze and his penchant for orchestrating small acts of cruelty to test loyalty and fear. Rumors suggest he has already begun to gather a faction of nobles and mercenaries willing to back his claim, using blackmail, bribery, and threats to expand his influence.
The possibility of Malrec’s ascension terrifies many in the regency council and beyond, for his rule promises not stability but a reign of iron and shadow, challenging the ideals and alliances that hold Thelidor together.
Rumors circle that Malrec has chartered the dread mercenary captain Hamil Langley.
@Hamil Langley is a mercenary captain known across Skybride for his formidable band of hardened warriors and his ruthless, twisted nature. Unlike many mercenary leaders who are self-serving but pragmatic, Hamil’s cruelty borders on sadistic, and his reputation inspires fear even among other mercenaries.Despite this, Lord Malrec Estiellet has employed Hamil as a key enforcer and muscle, using the mercenary’s fearsome reputation to intimidate rivals and enforce Selene’s shadowy will.
Hamil’s presence in Thelidor’s political landscape is a dark shadow—an unpredictable force that can tip the balance of power through violence and terror.