Albrecht Dynasty

The Albrecht Dynasty is a family that hails from a land known as Cataega, and their lineage spans many thousands of years. The land of Cataega is one brimming with magic, with enchanted storms filling the skies and holy light manifesting in many forms. However, this entry will only focus on those who reside in [New World Name], and their immediate family.

The Albrecht Dynasty currently resides in the nation known as Seligard, which is a merge between the nations of Valgard and Selidor. Currently, Hauser Albrecht is one of the Consuls of Seligard.

### Origins

The first Albrecht to arrive in [New World Name] was a man named Storolf Albrecht, who was a very powerful lightning mage. He arrived to [New World Name] by way of a failed spell, as he was attempting to create a massive storm to turn the tides of a battle in defense of his kingdom, but lost control of the spell. As it grew, it eventually became so strong that it broke through the dimensional barrier for a brief moment. The winds of the uncontrollable storm swept Storolf off his feet, and the rift was open just long enough for the storm to pass through and transport him to this new, unknown land.

When Storolf regained consciousness, he had washed up onto the shore of [Continent Name]. Battered, weary, but certainly not helpless, Storolf went to work. He built himself a simple shelter to protect him from the elements, and from that small structure, the port city of Eingard would be born. As Storolf further developed the city, the locals began to take note of his endeavors, and soon enough trade began between the people of the region. Once Storolf had established a name for himself in the region, he declared the birth of the nation of Valgard, and many sailed to Valgardian ports in search of trade. As a result of the large amount of people coming through the city, Storolf would eventually come to meet Fiora, who he would marry in time. In the beginning, Storolf kept his past in Cataega hidden from her, but one day the truth came out, and Fiora was the only [New World Name] inhabitant that Storolf ever told about the lands that he came from, with Storolf bringing her to Cataega some time later. Four years after their marriage, they would bear a son named Emyr, which means 'new dawn' in Cataegan, followed by another son two years later named Reinhardt, which means 'strength.' Though Storolf always favored diplomacy over war, peace would not remain in Valgard, as the old soldier would be faced with war once again. Pirates had began raiding the area, and their leader had made a false claim over the territory. Of course, Storolf would not allow this to go uncontested, and just as before, he found himself defending his kingdom with his magic. As the pirates sailed towards Eingard, Storolf called to the heavens and conjured a mighty tempest, sinking the pirate fleet in the bay. Though the day was won, this effort proved to be too great, as Storolf was now an elderly man. He collapsed to the ground, and ascended to the Empyrean Plane to join his ancestors.

Storolf's death left Fiora widowed, and Emyr would ascend to the throne at the age of twenty-five. Having to follow in his father's footsteps without yet having much experience in leadership, the beginning of Emyr's rule would be laden with challenges, but he had his father's heart and determination, so he eventually learned and adopted the ways of the wise king. Once Fiora was on her deathbed, she told Emyr about Cataega in all of its divine beauty, and he told her he would see it one day. With his parents both gone, Emyr set his focus purely on the further development of Valgard. He had recognized that without his father's storm magic, Valgard was quite vulnerable, and they needed to develop a powerful military, as the inhabitants of Ozall grew stronger and more plentiful. Emyr was a true warrior king, with his brilliant strategies allowing for the period of expansion that was the centerpiece of the height of Emyr's rule. During this period of expansion, Emyr would encounter a wealthy family, the Diomiras, who owned much land in a region he desired to expand into for it's easily fortifiable geography. Emyr set out to begin negotiations, arriving to Diomira Manor with a company of knights in tow. When he arrived to Diomira Manor, he met the oldest daughter of the family, named Noelle. He was struck by her beauty and kind character, and following the negotiations with the head of the Diomira family, Emyr and Noelle began to see each other more often, and while negotiations for a land purchase had stagnated, new negotiations about aquiring the land through marriage began. The Diomiras agreed to the deal, and Emyr and Noelle were married shortly after. Two years later, Emyr and Noelle had twin boys, one named Hauser, which means 'protector,' and Werner, which means 'perseverant,' and they would also have a daughter three years later named Sildana. The two brothers would grow up to be inseperable both at training and during their free time. Eventually, the brothers would aid their father in a campaign to defend a close ally from invasion, where the twins' leadership would be a deciding factor in three major battles of the war. In one of his final campaigns, fate would catch up to Emyr, as during one battle, he was wounded across the eye by a poisoned blade. Despite all the efforts of the best magi in Valgard, the wound would not heal, pushing Emyr to make a last resort effort. The story his son Hauser told him about his experience with the Holy Light (see next paragraph) had always resonated with him, and he suspected that the true home of the Holy Light was in Cataega. Recalling the healing power shown by the divine being, Emyr believed that the only hope to heal his grievous wound would be to open the gateway and return to Cataega in search of the source of the Holy Light's power. Emyr had always told his wife about what his mother had described, so she decided to join him despite the risk involved. Before they departed, Emyr named the now twenty-eight year old Hauser lord of Valgard, with his brother Werner set to serve as Hauser's consult. The twins watched as their parents opened the gateway to Cataega, and they could see just a glimpse of the magical land through the portal as it closed behind their parents.

Word quickly spread that the great lord Emyr of Valgard was no more, and those who wished to see Valgard fall set upon the nation. Hauser believed that his father had acquired all the land that they would need, so he focused purely on defending the land under his control. An experience that Hauser had as a young man, during the reign of his father, would have a great impact on how he would rule over Valgard. Many years ago during a defense campaign in the peak of winter, Hauser's company was ambushed and promptly destroyed, with Hauser being the lone survivor, albeit badly wounded. Despite his certain demise, he raged against death, not allowing the cold to numb his senses. After hours of struggling to build a fire that would save his life, he finally got it to ignite, only for a strong gust of wind to extinguish it shortly after. Even this did not deter Hauser, as where many would break, he continued toiling over his fire. An hour later, Hauser would encounter a being of divine radiance that he would name the 'Holy Light,' The Holy Light healed Hauser's wounds, gave him warmth through the long night, and revealed to him all the divine mysteries of the the Light, and in the morning when the main Valgardian army led by his father came through, they found Hauser alive and rescued him. From this point on, Hauser came to revere the Holy Light, and he would tell his father and the army about his experience, thus beginning the development of the Order of the Lightsworn. The Order would grow to become a fundamental part of the nation's culture, with the tenets of the faith being paramount to all aspects of Valgardian society. With the aforementioned events being key in his philosophy, Hauser would rule with the tenets of the Order at heart, and while he continued to be set upon by Valgard's enemies, the strong military his father built coupled with the organization and purpose provided by the Order of the Lightsworn proved to be a near indomitable opponent.