House Belmont

The Belmont Dynasty ruled a large portion of Caerdrys under the Findlaigh dynasty, their capital being the infamous heavily fortified military city Gaelgelhar. House Belmont was most known in Imperial times to be staunch defenders of the Findlaigh rulers throughout history. Each generation of Belmonts swore themselves to serve as Royal Guardians and Advisors to the Findlaighs. Their pride in such a task would be their downfall however, with the extinction of the Findlaigh dynasty. After facing down the rebel armies with horrible ferocity, and defending Gaelgelhar to the last man, they were removed from politics together with the Findlaighs.

## History

According to the dynastic chronicles of House Belmont, they originated from Lauchette. Charles Belmont's father, William Belmont grew the family's influence slowly but surely, working as a mercenary commander of some repute for the Dukes of Lauchette. Its believed that soon enough however, William's life was taken cruelly and unfashionably by a Lauch Duke. Charles then went on a rampage in the Duke's lands, catching the attention of the King, who sided with the Duke. Charles spent the next few years raiding villages and slaving on the Lauch countryside, managing to avoid the bulk of the King's forces through trickery or hiding. Charles eventually managed to steal and purchase enough ships in order to escape Lauchette. He packed his riches and his men onto ships, and sailed to the Hales.

Upon his arrival, Charles and his entourage were greeted with great suspicion by the populace. Charles eventually diffused this by peddling his goods of dubious origins to the citizens of Mulleburgh. Finding that he couldn't sell the slaves, he opted instead to free them in New Steinberg. Charles became very rich very quickly, selling the goods he had acquired. Eventually he entered the service of the Imperials, and became one of the Emperor's most valued advisors, much to the Lauch's dismay. Charles developed a complex reputation for his house and for himself, however. He was known for his violence in quelling rebellions and would-be conspirators. He would decimate populations of revolting towns and blind and deafen conspirators and put them out onto the streets to be known to all. But his justice was non-discriminating. Class or culture never dictated the outcome of a man's face in the eyes of Charles Belmont. House Belmont followed Charles' example for generations to come, and House Belmont quickly became a symbol of Imperial repression for many who disliked the rule of the Empire, and a symbol of strength and Imperial equality for others.

Eventually, Charles took what was thought to be the impregnable fortress-city of Gaelgelhar during a small scale noble revolt. Oswald Findlaigh granted the holding to Charles and his family, and Belmont consolidated his lands by using imperial favor, which was angering to the Duke of Caerdrys at the time.

### War of the Daggers and Brandon's Downfall

Brandon Belmont followed in the footsteps of his ancestors, in every way. When he heard there was a large-scale rebellion, maybe the largest there ever was, he took no time to think. House Belmont's elite armies independently moved to slaughter peasants and raize villages, and was a great source of fear during the war. By the time the war had ended, they had not lost a single battle, and were known to camp in forests and raid army encampments and villages by night, leaving no one behind. Upon hearing that the garrison of Gaelgelhar was destroyed and the city was turned to rubble, it only strengthened his resolve. But eventually, Wallace surrendered, and with that, Belmont ceased fighting. But many of his men did not, moving into the forests or on the mountainsides.

Belmont stood by Wallace Findlaigh during his final days alive, and is officially ruled to have committed suicide with Wallace. Imperial sympathizers widely believe he died trying to defend him from assassins, however. This marked for most the end of House Belmont.