#2nd estate(nobility)

[etoiiie]

A revolution that went so appallingly wrong

__________________________________________

It's so horribly shocking of how the 3rd estate(or literally everybody else in the french population) tried to find equality in their nation just to cause legal genocide. (- It just felt so backwards to me -)

[stepmarchen]

A Stepmother’s Marchen (as we know so far)

An extensive summary of the 1st timeline:

The 1st Timeline, Part 1 (2nd Timeline), Part 2 (2nd Timeline)

1072: Johannes is born

~ Johannes, Ludovika, Maximillian, Albrecht, and Heidi meet

~ The imperial war takes place. Alicia, an imperial knight, becomes crippled.

1095: Erwin (Richelieu) is born

~Johannes gifts Ludovika lavender roses

~ The Emperor Maximilian is engaged to Elizabeth but marries Ludovika

~ Johannes confesses to Ludovika. Ludovika challenges his love

~ Johannes marries Alicia

1099: Shuli is born.

1100: Ludovika gives birth to Theobold.

1101: Jeremy and Nora are born

~Ludovika dies. The royal family orders for all lavender roses to be destroyed.

~ Emperor Maximilian marries Elizabeth

~ Erwin is baptized and begins his priesthood training

1103: Elias and Ohara are born

1105: Erwin “dies” in a river and is saved by God

1107: Leon and Rachel are born

~ Alicia dies

~ Theobold blames Nora for breaking Albrecht’s (Nora’s father) prized pipe.

~ Nora’s rebellion begins and he befriends commonfolk

1119: Erwin, now Richelieu, becomes a Vicar

1110: Richelieu discovers the secret passageways of the Vatican and becomes a priest. He takes on Wolffe as his follower.

1111: Richelieu becomes Theobold’s teacher

1113: Johannes marries Shuli

~ Johannes begins training Shuli to be the head of the household

~ Duke Heinrich and Johannes decide to arrange a political marriage between Jeremy and Ohara.

1114: Johaness’ condition worsens. Shuli receives a love letter and a necklace. Johannes discovers this and accuses Shuli of an affair. Johannes attempts to lock away Shuli then collapses.

1115: Johannes dies of pneumonia.

~ Shuli's mother urges her to get remarried

~ Shuli turns away the Neuschwanstein relatives and starts a contractual relationship. Jeremy confronts her and Shuli isolates herself from the family.

~ To raise money for Christmas, taxes rise and the common folk begin rioting against nobility, royalty, and the church

~ Nora meets Shuli at the balcony of a banquet

~ Nora is sent off to boarding school

1118: Elias confronts Letran. Shuli begs the Royal family for forgiveness

Shuli's 19th birthday takes place. Jeremy gifts Shuli a peridot brooch.

National Founder's Day takes place. Jeremy and Nora duel at the swordsman tournament.

~ Jeremy joins the Imperial Knights and becomes Theo's chosen knight.

~ Nora joins the Emperor's secret police organization Streife and is assigned to observe Shuli from the shadows.

~ Elias, Rachel, and Leon make surprise plans to bring Shuli to the wedding.

~ Jeremy tells Ohara his plans to reconcile with Shuli before the wedding. Ohara lies to Shuli that Jeremy is not in favor of her attending the wedding

~ Shuli discreetly makes plans to leave the Neauschwanstein estate. Alberon confides in Wolffe, sharing Shuli's plans. Wolffe reports to Cardinal Richelieu, who organizes for Shuli's murder.

~ The day of the wedding ceremony begins. Shuli is brutally murdered by Safavid bandits. Jeremy refuses to start the ceremony until Shuli arrives.

~ Alberon follows Shuli to give her a final goodbye and discovers the murder scene. The only recoverable item is Shuli's peridot brooch. The Imperial Guard detain Alberon at the scene and Streife announces Shuli's death at the wedding.

~ The truth behind Shuli's death is covered up and news of war between the Empire and Safavid begin to spark.

~ Nora begins investigating deeper into the truth behind Shuli's death. Jeremy confronts Nora.

~ Jeremy is sent off to war

~ Ohara and the Heinrich family goes into hiding.

~ Wolffe and Everette make an attempt to save Alberon, who is about to be executed. Alberon is executed.

*Some important things to note in this timeline:

- Theo never meets Shuli

- Nora never speaks to Shuli after their first meeting

- The 2nd timeline is currently chronologically behind the 1st timeline. The date that Shuli is supposed to die has not happened yet.

[scotianostra]

James V of Scotland was born on 10th April 1512.

James was son of King James IV and his queen Margaret Tudor, a daughter of Henry VII of England, and was the only legitimate child of James IV to survive infancy, it was through this line that Mary Queen of Scots based her claim to the throne of England, and indeed her son, who took the throne after Elizabeth died.

James was born at Linlithgow Palace and baptised on April 11th, receiving the titles Duke of Rothesay and Prince and Grand Steward of Scotland. He became king at just seventeen months old when his father was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field on 9th September 1513. James was “crowned” in the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle on 21st September 1513.

During his childhood, like so many of the Stewart monarchs, the country was ruled by regents, first by his mother, until she remarried the following year, and then by John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, who was next in line to the throne after James and his younger brother, the posthumously-born Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross.

Other regents included Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell, a member of the Council of Regency who was also bestowed as Regent of Arran. Queen Margaret´s tempestuous private life complicated her son´s childhood, and after she divorced her second husband, Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus, the Earl kidnapped young James. For over two years he held him as a virtual prisoner, showering him with gifts and introducing him to a round of unsuitable pleasures. James loathed him and finally managed to escape in 1528 and assumed the reins of government himself.

James´ personal rule began by savagely pursuing his opponents and he hounded the Earl of Angus out of Scotland. James combined suspicion of nobles with a popular touch, travelling anonymously among Scottish people as the ´Gudeman o´Ballengeich´. John Knox described him thus: ´he was called of some, a good poor man´s king; of others he was termed a murderer of the nobility, and one that had decreed their whole destruction´.

A highly strung, intelligent man who alternated between black depression and bouts of feverish energy, James had already fathered at least nine illegitimate children by a series of mistresses by the time a marriage was arranged for him.

He married Madeleine, daughter of Francois I of France, and the young couple returned to Scotland in May 1537. The Princess was a fragile woman, and the Scottish climate did not agree with her she died in her husband’s arms on 7th July 1537, seven weeks after her arrival in Edinburgh.

In governing, James increased his income by tightening control over royal estates and from the profits of justice, customs and feudal rights. He also gave his illegitimate sons lucrative benefices, diverting substantial church wealth into his coffers. James spent a large amount of his wealth on building work at Stirling Castle, Falkland Palace, Linlithgow Palace and Holyrood and built up a collection of tapestries from those inherited from his father.

In 1538 he married another French lady, the widowed Mary of Guise, tall, well-built and already the mother of two sons. She had two more sons by James but they both died in infancy within hours of each other in 1541. The death of the Kings’ mother in 1541 removed any incentive for peace with England, and war broke out.

Initially the Scots won a victory at the Battle of Haddon Rig in August 1542. The Imperial ambassador in London, Eustace Chapuys, wrote on 2nd October that the Scottish ambassadors ruled out a conciliatory meeting between James and Henry VIII in England until the pregnant Mary of Guise delivered her child. Henry would not accept this condition and mobilised his army north.

James was with his army at Lauder on 31 October 1542. Although he hoped to invade England, his nobles were reluctant. He returned to Edinburgh on the way writing a letter in French to his wife from Falahill mentioning he had three days of illness.

Next month his army suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss, a loss caused by infighting within the nobles on who was in command.

He took ill shortly after this, on 6th December; by some accounts this was a nervous collapse caused by the defeat, although some historians consider that it may just have been an ordinary fever. Whatever the cause of his illness, he was on his deathbed at Falkland Palace when his only surviving legitimate child, a girl, was born.

Sir George Douglas of Pittendreich brought the news of the king´s death to Berwick. He said James died at midnight on Thursday 15 December; the king was talking but delirious and spoke no "wise words." Having said that, history reports he uttered the following; 'It cam' wi' a lass, and it will gang wi' a lass,' meaning that whilst the Stewarts came to power through marrying a princess, the Stewart line would end with his daughter as queen. Of course this wasn’t true so I wonder to myself at times why such importance seems to have been placed on his words through the centuries.

He was buried at Holyrood Abbey alongside his first wife Madeleine and his two sons. The tomb was probably destroyed during the Rough Wooing in 1544, they were again “violated” at the end of James VII reign when the people of Edinburgh rioted. Queen Victoria arranged for the vault to be repaired.

There was another story regarding the grave of James V that happened in 1683, read about that on the great web pages of Dr Mark Jardine here https://drmarkjardine.wordpress.com/.../the-tomb-of.../

[vxctorx]

@seekingsolidground You are cordially invited to the summer soirée at Ardleith Manor.

The "Happy" Couple - 2nd partner

Character's Name: John Constantine, alias: Charles Jonathan Cavendish Age: 29 Gender: Male FC: Alex Pettyfer Bio: The only child of the groundskeeper of the extensive Cavendish estate, John Constantine befriended the sickly Charles “Chas” Jonathan Cavendish during childhood and attended social events posing as Chas throughout their lives, the Cavendishes loathe to exhibit any sign of their heir’s frail—and failing—health. They had to maintain every possible wealthy match, after all, to compensate for Lord Cavendish’s extensive gambling debts that endangered the estate and the family’s continued survival. Chas and John considered it a game of sorts at first, a chance for a working class boy to secretly thumb his nose at his “betters” (and escape a worse father) and bring ridiculous stories back to bring laughter to a boy otherwise confined to his room. Next year, they’d say—next year Chas would be strong enough to take the reigns, the family’s streaks of “eccentricity” throughout certain generations explanation enough to excuse the deception, if the esteemed lineage wasn’t enough of one. But for seventeen years, next year never came. On Chas’s deathbed, John granted his last request in a binding promise: let John Constantine die, so Lord Charles Cavendish could save his family from losing it all with an advantageous marriage. He could have done much worse than Aislin McLeod as his intended partner the Cavendishes also approved of. The charm he showered upon her wasn’t entirely false, genuinely intrigued by the dichotomy of her demure demeanor yet fiery hidden depths. Yet, as a man bound by a promise to live a lie, John is loathe to force another to live it if her interests lie elsewhere. As long as no “scandal” as perceived by her family occurs that would jeopardize the marriage (and therefore Chas’s family), who was he to dictate she remain faithful to someone who couldn’t trade in good faith with her? If only she could be less obvious about it until these wedding vows, he’d rest easier. But while stuck in this purgatory of being surrounded by the upper class, why not he have a bit of fun, as long as it suited his ultimate purposes?

Other: John is bisexual, biromantic and doesn’t care who knows it. Born of necessity, he’ll engage in conversations how he assesses the other person expects or wants him to—often listening more than he says substantively—to either effectively use or avoid the person, depending if they’ll be an asset or obstacle to his deception. Contrary to Aislin’s fear, his discovery of her “illegitimacy” endeared her further to him—maybe that was part of why she didn’t irritate him at first meeting like ninety-nine percent of nobility he’d ever met.

John enjoys drinking, smoking, sex and annoying people he finds arrogant or who treat the staff poorly.

While others use the Lord Cavendish title, he lets Aislin call him John—short for “Jonathan”, of course. Better a half truth than none, right?

[dearamericaroyaldiaries]

Did I finish this book months ago? Yes. Did I just not type everything up in a timely manner? Also yes.

Look to the Hills, 1763, Lozette Moreau

By: Patricia C. McKissack

Protagonist Age: 12/13

Started- 3/2/2022

Finished- 6/24/2022

Summary:

Lozette (Zettie) is an enslaved 12 year old living in France toward the end of the Ancient Regime (please read that as French and nasally as possible because that is how I learned it) and under the imminent threat of being sold away from the only home she’s ever known. Her enslaver/mistress Marie Louise (Ree) contrives to get her brother to sell Zettie to a suitor as a wedding gift but they make a break for it and head to the French Canadian colonies via Cadiz. In the colonies they hope to find Ree’s nice, not a jerk, soldier brother. They go to a couple of forts. Ree has multiple suitors. People aren’t all nice to Zettie or the Amer-Indians. Zettie duels a grown man for Ree’s family’s honor. The mean brother comes and almost takes Zettie away but is thwarted. The nice brother is found, tried for treason, and found not guilty. Zettie is freed by Ree.

#ReadingThoughts

My copy has no ribbon even though it’s hardcover. This displeases me.

Does Ree see Zettie as a human or a pet? I know that “Pet” can be a term of endearment but with things being as they are in the given situation it doesn’t sit well with me.

I don’t think that most women were married at 18 in 1763. Yes, those in a higher social status tended to marry when they were a bit younger than your average person but I don’t think Ree is that important. It’s not like they’re hanging out at Versailles. (A quick google search indicated that the mid 20s was more common and I will allow that the gentry/nobility would skew lower, but I don’t think your average 18 year old toward the bottom of the 2nd Estate would be thinking she’s an old maid at this age.)

Poor Zettie. She has absolutely no agency due to her age and enslavement. Everything is happening around her.

The break down of differences between being a French or English colony from the Amer-Indian perspective is interesting.

Lying to Ree when she laughs at the idea of selling Zettie is heartbreaking because even at 12 Zettie is more mature than Ree in some ways.

I never knew that Buffalo, NY was called Buffalo due to bastardized French.

“Freedom is the source of our happiness,” he says to someone who is enslaved.

Ree simply can’t understand that regardless of how the enslaved person is treated, it is an inherently violent practice.

Time out. I know they’re not saying that the French invented pockets. Wikipedia backs me up. The English had pockets in 1763. Even in the colonies. See the example from the V&A Museum below estimated to be from 1700-1749.

Smallpox blankets. Lovely. What’s a little casual biological warfare between friends.

Calling it- Ree and Armand are going to be a thing.

So a 12 year old just gets to duel a grown-ass man? And not in a learning context? We won’t even get into the power imbalances... WTF.

Is Ree really sick or is she knocked up? (Spoiler alert: she does not seem to be pregnant at the end of the book. That would, of course, be too scandalous but we’re circling back around to the in depth series I want where we can cater to a more grown-up audience. It would be SO JUICY! Is this a new segment? TV show wish list might be a new segment...)

I think the societal status also determines at what age spinsterhood sets in. I think the average age of first marriage was 19 or older.

Of course Ree sets her free. Of course she does.

Thoughts on the Afterward

The afterward VINDICATES ME because Ree and Armand do indeed end up together! I have no strong feelings beyond the

Overall Thoughts After Reading

It could be the lack of nostalgia but I felt meh about this one too. I’m noticing that that’s a trend out of the 4 I’ve read so far The two I read when I was younger have been more enjoyable for me. I probably would have liked it better if I’d read it 20 years ago but it was just meh.

I feel like closing the age gap between Ree and Zettie would he helped. Zettie seemed a lot more mature than Ree despite the 6 or 7 year age difference. That could have been the point, illustrating how much enslavement took away from a persons’ childhood but it didn’t work for me. It could also be because Zettie needed to be the same-ish age as the target demo but Ree needed to be older so they could get out of France. I just didn’t see this age gap being conducive to a true friendship as they want us to believe exists between the two.

Rating Scale

6/10 Dueling Pre-Teens

Other Possible Contenders: Soldiers’ Letters, (Not invented by the French) Pockets

Photo Credit:

Cover: Still me!

Pocket

[isaacathom]

my thing is that im now just imagining the multiverse of florians based on three flex points in his life, and its like. what am i meant to do with this (ramble, clearly)

so there's three things that make Florian de Kasimir who he is, at a base level, at the start of the campaign. These are: The Incident in his youth, his father's debts, and his decision to join the Temerian army. so, what happens when you take the diverging paths at each point?

the most interesting alternate florian, to me, is one unburdened by the incident or the debts, but who still joins the army. This is a Florian who has no reason to especially dislike his family, who has been raised and loved as best his parents are able, who continued his education but did not excel, who was not prevented from entering the high life of nobility. This is a Florian who, given he's 34 at the campaigns start, almost certainly is married, and who more than likely has a child, if not children. This is a Florian with serious, genuine ties to his home and his family. A Florian who could never have been in the campaign as written, because the moment he found out about the war he would have returned home. Instantaneous. Hell, canon Florian only joined the campaign's quest because he wanted money - with the debt not a factor, there's no reason that the NNY Florian would have any reason to do so.

The tragedy of NNY Florian to me is that he was certainly in the Temerian army during the third northern war, and given that Florian's from Temeria's south... well... The likelihood that he survived the crushing defeats Temeria suffered under Nilfgaard in those opening weeks is low. This is a Florian probably as happy as he could be, multiversally. A Florian who has seen suffering, but has plenty of joy to propel him forward, rather than spite. And he would predecease YYY Florian.

So, i guess run down:

YYY Florian - Canonical. Had the incident, had the debts, joined the army. No loyalty to his home beyond the abstract, joined the party on the promise of an extravagant payday, decided not to return to Temeria when he found out about the war bc he knew that would get him killed immediately.

YYN Florian - incident, debts, not in the army. I have no fucking idea who this cunt is. Given Florian's upbringing, the diversion required for this one to not join the army is significant. Depressingly, I assume this Florian was one who suffered a serious injury before he could enlist, and is therefore... not doing... great... this is i think the closest we can get to a 'Bad Timeline' Florian, emotionally.

YNY Florian - incident, no debt, army. The lack of debts is not quite so significant (since canonically they've become irrelevant), but it would change his post-2nd war life a decent bit. Possibly he even completely quits the place, as canon florian would consider the existence of those debts the main thing shackling him to his family. So, sans debts, Florian might just peace fully the fuck out. Fuck off up north, even, completely dissociate from all the shit. Just invent himself a new life now that he doesn't feel like he has to save any of his money for dealing with debts that will, hereditarily, become his responsibility.

YNN Florian - incident, no debt, no army. ???? who is this man. whats he doing. all the non-army florians confuse me because his physical ability and prowess is like. his thing. its what he has going for him. for the sake of distinguishing YNN from YYN, we'll say that while he also suffered an injury which prevents him from being a soldier, the fact his family aren't skint broke means there's the option to find him SOMETHING to do despite that? some nigh-do nothing job working for some other noble. an irrelevant man, by all accounts, just quietly hobbling around a duke's estate carrying out menial tasks. When that duke or whatever inevitably gets steamrolled by Nilfgaard, Florian probably just keeps working because ? what's he gonna do. can my boy cook? we must ask these questins

NYY Florian - No incident, yes debt, yes army. Now the key different here is that this Florian is decently educated and *not an bastard*. He's nice enough, jovial even if you catch him in a good mood, and he likely volunteered for the army with the intent of earning money to pay off the debts as the primary motive. The debts reduce the marriage prospects, so he's not married, but DOES care about his family (more than YYY, anyway). This connection prevents him from fucking off up north when the 2nd war ends, but he likely still ends up doing mercenary work to cover for ~things~. Likely still in Temeria when the war breaks out though.

NYN Florian - no incident, yes debt, no army. Now, because the N-- series Florian's aren't bitter jaded assholes as a general rule, and were continuously educated into their teens, this means that the N-N ones have options of finding alternate employ. Instead of volunteering for the army as NYY, this Florian may find himself in a similar employ to YNN, just in a more 'this is a way of paying of the debt' way. indentured servitude-y vibes? this may actually go better for florian in the long run because that situation probably bothers the fuck out of him, so when nilfgaard storms in hes like 'hey nilfgaards whats up. we can be chill' because the loyalty isn't quiiiite there.

NNY Florian - no incident, no debt, yes army. the lovingly married man from earlier. Joined the army to defend his family, is still in the army now, and the nilfgaardian invasion has not gone well for him, i can tell you that.

NNN Florian - no incident, no debt, no army. who the fuck is this man. who are you. are you real? is this even still a florian de kasimir at this stage. is this a misnomer. i genuinely have no idea. best outcome for this guy is he's just like NNY except the angle he takes of 'defend his family' is more... political? and that, in the absence of any combat prowess (some injury in his teenage years, we'll say), when presented with the nilfgaardian army, he's like 'hey. how about you don't kill me or my family and we just chill?'. nilfgaardian collaborator. not sure he's happy, per se, and the fact some of his cousins are in the army doesn't help that, but like. sure. alternatively instead of collaborating he flees with them up north? both are options. the nilfgaard collaborator one's the funniest in the overall context of Florian as a canon character because he *hates* nilfgaard. so the idea that 2-3 versions of him are either nominally onside or fully onside is funny.

vibes!

[earlsassemble]

( angela bassett, cis woman, she/her ) dearest gentle reader. it is an honour for this writer to introduce Henrietta Pearson, the fifty five countess of Harewood, known amongst the town as persuasive & clever but their adversaries would certainly tell you that they are strict & conformist. perhaps that is why they have been so vehemently mentioned recently ? this author cannot wait for you to meet them !

&. BASICS 

Full Name:  Henrietta Pearson née Brown

Nicknames: tba

Title : Countess of Harewood

Estates: London town house &  Harewood House (Yorkshire)

Age: 55

Date of Birth: tba

Place of Birth: Cromwell manor in Lancashire

Languages spoken : English, French & Greek

Religion: Anglican Church of England

Gender & Pronouns: cis female, she/her

Sexuality : tbd

&. FAMILY INFORMATION

Parents: Lord Richard Brown, Baron of Cromwell (deceased) & Lady Cecilia Brown born Larwood (deceased)

Husband: Lord Thomas Pearson, earl of Harewood

Children : 1st daughter, 2nd daughter, 3rd daughter, 4th daughter, 1st son, 5th daughter

Other Relevant Relative: tba

&. PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: persuasive, clever, adaptable, hardworking, dependable

Negative Traits: strict, conformist, melancholic, resentful, demanding, meddlesome

&. BIOGRAPHY

tw : near death

Henrietta was born in Lancashire in a cosy baron's manor at the foot of the Pennine Hills. She spent her childhood in the hills and in nature. Until she wed, she had never set a foot in London. The bigger city she had visited had been Blackpool. Her family was minor nobility and had only local importance and responsibilities. Still Henrietta was the first born daughter of the family and as such always had to set an example for her younger siblings. The weight of responsibilities was placed early on her shoulders. She received the education fitting for her rank. When she was of age, a match was made for her with the oldest son of the earl of Harewood.

Thomas and Henrietta were not a love match but he never treated her poorly. By his side, she discovered London, the ton, all of its rules and the vipers who hid in its grass. Often she found herself missing her hills and a simpler life. The seasons in London could prove quite daring and exhausting. Henrietta knew her main purpose was to produce an heir and as the years passed, she grew more and more worried. She kept giving birth to girls and she watched her husband become sadder and sadder. The couple barely spoke. Henrietta felt the pressure from their entire family and felt more and more isolated. Thankfully her fifth child turned out to be a boy. The future of the Pearson's line was finally secured. Thomas still wanted a spare and Henrietta had to bear a sixth child which nearly cost her her life. The birth of her youngest daughter, almost killed both of them. After that tragic birth, there was no more talk of trying for a second son.

Henrietta never forgave her husband for pressuring her to give him another son. The couple grew further apart. Thomas mostly focusing on his heir while Henrietta did her best to make all of her children feel loved. She made sure to prepare her daughters for the life that awaited them. Sadly and despite her great efforts, her third daughter brought ruin to the family by running away with their coachman. The Pearsons became the laugh of the ton.

Now Henrietta tries to restore their reputation and standing. Only her eldest daughter had wed before the scandal and that black mark makes it difficult for the mama to find matches for the rest of her daughters. It has been three years since that dreadful affair and Henrietta hopes to turn the tide this season.

[seeingteacupsindragons]

Good morning! I have some questions that I feel you may know the answers to. It may have been addressed in the manga as well but I just missed it I guess haha 😅 okay so, first in your chart Mycroft is addressed as "Lord Holmes." He also mentioned in a early chapter, that he has servants at his estate. Does that mean he is an Earl or Noble? Sherlock would also be a noble then. And finally, my 2nd question: Moran stated in the manga that he was given his rank in the military based on his status and lineage, he didn't "earn" it. Then in your chart, you reveal that Moran outranks Albert in the military. Now, is it safe to assume that because he was put in a position that would have been Albert's superior, the Moran family outranks the Moriartys in nobility status? Because apparently I saw that nobility vs upper nobility vs royalty is a thing. Yes, this is my reasoning, I'm sure I'm way off though lmao. Thanks.

I don’t actually know if Mycroft has a title or if he’s just gentry. He may have earned an honorary title because of his job and position, which would not pass onto his children or to Sherlock. You could also think of “kyou” as “Sir” maybe, which wouldn’t necessitate a capital-T Title.

Mycroft is never mentioned as having any specific hereditary title, so I’m inclined to assume he doesn’t have one, especially since his mother at least was definitely working class, because Sherlock’s mother was (but Sherlock also went to Oxford or Cambridge in this canon so like they’re not from a poor family...at least their dad wasn’t).  But then there was that whole business with their ancestor being an agent of the state, too.

“Kyou” isn’t a specific ranked title (anymore?) and doesn’t translate to one. But according to my dictionary, it was a "state minister" under a historical legal system in Japan, so it might also be Liam's fancy special way of referring to Mycroft's job as someone who does not work for him, designed to sound slightly archaic to the Japanese readers.

So I actually have no idea on that one. Albert’s an Earl. I don’t think Mycroft is.

Moran was given his title as a Captain because of his lineage, and then got promoted “posthumously” to Colonel because his squad was wiped out and they all got knocked up two ranks. Albert is a Lieutenant Colonel, which puts him right under a Colonel, but is above a Captain. Their families gave them some rank, but they do actually have to work their way up in the military anyway. They’re just not starting as grunts (I think).

So, Moran outranks Albert but only because a bunch of people were murdered? I don’t know if his family outranks the Moriartys, but I’m inclined to say “no.” I’m not even sure he’s nobility at all. I think he and the Holmes are both wealthy, upperclass families of good “breeding” such as it were, but not nobility.

Pretty sure as a family the Moriartys outrank both of them.

(Help I’m American civilian most of my knowledge about how British nobility and the military works is from google searches and wikipedia).

[bard-llama]

The Odo Family

So, I started a fic yesterday which was supposed to be porn (okay, that part was the day before actually, I think), but because I’m me, it grew a whole complex plotline lmao. So uh... meet Reynard’s family. He is estranged from all of them except 1 sister, but of course we gotta have an awkward Meet the Family moment with Gascon XD

So, first off, let me explain how the Odo family works. The head of the family is a Viscount and manages a sizeable estate. However, Reynard is the oldest son of the 2nd branch of the family (his father is the Viscount’s younger brother), which means he was never expected to inherit the title, though he WAS expected to manage the estate with his cousin when they inherited. Reynard had absolutely 0 interest in doing that, so as soon as he was old enough, he ran away to join the army and his family never really forgave him for that. Things only got worse from there, but I’ll save that for the fic.

I’ve figured out the family history with Reynard’s parents and his uncle, but by the time the story takes place (post-Thronebreaker), they’ve all passed, so I only made the next generation.

First, we’ve got the new Viscount, Bernard Odo (57 to Reynard’s 53)

Bernard is cast in the unfortunate role of antagonist for this fic, but he’s honestly not a bad person. He’s very good at the details and logistics of managing an estate (theirs includes at least 1 village), but he doesn’t particularly enjoy it. He and Reynard were raised together, trained in the same stuff bc they were supposed to do this job together with Reynard assisting Bernard, but Reynard ran away and Bernard definitely resents Reynard for that, because he wishes he could’ve run away. But he wasn’t good at anything else. He desperately needs to find a hobby that makes life worth living, and Gascon might bully him into it in the fic lol. 

Then there’s the Viscountess, Eustice Odo (58)

Eustice is very traditional and proper (and uh... somehow Japanese???). She and Bernard had an arranged marriage and they don’t love each other, but they do respect each other. Eustice is very good at playing the political game and she and Bernard make a good team. They’re both kind of trying to social climb (there was DEFINITE drama when Reynard was made a Count, a peerage level above them), so there’s a lot of schmoozing and suchlike. Playing that networking political game.

Eustice and Bernard are unable to have children, which is important, because now it means the line of succession goes to the 2nd branch of the family.

So now we have Reynard’s younger sister, Julia Scarlette née Odo (49)

Like Eustice and Bernard, Julia is all about the political game. She wants titles and prestige and she will do a lot to get them. She was married to a viscount, but he was abusive to her and their daughter and eventually, Julia left. She didn’t like him anyway, because he wasn’t ambitious enough for her. So now she lives in the estate house with Bernard and Eustice and schmoozes with the right people to maybe get a second marriage offer. She has no time for her daughter, and poor Alice knows it.

Next is the one member of the family that Reynard has actually kept in touch with, Jasmine Belfont née Odo (46)

Jasmine is rather different from her family. For one, she married for love, rather than prestige. It helped that her lover was a very wealthy merchant, so he was able to present a good enough offer for her hand in marriage. For another, Jasmine resents that her parents never really spent time with them (they were raised by nurse maids and nannies and tutors and only really saw their parents during the weekly ‘Sunday dinners’ her uncle insisted on) Jasmine didn’t hate those dinners as much as Reynard did, but she developed a very different idea of parenting for when she had her own kids. Her husband was actually raised by his parents (non-nobility merchant-class) and agrees with her, which is why they live in a separate house on the estate where they raise both their own two boys, but also Julia’s daughter, because Julia has no time for her.

When Reynard ran away to join the military, Jasmine was heartbroken, because they were fairly close. She’s the only one who knew that he was gay (in a time when Rivia outlawed homosexuality. Meve later repealed those laws when Reginald died) and they used to hang out and gossip about boys. After he left, she wrote him letters and they stayed in touch, but they haven’t seen each other in probably 30 years and he’s never met his niece or nephews.

Which brings us to Jasmine’s husband, the merchant Eugene Belfont (50)

I don’t actually know a lot about Eugene yet. He fell in love with Julia at one of the banquets her family held that his family was fortunate enough to get an invite to as kind of nouveau riche movers and shakers. He and Jasmine are not particularly interested in the political side of things - they just want to raise their family and have a happy life. This means that they’re somewhat distant from Bernard, Eustice, and Julia, despite living on the same plot of land. 

Now it’s time for the children! So for starters, the oldest is Arthur Belfont Odo (16)

Arthur is a very salt-of-the-earth type kid, far more interested in sustainable farming than politics. But as the oldest, he is in line to become the next viscount, which he’s not sure how he feels about. He is also a disaster bisexual, though only his immediate family + Alice know about it. Bernard, Eustice, and Julia are all a little too ‘proper’ (read: homophobic) to really understand, so Jasmine recommended that they not be told. Fortunately, Jasmine and Eugene are quite accepting and eventually, Gascon and Reynard and Arthur will bond a little bit over being queer (though Reynard is kind of the odd one out, as a gay man (Meve is his big exception) who grew up when it was illegal. For Arthur and Gascon, it’s been legal for most of their lives).

Next up is Alice Scarlette Odo (12)

Technically, she has no reason to claim the name Odo, because the Scarlette family are their social equals, but she did not like her father and doesn’t particularly like her mother, so claiming the name helps her feel closer to her ‘brothers’, Arthur and Julien, and their parents. She’s an artsy girl, extremely skilled at piano and singing. She spends a lot of time with Jasmine, who is a little more adventurous and outdoorsy than Alice, but who shares her love for music.

And finally, last but not least, we have Julien Belfont Odo (8)

Julien is a lot like his mother - adventurous and athletic and outdoorsy. He also has a tendency to get into trouble, because he’s curious and wants to explore EVERYTHING! He and his mother go skiing and rock climbing together when they can, because most of the rest of the family isn’t interested in those things.

Arthur, Alice, and Julien are close, practically raised as siblings, but the age differences are significant and as the youngest, Julien is often left as the one they won’t spare time to play with, especially when his idea of play is climbing trees and fences and getting into trouble. Fortunately, he’s made friends with some of the kids in the village, much to the horror of the ‘proper’ family members who do NOT mingle with the peasantry.

[daydreamindollie]

⏤𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚

𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦-𝘶𝘱 𝘈𝘜. 

𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧��𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥.

𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘴 𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘪 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭.

𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳 ⏤ 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪 𝘢𝘮 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘪'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥: '𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳/𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤'.

✚             ✚             ✚

⏤𝙢 𝙖 𝙜 𝙞 𝙘

⇢ some people are born with an affinity for a type of magic while others are not.

⇢ when people are born with an affinity for magic, they are considered blessed. This is because only a god/goddess is able to give them the gift of having an affinity for magic at birth. 

⇢ most people born with an affinity for magic are nobles whereas most commoners aren't blessed with any. However, some rare anomalies can still occur in both classes i.e commoners can be blessed with affinity whereas nobles cannot.

⇢ simply put : 0 to no affinity = mostly commoners ; relative affinity = most nobles ; high affinity = some nobles/some commoners

⇢ these anomalies cause uncertainty amongst nobles as their nobility is threatened; those that lack an affinity for magic struggle to stay nobles. Hence, some families that gradually decrease the amount of members with magic lose their noble titles. 

⇢ there are three types of magic and each type is associated with a god/goddess : 

spells + enchantments (Goddess Uries)

potions + alchemy  (God Exdur)

elemental ⏤ fire, water, air, earth (God Zirteus)

⇢ the specific element a blessed person can specialize in is up to their level of affinity ⏤ the higher their affinity = more elements they can control ; low affinity = can only control one element

⇢ there are no light and dark elements can be controlled by people because those are reserved for the Goddess of the Day (Brethys) and the God of the Night (Utorr)

⇢ the higher the affinity an individual has, the longer they are able to maintain their youthful appearance. Even if they are old, they still look young. This doesn't increase their lifespan, however.

⏤𝙝 𝙮 𝙗 𝙧 𝙞 𝙙 𝙨

⇢ hybrids are discriminated against and are feared for their raw power

⇢ hybrids are born with a special type of magic allowing them the abilities and powers of animals - these abilities and powers are enhanced by the hybrids' own magic

⇢ the hybrid's magic is called 'contracts/bonding' magic, which is pretty self-explanatory

⇢ when a child is born, they are gifted with an affinity for contractual magic from the Goddess Enneas, and they are instantly contracted with a spirit animal

⇢ how it happens is that animal spirits tend to wander around pregnant women that they feel would give birth to a suitable vessel for their magic, as soon as they sense this compatibility, the instant the child is born, they are entered into a contract with them

⇢ in addition to this, the animal spirits bless their contracted newborn with their special power that has more variety than elemental powers e.g they can control electricity, ice or plants and even have telepathic powers

⇢ this amount of power is what scares people

⇢ there are some downsides/advantage to this type of magic, however, and it's that the individual is given the features of the specific animal they are contracted with

⇢ this is a grey area because the animalistic features can lead to their discrimination from others but the features increase their abilities

⇢ because hybrids have an affinity for magic, they are mostly born into noble families but due to the prejudice against hybrids, they are abandoned anonymously into hybrid orphanages 

⏤𝙩 𝙝 𝙚  𝙙 𝙖 𝙢 𝙞 𝙖 𝙣 𝙞  𝙛 𝙖 𝙢 𝙞 𝙡 𝙮

⏤𝙢 𝙖 𝙜 𝙞 𝙘

⇢ the Damiani family have always remained nobles because they've never lost their magic affinity

⇢ therefore, they always look really young

⇢ everyone in this family always has a high affinity for all sorts of magic, not just one type - unlike most noble families who specialize in a specific type of magic 

⏤𝙝 𝙮 𝙗 𝙧 𝙞 𝙙 𝙨

⇢ the family has had rare cases of one member having an affinity for contractual magic for hybrids

⇢ on the outside it doesn't look like this person doesn't have an affinity for magic at all but always has very good physical strength, great at combat/martial arts + swordsmanship 

⇢ unlike other families, the Damiani family doesn't abandon their hybrid relatives and instead helps them disguise their animal features by enchanting them

⇢ even though it looks like they don't have magical powers, they are gifted with great physical strength and talents in combat 

⇢ these Damiani family members always become the Commander of the Order of the Royal Knights

⇢ so that none of the family secrets is leaked out, their staff about the mansion is very little but they are all hybrids

⇢ again, on the outside, they look like normal non-magic humans because of the enchantment the family bestows upon them

⇢ i.e in exchange for their loyalty, service and protection, the damiani enchants them to hide their hybrid features, treats them like family and protects them

⇢ staff consist of : Butler ; Maids x4 ; Gardeners x4 ; Head Chef ; Cooks x3 ; Commander of Damiani Knights ; Knights x5 ; Doctor

⇢ in total, the Damiani Family has 20 members of staff 

⇢ normally, with such a huge estate and mansion should have, at least 50 - 80 members of staff

⇢ the staff remain loyal because they are treated very fairly and are never belittled 

⇢ once the staff join, they change their names and swear an oath (happily) to the family

⇢ all of them (not just the knights and commander) have undergone martial arts training as well as weapons training of they highest degree

⇢ this is to protect themselves as well as the Damiani family

⇢ the staff also help protect the large estate efficiently from spies and assassins - they don't make a sound taking down the spies/assassins but they are quickly disposed of and then the head of the family is made aware of the situation 

⇢ they have a basement 'torture chamber' to get more info out of the spies/assassins that were sent, they get out as much information from them as possible before they are silenced for good

⇢ this information is usually about other noble families attempting to take them down or gather detrimental information about them, jealous of their power and close relationship with the royal family

⏤𝙘 𝙝 𝙖 𝙧 𝙖 𝙘 𝙩 𝙚 𝙧 𝙨

1st brother | Dominique Damiani | 23

• excels at spell casting + enchantments 

• working to hone skills in order to be prepared to take over the Damiani house after parents retire

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• intelligent, calm cool + collected

• naturally a man of little words

• secretly really loves small fluffy animals becomes even more intimidating when in public

WITH READER/MC

• helps her with spell casting + enchantments

• always there to comfort her and be her shoulder to cry on - never says anything, only gives comforting pats on her hair and rubs on her back/shoulder

• is the one reader/mc always vents to 

• reliable 

• has a pet rabbit that he adores and lets the reader/mc take care of called 'Hopkins'

APPEARANCE

• height : 6 ft / 182 cm

• hair + eyes : black, well kept and sometimes swept back with steel, piercing grey eyes 

• physique : tall + buff + broad-shouldered

• dress : cleanly dressed, can look good in plain dress pants and a white button-up shirt but can also look really good with all the embellishments i.e medals, fur-edged cape, sash, ties etc

2nd brother | Lyon Damiani | 22

•  excellent at mixing potions 

• great alchemist 

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• brainiac + big nerd 

• rambles about how fascinating alchemy is

• really good at threatening others + can pull a really creepy smile/scary face

• secretly very mischievous as he tends to deviate from the norm of potions mixing - tampers with the base recipes advised by the magic council 

• works well with Myles discussing ingredients + composition of potions

• helps take care of the estate's greenhouse

WITH READER/MC

• partakes in very intellectual conversation with her about ingredients and their chemical compositions

• love to cause mischief together using potions to dye others' hair or turn plants pink - unfortunately most pranks are done on Myles 

• love laughing and making memories together 

• always wanting to impress reader/mc through his new potions/techniques in alchemy 

• believes that the best way to learn is through having fun and making fun memories 

APPEARANCE

• height : 5"10 / 177 cm (shortest)

• hair + eyes : light brown, quite messy but still beautifully frames his face + olive green eyes 

• physique : slim and elegant

• dress : usually dressed casually and in comfortable clothing, prefering loose robes - greek style. Doesn't like the clean look in uniform and finds it uncomfortable when it's fully embellished but can definitely pull it off

3rd brother | Myles Damiani | 21 

• excels at elemental magic - masters all elements

• has a medical degree

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• great at gardening - cares a lot for his 'babies' (his plants) in the greenhouse

• loves cracking jokes only he can understand

• works well with Lyon on ingredients from the greenhouse + mixing of new potions 

• has sharp eyes and always looks like he's glaring, which makes people back away 

• fascinated by weaponry and how he can use those in combat alongside his elemental powers

WITH READER/MC

• always the victim of reader's + Lyon's pranks but doesn't mind 

• loves spoiling reader teaches her about all elements 

• loves helping reader/mc with her elemental powers + teaches her some medical stuff too

• tends to baby her 

• loves her, even more, when she laughs at his pretty lame jokes

APPEARANCE

• height : 5"11 / 180 cm

• hair + eyes : mossy light green hair, turquoise green eyes - icy and piercing 

• physique :��tall and toned type

• dress : likes to look clean and put together but doesn't like any additional embellishments on the clothes as he deems them unnecessary, especially when they get in the way of his elemental training

4th brother | Ambrico Damiani | 20

• is a hybrid 

• people don't see his animal features because his Mum/brother, Dominique, enchant his extra limbs with invisibility for a limited time

• WHITE WOLF HYBRID 

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• strong and doesn't let anyone belittle him for, supposedly, not having an affinity for magic

• fierce and ruthless with a sword 

• has a lot of love to give and is a big softy for his family, especially reader/mc

• great at cooking great swordsman instead of mage 

• very in touch with his emotions

• a strict and intimidating commander of the knight order 

WITH READER/MC

• a second mum to reader

• loves cooking with her

• teaches her how to handle a sword and teaches her martial arts 

• also teaches her a lot about being understanding of people's situations and illustrates to her the importance of kindness

• if you want any advice about emotions, you go to him 

APPEARANCE

• height : 6 ft / 182 cm 

• hair + eyes : platinum blonde hair that's pretty long and goes down to a little beyond his chin + sky blue eyes 

• physique : definitely toned and muscular and tall but not as broad as the eldest 

• dress : usually in his armor/knight uniform, he's mainly in that attire so whenever he gets the chance not be in uniform he's in really light clothing that still looks crisp, clean and very comfortable

mother | Othelia Damiani | 45

• specialises at potions and enchantments

• married at 18 and had her first child/son at 20

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• a great cook

• totally in love with her husband

• loves being a mother and wife, so much so that she even acts like a mother to the staff a very caring mother loves her children dearly

• encourages creativity and curiosity to foster intelligence and open-mindedness amongst her children

• loves to dance with her husband 

WITH READER/MC

• always there to listen and never judge

• always has afternoon tea with her 

• both take walks in the garden together to admire the flowers and admire the seasonal changes in the landscape always 

• simps over her husband around reader because her sons always cringe when she does it around them 

• teaches her a lot about business and how to run a noble house alongside the husband as well as on her own 

APPEARANCE

• height : 5ft 5 / 168cm 

• hair + eyes : deep ebony hair, very long with subtle waves + warm chocolate brown eyes 

• physique : slim with subtle curves ; an elegant physique ; extremely beautiful

• dress : usually seen in long dresses that fall off her figure but she changes it up with different neckline cuts, shawls, layers, jewelry/embellishments, colors/patterns, and accessories.

father | Faques Damiani | 46

• great Elementalist

PERSONALITY/HOBBIES

• always proud of everything his children do 

• doesn't like exercising but he is always being dragged into training with the knights on the estate so he has a lot of physical strength 

• adores his wife and would do anything for her

• a great dancer because his wife loves dancing

WITH READER/MC

• loves to spoil her

• usually it's him that has to approach reader so he secretly loves it a lot when she approaches him first

• usually very stoic but has a very soft spot for his children and wife

• can be very understanding and patient despite his intimidating looks and glares 

• the typical stoic dad type that values respect and honesty above anything else 

• instills respect and honesty in his children 

APPEARANCE

• height : 6ft 3 / 190cm 

• hair + eyes : bluish with a green tint hair + ocean green eyes 

• physique : broad shoulders and slim waist, has muscle but not too much

• dress : when working, is always in uniform with well-kept hair but outside of that is usually in a white button-up shirt, abandons all accessories such as the gloves, unbuttons the top few buttons and with dress pants and more comfortable shoes

grandfather | Venerandus Damiani | 66

• specializes in potions and alchemy 

PERSONALITY/HABITS

• the most relaxed man

• smells of tobacco, fine wine, and peppermint

• seemingly always takes the children's side in arguments

• in front of the children, he is the fun and jovial grandfather away from the children, he is serious and wise

• his belated wife was a hybrid

WITH READER/MC

• loves telling her stories of the 'olden days'

• supports her in her, somewhat, dangerous experiments with her magic - as long as he supervises her

• loves talking about his belated wife to the reader because she never got the chance to reach the age of being able to vividly remember things

• teaches her about his favorite potions

• his lab is her lab

• they maintain the greenhouse together with her second + third brother (Lyon + Myles)

APPEARANCE

• height : 6ft 3 / 190cm

• hair + eyes : clean, well-kept silver hair + grass green eyes with golden flecks

• physique : broad shoulders, broad and muscly man

• dress : usually in a white button-up shirt, dress pants, and comfortable shoes, however, can pull off sweaters/turtle-necks underneath a blazer or coat with the usual pants, belt, and shoes. Likes wearing gloves and occasionally puts on his monocle

✚              ✚              ✚

happier cafe

small town of Raoluire(?)

city reader/mc grew up in(?)

damiani family mansion/estate(?)

✚              ✚              ✚

𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵. 𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥   𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴/𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.  

𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴... 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 : dollieremi

[kingarise]

Could you tell us about Dadverse Lucette’s husband?

Ah yes, her husband. I'm still fleshing him out and this backstory could change but I'll tell you what I got so far.

His name is Koray and he is the son of a God Kin nobleman at Anor Londo. His dad was alive and served in the War against the Everlasting Dragons, and received honors for it, which is how he became nobility in the first place. They live away from the center of Anor Londo and more on the outskirts, in semi privacy in their own estate. So going to the castle is considered a trip for them. And they only go when there's special events or invited by friends.

Koray met Lucette through a mutual friend at an archery tournament when she was in her early 20s. He had been invited by the friend to the tournament. He was amazed by this human daughter of Artorias and how she was able to beat God kin archers and get to 2nd place. After the match, he and the friend went to congratulate her, though Koray was intimidated by the fact that her father was right next to her. The friend introduced the two of them to each other and when Koray looked into her eyes, he was hooked.

Ever since, he started taking more trips to the castle to see and spend time with Lucette. And his friends of course, but Lucette is the main motivator. The two become friends and eventually progressed towards lovers, falling in love with each other.

After 3 years of dating, Koray finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry him. To which she happily said yes. But in order to actually be able to marry her, he needed Artorias' permission and blessing. Which is practically a whole ass ritual that I will talk about in a separate post.

Anyways, he received Artorias' blessing (and very terrifying Dad Talk/Threat) and was able to marry Lucette.

There's a lot more details in this story but they require separate posts, so this condensed version is what you're getting. I will (hopefully) talk more about him later on. Thanks for the ask!

[the-busy-ghost]

Lords and Lairds and Ladles

And while I’m on the subject of names and titles, it’s worth pointing out another easily mixed up custom that prevailed until at least the end of the sixteenth century (and probably later, it’s not my specialty).

If you were a nobleman whose surname happened to be ‘Kennedy’ or ‘Douglas’ or ‘Gordon’, that does not mean that you would necessarily be referred to as Lord Kennedy or Lord Douglas or Lord Gordon. Those are very specific titles which belong to specific members of those families. 

You MIGHT be referred to as ‘my lord’ as like an honorific, if you were a nobleman or a bishop or an abbot- for example, ‘my lord of Aberdeen’ would be the bishop of Aberdeen while ‘my lord of Murray’ could be either the bishop of Moray (most likely) or the earl of Moray (less likely, but still happened) or, very rarely, a nobleman with the surname Murray. However none of these people would hold the official title ‘Lord Aberdeen’ or ‘Lord Murray’, nor should they be referred to as such. 

Sometimes contemporary sources do make mistakes- in particular English diplomats often got mixed up when referring to Scottish nobles, and they might, for example, refer to any male member Kennedy family as ‘Lord Kennedy’, even if they didn’t mean the person who actually held that title. But it does not seem to have been common practice back in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and it certainly isn’t correct to refer to sixteenth century noblemen who didn’t hold a lordship of parliament using those titles in modern historical writing.

I am not au fait with English titles, but it seems that, nowadays, historians generally use the title ‘lord’ much more flexible- I have seen multiple members of the Howard family, alive at the same time, referred to as ‘Lord Howard’ in secondary sources. Whether that was actually the custom in the 16th century I don’t know, but certainly nobody seems to bat an eyelid now. 

But as a general (flexible) rule, Lord Hamilton is the man who has been specifically granted the title, not just any nobleman with the surname Hamilton. In 1503, Lord Drummond refers usually to John, 1st Lord Drummond, not any of his sons, and not one of the lairds of Innerpeffray who also bore the surname Drummond. There is a level in the Scottish peerage known as being a ‘lord of parliament’ and these lordships of parliament are an important concept, if sometimes complex. 

This is also why laird and lord are not exact synonyms. Yes laird initially stems from the concept of being someone’s lord, and most lords of parliament were also lairds (as were earls and dukes). Sometimes in poetry and prose you will find lord spelt like laird. But in a strict sense, lairds are a lower level of the nobility than the men called ‘Lord’- although lots of lairds, especially those employed at the royal court, could be influential too.

But when speaking plainly Lord Hume does not usually mean the same thing as ‘Laird Hume’. For example Alexander Hume, 3rd Lord Hume, who got his head cut off in 1516 was ‘Lord Hume’- he held the lordship of parliament and, though some might have disagreed, he would probably be thought of as representing the senior line of the family. Several of his kinsmen who bore the surname Hume were lairds though, such as the laird of Cowdenknowes and the laird of Wedderburn. Technically, Lord Hume was a laird too, in the explicit sense of someone who holds lordship over others. But a laird tended to be an ill-defined and lower level of lordship. Calling Lord Hume ‘Laird Hume’ would be like referring to the Duke of York solely by his knightly title Sir Edmund of Langley- he was both, but one of those is his highest title and the other is merely a subsidiary extra. 

Hence how James Hamilton, 6th Laird of Cadzow is created, in 1445, James, 1st Lord Hamilton. His son was later created Earl of Arran in 1503. But while the Hamiltons were an important, large, and influential kindred, this did not mean that other male members of the family were Lord Hamilton. Sometimes they might be Lord Hamilton of XXX (a location) or given another title altogether like Lord Paisley (for Claud Hamilton, third son of the 2nd Earl, in 1587). 

Alternatively Alexander Gordon, 2nd Lord Gordon, was made Earl of Huntly in 1457. In the sixteenth century we often find the eldest legitimate sons and heirs of the Earls of Huntly bearing the title Lord Gordon. Alternatively, they could be known as the ‘Master’ of Huntly, a common term indicating that the holder was the heir to the estate. But younger sons were not generally referred to as ‘Lord Gordon’ unless they had been granted possession of that lordship by the Earl of Huntly or someone with equal authority- for example, if they were the heir apparent while their older brother was childless. Otherwise they were usually just ‘my lord James Gordon’, or ‘Sir Adam Gordon of Auchindoun’ or ‘Alexander Gordon, the Laird of Lochinver’. 

As for their ladies, both lords and lairds’ wives might be referred to as lady, but in slightly different ways. So, had she not already borne a title from her first marriage (Countess of Bothwell), the wife of Alexander, 3rd Lord Hume would have been “Agnes Stewart, Lady Hume”. However the wife of Lord Hume’s distant kinsman David Hume of Wedderburn would be “Alison Douglas, the Lady of Wedderburn”, and the wife of the laird of Cowdenknowes would be perhaps “[Dame] Elizabeth Stewart, [the] Lady [of] Cowdenknowes”. Obviously full names were not always given, and bits and pieces get added and taken away, this was just to give a rough idea. 

DAUGHTERS on the other hand are never Lady Hume or Lady Elphinstone, unless they inherited the lordship. Lord Erskine’s wife is Lady Erskine, but his daughters are not all Lady Erskine as well, though they might become ladies of their husband’s title- Margaret Erskine, Lady of Lochleven because she married the laird (not lord) of Lochleven. Though their first name might be put in there to make it easier- Lady/Mistress Barbara Hamilton for example, who then becomes ‘Dame Barbara Hamilton, Lady Gordon’ or Lady Janet Stewart/Mistress Stewart who becomes ‘Dame Janet Stewart, Lady Fleming’ but never just Lady Stewart. 

The way people are ‘referred’ to in sources from sixteenth century Scotland is very fluid and flexible (and it doesn’t help that a lot of sources are from English or French writers who didn’t know the difference anyway). But from a modern perspective there are just certain unwritten rules. They’re generally easier to pick up naturally through reading primary and secondary sources than to explain exactly. The concept of a ‘laird’ is often confusing and ill-defined, but a lordship of parliament on the other hand meant something. Lord Crichton was not the same as Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, and certainly not the same as any number of lairds or younger sons who had the surname Crichton but held lands that weren’t associated with the lordship of parliament. Lord Lindsay of Crawford referred to the men who became earls of Crawford, but there was also Lord Lindsay of the Byres, and then a bunch of lairds and knights like Sir David Lindsay of the Mount who shouldn’t strictly be called ‘Lord Lindsay’. Stewart of Innermeath, Stewart of Darnley (later son of the earl of Lennox) and Stewart of Ochiltree all held lordships of parliament, but usually they would be referred to as Lord Innermeath, Lord Darnley, and Lord Ochiltree, even if theoretically they were all Lords Stewart. Then there’s a whole host of minor branches of the Stewart family whose heads can loosely be described as lairds, not lords. And in the plural, for example when referring to the political community, people usually refer to the Scots lords (as in the ‘lords of the parliament’ or ‘lords of the council’) not the Scottish lairds. 

And then of course churchmen come along and mess everything up even further, but we won’t get into that. 

[benevadeca]

The chronologically but largely plot irrelevant sequel to the previous raph/alan au is abt gerald and His coming of age arc. or rather the consequence of him acheiving self-actualization, in that it’s just a little unpleasant for everyone involved lmao.

Third Prince Of The Kingdom, leading candidate for succession as king regent of sorcier, suddenly and without warning not only drops out of the race, but makes a public statement revoking his own right to inheritance before mysteriously disappearing from the public eye entirely. Gasp! 

Political fallout! Kingdom in an uproar! Noble factions in disarray! (at least the upper classes and nobility, the common folk are more like “uhh that one guy? damn! juicy gossip tho!”). No one in the royal family is willing to disclose anything regarding the whereabouts of the 3rd prince. Some say they themselves don’t know what happened to him!

The 2nd Prince Ian has been doing an admirable job filling in his younger brother’s responsiblities and maintaining a dignified and staunch demeanor in such strange circumstances. The 1st Prince Geoffrey’s, as rumors may have it, under suspections of foul play!? Insider’s scoop from the palace says the 1st Prince has been keeping odd hours, dressing dourly, and speaking to thin air ever since. Is this evidence for a foul fate towards our 3rd prince? An expression of guilt perhaps? Has the dark underbelly of the Sorcier royal family come to head? Oh my!

Since Prince Gerald’s sudden disappearance, his closest circle of peers seem to have gone into seculsion themselves, hoping to avoid getting caught up in the new political field in their weakened states, with their prior compatriot and benefactor lost to the wind?

The 3rd Prince’s and the prime minister’s son and his known-to-be right-hand man, Nicol Ascart, was looking quite stormy after the news came about! And even he has since vacated the public eye since then, no doubt being kept safe at his family estate as his father, Prime Minister Ascart, works to assist with the fallout.

Why his good friend and fiance to his younger twin Prince Alan, Lady Mary Hunt, was quite beside herself at the news! Even the ever elegant and stolid noble lady was shaken, sources say she was grinding her teeth and her knuckles were clenched white- clear signs of distress, and no wonder! No doubt not only out of concern for her dear friend, but of her own fiance being under threat of whatever unknown party that has their hands in this tumulous situation! Word from her family is that she’s currently under the care of the Claes family, certainly together with Lady Katarina Claes, a bereaving shoulder of support for the poor Duke’s daughter. And not to mention, poor Lady Claes! Left utterly bereft, why she hadn’t been seen at a formal function since Prince Alan’s return to the kingdom!

Is it a conspiracy? A cover up? Murder? What nefarious plot could've come to head, to thrown the political world as they all know it into such blinding, senseless confusion?

Basically this is the timeline where Kat’s chaotic fuck-all energy finally invades Gerald’s gray matter in a meaningful way and he’s like “Hey, crazy idea I need you’re help with” and Kat is at first somewhat shocked but then otherwise rly down with assisting Gerald with his self-exile route, like kind of too down with it, he’s a little concern. She’s oddly prepared for something like this too and has to talk her down from the more, uh, international scandal level ideas she throws at him.

Tldr: Gerald finally says "fuck it" to both propiety and consequence, and turns in his pink slip without care of what Drama it causes. He is having the time of his life.

His nosy eldest brother behind the scenes helping to cleaning it up / publicly smoothing over the more treason/anti-Ian aspects of the rumors, but internally having an absolute ball adding fuel to the rumors and Dramatic Speculation and "woe is me my dearest brother, for where have you gone? Left us bereft in these tumulous times, hark".

He literally starts performing full Hamlet-esque grief and implied murder soliloquies in the hope of getting overheard, and mails these dramatic letters to gerald (currently in hiding and more than a little peeved his older brother is enjoying this. This is HIS dramatic reckless decision! How dare he eek enjoyment out of it and ruin his petty fun! Also how did he know where he was. Damn him.)

His mostly-distant parents however are rather a bit pissed bc what the hell? Really, teenage rebellion? Couldn't this have happened earlier and with less consequence? Like it does clear up the succession thing pretty cleanly but life would be alot easier if any of their sons actually like, communicated their desires to them. Are they that unapproachable? A thought to mull over.

Meanwhile, Alan, not even 6 months returned from his abroad musical studies, absolutely staying in his own lane like  ✌️ none of his business, not getting involved, Goodbye.

Gerald from the perspective of everyone actually In the Know ie: the main cast and the relevant parents. Everyone in the main cast bc of the whirlwind high society has been thrown into all alternating convince their parents / are convinced by their parents to lie low until it all blows over, as they are well-known as trusted and dear companions to the 3rd prince and could be dragged into some messy bullshit if they dont. Better to just sidestep it all together u kno?

And where to lie low but undercover as a group at a Claes-owned country estate, where Gerald happens to currently be, enjoying his early retirement and also the sheer chaotic wake he left behind.

[scotianostra]

On April 10th  1512, King James V was born at Linlithgow Palace.

James was son of King James IV of Scotland and his queen Margaret Tudor, a daughter of Henry VII of England, and was the only legitimate child of James IV to survive infancy, he was baptised the day after his birth, receiving the titles Duke of Rothesay and Prince and Grand Steward of Scotland. He became king at just seventeen months old when his father was killed at the Battle of Flodden Field on 9th September 1513.

James was crowned in the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle on 21st September 1513. During his childhood, the country was ruled by regents, first by his mother, until she remarried the following year, and then by John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany, who was next in line to the throne after James and his younger brother, the posthumously-born Alexander Stewart, Duke of Ross. Other regents included Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell, a member of the Council of Regency who was also bestowed as Regent of Arran, the largest island in the Firth of Clyde.

Queen Margaret´s tempestuous private life complicated her son´s childhood, and after she divorced her second husband, Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus, the Earl kidnapped young James.

For two years he held him captive, showering him with gifts and introducing him to a round of unsuitable pleasures. James loathed his former stepfather, and finally managed to escape in 1528, to rule by himself.   In the autumn of 1524 James dismissed his Regents and was proclaimed an adult ruler by his mother. James´ personal rule began by savagely pursuing his opponents and he hounded the Earl of Angus out of Scotland. James combined suspicion of nobles with a popular touch, travelling anonymously among Scottish people as the ´Gudeman o´Ballengeich´.   John Knox described him thus: ´he was called of some, a good poor man´s king; of others he was termed a murderer of the nobility, and one that had decreed their whole destruction´.

A highly strung, intelligent man who alternated between black depression and bouts of feverish energy, he had already fathered at least nine illegitimate children by a series of mistresses.   By 1536 he accepted it was time to marry and he chose as his wife Princess Madeleine of France, for he was eager to strengthen ´the Auld Alliance´ against England. The Princess was tubercular, and she died in his arms on 7th July 1537, seven weeks after her arrival in Edinburgh.   James increased his income by tightening control over royal estates and from the profits of justice, customs and feudal rights. He also gave his illegitimate sons lucrative benefices, diverting substantial church wealth into his coffers. James spent a large amount of his wealth on building work at Stirling Castle, Falkland Palace, Linlithgow Palace and Holyrood and built up a collection of tapestries from those inherited from his father. A favourite of mine that he had built is the gatehouse at Linlithgow Palace, as seen in poic two, showing The four European orders of chivalry to which James belonged.   In 1538 he married another French lady, the widowed Mary of Guise, tall, well-built and already the mother of two sons. She had two more sons by James but they both died in infancy within hours of each other in 1541.   The death of his mother in 1541 removed any incentive for peace with England, and war broke out. Initially the Scots won a victory at the Battle of Haddon Rig in August 1542. The Imperial ambassador in London, Eustace Chapuys, wrote on 2nd October that the Scottish ambassadors ruled out a conciliatory meeting between James and Henry VIII in England until the pregnant Mary of Guise delivered her child. Henry would not accept this condition and mobilised his army against Scotland.   James was with his army at Lauder on 31st October 1542. Although he hoped to invade England, his nobles were reluctant. He returned to Edinburgh on the way writing a letter in French to his wife from Falahill mentioning he had three days of illness.

Next month his army suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss. He took ill again shortly after this, on 6th December; by some accounts this was a nervous collapse caused by the defeat, although some historians consider that it may just have been an ordinary fever. Whatever the cause of his illness, he was on his deathbed at Falkland Palace when his only surviving legitimate child, a girl, was born.

Sir George Douglas of Pittendreich brought the news of the king´s death to Berwick. He said James died at midnight on Thursday 15th December; the king was talking but delirious and spoke no "wise words.", however according to legend, he said to to have uttered “it came wi a lass, it’ll gang wi a lass” (meaning “It began with a girl and it will end with a girl”). He died soon afterwards.   He was buried at Holyrood Abbey alongside his first wife Madeleine and his two sons. The tomb was probably destroyed during the Rough Wooing in 1544, but was later identified in 1683.

[hyaenagallery]

Garden Hermits part 2 Others asked that their hermits not wear shoes or even to entertain party guests with personalized poetry or the serving of wine. Professor Campbell argues that the motivations behind hiring a hermit reflect a lost appreciation of emotional depth, or the ‘pleasing melancholy’. In the early modern period, melancholy, like romantic love, was an emotion restricted to the upper echelons of society, as only nobility of birth endowed one with the requisite depth of character. Introspection and a somberness of spirit were prized among the elite, and the roles they asked their hermits to play embodied this. A 1784 guide to the Hawkstone estate in Shropshire belonging to Sir Richard Hill describes its resident hermit: “You pull a bell, and gain admittance. The hermit is generally in a sitting posture, with a table before him, on which is a skull, the emblem of mortality, an hour-glass, a book and a pair of spectacles. The venerable bare-footed Father, whose name is Francis (if awake) always rises up at the approach of strangers. He seems about 90 years of age, yet has all his sense to admiration. He is tolerably conversant, and far from being unpolite.” At other hours, the Hawkstone hermit was replaced with a mannequin, or perhaps, Campbell speculates, an automaton. Some estate owners who couldn’t afford, or did not want, a real live hermit sometimes set up the hermitage as if its resident had just left. Others used the hermitages themselves. The ornamental hermit vanished at the end of the 18th century. In The Hermit in the Garden, Campbell chronicles the remains in a “catalogue of hermitages,” listing whether they are destroyed, extant, or never built at all. However, the humble hermit may not have left us entirely. As Campbell argues, “the garden hermit evolved from the antiquarian druid and eventually declined into the garden gnome.” #destroytheday (throwback post from April 2nd, 2014) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2jkpiihHg5/?igshid=vnwk8njd4v07

[filiiconscidisti]

draco & headcanon : a brief history of the malfoy family, 58 BC - 1970

antiquity

the earliest known written records of the magical family lineage originates from the commentarii de bello gallico (58-49 BC), an account of the gallic wars (58-50 BC) as described by julius caesar (100-44 BC). in chapters 13-14 and 16-18, caesar wrote of the druids of gaul ( present-day france and luxembourg ), noting that their high social standing and education set them apart from the other barbarians. they were also well-versed in “the stars and their movements, the size of the cosmos and the earth, the nature of the world, and the powers of immortal deities.” the magic possessed by the druids complemented well the natural magic of the roman augures publici, who used their magical abilities to interpret the will of the gods through the behaviour of birds – particularly ravens and eagles ( the predisposition the modern malfoy family has for keeping birds derives from their historical augury ). the family’s pure-blooded magical lineage originates from a pairing of a gallic druid and a roman augur in the 1st or 2nd century AD. evidence suggests that the family settled in gallo-roman territory, and remained there for many years.

the middle ages & the viking age

the distinct white-blonde hair that runs in the family line developed from centuries of contact with the gauls, germanics, and their collective ancestors, the visigoths, during the migration period of the 4th and 6th centuries AD. during this period, the family lineage becomes relatively untraceable due to lack of historical record. the family reappears once more in the 9th century AD during the viking settlement of west francia. due to insufficient records, it is currently not known whether the family was of frankish or viking origin during this period of invasion. there is, however, evidence that suggests that the family had attached themselves closely to the newly created duchy of normandy by the late 10th or early 11th century, implying that by this time they already had formed a not-insignificant connection to either king carolus simplex (879-929 AD) or rollo the viking (c 860-930 AD), first duke of normandy. their connection to nobility either way would be cemented with the rise of william the conqueror (1028-1087) to the duchy.

armand malfoy (fl. 1066) arrived in england with the norman conquest in the 11th century. when william the conqueror secured his throne in 1072, he seized the lands of resisting english elite and granted them to his loyalists. having provided various unspecified, but undoubtedly magical, services to the king, armand was granted a 180 acre plot of land in wiltshire that would become the site of malfoy manor. when the manor was constructed, it covered 30,000 square feet and contained 300 rooms, 61 of which were bedrooms ( approximately 50 of the 300 total rooms of the manor as of the modern era are now uninhabitable due to a lack of upkeep ). at the time of the land being granted, the 180 acre malfoy estate housed four muggle tennant farmstead households ( for a total of about 16-20 total farmer tenants, none of whom remain on the malfoy estate as of 1692, when they were forcibly evicted due to requirements set forward in the international statute of wizarding secrecy ), and was capable of yielding up to 900 bushels of grain during a peak and fertile harvesting season. the malfoy family as the landlords absorbed 15% of the total harvest yield from each individual farmstead, and 35% of all profits made from grain sold, accounting for the immense wealth that the malfoys were able to accumulate early into their english residency. as their wealth grew, the malfoys were able to annex neighbouring muggle farmland until the estate grew to a peak of 6,000 acres ( most of which has since been lost as of the modern era. the modern estate consists now only of the original 180 acre plot ). 

the malfoy family maintained a close relationship with the muggle tenant farmers on the estate, being lenient landlords who would not evict the sick or elderly even if their land was not yielding profit. a church, two cemeteries ( one for the muggles and one for the malfoys ), and a muggle school were eventually built. once a year, the malfoy manor would open itself to visits from the muggle tenants, and they would be treated to a grand dinner held in the drawing room. nicholas malfoy (fl. 1340) was a very brief dark mark on the history of the malfoy family’s interactions with their muggle tenants. nicholas murdered many of the muggle farmers under the guise of the black death in the late 1300’s. his motivations for the murders are currently unknown, and his actions escaped the notice of the wizards’ council. he was never charged for his crimes.

the elizabethan period & the renaissance & the age of exploration

the malfoy family continued to thrive well into the 16th century, with lucius malfoy i (fl. 1560) rising to queen elizabeth i’s (1533-1603) court. lucius had, like many, aspired to take the queen’s hand in marriage, but was declined. although never proven, many historians believe that this refusal brought lucius to hex the queen. this bit of spiteful spellwork resulted in queen elizabeth i never marrying and eventually gaining notoriety as the virgin queen. the malfoy family’s opinion of muggles shifted following these events, and eventually culminated into strong anti-muggle sentiment. lucius malfoy i’s daughter, elizabeth malfoy-burke (fl. 1592) ( who was named after queen elizabeth i ) served as headmistress of hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry at the age of 35, marking her as one of the youngest persons to hold the post of head at hogwarts. elizabeth held strong pureblood supremacist beliefs, and therefore deeply favoured the slytherin house ( which was, of course, her own house ). like many of her predecessors, elizabeth would lobby for increased selectivity in the students hogwarts accepted. she was unsuccessful in instituting a complete ban on muggle-born admissions.

in the 17th century when persecution of wizarding kind by muggles was at its height. the malfoy family began to steadily isolate itself from their muggle tenant farmers, and by 1692, with the passing of the international statute of wizarding secrecy, all muggles were evicted from the malfoy estate. the malfoys then turned to wizarding society as a place where political and social power and influence could be gained. brutus malfoy (fl. 1675) began to gain notoriety in the wizarding community as an editor for an anti-muggle periodical called warlock at war. his opinions, although still considered to be radical and outrageous at the time, led him to work in the ministry of magic where the malfoy family would find the political influence they had been lacking since their isolation from the muggles separated them from the courts of muggle royalty. septimus malfoy (fl. 1780) grew to be incredibly influential within the ministry of magic. many historians claim that while he worked only as an advisor to he minister for magic unctuous osbert (fl. 1772) from 1789-1798, septimus was more the minister than osbert. osbert was elected two terms, with septimus serving as the de facto minister. the malfoy family continued to hold such influential ministry positions into the modern age.

the modern era

the modern era saw many changes for the malfoy family. with no muggle tenant farmers remaining on the estate property and no monetary investment placed in muggle industry, their wealth began to decline. eventually, 5,820 acres of the 6,000 acre estate were sold, leaving the estate with only its original grant size of 180 acres. the malfoy family continued to foster their connections within both hogwarts and the ministry in an attempt to prevent their line from dying. in 1962, nobby leach (fl. 1960) became the first muggle-born to be appointed to the post of minister for magic. several members of the wizengamot, which was packed primarily with prominent members of pure-blooded and sacred 28 families, resigned in protest. abraxas malfoy (fl. 1954-1968), however, did not resign. instead, he grew close enough to the minister that he was able to hex the minister, causing him to come down with a sickness that forced him to prematurely resign his post in 1968. no conclusive evidence was ever brought forward against abraxas, and he was heralded a hero in pure-blooded wizarding circles. two years later, the first wizarding war would begin, with abraxas’s son, lucius abraxas malfoy ii (1954-current), fighting at the frontlines in support of pureblood superiority.