House Deloffre

Noble house of Gedone, in the Kingdom of Andor.

History

One of the oldest noble houses in Gedone, House Deloffre was founded in -26 BKE during the establishment of Gedone itself. Romauld-Chabert Deloffre, a wealthy textile merchant and key ally of Lord Gedone Margrove, received lands and a noble title in return for his loyalty and service. In its first century, House Deloffre maneuvered with political dexterity to become a High House, one of the leading aristocratic families in the battle for power which the Gedonese refer to as the “War of Houses.” Romauld-Chabert and his son were cunning and ruthless, accumulating power through an array of overt and covert machinations.

Decline

Following the ascension of King Edgar I, however, House Deloffre began to fall out of favor. The new patriarchs were less cunning, less ambitious, and–bizarrely–much more prone to early and tragic deaths. The House Deloffre motto “With Fate Comes Fortune,” was often jokingly replaced by “Death Comes First, And Often,” though never within earshot of an actual Deloffre. By 145 KE, the Deloffres lost their High House status, becoming a minor player in the War of Houses. In 160 KE, House Deloffre patriarch Dartanian II was killed during the War of the Lion. The Deloffre family maintains that he died in support of King Garrick II’s claim of the throne, but other Gedonese nobles are quick to point out that he died on a hunt, killed by–-in a grim stroke of irony-–a wild peacock, the symbol of House Deloffre. This story has never been confirmed, but the Deloffres are quick to change the subject when the topic is brought up.

Present-Day

Following Dartanian II’s early death, authority passed to his eldest son, Dartanian III, but it is an open secret that the widow Esme Deloffre, known as the Iron Matron, truly pulls the strings of power for her son and what remains of House Deloffre. The famiy resides at the Palais Deloffre, an opulent manor located in Gedone's High Quarter.

Composition

The current living members of the noble house are as follows:

Esme Deloffre, the "Iron Matron," widow of Dartanian Deloffre II.
Dartanian Deloffre III, the eldest son and patriarch.
Dartanian Deloffre IV, second son and fabled "merchant prince of Gedone."
Dartanian Deloffre V, third son and general ne'er-do-well.
Désirée Deloffre, youngest daughter and social debutante.

Heraldry

The noble crest of House Deloffre is a peacock, representing the overt majesty and subdued ferocity of the noble family. The crest is wrapped in blue, the family color, and highlighted with purple, illustrating the ties to the royal house of Margrove. The motto, “Dum Sol Lucet,” is an ancient Bagaardian verse that translates in the common tongue to, “With Fate Comes Fortune.” As tradition, the crest is emblazoned on the shield and breastplate of every Deloffre knight. Notably, no Deloffre has been knighted in over fifty years.