House Cordelaine
House Cordelaine can trace its roots back to the earliest eras of Banteavan history.
They have always been a house of some status, though the height of their status came under Heawick's rule nearly 200 years ago.
They were influential managers of trade under Heawick, and when Heawick met a "bad end" in 1172, Cordelaine's status fell with them.
Fortunate not to completely vanish, nonetheless, Cordelaine tumbled out of relevancy, as under Ursthill and subsequent Sandoreale rule, few houses were willing to deal with Cordelaine.
The house's status and businesses steadily decayed, as wiser houses avoided political ties to them.
By 1389, Cordelaine had been reduced to their last, and oldest keep, in Sunderhelm, colloquially known as Copperhold, as the estate was said to have once boasted a copper roof to make it glimmer in the sunlight.
With Sunderhelm under Ildrafn's boot, and Cordelaine in a position of minimal significance, Ildrafn finally lent the house a lifeline, and began to engage in business dealings with them once more, finally giving Cordelaine minor status among their courts in 1396.
House Cordelaine has suffered the unfortunate fate of having backed the wrong horse. Their coffers were closely entwined with Heawick's, and the royal family owed them significant debt.
When the last Heawick king abdicated, he took a healthy chunk of the royal treasury with him in an attempt to escape. Though the escape attempt failed, the gold was never found.
When Ursthill and Sandoreale assumed the throne, any debts owed to Cordelaine were forgotten, and without access to the actual physical coin, simply worthless promisory notes, Cordelaine's fortunes were greatly diminished. The next 150 years saw them slowly bleed assets and ventures to simply stay afloat, until Ildrafn once more brought them into the fold in the 1390s.
House Cordelaine once presided over a significant trade empire, from which Heawick greatly benefitted. In fact, their status was so significant that if one were to go back far enough, the faces of some Cordelaine Dukes and Barons would have graced some denominations of currency.
As far as historical cultural impact, an old Cordelaine practice has been stolen and renamed by Sandoreale. The notion of a Cordelaine Coin.
A Cordelaine Coin, specifically copper, was used to show favor to merchants. Merchants who had Cordelaine Coppers with them could flash the coin to guards and inspectors to gain certain amounts of leniency regarding the goods they might bring into a city. The coins were copper, because they were meant to be overlooked by those who weren't "in on the game"
If a merchant had one, it often meant freedom from inspection. If an overzealous guard confiscated one, they were handsomely rewarded for returning it to Cordelaine, and *politely* encouraged to ignore them in the future. Alas, with the passage of time, most of the original Cordelaine coins have been melted down and debased. Cordelaine maintains a supply of them, but they lack value to any except Cordelaine.
Today, Cordelaine has been on the ascent. They are blessed with many clever minds, and their growth has been prolific - at present, High Count Errol Cordelaine boasts thirteen legitimate heirs, and despite his advanced age, "Bastards beyond number". While they remain confined to only Copperhold at present, their ledgers are at last creeping into the black, and their heirs are beginning to form political connections throughout Banteave.
Once, Upon a Time
Founding Date
1101
Type
Geopolitical, Great house
Family Leader
Founders
Parent Organization
Location
