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The sigil of the De Letoirneau family. The golden eagle (along with the Givrais Thunder Bird) is one of the representative animals of the family - graceful, yet powerful and readied to fight. Behind it sits the blue background of the sky, representative of the family and their distinct Ithanian heritage, in addition to a fan pattern below. Beside the ornate golden imagery in display of wealth and power are positioned three distinct flags, from bottom to top representative of the Ithanian Sovereignty, the Loiree-Bas County and the Regalian Empire in which both reside.
D'Ithanie
'Avec fierté et honneur, force et sagesse, nous montons comme une.'
Common
'With pride and honour, strength and wisdom, we ascend as one.'
House de Letoirneau is a recently reborn house, however one with considerable tradition and history to its name. An ancient Ithanian house that truly gained its power following the events of the Mars de l'Orchidee, however was cast asunder and brought to ruin within just over a century. The family found itself splintered into multiple descending, minor branches: some of these became strong families in their own right, while others were dissolved, incorporated into other families or adapted over time to changing circumstances, yet none were able to return to the true glory and standing the prior house of de Letoirneau had held at its peak. Recently, three such descendant branches of this family - Celyreos, Du Polignac and Alaire - have convened together once more and, after discovering their shared heritage by certain means, have made the decision to unify and reform this long-lost family as three branches under a single banner.
Family Colours:
Sky Blue, Silver and Black
Family Culture:
The family is generally seen as one of Ithanian culture, and in its entirety sees considerable influences of this throughout all three branches of the family. However, numerous sub-cultures of Ithanian are also common - the Tolonne sub-culture is found heavily within the Celyreos branch, and the Genevaud sub-culture (and the greater Leutz-Vixe culture as a whole) are found quite strongly in the Alaire branch, with the two originating from the Pays Sud and Brixoid regions respectively.
Family Faith/Religion:
In terms of faith, the family could only reasonably be ascribed to as Unionist. While hardly zealous in their beliefs, they still hold strongly to the tenants of their faith. Certain members of the family, especially those of the Du Polignac branch, would more likely than not consider themselves of the Priscelle orientation of the faith, although this is seen more so behind closed doors due to the reduced and weakened status of the sect.
Family Business and Trade:
In terms of business, the family proves to be highly mercantile in orientation, involved in numerous areas within the commercial and financial markets. Primarily the family trades in traditional Ithanian goods, connecting the highly wealthy and abundant produce of their Ithanian homeland and the Vixhall lordship to the vast markets that exist within the archipelago, and especially the crown isle. Primarily at the top of this is the produce of fine wines (as would be expected of an Ithanian family), in addition to a huge range of Textiles - silks, velvets, taffetas, etc. In addition the family also holds an interest in niche goods manufactured along the Loiree-Bas coast, most especially a range of couture, glassware and porcelain products.
Family Possessions and Organisations:
County of Loiree-Bas-et-Corneuille - The wealthy, Ithanian-cultured realm the De Letoirneau family assumes rule over. Run quite significantly in part by the matriarch and Countess Anastasie, the realm is rich with plantations and palatial estates - highly developed, although generally with a limited population outside of the more noted and illustrious coastal ports; the most notable being the city of Corneuille, the family's own seat of power. The realm is far from being heavily militarised and is easily noted for its stubborn adherence to the Ithanian culture, although its soft power in terms of wealth and culture can be hard to ignore.
Governate of Brassigny - De Letoirneau's colonial holdings situated upon the western coastline of the Elven Princely Lands. Territories populated with a mixture of Ithanian Ailor settlers and Altalar, the culture it (and its ruling family) ascribes to is evident within these colonies, despite them not even holding a fraction of the lavish allure of Loiree-Bas. Colonial settlements mimicking their homeland with fanciful fasions, tea lounges, chateaux and plantations throughout displaying this. The primarily export of these colonies tend be more exotic, base plantation crops - specifically cotton and sugar.
More to be added...
Family Political Stances:
Overall, the family is distinctly Liberal in its political beliefs, as is often seen from the Ithanians of the Empire. It finds itself in a position of supporting the Ithanian Courts and Lobbies that exist, standing with them upon numerous matters - arguably in a very commanding role with their control of the Loiree-Bas region, and the decline of Liberal prowess. This is excepted, however - the family holds distinct influences from the less liberal Ithanian sub-cultures, and this softens its overall view. The family is less pacifistic in orientation to the Ithanian Court, and is also in opposition to rigid systems of matriarchy, seeing them simply as inefficient and restrictive.
Physical Appearances:
Overall, a generally similar appearance is seen amongst the family. Hair colours are usually fairer, with especially a majority of the Celyreos branch displaying brighter blondes, in addition to a variety of blues and greens gracing most of the irises of the De Letoirneau lineage. Paler skin tones are common as would be expected from a family of Ithanian origin, although this is more significantly due to a porcelain fair skin being identified as a fashion staple amongst the wealthy Ithanians. Heights are fairly spread however are usually seen to be quite average, with most ladies varying between 5'4 and 5'7, while the men of the family starting at 5'7, tend to fall just short of 6 foot as of a maximum. Ladies are usually discouraged from intense physical lifestyles or an emphasis on combat, and so most have a graceful curvature to their figure - they are instead usually encouraged into fields of social significance, or an intellectual/high-skilled pursuit; business, statesmanship, medical training or even scholarly studies are common. Men will almost always be in some way combat-capable and trained, although this does not mean they are denied similar opportunities for intellectual studies to the females.
Image of one of the many vineyards present within the Loiree-Bas County, Vixhall
Important Note: This lore is not totally complete, and will likely be constantly updated and/or subject to change. If it ever becomes too grotesquely long, a simplified version will also be added.
In the year of 11 AC, the House de Letoirneau was officially and originally founded by Eugenie and Laurent, a pair of married Ithanian Ailor, following the events of the Mars de l'Orchidee. Originally educated stewards below a wealthy Altalar family in the rich central Ithanian territory now known as the Hivre of Haute Puisse, their overlords were forced to give their lands and holdings to their ex-Stewards; in return for requesting they retain their prestigious positions and wealth. As such the new family is founded with its minor title holdings across a handful of hamlets and plantations.
Over the following few decades, the family and its lands grew wealthy in line with their now-independent homeland. The De Letoirneau family and her members swiftly ascended to a host of prestigious positions within Haute Puisse - largely due to a generation of prominent ladies within the family, educated in the finest of Statesfigure and excelling in the court scheming only too prominent within Ithania. This, in turn, granted the expansive family and its many branches lands and titles.
Reaching the end of the first century AC, the family would hit its historical zenith - the family held at least some lands in at least half of the Hivres, and business assets within most of the Sovereignty's major cities. In addition, the family's unique interpretations of Haute Couture held popularity throughout the courts of the realm, and her members held many prestigious positions of power and influence, at the ears of the local Queens and even the Sovereign herself; using this with a sense of cunning to remove many of the family's rivals, and promote those who proved loyal to her. It is even said that the family's official and most infamous matriarch, Celienne de Letoirneau, held the Hivre title of Haute Puisse for a period possible as long as two decades, however this claim is disputed - evidence and record-keeping on the matter is vague, and it could just as easily be interpreted as indirect power than a genuine period of rule. What is known is that with the death of Celienne in 109 AC, a grave threat was posed to the family.
With the dawn of the new century, the power of De Letoirneau was destined to end. With its constant plotting and maneuvering, the family had made countless enemies amongst the nobility of Ithania - in addition, the sprawling family was beginning to rot at the core and turn in on itself, sisters and cousins battling for the excess of land and power that was held, and outside factors only too happy to back conflicting groups to their own gain. Within a few short years, a century of power was overturned and came crashing down, and by time Vladimir Kade's integration of Ithania into the Regalian Empire by 150 AC, the name De Letoirneau had ceased to exist entirely; what power the family had had remaining now divided between numerous successors - none of whom would ever achieve the glory and prestige their ancestor family had accomplished, and most simply died out or were absorbed by a house of greater status.
One of these numerous houses is the House du Polignac, the namesake of the family claimed by Henriette, a De Letoirneau heiress who chose to adopt the name of the lands she ruled. Still engraved with the culture established by her forbearers, Henriette attempted to rebuild her own reputation as a diplomat and advisor to other, larger Ithanian noble families. Despite regaining prestige within court from her work, Henriette - starkly reminded by her past - refused to play along with further plots or power plays, instead developing a more pragmatic, neutral stance within the political scene; this being a trait that would continue to be seen in the family despite a zealous love of Ithanian culture. The Du Polignac family, aside from the wealth of their lands, became invested in the burgeoning market of architecture and real estate. One of the daughters of Henriette, Genevieve du Polignac, was heavily involved in the design of some of the greater works of architecture within the city of La Portee du Paradis, truly crafting the name of the family within the nation as one of esteem and wealth, beyond a backstabbing and bloated past. The family was also similarly involved in other such projects across Ithania, administering the construction of numerous scenic châteaux, sprawling palaces and other marvels of architecture. The family did not however remain isolated to Ithania forever - the efforts of Rainier du Polignac (the first notable man in the family's history, while remaining a strong proponent of his home culture) - gained him a position within the Regalian Senate in 281 AC, which he held until its dissolution a decade later. Despite being a member of the Ithanian Lobby, his practicality and pragmatism often made him well-liked by many of the less Conservative nobility, and shortly following he was granted the title of the Barony of Corneuille within Vixhall. He would die shortly later in 295 AC - choosing unconventionally to pass his title to his niece Sophia du Polignac; who held such, along with the Marquis of Brassigny, until circumstances forced her to hand the Barony to her own niece Anastasie in 305 AC.
However, unlike the Du Polignac family, most branches saw remaining within Ithania as condemning themselves, and so turned to the opportunity seen present in the Regalian Archipelago. The House Celyreos was a notable example of this - under the leadership of Marceline Celyreos, the family would emigrate to the Regalian archipelago but a few years after Ithania's entry into the empire. The family first found itself in the Loiree basin, before bringing itself to settle in the Cote Plessis region of the Pays-Sud Citois - a burgeoning coastal province, albeit experiencing some of the pressures of the heavy Ithanian migration. While Marcenline would pass uneventfully, her daughter Veronique Celyreos did not. The lady realised the importance of adapting to survive in the climate the family now found itself in - investing the fortunes the family had retained in emerging businesses and ideas, exploiting the existence of a fresh market for its own gain. By 194 AC, the Celyreos family - beloved and well-known within the region - were elected into ruling the land, with Veronique being granted a Baronial title over the region. Celyreos would continue to prove adaptable and cunning, financing advancements in medicinal and scholarly pursuits as well as promising business opportunities wherever they saw them. This power lasted for over several decades unhindered, before being strangely broken in 276 AC by Christopher and Cyrille Celyreos - two brothers of the main line who sought an end to the matriarchal rule of the family, leading to almost two decades of militant backlash - leaving the family stripped of their finances, and culminating in their steady descent from power and multiple leadership changes - from Natasha Celyreos, to her cousin Bastien, and then finally to his younger and more relaxed brother Enzo; finally drawing to an end any conflict.
The third branch of note from the De Letoirneau family was House Alaire. Previously known as the House Chastain, they too had made their departure from Ithania to the western Vixhall territories of the Loiree-Bas - and also akin to Celyreos, they chose not to remain there for particularly long. In 162 AC - a few years after emigrating to the archipelago - Roselyn Chastain, the present and only ever matriarch of House Chastain, found herself marrying a noble New-Regalian scholar - Neuveville Meyer, who had been living and studying in the Loiree for some time. Unlike her cousins and the matriarchs of other branches, Roselyn was not a politically inclined lady - she was rather happy to abandon any such notions and lifestyle behind in moving to Brixoid, and Neuveville and Roselyn both agreed to take a new name for their family; Alaire. Despite the family's new homeland and obvious Regalian, and later more specifically Leutz influences, it still remained quite genuine to the Ithanian traditions of its past - even going as far as to retain a vineyard within western Vixhall. However, the family's primary business quickly became heavily pastoral - Neuveville's work and that of his family was heavily oriented around horse-breeding and rearing, and the investments and wealth of his wife's family helped this take off. The married couple loved one another quite clearly, and cooperated almost as co-rulers and heads of their family in their tenure, until their son Mayhew Alaire took the reins in 185 AC. Under the administration of the Alaire family, Collen-Bas quickly developed from a sleepy backwater, to a commercialised town built around the business of their family. The grounds and exceptional horses bred also provided excellent ground for horseback activities such as jousting, and other equestrian sports. The town developed a unique culture - unmistakably Leutz, yet still quite clearly defined with Ithanians flairs and influences, with many of its members never truly forgetting their past. By the fourth century post-cataclysm, as with the other two branches of the family, House Alaire had gained considerable influence within the capital, its sitting matriarch Roesia Alaire an Effleur to the Imperial Courts.
306 AC - the present year - is the critical year for the three families, in which their fate intertwines. While the families had been familiar with one another, as well as their own past, for some time, they proved mostly unaware of the true extent of which these links existed. In the Summer of 306 AC, Anastasie du Polignac - acting matriarch of her family at the time - stumbled across documents which led her to the realisation. Calling a meeting with the other two family heads - Enzo Celyreos, and Roesia Alaire - to discuss the affairs at hand. Weeks of negotiation ended with a rather unexpected, yet sweeping announcement. The House de Letoirneau was to be reunited from the three families, with Anastasie herself becoming the matriarch of the new family - with its seat remaining in the Du Polignac lands of the Corneuille Peninsula. Reasonings behind this were numerous, yet it undeniably created an Ithanian powerhouse within the archipelago. The family from its inception had been one seemingly poised to counter the growing threat and influence existing from De Gosselin and his allies - this coming to a head only a few months later following the De Gosselin conquest of the Ithanian Sovereignty - not only removing many De Letoirneau allies and their single biggest supporter, but also dissolving any titles the family held within Ithania. The family now sits - a last bastion of Ithanian culture and ideals within the archipelago; welcoming and supporting any who choose to flee the persecution, including many of the higher classes and nobility. Yet at the same time, the family sits and awaits - preparing for the upcoming conflict it only knows will be inevitable.
Family Trees:
TBA
To be updated!
OOC Info
Unless otherwise discussed, your De Letoirneau character should be your main, and you should preferably not be involved in any other noble families/groups of high commitment that may divert too much attention. While I will of course accept OOC inactivity if real life issues persist, consistent (but more importantly uninformed inactivity) will result in your character being shelved.
Family members should not IC or OOC seek to become Sanguine, Silven, Mages, or anything else of the sort. This circumvents the point of being involved in a family. Characters should also adhere generally to Unionism, and to Ithanian culture (unless permitted otherwise) - the latter especially is a major aspect of the family, and if you don't care for it, you probably shouldn't apply.
Blatant OOC disregard for the family and its member will not at all be tolerated. This applies IC too - anyone attempting to purposely ruin the family/pull drastic stunts (without my permission, of course!) will simply be removed. Ruining this family for everyone involved is not acceptable.
No toxicity OOC at any level, at all, ever. Friendly discussion, or even debate over a topic is fine. Blatant insults are not. Exceptions will be given for this, but consistently toxic players who harm our own reputation and the experience of everyone involved will be removed. Without hesitation.
Most importantly, make sure you enjoy yourself! If your character causes you issues, you are free to adapt them to keep them interesting to you (although I'd prefer you did speak to myself first). Most importantly we are a family and an RP community - getting involved with each other and those around us is what we do! This does go both ways however; I will strongly discourage anyone joining the family who doesn't care for the internal interaction, or who wants the character for their own selfish means.
Application (For Members):
IGN:
Time on MassiveCraft, and overall experience:
How active would you say you are?:
How knowledgeable are you on lore? (This especially applies to lore resulting around Regalia, Ithania/Ithanian culture, and Ailordom in general):
What are your RP strengths and weaknesses?:
Character name/chosen:
Any ideas for the character? These can be discussed and tweaked later, if you're not sure or would like ideas:
Any references to vouch for your RP? They can be whoever you'd like, as long as they're aware of being chosen as vouchers - Members of the family would be exceptional here:
Be honest! I will not usually outright reject people solely based on what is put here. I would much prefer people be honest here and improve as a family member, than lie/exaggerate for whatever reason.
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