Noble Houses of the Valgard Highlands
Below is listed the current Noble Houses found within the Province of the Valgard Highlands
House of Blythe
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - Two black bulls heads to the top and a yellow or gold crown to the bottom,on a green and brown split field, with a white embattled chevron
Origin - One of the many Aristocratic Houses found within Valgard, the House of Blythe rose to power after several clever business ventures, and now owns a large part of the City.
Current Head - Baron Pascal Blythe
House Words - "Pride and Honour"
House of Beaumont
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A yellow or gold lion and crown on a blue and white lozengy
Origin - One of the eldest famillies in the Valgard Highlands, the House of Beaumont have forever been the Provinces protectors. With large control over Valgard's military, Beaumont holds great political sway in Valgard. They also have ties to the Crown, with several generations of Beaumont having been crowned King of Arden in the past.
Current Head - Baron Fabien Beaumont
House Words - "Ever Vigilant"
House of Harcourt
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A white field with crossed hatched blue and purple, with a yellow or gold crown at the bottom centre
Origin - A prominant family that married in to Nobility, the House of Harcourt is renowned for its judges. Individual family members often travel Arden to educate other Houses on how best to uphold the law, as well as spreading the family's influence far and wide.
Current Head - Baroness Estelle Harcourt
House Words - "Justice is our shield"
House of Lorraine
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A red rose with yellow or gold crown above, upon a white field and with a wavy red border
Origin - House Lorraine was granted Noble status after a great tournament for the King. Ser Gaspard Lorraine, a Knight in the service of Valgard, won every match in both the melee and jousting, but remained humble and chivalrous throughout. This impressed the current King, who bestowed the Noble Title and a small amount of land around Valgard to the Knight.
Current Head - Baroness Melanie Lorraine
House Words - "Chivalrous through victory"
House of Valois
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - Silvered coins and a yellow or gold crown to the top middle, upon a purple field with a white, wavy fess
Founded - 827 AF
Origin - The House of Valois is responsible for founding the Copperhead Trading Company, and still owns it to this day. It was for this reason the family was granted Noblity, and now legally owns the area of Valgard that houses the main offices and warehouses of Copperhead Trading
Current Head - Baron Laurent Valois
House Words - "Wealth for the people, Wealth for all"
Other Noble Houses
House of Capet
Location - Caltallino
Coat of Arms - A black mountain upon a green, yellow and blue field divided parted per cross
Origin - Caltallino is known for great gold and silver mines, and it is the Capet family who is responsible for managing and industralising this. Recognising the benefits this has had for the country, the King granted the Capet family titles and land around Caltallino
Current Head - Count Nicolas Capet
House Words - "Forged in the shadows of mountains"
House of Fox
Location - Miremont
Coat of Arms - A white or silver fox on a blue and purple, vertical striped field
Origin - The House of Fox was given Nobility for its wealth and lumber industry, having been a prime-supplier of wood for much of Arden
Current Head - Count Gustave Fox
House Words - "Cunning and Ingenuity"
House of Holman
Location - Cerenas
Coat of Arms - A black bridge on a field of pale blue
Founded - 325 AF
Origin - During the The Conflict of the North, the Holman family of Cerenas led a decisive battle against the Blackbridge family. The main bridge crossing the Icepine River between the Valgard Highlands and Nelheim is destroyed, bringing a brief era of peace in the region. The Holman family is honoured by the King and given Cerenas and its surrounding lands to govern.
Current Head - Lady Monique Holman
House Words - "Breaking bridges to bring peace"
House of Monzepal
Location - Tavindella, Svartwell Keep
Coat of Arms - Two yellow or golden symbols of the Holy Light in the top-left and bottom-right corners, upon a field of dark red and white quartered
Origin - A princess of a former King, the youngest of his daughters, fell in love with a gallant Knight from the Valgard Highlands. The King approved of their love after some time, and granted Tavindella and the lands around it to the Knight to fromally recognise him as a Noble, and be of a station to marry his beloved daughter.
Current Head - Lord Alexi Monzepal
House Words - "The Light will bring love to all"
House of Lambton
Location - Lambton, Lambton Hill, Marhill Manor
Coat of Arms - A pink-purple great worm coiled upon a field of grey
Founded - 359 AF
Origin - The Lambton family was a key player in brokering relations between Nelheim and the Valgard Highlands after the conclusion of The Conflict of the North.
Current Head - Count Adrien Lambton
House Words - "Peace, Prosperity, Hope"
House of Evreux
Location - Nitraki, Wyrmbone Woods
Coat of Arms - Two white flowers in the top-right and bottom-left, upon an orange and cream field divided per bend with a blue cheron fess invected
Origin - Nitraki and the surrounding lands were given over to a young Prince of a former King, who had a fascination with flowers. It is often thought that the Prince was unusual or quirky, and that the King simply wanted rid of him. The Prince went on to form the House of Evreux.
Current Head - Countess Gwendeline Evreux
House Words - "Flowers blossom in peace"
House of Artois
Location - Erymas
Coat of Arms - A black tower on a field of yellow, with an orange enbattled chief
Origin - A great advisor to a former King granted Erymas and its lands to one of his chief advisors to retire in.
Current Head - Lord Jonathan Artois
House Words - "In service to the King"
House of Fayette
Location - Auzances
Coat of Arms - A light grey chevron upon a field of black, with a stylised red and yellow border
Founded - 841 AF
Origin - Auzances and its lands were gifted to the Fayette family, who helped raise a small army from Valgard's populace to aid in The Orcish War.
Current Head - Lord Wilfrid Fayette
House Words - "Defenders of peace"
Barony of the Valgard Highlands
Set apart from other Nobles of Arden, the Valgard Highlands has a large amount of Noble Houses. The City of Valgard itself has five such Houses, who share in the ruling of the Valgard Highlands in their own form of Royal Court. This Court has an indidivual from one of the Noble Houses found within Valgard, who has duties akin to the Barons of other Provinces.House of Blythe
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - Two black bulls heads to the top and a yellow or gold crown to the bottom,on a green and brown split field, with a white embattled chevron
Origin - One of the many Aristocratic Houses found within Valgard, the House of Blythe rose to power after several clever business ventures, and now owns a large part of the City.
Current Head - Baron Pascal Blythe
House Words - "Pride and Honour"
House of Beaumont
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A yellow or gold lion and crown on a blue and white lozengy
Origin - One of the eldest famillies in the Valgard Highlands, the House of Beaumont have forever been the Provinces protectors. With large control over Valgard's military, Beaumont holds great political sway in Valgard. They also have ties to the Crown, with several generations of Beaumont having been crowned King of Arden in the past.
Current Head - Baron Fabien Beaumont
House Words - "Ever Vigilant"
House of Harcourt
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A white field with crossed hatched blue and purple, with a yellow or gold crown at the bottom centre
Origin - A prominant family that married in to Nobility, the House of Harcourt is renowned for its judges. Individual family members often travel Arden to educate other Houses on how best to uphold the law, as well as spreading the family's influence far and wide.
Current Head - Baroness Estelle Harcourt
House Words - "Justice is our shield"
House of Lorraine
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - A red rose with yellow or gold crown above, upon a white field and with a wavy red border
Origin - House Lorraine was granted Noble status after a great tournament for the King. Ser Gaspard Lorraine, a Knight in the service of Valgard, won every match in both the melee and jousting, but remained humble and chivalrous throughout. This impressed the current King, who bestowed the Noble Title and a small amount of land around Valgard to the Knight.
Current Head - Baroness Melanie Lorraine
House Words - "Chivalrous through victory"
House of Valois
Location - Valgard
Coat of Arms - Silvered coins and a yellow or gold crown to the top middle, upon a purple field with a white, wavy fess
Founded - 827 AF
Origin - The House of Valois is responsible for founding the Copperhead Trading Company, and still owns it to this day. It was for this reason the family was granted Noblity, and now legally owns the area of Valgard that houses the main offices and warehouses of Copperhead Trading
Current Head - Baron Laurent Valois
House Words - "Wealth for the people, Wealth for all"
Other Noble Houses
House of Capet
Location - Caltallino
Coat of Arms - A black mountain upon a green, yellow and blue field divided parted per cross
Origin - Caltallino is known for great gold and silver mines, and it is the Capet family who is responsible for managing and industralising this. Recognising the benefits this has had for the country, the King granted the Capet family titles and land around Caltallino
Current Head - Count Nicolas Capet
House Words - "Forged in the shadows of mountains"
House of Fox
Location - Miremont
Coat of Arms - A white or silver fox on a blue and purple, vertical striped field
Origin - The House of Fox was given Nobility for its wealth and lumber industry, having been a prime-supplier of wood for much of Arden
Current Head - Count Gustave Fox
House Words - "Cunning and Ingenuity"
House of Holman
Location - Cerenas
Coat of Arms - A black bridge on a field of pale blue
Founded - 325 AF
Origin - During the The Conflict of the North, the Holman family of Cerenas led a decisive battle against the Blackbridge family. The main bridge crossing the Icepine River between the Valgard Highlands and Nelheim is destroyed, bringing a brief era of peace in the region. The Holman family is honoured by the King and given Cerenas and its surrounding lands to govern.
Current Head - Lady Monique Holman
House Words - "Breaking bridges to bring peace"
House of Monzepal
Location - Tavindella, Svartwell Keep
Coat of Arms - Two yellow or golden symbols of the Holy Light in the top-left and bottom-right corners, upon a field of dark red and white quartered
Origin - A princess of a former King, the youngest of his daughters, fell in love with a gallant Knight from the Valgard Highlands. The King approved of their love after some time, and granted Tavindella and the lands around it to the Knight to fromally recognise him as a Noble, and be of a station to marry his beloved daughter.
Current Head - Lord Alexi Monzepal
House Words - "The Light will bring love to all"
House of Lambton
Location - Lambton, Lambton Hill, Marhill Manor
Coat of Arms - A pink-purple great worm coiled upon a field of grey
Founded - 359 AF
Origin - The Lambton family was a key player in brokering relations between Nelheim and the Valgard Highlands after the conclusion of The Conflict of the North.
Current Head - Count Adrien Lambton
House Words - "Peace, Prosperity, Hope"
House of Evreux
Location - Nitraki, Wyrmbone Woods
Coat of Arms - Two white flowers in the top-right and bottom-left, upon an orange and cream field divided per bend with a blue cheron fess invected
Origin - Nitraki and the surrounding lands were given over to a young Prince of a former King, who had a fascination with flowers. It is often thought that the Prince was unusual or quirky, and that the King simply wanted rid of him. The Prince went on to form the House of Evreux.
Current Head - Countess Gwendeline Evreux
House Words - "Flowers blossom in peace"
House of Artois
Location - Erymas
Coat of Arms - A black tower on a field of yellow, with an orange enbattled chief
Origin - A great advisor to a former King granted Erymas and its lands to one of his chief advisors to retire in.
Current Head - Lord Jonathan Artois
House Words - "In service to the King"
House of Fayette
Location - Auzances
Coat of Arms - A light grey chevron upon a field of black, with a stylised red and yellow border
Founded - 841 AF
Origin - Auzances and its lands were gifted to the Fayette family, who helped raise a small army from Valgard's populace to aid in The Orcish War.
Current Head - Lord Wilfrid Fayette
House Words - "Defenders of peace"
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