House Keto-Daragon

The Royal Crest of the Keto Family, used by every cadet branch of the expansive Keto dynasty.

### Strength

180 Guardsmen5 Royal Advisers

5 Regional Viscounts

4,112 Sector Administrators

### Affiliation

Tetan MonarchyMining Guild

Galactic Empire

## Faction Assets

### Personnel Vehicles

Various Civilian VehiclesTetan Guard Airspeeders

House Keto-Daragon is a cadet branch of the Keto Dynasty, formed by a joining of a son of the Keto family and a daughter of the Daragon family in the year 2000 BBY. Having ruled the Duchy of the Core District of Cinnagar for nearly 2,000 years, the Keto-Daragons are remembered by their people as some of the most stubborn, well-meaning, and benevolent of Empress Teta's lesser nobles.

## Origins of House Keto-Daragon

*It depicted everything* *from Teta's triumph at the end of the Unification Wars to the Daragon siblings' love for one-another and Gav's redemption, which ended the Sith invasion of the planet and ultimately led to the Republic's victory in the Great Hyperspace War. The center of the marble arch was a flowing, artistic scene of the marriage ceremony of Andyl Keto and Willow Daragon, by whom the cadet branch had been founded.*

 — The carvings on the gate of the Keto-Daragon Estate, as seen by Millaroza in the year 4 BBY.

House Keto-Daragon came to be in the year 2000 BBY with the union of Duke Andyl Keto, second son of Emperor Robbard Keto, and a daughter of the ignoble yet prominent Daragon family, Willow. The joining of the two major families, along with the continued inheritance of the Duchy of the Core District as a centerpiece title of Andyl's direct descendants, would lead to his bloodline being considered a new cadet branch of the massive Keto Dynasty.

Andyl's effective rulership and clever politicking led him to garner a great deal of influence within his father's royal court, and he used this influence to acquire increasingly-lavish boons for his family, beginning with the sudden demolition of one of the many historical armories on the grounds of the Royal District, upon which the Keto-Daragon Estate would be constructed. He was also pivotal in securing the positions of minor noble families such as the Wyrrawross, Duronto, and Rynn, who would find themselves becoming frequent candidates for marriage and royal appointments.

His rapid ascent to power worried many of the other elder branches of the dynasty, and Andyl began to find his attempts to acquire further lands and titles to be blocked by his father's councilors. Thus began a several-century-long struggle between the Keto-Daragons and the Royal Court as Andyl's descendants attempted to expand their power-base and rise above the other branches.

## The Early Men and Women of House Keto-Daragon

*They strolled through the front hall, beneath the many chandeliers and hanging sculpts. All around them were carved depictions of long-passed nobles and their many sons and daughters, completely covering the ceilings and walls... telling a story of 2,000 years of life, love, and victory.*

— The foyer of the Keto-Daragon Estate, as seen by Millaroza in the year 4 BBY.

The Keto-Daragon family has had a long and storied history. Though they are not as old as some of the truly ancient cadet branches which still exist today (let alone the pure-blood Keto family), their past has been one of influence, expansion, and wealth. Their direct ties to the Keto family ensures their claim to the throne of the Empire, and the ability to even claim true descent from Teta herself is a massive honor. Combined with the matrilineal blood of the Daragons, this made the early Keto-Daragon bloodline perhaps even more valuable than that of the pure-blood Keto.

* **Duke Andyl I** (2003 BBY - 1944 BBY), married to Duchess Willow Daragon. They had seven children. The founder of the cadet branch, Andyl's natural disposition towards court intrigue was essential for securing the family's rise to power.
* **Duke Harwyn I** (1944 BBY - 1913 BBY), married to Duchess Styffania Rynn. They had three children. Harwyn personally oversaw the construction of the marble walls around the Keto-Daragon Estate, and the raising of the great arch which served as its gate.
* **Duke Andyl II** (1913 BBY - 1825 BBY), married to Duchess Amare Ardynn. Their marriage was controversial due to the woman's lowborn status, but took on a storybook quality as Andyl II's rule stabilized. Madly in love, the two were known to be inseparable. They had fourteen children, every single one of whom was female. He lived to a remarkably old age. With no immediate male heir upon his death, the title passed to his nephew, Robbard.
* **Duke** **Robbard I** (1825 BBY - 1820 BBY), married to Duchess Meera Keto. They had four children prior to his reign. His old age and sickly disposition ensured he did not rule long. Often overlooked for both his more-famous son as well as his well-remembered namesake.
* **Duke** **Baldwyn I** (1820 BBY - 1789 BBY), married to Duchess Primroza Wyrrawross. They had two children. Baldwyn was a staunch believer in distancing his house from both the Mining Guild and the Royal Court's influence, and so came into frequent conflict with the reigning emperor. Under his rule, significant swathes of undeveloped land were inherited in the countryside beyond Cinnagar. He was responsible for the construction of the estate's inner Courtyard, while his wife expanded the outer gardens.
* **Duke Baldwyn II** (1789 BBY - 1737 BBY), married to Duchess Ivorée Rynn. They had four children. He continued his father's expansionism by organizing marriages with other cadet branches, but had far less success. The family added only an extra square kilometer of woodland to one of their countryside sectors during his reign. Nonetheless, he is remembered as a benevolent ruler.
* **Interregnum** (1737 BBY - 1735 BBY). Baldwyn's direct heir had his claim contested by the great-grandsons of Andyl II who believed him to be unfit for rulership. The reigning emperor ruled in favor of Andyl's line, and so Sylvester I became Duke.
* **Duke Sylvester I** (1735 BBY - 1688 BBY), unmarried. Sylvester expanded the family lands through several backroom deals, bribes and threats, focusing on forging far-reaching Mining Guild alliances. The Keto-Daragon family came into possession of two high-yield carbonite mines, and renewed the guild leases for slightly cheaper than the previous owners, entirely as planned by the plotters. The income was massive despite the slight theoretical loss, and the Estate began to appear to rival the Keto family in wealth.
* **Duke Waldyn** (1688 BBY - 1663 BBY), married to Duchess Marmara Keto. They had one child, who was female. Combined with Marmara's "double-agent" reasons for marrying Waldyn, his inept leadership allowed the massive gains made under Sylvester I to be completely undone, as the Royal Court's councilors began a crusade to weaken the Keto-Daragons' position. Upon his death, his young nephew Harwyn inherited the title.
* **Duke Harwyn II** (1663 BBY - 1619 BBY), married to Duchess Jori Duronto. They had three children. Harwyn was a competent administrator and gifted speaker, but despite his best efforts, was unable to reverse the poor position of the dynasty after Waldyn's corruption and lackadaisical rulership. Bound to the Mining Guild yet receiving nothing for it, and under intense opposition from the reigning emperor, Harwyn saw all lands and titles beyond the Core District stripped from the family, and had the sector's number of viscounts raised from three to five. His struggle to stymie his family's losses and the effects it had on his social and political life was later converted into a dramatized opera, *Harwyn the Second.* His son Sylvester II was unable to recoup their losses, and the Keto-Daragons never regained their former power.

## The Long Decline (1619 BBY - 277 BBY)

The period of Keto-Daragon history beginning with Sylvester II's reign is often referred to as the 'Long Decline.' Though many of the men who ruled during this time were far from incompetent (and, in fact, are well-remembered by the people of the Core District), a combination of Guild strong-arming, lack of male heirs, and general apathy towards the family position all ensured that the cadet branch's authority was slowly but surely whittled away.

Finding positions in the planetary government difficult to hold, and unable to exercise influence in their own duchy, the sons and daughters of the Keto-Daragons began seeking opportunities outside of the Royal District. Many found a purpose in serving with the Navy of the Galactic Republic up until the Ruusan Reformation of 1000 BBY. Afterwards, much of the Keto-Daragons' efforts were focused between serving with the Tetan Defense Force and contributing to the arts and sciences, living lives of luxury while remaining apathetic about the increasingly-centralized power of the emperor, and, by extension, the Mining Guild.

It was not until the death of Robbard V and the coronation of the ambitious Yves II in 277 BBY that the Long Decline would come to an end, as the new Duke began taking active steps to bring his family into the forefront once more.

## The Late Men and Women of House Keto-Daragon

*Tivo began to grasp a basic understanding of the noble life and how a man of respect handles his lessers. Of all guides for such a thing, Sylves and Miva were perhaps the best for a man like him. Their mutual friendship grew more and more casual as time passed, Sylves often referring to Tivo by his first name in private company, yet Tivo could not reciprocate; each grace the royal granted him was a great honor, one he swore to revere as though the words of a saint.*

— Tivo Hyzz' memories of Sylves IV and his wife Miva Wyrrawross.

Beginning with the reign of Yves II, the modern Keto-Daragons have been a far more active and powerful family than they had been for the past 1300 years. Though they found both hands tied behind their back, a concerted effort to better the lives of their subjects while slowly weeding out Mining Guild influences created a sense of independence not seen since the days of Andyl I himself.

* **Duke Yves II** (277 BBY - 222 BBY), married to Duchess Synée Norrden-Valorum. They had six children. This marriage to a member of Coruscanti nobility was seen as a betrayal by many within the Tetan monarchy, but was handled quite well by the lower classes, who adored her for her beauty, sharp tongue, and charitable efforts. Yves secured the family's right to appoint regional viscounts without outside interference, completely reorganized his council, and stripped all of the Rynn family's titles for their gross corruption.
* **Duke Sylves III** (222 BBY - 148 BBY), married to Duchess Aldyraa Duronto. They had two children. He continued his father's efforts with a much-appreciated tactfulness, and built upon his mother's charitable programs to further endear the local population to his family. Under his reign, he was able to clear all debts the Keto-Daragons owed the Mining Guild, negotiating for many of them to be dropped entirely. Though far from a glorious achievement, it was certainly a pivotal one. His long reign is remembered as one of the most prosperous in the Keto-Daragons' history.
* **Duke Claude V** (148 BBY - 89 BBY), married to Duchess Alenna Keto. They had two children. Claude capitalized on his father's efforts to free the family from Mining Guild influences to expand his and his viscounts' control over the Core District. Reformed peacekeeping structures, an increase in the size of the house's Royal Guard, several new administrative positions, and dozens of small-business protections all helped cement his place in the house's history. However, he remains a controversial figure for ending the public outreach and charity programs of his grandmother.
* **Duke Wynslow** (89 BBY - 65 BBY), unmarried. Perhaps the weakest monarch of the modern Keto-Daragons, his only fault was coming after several great leaders. Neither expanding the family's power nor seeing it decline, the elderly Duke outlived his sickly younger brother and passed away childless, paving the way for his nephew's coronation.
* **Duke Sylves IV** (65 BBY - 8 BBY), married to Duchess Miva Wyrrawross. Crowned Duke at the tender age of fifteen, the young Sylves was reliant on his advisers and councilors to see him through his first several years of rulership. His ineffectual father had allowed the young boy to choose his own path, and Sylves found himself drawn to the arts, sciences, and intellectual fields. His wife, Miva—often touted as perfectly completing him—was essential for his image, as she was a gifted speaker, beloved icon, and one of the most beautiful Duchesses the Keto-Daragons had ever been blessed to call their own. She was responsible for the massive expansion of the estate's gardens and the gradual expansion of new charitable efforts so broad in scope they put those of Duchess Synée to shame. Together, they had two children, Yves and Falstyff. Following Miva's untimely death, the suddenly depressive Sylves ended up fathering a bastard daughter, Millaroza, whom he had legitimized by Alor Keto, the reigning Emperor. His attempts to remain independent during the Clone Wars were fruitless, and his failing health required he give more and more power to his increasingly-corrupt advisers, especially after the deaths of both his sons. He ultimately died of lung cancer by radon poisoning, leaving his eighteen-year-old daughter to manage the duchy.
* **Duke Millaroza** (8 BBY - Present), as of yet unmarried. Her attempts to circumvent the powerless title of duchess resulted in her being named 'Royal Castellan of the Iron Citadel,' a rump honor that has only added to the already staggering amount of hurdles she has to overcome. Dogged by claims of illegitimacy, rumors of weakness, the ambitions of corrupt men, and her own restrictive position in the Royal Palace, it is unlikely that she will ever achieve anything of note, ultimately leading to the end of the Keto-Daragon line and the rise of the Wyrrawross family in their place.