House Lyon

House Lyon is an outsider even within their own County courts. Roughly twenty years before the outbreak of the First Orcish War, a massive arcane explosion rocked the verdant forests and bustling villages of Sarcelfen. When traced to the source, it was discovered that a misfired spell had detonated at the Tower of Sarceline. The very forest around the tower caught in the blast wave had been nearly destroyed. Members of House Lyon were implicated in the disaster and brought before Ducal court to answer for the lives lost and damages caused. Once a powerful and influential house within the County, the arcane folly of their House Lyon lead to the Tower of Sarceline being removed from not just their own oversight, but that of Mirwood itself. Not only was the tower itself taken from their lordship, but a large buffer zone was laid around it, carving out a painful chunk of land rights that were formerly well known for gold production. This move by the Duke of Westridge brought great shame to House Lyon and saw them all but exiled from the court of Mirwood. The once noble house has suffered a slow and agonizing decline in almost every area.

House Lyon was originally seated at the Tower of Sarceline, but since their removal they took up residence at a very modest manor outside the town of Lyonne, which was later destroyed.

Once lorded over the Barony of Sarcelfen

## Current Status

House Lyon was one of the poorest houses in Westridge. The sources of income within the remaining mines not trapped in the Withering Woods has long since dwindled to near nothing, and their family coffers have been collecting mothballs for generations. By the time of their collapse, few other houses would deal with the Lyons, even though at that point in time House Lyon would accept almost any agreement to stay afloat. Unable to afford a respectable force of knights or men-at-arms, House Lyon was just as weak as it was poor. Despite this, in a desperate attempt to remain relevant they continued to maintain public appearances of good status. Furthermore, their place in Mirwood with powerful neighbors lended them a sense of security no matter what their station. The Lords of Mirwood never fully abandon their own.

House Lyon’s sole remaining claim to grace was that of their daughters, Chloe and Calista. Widely regarded as the fairest in the realm, the maidens of House Lyon are considered both beautiful and gentle. They are also, however, just as fierce and stubbornly proud as their brothers - and it would only be a grand fool who thinks the name of Lyon means these women might be a prize to be bought. House Lyon remained unable to muster any significant feudal force without the gold to pay for even simple levies. Instead, every able-bodied member of House Lyon itself was pledged to ride to war in response to any call. This is a point of significant valour and sacrifice, as when these warriors were finally called upon, the name of Lyon died with them.

## Collapse of House Lyon

The Sarcelfen Incident had many consequences, chief among them the death of much of House Lyon's remaining lineage. The three sons of Cassandra Lyon, Bernard, Patrick and Charles were all slain in the fighting during the incident, valiantly defending their House to the last but ultimately falling. The House's remaining knightly retinue, and men at arms, mostly perished as well while fighting alongside the three brothers. Cassandra, the matriarch of the family, died in Lyonne when the dragon Taerus collapsed the cathedral on top of her. The eldest daughter, Calista, died after the incident due to an unknown sickness.

It later came to light the crimes of Cassandra Lyon in instigating the entire affair, many of the other Houses of Westridge calling for the dissolution of House Lyon entirely but in the end there only remained one Lyon to bear the brunt of it. It was decided the lands held by the Lyons would be granted to the Master Mage of the Sarceline Circle, Roy Sebale, effectively eliminating House Lyon entirely and giving rise to a new House in its place. The name of Lyon was forever tarnished in the lands of Westridge.