The Bellamy Family
A family of aristocratic Elves that have been heavily involved in Naddredian politics for centuries. Though no Bellamy has ever served as Prince (yet), members of this family are something of an institution in the Naddred Mages Council, and it's generally accepted that their hands are quite busy behind the scenes of power. For an Elven family, attaining and holding onto political power is not easy in the Human dominated political climate of the great Port City, and the fact that the Bellamys have held so much for so long makes them formitable indeed. The Bellamys are known to be powerful Mages, ruthless politicians, and a force to be reckoned with for any who wish to attain power in Naddred.
Structure
Like most families, the Bellamys have no official organizational structure; rank is determined by such things as age, birth order, and force of personality. Currently, the generally accepted head of the family is Lady Arabella Bellamy, a high ranking member of the Mage's Counsel. As the family's oldest living matriarch and, arguably, the most skilled magic user in Naddred, she commands a great deal of power and respect; though, rumor has it, not as much as she'd like. Her desire that a Bellamy should occupy the Prince's throne in Naddred is often whispered about behind feathered fans and elegantly gloved hands at high society balls. That an Elf has never attained the throne doesn't seem to bother her.
Lady Arabella has a single heir, a half-Human daughter born of a brief tryst with a Human nobleman in her youth. Stubborn and with a refusal to be shamed, Lady Arabella has always refused to reveal the father of her daughter, Janelle, and has raised her as a full, legitimate heir. Talk among the nobility is that she is angling to have Janelle introduced to the young and newly established Prince Geordy Pendleghast, in the hopes of placing her daughter in a high position at court.
Lady Arabella has a single heir, a half-Human daughter born of a brief tryst with a Human nobleman in her youth. Stubborn and with a refusal to be shamed, Lady Arabella has always refused to reveal the father of her daughter, Janelle, and has raised her as a full, legitimate heir. Talk among the nobility is that she is angling to have Janelle introduced to the young and newly established Prince Geordy Pendleghast, in the hopes of placing her daughter in a high position at court.
Public Agenda
The slogan of the Bellamy family, "Wealth in Knowledge," speaks to their values, and they have always been a family that puts great import on the power one can attain through learning. Publicly, this can be seen in how many Bellamys are highly trained Mages, but it also speaks to the family's almost uncanny talent for gathering and using information on their fellow noble families.
Historically, the Bellamy family has made no bones about their goals. They are a powerful family seeking more power, and will use their cunning, their wealth, their magics, and their connections in order to attain positions of high office and import for family members.
Historically, the Bellamy family has made no bones about their goals. They are a powerful family seeking more power, and will use their cunning, their wealth, their magics, and their connections in order to attain positions of high office and import for family members.
Assets
The Bellamys are, without a doubt, Old Money. In addition to their palatial manor in the Patriciate, they can claim several vacation homes and land holdings outside the city, as well as shares in many money making ventures and businesses. Perhaps their greatest source of power, however, comes from their involvement in Naddredian politics, which is something of a long standing family tradition. Hardly a law may be passed in the port city without the backing of the Bellamy family.
History
Like most of the truly ancient Elven dynasties, the origins of the Bellamy family are lost to time, shrouded by the chaos of the Sundering. The family itself chooses to believe they must be descendants of some great clan of the pre-Sundering Ancient Elven Empire, and most contemporary historians can find no reason to definitively say they aren't. Indeed, references to the Bellamy name can be found in documents dated as far back as 780 A.S.
What is quite certain is the source of the family's long history of success and admiration. Innate magical power seems to feature generously in the bloodline of the Bellamys, and what's more, a strong family tradition of perusing higher magical education. It's possible to count the number of known Bellamys who didn't attend the College of the Magi and become powerful and respected Mages on one hand.
What is quite certain is the source of the family's long history of success and admiration. Innate magical power seems to feature generously in the bloodline of the Bellamys, and what's more, a strong family tradition of perusing higher magical education. It's possible to count the number of known Bellamys who didn't attend the College of the Magi and become powerful and respected Mages on one hand.
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