House Gracieux of Fleur de Violette
A violet in bloom on a field of gold. Duchess Victoria Gracieux, Elector of Violette.
House Speciality: Exotic Trade. Violette, House Gracieux's seat, is Ethica's primary destination for commerce with the Eastern Continent, 'Lointaine'. All trade between Lointaine and the imperial continent of Ethica flows through either Violette herself or her sister cities, giving Violette a reputation as the premiere destination for the finest goods in Ethica. The immense quantities of coin from these lucrative continental voyages have secured the place of Violette's noble houses and merchant guilds as considerably rich and influential players in Ethica's political and economic world, a force to be reckoned with in the empire at large.
House Ancestral Artefact: The ancestral artefact of House Gracieux is the 'gilded bouquet', a golden, gem-encrusted necklace said to have been gifted to the Gracieuxs by Kammeth in ancient days. The necklace is decorated with various gemstones inlaid to represent different flowers, and the largest of these flowers is a violet, made of amethysts, in the necklace's centre. The gilded bouquet is not imbued with any tangible magical power, and is said only to bring good fortune to its wearer, at the expense of their enemies.
Important MembersLord Reynold Gracieux;Aged 48. Admiral of the Veletian Marine. The younger brother of the deceased Duke Frank Gracieux, the former ruler of the Republic of Violette. An exceptionally talented sailor and leader of men, but (unusually for a Gracieux) something of an ascetic. His quarters on the flagship of the Veletian Marine are intentionally austere, and he does not share in—though does not necessarily loathe or even dislike—the vanity and gratuity of the rest of his house. He is merely dedicated to his role as Admiral, and has a certain level of distaste for anything which distracts him from his crucial duties. The one exception to this is his wife, Velhara Gracieux (née Tallurian), and their children, Xavier and Tsirine.
Duchess Victoria Gracieux, Elector of Violette;Aged 28. Duchess of Violette. Daughter of the deceased Duke Frank Gracieux and his wife, Corrine Gracieux (née Duvard). Imperious and shrewd, Victoria is a woman who places great emphasis on her image and reputation, both from the eyes of her people and her fellow nobles. The people of Violette know their Duchess as the essence of elegance and confidence, seeing her only in elaborate dresses, walking tall among her guards in fanciful processions and occasionally travelling across the republic and beyond, decked in the finest jewellery and carrying herself with the thoughtless confidence, arrogance even, that only a woman of her stature can possess. Her contemporaries know her as a lady not to be trifled with; she tolerates no slights against her or her family and is rumoured to have murdered her previous husband, an abusive drunk, after he struck their daughter. Today, the Duchess is married to Ralltene Valarien, a prominent member of the Imperial family in the running for the succession. Victoria has gone to great effort to establish popular support for Ralltene, orienting the economic might of Violette in his favour and applying great pressure on House Gracieux's allies to support his claim.
Duchess Zoé Gracieux;Aged 29. Duchess of Ramoi, in Aeche. Zoé is the amicable sister of Victoria, the Duchess of Violette, and became a Duchess herself shortly after her marriage to Certes Seval, when her newly wed husband's father passed away under not at all suspicious circumstances. Zoé is a tall, olive skinned woman, who presents herself as friendly and courteous. Her place in House Gracieux affords her extensive connections to Ethica's largest merchant companies, which she has used to great effect to help turn her adopted home in northern Aeche into a city of commerce and class.
Lord Xavier Gracieux;Aged 20. The son of Reynold and Velhara, and older brother of Tsirine. A boastful young man and a talented swordsman, Xavier has all of the good looks and magical abilities of the Tallurians, all of the coin and connections of the Gracieuxs, and a way with a blade that is all his own. He has won numerous dueling tournaments both within Violette and abroad, and is fond of using his family connections (especially those of his father, the Admiral of the Veletian Marine) to travel the world, having already visited the eastern continent of Lointaine once before, even at such a young age. As he carries the blood of House Tallurian, Xavier looks rather unlike the other members of his household of Gracieux; he is pale, rather than olive-skinned, and instead of black his hair is a bright, vibrant red. Xavier is fond of teasing his younger sister and her constant worrying, which contrasts greatly with his own overconfidence.
Lord Elouan Gracieux;Aged 19. A somewhat effeminate young man, known among the commoners as a patron of the arts, and among the aristocracy as a soft fool. He is the youngest of three siblings, kid brother to Victoria and Zoé. Elouan is too preoccupied with his hobbies, chiefly poetry and the lyre, to have much of an involvement (or even interest) in the political affairs of Ethica. Lately, he has gone to live in Stormgully, as a 'diplomat' between House Gracieux and House Cragmore. In truth, he is in love with Sofia Cragmore, and seeks to marry the young lady and take her with him back to Violette.
Lady Tsirine Gracieux;Aged 12. The younger of Velhara and Reynold's children, Tsirine takes after her mother in appearance if not in personality. Although Velhara is a lively and optimistic person, Tsirine is a pessimist, and a close friend of her younger cousin, Anice. She is pale with red hair, like her brother and the rest of those with close Tallurian ancestry. Tsirine possess a sharp wit and a love of strategy games such as chess, which she enjoys teaching to Anice.
Lady Anice Gracieux;Aged 10. Heir of House Gracieux. The daughter of Duchess Victoria through her deceased first husband, Anice took her mother's name after the death of her father, and is the first in line to succeed as head of House Gracieux should her mother pass. She is an intensely shy, skittish child, suspicious and afraid of strangers and kept under close watch by her mother. It is rumoured across the republic in hushed whispers that Anice, then an even younger child, was once struck by her abusive, drunkard father. Her mother, willing to tolerate violence against herself, but not her daughter, grabbed a knife and slit the throat of her hated husband. Regardless of the validity of these rumours, Anice is incredibly close to her mother, and no one else. The only other person that Victoria feels comfortable allowing Anice to be alone with is Victoria's uncle, Lord Reynold, or his wife Velhara. When Reynold and Velhara aren't available, and Victoria needs to leave Violette, Anice must always come with her. Although Anice is extremely introverted, she does have one close friend. Her cousin, Tsirine, is very close to her, and Anice easily spends more time with Tsirine than anyone else. This friendship is sanctioned by Victoria, who hopes that Anice's friendship with Tsirine can help make the young Gracieux heir more ready to rule.
Republic of Violette
The Luzerne is the name given to the republic's countryside, a region largely left to its own devices by House Gracieux and the other nobles of the republic. The peasants here are farmers and lumberers, tending the region's fertile fields and harvesting her forests' plentiful wood. Unlike in most of the empire's realms, the majority of the inhabitants of Luzerne—who are themselves called 'the Luzerne'—are free, unbound to any count, duke or king, and subject only to imperial authority. Their towns and villages are in free association with the republic, however, for the reason of mutual benefit. Violette and her sister cities offer the Luzerne profitable markets for their produce, and the gendarmerie of the republic help to keep the Luzerne free of banditry, and out of the reach of neighbouring kingdoms who might seek to claim their lands.
The inhabitants of the Fleurs de Mer are not so fortunate. Each of the islands is personally owned in its entirety by House Gracieux, the city of Estporte in the northern Fleurs de Mer the only notable exception. The peasants of the Fleurs de Mer are not free, like in the Luzerne, and instead of selling the fruit of their labour on the open market, their produce is the possession of the head of House Gracieux, and they are given room and board for themselves and their families and paid a modest wage. Most of the habitants of the Fleurs de Mer are migrants from the Luzerne; although there is less opportunity in the Fleurs de Mer, there is greater certainty in a fixed wage than in the independent farming on the republic's mainland.
Cities and PopulationsThe total population of the Republic of Violette, including the city of Violette itself and her sister cities, as well as the Luzerne and the Fleurs de Mer, is 1,440,000.
Violette (126,000);The eponymous capital of the republic and one of the largest cities in Ethica. Violette is a crucial port-city, serving as the empire's main eastern economic hub and its most important link to the eastern continent: Lointaine. Violette's ports and streets are constantly bustling with activity, day and night, included among their inhabitants traders and travellers from far off, foreign lands. Violette is considered a cultural centre in addition to an economic and financial one, home to a great many upscale restaurants and taverns, and hosting plentiful musicians and other artists. Violette is also home to the headquarters of each of the four most important organizations in the republic: House Gracieux, the Veletian Marine, the Veletian Gendarmerie and the Violette Senate.
The first and last of these organizations are located on the Fleur de Violette, a small island just off of the coast of the city, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The Fleur de Violette is home to the Palais du Peuple, a gargantuan construct resembling a cathedral, built in the Gothic style and housing the Violette Senate, both its chambers and the personal residences of the senators. The island also contains the private residence of House Gracieux, a servant's quarters for the attendants of both House Gracieux and the Palais de Peuple, and a barracks of the gendarmerie. Admittance onto the island is restricted: one must either be a Gracieux, a Senator, one of the resident servants or an invited guest for the gendarmerie to permit entrance.
Confluence (23,500);The second largest city in the republic, located in its north-western region. Confluence sits astride the meeting point of two rivers, Jamais Sur and Jamais Nur, which combine at Confluence to form the River Jamais, which feeds into the Bay of Estporte. Confluence was founded ages past as a small fishing village and a way-point across the River Jamais. It was only two hundred years ago that a prominent merchant family bought the land of most of the peasants living around Confluence, and began expanding the town to encourage settlers from the northern Luzerne. The expansion of Confluence from a small village into a significant trading town coincided with the rise of the once modest merchant family who bought the town into the now fully fledged noble family of House Jamais, with Confluence as its seat.
Île Couronne (5,800);The smallest of the Veletian sister-cities, but a major outpost of the Veletian Marine, and an important town for the mining industry due to the large gold mine for which the town was founded. Île Couronne is regarded as a possession of Violette's ruling Gracieux dynasty, who are the owners of aforementioned local gold mine (and most of the town's other business). Île Couronne is governed entirely from Violette; the only civic government on the island is limited to a single office-holder: 'Mayor of Île Couronne', a ceremonial title awarded in perpetuity to the head of House Gracieux.
Estporte (8,700);This sister-city of Violette sits within Calm Bay, on an island mostly owned by House Gracieux. Located along the island's eastern shores, however, is Estporte herself, the seat of House Mercalme, a noble dynasty with history dating back as far as that of Ethica's great houses. In ancient days, the Fleur de Mer to the east of Estporte were over-run with pirates, and the name 'Calm Bay' was an ironic one. Estporte was a fortress-city, with thick, stone walls running to the shore, and a heavily defended coastline built to withstand attacks from the eastern marauders.
The fleet of House Mercalme, a substantial war-fleet, charged a fee to merchant vessels that needed to traverse the bay, escorting them to ensure their safety in exchange for coin. It was House Mercalme's main source of revenue, which is why the family went broke when, several generations ago, the Veletian Marine was deployed to rid the islands of their pirate menace. The Fleurs de Mer were annexed to House Gracieux, and within a generation, House Mercalme was entirely out of money. Over time, they were forced to sell more and more of the land on Estporte and more and more of their once famous fleet to the powers-that-be in Violette: House Gracieux. Nowadays, the Mercalmes are heavily indebted to the Gracieuxs, and are rumoured to maintain their exuberant lifestyles through various illegal enterprises.
Artran (19,300);The eponymous seat of House Artran, a noble family originating from the Imperial City that relocated to the republic far into the past. Artran is home to a great number of expert craftsmen, especially jewellers, and House Artran itself possesses one of the empire's largest collections of fine jewellery, much of it crafted right there in the city.
Ethnic Name: Veletians.
Ethnic Appearance: Veletians tend towards the features of southern Europe, such as olive skin and darker hair colours. This tendency is most pronounced in the southern Fleurs de Mer, and least evident in the northern Luzerne and the riverside city of Confluence, where lighter tones are more common. Fair skin and hair are seen by the wealthier, urban Veletians as stereotypically Luzerne (and therefore lower-class) features.
Culture: The culture of the Republic of Violette is distinguished from the rest of Ethica foremost by its enlightened nature. Veletians, especially in the cities, are much more open to new ideas than the people of the western kingdoms, and are in particular less strict about the roles of women and the boundaries between the classes. Wealth, not blood, is the primary determiner of status in the republic, and all noble titles throughout the republic are (theoretically) bestowed by the Violette Senate. Although the common man in the republic is no significant degree richer than the common men of other realms, he is substantially freer. The republic's mainland countryside, the Luzerne, consists entirely of free men, unbound to service, holding no lords and no masters spare the Emperor, and governed only by their local community.
Type of Government: Crowned Republic. Violette is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Violette Senate, which consists of five hundred directly elected senators serving three year terms. The Violette Senate determines the entirety of Veletian civic policy, in both Violette itself and her sister cities. It is also the responsibility of the Senate to determine Veletian military policy, deciding when to deploy the Veletian Marine or Gendarmerie abroad. Legally, it is even the Senate which bestows the supposedly honorary title of Duke of Violette upon the noble of their choosing, in recognition of their service to the republic.
In practice, however, the Senate always selects the designated heir of House Gracieux as the next Duke, just as it always deploys the marine or genderarmerie at the Gracieux's behest. This arrangement is seen by most of the Veletians not as corruption, but merely something of an esoteric succession practice, and one of practical benefit: a strong royal house to handle important matters, and a democratic senate to forge less important day-to-day public policy. It is worth noting that House Gracieux is popular among the Luzerne, who do not vote to elect senators and are therefore contemptuous of the Senate. For that reason, and many others, the Senators are almost without question loyal and obedient servants of Duchess Victoria (lest they be deposed). If push came to shove and there was a discrepancy between what the Senate wanted and what House Gracieux wanted, House Gracieux would win.
Influence and RelationsAlthough House Gracieux's impressive wealth imbues a sort of a passive influence all throughout the empire and beyond, it is those houses and those nations with especially close trade ties to Violette, and whose families have married with the Gracieuxs, who are most susceptible to the family's influence.
House Cragmore: Lord Elouan Gracieux is residing in Stormgully, and courting Sofia Cragmore.
House Duvard: Duchess Victoria Gracieux's mother was born Corrine Duvard, and Victoria's Duvard ancestry has helped positively inform her opinion of House Duvard; a sensible, noble family, appreciative of all the finer things in life that Violette has to provide.
House Seval: Lady Zoé, sister of Duchess Victoria, married Certes Seval to eventually become Duchess of Ramoi. House Gracieux is using its merchant connections to help establish Ramoni as a major trade city, and generally regards House Seval (though especially Certes' line of the house) as an ally in the west.
House Tallurian: Lord Reynold Gracieux, Admiral of the Veletian Marine, is married to Velhara, the sister of the Queen of Tellaria. Houses Tallurian and Gracieux, and therefore Tellaria and Violette, have both a positive personal relationship and prosperous and growing trade ties.
MilitaryVeletian GendarmerieThe Veletian Gendarmerie is the republic's combined army and police force, responsible for protecting Violette and her possessions from threats both external and internal. The force is extensively trained, highly disciplined and pays exceedingly well, ensuring that its uniformed men are skilled in both combat and manner; the only thing better than a gendarme's swordplay is his etiquette. The rigorous nature of the initiation requirements and the training process ensure that only the most capable men make it into the gendarmerie. For this reason the organization is famously impartial, baring no predisposition towards corruption or harassment of innocents, as might be found in other cities.
The second consequence of the gendarmerie's strict induction process is its small number of enlisted men. The gendarmerie numbers only 7,000, policing a country of nearly one and a half million. Therefore, they must be supplemented at times with local militia groups of substantially lower quality. In the settlements of the Luzerne and Fleur de Tulipe, for instance, it is not uncommon for a village to possess only one or two resident gendarmerie, aided in their efforts by a larger number of local militiamen who report to them. This situation can also occur during times of war; when the gendarmerie are believed to be too few to counter a threat, it is not uncommon for the gendarme in charge to recruit a temporary militia to fill in any gaps for which there are too few uniformed men to occupy.
The dress, weaponry and even the behaviour of the gendarmerie is highly regimented. Their violet-coloured uniforms are tight-fitting, made of breathable, stretchable fabrics, designed to mimic the dress of the upper classes without limiting combat capability. Underneath this uniform is worn a padded cuirass, for purposes of defence, and over top is worn a helmet, as well as light armour for the shoulders, thighs, calves and forearms. The standard gendarmer in the field will be armed with a basket-hilted sword and a small crossbow, but the equipment of the gendarmerie deployed on the battlefield is more modular, ranging from pikemen to longbowmen.
As to a gendarme's behaviour, a strict code of conduct is followed, called the 'manière charmant'. It has three basic tenets: a gendarmer must act without personal advantage or favour, must conduct themselves with nobility and grace when treating with all classes of persons regardless of status, and is to exemplify courage in all their dealings within and without the call of duty. A gendarme's oath to obey the manière charmant is a serious one, taken on the final day of their training to finalize their place within the gendarmerie. If a gendarme is found to be in violation of the manière charmant, he can be subjected to severe punishment, up to and including execution by guillotine.
Veletian MarineThe pride of Violette and the mistress of the Eastern Seas, the Veletian Marine is one of the largest and most skilled naval forces in the world. Its purple-sailed vessels patrol the seas from Violette herself to the farthest reaches of the Fleurs de Mer, keeping the republic's coast-lands free of pirates and secure of foreign aggressors. The territorial breadth of Violette's empire does not represent the full extent of the reach of the Veletian Marine, however. Veletian merchant ships carrying cargo of exceptional value will often by accompanied by war-vessels of the marine, deterring all but the most foolish pirates and other enemies of commerce. These commissioned trade outings, alongside the constancy of piracy threats, ensure that the sailors of the Veletian Marine are experienced and capable of reacting quickly and appropriately to crises as they occur. While in many foreign lands, formal military vessels are often in duty only in times of war, most ships under the command of the Veletian Marine are kept in action at all times (excluding regular repairs and inspections), leaving their captains and crew seasoned on the high seas and ready for battle.
Although the Veletian Marine is a more than sufficient force for both defending the republic and projecting its power abroad, Violette also possesses a large merchant navy. Rather than for defence, they exist for the purpose of conducting overseas trade, the primary engine of the Veletian economy. Owned primarily by independent merchant outfits, the vessels of the Veletian Merchant Navy tend to focus on speed and cargo space over defensibility, and in times of conflict (either with pirates or foreign navies) are dependent on the Marine to ensure they reach their destination.
Landscape: The republic's coast-lands, including Violette itself, are Mediterranean in climate, and relatively flat and featureless. Further inland, into the western Luzerne, the climate becomes more temperate and the landscape more varied, and large stretches of forest interspersed with gently rolling hills can be found.
Economy: The Republic of Violette's economy is strongly dominated by international trade. Most crafts centre around this fact, and by far the most common tradesmen in Violette are sailors. The republic's economy is neither entirely dominated by foreign trade nor consisted entirely of seamen, however. The immense quantity of luxury goods moving through Violette and her sister cities have given rise to many speciality trades, such as gem cutters, and the wealth produced from this flow of commodities has in turn given rise to careers catering to the rich, such as artistry.
Religion: Veletians are primarily followers of Kammeth and Lyriel, the father and mother of the world. The lesser gods are not without worship in the republic, however, and foremost among them is Kayo, the God of the Sea, who is revered by Violette's plentiful seafarers.
History: The republic has existed since before the rise of the Phoenix Empire, and the story of the formation of the Violette Senate has long been lost to the sands of time. The rise of the republic to greatness, however, is relatively recent, and was largely caused by the empire's formation. Imperial authority brought order to Ethica, allowing for an environment more conductive to trade and mercantile enterprises, which Violette has always specialized in. As the empire grew, so too did Violette's base of customers. House Gracieux's immense wealth has allowed the family to become incredibly influential in the years of peace that the empire has brought on, and permitted her influence to be felt in all four corners of the continent. Separatist sentiment is almost non-existent in Violette; the empire is coin, and coin is all that matters.
StrengthsBottomless Coffers- House Gracieux is fabulously wealthy. The family makes a fortune off of trade with Lointaine, owns extensive tracts of land in the republic, and is the primary investor of a great number of merchant companies and other businesses all across the empire. There is not a province in Ethica that isn't home to
something owned by House Gracieux.
Manière Charmant- The Veletian Gendarmerie's exceptionally qualified men and the force's rigorous organizational process ensures that the Republic of Violette's lands are some of the best policed in the Empire. Violette and her sister cities in particular are kept safe and clean by the gendarmerie, and the organization's impartiality prevents corruption within the republic's government, preventing societal decay even in a society as laissez-faire as Violette's.
WeaknessesNo Masters, No Slaves- There is a reason that lords like to keep their peasants in bondage to them. A serf may be less happy than a free man, but you can use him harder, and for more than just tilling the land, such as fighting your wars for you. The unbounded nature of the farmers in the Luzerne means that they have no obligation to fight for the Duke of Violette, and thus that the vast majority of the republic's otherwise perfect levy candidates are ineligible to be called forth. This forces the republic to rely on the the Veletian Gendarmerie and its extremely limited numbers as its land force in times of war, severely restricting the republic's combat abilities on land.
ExportsLuxury Goods- Violette's trade with the eastern continent allows the city to serve as Ethica's primary (re)exporter of various exotic and luxury goods, ranging from silk, to gemstones, to rare herbs, to coffee beans and cocoa, and all the way to caged beasts from foreign lands.
Gold- Île Couronne, one of Violette's sister cities, is built around a large gold mine, which supplies a portion of its bounty to the republic's jewellers and exports the rest as solid bars, for refinement elsewhere.
Financial Services- The various merchant families in Violette, and especially the noble House Gracieux itself, are known for using their established wealth to supply the coin needed to start up business ventures elsewhere in the empire. The financial district in Violette, just across the bridge from the Fleur de Violette that serves as House Gracieux's seat, is home to a number of banks and loaning institutions, which can store or supply coin from or for various clients throughout Ethica.
ImportsMetals- Although Violette's Île Couronne is a literal gold mine, the rest of the republic's land area is sadly bereft of significant ore deposits. Both common ores, like iron and tin, as well as rarer ones such as silver for use in Artran's jewellery, needed to be imported from other kingdoms. Even stone, an extremely common material elsewhere in Ethica, needs to be imported into the republic.
Animals- There are almost no livestock farmers to be found in Violette, and everything from cows for milk and beef, chickens for poultry and eggs, and horses for both overland trade and personal transportation need to be brought into Veletian lands from abroad. This need also applies to other products derived from animals, such as fur, wool and oils.
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