House Hudson

**Head of House**
 **Heir**
 **Seat**
 **Lands**
 **Overlords**

**House Hudson**, the Lords of the County of Whitecliffe, are the second most wealthy house in the Duchy of Westridge trailing only scarcely behind House De Vries. This was not always the case. For a long time, House Hudson had struggled to accrue stable sources of income from their lands. While arable farmland, high traffic, and pleasant climates abound in the County of Whitecliffe, failed bids at competition against the much stronger houses of Mirwood have left Hudson the consistent underdog. Unable to keep income sources and business deals to match Mirwood, unwilling to build up arms in the face of an assertive House De Vries, and lacking any remaining influence in Ducal court; House Hudson languished in comparative obscurity for generations.

Upon the explosion of trade with Kalimdor, House Hudson and its County seat of Bridgeport saw a sudden influx of wealth. Over the previous generations, Hudson had attempted to make up for their lack of political influence by forming intimate agreements and relationships with various shipping and mercantile guilds in order to maintain a base of power. Once the money flooded in, these guilds and the deeply embedded House Hudson have quickly swollen with excess wealth.

With their money, House Hudson has invested heavily in new technologies. Gunpowder technology in particular has been a favored child of the martial leadership in House Hudson. House Hudson maintains several brand new companies of highly trained gunnery troops and cannon. While the initial Hudson forces were little more than hastily trained levies armed with the expensive and unreliable arquebus, they have since advanced to exceptionally disciplined and well equipped rifle companies outfitted with the latest in cartridge loading weapons. As a show of loyalty to the Duke, House Hudson had already delivered one of their earlier generation Bridgeport companies to The First Regiment. Without a traditional force of Knights to work with, House Hudson has instead trained and mounted its wealthy officers to serve as Dragoons. Armed with lighter carbines and sabres, these fast and agile warriors are both terrifying and effective. Even the former Levy Spearmen have been upgraded to serve as Pikemen with better equipment, training, and pay. All Hudson uniforms are bright in color and gaudy in style, taking some of the latest colonial fashions and placing great pride in advanced parade formation.

House Hudson is seated on the island city of Bridgeport at the central keep overlooking the bay. Fairly typical of Westridge design, the keep was for many years nothing spectacular and quite dilapidated. In recent years, rows of cannon and reinforced curtain walls have been added to protect the now lavishly decorated banquet halls and swollen treasure vaults.

House Hudson carried very little influence with its own vassal baronies until its solidification of power in recent years. Historically their lack of power left them unable to enforce County edicts on their vassals without help from House Montclair, or at most dishonorable, another Great House. The Baronies of Midcost and Palewater often ignored or outright challenged even the most moderate of House Hudson’s demands with no consequence, despite warnings and signs indicating that a steep price for such behavior would eventually be paid. With their newfound and terrifying power in hand, House Hudson have set their sights on their own vassals and wholly intend to exact justice for those many generations of disloyalty. This manifested in the Whitecliffe Civil War of 631 KY, where Lady Charlotte Thorne was ousted from Stormwind as a traitor to the realm. Wracked by the stresses of the conflict, Count Richard Hudson perished from a heart attack within his keep during the final battle for Bridgeport. Benedict Hudson was named Count of Whitecliffe and Lord of Bridgeport in a solemn ceremony after the battle was won.