The Families of Archades

Llwyn Newyth, the "New Grove" where the clans meet every year for the Grand Gathering, sits at the very heart of Vulcanis. Lords of much of Vulcanis's valley heartlands, Clan Cadag is as central to the Clans as their seat is to the region. Though tradition demands the election of each High Laird of Vulcanis, only a few times has the rulership been bestowed upon anyone else than Laird Cadag. Renowned for their famed diplomatic skills, the Cadags hold the Clans together and protect their ancient traditions, while also maintaining fealty to the Crown of Archades in their position as hereditary Royal Stewards, an allegiance complicated by the refusal of some of the Clans to acknowledge the Crown. As Archades is thrown into turmoil, choices will have to be made: their loyalty to House Deveraux is steadfast, but between all parties in the Kingdom trying to get a stake in Vulcanis's rich land, will the High Laird be able to hold his people together? Cadags are tall and predominantly brown-haired, with green or blue eyes, although blond also occurs in the family.



Calling Glenn Tuathas home, the Connells have inhabited the region for many generations. Through staunch determination and some help from bees, the clan managed to tame the area ravaged by the volcanic eruption over a thousand years ago. The Connells are successful farmers and beekeepers while being something of an economic force in the region due to the variety of their products, especially honey and mead. The Connells have enjoyed the trade with the various members of the kingdom, but some worry that change is on the horizon with the clan in the center of it. The members of Clan Connell are a pragmatic, but hardy and steadfast people which is shown in their stocky builds with fair hair and fair eyes.

The Deverauxs are a family who know they are royal. The majority of the Deverauxs are tall, blond with blue or brown eyes, well-groomed and impeccably dressed. Confident, strong of will and of mind, intelligent and forward-thinking, some call the Deverauxs arrogant, but they merely know they set the standard in Archades. Though they have long been a patriarchal family, the recent decision to name the King's eldest daughter as his heir is causing some strife within their ranks. Despite that, the Deverauxs unite against any who would dare to challenge them. 

A solitary and sometimes aloof House, they migrated north at the time of the Volcano's eruption, taking shelter under the protection of House Deveraux when the lands were safe enough to head south. Instead of going back to their forests in Vulcanis, they settled in the thick woods west of the Deveraux city, founding Forestier. They are a family of hunters and woodsmen, intensely private and simple in their ways. Under their new Lord, a man who didn't ever see himself becoming the Lord of Forestier, the Deschênes are starting to come out of their trees to live more in the world of their vassal lords, but they stay true to their fierce pride and loyalty to family.

The Gardiners of Shelbourne are an unusual family. Their resemblances to each other are uncanny. It is rare that you will find a Gardiner who is not average or tall, blessed with rich brown hair and blue or green eyes. Despite their noble heritage, the Gardiners are people of great humor, casual and laid-back attitudes and an unquenched love of the land. They are not fond of formal occasions or the strict, regimented dress code found at Court, viewing themselves as nearly equal to the people who live in their region. They also believe that idleness is a sin; each Gardiner turns their hand to some task or role within the Duchy. 



Occupying the city of Marlowe, the Camerons have long been loyal supporters of their lieges, the Gardiners, who recognized the hard work and determination of the Camerons. A modest and humble family, the Camerons are traditionally herders, raising some of the finest sheep and cattle in Archades as well as fields of grains grown for multiple purposes. They are a hearty people, very much in tune with their lands and the hills that surround their home, given to honesty, hard work and loyalty. 


The Sinclairs are the lords of Ashworth and the masters of the Order of the Verdant Shield, a knightly order that exists within the Duchy to protect the people of Shelbourne. A long-standing family, they are intensely honorable and loyal to their Gardiner duke, providing service in the form of the Shield Knights and in the war-horses specially bred in the region, along with fertile fields of oats, flax, barley. They are also known to be brewers. The Sinclairs are a fair-haired people, intelligent and shrewd but fair. 

The Price family is unusual even among the families of Vasile; they were refugees from the volcano who traveled far to the north... and stayed. Former tribe members from Vulcanis, they discovered the rich ore deposits in the mountains and learned to carve them free. Using the funds to rise to power, they have consolidated their influence over much of Vasile and are striving to use it to their benefit. Adept in the refining and forging of weapons, the family is very wealthy and not averse to using that wealth. Tall and sandy haired, the Prices are beautiful, whether man or woman.

Rising from vassal status as humble barons of a holding in the valley between the sea port and Munte de Fae, the Vanns are a sturdy, practical and hard-working family. In the wake of the Romanovs' recent tragedies, Gabriel Vann was elevated to stand as Count for his service in eliminating the Lindblum pirates in the Sea of Acasa and developing the port, which he renamed Otterloh. People of the land, the Vanns work to develop agricultural technology and advance the future of crops in the realm, but more, they are also looking to become masters of the Inner Sea. 



The long-term Counts of Altofing, the Reinharts are also direct rivals to the Prices. Separated by a range rich with mines that are no longer accessible from the Reinhart side, they have been forced to diversify into minerals rather than the metal ores. Resentful of the power and influence wielded by their northern neighbors, the Reinharts have moved into seize the advantageous trade agreement with House Gardiner left vacant with the elimination of House Romanov to expand their opportunities to reclaim a fortune. This, coupled with their stringent devotion to Vasile's rich culture, makes the family a very serious contender.  They very much have their eyes on the Ducal seat and intend to fight for it, staking a claim through the Countess, who is one of a very few remaining Romanovs. 

An insular but somewhat conflicted family, the Romanovs were known as the scholars, the inventors and the experimenters of Archades. They  made significant advances in technology, navigation, medicine and other valuable fields. Vastly intelligent, they were also passionate, emotional people who presented a largely neutral face to the rest of Archades. Tall people, they had either brown or black hair, green or brown eyes. Personalities varied in the Romanovs from the pure scholar, to the pleasure-seekers to the driven, but there was no doubt that the Romanovs truly lived to the fullest every moment of the day. 

The former royal family, the Sandovals are known for being inscrutable and private. A family of dark haired, dark or blued eyes, they are elegant, reserved, charming people who are difficult to read or get close to. Faithful to each other, they stand shoulder to shoulder against anyone who attempts to undermine them. Strong emotions run in their veins, and they are a determined, driven and focused family. 

A family sheathed in mystery, little is known of the Blackthornes beyond their control over the bank of Archades and their vast intelligence network. They are a family often regarded with suspicion and mistrust, thanks in no small part to their unclear agendas. The family is of average or tall height, with no clear physical traits - blonde, brown or red hair can occur, the eyes can be green, blue, brown or hazel. They are smooth operators, slippery as eels and diabolically clever, but like their name, they can be like thorns, sharp and poisonous. 

One of seven tribes that occupy the Rohari Desert, they were instrumental in uniting the tribes in a state of uneasy peace through their skill in battle and the development of a solar water collection and purification system. Aided by the Deverauxs after too many incursions across the desert's borders to raid and wage war on other regions, the al-Khalid accepted the Deveraux's offer to quell the insurrection. As a reward, they were named to Caliphs of the region and have reigned since. However, this proud, war-like tribe has begun to chafe under the yoke of vassalship, wishing to establish themselves as a sovereign realm, kings of the desert and beholden to none. 

A family known for their strong emotions and fiery natures, the Montefiores are people of dark hair and brown or green eyes. The men are of medium or tall heights, but the women are known for being petite. Lithe framed, they pride themselves on their passionate manner of living, embracing experience as a way of shaping heart, mind and soul. They are also known as an active people, frequently in motion and seldom still. The Montefiores are a tightly-knit family, defending and protecting each other, especially against the Deliambres to the south. 



Masters of the vine, the Savareses are a family who prefers living quietly with their grapes, their roses and their work. A family that has seen more than its share of tragedy in the last century, their numbers have dwindled considerably, leaving only a handful to bear the name. Despite their eminently sensible nature, they have engaged in a feud with House Sforza that left the current Count's lady and eldest child dead. Consequently, they are a guarded family, allowing few in close, but are completely loyal to their Montefiore lord. Of medium height, they are dark haired and typically dark-eyed, though there is an occasional birth with hazel eyes. 



Producing some of the Kingdom's most lavish and elegant jewelry, the Tesoros are renowned throughough Archades as artisans of the highest caliber. Their creations have graced ducal and royal alike, men and women. Much of their artistry is based on commission where those who seek their skills must travel to Pistoia. The family, all of whom are golden-blond without exception, are also somewhat eccentric; some have gone so far as to suggest they are not quite normal. The Tesoros see no reason to deny this; there is madness in genius, the saying goes, yet some are suspected openly of insanity. Certainly they do not find themselves curtailed by the same rules of conduct governing everyone else. Despite that, the Tesoros are light of heart, generous of purse, and free of spirit.

A tall and elegant people, the Deliambres are cool, calm and logical people who prefer reason over emotion. Self-control is their greatest virtue, followed by intelligence. Strong-featured like their cousins, the Montefiore, the Deliambres are also their diametrical opposites in terms of personality. They are aloof, reserved and intensely private, but protective of their interests. Family is the most important thing to the Deliambres, but they are also loyal to their Deveraux kings. 



A small family residing in the city of Carlevaro, the Jaufrets are a conundrum, a family caught up in tradition in the face of broad social changes. They are archers and warriors primarily, but the recent years have brought artisans and crafters into the light, delivering new cachet to the family name, including the first female member of the Ducal Guard. A strongly patriarchal family, the women are proving themselves just as capable as their men in supporting and protecting Calandria. 

- House Ibarra (March Family)

Once one of the most wealthy families in Estersea, time and feuds have drained the family coffers of gold and blood in equal measure. A family mostly composed of women, they strive to maintain a lavish and grandiose lifestyle, setting luxurious fashion trends and elaborate social events. Through the efforts of the Warden, their liege lord, the Sforzas maintain an uneasy truce with the Saverese family, allowing them a chance to rebuild their coffers and their family tree, though it will always be the strong, scheming women who flourish. 

Facing extinction thanks to the Rohari raiders who nearly destroyed this family, root and branch, the Saavedras live for one purpose only - revenge. They want to watch the desert burn and exact their justice in blood. Kept in check by their liege lord, the need to recover and a lack of numbers, they wait and they watch for their chances to impose misery on their eastern neighbors. Fiercely passionate and emotional, the Saavedras are tall, slim and black haired with eyes to match and dusky skin. They are very few, but they are unforgettable.