House Astilor

Introduction
The House of Astilor is a noble house in the Valreach Imperium, primarily situated in the West of the nation with Fortress Ludenstadt the seat of power for the House. The current Patriarch is Charles Astilor (Glubenstein), and the House has various fiefs owned by members of different ranks. The House is known for its diligent building, mercantile outlook and integrity in the important values of loyalty, honour and above all else bravery. As such the House bears the Motto: Mighty, Brave, Bold.

Pre-Foundation
The House of Astilor began with a family on a far away island. This family lived in the Commonwealth of Archos in the far east, and were at the mercy of pirates when the Commonwealth collapsed. As funding from The Paragon Banking Clan waned, so to did the mercenary protection of the island; the raiding fleets of pirates grew bolder by the day and eventually a full scale pirate raid was launched. The Head of the Family, Edward and his wife Margaret were killed in the attack leaving their three sons and daughter orphans. In a valiant defence of the escaping Archosi ships, the oldest brother Arthur perished whilst fighting off mutiple pirates and securing the life of his son and the rest of his family. The survivors took what possessions they had and travelled as refugees westwards to escape the piracy which had taken their home. As Archosi ships dwindled in number, with storms raging and the threat of pirates ever present, the family landed on the shores of Valreach and journeyed inwards, finding social housing in the capital. It was here that Friedrich Aulian, noticed the diligent work ethic and smarts of the oldest living brother Charles. After speaking about their shared experiences and the world, it became clear to Friedrich Aulian, that an opportunity to reignite the lands of the West in Valreach lay in front of him. Charles was created Baron of Ludenstadt, and it was his responsibility to create a Noble House.

Name, Arms and Motto
The House of Astilor was named after Charles consulted with his younger brother Albert, where in memory of their older brother, they would name the House: Astilor, which is an old Archosi term for a Brave/ Courageous warrior. The Arms of House Astilor wouldn't come until the family had journeyed to the Old Castle in the The Barony of Ludenstadt. Whilst en route, the entourage was attacked by a lion in the jungle outside the Old Castle. Charles and Albert slayed the mighty beast, but its attack had a profound effect on Charles. The Lion moved with elegance and ferocity, it held grace while it was savage. It fought with passion whilst projecting its might. It stormed multiple attackers, it was brave. The Lion imparted a lesson on Charles, which brought together the teachings of his parents, and the memory of his lost brother. Charles chose to take the Lion, an important animal in Valreach as the animal on his Crest, and adopt the motto: Mighty, Brave, Bold; each word a lesson from his past. To be mighty and strong, a lesson from his parents, to be brave even in dire times a lesson from his brother's honourable sacrifice, and to be bold like the lion who took on many foes at once with grace and ferocity. Such the Name, Arms and Motto of House Astilor were created.

Establishment in Ludenstadt
House Astilor sought to establish a quick presence in The Barony and capitalise on what infrastructure was still operational. Thus Baron Charles appointed his nephew (whom he considered another son) Robert Astilor Lord Mayor of Raghrena, the Baronies largest settlement. The family rallied around Charles in securing connections and building bridges with other noble families, as they all knew this would help secure their new opportunity at a stable, and prosperous life.

A Seat of Power
The Old Castle of Ludenstadt had fallen into total ruin, dirt and rubble made up most of the walls, broken ceilings allowed heavy storms to rot away the wood and carpets of throne rooms and banquet halls. So Charles decided that for Astilor to grow and succeed, in both standing within Valreach and even just in what remained of Ludenstadt a new seat of power would need to be constructed. Thus a grand construction project began to create a fortress worthy of a Valrean Noble.