Barony of Levalet

**Ruler**
 **Ruling House**
 **Resident Houses**
* House Barbet
 **Seat**
 **Settlements**
* Montaux
 **Beliefs**
 **Founded**

The **Barony of Levalet** is a major port city in the centeral region of the Duchy of Alcestenne, on the northern shore of Balor. Thusly, it has strong connections to the harbor of Stormwind City, and conducts much trade with the capital of the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Previously ruled by House Barbet, their rule over the region was undone when they collaborated with the Lyonesse Usurper to claim the Ducal titles of Alcestenne, their treachery betrayed by the Vincenti mercantile family, whose merchant fleet was used to smuggle loyalist forces into the city of Levalet and tear down the machinations of Verill Barbet.

Now, Levalet stands as a center of commerce and loyalty to Auritoise, a close and valuable asset to the reigning House Laurent.

## Culture

Levaletian culture is highly enterprising, centered around commerce one way or another, especially closer to the center of the city of Levalet. Even in spite of the commercial focus of Levalet as a place and as a people, there is a strong degree of militarism to be had, especially in the wake of the Stormwind Civil War, where Levalet tasted the rigors of war itself.

With more of a civic focus than their neighbors in Auritoise, the Levaletians are prideful of their bureaucratic, mercantile and administrative prowess, but also pride themselves on guarding the city of Auritoise from incursion from the east, by sea or by land, earning the a reputation for their loyalty to the Duchy of Alcestenne.

### Religious Beliefs

Almost all of the inhabitants of Levalet, like the rest of Alcestenne, have an orthodoxical belief in the Church of the Holy Light, with any heterodoxy being harshly punished in the Duchy in spite of any policies of religious tolerance that might be present in the Kingdom at large. The people of the isle holding follow the teachings of the Bishop Hylan, who disapproves of fraternizing with non-humans and unbelievers, though some allowances are made by the people of Alcestenne, tolerating the presence of Dwarves and Thalassians, there is still a belief in human primacy.

The doctrines of Hylan are promulgated in Alcestennne by House Montelius, the head of which currently reigns in the County of Tourroux.

As such, those that do not worship the Light in the manner proscribed by the more conservative factions in the Church are often ostracized for views deemed 'schismatic' in the eyes of the natives.

### Local Holidays

Every spring season is marked with parades through many of the major settlements of Alcestenne, celebrating the time of Balor's liberation. These parades are accompanied by the organization of various town faires, where cultural traditions and celebrations are carried out and displayed for any visitors to the region.

The first morning of spring is spent in mourning and prayer, honoring the sacrifices made by the people of Balor, before the celebrations begin.

Outside of this specific tradition, the holidays of Alcestenne are the same as the rest of the Kingdom.

## Economy & Resources

With a strong commercial core in the port city of Levalet, the Barony reaps the lion's share of wealth from conducting trade in the harbor, under the auspices of House Vincenti and the North Balor Harbor Company, as well as other marine industries such as fishing and shipwrighting.

On the outskirts of the Barony, the breadbasket of Levalet and Auritoise both is found, with many large farming estates and villages producing bountiful harvests of wheat and other grains such as rye and barley, among other crops that are more specialized.

## History

### Founding

Levalet was founded in 5 K.Y. when House Laurent elevated House Barbet and House Palomer to nobility to guard the eastern fringes of the Auritoise region. Though the Palomer family were loyal stewards to the Laurent family for decades, the Barbet clan was of stronger stock, and eventually won in a feudal war against the Palomer family, claiming suzerainty over the Barony of Levalet, and establishing an order that would be undisturbed for hundreds of years.

The Vincenti family came to be influential as a commercial force in the city since about 500 K.Y. when Lorenzo Vincenti consolidated the wealth of his family and rose them to gentry, coming to own many of the major trading enterprises in Levalet, and bringing his family to prominence.

### Destruction

The Barony was destroyed during the First War by the Orcish Horde, as the rich port region was directly on the path to Auritoise, the true target of the Blackrock invaders, resulting in a brutal sack and occupation that would tarnish the legacy of the Barbet family for decades, as then-patriarch Bertrand Barbet fled from Levalet ahead of the arrival of the otherworldly Orcish invaders, saving his own skin and abandoning the defenders of his city.

### Present Day

When the year 633 K.Y. drew to a close, whisperings of unrest came from the fringes of the Kingdom of Stormwind, and slowly lines were drawn in the sand that would serve as battle-lines in the opening hours of the Stormwind Civil War. Balor was hardly spared from this unrest, as 634 K.Y. began with massacre, overthrow and coup d'état, and the Baron of Levalet, Verill Barbet, was swayed by the promises of the Lyonesse usurper.

If he would transfer control of Balor's northern shore to the rebels, he would become the new Duke of Alcestenne. At first, the Vincenti family, native to Levalet, went along with the plan of the Barbet family as they seized control of the city of Levalet. However, they had been in league with the loyalists of Balor all along, and during the night, snuck forces loyal to House Laurent into the port of Levalet in conjunction with a siege, killing Verill Barbet in the Battle of Levalet.

In the wake of this, House Vincenti was established officially as Jeanne-Dominique Vincenti was ennobled as the Baroness of Levalet, reducing House Barbet to nothing more than a vestigial house that served as stewards under the Vincenti line.

## Settlements

### Levalet

The central city and namesake of the Barony, Levalet is a large port city that conducts great volumes of trade in her harbor every year, one of the more affluent Baloric settlements, Levalet is a frequent stop for traders on their way into, or out of, the harbor of Stormwind City.

## Houses

House Vincenti rules Levalet, coming from mercantile origins, known for their skullduggery and fervent loyalty to their liege in House Laurent, they are known for being the keepers and collectors of secrets.