House Kaerfels

House Kaerfels is the Royal House of Daelyria, originating from the Midlands and besides the throne also directly ruling over the archonate of Duskyon. The family is currently made up of six members, namely the head of the family Alpha Kaerfels, his son Rhaegar Kaerfels, Alpha's brother Spoken Kaerfels, Shade Eptaskia Kaerfels, FranceMiner Kaerfels, Icy Kaerfels and Malve Kaerfels. The latter being the sole member of a branch of the family that split apart several generations ago. Its seat is located in Frostarch. Like most Daelyrian nobility it can trace its roots back to Daelos and Illyax Ashborn. Through Alpha Kaerfels the house is intermarried into House de Relmont, Faern Vién de Relmont to be specifically.

Aemon Ashborn
The Kaerfels family originated Maekar Ashborn's son Aemon, about whom not much is known. His name translates to "the free one". He lived an incredibly long life for a mortal of his time and lived alone in his large but empty homestead in the Illeryon forests. Despite his little contact to the outside world, in the towns around he was known as one of the most sapient men in the lands. In his younger times he had married a woman simply known as "Faelyana"(meaning 'loved one' in dael.), who he deeply loved. He had two children, Lyrkar, his first son, and Gaeroth, his second son, whose mother Faelyana died in childbirth. For this Aemon banished Gaeroth when he came of age, him becoming a brutal and ruthless knight without any children. Aemon would seclude himself after the death of his loved one and live a long life alone in his barren halls.

Lyrkar Kaerfels
His first son, Lyrkar, when coming of age moved to Illerya and became a wealthy merchant. Aemon taught him everything he knew, so that Lyrkar, who had always helped him from time to time, had the best chances of changing the future. While generating large amounts of wealth and making friends with the local aristocracy and proving himself competent, he settled down one day and married a woman called Vrenya. Around this time Lyrkar was granted the status of nobility, adopting the surname Kaerfels. Shortly after this he comissioned a daelyrian-steel sword called Thorne from a dwarven mastersmith. He is most known for inventing the Daelyrian overhang which is used in Frostarch to this day as a homage to his legacy. He would have three children with Vrenya; Sonys Kaerfels, Allyria Kaerfels, and Aemon the younger, called so to distinguish him from his grandfather. While Aemon would die because of an fatal illness, his siblings would live on.

Lyrkar's children
Lyrkar's children, Allyris and Sonys Kaerfels carried on their tradition while also making the name more popular among the people. The Kaerfels family, proud of their invention, became a symbol for architecture. Allyria Kaerfels was arranged to marry Dixon Silverhand, son of the legendary Tommen 'the Silverhand', whom Lyrkar had befriended and wanted to formalise an alliance between the two families. While this would eventually not last long, they would go on to have two children; Broyo Silverhand and Miksa Silverhand. Meanwhile, Sonys Kaerfels continued the families legacy as merchant, architect and estate owner. He would also show interest in the art of jousting. He married Thalara, a lowborn beautiful girl whom he named "queen of love and beauty" after winning a tournament at Illerya.

Sonys' children
Sonys had twin brothers with his wife Thalara; Tywin Kaerfels, and Vesarys Kaerfels. Tywin, inspired by his great-grand father Aemon, moved out of Illerya and lived an isolated life with his wife Alyxandra in his newly built farming estate 'Milet' in the border marches between Daelyria and Kastollia, funded by the daelyrian goverment to gain control in the region. He had a daughter, Liana Kaerfels, who would live a similarly isolated life with her escharian-refugee husband Willhelm Ackerstahl, with whom he had a child, Malve Kaerfels, current lord of Milet.

Vesarys married a woman named Kyra, giving birth to Elyria Kaerfels. While Vesarys died at a young age, Elyria would manage the family buisness together with her mother for over a decade. Eventually her mother passed away from old age.

The shift
It was only a few generations later when the Vesarys branch of the Kaerfels family gave up being merchants. Elyria Kaerfels, together with her husband Siegfried Eichenbach moved to a ruined estate near Hilbor, which they bought from Dusk Synderys and repaired, making it a monument of Kaerfels architecture. While living there, they brought forth Spoken and later Alpha Kaerfels. However, the Hilbor estate was raided and destroyed by bandits and marauders. While Spoken and Alpha could flee, the parents are still missing and presumed long dead.

Kyrepion era
After a long time where the Kaerfels family had little official power, the family, revived under Alpha and Spoken, House Kaerfels would soon rise up to become one of the most powerful families in Daelyria. First leading the Midlands region, expanding the family and both senior members soon sitting on the High Council of Daelyria. At this time Kaerfels were lords of Andoria and the Midlands, and mayors of Milet, Frostarch, Vederya, and Andoria. The family would also expand with new members such as Shade Kaerfels through Spoken and Icy Kaerfels and France Kaerfels through Alpha Kaerfels. Eventually the latter would become Archon of Duskyon, around the same time engaging with and marrying Faern Vién de Relmont. His brother Spoken would be assigned the position of Royal Scribe ever since the reestablishment of Daelyria. A few years later Alpha would assume to the position daelyrian High Prince, around the same time his wife becoming Archon of Astor. After the passing of Maekar I Blackfyre Alpha, or his new royal name Aelvar, was chosen to become new High King of Daelyria, therefore elevating House Kaerfels to the status of Royal House.

Traditions
The Kaerfels family is a family of key Daelyrian culture and tradition. A custom the family is most known for is tourneying. Alpha Kaerfels was the first Daelyrian to host games to the people commonly. The events eventually evolved to entire tournaments which even brought forth a new type of tourney game, Jousting. Jousting has ever since been a symbol of Kaerfels tradition in Helmia. The construction of the Wyrmpit from the ruins of New Hilbor is the embodiment of this tradition, being the largest arena in the North.

Feasts and banquets have also played important roles in Kaerfels tradition, with the local cuisine being as rich as nowhere else in Helmia with specialties such as Hvaekar Wine or Gaelkrys. The fate of Elyria Kaerfels and Siegfried Eichenbach has influenced the mentality of the Midlands people. The lacking defense and protection during the bandit attacks shaped the build style of Frostarch, which was aimed to be defendable and pretty at the same time.

Thorne
The family is in posession of the ancestral heirloom of the sword "Thorne". It is said to have been forged by a dwarven master blacksmith with the name of Arrmitharin under the comission of Lyrkar Kaerfels, the great-grand father of Spoken and Alpha Kaerfels. Since then it was passed down to Lyrkar's son Sonys and to his son Vesarys, and to his daughter Elyria Kaerfels. When her estate was attacked by bandits and she and her husband presumably died, with only her two children managing to escape, the sword was looted by the outlaws. It eventually was recovered by authorities in Duskyon, where it was taken into protection of Dusk Synderys. After over a decade and after some research it he gave it to Spoken Kaerfels, who would begin to style himself after the sword. After the reunion of the Kaerfels brothers it was kept by Spoken as a symbol of the united family. The blade is made out of hard steel, with the blades edge still being incredibely sharp to this day. It is claimed that Spoken has cut himself several times while studying the blade.