- Joined
- Nov 6, 2020
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- Age
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The Rousseau rise to power and wealth started with humble beginnings in Sovereign Ithania under Louise and Jean Marque Rousseau. Up to that point, the Rousseau line had maintained a modest living, tending to vineyards and wineries as sommeliers and viticulturists. An opportunity presented itself to Jean Marque when a large vineyard that supplied a couple of notable wineries on the outskirts of Grand Vertu found itself on the cusp of losing its owner due to old age and a lack of heir. Jean Marque had managed a close relationship with the vineyard's owner some years prior, an effort that proved its fruition when the vineyard was offered to the Rousseaus before his passing. The sudden aquisition of such lucrative property offered the Rousseaus the equity needed to begin swinging their weight around to acquire other vineyards, namely those in more niche markets, growing more rare sorts of grapes. Upon securing nearly a couple of hundred acres in the hills outside Grand Vertu, Louise requested Jean Marque to begin taking more aggressive measures to buy out other vineyards, continuing to focus most of the efforts on speciality grapes further and further away, subtle shifts in climate offering differing varieties to add to their portfolio. A few keen vineyard owners certainly saw what was going on. Even with utilizing aliases to secure more land, whispers began to spread about the steady, but consistent, amount of specialty vineyards being bought up. It was then that Jean Marque began to use far dirtier methods, not straying far from blackmail, both real and planted, to shame and pressure owners to sell.
Lousie and Jean Marque had amased a rather sizeable amount of land by the turn of the century. They would not allow themselves to befall the same fate that landed their first vineyard within their grasp. Clement Rousseau was a result of this, the firstborn of the couple. They looked to mold her in their image, learning the tactics that had amased the Rousseau family nearly five-hundred aces at that point. They were quick to vet a suitable spouse for Clement, the son of a large winery owner within Grand Vertu named Raphael. Clement and Raphael were quick to take the reigns, though the duo opted to take a more polite and pretty approach to things. Blackmail was served with wine and smiles, rather than midnight visits. A hint of honesty was afforded with some land acquisitions, doing such in-person while trusted hands acted as other buyers on the same plots, while others continued making purchases on random plots around the nation, planting seeds for planned expansion. Clement's vision was beyond Sovereign Ithania, though. She set her sights on Vixhall, looking to purchase a modest amount of acreage in the area, as well as setting up a winery, the third winery wholly owned by the Rousseau family at that point.
The Rousseau family continued to grow their reach, passing their thousand-acre point by 250AC, and two-thousand by 273 with a long, drawn out aquisition plan. As the newest heir of the family became Matriarch, Rousseau wineries had become a staple among Sovereign Ithania, and a high-class bottle to keep stocked among Regalian social groups. Rose spent a significant deal of time pursuing loose ends that her family might have missed, looking to properly clear up the Rousseau name. The efforts paid off as the family name was becoming welcomed among the higher echelons of society. Their holdings in Vixhall expanded to a one-hundred acre vineyard, growing specialized grapes for the local winery and beginning to offer tours and wine tasting for Regalian elites. Throughout this time, Rose and her husband, Jules, tried for a child, though complications had led the couple to believe that she was unable to carry. Jules, a culturally Ithanian Teledden, suggested a that the couple take a pilgrimmage to Amontaar to visit Sapphora, the Heart's Desire, who was said to be able to bless one even in the worst of such circumstances. In a leap of faith, Rose agreed, and after some time was able to find her audience with Sapphora. The result was Raphael, affectionately nicknamed Eden, in remembrance of the peacefulness Sapphora had brought to a struggling Rose. The encounter found Rose able to carry afterward, bringing another child, Esme, to Aloria a few years following. With holdings secure, the future looking strong, and a family to hold close, it felt that little could stop the Rousseaus. It was not long before Sovereign Ithania began to rapidly militarize, presenting an opportunity that the Rousseaus were quick to jump on. A strong logistics network for specialty deliveries was already under their grasp, and they found an opportunity to make further use of it in arms dealings. Making use of their Regalian contacts, they began to offer shipments to the Ithanian government to help meet demand for the dramatic scale up, eventually purchasing a couple of forges to cut out the middleman. This proved to be a lucrative move, and they had already considered how to shift their arms dealing focus once Sovereign Ithania's contracts began to dry up. While standing armies rarely needed more arms during relative peacetime, the same was not necessarily true of mercenary bands, and through many back channels and quiet meetings, the Rousseau family began dealing with several prominent mercenary companies.
Though, the family would be tested in the years to come. Eden had been sent off to begin on their degree at the Regalian Statesman School in Vixhall. The rest of the family made to visit Regalia, looking to speak with those who tended to the lush gardens of Petal Court. The disaster that was the Twin Flames found the journey short lived, with Rose and Jules perishing to the flames in their effort to see Esme to safety. The family, or what was left of it, found itself tossed into turmoil. Eden looked to skip a year of schooling in an attempt to manage family affairs, but their grandfather, Raphael, interjected, pressuring Eden to allow him to manage the business while they completed their education and Esme looked to begin her own back in Sovereign Ithania. With three years to contemplate their parents' deaths and prepare to take over the family, Eden arrived in the Holy City for the first time in 311AC as the head of the House.
Lousie and Jean Marque had amased a rather sizeable amount of land by the turn of the century. They would not allow themselves to befall the same fate that landed their first vineyard within their grasp. Clement Rousseau was a result of this, the firstborn of the couple. They looked to mold her in their image, learning the tactics that had amased the Rousseau family nearly five-hundred aces at that point. They were quick to vet a suitable spouse for Clement, the son of a large winery owner within Grand Vertu named Raphael. Clement and Raphael were quick to take the reigns, though the duo opted to take a more polite and pretty approach to things. Blackmail was served with wine and smiles, rather than midnight visits. A hint of honesty was afforded with some land acquisitions, doing such in-person while trusted hands acted as other buyers on the same plots, while others continued making purchases on random plots around the nation, planting seeds for planned expansion. Clement's vision was beyond Sovereign Ithania, though. She set her sights on Vixhall, looking to purchase a modest amount of acreage in the area, as well as setting up a winery, the third winery wholly owned by the Rousseau family at that point.
The Rousseau family continued to grow their reach, passing their thousand-acre point by 250AC, and two-thousand by 273 with a long, drawn out aquisition plan. As the newest heir of the family became Matriarch, Rousseau wineries had become a staple among Sovereign Ithania, and a high-class bottle to keep stocked among Regalian social groups. Rose spent a significant deal of time pursuing loose ends that her family might have missed, looking to properly clear up the Rousseau name. The efforts paid off as the family name was becoming welcomed among the higher echelons of society. Their holdings in Vixhall expanded to a one-hundred acre vineyard, growing specialized grapes for the local winery and beginning to offer tours and wine tasting for Regalian elites. Throughout this time, Rose and her husband, Jules, tried for a child, though complications had led the couple to believe that she was unable to carry. Jules, a culturally Ithanian Teledden, suggested a that the couple take a pilgrimmage to Amontaar to visit Sapphora, the Heart's Desire, who was said to be able to bless one even in the worst of such circumstances. In a leap of faith, Rose agreed, and after some time was able to find her audience with Sapphora. The result was Raphael, affectionately nicknamed Eden, in remembrance of the peacefulness Sapphora had brought to a struggling Rose. The encounter found Rose able to carry afterward, bringing another child, Esme, to Aloria a few years following. With holdings secure, the future looking strong, and a family to hold close, it felt that little could stop the Rousseaus. It was not long before Sovereign Ithania began to rapidly militarize, presenting an opportunity that the Rousseaus were quick to jump on. A strong logistics network for specialty deliveries was already under their grasp, and they found an opportunity to make further use of it in arms dealings. Making use of their Regalian contacts, they began to offer shipments to the Ithanian government to help meet demand for the dramatic scale up, eventually purchasing a couple of forges to cut out the middleman. This proved to be a lucrative move, and they had already considered how to shift their arms dealing focus once Sovereign Ithania's contracts began to dry up. While standing armies rarely needed more arms during relative peacetime, the same was not necessarily true of mercenary bands, and through many back channels and quiet meetings, the Rousseau family began dealing with several prominent mercenary companies.
Though, the family would be tested in the years to come. Eden had been sent off to begin on their degree at the Regalian Statesman School in Vixhall. The rest of the family made to visit Regalia, looking to speak with those who tended to the lush gardens of Petal Court. The disaster that was the Twin Flames found the journey short lived, with Rose and Jules perishing to the flames in their effort to see Esme to safety. The family, or what was left of it, found itself tossed into turmoil. Eden looked to skip a year of schooling in an attempt to manage family affairs, but their grandfather, Raphael, interjected, pressuring Eden to allow him to manage the business while they completed their education and Esme looked to begin her own back in Sovereign Ithania. With three years to contemplate their parents' deaths and prepare to take over the family, Eden arrived in the Holy City for the first time in 311AC as the head of the House.
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