Laurent and Mirielle
Historical Overview
Founding Myths
Most noble houses of Anhara have a founding myth. For the particularly ancient and powerful houses, these myths often form a central tenet of their character and that of the region they control. The older and more notable the myth, especially if it includes valorous deeds, pious behavior, or even the coveted visitation of Vestria, the more legitimacy the house gains and the easier it holds the loyalty of its vassals. House Braelea, as one of the most ancient major houses, has a particularly involved founding myth. In the ambiguous mists of the Legendary Cycles of Anhara, the founding of the non-Great Houses comes third, after the Nine Founders and the The Founders' Eyration. The latter of those two events saw the Nine Founders and Vestria wander across Anhara and divvy up the land between them, creating the modern regions of the nation. The founder of House Salis, Visalis Vintner, was given the Vinelands, and after establishing himself, sent Laurent of the Hedge to the Blossom Fields, the western portion of his territory.Literary Overview
Founding traditions of noble houses often form the core of Anhara's regional cultures. In the Blossom Fields, Laurent and his successors led to the Romance of Nobility, which established the region's persistent reputation for a land of chivalry and quests. The romance of Laurent and Mirielle is just one of the many tales associated with him, but the most iconic.Laurent's Wanderings
The tale starts with the journey of Laurent the Bard to the Blossom Fields. Laurent had a reputation as a bit of a rapscallion back at the Salis court of Nocboro, and before leaving, much to the enjoyment of the rest of the court, promised to only settle his seat where he found the most beautiful ladies of the Blossom Fields. His search to fulfill this promise would see him wander up and down the Blossom Fields, through its valesides and over its hills, strumming his lute and singing bawdy tunes. Laurent the Bard would have a number of encounters on his way there, hostile and otherwise. He would do battle with a great serpent, dwelling inside a hill, and escape it with a lullaby. He would find himself held captive in a hillfort, the most common early settlement in the Fields, and would bring its walls down with his voice. Most importantly Laurent would come across five ladies. While each would be inspirations for maidenly stock characters in later literature, they were not the one chosen for him, and despite wooing them each through song Laurent would always move on after hearing Vestria on the wind, ordering him away.Finding the Hedges
After experiencing many trials and tribulations, and being shooed northwards by Vestria, Laurent the Bard eventually came to a small inlet along the Bay de Noc. As he walked along the bottom of a valeside, plucking his lute, it opened up into a beautiful view of a hill, covered in hedges and flowers. Atop the hill, a young lady was tending this massive garden, and called out to him. Seeing she was clearly of noble bearing, Laurent approached, and met for the first time, Mirielle.Wooing Mirielle
Unlike Laurent's previous encounters, he was genuinely smitten, and pivoted from his humorous, bawdy compositions into something more effete. Calling up to Mirielle from lower down the hill, Laurent was met with a cold response, and decided to camp there to try again the following day. Unbeknownst to them both, Vestria sent a woods witch in the night, enchanting Laurent and leading him away. Spotting this from atop her hill, Mirielle followed them discreetly through the woods, resolved to rescue the bard. Coming upon the witch's hut, she watched them through the window, and saw Laurent suffering from some sort of concoction. In most versions of the story, she hides until the witch leaves, or lures her out somehow. Regardless, Mirielle eventually sneaks in, managing to brew a cure for Laurent and smuggle him back to Terracetop.Vestria's Visitation
With the hurried simplicity of any legend, it is almost taken for granted that Laurent and Mirielle fall in love following the rescue. This arrangement is confirmed when Vestria herself descends, in a rare and much coveted visitation, to marry the two and ordain their new house. Depending on the version of the story, Vestria does some variation on offering a prophecy as to the fate of House Braelea and gifting them some divine assistance in constructing the first castle on Terracetop, the seat of the new house.The Birth of House Braelea
"Put the Blossom Fields first and its loyalty will be your family's to command." - VestriaLater versions of the tale include a more detailed description of the Braelea castle, and introduce some of the recurring characters of the Braelea court who populated the pages of other legends from the Blossom Fields.
Date of Setting
Early Age of Rule
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