From River to Desert to Shore

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From River to Desert to Shore

The Modern History of House de Lyons

By Viscount Robert Joseph de Lyons

 

 

Promise on the Petra - On the Days of my Father:

 

The House de Lyons, once a house of some renown in the old days of Aeldin, had fallen on hard times in recent years. They had, for reasons unknown and largely lost to time, lost their station as lords within the Empire of Aeldin, had moved on to other lands, and for a few generations had not borne any knights or any men or women of renown. But they remembered their past, and passed on their legacy to new generations, and eventually one came who had the drive, the prowess, and the fortune necessary to reclaim that legacy - Arthur Hughes de Lyons, my father.

 

He came as a boy to Petra, holding with him the tales of the past, and the resolve to see himself reclaim what we had lost - our honor, our renown. He had the resolve to become a knight, and he proved himself worthy of the challenge. He first joined the Sons of Petra, our old military, and fought valiantly, with special focus on hunting the many dark and strange beasts that lurked in the wooded borderlands, between Petra and Acre and the ruins of old Dobrov. His valiant efforts against these beasts, along with his general chivalrous and honorable nature, earned him a knighthood. He was not a squire, he was not connected beforehand. He, through his hard work, grit, courage, determination, honor, and chivalry earned back his House’s birthright and honor, and brought himself into the annals of our histories along with Lyonnel of old.

 

In this time, he had met my mother, Juliana Vernhart, who was a silent woman, moral and holy, at the time planning on becoming a Sister of the Church following the death of her parents, whom she had been caring for, in Vuillermoz. She came down the road to Petra and met Arthur, and he convinced her to join the Sons of Petra, which she did. In that time, she proved her bravery, and that while she was oft quiet and meek, she had a great resolve and a hidden fury within her which came out when her honor was slighted or her family or friends were in danger. And, in this time she and Arthur fell in love, and were wed. They had four children - myself and Elaine, who were born in Petra before the war, and Gareth and Corwin, twins born in Balian after our flight. Bearing the unfortunate fate that they would never meet their father, nor hear their mother’s voice. 

 

The two raised their family, and he continued his service in Petra. He became Mayor of Valfleur, and later was raised to Knight Paramount of the Petrine Laurel after Sir Brandt. He fought duels and made challenges to defend his honor and that of his wife and family. He stood up for people who were dishonored or mistreated like his sister-in-law was by Harald Vernhart. He had worked well to reclaim our family’s honor and status, and to instill his values of courage, justice, and honor in me, as my mother worked to instill her values of intellect. But sadly fate is sometimes not kind, and lives are cut short, even those least deserving of it. For even the most skilled and valiant die in battle, if the odds aren’t in their favor.

 

For my father was a man who was uncompromising in his ideas and willing to defend his people, his family, and his friends to the last. When he heard of Renilde’s unfaithfulness to Archduke Constanz, he rallied us all to stand by Constanz, and when Renilde was called to Trial, he, as Knight Paramount of the Petrine Laurel, came to attend, and assure it went smoothly. But there was no trial, only blood and fire and death. Brigands and Azdrazi, hired by Renilde's people, came in her stead, and killed most within Castle Moore. And Sir Arthur died doing his duty, defending his Archduke Constanz and his people, burnt by Nephilim flames. I do not know where his body lies, only that he died with honor, all those years ago, and he kept us safe.

 

Solace in the Sands - On my Days in Atrus:

 

After the loss of the skirmish, and after or around the deaths of Sir Brandt, Dame Livia, and Archduke Constanz, we fled with the others down to Balian. My mother and I quickly found refuge for us and my siblings with her Uncle Ledicort and the Vuiller in Aquilae. In this time, I dealt with my grief, but I also grew many of my closest friendships. Albert, August, Casimir, and I had known each other since well before the war, and were friends, but it was the war, our flight to the south, and our mutual grief that bonded us and forged us as friends. And, I also met new friends during this time. Prince Hadrian, Princesses Elena and Lydia, my cousin Helane Vuiller, Olivier de Savoie, and several others came to be friends, at least for a time, and the good times and adventures we spent together helped bring me solace, and find new purpose. My father was gone, my mother was silent in eternal mourning. But we would push on.

 

When some moved north to Corbenic, I decided to stay, and ward under the Vuiller, with the permission of my mother and my Aunt Johanne, the Countess of Aquilae. I chose this for many reasons - so I could learn more and grow, so I could have the chance to perhaps become a squire and claim the knighthood as my father did before me - but also because I did not wish to leave the friends I made, and while it was nice to return to the North, to reminisce on times lost, at the time the desert had brought me solace and peace. The babbling of the waves and rivers, the rustling of the trees, the falling rain - all brought back memories of what I had lost, of what could not be regained. I have never been one for half measures, and wished to start anew, and do my best to reclaim the legacy of my father and honor the past, without dwelling on its woes. So I stayed in the south and learned, and was granted two main tasks over the years as a ward. 

 

The first was to look into a legal case that had transpired during the first Symposia, a time that drew many of us far closer even though we couldn’t participate, and where Elena and I first started to discover our feelings for each other. In the case, the Darkwoods were demoted due to them hiring foreign guards without approval for their event, and since those guards were rough with the royal family. It was this task and my conversations with Uncle Ledicort and Aunt Johanne about it that first stirred my interest in law, and first stirred my Uncle’s thoughts of having me as Magister. The second task was to study St. Harald Vuiller, and his life burying the dead and hunting darkspawn and cults. It was also around this time that Elena and I went to aid the Druids of the Vale, who had been attacked by the Mori’Quessir during one of their earliest incursions, where a Bokolo named Peanut was stolen by the Mori and taken into their tunnels. We went with the druids armed and armored, paired together as we fought through spiders and a Dreadknight with the Druidic party until we came upon Peanut, and they healed her and we brought her out of the caves. After this, I went away a while, reading and writing and studying what I could.

 

Two years later I returned, shortly before I turned 16, and it was then that my Uncle Ledicort suggested I become the Magister - the Master of Laws. I considered it and interviewed, and I earned the position. As my father did with his positions in Petra, I gave it my all, revising the codex, adding addendums, and running trials, including one of a Traitor, which was my first. I kept close with my friends, and with my sister Elaine, and built up my reputation. A second Symposia came, though it was cut short by the tragic death of the King. Elena and I stayed close, though it was not until a bit after this and the mourning period that we finally spoke about the topic and professed our feelings and began to court. But by those days the shadow of the Mori was ever growing. I had already fought at the Battle of Amathea, and cities were falling left and right. We hoped for the best, but we all knew it was only a matter of time before Atrus fell as well. And eventually it did, to a giant worm and waves upon waves of blowing sand.

 

Meanwhile, trouble was happening in the family as well. My sister Elaine had started to court a man, Gereon de Savoie, brother of Olivier and Guy, though he was far worse than either. He tortured my sister, and used her love against her, and defiled her honor. Through swift action, he was cast out to be done with as we will. The Barrowlands took the fingers of one of his hand, and I hoped that as soon as we have a courthouse to try him in, we get our own justice as well, though it seems he died or disappeared on his own accord.

 

From Darkness to New Light - On the Journey to Aevos

 

Eventually, the Mori came to even the camp at old San Luciano, and drove us underground like they once were. We wandered the dark tunnels, and wondered if we were even truly still alive. There were hints of hope, such as my sister's wedding, but things were grim. Eventually we found our way out of the tunnels, onto the isles of Failor. It was a chaotic and unorganized time, but we built a small hamlet, and we had some peace and quiet, which I used to farm, to study, to write, and to make the sash which I would propose with, as revealed in the Lothar Stone Elena translated. I was also able to spend time with my nephew Arthur, and my niece Elsie was born to Albert and Elaine.

 

But then we heard word of a new land, beyond Failor, and we sailed then to Aevos. Elena and I worked to help map and plan the Crownlands, deciding where to place farms, orchards, vineyards, quarries, mines, and where to keep wild. Eventually the city of Portoregne was raised to be our new home, and chartered. All was well, and shortly thereafter I finally proposed, and Elena accepted. And then finally, in this past year, we were finally wed, and on that eve King Adrian decided to enoff me as the Baron of Enderoca, a name referencing the land of Endean that Lyonnel had tamed in the olden days of Aeldin, when he had founded our house. And thus I find great pride that I continued my father's and mother's work and legacy, and after catastrophes we were able to rebuild, and reclaim through hard work the status long lost, but not forgotten. 

 

Years more passed into my life and service. I had children of my own, and continued my work for the family and Kingdom. I lost my wife, my brothers-in-law, and many close friends and family, and my mother in these latter days. But I tried to help where I could, do what good I could, even if it sometimes went to naught. Some things slipped, and work and distance grew between some of us due to business pulling us away and differences of opinion, which I will forever regret not reconciling.

 

I will never know if my father would be proud of how I've lived, but I hope and pray that I have well honored his legacy, and that me and my progeny shall never again fall into complacency or the traps of corruption, and shall continue to work hard to earn our status for generations to come. I hope that all those on whom the circlet rests shall be worthy, and shall always remember the great sacrifices, grit, and effort on which our name was built in ancient times, and rebuilt in the modern day.