Post by Josh on Jan 2, 2015 16:21:01 GMT -5
House Fontaine has a long history. The family arrived at the same time as the Gardiners from Montenoire. While the Gardiners stayed in the lush plains of the west, the Fontaines ventured far to the east, bypassing the peoples of Vasile and the Watermen of Estersea. Eventually, they settled in an unclaimed valley known to the locals as Vielha.
Thanks to the stones of the mountains, the lands possessed rich soil but the rocks made it very difficult to farm. This did not discourage the local Watermen clan, the Enekos, who were spurred by the success of the Ibarra in the land bridge. The mountains would be theirs and theirs alone. Though the Georges Fontaine insisted that they work together, the Watermen would have none of it. The Fontaines, as a result, were left to their own devices.
Realizing that it would be a folly to attempt to farm crops, Georges turned to a different style of farming: sheepherding. The Fontaines only had a few herds to start with, but over time, they acquired more herds and learned husbandry practices to ensure the healthiest and heartiest sheep survived the rugged terrain. As the decades rolled on, the success of the Fontaines grew while the Enekos were frankly suffering.
The Fontaines had no desire to see the Enekos suffer and there was little the Ibarra could do to support them, as their own resources at the time were limited. As such, the Fontaines proposed a series of marriages with the Eneko, taking them as cousins. Over the generations, the two families fused together. Though the Enekos eventually faded away, their Watermen ways and culture had a lasting impact on the Fontaines who easily conformed to the general culture of Estersea.
Because of their success in taming the valley, the Ibarra and other landowners of Estersea agreed that the Fontaine should be recognized as landowners. As such, they were styled with the title of Count of Vielha. To this day, however, there are those that believe that the lands should still belong to the Watermen. Distant cousins of the Enekos still plot this day to reclaim their old lands.
The deaths of Hector and Nicholas Fontaine have left the inheritance of the title on shaky ground. The eldest daughter is reluctant to take the title, and the remaining child is too young yet to be count. Only time will tell what will happen to the Fontaines…
Thanks to the stones of the mountains, the lands possessed rich soil but the rocks made it very difficult to farm. This did not discourage the local Watermen clan, the Enekos, who were spurred by the success of the Ibarra in the land bridge. The mountains would be theirs and theirs alone. Though the Georges Fontaine insisted that they work together, the Watermen would have none of it. The Fontaines, as a result, were left to their own devices.
Realizing that it would be a folly to attempt to farm crops, Georges turned to a different style of farming: sheepherding. The Fontaines only had a few herds to start with, but over time, they acquired more herds and learned husbandry practices to ensure the healthiest and heartiest sheep survived the rugged terrain. As the decades rolled on, the success of the Fontaines grew while the Enekos were frankly suffering.
The Fontaines had no desire to see the Enekos suffer and there was little the Ibarra could do to support them, as their own resources at the time were limited. As such, the Fontaines proposed a series of marriages with the Eneko, taking them as cousins. Over the generations, the two families fused together. Though the Enekos eventually faded away, their Watermen ways and culture had a lasting impact on the Fontaines who easily conformed to the general culture of Estersea.
Because of their success in taming the valley, the Ibarra and other landowners of Estersea agreed that the Fontaine should be recognized as landowners. As such, they were styled with the title of Count of Vielha. To this day, however, there are those that believe that the lands should still belong to the Watermen. Distant cousins of the Enekos still plot this day to reclaim their old lands.
The deaths of Hector and Nicholas Fontaine have left the inheritance of the title on shaky ground. The eldest daughter is reluctant to take the title, and the remaining child is too young yet to be count. Only time will tell what will happen to the Fontaines…