Duchy of Tresard (TRESS-ard)
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly, to be fearful of the night” -Sarah Williams
Notable House Qualities
Arcane, pragmatic, mysterious, guardians at the gate, lore keepers, windswept misty moors and dark forbidden woods. DnD gothic. Leans towards human, elves, tieflings, half-elves, and the occasional thing darker. Spector pale of skin with black (Tresard), silver-white (Allunare), or red hair (Cherayth).Structure
The Ducal family is currently led by Duke Sigmund Tresard. He is a dark haired man just past his prime, but who seems older due to a hard lived life and many injuries, now walking painfully with the help of a cane. He has a kind and humorous nature, which seems at odds with his generally foreboding appearance. He is a master warlock, and despite his battered body he is still strong in magic as he has made a deal with the Fey to protect his lands from the Shadewoods. Sigmund is often not at court, preferring to stay in the duchy to see to its needs and protection.
His sons are more often seen in the capital. Lord Treavor Tresard often travels on his father’s behalf when there are important votes that need his proxy, although Treavor follows in his father’s footsteps of preferring the rugged moors of his homeland to the glitz of the capital. Lord Josef Tresard is currently a full-time resident at the capital, a brilliant student in one of the magical universities.
The ducal holdings are in the far east of the Duchy, between the moors and the shadewood. There are also two counties:
Countess Julieta Cherayth holds the county in the northwest of the duchy, closest to the rest of Eisen and the capital, and therefore a bit more cosmopolitan than the rest of the duchy. She is a refined and elegant woman who has held her county strongly since inheriting it in middle age from her mother. She is married with several children of various ages, the oldest grown and the youngest about 7.
Count Virgil Allunare holds the county in the southwest, in hilly territory against the border with Vodacce. He is unmarried and quite young, having inherited upon the sudden and unexpected death of his father when he was a teenager. Now in his early 20s, he has made a reputation for himself as an adept politician.
Notable Members of House Tressard
(click to expand)Culture
Tresard lands are bordered by hills and mountains to the southwest, moors to the north east, and the forbidding Shadewoods to the west, and overall relatively isolated from the rest of Eisen. It is a hilly, rough, and sparsely populated land, dotted by craggy ruins of settlements and castles.
The headquarters of the Ducal holdings is a town called Ayrith, which supports a sizeable castle. However the castle and town are not the true social and economic hub of the duchy. Both almost seem lonesome and abandoned as they could obviously hold more people than they do.
The city of Lotans, in the northeast of the duchy is a bustling cosmopolitan center, and lies within the lands held by Countess Julieta Cherayth. There are also many prosperous towns in the lands held by Count Virgil Allunare, supported by trade from the border.
The house is known to be filled with magic users of various types, and are strong supporters of the use of magic and eletech in Eisen.
They are progressive, but pragmatic. They will embrace a new technology or way of doing something proven to be a benefit, but reject the idea of change just for change’s sake.
The nobility of the house have a closer connection to the common folks of their lands than in some Duchies. In a sparsely populated land where everyone must pitch in and band together for survival distinctions of class become less important. The formalities remain, but it would not be out of place to find Treavor Tressard dressed in common garb having an ale in a local public house after a ramble on the moors. Thus the House is usually a reliable vote/voice on measures that would benefit the common man.
Key Viewpoints Include
Know the dark, but do not lose the light.
All knowledge is worth having.
We’re all in this together.
Know the dark, but do not lose the light.
All knowledge is worth having.
We’re all in this together.
Public Agenda
Those of the Tresard house have very much a feeling of ‘these are my weirdos’ about them and while they will spar with each other they will drop everything to face an outside threat, especially if it is from the Shadewood.
Within the ruling families of the duchy there is a focus on cleverness and intellectual games. They will rarely, if ever, come at each other directly, but there is a robust game of one-upmanship and maneuvering between them. Any direct ploy (physical, socially, or political) is considered crude and beneath the intellect and skill expected. A successful gambit is as likely to be praised and celebrated with a drink than being taken personally. Rather like siblings playing pranks on each other, it’s all in good fun. This is an ideal that is ripe for abuse if a cadet house wants to make a play for leadership of the Duchy.
The House is known for keeping to themselves and does not maintain any deep rivalries with any of the other houses. The conservative houses get scorn for their backwards views, but that’s about as far as it goes.
Likewise, This house does not maintain close allies with the other houses. Individuals will form close bonds with other individuals, but it is from there loyalty stems and not a deeper alliance between the houses. The County of Julieta Cherayth has many trade ties and relationships among the nobility of Rosebrier and Bremen. The county of Virgil Allunare has ties to Vodaccian nobility.
House Tresard works to protect the realm from the twisted magics of the Shadewood. This is not just rumors to the Duchy but the lived reality of the Ducal holdings near the border. The Tresards are not the richest or most powerful politically of the three ruling families, but they have the strongest magic and the most iron will to hold the border.
Assets
The house is known for the arcane in all its forms, but it is rumored to dabble in the darker sides of things. The current Duke is a warlock, and there have been plenty of skilled wizards, sorcerers, and necromancers.
Isolated and mysterious. The Tresards keep to themselves and are slow to warm up to outsiders.
There are stories of how the Duchy has stood as the first and last line of defense against horrible twisted things coming out of the Shadewood. If you believe such tales the Tresards and their dark magics protect Eisen from things that are even darker.
The Tresards are pragmatists, and rather progressive for being isolated and somewhat provincial. They are known for embracing new ways of doing things as long as those ways prove better/more effective. This includes eletech, magic, ect. The Duchy has embraced eletech for defense and the occasional industry, but they are slow to adopt it for aesthetic or social comfort reasons.
A lot of House Tresard’s political power comes from their status (rumored?) as protectors of the border, the rumored possession of dark, fell, and powerful magics, and their general unwillingness to play political games when stuff needs to get done.
Tresard is generally a poor land, agriculturally speaking. The plains in the west of the duchy provide enough agriculture for support of the populace but not for export.
There is some mining in the hills.
There is a small but healthy trade in the gathering of arcane components (herbs, ect) from the moors and outskirts of The Shadewood.
The single largest money maker for the House/Duchy is trade across the border between the rest of Eisen and Vodacce. Merchants going either way have to pass through the duchy and coins are spent in towns along the route.
History
House Tresard was founded by Elijah Tresard, Human Fighter. About two centuries ago, a major incursion from the Shadewood decimated the previous ducal house. The Tresards were just a baronet at the time but Elijah Tresard rallied the remaining defenses and, just barely, held the incursion back. Once the incursion was beaten back he was rewarded with the ducal seat, but mainly by right of arms having taken and defended it.
Founding Date
1728
Type
Political, Family
Leader
Subsidiary Organizations
Location