House Flamberge

Coat of Arms of House Flamberge

### Origin

It was lost to time, but the Flamberge’s originally were a noble family that were banished from their original lands for their cruelty. As the earlier members arrived in the forgotten valley, they took their subjects with them and paid workers with the coin they had left. They built up settlements and used the land's riches to make reinforced structures that withstood a lesser draconic beings' attacks. Though each year a large, mighty dragon terrorized their main city ‘Fire Snout’, or nowadays known as ‘Docar-visk’. As this was their home now, they weren’t going to give up. So the third-family generation house head took up arms and brought his strongest men alongside him to venture out and find the cavern the large beast resided in. To slay the coldblooded monster.

The lord and his soldiers eventually found a large crevice in the mountain side. And there ‘it’ slumbered during the summer. They remained vigilant and brave, for their people, for their children and slowly walked up to it. As it was asleep, the past Flamberge raised his sword and stabbed into the eye socket of the dragon. It woke up violently, and obliterated most of the brave warriors in one swipe of its frostbite breath. Some fled, some held their ground, and the fight went on. The dragon wasn’t able to fly as the ceiling was too low, so the mighty lord Flamberge struck it down on equal footing. Though the beast was still alive. As he was strutting forward to finish the job, the ancient being suddenly spoke to his mind. It offered part of its blood to bless the Flamberge family, as a truce. The lord accepted the offer, and since that day all future generations had draconic blood in their veins. Making them tall, sturdy and some even bared silt pupils, with a fiery yellow iris. They were blessed with the ability of draconic speech, so they can start conquering and taming the hostile nature of the ‘serpents maw’. And thus the earldom of house Flamberge grew larger and stronger over time. Regaining their footing.

### Fall of Siegfried Flamberge

The nineteenth-generation house head Margrave Siegfried Flamberge was a cunning and strong leader. In the past relations were established between the house and other noble landlords that resided on the outskirt territories of the ‘serpents maw’. All these lords and ladies, as well as the earldom, were part of a coalition that was ruled over by the greater house of ‘Schulberg’. Below them was house ‘Flamberge’ and ‘Silverson’. And below them was house ‘Wolverton’, ‘Lykos’, and ‘Foxbridge’. The latter, which were back then, and still are today, a vassal of the Flamberges.

Though one day as an argument during a council meeting grew heated, due to House Flamberge being accused of raiding and burning down an independent elven noble house in a magical forest near the ‘serpents maw’, war was declared. Siegfried Flamberge mustered all of his men. Being the main military force he got many territories under his claws, using attacking as a defense and destroying two lesser houses in the span of a few months. The Schulbergs and Silversons banded together to stop the dragon menace, before it turns the entire land to cinders, ash, and ruin. They were afraid of his wrath.

One faithful day, on a large-scale battlefield, where soldiers of the opposing side marched toward Docar-visk, they were met with a smaller, albeit strong and intimidating, army. The Schulbergs knew that the Flamberges were a threat. Their men were well trained and equipped, their will as strong as iron. And their ability to tame lesser dragons, like horse-sized wyverns that they rode into combat, soaring through the skies, made them even more intimidating to encounter. As the fight broke out there were many casualties on both sides, the dragon earldom lost many of its draconic beasts in the fight, as siege weaponry struck them down. The mud was covered in a thick layer of blood, and even worse, an undead horde raised by a necromancer awoke from the chaos and bloodshed. The third opponent entering the field ravaged both weakened armies, killing the main heir, the son of Siegfried and the rest of their dragon mounts. They had to fall back, but not before the margrave avenged his son's death by killing the undead lich. Though in the final fight he was struck and cursed, to wither and turn undead himself. At some point his only daughter he had left, had to strike him down, take his weapon, the fabled sword ‘Parzival’, and build up to the losses. His foolish mistakes and lust for power spelt his end.

### Rise of Brigid Flamberge

The young lady Flamberge was the newly accepted heir to the earldom. With her fathers blade, ‘Parzival, the piercer of the valley’, she swiftly built up the respect of her peers, by trying to fix up the mistakes her father caused. The earldom was at its knees, but so were their enemies, who halted the war effort and retreated to their lands themselves. Due to a rise in undead activity many villages that belonged to Docar-visk were pillaged and infected. The remaining soldiers had a hard time to keep the spread in check. Thus, after a few years, the Schulbergs reignited their assault on the fortress city Docar-visk. The Marquess who barely had any forces left struggled to keep them at bay, so one of her fathers past advisors told her to flee and regroup, as they were trapped mice otherwise. She took his advice, her remaining forces, as well as her trusted servant Gwendoline, to flee through a backdoor from Docar-visk. It didn’t take long until the main town gates and the keeps walls were broken down. Though the Schulbergs didn’t give up hunting her, to take her captive. So she had to flee overseas, to a nearby land. To regain strength.

They landed in a strange mostly ruined harbour town, which once was the golden hub of trade for multiple countries and kingdoms. There she went undercover, simply being some lady of nobility, who accepted a position in the ministry of defence of the city council. For a year she aided in rebuilding and defending said harbour-town, but in truth she was reshaping and gathering her forces to retake their home. Brigid had during her time there also gotten into contact with an ‘academy of magic’. Its principal set up a ritual to make Parzival be freed of the undead taint that was left after her father died. They succeeded, and the dragon blade was able to reignite and fling flames. Only those of Flamberge blood were able to wield it. It was a signal of hope to her remaining forces, and thus, after turmoil rose too high in the harbour town they took off again, leaving it behind, and retaking their home, Docar-visk, from the grasp of the Schulbergs. The recapture was a devastating and swift attack which they did not expect, as they only left a margin of their own army to defend Docar-visk from the Flamberges. The war was settled soon after, with a decisive victory. The Marquess made history and later on married a brave warrior that came forth to her after winning a tourney, which was held for her heroic deeds.

As her children grew to young adults, lady Brigid sent both Sera’ and Nerat off, so that they could carve their own path, get their own territories, gather dragon remnants, as well as expanding the reach of the dragon dogma. The two younger siblings, who are close of age, stayed bound together on their ventures, taking a small retinue troop of soldiers with them. Before she let them go, she handed the greatsword Parzival to her daughter. Its energies have been spent in the past war, but Seraphine will not give up to try and reignite it once more. So that she can carve those that might oppose them through with a fiery slash. Seraphine will be the determined leader of them, and Nerat the wit and knowledge of them. Combined they will go and spread House Flamberge's deeds and stories. No matter what fate flings their way. As they did their final farewells, they went to the lands of Invernia, a continent that erupted from an ocean a longer time ago, out of mysterious circumstances. The journey will take long, but it will be worth it. Maybe they find a trace of dragons?

### Modern Era

After a few years of focusing on rebuilding Docar-visk Brigid Flamberge and her husband had three children. The eldest, who is also the next heir in line, being Alexander Flamberge. The second eldest, her only daughter, which she trained the most in combat, being the strong-willed Seraphine Flamberge. And her youngest son is Nerat Flamberge. The smartest of the three, being driven by arcane research and strategic thinking. Lady Brigid had taught her children the ins and outs of combat, strategy, survival, as well as showing them how to survive in their hostile landscape. Many dragons went extinct after the ‘cinder and ashes’ war. Rendering the Flamberges to devote themselves to rebreed wyverns and gathering draconic artefacts, like bones, skulls, eggs and the likes.

As her children grew to young adults, lady Brigid sent both Sera’ and Nerat off, so that they could carve their own path, get their own territories, gather dragon remnants, as well as expanding the reach of the dragon dogma. The two younger siblings, who are close of age, stayed bound together on their ventures, taking a small retinue troop of soldiers with them. Before she let them go, she handed the greatsword Parzival to her daughter. Its energies have been spent in the past war, but Seraphine will not give up to try and reignite it once more. So that she can carve those that might oppose them through with a fiery slash. Seraphine will be the determined leader of them, and Nerat the wit and knowledge of them. Combined they will go and spread House Flamberge's deeds and stories. No matter what fate flings their way. As they did their final farewells, they went to the lands of Invernia, a continent that erupted from an ocean a longer time ago, out of mysterious circumstances. The journey will take long, but it will be worth it. Maybe they find a trace of dragons?