House Beldevere

No call unanswered. No duty abandoned.

— Motto

House Beldevere is one of the Great Houses of Caraegwyn, its heads reigning as dukes over the province of Logres. The house is famous for having forged legendary armaments from their supply of meteorite eternium beneath their home city of Starfall. These items are priceless heirlooms for any noble house lucky enough to possess one.
The Beldeveres are one of the oldest noble families, being able to trace their lineage to the Grail Champions of ancient caraegweni legend. They are also one of the wealthiest and most powerful houses in the land, having favourably navigated the political currents of the country for the last several centuries.
Contents

Culture

Traits

The Beldeveres are staunch supporters of the Crown and jealous rivals sometimes claim them to hold some special favour at court. Such rivals are aplenty, for the fortunes of House Beldevere seem endless; scions of the family tend to excel in whatever occupancy they choose, and the invaluable meteorite eternium mined from beneath their home city of Starfall has made the house perhaps the wealthiest in the land.

The White Knight

The title of the White Knight is traditionally held by a scion of House Beldevere. The title was first awarded to the legendary Ser Lancelot, a companion of King Arthur I Pendragon. The latest White Knight was Duke Tristan Beldevere, who was murdered out of jealousy by a rival nobleman. Since his demise, the title has not been granted to anyone.

History

The Fallen Star

In the mist-shrouded and nigh-forgotten ages of Caraegwyn's history, a blazing comet came down from the heavens and landed in the far-off countryside. Settlers raced to the site and a noble family laid claim to the lands, founding a prosperous city and erecting a mighty keep to defend it. This family was House Beldevere, and they named their new home Starfall.
In the crater of the comet's impact site was discovered a treasure trove; meteorite eternium was laced in the earth beneath the city in never-before-seen quantities. Cart after cart of the nearly invaluable mineral was hauled from the mines and quarries of Starfall, and with a monopoly on such a luxurious resource House Beldevere prosepered greatly. Envious and malicious gazes turned to Starfall as well, and the Beldeveres' road to glory was beset by trials and tribulations.
It is perhaps thanks to the wise and benevolent King Tristan I the Arbiter -- who reigned some thousand and odd years ago -- that House Beldevere still exists. The constant political, economical and martial pressure from the other houses had brought the Beldeveres low, and the realm had suffered by the nobles' rivalrous squabbling. The crown interceded, and a peace accord was drawn and signed by most noble families that gave House Beldevere absolute and final rights to Starfall and placed the house under the crown's direct protection.

The Forging

The peace negotiated by King Tristan the First ensured House Beldevere's survival and cemented their position as one of the most influential and wealthy houses in the realm for generations to come, but it all came at a great price. The accord demanded that House Beldevere gift magical armaments forged from meteorite eternium to the crown as well as all the noble families that had agreed to sign. True to their word, the Beldeveres began the undertaking nearly bankrupting their house in the process.
At great cost, the greatest artisans in the world were gathered to the caraegweni capital city of Caernarfon to begin the forging. Dwarven metalworkers and runesmiths were hired from Baruk-Tel, the Imperial Court of Egea sent its most senior mages and enchanters while the world-famous smiths and spellweavers of the Starlight Forge arrived from the elven nation of Ellondoth. Overseeing all these grandmaster craftsmen was the legendary high elf blacksmith Filumir. Wagonfuls of meteorite eternium arrived through Caernarfon's gates and the lords of the Sidhe gifted their mortal allies not only heartwood gathered from the depths of Bedegraine itself but also the enchanted hides of the most exotic and rare magical creatures of Tír-na-nÓg.
Forges screamed and the tang of magic filled the air for long days and nights as the assembled craftsmen toiled to work their mighty materials into the greatest of armaments. Although the undertaking was vast, under Filumir's command and guidance the work was swift and precise. One by one, weapons, shields and pieces of armor emerged from the workshop, and the mastery of all the assembled craftsmen was plain for all to see. Their works were true masterpieces, each item radiating sheer power and glowing bright with unbreakable enchantments. Exactly how many items the craftsmen produced and to what houses they were gifted is knowledge lost to the mists of time, but any of the armaments still accounted for today are prized as treasured heirlooms by houses lucky enougn to possess one.

Societal station
Great House
Liege
House Pendragon
Vassals
House Griffin
House Thorne
House Tallheart
House Brant
Seat
Castle Starfall by the city of Starfall
Fiefdom
Province of Logres
Heirlooms
Faithkeeper
Mirror Shield
Starlight

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Family leader
Ygraine Beldevere
Notable members
Cilia Beldevere

Parent Organization

House Pendragon

Subsidiary Organizations

• House Brant
• House Griffin
• House Tallheart
• House Thorne

Controlled Territories

• Starfall

Related Items

• Faithkeeper

Family Tree