On The Eldridge Family

Excerpt from A Guide to the Bristol Islands, by Yoren Whyte
‘The Eldridge family has ruled the Isle of Deirdre for well over 500 hundred years. Such success as a house can be accredited to its flexibility in matters of change, their patronage to the University of Ockscartly, and their value of intelligence. The family, which has never been large, often has its children study at the university, and as such, often sees marriages arranged within the scholastic circles as opposed to the nobility, as is the norm for most of the noble houses in Bristol. Another point of interest in the family is the fact that they do not differentiate between the base-born children (bastards) and legitimate heirs. There has even been several unwed Earls who have legitimized illegitimate children to become their successors. The currant Arless, Tanya Eldridge, appears to be following this questionable practice as well, she is mother to no less than three children, the eldest which was probably fathered by a Tiefling.
As unconventional as the family has been, their success in the market cannot be denied. While a substantial portion is invested in the University every year, The Eldridge family has also sponsored the 1st Explorative Fleet, whose mandate is to explore the wide reaches of the world, and assess potential trade partners and threats alike. It was this same fleet, under the command of Norton Halaway, who first circumnavigated the globe in 165 RA. The military research performed at Ockscartly is often founded in part by The Eldridge family.’