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.

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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).

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Maestra Cassandra Arabella Giordani

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/

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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 . . ."

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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

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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

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Duchess Marie-Simone de Barjavel la'fildena

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.

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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

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House Ravenstreet

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 . . .)

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