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House Wintercross

The Wintercross family rose to prominence roughly 200 years ago, when Alric, a lowly man-at-arms helped expose a coup plot and saved the then current Duke's life from an assassin. He exposed that the Riece family, (a branch of House Amarand) was plotting to over throw the Amarand family and take the Duchy for themselves.
As thanks for Alric's loyalty and bravery, the Duke knighted him, gave him the rights of nobility and also bestowed the lands stripped from the Riece family, giving Wintercross the Weald and castle Stonehall.

Of course the Riece family did not initially comply with the order, and so the Duke gave Alric a mighty army to lay siege of the castle. Eventually, the majority of the Riece family died of disease and starvation, with the last remaining family member surrendering the castle to Alric, on the condition he'd be given the option of exile over execution, and for his men to be pardoned as they only acted as their oaths of loyalty demanded.
Alric accepted the surrender, and allowed Boise Riece to flee westward, never again to return to the Duchy.
Since then, the Wintercross family has looked after the Weald and it has prospered under the family.