House Dumont

## Overview

Originally a simple Ech Caste, the Dumont family consisted of hard workers, typically managing and operating local factories to ensure everything went smooth and in an orderly fashion. Leopold Dumont was the first established Head of House, aiming to encourage recognition for his family and their name by trying to shift away from the factory lineup and focus on matters that could provide true income towards the elites. Leopold was said to have an eye for the body with fashion for both sexes. He was skilled in his craft of drawing but lacked the necessary knowledge when it came to piecing the structures together, and this was due to holding back from the scornful eye of his father, Philippe Dumont, who deeply believed women and men had their designated roles, fashion not being one for the male.

After taking leave outside of the country there did Leopold come to meet his eventual wife, Giselle, a woman who not only had the seamstress skill but the ambition to bring it to fruition. The two united in a private and small ceremony, returning to Steamhaven just after a letter was released regarding his fathers death due to illness and old age. Surprised to still be in the inheritance, the man did not question it, and aimed to improve the old manor and become better than his fathers before him.

Giselle and Leopold soon developed Belladonna Boutique, a line of fashionable clothing catering to both sexes made from fine silks, cotton, and other sorts that were favourable along the flesh. Unfortunately the boutique struggled to take off for the poor did not have the desire nor means to sport such wear, finding it impractical in their line of work, and the rich thought Dumont too low of a caste to bother. Leopold had to resort to selling his goods internationally to make ends meet, during which time the couple came to have three children: Jaskier, Ellana, and Gideon.

The Dumont’s soon found solid ground through shipping outside their residency but Leopold still felt bitter that those above refused to recognize the quality of their content simply due to their rank in society. Taking to the drink, the man became a rather sour drunk, lashing out at his wife who was already coming to develop arthritis in her hands from doing the bulk of the creations. Thankfully, both Ellana and Gideon took interest in sewing and fashion itself, managing to input their own thoughts while their father moaned and whined instead of focused.

While Jaskier, the eldest, went off to university, Ellana stayed behind to aid her mother and Gideon took to studying in the city, earning his degree in culture, travel, and fashion. While Leopold was succumbing to alcohol poisoning, refusing to listen to his own family and their concerns, Giselle and her two children improved upon the Belladonna line. Ellana was quite the social butterfly and had a knack for knowing those in high places, or finding where they are *too* know them, whereas Gideon was just artistically inclined and enjoyed creating his own pieces.

As their father came to pass at the age of 62, the Dumont Family finally began to make some headway in Steamhaven. Through managing to schedule minor runway showers and hire those of a reasonable build to show it off, Belladonna was no longer an ignored art, but finally being whispered among those that mattered. What truly set them up, though, was Jaskier’s return. The man has an eye for business, willing to do what it takes, whatever it takes, to thrive. Just what they needed in this selfish world.

Taking up the position of Head of House, Jaskier provided income when Giselle, his own mother, had thought they were on thin ice. Unbeknownst to them the man had spent his time across the sea dabbling in human trafficking, finding people will pay a pretty penny just to own a nice pair of legs for a night or a lifetime. While the deed was dark, their pockets were starting to at least come to overflow.

Giselle was becoming elderly thus she allowed her children to take over, and even as they did manage to achieve a switch in housing, bumping up their former, tattered manor for a decent upgrade, Ellana came to marry a man named Devon Vorel, a wine merchant whom she bonded with. Gideon, himself, found a partner, Erik Eddsson, and even if looks would sometimes come to sneer, the men refused to let it define their feelings for one another.

Jaskier himself did come to marry and produce offspring (2) while Ellana did similar (4), yet he was beginning to feel like their father, restless in not yet being given a chance to rise. This is when the man came to the docks upon a new shipment of *cargo*, one in which he discovered Idunn, a woman he supposed was a foreigner unspeaking of their native tongue. Finding her attractive but not much else, he purchased her, in thoughts of making her a servant with skills of a whore, only for his cousin, Alexander Dumont, to arrive and request a test of her potential. Uncaring given she was a slave, he accepted, and was shocked that upon their later return Alexander spoke of her skills as a Soother and talents with dance and seduction.

Quickly Jaskier saw profit and the final chance to obtain reward, and this is where he developed Freedom Calls, a burlesque lounge focusing on looking but not touching (unless the price is truly great). After discovering, by accident, that Idunn later held the talent of *Revelare*, and pieced it together that she was a surviving member of the long lost Dahl family, his greedy eyes only darkened.

Due to his business savvy and reluctance to bow, the ech’Dumont finally became suy’Dumont, thus allowing their other businesses to thrive. Now the Dumont House is a leading house, even if still considered lesser, when in the trade of entertainment, fashion, and modelling talent. Gideon’s partner, Erik, being a photographer only added onto the trade.

## Businesses

* Freedom Calls Burlesque Lounge
* Belladonna Boutique
* Dumont Talent.

## Roster

#### Direct Family:

* Christine Dumont (NPC)
* Margaret Dumont (NPC)
* Desmond Dumont (NPC)