Post by Admin on Jul 26, 2014 17:22:16 GMT -5
A House once of a realm far to the east, the Sandovals were possessed by the spirit of exploration to seek out new lands for their homeland. In the name of God, glory (and no little amount of gold), they formed a consortium with the Montefiore family and established a small fleet to convey those who joined in the trek. They set out, following a crude rudder that Dario Sandoval himself had forged during previous explorations to lands that were three weeks’ sail from their home.
Best laid plans going astray, the fleet was caught in a storm and thrown significantly off-course. Their supplies swiftly dwindled as three weeks turned into six before land was finally spied - the eastern shore of the lands that would become the Kingdom of Archades. Grateful to be alive, the Sandovals landed in the region that was soon named Seravino with the Montefiores.
The colonies were swiftly established by the two families. Peace reigned for numerous generations, until the volcano in the southwest region erupted violently, sending thick, permeating clouds of ash driven by the winds to smother their lands. Out of survival, the colonists, aware that they would not likely be able to return home or find their way back, fled to the north. Trying to rebuild their lives, they discovered the lands were far from unoccupied - the Vasile tribes made their presences known, resulting in armed clashes and skirmishes that took their tolls on both sides.
After the passage of several blood-soaked years, exploration to the south confirmed the colonists could return to their original locations. All too pleased to leave, the Sandovals and Montefiores prepared to return south. As they traveled, a fissure formed within the Montefiore, effectively dividing the family in twain. The factions, headed respectively by the twin heads of the family, were conflicted by where to return and who should lead, forcing the Sandoval lord to intervene, especially with the realization that they would not hear from their homeland, nor be able to return as planned.
Negotiating that both factions would defer to him as the primary leader, the Sandoval lord instructed the Montefiore faction return to Seravino while the opposite faction, now called the Deliambres, would travel further south to form their own region while they remained in the region due north of Seravino. Thus peace was restored for a time, until the northern raids began on the tribes of Vasile.
The tribes, already gravely affected by the Blood Plague, were forced to appeal to the southern regions for aid in staving off the raids. In a shrewd move facilitated by the most western settlement, a family who referred to themselves as the Gardeners (or so the Sandovals heard it), the two regions were thus incorporated into the realm christened Archades, granted concessions for the sake of peace. The regions united to drive off the raiders and the Sandovals began their reign as Kings.
However, through circumstance and no small amount of conspiracy, the reign of the Sandovals was brought to an end nearly two centuries ago. Deposed by the scheming of House Deveraux and other Houses, the Royal Family was forced into exile in the region by Vasile, kept in check by the Romanovs and the family in the region directly south of the Sandovals.
The Sandovals are a patient people, and they have watched, waiting for their opportunity to reclaim what was stolen from them two centuries ago. Their plans are laid, and the opportunity is merely a moment away.