House Ordell

House Ordell is a pseudo-noble house hailing from the Crags of Alenthyl. Their elevated position from the average commoner is attributed to their accumulated wealth and connections within multiple societal circles and trades. The family business, officially is in cash crops, owning a rather sizable amount of farmland in Centrafeld, their most notable item being tobacco. A secluded estate in the Crags is the main residence of the family, while they do own property and business across Alenthyl and even a trade post within Zahvwan.
==History==
The house began in 3E 726, founded by Samuel Ordell, a prominent member of the Alenthylian Arcane Society and investor in tobacco production. Although at the time it was kept secret, Samuel was an associate to the royal court in the fields of the occult and dark, granting him some immunity from the wrath of the Church, although they never truly found out the specifics of his work until after his death. From there, his rapidly increasing wealth from the crop gave him some legitimate presence in the realm, and he soon found himself of some name within the lands he occupied. Forming his company, he took on a coat of arms for both the company and his family. The sigil originally depicted a black hound with a wreath of tobacco around it's neck.
His descendants lived well and expanded on the foundations Samuel set, further expanding the collection of their fields and even diving into exporting outside of Alenthyl. On a less public side, the Ordells went into shadier business, gambling dens, brothels, and smuggling runs among such deeds.  As their wealth grew, so did the notoriety of the family. The men tended to be of the libertine dandy sort, involving themselves in finer things and deviant practices, creating a good sum of trouble in the process. Although this brought tension with others, the Ordells managed to slip on and avoid persecution. Their feats of mischief contributed to a good number of tales, drawing in infamy for every instance.
Though they were granted what seemed to be obscene luck in remaining untouched, during an escalated verbal spat with a local templar chapter in 1103, the family head at the time, Lawrence, was captured and burned at the stake for his 'moral indecency and crimes against the light'. The remaining members of the family, instead of seeking retribution and outing themselves to be accused of the same crimes, shrugged on and changed the wreath of tobacco leaves on his sigil to a wreath of fire to spite the actions of the templars. Since that event, the family had begun treading more carefully, although still provided the occasional scandal every so often. The Ordell's actions and rumors of their more darker practices have given the family a rather sinister reputation among nobility and the more faithfully inclined. Since the retreat into the caverns due to the broadwing infestation, much of the agriculture based business the Ordells had needed to be rebuilt, and their dependency on their alternative markets grew, overall expanding under the leadership of their current head, Isaac.</p>
==Significance==
The family garners notoriety for their history of pushing the boundaries set forth by Alenthyl's strict morality. If the name is not known for such obnoxiously extravagant deeds, then it would be known for their production of cigars under the Ordell Company. Affordable for most financial classes, and a long running brand, the smokes have gained popularity in the Crags, Lordharbour, Centrafield, and the Capital Lands. Before the war, the company sold to Elterlein and Granthel, though still manage to slip a few shipments. The cigars are infused with cheap whiskey. The company also holds several establishments in clubs, brothels, and gambling dens.
Due to their founders roots, the family has worked closely with the Arcane Society of Alenthyl. They have pushed for more acceptance of non-faith arcane practices and, as of recently, are one of the few families to more or less publicly acknowledged practicing dark magic, though have kept to strict restrictions in order to avoid persecution. Such rules being the ban on body reanimation and offensive based spells.
==Relationships==
The family and company do not hold many alliances with nobility, at least public ones, and instead focuses on it's connections with merchants, labourmen, and artisans.
===Notable Members===
*Isaac B. Ordell - After the death of his father in 1180, Isaac has assumed the position of family head and owner of the company. His tenure as head has contributed to a shift in more foreign business, something that has been hampered due to war and in turn difficulty in such actions. 
*Lawrence Ordell - Lawrence was the most chaotic of the family patriarchs. Known for his large parties, adultery, sexual and moral deviancy, and penchant for duels (honorable to dishonorable), was the greatest target of scrutiny from enemies of the family. Publicly mocking a local templar chapter, he was challenged to a duel by a one of their number. Lawrence won the duel and ignored a plea for mercy, angering the the man's 'brothers' which resulted in him being captured and set on fire.  The story is often told in a comical tone, the Ordell's themselves seeing such a thing as an unfortunate, yet ridiculously absurd, incident.
Category:Families