House Astor
House Astor is one of the three Major Noble Families of Osrona, representing the Lion's Body of the Constellation of Leonaus. The dynastic heraldry of the Astor family is a knight wielding Balmung atop the Elder Dragon Myndrerrag on a blue field.
Contents
History
In the Golden Age of the Petrakis monarchy, House Astor was seen as the protectors of the realm more so than any other family. Defenders of the Kingdom of Esshar, legends say it was an Astor who served as the first Lightbringer of the Order of The First Light, establishing the army as the glorious protectors of the Petrakis monarchy and Esshar as a whole. Proud warriors, one could look at any war waged by the Kingdom of Esshar and see Astors proudly marching, from the War of the Dragon to the Invasion of Barsburg. In peacetime, Astors were commonly found serving in the law enforcement branches of the First Light, or doing their part training the next generation of the army.
In the turmoil of the 18th century and the collapse of the Essharan Empire, the Astors remained loyal protectors - it is even said that their personal retinue of a few hundred household guards escorted several thousand citizens safely out of the Sack of Osrona when it became clear the siege was lost, laying waste to any of the maddened Teraphim who crossed their path. In the reclamation of Osrona, the Astors were among the Nysean loyalists who fought alongside the Teraphim of Myllenoris to restore the monarchy. Indeed, this loyalty outlived the monarchy, and when Queen Aeliana rei Petrakis abdicated in favour of an Archmagi, they were some of the earliest supporters of the new Archmagidom of Osrona, helping protect the new government from the fate of the doomed Osronan Republic.
House Astor in the Archmagidom largely kept to the same traditions as it always had, brave warriors part of the decades long war with Achyon. The closest to a change that occurred within the family was the scandal when it came to light that Adrastos ven Astor, Lord of the family at the time, had carried on an illicit affair and sired children with the Barsburgian agent known as Niffty. Regardless of this, his children showed no sign of divided loyalties, going so far as to even battle their mother in skirmishes during the Osrona-Achyon war.
Customs and Traits
- The Astor family - like the Pelleaux and Grimmore families - may be identified by the particles 'ven' and 'vey'. The ‘ven’ particle is for the main branch only; i.e. the branch down which the Headship passes. If the Head of a noble family has three children (Child A, B, and C), all three hold the particle ‘ven’. If child A becomes the Head of the family, child A’s children will hold the ‘ven’ particle; the children of child B and C, however, will be ‘vey’, as they have passed outside of the direct line of succession.
- Naturally gifted with cosmic magic like the other major nobles of Osrona - in particular the technique referred to as ‘Rosegold Overdrive’. This blessing of their blood has several side effects, including a generally greater affinity to Yellow stars amongst their members and - perhaps more unusually - the complete lack of any non-human Astor’s being born, even with a beastkin parent.
- Perhaps one of their most notable physical traits, Astors are often born with blonde hair.
- Befitting their ancestral role as warriors, Astor children tend to begin being educated in combat arts from the point they can hold a sword or staff, and often before they can even read. Indeed, it’s quite possible they’re the earliest of the major noble families to teach their children magic.
- The wielding of Balmung is a great honour amongst Astors, and one who wields the weapon rightfully has a natural claim on the Lordship of the family, so long as they are of recent Astor blood and in good standing with the church. As such, the Astors over the ages have become prodigious Dragonslayers, though understandably following the Osronan-Fireblooded alliance this tradition has been quietly ignored.
Notable Members
Ersen ven Astor - 447-484 AC
Born the fourth son of the Lord of House Astor at the time, Ersen held an interest in blacksmithing and runeworking from the moment he could read, becoming a capable blacksmith by fifteen and forging himself a sword of mythril he named Balmung. As most of his family did, he joined the Order of the First Light at the age of sixteen, being knighted by eighteen, shortly before the beginning of the War of the Dragon. Ever the loyal warrior, he was one of the first to venture to the pass of Nuburg to man the garrison against the Sluthian invasion coming up the pass.
Under the command of his maternal grandfather, Ameus Petrakis - brother of the king at the time - Ersen gained a reputation as a warrior of particular skill, even amongst his already renowned family. When the Osronans withdrew from the pass of Nuburg in 470 AC, he was one of the last to leave the garrison, bringing down a Sluthian dragon with a well aimed ballista bolt before his departure. By 472 AC, he had become a Radiant, and in the middle of the fighting of the Battle of Mora solidified his fame when his sword found its way into the heart of the Elder Dragon Myndrerrag, slaying it. Their leader dead, and the war turning against them, Ersen’s actions push the Sluthians towards a peace treaty, ending the war.
In the aftermath, Ersen’s achievements made him a living legend to most of his peers. In addition, he claimed Myndrerrag’s corpse as his by right of conquest; the scales of the great dragon were added as he reforged his simple sword with arcanium, and used the flame-producing organs of the dead Elder Dragon as his forge, remaking Balmung as a weapon of dragon slaying. In recognition of his achievements, his father made him heir to the Astor Lordship, and he became Lord in 481 AC. Alas, this was not to last, as Ersen ven Astor was found dead in his personal chambers in early 484 AC at the age of thirty-seven, his death considered largely to be the work of Sluthian assassins seeking vengeance for the death of their leader.
Serea ven Astor - 1700-1739 AC
The wife of King Aristidis Petrakis, Serea served as both a Radiant Knight and Commander in Osrona's defensive war against the Empire of Barsburg. In one of the later battles, she was present when Aristidis lost his life. Following her husband's death, she returned to Osrona to defend her firstborn son's claim, Alexander Petrakis.
Given his youth, however, Serea took to the throne of Osrona as Queen Regent, reigning in his stead. Serea was known for her bold, uncompromising approach to the political sphere, which was surprisingly successful in solidifying Osrona's position in a time of weakness where the Empire was already in free fall. Declaring war upon her enemies, taking to the field herself, and pitting leaader against leader within Osrona, Serea strived to create stability for her son's ascension.
After Alexander Petrakis took the throne, Serea returned to the Order, becoming the Lightbearer of Osrona's armed forces. She was ultimately captured in one of Alexander's wars, and was assassinated in captivity by Sythaeryn Vartuul. Often regarded as the 'mother of all nobles,' most of the modern nobility within Esshar on either side can trace their roots back to Serea Astor.
Anastasia orn Astor - 1730-1850 AC
Born in Osrona but largely raised in the loyalist village of Nysea by her half-brother King Alexander II Petrakis, Anastasia from her earliest years lived in the shadow of her larger than life mother, Serea ven Astor. Rising to this challenge, she joined the Order of the First Light as soon as she was able, serving diligently through the quasi-war with the corrupt Osronan Republic and the early conflict with the Demons, Therians and Barsburgians of the Pact of Beasts in the 1750s.
A bold woman, Anastasia became both Lightbringer of the First Light the first of her line in several generations to wield Balmung, and became the second Dragonslayer of the mid-century after Marie ras Petrakis. While she served loyally and without pause, her loyalty has been said by several modern historians to have not been reciprocated; when she was captured by Barsburgian occupied Osrona, little was done by the Nysean-Myllenoran alliance to reclaim her from the Empire’s clutches despite her high station. A relationship of uncertain nature with the infamous Walter pyr Docro is believed to have started here, and following the continued lack of recognition or appreciation for her efforts, Anastasia ultimately defected to the Empire of Barsburg in the 1760s, later marrying Walter pyr Docro and becoming the mother of the Docro dynasty as well as a woman of influence in the Barsburg capital after her husband became Imperator.
Reports of her exact achievements as part of the Empire are largely unsubstantiated, but she is believed to have died peacefully of old age in 1850 AC.
Adrastos ven Astor 1795-Present
Grandson of Serea ven Astor, great things were expected of young Adrastos from an early age. Orphaned after the death of his father at the hands of Occultists, he was regardless raised in the martial way of his family, joining the Order of the Second Dawn at a young age. He rose to prominence within the Order after joining the then Radiant Malakai’s squadron alongside his best friend, and future Champion of Eos, Gareth Ingrain. Together he’d fight alongside both of them throughout multiple wars, as well as his own personal vendetta against the Deep Company. A brave man, he was one of the Knights of the Second Dawn who joined Atticus ven Grimmore on the expedition to seal away the Grimoire of Antares, but it was only after the capture of a relatively well known pirate that his efforts were recognized, and he was promoted to the rank of Radiant, a role in which he served until his student Ermir Soleis replaced him.
Adrastos was the first Astor wielder of Lightcutter, and was the one who established it as a new relic for House Astor. Not one to forget the loss of his father, he was well known as under no circumstances tolerating the use of occultism.
Despite his presence within his homeland, Adrastos became a subject of some scandal in the capital when it was revealed he had married - and sired two children with - the Achyonian agent Niffty. Some time after, he had quietly divorced the woman, and subsequently begun a secret relationship with another, raising their children in private for their own safety. Given his loyalty to the kingdom, eventually it was overlooked as a indiscretion for which he had made amends. He currently enjoys retirement within Osrona.
Relics
Balmung
From the heat of an Elder Dragon’s flames was this weapon created, reforged from the plain mythril it once was into an alloy of Arcanium and Dragonscale that cover the entire length of the blade; originally forged using the fire-making organ of the Elder Dragon Myndrerrag’s corpse, it has since been forged over countless battles from the heat of the fiery breaths of the very Dragons that would have their natural armor cut through and melded into Balmung itself. Horrible misfortune in battle follows those unworthy to wield the Dragon-Slayer, but they who wield it rightfully have a claim on the Lordship of House Astor, so long as they themselves are of Astor blood and name.
In the 1800s Balmung was acquired by the Fireblooded, who reforged it. It is currently considered lost to the Astor family.
Gearrthoir Aadrom - Lightcutter
This was formerly known as a sword of shadows. The image of a wolf can be seen on the black blade, just above the guard. Several runes link the dark ebbing power to flow from the ebony blade down to the peculiar pommel that flows in equilibrium with itself. Within the pommel sits a protected fragment that seems to attune itself to the lifestream directly.
The blade edges, when struck against flesh, tingle and seep down to the very victim's mana circuits. This blade was forged from two prior weapons: Palais, wielded by Edelaide Reveille and from Clemence, which had been the staff of Tiernay Reveille.
Gearrthoir Eadrom cuts through not only the flesh and armor of magi with it's blackened meteorite blade, but the light within Magi as well. It's name, translated into the common Essharan tongue from the ancient Magnolian speech, reads as 'Light Cutter'.
Due to more recent work, there is an ancient rune which rests within the weapon itself, providing a brilliant flash of light whenever an exorcist channels their mana through it. It feels as if the sun itself is shining outwards from the sword, even as the blade is still as black as a shadow.
In addition, the blade now has a core of soul-steel worked and melded from hilt to tip, siphoned with the energy of a crystal fragment used to collect energies to heal rifts within the Lifestream. The soul-steel bound upon the weapon and connected to the Astor family. The weapon gives a faint violet glow, a sign of applied plasma-forging by Ael Gelmont.
