House of Lecter

==The Most Noble & Royal House of Lecter==
*Motto: 
*Head: HRH Prince Robert Lecter III 
*Heir: HI&RH Prince Robert Kaldwin-Lecter IV
*Title(s): Prince of Faraal, Duchy of Tapanuo, Barony of Nonambar
* Family Seats:
** Castle Lecter, Nonambar, Hastiga
** Fort St. Clare, Ytinnis, Tapanuo
*Religion: Faith of The Four
*Founded: 310AER
*Allegiance: The Empire of Falleentium
*Anthem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX6QVUqOuaI
==A Brief History:==
It was in 310 AER, that Rudolf "The Great Lecter I rose from relative obscurity, the eldest son and heir of a minor landowning military family in the former Dominion of Hastiga - Colonel Hannibal Lecter - to become the 1st Baron of Nonambar. His story is an interesting one, and one that the family often like to tell strangers who pay a visit to Castle Lecter. A short time after the death of Colonel Lecter, Rudolf naturally became Head of the Family - and like his father joined the military, he was a popular and inspirational commander who eventually rose to become Commander of the Dominion Militia and became one of the most trusted advisors of the Government. In return for his loyal service to the crown, he was granted the the Barony of Nonambar - capital city of Hastiga on the 20th of June 310 AER. It was a day that House Lecter would never forget.
The First Baron died peacefully in 380 AER surrounded by his family. His son Robert Lecter I would become the 2nd Baron of Nonambar, but sadly died only 6 months later of influenza. Thus Rudolf the Great's grandson Maximilian "The Mad" Lecter I would become the 3rd Baron of Nonambar. He began to start buying up vast tracts of land in Hastiga with the wealth that the family had made as a result of part owning a large Cantonosian bank - soon the family became the biggest landowners in the state. It was the 3rd Baron who began the building of Castle Lecter on one of the vast estates that the family owned outside Nonambar. Maximilian was so obsessed with building this "fairytale" castle that he went mad and as a result of this fixation - (His political enemies said he had a sexually transmitted disease). Many thought that the family was ruined, and would never recover. But Maximilians brother, Robert stepped up and became Regent for 10 years. Baron Maximilian eventually met a "suitable" end and drowned in a lake after a particularly severe bout of schizophrenia one morning. owing to him not ever marrying or having children - Robert Lecter II inherited the Barony and became the 4th Baron.
It was Robert Lecter II that really cemented House Lecter's place in terms of wealth and prestige. Under his stewardship, the family became the "premier" family in Hastiga. The old dynasty of the dominion had almost died out, and House Lecter had intermarried with members of that house. Thus they had a very strong claim to the throne. With the advent of the Empire, the familyvwas among the Great Houses of Falleentium. Robert Lecter II broke with family tradition and joined the navy instead of the usual army career. His service in the navy was nowhere near as distinguished as Rudolf the Great's, but it was enough to be noticed by the rest of the Empire. Robert II's real successes though were in commerce and trade. He realised that Hastiga had the potential to be one of the richest states in the Empire, simply because of its vast natural resources. In the year 450 AER, oil was found in Hastiga, and Baron Robert invested heavily in the commodity. He was also able to negotiate a lucrative trade contract with Cantonos and The Golden Empire. With many wars and rebellions coming and going throughout the land, in 472 AER, the Dominion of Hastiga fell. The Empire of Falleentium swalled it up completely. Among the nobles of Hastiga, Rudolf Lecter I was one of the greatest supporters of accession of the House of Dapar (later the Imperial Family), as he soon realised that the opportunities for Hastiga to flourish under the Empire were indeed great. - Robert II realised that the Empire was becoming increasingly centralised, and so he bought a large house in the centre of Corrintrin  in 473 AER which the family permanently moved to. Castle Lecter would become their summer residence.
In 474 AER, the greatest tragedy ever to befall House Lecter happened. Robert Lecter II w
as returning from Cantonos to Corrintrin on a commercial airplane. But the airplane did not arrive at Corrintrin on time. It appeared that the plane had been hijacked by terrorists or crashed somewhere - at least that was the official verdict. No one ever found out. The plane just vanished. No remains or debris were found. At the time of Robert II's disappearance, his wife Baroness Catherine was pregnant with a child. She gave birth to twin sons - Rudolf and Andrew only 4 months after the plane crash. But because there was no male heir when Robert disappeared, the Federal Government declared that the title and assets of House Lecter were forfeit, and seized Castle Lecter, along with all the other properties of Robert II. Everything was lost. Only Eaton House was kept, as Baroness Catherine had a little family money of her own. The young Rudolf was almost penniless and without a title. He was a commoner. His mother tried appealing to Emperor Vinther II, he was sympathetic but could not overturn the decisions of the courts. There was only one thing left to be done - Rudolf Lecter II would have to follow in the footsteps of his ancestor Rudolf the Great and rise on military merit. Well that's exactly what he did. In 494 AER, at the age of 20 - he graduated from the military academy and was made a Lieutenant in the Imperial Falleen Army.
Rudolf was a talented field commander, and fought in many conflicts around the world. He rose through the ranks - becoming a Lieutenant General at the age of 31. Finally at the age of 35 in 509AER,  General Rudolf Lecter II was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff and sent to the South to combat the insurgency in the Clan Confederacy. He did this with great skill, and was instrumental in the training of the Clan Armies. Rudolf had long been a friend of Emperor Frederick III, whom he had known since being a boy - and in the year 511 AER, the Barony of Nonambar and the Lecter family fortune (most of it) was restored to Rudolf Lecter. He became Rudolf Lecter II, 5th Baron of Nonambar. It didnt end there. Soon after being restored to his rightful place in Hastiga, he was once again called into the service of his country. After a rebellion in Port Katherina, General Lecter led a Special Forces raid on Port Katherina to rescue the local government. He was hugely successful in this, and awarded the Medal of Ignissar by Emperor Frederick III. The Lecter family fortune had been restored.
In 514 AER - Rudolf and his best friend Duke Welshy Cymru III came together and created a new company, combining both of their fortunes. Lecter-Standard International was born. The Lecter-Cymru family now controlled the majority of Falleentiums oil, and consequently he was one of the wealthiest men in the country. Later that year, Baron Rudolf married Princess Sandra of Faraal, and she gave birth to twins - Robert III and Catherine II. The family was secure financially, and there were two heirs to the title. Many of the high nobility have noticed the good fortune that seems to bless House Lecter - it remains to be seen whether that good luck will continue. After watching the Socialist/Liberal Government of Dillon Chastel and the NSDAP at work - Rudolf knew that it was time for him to finally enter politics. He was never a political man by nature - but felt that it was his duty to his country to enter public life.
The Baron founded his own political party (The FPP), and with the Duke of Verzoonium he managed to bankroll an electoral victory in 514 AER. His close friend, Baron Leopold Hess was appointed Chancellor and Rudolf Lecter was appointed Minister of Economic Development. It was during this time that many international events took place - the war between Cantonos and the Golden Alliance, and the civil war in Kaarnor. Rudolf looked at these events always with the interests of the people of Hastiga and Falleentium in his heart and mind. As de facto Leader of the largest political party in the country, and as Deputy Chief of Staff - he was without a doubt one of the most powerful men in Falleentium - meanwhile Princess Sandra gave birth to another son, Prince Alexander I.
The Emperor appointed Rudolf's brother Andrew to the High Council and thus the family extended even further beyond the shores of Hastiga - to one of the core states (Tapanuo). Andrew became the Baron of Ytinnis. In 519 AER, he married Ross Arrington and formed the cadet branch, the House of Lecter-Arrington.
MAJOR WORK IN PROGRESS - A LOT OF NEW HISTORY HAS TO BE WRITTEN UP !!
To be continued for as long as House Lecter remains.
===Titles and Styles: ===
His Excellency, General Rudolf Wilhelm Hannibal Lecter II, 5th Baron of Nonambar, Medal of Ignissar
His Royal Highness, Prince Robert Lecter III, Prince of Faraal, 6th Baron of Nonambar
==Heads of the Family:==
#Rudolf "The Great" Lecter I, 1st Baron of Nonambar
#Robert Lecter I, 2nd Baron of Nonambar
#Maximilian "The Mad" Lecter I, 3rd Baron of Nonambar
#Robert Lecter II, 4th Baron of Nonambar
#Rudolf Lecter II, 5th Baron of Nonambar, Medal of Ignissar
#HRH Prince Robert Lecter III, Prince of Faraal, 6th Baron of Nonambar
==Family Interests:==
Lecter International & Co. - 100% stake
Darpar-Hastiga Oil - 45% Stake
The Lecter Corporation - 100% Stake
The Bank of Cantonos - 15% Stake
The Port Collinger Oil Company - 100% Stake
Category:The Great Noble Houses of Falleentium
Category:The Federal States before they became part of Falleentium