Karameikos Noble Families
by Simone NeriAs I said before, I did quite a lot of work on many noble families (mostly non-canon ones) for my old campaign. I suppose I used a more feudalised version of Karameikos, and a more densely populated one, but perhaps some of this material could still be useful to you. Unfortunately most of it is handwritten, and in Italian - and I don't have the time to put all of it on pc or translate it right now.
Nevertheless, I could post and translate a part of it. Below, I'm listing the Thyatian families I used or created for Karameikos. Tell me which one you'd like me to post information about, and I'll see what I can do. Here they are:
Acastaran (lands south-west of Verge, on the mountains' foothills)
Actavius (cadet branch of Actius' Counts, with lands in the hill country west of Verge)
Andreanus (lands east of Krakatos, on the other side of the Highreach River but not directly on its banks)
Arkanites (lands north of Luln)
Catarthian (lands south of Duke's Road Keep)
Cerularius (lands next to the spring of the Highreach River, IMC Guido's Fort was found within their lands)
Chryspatitos (lands about halfway between Highforge and Threshold)
Draconia (lands west of Rugalov, south of Dymrak, on the coast)
Furmenglaive (cadet branch of the famous counts of the southern IoD, with lands south-east of Riverfork Keep, on Achelos River)
Haakenberg (lands north-west of Riverfork Keep, on Cruth River)
Kallergan (lands south-east of Kelvin, on the edge of the Dymrak)
Kirklen (lands south-east of Duke's Road Keep)
Korgenarius (lands north-west of Rifllian, in the plains south of Verge)
Lastarthus (lands on Achelos River, halfway between the forest and the mountains)
Marcianus (lands north-west of Rifllian, in the plains south of Verge)
Oesterhaus (distant relatives of Hattias' Counts, with lands north-east of Riverfork Keep, on Gustos River)
Osdelic (lands south-west of Penhaligon, on the opposite side of the river)
Papholopolus (lands north of Riverfork Keep, on Magos River)
Patrizio (cadet branch of the more famous Thyatian family, with lands on Achelos River, near the mountains)
Prothemian (cadet relatives of the Duchess, with lands to the east of Radlebb Keep)
Retebius (lands west of Rugalov and of Draconia's domain, south of Dymrak, on the coast)
Sylicerius (north of Threshold, centred around the village of Highdell)
Walerian (cadet branch of Prince Eusebius Torion's wife, with lands to the north-west of Specularum, along the Westron Road)
Wolf (Hattian-Traladaran nobles, with lands south-west of Kelvin)
Canon families
Dromilov
If it seems that there are some "holes" in my noble coverage of Karameikos' lands, note that I also gave lands to canon families with known responsibilities at court (like Cordelius, Korrigan, Hyraksos).
And, of course, I have also much more landed Traladaran families around the Grand Duchy.
Bergoi and Veseya are indeed supposed to be estates ruled by Traladaran landed lords (under the current regime; in the past they likely held some other Traladaran title). This is what I wrote about them:
Bergoi is ruled by the Kutinov family. The Kutinov, somewhat like the Vandevic, betrayed the Traladaran cause back in AC 900, staying neutral during the Thyatian invasion; during the years, they developed closer links with some Thyatian families. Today, those links still exist and the other, traditional Traladaran families continue to keep their low opinion about the Kutinov.
The current family head is Stanislav (TN 2nd-level Fighter, born in AC 941), and old man who mostly lives away from court intrigues and politics; his heir is Vladislav (CE 3rd-level Mage, born in AC 974), an unscrupulous man who is already the true ruler of Bergoi. Vladislav has married a Thyatian woman of lesser nobility (Isaura Prophoric), and has a four-year old son, Arios (born in AC 996); he has the habit to use his family members as pawns to make advantageous marriage arrangements, or to place them in positions of importance under powerful figures - but his only true aim is to see his own power grow, and he's ready to use whatever mean to reach this goal. Vladislav is a corrupt and depraved man, always seeking carnal pleasures with women other than his wife, and whose kind and handsome face in truth hides a liar's soul.
The cadet branch of the family is represented by Vladislav's second cousins. The younger is Vlatko (LN 1st-level Fighter, born in AC 978), who is unaware of Vladislav's corruption and serves as courtier at Specularum's court (he could have a post in one of the government's offices, or in one of the Duke's elite divisions); he is married and has one daughter, Kresimira (born in AC 998).
The elder is Irena (CG dual-classed 8th-level Thief/4th-level Mage, born in AC 973), who belongs to the Duchess' entourage and often acts as one of his spies; Irena married time ago - under the insistence of Vladislav - the Thyatian noblemen Publius Walerian, but that was a loveless marriage and recently she has become involved in an affair with the current captain of Castellan Keep's garrison, Lord Karl Heinrich Wolf.
Veseya is ruled by the Miltchev family. The family head is Mladen (CE 1st-level Fighter, born in AC 933), an old, cruel veteran of fights against the goblinoids, who hates most of the modern world and would like to see the killers of his wife (goblinoids) and those of his country (Thyatians) suffer in a spectacular way. He has no sons or daughters surviving him (they died years ago), so his heirs are the sons of his younger sister Vesna (born in AC 935). Vesna married long ago a brave but commoner Traladaran soldier, and so her sons will keep the Miltchev's name.
I'll start with the two Thyatian estates I have along the Eastron Road, on the wooded coast south of the Dymrak: the Estate of Locrida, belonging to the Retebius family; and the Estate of Glucynthos, belonging to the Draconia family. The latter essentially draws from the same canon source (Mildred Draconia, in K:KoA) as your character Diomedes Draconius, so feel free to change the name of this family, to link my Draconia with your Draconius, or to wholly discard it.
RETEBIUS Family, Landed Lords of Locrida
The Karameikan Retebius are a cadet branch of the ducal family of Retebius, Thyatis. The first Retebius to ever come to Traladara was Aetius, who left his family for the newly-conquered lands of Traladara after AC 900. There, he earned some recognition both serving in the military and as an official of a couple of Governor Generals of Traladara, also managing to gather a not-so-small sum of money, which he later invested in trading enterprises. A man gifted with a wondrous wit, in the span of a few years Aetius became very rich; he secured the future of his descendants buying many properties in the coastal area of eastern Traladara. There he built the fortified manor called Locrida (AC 911), which later saw the growth of a village around it, and became a stopover for traders travelling by land from Specularum to Kerendas, and sea fishermen.
When Stefan Karameikos took possession of Traladara, Locrida served as a useful bridgehead for ships, troop transports, and supplies headed from Machetos to Specularum. The sudden arrival of more humans in this area bordering the Dymrak got the goblin tribes excited, and they were about to launch an offensive against the coastal communities in Locrida area when Marcian, the son of Aetius and head of the rich family, died suddenly (AC 978). As he had no heirs, succession went to his Thyatian relatives, still belonging to the Retebius family but more close to the ducal family of Retebius. Those were Leoniel and Pulcherian, both second cousins of Callastian Retebius' father (then Duke of Retebius).
Leoniel was first of all a scholar, and while he was slow to decide to travel to Traladara to take possession of Marcian's lands, he was the elder of the two brothers - thus the one which this inheritance was intended for. Pulcherian, however, anticipated his brother, and went to Locrida - just in time to gather local militias and Marcian's guardsmen, and repel a daring raid of the goblin tribes. When Leoniel moved to Locrida himself, he found his brother had already settled as the unofficial ruler of Locrida, and had helped the Grand Duke to secure the passage through the narrow coastal strip running south of the Dymrak Forest. Leoniel wasn't pleased both because his brothers' actions risked to put him in shade, and because he discovered that Pulcherian was extorting money to local Traladarans, just for the sake of annoying him and create a difficult situation to solve once Leoniel would have come to Locrida.
After a violent quarrel, Leoniel promised to not reveal Pulcherian's actions to the Duke if he would have taken no part in the issues regarding Marcian's inheritance. Pulcharian was forced to agree, and left Locrida for Specularum. Weeks later, Leoniel received the title of Landed Lord from the Duke as reward for the work he (his brother, in truth) had done, and to have some Thyatian nobleman controlling the middle part of the Eastron Road to Thyatis.
Leoniel expanded the manor at Locrida into a small castle, and settled to rule in a fair and efficient way. He had two sons, Constantina and Gabrion, from a scion of the Furmenglaive family (the Isle of Dawn’s nobles, not their Karameikan relatives), Paula (Lawful Normal Woman, born in AC 952), a very beautiful middle-age lady who is even more stern than her husband in asserting Thyatian rights over Traladara.
Unfortunately for the couple, Gabrion died young in AC 999 at age seventeen during a hunting trip in southern Dymrak. Attempts to raise him failed – and Leoniel explained this fact with his scarce faith in Thyatian Immortals. After this sad event, he became somewhat more religious, building a small chapel devoted to the Thyatian Immortals in his castle, attending ceremonies from time to time at the Church of Thyatis in Specularum, and supporting his daughter Constantina’s choice to follow the clerical path.
Constantina (Lawful 4th-level Cleric of the Church of Thyatis) is Leoniel’s only daughter, born at the end of AC 982, like her deceased brother Gabrion (who was born at the beginning of the year). She’s a quite pretty young lady, who has chosen to affiliate herself to the Karameikan branch of the Church of Thyatis, becoming a sort of adventuring priestess. She’s like her father and mother in character, and the fact that she refused a couple of noble suitors saying they were not worthy of her only made Leoniel more proud of this girl.
Leoniel Retebius, Landed Lord of Locrida
Lawful 10th-level Magic-User
Str 12, Int 18, Wis 9, Dex 13, Con 10, Cha 10
Languages: Thyatian (native), Alphatian (Isle of Dawn dialect), Elven (Vyalia dialect), Traladaran.
Weapon Masteries: Dagger (Skilled), Staff (Skilled), Whip (Basic).
General Skills: Alchemy (18), Etiquette (10), Knowledge – Ancient History (Thyatis) (18), Knowledge – Magic Lore (18), Law and Justice – Karameikos (18), Observation (18), Science – Mathematics (18), Science – Philosophy (18), Science – Zoology (18).
Born in AC 952, Leoniel was the scion of a lesser branch of the Retebius family; he and his brother Pulcherian were second cousins of Duke of Retebius. Their family lived a comfortable, if not wealthy, life. Leoniel showed great learning skills since young age, and a talent to understand magic-use; therefore, he was sent to the Collegium Lucinius in Thyatis City. After some years, he graduated with honour, and he was praised by his teachers for his nearly superhuman memory. Thereafter, Leoniel divided himself between his studies and politics, cultivating alchemy, zoology, and natural sciences, generally leading the life of a cultured Thyatian aristocrat.
Unfortunately for him, his life was upset when his father died; his death revealed a huge amount of debts that the man had kept hidden to his family. Creditors began to harass the two Retebius brothers, in the hope to get what was due to them. Leoniel and Pulcherian were obliged to sell most family properties, and appealed to their second cousin, the Duke of Retebius, for aid.
For a time they stayed at Retebius’ court, but soon they (Leoniel, especially) tired to constantly beg the money of the Duke. So, when a distant relative of their branch of the family died in Traladara in AC 978, Leoniel and Pulcherian took their opportunity to re-establish their family’s fortunes.
For Leoniel it was a hard decision to make: abandon his motherland, its politics, and his favourite studies for a wilderness land where he’d have been in the middle of a bunch of uneducated peasants, and rough soldiers. But he had no other real choice. So, Leoniel came to Traladara some time after his brother Pulcherian, who had preceded him (see above the history of the family for more details about their quarrel).
Leoniel is 6’ tall and skinny, with blue eyes and greying black hair; he sports a pair of well-tended short moustaches and beard. He is an acknowledged Thyatian scholar: his fields of expertise include alchemy, zoology, and natural philosophy; he has written many treatises, books, and bestiaries about this subjects, and he's now the Karameikan academician most versed in those fields.
However, Leoniel comes from a noble family, and is very proud of his heritage - so he takes his "work" as scholar as a mere pastime. He likes to appear like a traditional Thyatian aristocrat - able in politics, absolutely loyal to his mother empire, superior thanks to his culture, cosmopolitan, unscrupulous, and a little arrogant.
Leoniel has constantly refused invitations by Teldon both to join the Magicians' Guildhall in Specularum, and to hold some lessons there about his favourite subjects; he considers the Karameikan guild unworthy of any attention, and he prefers attending from time to time academic events held in various Thyatian universities.
Leoniel has an analytical mind, and likes to calculate all the range of possibilities before making a decision; this is what makes him a little slower to act than his brother. Nevertheless, his great memory helps him remembering almost everything he reads, sees, and hears, and has earned him a nice reputation at Specularum’s court. Among Thyatian noblemen, a favourite pastime is to bring in front of Leoniel an almost-unknown courtier which he’d perhaps have seen once, to see if the Lord of Locrida recognises him and remembers his name – something he always does!
Leoniel loves his family, and is particularly fond of his daughter Constantina. He grieved very much for the sudden death of Gabrion, but now is determined to make Constantina his heir. This means that he’s overly anxious about her, and often has someone spying on her or secretly following her alongside her travels, just to protect the girl and bring back news about her whereabouts.
While Leoniel doesn’t love the Grand Duke, he appreciates his attempt to civilise Traladara. His loyalty, however, goes to the Empire of Thyatis, first and foremost; this fact has made him unpleasant for some noble circles who would like to see Karameikos independent from Thyatis, as he’s considered the symbol of the old, dominant, decadent, and arrogant Thyatian aristocracy. Therefore, it’s no surprise that his best friends among the Thyatian aristocracy are Desmond II Kelvin, and the Thyatian ambassador Cornel Osteric, who is often his guest at Locrida.
Even if Leoniel despises his brother Pulcherian for what he has done in the past, he’s far from hating him. In fact, Leoniel doesn’t even suspect the amount of hatred that Pulcherian broods against him, and continues to think that a face-to-face discussion with him could pacify their issues. Of course, this has been made nearly impossible by their divergent political agendas.
Pulcherian Retebius, Court Lord
Neutral 4th-level Fighter
Str 16, Int 15, Wis 12, Dex 13, Con 15, Cha 12
Languages: Thyatian (native), Traladaran (15).
Weapon Masteries: Dagger (Basic), Lance (Basic), Mace (Basic), Normal Sword (Skilled).
General Skills: Gain Trust (12 + 1 additional slot), Knowledge of Karameikan high society (15), Knowledge of Specularum’s underworld (15), Language – Traladaran (15).
Pulcherian is Leoniel’s younger brother, born in AC 961. He is almost as tall as his brother (6’), but more toughly build, with a well-toned and muscled body. He keeps his face shaved, and sports long brown hair in Traladaran fashion. His eyes are dark brown.
Lacking the right degree of constancy – even if not a bright and quick wit –, he didn’t follow his brother’s steps to the political and academic career, turning instead to improve his martial skills. For a time, he trained under an accomplished weapon master and Knight of the Air of Retebius.
He was still little more than a boy when he and his brother received news of the inheritance left them by their distant Karameikan relative, Marcian of Locrida (AC 978). Pulcherian took this as a great opportunity, and while Leoniel settled to think about this turn of events, he rushed to Locrida and assumed the control of Marcian’s possessions. Moreover, he began upsetting things, trying to gather a lot of money before his brother arrived and took control of the area. When Leoniel indeed arrived, he however discovered Pulcherian’s deeds. The young man had to step aside from succession matters unless he wouldn’t like to face a public trial.
After this quarrel with his brother, Pulcherian left for Specularum, attending noble parties and courtly events at the royal palace. Here, always short of money, he began working as a bodyguard to some noblemen and noblewomen, then secretly for lesser people like important or wealthy merchants, at last even more secretly doing some dirty work for his clients. Thus, he got in touch with some of the darker aspects of Specularum’s daily life and crime. This way, he earned some good money he used to keep his lifestyle.
From then on, Pulcherian began to pursue his political agenda – mostly against his brother – to improve his station among the Thyatian aristocracy of the Grand Duchy, and put Leoniel in bad light. His martial prowess (he took part with some success at a past edition of the Footman’s Games) and his bold appearance have some fans among the members of the moderate Thyatian nobles, and his ability to gain others’ trust does the rest. Thanks to his friendship with Lord Alexius Korrigan, he earned a post in the Grand Duke’s household.
During one noble party, he met Leda Moubotka, the sister of Lord Petr Moubotka. The two fell in love and got married in AC 993. Pulcherian took this chance to settle a link with an established noble family, while Lord Petr Moubotka wanted to keep good relationships with the Thyatian nobles (something he’d continue to do later, by marrying his son Iayo to a daughter of the Thyatian-aligned Vandevic). Leda gave birth to the twin daughters Eusebira and Stephanica (both born in AC 995), and then to Galatica (born in AC 999).
The death of his nephew Gabres, the son of Leoniel, opened new doors to Pulcherian’s future. While he had almost forgotten about Locrida’s succession, now that option would become available if Constantina – Leoniel’s surviving daughter – dies. Secretly, Pulcherian is trying to arrange for her death. In the meanwhile, he continues to make money handling messages from lesser courtiers or non-nobles to members of the court, asking favours to them for his clients for money, and keeping contacts between noblemen with illicit activities and the criminal underworld.
Pulcherian hates his brother and is extremely envious of him; he’ll not rest until Leoniel's life is ruined. Whether this deep feeling comes from his relationship with Leoniel during infancy, or from somewhat else, is not clear even to him. His aim, right now, is take Leoniel’s seat as Lord of Locrida, and he’ll try to achieve this with whichever mean he can use (courtly intrigue, assassination, use of his criminal or noble contacts, etc.). As he is sincerely affectionate both to his wife and to his three daughters, he’ll likely not go so far as to endanger them, but using them as political tools is within the range of the possibilities. He fears Leoniel’s magical powers, and will avoid a direct confrontation with him.
Pulcherian’s wife, Leda Moubotka (Lawful 3rd-level Cleric of Nyx, born in AC 961) has always been a character devoted to politics, since the time she counselled her brother Petr in ruling his estate. Now she serves double political aims (both his brother’s and his husband’s), but she’s utterly devoted to Pulcherian. Leda doesn’t know about Pulcherian’s plans of assassination, and wouldn’t approve them. She’d rather have Leoniel and Constantina removed from Locrida’s succession through intrigue than violence.
What Leda kept hidden even from Pulcherian is that she acquired some divine powers when, many years ago, she discovered a set of Taymoran ruins in the lands around his brother’s estate of Darinov. After that, she came in contact with the Immortal Nyx, and became her follower. If Pulcherian manage to acquire Locrida, she plans to make the castle a hidden, resurgent centre of Nyx worshippers. Pulcherian suspects his wife pursues some weird activity, but has not investigated the matter still; if he discovered it, he’d likely try to use her wife’s talent to further his own aims.
I've kept my original version of the Draconius family (I've only changed the name from Draconia to Draconius in my writeup), because I couldn't find a proper way to make it fit with your character Diomedes Draconius. So, I decided to post it this way to hear from you suggestions about what changes are due.
DRACONIUS Family, Landed Knights of Glucynthos
The Draconius family migrated to Traladara after the Thyatian conquest; it’s said their surname comes from the traditional association of many of its older members with the Retebius Air Fleet. The family had already a standing military background, and Vanyarine was no exception, serving on the Isle of Dawn, and then in the province of Traladara, where Vanyarine was chosen as Legate to one of the Governor Generals of Traladara, and distinguished further himself in various actions against Traladaran rebels and humanoids.
From the Isle of Dawn he had brought a Westrourkian wife, Gyneth Mabbott, and had by her four children: one son, Bessarion (born in AC 954), and three daughters, Placidia (born in AC 957), Shaelyn (born in AC 960), and Mildred (born in AC 961; the names of the last two daughters were chosen by their mother, and follow Westrourkian usage).
During his stay in Traladara, Vanyarine managed to acquire a great deal of knowledge about that province and, when Duke Stephan of Machetos was gifted by Emperor Thincol with permission to take the region as Grand Duke, he was a natural choice as one of Karameikos’ military leaders. Meanwhile, his wife Gyneth had died in AC 965.
After some years of duty (mostly spent in building a military organisation of the Grand Duchy that could be self-sufficient from the Empire), in AC 977 Vanyarine married the much-younger daughter of a dying Traladaran family, Andjela Grogosula, who brought him as gift her family lands, located on the eastern coast of the Grand Duchy, west of Rugalov and south of the Forest of Dymrak. Vanyarine named these lands Glucynthos and received by the Grand Duke the Landed Lord title for them, in reward for his past services.
In the meantime, Vanyarine’s first son, Bessarion, had married in AC 972 a Thyatian adventurer and priestess of Valerias, Adrianina Lastarthus, whose brother Demetitus had received lands by the Grand Duke in western Karameikos. Unfortunately this great love of him died during childbirth two years later, leaving him with a daughter, Stephania.
Seeing that his new marriage won’t produce further heirs, Vanyarine began to build political alliances for his chosen heir Bessarion by marrying him, and his sisters, to some noble families of Karameikos.
For Bessarion, Vanyarine chose a Traladaran wife, Anya Lutescu, nine years younger than him, belonging to the Traladaran noble clan who held the eastern lands of Rugalov. Anya gave Bessarion a son, Petrus (born in AC 981), and a daughter, Arcadia (born in AC 982). Bessarion’s favoured children, however, continued to be Stephania, which he considered the last legacy of his true love.
His sisters, all of them praised for their beauty, were married to Thyatian noblemen instead: Placidia married Alexic Chryspatitos in AC 985, Shaelyn married Adrianes Acastaran in AC 982, and Mildred married Alvin Korrigan in AC 989.
Not everything was happy, however. In AC 983, just one year after they married and after many months of violent quarrelling, Shaelyn poisoned her husband Adrianes. Evidence of her crime was never found – and Vanyarine’s influence ensured they were not found at all, and that Shaelyn was spared from magical examination – but the Acastaran family has been enemy of the Draconius ever since. Even if he protected her from a public trial (which would have damaged the whole family), Vanyarine refused to meet or speak to Shaelyn again, and she went to live in Dmitrov.
In AC 988, the second wife of Bessarion, Anya, died of a fatal brain disease. Even their son Petrus was endangered, but the clerics of the Church of Traladara managed to save him through their magic. Bessarion fell then into a deep depression, the grief caused by the loss of his second wife was too much to bear.
His pain was augmented by his father Vanyarine’s death in AC 991. But then he began to re-emerge from his melancholy, a stronger man than before. He left his two last sons with their aunt Mildred at Specularum, and took Stephania in many voyages together with him. He was away with her for two years, during which they adventured in the Known World: Bessarion wanted to show her as much of the world as was possible, before she grew too much and took her part of adult responsibilities. He was partly successful, because Stephania decided to embark on the path of arcane magic, even if she took more a studious than adventuring life.
Bessarion’s other two children had longed for the return of their father. While Petrus was happy when his father and half-sister were back, Arcadia was angered: her father had been away with her half-sister for two years and left them alone. She can’t stand this, and began to feel a deep hatred for Stephania, which she – rightly – saw as his father’s favourite daughter; she vowed to avenge herself.
When Bessarion returned, he devoted his time to the rule of Glucynthos. He took a more active role in his children’s education, and in the Grand Duchy’s politics. In particular, now he strongly represents the New Karameikan nobility, born from mixed blood families, and indifferent to ethnic and religious differences in favour of a common Karameikan future. Bessarion is also a strong supporter of the Karameikos family, and he is in very good terms with the Korrigan, Prothemian, and Hyraksos families. He has gone so far as to betrothing his son Petrus with a scion of the Prothemian house, the young Lady Selina (nephew of the Duchess). The two should marry soon.
Placidia (Neutral 4th-level Magic-User) is Bessarion’s younger sister, born in AC 957. Even if she’s now a middle-age woman, she was regarded as a true beauty when she married the minor Thyatian noble Alexic Chryspatitos. Placidia had a short arcane apprenticeship under Teldon at the Magicians’ Guildhall of Specularum, but like her sister Mildred had not enough will or interest to pursue the boring magic-user path further.
Placidia gave Alexic a son, Belisarius (born in AC 988), and has settled down to pursue the lady’s life in his husband’s family lands, located between Threshold and Highforge. She pays visits to her sisters and her brother from time to time, mostly when his husband comes south for political or personal duties.
Shaelyn (Chaotic 1st-level Rake) is another sister of Bessarion, the middle one born in AC 960. Unlike Placidia and Mildred, which were obedient and did what their father Vanyarine ordered them to do, Shaelyn developed a rebel character. She refused to study arcane magic like her sisters, and was thus forced to stay in Glucynthos under a private tutor, constantly angering her father for her unruly mannerism. When one day she came to his father claiming that her old tutor had tried to use violence on her, she wasn’t believed, and her situation even worsened.
At last, when her character seemed to have been subdued, Vanyarine married her to Adrianes Acastaran, a member of a Thyatian minor noble family who was over ten years older than her. After one year of life with this man she didn’t like, she could not bear anything more, and she poisoned her husband, killing him in AC 983. Then she fled from home, as Vanyarine, while sparing her a public trial, didn’t allow her to return with his pardon. Only after her father’s death did Shaelyn see again her sisters and brother, but she continued a separate life in Dmitrov.
Shaelyn is a passionate and unpredictable person. She tends to follow her own whims without much thoughts about what others could think or want. Perhaps because of the events of her youth, she doesn’t like or trust men at all. Currently, at Dmitrov, she lives with a Makai girl, Ulani, who is nearly twenty years younger than her. Shaelyn doesn’t hide at all her homosexual affairs, and her conduct is becoming the source of a local scandal in Dmitrov, despite Bessarion’s best efforts at keeping things quiet.
Mildred (Neutral 1st-level Magic-User) is the younger daughter of Vanyarine, born in AC 961. She’s quite a plain woman in regards to her two sisters, and has always lived in the shadow of Placidia’s beauty and Shaelyn’s rebelliousness. Nevertheless, her father arranged for her the most important marriage of the Draconius family, that with Alvin Korrigan, brother to the Ducal Seneschal Alexius. Mildred would have been a very able magic-user, if only she had had the will to apply her otherwise high intelligence to arcane studies. After marrying and giving birth to his son Milo (born in AC 990), she mostly lives with her family in Specularum; Mildred puts her great wit to use by counselling her brother and brother-in-law.
Stephania (Lawful 6th-level Magic-User) is the first daughter Bessarion had from Adrianina Lastarthus. She was born in AC 974, and her mother died while giving birth to her. Her father has always loved her more than his other children, because she was the only legacy of his first wife, which he had loved so much. Stephania has had all the cures a daughter could hope to have from a father, and has grown a little spoiled as a result; she is always used to the best standards, but she’s not overly haughty or arrogant about this. In fact, she loves his father as much as he loves her.
After returning from the voyage Stephania chose to learn arcane magic under her aunts Placidia’s and Mildred’s suggestion. She soon discovered to have quite a talent with it, becoming in a short time more accomplished than both her aunts. Stephania’s arcane interests mostly head toward divination and detection spells; she studied under the tutoring of the Traladaran mage Claransa Tyrevic, known as ‘the Seer’ and a few years older than her.
Stephania is very beautiful, with dark brown hair, and green eyes like her mother’s; poets and courtiers claims that her beauty is rivalled only by that of Marianna Vorloi, the daughter of Baron Philip Vorloi. She has received many marriage proposals, but his father wants to let her decide who his husband will be, and she still awaits her love despite being well into marriage age (besides, this is another ground of anger her half-sister Arcadia has with her, because Bessarion instead plans a political marriage for her).
Currently, Stephania acts as one of the Duchess’ ladies-in-waiting. She is rarely seen at the Magicians’ Guildhall of Specularum, even if she studied there, but often pays visits to his father in Glucynthos or is visited by him at Specularum.
Petrus (Lawful 1st-level Magic-User, born in AC 981) is Bessarion’s first son from his second wife. Like his sister Arcadia, Petrus learnt magic while spending time with his aunts Placidia and Mildred, despite having very little talent for it. He’s sincerely attached to his father and half-sister Stephania, and doesn’t share Arcadia’s hatred toward them, but is much more interested in courtly feasts, balls, and pastimes than in ruling a goblin-endangered dominion. He’s currently betrothed to the Duchess’ nephew, Selina Prothemian, and their wedding is planned for the next year.
Arcadia (Neutral 2nd-level Magic-User) is Bessarion second daughter from his Lutescu wife, born in AC 982. As Petrus, Arcadia has almost no talent at with magic, but managed to learn a little arcane lore from her aunts. Arcadia hates her half-sister because she’s the favourite of their father, because she’s so beautiful, because she learnt magic much better than her, because she stays at Specularum’s court and not in far-away Glucynthos, because she’s allowed to marry who she wishes while she must marry who her father commands: in a word, Arcadia broods a hate as deep as possible for Stephania, and for their father Bessarion. Of all her family, Arcadia only admires her aunt Shaelyn. Almost driven mad by her hate, she plans to poison somehow Stephania as the first step to conquer again his father’s heart.
Bessarion Draconia, Landed Knight of Glucynthos
Lawful 9th-level Fighter
Str 16, Int 11, Wis 18, Dex 13, Con 9, Cha 13
Languages: Thyatian (native), Traladaran (11).
Weapon Masteries: Dagger (Basic), Lance (Skilled), Light Crossbow (Basic), Normal Sword (Skilled), War Hammer (Basic).
General Skills: Bravery (18), Detect Deception (18), Etiquette (13), Language – Traladaran (11), Law and Justice – Karameikos (18), Riding (13).
Born in AC 952, Bessarion was the first son of Vanyarine Draconius. He is a toughly-built man, 5’10” tall for 165 lbs. of weight, who doesn’t show at all his 48 years of age: his hair are of a full light brown colour, lacking any sign of age, and his body is a warrior’s one, well-toned and muscled. His bald face always has an authoritative – if tired – air, and his blue eyes seem to look deep into one’s soul.
Bessarion grew in the Thyatian Province of Traladara, among Traladaran relatives, and as a result he doesn’t feel any real difference between Thyatians and Traladarans; he feels that the Immortals have led the Thyatians to Traladara for a purpose: bringing the Thyatian efficiency and organisation and merging it with the Traladarans’ culture and identity to create a new, prosperous culture. Bessarion is deeply convinced that the Karameikos family will succeed in giving his new people a bright future, in spite of any difficulty ahead.
Bessarion’s life has been pointed by some tragic events, most of all the death of the love of his life, a priestess of Valerias, Adrianina Lastarthus. After her death in AC 974, he took care of their daughter Stephania for a couple of years, then began to leave for longer periods, adventuring around Karameikos. During those years, he perfected his martial skills, helping both the ducal forces and the population in many areas of the Grand Duchy.
Called back by his father, in AC 981 he agreed with his suggestion to marry Anya Lutescu, who gave him another two sons (Petrus, AC 981, and Arcadia, AC 982). Family life stood again in front of him, even if only for a while, because Anya died in AC 988; after that, Bessarion fell into a deep depression. His father Vanyarine’s death in AC 991, however, waked him again; he had suffered so much for the loss of his beloved wives, and the pain had been nearly unbearable – but now he had emerged from it with a much stronger will, and a much more complete comprehension of one’s path through his life.
In the two years he spent adventuring with his daughter Stephania after AC 991, he tried to teach her what he himself had understood after those tragic events, and let her see what in the world made the life worth to be lived, despite losses and painful happenings. Moreover, during those travels, his deeds earned him the title of Knight from the Grand Duke. He would have liked to take paladin’s vows to go wandering in the name of the Church of Karameikos, but his family and political duties prevented this.
Returning home, he assumed the rule of Glucynthos, securing it against goblins and bandits, improving villages and roads, building bridges, and ploughing new lands to settle and farm. He also built a chapel in his castle, devoted both to the Church of Traladara (Traladaran clerics saved his son Petrus from a fatal disease in AC 988), and to the Church of Karameikos. Near his chamber, he erected a shrine to the Immortal Valerias, in front of which he prays every night for the soul of his beloved Adrianina. In the years since, he also has tried (or is trying) to put his children of their respective roads: a life to be enjoyed for Stephania, an advantageous marriage for Arcadia, the role of his heir for Petrus.
Bessarion knows he has not been the best of fathers, and knows that Arcadia wishes him ill for the time he spent with Stephania. That’s why lately he tries to spend more time in Glucynthos with Petrus and Arcadia, than in Specularum at the Duke’s court. There, besides supporting Stefan’s policy and a future of integration between the Grand Duchy’s two cultures, he is one of the more respected Thyatian aristocrats, both because the wisdom he always shows in his words, because of the tragedies he had to bear in his life, and because of his unquestionable martial prowess.
I've finally found some time to translate my writeup about the Dromilov. I've also included a (new) link to the tale of Krollan's death (from Dungeon Master's Survival Guide).
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DROMILOV Family, Landed Lords of Dmitrov
1.0 ….. Radomil (941-977) = Fekla Yuschiev (944-980)
…... 1.1 …… Stojan (960-995) = Larissa Kaison (b. 958)
…… 1.2 …… Lev (b. 962) = Veronika Prokopova (b. 965)
…………… 1.2.1 …… Klara (b. 994)
…… 1.3 …… Katerina (969-999)
The Dromilov family is quite ancient, and inherited the lands encompassing the peninsula of Dmitrov soon after AC 750. Before becoming Counts of Dmitrov around that date, they were a rather rich family of local landowners, who often sent their members to work as officials and courtiers at the previous Counts' court.
The Dromilov's rule of Dmitrov was quite plain in the following decades, when the rest of Traladara was still suffering from the turmoil of past wars and disasters. At that time, the lands of the County of Dmitrov included a wide stretch of lands north of the current Landed Lordship (who now belongs to the Barony of Vorloi).
The Dromilov tried to stay neutral in the conflicts between the powerful Traladaran merchant families who controlled Marilenev. Nevertheless, the improvement of trade during the 9th century AC slowly transformed Dmitrov from a fishing village to a beginning trade town.
When the Thyatians conquered Traladara in AC 900, the Count of Dmitrov of that time chose to submit without fighting, to keep his lands. He, as many other Traladaran lords, was convinced that any resistance to the imperial armies was useless, and this allowed him to preserve his hold on his fief while justifying himself saying he thus tried to spare the population further wars and disgraces.
In the following years, however, contacts between the Dromilov and the ruling families of Specularum became closer, and they began to plot together to throw away the Thyatians from their homeland. Later, when Stefan Karameikos come to Traladara, the father of Lev, Radomil, was discovered to have taken part to the plotting which had led to the Marilenev Rebellion. Even if his responsibilities were limited in regard to the revolt, he chose to abdicate in favour of his first son Stojan, at that time a ten-years old boy, and went in exile in Ierendi.
As Dmitrov didn’t hold a strategic position, and as its leader was now a weak boy under the tutelage of a regency council of quarrelling family members and local noblemen, the Thyatians were satisfied; they only stripped the fief of its northern lands (thus reducing it to its current size), and changed its status to that of a Landed Lordship (such was anyway the case of many Traladaran lands under the new regime).
The young Stojan thus grew up harbouring great hate for the Thyatians, mostly fuelled by his mother Fekla Yuschiev, scion of a local landowner clan. Meanwhile, his father died (AC 977), soon followed by his wife three years later.
When Stojan came of age, the last act of his father was to combine his marriage with the daughter of a rising merchant family closely allied with the Radu of Specularum, Larissa Kaison, two years older then Stojan. Unfortunately, as the years passed, the young Dromilov realised the truth – that his wife was barren.
Meanwhile, Stojan’s younger brother Lev (born in AC 962) defied the responsibilities to which his elder brother continuously called him, and after Stojan’s forbiddance to leave Dmitrov, chose to go adventuring even without the traditional Shearing ceremony (AC 979). Stojan was furious because he had hoped that his brother would help him in his duties – and eventually succeeding him because he had no sons –, but now had to realise they were utterly different in character, and that Lev was choosing the wrong path.
Stojan continued to plot with the Radu against the Thyatians, opposing the Vorloi family at every turn, both in the mercantile and in the political arena, and often causing border problems with the Barony of Vorloi. Lev, meanwhile, successfully continued the adventuring life, helping here and there the peoples and the lords of the Grand Duchy, and becoming known as a good friend of Thyatians and Traladarans alike – something that further enraged his brother.
Stojan felt again the hope to give birth to a male heir when a Traladaran adventurer, Veronika Prokopova, came to Dmitrov’s court after a call by Stojan for adventurers to spy on certain enemies of the Radu in Specularum. To his own surprise, Stojan felt deeply attracted by Veronika, to the point that the Lord of Dmitrov began to try to have a love affair with her. Stojan hoped to make her pregnant with a son of him, and eventually dispose of his legitimate wife Larissa, or to adopt this illegitimate son as his own heir.
Unfortunately for him, his plans went completely awry before they were to begin: Veronika didn’t return his love, because she was already involved with a fellow adventurer who, to Stojan’s great disappointment, turned out to be his brother Lev – who had met Veronika during his Shearing time. The Lord of Dmitrov cast her away from his fief, alongside his brother Lev.
Stojan’s hate for his brother grew even more. Seeing his hopes frustrated once again, Stojan made his wife Larissa swear that she would have done anything to prevent Lev from inheriting the fiefdom of Dmitrov in case of an untimely death of her husband.
Politics came to occupy Stojan’s time almost fully. He intrigued with the Radu against other families and Specularum’s government, receiving in turn help against the neighbouring Vorloi family. In AC 991, one of the Grand Duke’s advisers, the powerful wizard Krollan, discovered a plot to assassinate Baron Philip Vorloi; before Stojan’s and the Radu’s involvement was discovered, the Veiled Society had Krollan strangled to death (besides, his magical item known as the Krollan’s hood was stolen and is currently secretly held by Anton Radu, who uses it when he acts as the chief of the Veiled Society).
However, Stojan began to panic after the assassination of a person so intimate with the Grand Duke. His fearful behaviour became dangerous for Anton Radu, who was forced to silence him. Stojan Dromilov was thus poisoned in AC 991.
After Stojan’s demise, the Vorloi family pushed to have the Dmitrov lands given to Lev, Stojan’s younger brother. In his years of adventuring, he had demonstrated to be quite different from his brother, and had extensive contacts with many important Thyatian families for which he had worked, like the Korrigan and the Hyraksos; moreover, he had at last (AC 989) wed his adventuring companion, Veronika Prokopova, who had also worked for this or that family faction, and even for the Duchess’ information network, and was familiar with many hidden truths of Specularum’s families and city life. And, most of all, Lev was a legitimate solution to the Dmitrov inheritance problem – supporting him would have make Baron Vorloi to appear fair even before Traladarans, and would have given him a valuable neighbouring ally in the near future.
The Duchess, the Korrigan, and the Hyraksos families backed Vorloi’s suggestion, and Lev was proposed for the inheritance. Lev and Veronika were more than happy to accept: they had spent more than ten years adventuring (three of which together), were satisfied of their successes, and had amassed a relevant amount of money; ruling a quiet domain was all they were asking about.
However, Stojan’s widow, Larissa Kaison, backed by the Radu and by other conservative Traladaran families, tried to overturn the decision, putting in front of the Duke fake proofs and digging out other forgotten events of Lev’s past in the attempt to portray him as completely unfit for ruling. Two years went on as the Duke was forced to assist all this; Stefan would like to appear as fair as possible to his Traladaran subjects, and wouldn’t like to take a decision without allowing Larissa to appeal to him for justice.
But, eventually, all the proofs Larissa could forge would not cancel the fact that Lev was the only legitimate heir of the Dmitrov Lordship. Thus, in AC 994, he was gifted by the Duke with the title of Landed Lord of Dromilov. In the same year, his wife Veronika gave birth to a daughter, Klara. At the same time, Lev also managed to marry his lesser sister Katerina (born in AC 969) to Admiral Hyraksos’ nephew, Constans, to further strengthen his tie with the families supporting the Grand Duke. Unfortunately, Klara died in AC 999 while travelling to Rockhome to reach his husband who had been appointed ambassador to the Kingdom of Rockhome, without giving him a heir.
Today, the Dromilov are one of the few Traladaran families with friendship and alliance ties to the Thyatian families of Karameikos. Their ties with the Vorloi family are particularly good, and Lev would like to have Klara (or a future son of him) married to a scion of the Vorloi family.
Lev (Lawful 6th-level Fighter) is mostly devoted to ruling his quiet estate and tending to his family. After seeing what ambition and pride did to his brother, he would like to stay as far as possible from politics and intrigue.
Instead his wife, Veronika Prokopova (Lawful 11th-level Thief), is the one who keeps the Dromilov in touch with the ducal court, and who ensures the family’s alliance are preserved and important friendships are kept. [In game terms, Veronika isn’t really a Thief but, like the Duchess Olivia, has acquired a lot of stealthy ability in his years past working as spy and information-gathering agent for various factions.]
Lev’s sister-in-law, Larissa Kaison (Neutral Normal Woman), has returned to live with her relatives in Specularum after Lev’s takeover of Dmitrov. She continues to harbour a great hate for his brother-in-law, but now her part in politics has decreased very much; she’s sometimes invited to events at various Traladaran families’ mansions, like Magda Marilenev’s one.