House Boulderdash

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I fought off basilisks, resisted the deep cuts of winter from myself with my force of will. I braved the danger of mother nature herself, and crushed one rebellious army after the next. But, nothing scared me more than the day I had my son.

~ Garthorn Bladebreaker ~

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The Bladebreaker

With the militarization of the Tenelean nation under the crown of Zara Civilius III, luck fell upon one noble lineage who soared up the ranks of the noble hierarchy over the course of the next two centuries. This was the elf-human family, House Boulderdash. But back then, it was not all elves and humans, and it was also known by a different name. It all began with an orc named Garthorn Bladebreaker.
In the late 600s, Gohn was a nation dominated by orcish rulers and their slaves of various other races. In this period, the warmongers pulled the kingdom of Ravenna into a bloody conflict in the name of war. But, they were utterly defeated at war's end and the orcish's population decimated. Utilizing their vulnerability, the slaves broke out all across the Orcorod Desert and Tangled Jungle with uprisings.
Vastly outnumbered, the orcs were forced to release their captors as the golden age of the orcs came to an end; the former slaves formed their own city states in the desert, and the orcs were left isolated in the jungle.
Six-hundred years later, Garthorn is one such orc who lived in the surviving clan of the Olden Tusk. Like the others, he held an eternal grudge against what his people had become, and refused to live such an isolated life. So, he set out on his own across the continent. He crossed the desert, avoiding any of its settlements he could. He braved the hot summers and cold winters on his own as he traveled. He fought off countless beasts of many kinds as he continually harnessed his orc's will to survive.
But the day Garthorn stepped foot in Tenelea during its militarization, his journey came to an end. He felt at home in a place that did not reject him and encouraged such might.
To his surprise, his actions in the wild had earned tales and legends in these growing communities, and his strength was easily accepted into the Tenelean Empire's army. This strength alone helped quell the disparate rebellions that refused to follow such a new imperial system; the Bladebreaker name traveled across the land as a name to be feared and respected. Finally, Garthorn found success and recognition. And when he met his future elven wife, Helga Grimstone, he finally found a family too.
In 1,240, with the birth of his only son, Zorgon, the Bladebreaker House was formed.

Rise of the Bladebreakers

As time came and passed, the Bladebreaker's renown rose. Zorgon Bladebreaker would go on to have three children of his own, each of which were ambitious for more of the prestige they were born into. His first son, Augustus grew up to be an excellent diplomat and a stunning charismatic, a personality entirely unheard of for an orc. His efforts secured influence, trust, and power with many other houses and organizations.
His second son, Oskar was a pure reflection of his grandfather, Garthorn. He lived for the thrill of a good fight, and did so as a noble gladiator inside the Imperial Coliseum. His raw ferocity saw him undefeated for many years, and was so intimidating that on several occasions contestants dropped out the moment they learned he was their opponent. For ten years, Oskar fought as the champion. He retired the day he suffered his first loss in his life against the young prodigy, Davidus Fon.
Zorgon's third son, Rupprecht was the first Bladebreaker to not hold any orcish blood. His entirely elven traits, inherited from his mother stunned the family and the other noble houses. In his life, Rupprecht grew up an economist and a learning merchant. His quick thinking, coupled with his natural elven suave earned the family a place as one of the richest houses in the Tenelean Empire. But to this day, there are still now two people who can agree on what his most famous trait was. His pure elven blood? His economic success? Or the two children that came after him?

Age of the Boulderdash

As young men, Richard and Wilhelm Bladebreaker wished to leave the confines of the noble estate to sate their thirst for an adventure. The sons of Rupprecht, their father hoped for them to instead stay and take after him, but their mother was never one to abide by rules often. It took poking and prodding, but Richard and Wilhelm earned their approval for a year-long journey on their own across Westerin.
Their journey started off calm, but in their travel through the hills of Forokia into the Twilight Lake, a terrible storm forced them underground into the mountains. Only fate could have known the situation the two were about to be mixed up in.
They had little time to take in the ruins they unexpectedly came across before a terrible group of monsters were upon them. They were like dogs on two legs, and should the dwarf that rescued them an instant later not have appeared, their story would have surely ended there. But, Gruthor Boulderdash was an ashy-gray dwarf who rushed them to quiet space. They were told of how insane they were to drop into what they did. The Yeenu were a tribe who wouldn't think twice of roasting them in praise to a terrible god they worshiped.
And currently, Richard and Wilhelm showed up in the middle of a large-scale invasion against Gruthor's clan. Truth be told, his clan had already been killed, but the Yeenu and its leader, Bvorik Clawfang's hunt was not done. Gruthor was the final one that needed to go, and he warned the two to escape while they had the chance and let Gruthor fend for himself. But overcome with compassion for him, the two refused to leave his side and vowed to help him do more than survive. They would bring down Bvorik too.
For the next week, the three turned the hunters into the hunted as they picked off the small packs of Yeenu one at a time. They caved tunnels to manipulate how the Yeenu moved and liberated as many areas of Gruthor's former home as they could. In the process, Wilhelm came across ancient texts relating to a form of technological weaponry unheard of since the Old World. With Gruthor's approval, Wilhelm kept it, interested to see what he could learn from it.
However, the three of them were not the only to end up laying traps for the enemy. When they learned of Bvorik's location deep in an isolated temple, the trio was quick to move in, plan their ambush, and finish him off once and for all. But, Bvorik's ambush was sprung first. The three were surrounded as Bvorik had intentionally let himself in the open to trick them. A grueling fight ensued as Richard, Wilhelm, and Gruthor fought for their lives. But no matter their efforts, the Yeenu kept coming.
But, Gruthor knew how to end the fight and defeat Bvorik, and what it would cost. He ordered the two brothers to escape, but they wouldn't abandon him. Only after telling them they couldn't bring their adventure back home if they didn't go home either did they accept to flee while they could. Gruthor promised he'd finish this, and Richard vowed to always remember the Boulderdash name.
Richard and Wilhelm narrowly escaped the tunnels as Gruthor, abandoning all safety crushed the supports of the ruined temple, bringing the ground crashing down on top of him, the Yeenu, and Bvorik.
Heartbroken to lose the friend, Richard and Wilhelm returned to the empire, bringing with them the tale of their adventure, and the riches they'd discovered. On the day Richard replaced Rupprecht as the head of the house years later, he held to honoring Gruthor by changing the House name to Boulderdash. Wilhelm and his other brothers endorsed this. Only one line of the family chose not to honor this change, and so that branch of the family kept the name Bladebreaker.

The War of Turmoil

With Richard and Wilhelm's extraordinary claim to fame, the head of House Boulderdash was rewarded a seat in the Court of Conquest. For the next years to come, it was obvious to see a future war on the empire's horizon, and Richard and Wilhelm were more than willing to prepare as hard as they could for it.
Richard Boulderdash joined the Wyvern Riders as a trainee while Wilhelm studied the ancient texts that unlocked a form of artillery the empire had never seen. When Richard fully tamed his wyvern, Cicatrix, he was crowned the Alpha over the division. Meanwhile, Wilhelm had perfected a new invention the empire was eager to test out. Wilhelm called them howitzers and he was promoted to an imperial officer over his own division of them.
When war came in 1520, Richard and his wyverns laid siege to Ravenna in the east. And Wilhelm's firepower battered the Heartened Soul Monastery in the north. Their military skill was put to he test and surpassed anyone's expectations.
Before the war, Richard had his first son, Hector Boulderdash. And shortly into the war, he adopted Ravennian war orphans into the family named Graydon, Aileen, and Sarah Dric. In the same period, Wilhelm birthed his only son, Maximus Boulderdash. In the close out of the war, the Boulderdash House had never felt more patriotic and willing to conquer in the name of the Cosmis Warrior. But a steep decline was coming fast.

The Fractured House

In 1,520, Hector Boulderdash birthed his first of two sons, Frederick Boulderdash. Hector was a very harsh parent, and his hot temper quickly drove Frederick away to a point his grandfather, Richard was the only person he cared to be around. Hector expected Frederick to be ruthless, but Richard taught him to be patient and careful. At a young age, Frederick was destined to one day steal into the Ravennian and kingdom and sabotage it from the inside.
The day he left, the House was excited to see what his efforts would achieve. But, for years to come, the House heard nothing back from him. Richard grew worried, but Hector, now the Head Mind of the Tenelean Inquisitors, grew angry. The family did not see Frederick for nearly ten years later, by which point even Emperor Civilius V was growing discontent with a Boulderdash running around unaccounted for in an enemy territory.
When Frederick finally resurfaced, it was in 1550 AC deep inside the Trispire Mountains with Richard and Hector. He was with a group of adventurers here just like he and Wilhelm had been long ago. Richard hadn't known what happened before, but now Frederick was on a quest to stop a Yeenu named Graak Clawfang from a terrible plot. Richard was hesitant on whether to abandon his post and aid his grandson or not, but that answer came when he received a letter sealed by the emperor himself hours after Frederick left.
The emperor had officially declared Frederick Boulderdash an enemy to the empire, and Richard's task was to find him and eliminate him without pause. Instead, Richard chose to abandon the empire and aid his grandson in one final adventure.
Betraying the empire, House Boulderdash faced major backlash as Richard's titles were removed and all members of the house faced accusations on the basis of treason. Richard's wife, Amelia, was executed after refusing to denounce the actions of her husband. Lilliana Boulderdash, the granddaughter of Augustus, fled into hiding. And the most twisted effect of all came at the hands of Hector. Kept only between him and the emperor, he kept all his prestige by murdering his wife who refused to denounce her son.
Since then, Richard, Frederick, and Lilliana's locations have remained out of the attention of the empire, and House Boulderdash has continued on in a much more sinister light.
Though it has still maintained its influence, most nobles take it with a grain of salt, and most of the house today lies in a divided mess because of the sudden disaster in 1,550.

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Things were so much simpler as kids. Back then, my cousin Hector's eyes always glowed with joy and the anticipation to be something big. Now, all I see is hate and manipulation...

~ Maximus Boulderdash ~

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ORGANIZATION CHART NOT AVAILABLE

Type

Political, Family

Parent Organization

Tenelea

Defection

Hector's hands toiled at the letter in his hands.
House Boulderdash had earned its name thanks to the layer of effort its family members put into earning its place among royalty. Hector had absolutely kept a hand in that, and at their peak, he'd toiled away with restless nights braving the headaches, nuances, and intricacies of the house's politics.
He'd helped straighten out and expand the empire's intelligence network across the whole continent. He'd squared away the noble heirarchy and made sure everyone, especially High Inquisitor Authorus, know their place. For plane's sake, he'd even gotten into good graces with the emperor himself.
And he was not about to let all of it go to waste just because of his dim-witted father's compassion for Hector's deserter of a son. No, since his youth he'd worked to get to where he is now. Hector realized what would happen if everything came crashing down on him. He'd lose more than his title. More than his prestige or his renown. He'd lose his entire life.
Ugh, thinking about Richard in that moment made Hector's head swell with an ulcer. How could the old man not see the facts right in front of him? Frederick was doing exactly what the man had taught him to do all these years. Hector had tried, but press a single button and the child collapsed like a stack of blocks on a ball. No, Richard has taught the kid the ins and outs of espionage, the etiquette to blending into a society and sneaking your way in.
The man had taught Frederick how to live off the map, for crying out loud!
And now, when the empire had been forced to cut ties with Frederick because of it, Richard abandoned his entire life's work to further endanger the empire's integrity.
Now, both of them were nowhere to be found, labeled as treasonous criminals. For all Hector knew, they could be waiting in secret, plotting out what to... wait.
Hector leaned back in his chair, face looking up to the dim chandelier that hung from the ceiling. His lips parted and a breathy laugh escaped.
Of course. That had to be it. Richard and the boy had been planning this from the start. Their betrayal had been inevitable, something Hector was surprised he'd never seen the hints of early on. But it all made complete sense.
Sneak into the Ravennian kingdom, establish a connection, and when everything is set in stone, escape and spill all the empire's dirty secrets. That was why he'd seen Frederick turn up in the Trispire Mountains after so many years. It was too perfect for something like that to happen while he, Frederick, and Richard were all in one place.
Defection. Oh, that word sent chills down Hector's spine, and he hated it.
Because of what those two had done, House Boulderdash was on the verge of absolute collapse. Because of what those traitors had caused, Hector was forced into something that would need to remain a secret between him and the emperor for eternity.
His fingers brushed across the rough paper letter still in his hands again. He turned the paper over, getting a good look at the imperial seal pasted onto its main fold. For a moment, he just stared at it...
The Boulderdash name would not fall here.
There was a knock at the door. In a breath, Hector's grip tightened on the letter before he slammed it face down onto his desk.
"Dear?" Katarina's voice was curious and shy just beyond the door.
"Yes," Hector called back, "I am inside. Do come in."
Slowly the door opened as his beautiful wife stepped in. "Butler Keddus said you needed to speak with me. He said it was urgent."
Hector took two steps over to her, putting his hands across her shoulders as he guided her into the room. "Yes, dearest, you are correct. Please, have a seat." Taken by his hand, Katarina sat down in the chair Hector was in a moment ago.
"Dear, I hope this is not about our son. We've been through this too many times already... don't make me cry again."
"Not at all." Hector soothed. "That isn't at all why I wished to speak with you."
There was a small sniffle from her. "Then what is on your mind."
His hands landed on her knees. "Do you remember your family?"
"My... family?"
"Dearest, did you forget? You break my heart..." Her hands rose to cup his face.
"Of course not! I'd never forget such important things." There was a small pause as her face adopted a more solemn expression. "My mother and father were John and Josine Christoforus."
"As in... the Ravennian Christoforus, yes?"
There was a hint of hesitation to Katarina then, but she continued. "Yes, dear."
Hector looked deep into his wife's eyes. "Do you remember how we met?" Her eyes started to look scared, but he calmed her by letting her cheek rest into his hand. She closed her eyes.
"We met the day I left that place."
"Mmm, yes. And why did you leave that place?"
She didn't answer for a moment. Instead, she glanced toward the desk, and out of curiosity, picked up the paper with the imperial seal on it.
"Because I... defected from Ravenna." She answered as she turned the page, beginning to read what it said.
"Yes you did." Without hesitation, Hector weaved a set of daggers out of thin air from behind her. Katarina's eyes went wide seeing what was written.

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From the hallway, butler Keddus was making his rounds. Tonight was usually the time the Mr. and Mrs. received their evening tea. Despite what this family was going through lately, Keddus the dwarf wasn't about to let this family go under and be out of a job so easily. He'd work his butt off if he had to.
He slowly came to a stop just in front of their bedchamber door. He tightened his bowtie and made sure his posture was appropriate for when he did enter. He rose his hand to knock, but stopped when he saw something moving on the floor.
Thin red lines were slowly snaking their way out from beneath the door. A small line of it slowly began to pool beside his right boot. Perhaps it was just the lighting, but Keddus swore it looked just like...
"AAAAAAH!" A soul-wrenching man's scream came from just inside the room. In that same second, Keddus fully realized the horror of the situation.

Mrs. Boulderdash was always the nicest woman I'd known. To think even she'd kill herself out of this stress!

~ Keddus