Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2015 10:21:47 GMT -5
The northernmost of the Clans of the Water, the Saavedra family is nearly as old as their overlords, the Ibarras. Originating in Rohari, the peace-loving people drifted to the west away from the Desert clans to establish a new home for themselves. Encountering the Clans of the Water, they soon swore fealty to the strongest of the Clans, the Ibarra. Merging with the Watermen through first trade, then marriages, the Saavedra soon proved their worth to the region by protecting the Clans against the raiding Desertmen and introducing a hardier stock of sheep.
As time went on, the Saavedras took to the waters, discovering oyster beds in the northeastern part of the sea. Rich with pearls and other sealife, they took to diving and fishing to augment their already thriving herds. In addition, they found a wealth of hardwoods that became very popular for use in shipbuilding. With time, they negotiated a lasting peace with the Desert Clans where trade could transpire between the regions without fear of attack, and continued to contribute largely to the economic development of the region; as a consequence and at the encouragement of the Sandovals with whom the Saavedra enjoyed frequent trade, they were granted the city of Cervo and named as Counts.
Peace reigned for a time as the Saavedras continued to monitor trade with Rohari and Nacimiento, fending off raids from nearby Nyther Isle. Growing closer to the Sandoval family, they voiced opposition when tasked to keep their northern neighbors in check at the Deverauxs’ request, finding them akin to usurpers who stole a throne that did not belong to them. Aware of what was owed to the Ibarra, they did not secede from Estersea, but voiced their displeasure. There are rumors that the Saavedra have fed information to the Sandovals, yet there is little to no proof of such activity; the Ibarras will neither confirm nor deny this rumor either.
Some say it is these rumors that sparked a resumption of the raids from the Desert Clans of Rohari. The raids did not often venture far past the border, met with heated resistance and intense retaliation, stirring rancor between an Emir of Rohari and the Count. With each clash, tempers frayed further, both sides threatening dire recompense until the Emir took decisive action to eliminate his long-term enemy, the Count and his family.
A small army of well-armed tribesmen launched an attack on the trade-town under the Count’s control; the orders were to raid, sack, and burn the city with little quarter given to those who raised armed resistance. The news of the attack spurred the Count into action; he gathered his own troops and most of the male members of his family to mount a response; his youngest son, Daario, was ordered to remain behind due to illness. The Cervo troops rode hard, only to find themselves surrounded in an ambush by the Emir and his men. No Saavedra male was permitted to escape that confrontation alive.
However, the Emir was not satisfied there; learning that the Count had a son still living, assassins were hired to finish the family line. On a late summer night as a storm brewed over the city, the men infiltrated the family’s castle to seek out the young man and end his life. With little warning, Daario and his twin sister strove to defend those still in the castle, which included their three youngest sisters, an aunt and several infant cousins. Despite their efforts, Daario’s twin was killed and their next sister was captured, used as a shield to escape the castle. Word soon came that the girl had been forced into a marriage with the son and heir of the Emir whose tribesmen led the ambush.
Enraged, Daario Saavedra swore justice for the murders and revenge on the Rohari for their crimes. The strain of losing so much of his family coupled with his recent illness and his fresh injuries sent him nearly to his deathbed; for most of two years, he was believed dead. His eventual re-emergence was as a vastly different man from the one the city of Cervo remembered. Once a charming and easy-going man, the Count who emerged was cold, ruthless and driven, a man few wished to cross or anger.
The Saavedra family are not many, but they are extremely close-knit and will die protecting each other. Tall with dark hair and eyes, their complexions range from very pale to the dusky hue that speaks of their mixed blood. Typically somber, forthright people, they are highly insular, untrusting of many who are not of Estersea, and determined to survive.
As time went on, the Saavedras took to the waters, discovering oyster beds in the northeastern part of the sea. Rich with pearls and other sealife, they took to diving and fishing to augment their already thriving herds. In addition, they found a wealth of hardwoods that became very popular for use in shipbuilding. With time, they negotiated a lasting peace with the Desert Clans where trade could transpire between the regions without fear of attack, and continued to contribute largely to the economic development of the region; as a consequence and at the encouragement of the Sandovals with whom the Saavedra enjoyed frequent trade, they were granted the city of Cervo and named as Counts.
Peace reigned for a time as the Saavedras continued to monitor trade with Rohari and Nacimiento, fending off raids from nearby Nyther Isle. Growing closer to the Sandoval family, they voiced opposition when tasked to keep their northern neighbors in check at the Deverauxs’ request, finding them akin to usurpers who stole a throne that did not belong to them. Aware of what was owed to the Ibarra, they did not secede from Estersea, but voiced their displeasure. There are rumors that the Saavedra have fed information to the Sandovals, yet there is little to no proof of such activity; the Ibarras will neither confirm nor deny this rumor either.
Some say it is these rumors that sparked a resumption of the raids from the Desert Clans of Rohari. The raids did not often venture far past the border, met with heated resistance and intense retaliation, stirring rancor between an Emir of Rohari and the Count. With each clash, tempers frayed further, both sides threatening dire recompense until the Emir took decisive action to eliminate his long-term enemy, the Count and his family.
A small army of well-armed tribesmen launched an attack on the trade-town under the Count’s control; the orders were to raid, sack, and burn the city with little quarter given to those who raised armed resistance. The news of the attack spurred the Count into action; he gathered his own troops and most of the male members of his family to mount a response; his youngest son, Daario, was ordered to remain behind due to illness. The Cervo troops rode hard, only to find themselves surrounded in an ambush by the Emir and his men. No Saavedra male was permitted to escape that confrontation alive.
However, the Emir was not satisfied there; learning that the Count had a son still living, assassins were hired to finish the family line. On a late summer night as a storm brewed over the city, the men infiltrated the family’s castle to seek out the young man and end his life. With little warning, Daario and his twin sister strove to defend those still in the castle, which included their three youngest sisters, an aunt and several infant cousins. Despite their efforts, Daario’s twin was killed and their next sister was captured, used as a shield to escape the castle. Word soon came that the girl had been forced into a marriage with the son and heir of the Emir whose tribesmen led the ambush.
Enraged, Daario Saavedra swore justice for the murders and revenge on the Rohari for their crimes. The strain of losing so much of his family coupled with his recent illness and his fresh injuries sent him nearly to his deathbed; for most of two years, he was believed dead. His eventual re-emergence was as a vastly different man from the one the city of Cervo remembered. Once a charming and easy-going man, the Count who emerged was cold, ruthless and driven, a man few wished to cross or anger.
The Saavedra family are not many, but they are extremely close-knit and will die protecting each other. Tall with dark hair and eyes, their complexions range from very pale to the dusky hue that speaks of their mixed blood. Typically somber, forthright people, they are highly insular, untrusting of many who are not of Estersea, and determined to survive.