Welcome to House
allen
rom
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Friends of the Household
While not members, these folks share a special bond with the household--debt, extortion, co-dependence. Find the evil, and these folks won't be far from it.
Lady Ana Beig de Roslyn
Bio:
Despite what you might think, the quiet village of Roslyn is not currently home
to Ana Beig. She may have been born there, but when she was a small girl her
family moved to the bustling royal burgh just to the north, a consequence of her
father's thriving goldsmith business. Cosmopolitan Edinburgh is much more to
Ana's taste, with the Court moving in and out, all the writers and makars and
merchants, and the fantastic port of Leith a hour's ride away!
It is through the Port of Leith that Ana got to know House Fallen From Grace.
Completely respectably! We promise! Well, there may have been some crazy love
letters from Captain Kiefer,
but Ana has her eyes set on a respectable merchant's son or noble lord.
When she's not seeking out good Flemish wools, that is.
Interests: Costuming, rapier, music, shopping (especially fabrics).
Maestra Cassandra Arabella Giordani
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Bio: The daughter of a powerful Florentine merchant, Lady Cassandra was expected to marry young, her parents having their eyes into a convenient alliance for their household resulting from such a marriage. It is said that talks are still taking place but no negotiations have been finalized yet.
A demure and proper Florentine maiden, Cassandra is also the twin sister of Lord Cassio Giordani who, if not for being the heir of the family’s business, would like nothing better in this life than to take orders as a monk. Because of that, he tends to let his sister quietly handle all of his business deals, as she has a good head over her shoulders for this sort of thing.
Cassio is currently flabbergasted at the continuous rumors that he has been seen juggling clubs like a commoner and serenading the ladies at assorted taverns. This is particularly worrisome as the poor man lacks any coordination, cannot carry a tune in a bucket and never leaves home. (His sister, on the other hand, has a beautiful singing voice and is capable of juggling anything under the sun: Clubs, knives, hamsters, small children, etc.)
When his favorite clothes began disappearing at the same time as his alleged "escapades," Cassio began to suspect that someone was impersonating him and started to follow his sister everywhere. Cassandra, however, has proven to be a slippery target. So far, he has not been able to catch her slipping out of the house and, in the meantime, the rumors persist.
For her part, prim Cassandra gives her brother an innocent smile every time he’s around, while she works on her music as befits a proper maiden of a good family.
Device: Per chevron embattled azure and argent, three annulets, one and two, argent and a rose proper
Interests: Music; juggling; costuming; siege engines; web ministry.
Aliases: Cass/Cassie; Momma Borg; Rescuer of the Web Page.
Webpage: http://www.jordanclan.net/cassandra/
Lord Cosimo of Venice
Who do you think is responsible for the dangerous fencers
of the Household?
Bio: Lord Cosimo of Venice was born, well, in Venice. Fourth son of a Venetian (what else?) merchant, he was not in line to inherit into the family business. His father, being the enterprising gentle that he was, bought young Cosimo's way into the military so he would make a name and a fortune for himself.
With all the enthusiasm of his youth, Cosimo joined the ranks and fought in several wars, acquiring in the process a rather extensive experience in the matter. After ten years of this, he decided that he had had enough of military life and decided to go places on his own.
Because of his prowess with a blade and his experience with military tactics, Cosimo had no trouble finding patrons who would hire him as a weapons instructor for themselves and for their retainers. However, trading was also in Cosimo's blood and, having a good sense of business, he invested in several ventures of the sort, one of the most profitable being the Fallen From Grace consortium.
These days Cosimo lives comfortably of his earnings as a weapons master and of his profitable business ventures. He also teaches and trains the members of the Fallen From Grace consortium and their extended family and retainers, which gives him great satisfaction and not a little relief. Hey, after all, he has an interest in the business you know.
Quotes: "No puffy pants for me!"
"Let me show you how you can beat that guy . . ."
Lady Delphina the Mad*
Member of the Brute Squad, Camp Clergy
Bio: Delphina was the only daughter of an impoverished country nobleman in Leguria Italy. In an attempt to save the family fortune Delphina was married off to a wealthy land owner. Delphina however wasn't your typical shrinking violet and proved to be too rambunctious for her husband. In efforts to control her, he routinely locked her in the tower of their manor house. Some even said that the young bride might have gone a wee little "mad".
Soon, however her husband found out that his wife was an excellent escape artist. In one final attempt to control her and prevent further embarassment to the family, he decided to take her to Sicily and place her in a convent . However, during the trip their ship was attacked by pirates and Delphina was the only one left alive. Delphina now lives "quietly" in her manor house and is never seen much. Rumor has it she has actually formed some shady business partnerships -- possibly of the privateer kind -- and leaves the manor for months at a time. Other rumors have it that a woman of the same name and of the same description has opened a shady dagger emporium somewhere in Istanbul.
Delphina has a Brother, Cardinal Liam Bartholomew Insipid (last name changed for unknown reasons, but some believe it was at the request of his family) who people call Cardinal Sin because of his less than saintly habits. Some believe that Cardinal Sin often accepts money from his sister in exchange for useful information. Attempts to find whether the rumors are true have gotten inquiring minds nowhere.
Picture: Shall We Dance?
Known Aliases: Delphina the Mad, Delphina Le Fou, Delphina von Mulva, Cardinal Sin, Hey You, THE Pirate, Delfiny-uuuuh, and after receiving her AoA: Honest Delphina, The Mad, Your Captainness, The Chaos Pope.
Current Interests: Aquisitons, archery, siege, embroidery, 14th century costuming and everything pirate (of course).
Motto: "No Matter where you go, there you are," and "What! Me worry?"
Quotes: "Mom (Belphoebe) can you come get
us?" (It's only a 240 mile trip) and "He's my Cousin (Alric the Mad)
....no relation"
Homepage: Delphina's Emporium
Frau Hrosvitha von Celle
Combat Seamstress, she who fights with long pointy things, 4" or 4', Laika's "mommy"
Bio: Hrosvitha von Celle, known to most as Vitha, was born in Celle, a small town in northern Germany. The daughter of a local woodcarver and a migrant gypsy, she learned at an early age about independence. When Vitha was only a 3 year old babe, her mother decided she had been in one place too long and took back to the road. As a result, Vitha's memory of her mother is quite vague. Her father raised her as best he could as a single parent. Not wanting her to be left without marketable skills he taught her music, self defense, and oddly enough, sewing.
At the age of 15, Vitha decided to set out to find her mother. Although her father was not thrilled with this prospect, he prepared her as best he could, providing her with portable musical instruments, and weapons to defend herself with. Having become an accomplished seamstress, Vitha worked her way to Paris, France, the fashion capital. There she met Aramis de Cantigny, a merchant who happened to have a lovely load of brocades that week. Taking a liking to him and he to her, the two set out to sell wares together.
Vitha and Aramis also know a thing or two about music. In fact, they can make really lovely music together. The most recent result of their collaborations are named Jamie and Sammy who are also known to be some of the best-dressed babies in the Knowne World.
Portrait:
Work that houpelande
Known Aliases:
Runs with scissors
Kade
Kade is the reason that English gypsies didn't make a practice of stealing children. She was stolen from a small village somewhere in the English countryside by a gypsy named Esmirelda, and abandoned again some years later, after the gypsy realized her mistake. As a child she tended towards thievery, generally of such interesting objects as the feathers out of noblemen's hats. Though she was cute enough never to be executed, she was responsible for many hasty departures on the part of the gypsies, usually just as they were about to transact their business.
After waking up one morning to discover the caravan had left her behind, Kade travelled haphazardly to the nearest city, where she briefly joined a gang of street children before leaving the city with a troupe of traveling players. She had fallen asleep in the back of one of their wagons, and was mistaken for a pile of rags when they left the city before dawn. When they discovered that she could sing, however, they allowed her to stay, and she learned to make herself useful sewing costumes.
No one quite knows what it is that Kade does now. She has been seen in Exeter, consorting with privateers, and there have been various unconfirmed sightings in other locations, including the rapier field. When cornered, she has been known variously to give the names of Katherine Tatterskirt, Katherine Ragamuffin, or Rowena Flaxflower, and has at least once answered to the name of Sarah, though this may be just a coincidence.
Interests:
Rapier, costuming, music, confiscating hat feathers.
Quotes:
"I think I had a quote once, but I have forgotten what it is."
Homepage: The Maze of Words
Duchess
Marie-Simone
de Barjavel la'fildena
Bio:
Born to moderately wealthy parents in Scotland, Rachel
Wallace showed an early talent for weaving. When it became obvious that she knew
more than the local women, Rachel was shipped off to London, to be fostered to
Countess Judith von Gruenvald, and learn more of her trade. Often ‘loaned out’
to the many silkwomen on Soper Lane, Rachel soon knew the ins and outs of the
textiles trade as well as, or better than, many who had been in the business for
years. Rachel became romantically involved with a young man, Janos of Cyddlain Downs, who was squired
to an Irish knight. When one of the silkwomen whom she had helped often retired
and moved to the country, Rachel was left with the business. Partially to
placate the guild heads (and partially because she wanted to anyway), Rachel
married Janos, who was now a knight, (as the guild would not recognize a
business as legitimate if a woman was in charge). Having heard of a shipping company called Fallen From Grace, Rachel set up a
meeting with Marcellus and Belphoebe. As they brought her to the company’s
warehouse on the docks, they found the crew of The Flotsam in a rather
forceful discussion (complete with daggers, swords, and a crossbow wielding
Delfina) with a group of thieves who had tried to break into the warehouse. The
fight was soon over, and left Rachel much impressed with the crew. With Janos
away fighting in the border skirmishes and dealing with pushy, opinionated
barons, Rachel was alone in London, and decided on the spot to hire the crew as
body guards when they were in port. As time went on, she also found it unwise to
ask too many questions when certain ‘rare’ supplies came her way far faster (and
for a better price) than it did for her competitors on Soper Lane. Janos returned from the battles having been given a duchy for his service to
Crown and Kingdom. Rachel ‘retired’ with him to their lands, but continued to
run her business in London. She also continued her association with the Fallen
From Grace Trading Company, and has occasionally found it necessary to hire them
for jobs other than simply shipping. Known Aliases:
Her Excellency,
Her Majesty, Her Grace, She Who Must Be Obeyed. Device:
Or, a phoenix vert
rising from flames issuant from base proper, a chief vert. Current Interests:
Weaving, costuming, calligraphy and illumination, combat archery, equestrian
arts, dancing, drinking. Motto:
Death from afar! Quote:
Well, alcohol was
involved . . . Webpage:
Rachel's Warped
Web Page
House Ravenstreet is home to the
Ravenstreet Players, and other good friends of Fallen From Grace.
Often, both Households seem to share a brain. The expression "Fallen
From Ravenstreet" is not an exaggeration. The members of Ravenstreet
have proven to be excellent business partners to Fallen From Grace,
particularly since they are much better at appearing dignified . . . (And they can be easily bribed
with bacon.) (Hmmmmm . . . bacon . . .)
Bio:
Born to a French Catholic
father and Scottish Protestant mother sometime prior to 1533, Marie-Simone
possesses a keen eye for luxury and a inherent sense of thriftiness. With
one foot in the French court, and a strong mercantile business in Lyon, she
travels as much as possible to encourage the spread of fabulous fabrics
across the Continent (preferable ones she sells).
Married off to shiftless
Scottish Duke, she was left widowed at a young age and left with a child to
raise. She spent several years vetting suitors before deciding on a humble,
yet wise Knight, Sir Aelfred of Cres. This has curtailed her travels to some
extent, but Sir Aelfred has proved remarkably amenable to his wife's
compulsion to seek out fabric and encourage others to possess it.
Simone encountered members of House Fallen from Grace in connection with an
exigency for some discreet
sailing vessels. With their contacts in so many ports around the
Continent it has proved a delightful relationship.
Interests:
Fabric, jewelry, fashion, music and food.
Aliases: Her
Grace, Her Fabricness, la maquerelle d'étoffe, She who is less forgiving.
Duchess Rachel Wallace
