The Crest of House Grey
House Grey is a gielinorian House of human nobles. It originated as a landless cadet branch of House von Holzern-Grau, founded when the bastard son of a von Holzern-grau lord migrated to Asgarnia. The family first gained minor prominence when Sillis Grey established the Grey Knight Order, and fought in various conflicts throughout Asgarnia. Sillis would eventually marry Theresa of Asgar, having with her two sons, Varis and Artimus Grey.
Sillis would eventually die in battle in a skirmish in the wilderness, and the Grey Knight Order disbanded after the devastating defeat. Varis and Artimus were left with a modest inheirtance in wealth, and the name of the fledgling House Grey. The brothers led mostly seperate lives, with Varis entering the mineral trade and Artimus going into military work. Their fortunes would change forever when Varis was elected King of Burthorpe and established the Grey Dynasty in earnest.
House Grey would go on to produce numerous Kings, several dukes, and the Three Emperors of Argrevia. Although originally centered in Asgarnia, the Greys have become a well established family in Kandarin as well. Originally under the authority of a single patriarch, at the fall of the Argrevian Empire, the house split into the Asgarnian and Kandar branches. Today, these two branches rule as the sovereign houses in Asgarnia and Camelot.
The Descendants of Salvar
Historical Roles
- Emperor of Argrevia
- High King of Kandarin
- King of Anglia
- King of Asgarnia
- King of Burthorpe
- King of Camelot
- Duke of Ardougne
- Duke of Yanille
- Earl of Rimmington
- Jarl of Jatizo
- Jarl of Neitzinot
House Grey in Asgarnia
Varis was the first Grey King to rule in Asgarnia, and is refered to as Lord First, a tradition carried on by each patriarch of the House. Elected by the people of Burthorpe, Asgarnia's territories would each recognise him as sole King in Asgarnia as the old regimes began to fail. As all of Asgarnia united under him, he was declared the rightful King of Asgarnia, and with the Accord of 169 became the first king since the Radalline Dynasty to be recognised as king by both the White Knight and Kinshra Orders.
Although this original kingdom would eventually fall, Varis returned to Asgarnia after many years and established a second Kingdom known as Anglia. This second Kingdom would far outlive Varis, going on to have six Grey Kings of Anglia in total. The Kings of Anglia were invested as "Kings in Asgarnia", maintaining a claim to rule all of Asgarnia by inheiritance through Varis and the Accord of 169. It would finally be the Sixth King of Anglia, and Varis' namesake, Varian Grey, who finally reunited Asgarnia under the grey claim.
House Grey reached it's zenith with the establishment of the Argrevian Empire. Edward Aren-Grey ruled Anglia as it's Third King, and due to his bloodline was first cousins with King Varian Grey of Camelot and Queen Aralyn Aren of Yanille. Godric Grey, being Lord Second patriarch of the House, joined Edward, Varian, and Aralyn in designing a union of the dynastic realms. A new "Aren-Grey Vista", or, Argrevia. Ardounge and Piscatoris would later request membership in the empire, pushing the empire to its maximum extent; across all of Kandarin and northern Asgarnia. Ardougne would eventually lead a revolt against the empire and it would officially dissolve soon after. This left the Kandar Branch of the house independant for the first time under Sennis Grey.
Lord Greys:
- Lord First Varis ((Deceased))
- Lord Second Godric ((Missing, Relinquished Title))
- Lord Third Varian
House Grey in Kandarin
Lord Grey:
-Lord First Sennis
History of the Holzern-Grau
The House of Holzern-Grau is a military family with a history largely buried deep into the past of the public record. They back to around the year 200 of the fourth age, when the tribal chieftain of the nomadic clan decided to settle his people, founding the village of Holzern. Steptimius took the name of Holzern-Grau The village remained independent for nearly 800 years until, like all the settlements around it, it paid homage to Avarrocka and became a part of the Kingdom of Misthalin.
Faithfully serving the kingdom, when the call to war came against Lord Lowerniel Drakan, the Von Holzern-Grau were one of the first to answer the call. For the next few hundred years, the battle with the Zamorakian hordes raged on, and the family gained notoriety for their leadership capabilities, as well as combat prowess. The Von Holzern-Grau’s became notable for producing some of the most powerful battle-mages of the age, with the head of the family often being adressed an Archmage out of tradition.
After hundreds of years of warfare, Drakan's forces had finally been banished across the salve river. The Von Holzern-Grau served for many years with distinction, and their traditions of magical practice grew strong and well established. Although the village of Holzern prospered, the House saw little more opportunity as the years crept along. Eventually, a charasmatic new leader, Raddallin, offered to lead a host into the west to establish a new kingdom. Salvar von Holzern-Grau, an elder third son with no inheiritance, was one of the earliest to pledge alliance to him. Salvar was cunning and charismatic, and with the Grey Knight Order as his host, traveled west to fight the Asgarnian Unification Wars.
Salvar fought alongside Raddallin's army throughout the first wars in Asgarnia's unification. As a third son, he was never raised to rule, and instead spent much of his time among soldiers and armies. Now an elder tactician, Salvar went on to become a storied hero of the Grey family. However, with experience came age, and struck down by age, Salvar would never live to see Asgarnia fully united.
His son, Sailas von Holzern-Grau, took over command of his father's Knights, and continued to fight alongside Raddallin. By the final unification of Asgarnia, Sailas would have earned much of his own experience first hand. Though not the master tactitian his father war, he solidified his families presence in Asgarnia. Sailas would be the last descendant of Salvar to be born in Misthalin. He would have three bastard sons born to him in Asgarnia, Sillis, Salvis, and Varin. Of the three, however, Sillis would be the only one to anglicize his name from von Holzern-Grau', to the simple, asgarnian, Grey.
Sillis Grey
[Under Contruction]
Who are the Von Holzern-Grau?
The House of Holzern-Grau came from a tribe of misthalinites who claim heiritage from 'The Shepard' or 'The Wandering Man', a folklore figure. This account originates from the end of the Third Age, and is nearly impossible to authenticate. 'Septimius', the founder of the 'Holzern' name, is the first historical reference historians have been able to confirm. His tomb reads 'Seventh son of Grau's Seventh heir'.
"It is said that long ago that our ancestors sat at the center of the earth, in the world's mightiest city. A great destruction came and struck the earths center, razing the city and casting our people to wander as nomads for many generations. Finally, a son of the Great City who called himself The Grau found our tribe, and revealed that he was our kin. His powers of magic were mighty, and he instructed us in the use of this power, bestowing upon us the strength of magic. The Grau bore a son with the daughter of the Chieftian, and proclaimed that his blood would guide his people forever more."
Status and Influence
The family first rose to prominence with Sillis Grey and his Grey Knights. He and his knights largely resided in Asgarnia, and they were known to fight in several disputes of the age. Although Sillis attained only minor fame, he did meet some of the people whom would later become his closest allies and friends.
The rise of Varis Grey (Mysteriously following the death of Charles Wyatt which mysteriously followed the death of Sillis Grey.) in burthorpe was swift and immediate. Within two days of his arrival at burthorpe, he was appointed a Senior Advisor. Within four days, he was King. This rapid rise to power startled many, and others saw him a fresh target. Varis proved himself quite capable against various challengers, and quite capable as a leader. He achieved international fame when Asgarnia was reunited under his crown. Famously, he was known to boast that he had never conquored a city, yet had gained an empire through diplomacy starting only with Burthorpe. His court became an international center of diplomacy and at the peak of his Kingdom, Varis' word held sway across nearly all of the civilized world.
Trivia
- The Greys consider themselves descended from Salvar due to him being the first holzern to travel to Asgarnia. His choice to stay is what resulted in Sailis being the first holzern actually born in Asgarnia to an asgarnian mother.