The History of House Baruch, 316 E.S.

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The History of House Baruch

By

Sigmar Joren Baruch

18th of Gronna and Droba, 316 E.S

 

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Table of Contents

I.) Founding of House Baruch

II.) Family in Major Events

III.) Baruch Patriarchs

IV.) Notable Family Members

V.) House Relics

 

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Founding of Baruch
 

 House Baruch originated as a bastard branch from Otto I of Vanderfell, known more often as Otto the Bald. They lived as a gentry family under the Reformed Kingdom of Oren, though sided with the Ducal Coalition during the Dukes War. They later sided with John I Frederick Horen during the Horen Restoration, and also contributed to the construction of Luciensport. Their tenure as nobility began after the reformation of the Duchy of Haense and creation of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, to which they have been loyal to ever since.

 

 

Prior to ennoblement, the family lived in the harsh winter lands of Carnatia in the northern plains of Vailor. Duke Otto’s bastard son, Marius Baruch, fought against the loyalists during the Duke’s War; he fought in the Siege of Barrowyk, though he escaped and sought refuge with fellow soldiers and exiled aristocrats. Upon John I Frederick’s return to Vailor, Marius, along with other Horen loyalists conspired against King Guy de Bar to reform the Empire of Oren. As a result of Marius’ assistance in the Horen Restoration, his son Joren was taken as a squire beneath Duke Otto II of Carnatia. Marius then joined with a group of Cannonists and set out to form the Clerical seat of Luciensport. His older son, Bernard, took full interest in the Church and decided to enroll into the Clergy, later becoming the Bishop of Haense and eventually being anointed as High Pontiff Everard III.

 

Under Duke Otto II, Joren flourished and was awarded a knighthood and a manor estate on the Carnatian coast for his loyal service. Shortly after, Duke Otto II was succeeded by his son, Stephen I, and then by Stephen’s maternal grandfather, Jan Kovachev. It was during this time, in the court of Duke Jan that Joren met and eventually wed Adelajda Roswell, the daughter of Arthur Roswell, the Duke of Istria and close friend of Duke Jan. The pair quickly had two boys, Eirik and Harold before Joren’s military service was required once more for the Riga War against House Staunton. After defeating the Staunton Duke, Joren returned home and had his third and final child, Isabel. Just short of three months after the birth of his daughter, Joren was killed in a whaling accident when his boat was butted by a whale and he fell overboard, becoming trapped beneath the ice and drowning.

 

After his father’s death, Eirik decided to enlist in the company of the then Duke Petyr of Haense. He served as a squire beneath the Duke, and upon Petyr’s elevation to King of Haense, Eirik was raised the the Baron of Voron and given land sitting between the Hansetti mountains and the coast

 

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Family in Major events

 

Deep Cold Uprising (1585-1586)

 

A portrait depicting the murder of John IV by Andrik II, 1585

 

In 1585, King Andrik II preemptively killed Emperor John IV after he threatened the life of the King in the Johannesburg palace. Andrik soon returned to St. Karlsburg to inform the nobles of his deeds, he then asked to declare open rebellion with support of his lords, however the opposite happened. The Count of Kurov, Sergei Kovachev, rallied the majority of haeseni vassals against Andrik,  including Count Eirik Baruch. This left King Andrik with few options as the only remaining loyal vassal was the Margravate of Vanir. In 1586, Andrik II was ousted by his remaining loyal nobles to the emperor and was later executed by being boiled in milk.

 

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The Great Northern War (1601-1604)

 

A portrait of the Haense Capital St. Karlsburg, 1600

 

In 1601, in order to stop the radical courlandic terrorists, King Marius I and his council saw it fit to declare war on the Kingdom of Courland. What was once an offensive war quickly switched to a defensive war as the haeseni troops were outmatched by their courlandic terrorist counterparts. Quickly the war turned into a fight for kingdom survival as Haense’s allies abandoned them such as the Westerlands. Count Otto Baruch staunchly supported King Marius’s fight as he fought in every battle to defend his homeland. After Haense lost the war, Otto’s titles were revoked as well as many other haeseni nobles, and many went into exile.

 

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The Greyspine Rebellion(1611-1612)

 

The Battle of Rothswood, 1612

 

After the fall of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska to the invading Courlanders in 1604, many of the nobility scattered to other kingdoms of the realm while some stayed in open rebellion to the Courlander regime. The two main houses to stay in rebellion were Ruthern and Baruch. While house Ruthern had their only familial problems with a puppet Count, house Baruch, under Count Otto, reclaimed two keeps, Liefgaard and Laval, whilst harassing their old keep of Saint’s Rest and many other ex-haeseni castles. It was not until 1611, that a formal declaration of rebellion was declared after killing the Puppet Count of Metterden and the joining of haeseni forces mainly made of Ruthern and Baruch men. The rebellion culminated in the Battle of Rothswood, which ended the rebellion in a crushing victory by the outnumbered haeseni forces, the young Ser Aldrik Baruch fought bravely here. This victory came after they hired the sellswords of Dunamis and allied themselves with the Kingdom of Lotharingia. Soon after, Courland surrendered to the rebels and gave back the stolen land of the Kingdom of Haense. This led to the eventual crowsmoot and reformation of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska.

 

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The Crowsmoot (1612)

 

First National Duma, 1612

 

After the successful rebellion of the haeseni nobility, it came time to select the new leader of the kingdom. The National Duma of 1612 was called, resulting in the flooding back of haeseni nobility and the forming of political groups to crown a new leader for the hurting nation. The 3 main families claiming the crown were that of the House of Ruthern, the House of Vyronov, and the House of Barbanov. It was suspected that House Ruthern would win the Crown, but many supported the claims of Vyronov including the Baruchs, as well as the claim of Barbanov who wished to regain their old titles. However, after days of arguing, the other claimants folded in order to unanimously support the restoration of the House Barbanov as the King of Haense.

 

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The Culling of Vanders (1630)

 

The pruning of the necromancers, 1630

 

In 1630, rumors spread of heresy and necromancy amongst the lineage of Baruch. Count Otto and his heir, Aldrik, found out that this was indeed true which infuriated the Count. He learned that his cousins Richard and Harold Baruch were behind it. A secret meeting was called including only Count Otto, Aldrik, Sigmar, and Joren. They decided the best path to take was to cull the line of their cousins. So a plot was formed and another meeting was called, this time including Richard and Harold and their families. Once they arrived, they were rounded up and put to the sword, those who escaped were disowned and took the name Vander. This was a dark time in the history of house Baruch.

 

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The Ludovar Trial (1707)

 

A portrait depicting the Ludovar Trial, 1707

 

In 1707, Prince Jacob of House Ludovar was under much scrutiny by the Kingdom of Haense. An alliance of Lords led by Marius Karl Baruch indicted the Prince of Ulgaard on 12 charges, although he was only found guilty on 6. Lord Justiciar Swithun sat as the Judge, Marius Karl Baruch was the Prosecutor General, and famed lawyer Fabius Bracchus defended the young Prince. After hours of legal debate, and the betrayal of Jakob Ludovar’s family, the prince was found guilty and was castrated, fined 10,000 mina, the Principality of Ulgaard was revoked as well as the County of Monstadt, and his marriage was annulled. This was a major victory for Marius Baruch and was the decline of the great Ludovar house.

 

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The War of the Two Emperors (1715-1721)

 

The Coronation of Emperor Josef Marna, 1715

 

In 1715, the War of the Two Emperors sparked, leaving humanity in disarray. The Kingdom of Hansetti-Ruska along with the Golden City of Ves and the Kingdom of Curon backed Josef of House Horen-Marna as the Emperor of the Holy Orenian Empire after the dissolution of the Empire of Man by Antonius I. Soon after, the remnant tyrannical regime of the Crownlands formed the Imperium Renatum crowning Godfrey III of House Pertinax as Emperor of Renatus. Hearing the plans of Marius II and the kingdom of Haense, Jan Baruch renounced his oath as a knight of the Marian Retinue and vassal of the peerage of Haense, attempting to take his family to Renatus. His grandfather, Marius Karl Baruch acted quickly in disowning and disenfranchising Jan, he also convened with the King Marius II and reaffirmed House Baruch's oaths of service to the kingdom, promising to raise Jan’s son, Sigmar Baruch, to be the next Count and patriarch of House Baruch. House Baruch was led  by a Regency Council made up of Lerald Vyronov, Lilliana Baruch, Marius Karl Baruch, and Joren Aldrik Baruch.

 

 As the war raged on, Sigmar’s mother, Lilliana, soon did the same as Jan and left for the Empire of Rentatus, betraying her family. Quickly after she too was disowned. House Baruch served the needs of the kingdom through providing resources for war, enlisting the greyguard into the central army, and actively involving themselves in the governing and defense of Haense. As Sigmar entered his reign as the sole leader of his house, he made decisive decisions to ensure the integrity of his house and to gain the respect of his fellow lords by taking action with his few soldiers against the Renatus such as attacking Renatus vassals, burning their fields, and sabotaging supply chains. Jan Baruch was captured, tried, and executed by the Knight Paramount Ser Dominic Grimm. Lilliana Baruch was lured into a trap by Sigmar which led to her capture, trial, and execution by her own son as her daughter, Kamilla, watched. For the rest of the war, Sigmar served the Crown in many battles until the end of the War in 1721. The treaty was negotiated with Sigmar much in mind to protect from charges of kinslaying and terrorism as he and his greyguard served as a nuissance to the Dragon knights and the Renatus regine.

 

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The Lorraine Revolt (1729)

 

Haeseni soldiers celebrating the victory over the Lorraine rebels, 1729

 

In 1729, the rising tension between the Kingdom of Haense and the Caer Bann of Kaedrin culminated after Kaedreni soldiers drew swords Lord Sigmar Baruch and his cousin, Lord Erich Stafyr, in rubern.This was not the first time an event as such had happened, only a few years prior Lord Sigmar was attacked by a Kaedreni soldier in the streets of Reza, leading to a ban on all Kaedreni citizens from entering the city.  Lord Sigmar and Erich quickly rushed to the Prikaz, alerting King Andrik III of the events that had just transpired, Andrik ordered for the troops to be rallied and called upon our Carrion brothers from Rubern and Adria to join forces and march on Kaedrin. After the combined forces arrived at the doorstep of the Caer Bann, both sides sent leaders to converse, this included the Archancellor Sir John, the bastard of Marna, who followed the Carrion army to Ves. After talking with the King of Kaedrin, a plot was stumbled upon. The Caer bann had attempted to drag Kaedrin and Haense into the ongoing conflict between the Duchy of Adria and the Duchy of Lorraine. This plot was then foiled after King Adrian decided to give up the Caer Bann, who attempted to commit treason, to King Andrik for execution. The Carrion army then turned their attention to Lorraine. Lord Sigmar, Erich, and Konrad, who were on the front lines of the Kaedrin meeting then marched with the rest of the army to Lorraine where the Duchy of Lorraine was branded traitors of the Empire, and attacked and besieged. The rebellion was put down as quickly as it had risen.

 

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The Founding of House Gant (1732)

 

The Coat of Arms of House Gant, 1732

 

In 1732, Sigmar Baruch and his distant Cousin, Joren Baruch, met with King Andrik III in order to talk about Joren retaining his family’s old titles. This ended with the forming of the cadet branch of House Baruch-Gant and Joren receiving the titles the Baron of Gant.

 

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The Valwyk Pact (1755-)

 

The members of the Valwyk pact gathering at their first meet, 1755

 

In 1755, after the death of the Lord Regent, Tiberius Barrow, and the promotion of Otto Alimar to Lord Regent who was known for his heavy centralist ideals, a collection of lord from the Houses Ruthern, Baruch, Vanir, and Barlcay came together and forged an alliance to protect one another from foreign lands, to support House Barbanov, and to protect the rights and responsibilities of the haeseni nobility. The young Duke Petyr Baruch was elected unanimously to be the leader of the Alliance. Communications and negotiations between Petyr and the newly appointed regent, Otto Sigmar took place which led to a productive compromise which made both sides happy. After this feat, Petyr Baruch was soon made Palatine aspirant for his ability to diplomatically discuss, compromise, and solve the issues at hand.

 

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The Siege of Valwyck (1768)

 

 The Siege of Valwyck, 1768 

 

In 1768, The Scyflings, an Atheran tribe, invaded the northern shores of Haense in order to finish the conflict that began in Athera with King Sigismund after his expeditionary force was attacked by the Scyflings and their leader, Bralt. Bralt brought his tribe to the Haeseni coastline to raze and burn Crow land, he attempted to take Valwyck from Duke Petyr I Baruch, but the Baruch’s and members of the Haeseni Royal Army held off the Scyffling invasion.

 

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Baruch Patriarchs

 

Count Eirik I ‘the Whaler’ (1581-1606)

 

 

Eirik Voron Baruch (born 1565) was the first Count of Ayr, after he was raised from the Baron of Voron. He is one of the youngest people to be enfeoffed based off his own feats. His father Ser Joren Baruch, a bannerman to Duke Jan I of Carnatia, died during Eirik’s infancy and so he was raised in the court Duke Jan I where he formed a close friendship with the then commander in Duke Jan’s retinue, King Petyr I Barbanov. Upon King Petyr’s ascension to the Kingdom of Haense, Eirik joined his friend in the Northern plains of Axios where the King chose to settle his Kingdom. As a result of Eirik’s loyalty, he was awarded the Barony of Voron on the Haeseni coast in order to continue the Baruch family’s whaling tradition.

 

Upon the ascension of Petyr’s son, King Andrik II ‘the Winter King’, Eirik was elevated to the Count of Ayr - a title held by his Rovin ancestors, with his uncle Hughes Pasquier being raised to the Barony of Laval within the County for the Baruch’s continued support to the Barbanov Kings. Though his reign was fairly uneventful, Eirik stood with many other Haeseni nobles against his friend and liege during the Deep Cold Uprising. When Haense was conquered Eirik and his uncle, Hughes, took refuge in the Kingdom of Mardon where they engaged in frequent raids upon Courlandic lands. In the final attempt for Mardon’s independence, he and his uncle took up arms against the Courlandic invaders where he perished in the swamps of Mardon, dragged beneath the water’s surface by the weight of his armour. 

 

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Count Otto I ‘the Just’ (1606-1640)

 

 

Otto Marius Baruch (born 1581) was the son of Count Eirik ‘the Whaler’ and Valeria Palaiologos within the newly established Saint’s Rest and was the first Count of Ayr to inherit the County title. He was one of the first conspirators who gathered alongside the House of Ruthern and Lord Viktor Kovachev to begin the Greyspine Rebellion that would eventually lead to the liberation of Haense from the Staunton invaders and the reinstatement of the House of Barbanov as the Kings of Haense. 

 

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Count Ser Aldrik I ‘the Stalwart’ (1640-1673)

 

 

Aldrik Baruch (born 1605) was the son of Count Otto Baruch and Linnea Vanir within the confines of Saint’s Rest, Ayr, though he did not grow up there. Instead, he was raised in Jorenstadt, a castle his father Otto held in partial rebellion throughout the Kingdom of Courland’s occupation of Haense.  He was close to his cousin, Joren, and twin sister, Astrid. As a child, Aldrik always wished to be a knight of Haense, which he would later see materialise. He fought alongside his brethren in the Second Battle of the Rothswood, which saw the reestablishment of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska within the continent of Axios. Following the battle, his effort was recognised by King Stephen I of Haense who offered to take him as an older squire.During a brief conflict between house Ruthern and Baruch, Aldrik successfully saved his father — Count Otto — from assassination, and assisted in deescelating the situation and as a result was knighted by King Otto II of Haense.In the year 1640, Count Otto died as a result of an ongoing battle with undiagnosed dementia, leaving Aldrik to take up the mantle to become the third Count of Ayr. Aldrik spent his early reign participating in the Third Crusade, which would see the defeat of the Red Faith in Axios. Upon the conclusion of the crusade, Aldrik successfully transported his family and people aboard the family’s fleet to the realm of Atlas. 

 

Early Atlas saw Aldrik’s conflict with King Otto II after he insisted on preserving feudal vassal’s autonomy, which was directly in opposition to Otto who sought to centralize the Kingdom and force each noble family into the newly formed Royal Army. Aldrik held out, his civil disobedience creating a lasting hatred of centralization and the royal army throughout his family, which is still held by Baruch family members today.After the demise of King Otto III, Aldrik constructed the new family keep - Greyguard Hold - in Ayr, north of the River Czena. He reigned as an independent Count for a small period of time during Haense’s conquest by Courlandic forces, before vassalizing again under King Karl II upon the return of the Kingdom from Courlandic oppression. In this time, he created the Greyguard — a levy force protecting his land and family — as well as writing and signing the Greyguard Pact with House Ruthern, creating a non-aggression pact and alliance. This was a stunning advancement in Haeseni house politics, as only a few decades previously, their feud was one of the most prominent in the realm.

 

Aldrik died in 1673 after contracting lung disease. The family's isolationist policy led to a lack of medical professionals living in and visiting Ayr, and so Aldrik’s death was prolonged and painful.

 

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Succession Crisis (1673-1674)

 

Though Aldrik had three sons, his eldest two were not in close proximity to Ayr at the time of his death. His eldest, Petyr, was proclaimed Count by the people of Ayr, however was unfortunately slain on his way to claim the County. His brother, Eirik, was then elevated to Count, but abdicated after a month due to a malignant tumor in his neck in 1674 which eventually led to his death in 1789. As a result, Aldrik’s youngest son Marius took up the mantle of Count, though the family was now considerably weakened militaristically and their influence had been reduced as a result of the lack of a proper patriarch for a year.

 

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Count Marius I ‘the Old’ (1674-1695)

 

       

 

Marius Karl Baruch was born in Markev in 1631 as the youngest son of Aldrik Baruch. Not much is recorded from his childhood as record keeping at the time was lackluster. In 1674, Marius took over as the Count of Ayr. The next recorded event of Marius’ life was his marriage to Juliya Amador. Marius went on to have three children; Andrik, Sigmar, and Kamilla. For the majority of  their lives they lived in Greyguard Hold. Marius had 7 grandchildren in total, many contributing greatly to Haense. Not long after having the first of his grandchildren, Greyguard Hold was attacked by the arberrang heretics who seeked to destroy Haense and eventually led to the start of the Third Atlas Coalition War. Marius’s two sons and wife were murdered by the arberrang dogs (this left an unclear succession as the eldest grandchild took the cloth. The title of heir fell to his grandson Jan Baruch, son of Sigmar Eirik Baruch). Marius returned to Markev and petitioned the Crown to move against Arberrang with the aid of his dear friend Rhys var Ruthern, but it was only after Arberrang moved against the Kingdom of Haense that Marius was given a chance to retake his home. Marius aided in the siege of Greyguard Hold, as he knew the weak points and assisted in retaking the castle. Marius’s home was returned to him after defeating Arberrang and he soon moved back into his old keep.

 

 In 1695, Marius abdicated to his grandson Jan Baruch. Marius then joined the imperial parliament as Lord Temporal and was named as the leader of the Judicial Committee within the Parliament until he stepped down in 1702. This is about the time in which he developed a feud with Henrik Ludovar which carried on throughout he and Henrik’s life. In 1707,  Marius was named the prosecutor for the trial of Jakob Ludovar v. Crown. This case is studied as one of the greatest in haeseni history, as the famed Fabius Brachuus defended Prince Jakob against Marius. Marius eventually won the case against Jakob, leading to the demise of the young Prince. This was only a few years before the War of The Two Emperors. In 1715, the War sparked, which led to the betrayal of his grandson also known as the Count of Ayr, Jan Baruch. Marius was forced to disown the grandson he raised and swear and oath of fealty to King Marius II. He promised to raise his great grandson, Sigmar Joren Baruch, to be the next Count of Ayr. From that day until his last, he sat on the Regency Council of Sigmar and served as it’s leading member. In Marius’ last days, he served as a reminder of what could be overcome and how resilient Baruchs truly were. Marius passed away in 1724 due to natural causes.

 

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Count Ser Jan I ‘the Black’ (1695-1715)

 

 

Jan Aldrik Baruch (born 1680) was the son of Sigmar Eirik Baruch and Klara, Baroness of Gant. He knew very little of his parents; his father died shortly before his 10th birthday after a prolonged absence from the County, and his mother died in childbirth with his youngest sibling, Valeria. He was raised by his Grandfather, Marius Karl Baruch, who during most of his early childhood, was the Count of Ayr. Jan lived in the small home that the family had to create due to the complications with Arberrang and Greyguard Hold being in possession of the enemy. Greyguard Hold was later re-taken by Imperial and Haeseni forces during the Third Coalition war.

 

His early reign began as well as could be expected, creating close ties with the Stafyrs through his sister’s marriage to Count Leopold of Nenzing as well as the growing gentry family, the Kortrevichs through his own marriage to Lilliana Kortrevich which secured another alliance for the Baruchs. Alongside his grandfather, Marius, he constructed Saint’s Rest in 1709, the family keep of house Baruch in Arcas. He was knighted by King Marius II, and conscripted into the Marian Retinue and appointed as a Commandant in the Brotherhood of Saint Karl; positions he held until his treachery and exile from the Kingdom of Haense.

 

At the start of the War of the Two Emperors, Jan betrayed Haense, who supported Joseph of Horen-Marna as Emperor, and sided with the Pertinaxi tyrants who enslaved humanity under its horrid regime for many years. As a result of this betrayal he was disenfranchised, disinherited, and disowned from House Baruch by his son based on advice from his  great-grandfather. His lands and titles were given to his son, Sigmar Joren Baruch. During the war, he served in the Pertinaxi regime's military, until he was captured, tried, and executed for treason. His wife later committed the same offense, and suffered the same fate as he. He was survived by his 3 children, Sigmar Joren Baruch, Kamilla Julya Baruch, and Eirik Sigismund Baruch.

 

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Duke Sir Sigmar I ‘The Dutiful’ (1715- 1753)

 

Sigmar Joren Baruch (born 1707) is the son of Jan Baruch and Lilliana Kortrevich. Sigmar grew up in the times of turmoil throughout humanity, right before the War of the Two Emperors. His childhood with his siblings, Kamilla and Eirik, was a troublesome part of his life; both of his parents resented each other and had committed treason against the Kingdom of Haense at the start of the War of the Two Emperors, leaving him as the Count at a very young age. In his early reign his mentors were his great-grandfather Marius Karl Baruch, and his older cousin Joren Aldrik Baruch who both sat on Sigmar’s regency council until he came of age. He was educated by Marius in histories and law, focusing mainly on his Haensetti history and the involvement of the Baruch house in the past as well as the justice systems throughout the Empire and highlighting the importance of the concept of constitutionalism in the future. He longed to be like the Baruch warriors of old and so he had his cousin, Joren, teach him how to hunt, fish, and fight. Upon his 14th birthday, the regency ended and Sigmar was officially a Count in his own right. One of his first acts as Count was to appoint his regency council as advisors, and Marius and Joren along with his Uncle Lerald Vyronov were keen to accept Sigmar’s invitation to advisory roles within the County. At 15, and in the dying stages of the war, he tried and executed his mother on charges of treason in his family keep of Saint’s Rest. After difficulty overcoming his condemnation and later execution of his mother, Sigmar went on to fully immerse himself in matters of state and leadership in his later teenage years.

 

In his 20’s, he spent his time reviving his family's dirtied reputation, turning it once again into a prosperous respected noble family, strengthening their political reputations and securing strong alliances with the nobles of Haense such as Ruthern, Stafyr, and Vyronov. He was graciously appointed Lord Kastellan by King Andrik III as a result of his long service to the Kingdom, continued loyalty and support of House Barbanov, and being one of the major landed vassals of Haense. In 1731 at age 23, he married Marya Ruthern further strengthening the Baruch ties to the House of Ruthern. Sigmar adored Marya, and after his great-grandfather’s death she served as one of his closest advisors, taking the vacant position left by the late Marius. In 1732, he served as one of the main reformers of the Haenseni Duma, sitting on the Committee of 1732. He, alongside his dear friend and Lord Palantine Terrence May, and his cousin, Karl Gustav Vyronov, wrote the Feudalist Manifesto, outlining the core beliefs of one of the 3 benches of the Duma. In 1734, Sigmar was appointed Councillor Paramount and Lord Speaker of the Duma. in 1748, King Andrik IV bestowed upon him a new title, the Duchy of Relavia which was later renamed to the Duchy of Valwyck at Sigmar’s request. In 1753, Sigmar resigned from Lord Speaker and Councillor Paramount hoping to retire from politics and leave his life of a statesman in the past. In the same year, he abdicated his titles to his son and heir, Petyr Siegmund Baruch. In 1754, He re-established the role of Royal Envoy in the courts of Haense and later resigned the following year using his reputation to get his nephew, Emerich Gant, appointed into it. His later years he often served as a Duma representative for his house, passing many important legislation, not a single one failing inside the Duma halls. In 1764, Sigmar helped create the foundation of the new Imperial Diet as he, along with Ed Myre and John Everard Pruvia, founded the Everardine Faction. In 1765 he ran on the ticket as an Everardine and was a member of the first session of the House of Commons. In 1768, he was inducted into the Order of Queen Maya and the Lily for his service as Lord Speaker and Councillor Paramount, as well as his literary works that furthered the arts of Haeseni politics, legal philosophy, and journalism. In his later years, Sigmar would serve 3 terms in the House of Commons, 2 as an Everardine, and one as an independent with a coalition of other haeseni. During all this time, he authored many editions of the Golden Crow Chronicles along with his partner Viktor Kortrevich. He would later be asked to come out of retirement again and serve as a Jovenaar (judge) in the new independent Aulic Government.

 

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Duke Petyr I ‘The Great’ (1753-1776)

 

 

Petyr Siegmund Baurch (born 1737). The insane and violent Petyr ascended to Duke at age 16 after his Father’s abdication. The first thing he did was tear down Marianburg Castle and replace it with Valstadt Castle, one much more befitting the House’s new Ducal status. 

 

Shortly after it’s construction, he arranged and headed the Valwyck Pact against perceived tyrannies of the Alimar Regency for King Sigismund II. This marked the creation of the largest vassal alliance in Haeseni history, and put massive pressure on the Royal Government to compromise and hear out their angry nobles. This culminated in the writing and signing of the Valwyck Compromise a year after in 1756, alleviating many of the nobility's complaints. The Valwyck Pact put him out in the middle of Haeseni politics, and Regent Otto Alimar selected him to be Palatine-Aspirant in 1758.

 

Petyr was granted the crown of his ancestor Saint Otto the Bald in 1762, granted to him by King Sigismund II shortly after his coronation. Two years later, Otto Alimar died and Petyr became the head of the Haeseni government as Lord Palatine. His tenure as Lord Palatine saw the reacquisition of Rubern into Haense, as well as revamping the Aulic Government.

In 1768, he led the defense of Valwyck to the Scyfling invaders, successfully warding off the attempt to take his homeland. However in 1772, the castle was ambushed and his son Matyas was kidnapped, leading to a sharp decline in his mental health. By 1773 he began having frequent bouts of insanity.

 

He resigned as both Duke and Palatine in 1776 following the death of Sigismund II, unfit to rule in thanks to the growing frequency of his fits of madness. He was killed accidentally by his son and successor Petyr II in 1777, after Petyr I tried to kill him in a fit of madness.

 

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Duke Petyr II ‘The Inept’ (1776-1783)

 

 

Peytr Henrik Baruch II (born 1765). Petyr II began his tenure as a preteen, with his grandfather and former Duke Sigmar serving as his regent.

 

Once coming of age, he led a whaling expedition to kill the Eerie Richard, but was otherwise known for his laziness and ineptitude as Duke. He was pressured internally by his family to abdicate to his brother in 1783, eventually complying.

 

He illegally took the name “Wick” after his abdication, leading to his successor and brother disowning and disinheriting him.

 

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Duke Matyas I ‘The Scyfling’ (1783-)

 

*Current Incumbent*  

 

 

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Important family members

 

Bernard Baruch (High Pontiff Everard III)

 

 

Pontiff Everard III, born Bernard Baruch was a Highlander, born in Carnatia. He was the son of  Marius Baruch and the grandchild of St. Otto of Vanderfell.

 

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Marya Ruthern-Baruch

 

Marya Ruthern-Baruch married into the Baruch family through Count Sigmar. She served as one of his closest advisors and his Duma representative after his elevation to Lord Speaker of the Duma, as well as hosting many feasts to provide food and charity to the citizens within the rural County of Ayr.

 

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Ser Sigmar ‘the mad’ Baruch

 

 

Sigmar Baruch was seen as a hard worker by his family and trusted heavily, quickly gaining influence and trust throughout the rest of the Kingdom as well. With his growing influence and loyalty, Sigmar was knighted and served his family and his Kingdom faithfully. After a number of years service, Sigmar set out on a short voyage to relieve himself of some of his mounting stress. Unfortunately, whilst at sea, Sigmar made the decision to stay aboard his ship. After a number of years, Sigmar returned to his brother and son in Ayr but as a different man. His time at sea had changed the once placid Sigmar and sent him into unpredictable fits of rage. He could often be found fighting the Duke Viktor Kovachev, or his own son, Joren Baruch. In return for his previous loyalty to the Kingdom, the King and his royal officials pardoned Sigmar's outbursts, but as they became more frequent, the peoples love for Sigmar was diluted. In a fit of rage, Sigmar attacked Lord Viktor Kovachev and was in turn mutilated for punishment. Sigmar lost his sword hand and eye, which eventually sent him into depression. After murdering his base-born cousin, Sigmar began to feel enormous guilt for his actions. He appealed to his brother, Otto, for help to overcome his grief, but his efforts were all in vain. Sigmar's guilt, paired with his depressive state lead Sigmar to request execution for the murder of his cousin at the hands of his friend, Henrik Otto, Count of Bihar. 

 

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Relics

These relics are sacred artifacts which are precious to the Baruch family that they’ve recovered over the years. These are of the utmost importance to the family and are cherished as memories from the past.

 

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Saint Otto’s Crown of Vanderfell

 

 

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The Body of Saint Otto the Bald

 

In the crypts of The Duchy of Valwyck lies the body of the founder of House Baruch. St. Otto The Balds body is kept in a marble coffin to make sure that his body is kept in pristine condition. 

 

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Whalebone Coronet

 

 

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Whalebone Sword

 

 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Drew2_dude

[MadOne 3375]

Osvald Barclay would smile towards the Baruch allies, as he eyed their keep from the mountains that he trekked. “My good friends, such encompassing history eludes me about your background, for I had not been offered the same, but I can’t help but feel proud about your accomplishments.”

[CaptainHaense 1153]

Petyr Baruch smiles.

[Piov 2431]

“A very well written history if I do say so myself, “ Sir Terrence comments as he eats his turkey dinner in Valwyck, provided by the auspices of House Baruch!

[Gridlock 789]

Sigmar The Mad Smiles as he is Remembered by his kin.