House of Nathair

The House of Nathair is a noble house of the Fallow Crest, it's seat located in the Earldom of Iscia's Cove across from the Ashwake Gulf and the Ashen Coast. Founded by Ardan Nathair, a galuyn clansman who saw benefit in using his many skills to infiltrate gilnean nobility and keep his family and clan safe.

History
Rising to power among the nobles of the Fallow Crest through his cunning and show of loyalty, Ardan and his family were eventually granted land in the territory they originally hailed from. Ardan and his wife enforced upon their children that it was important for them to keep their ties to Galuyn culture yet hide it from onlookers and be as Gilnean as possible.

Ardan was eventually killed by galuyn warriors rising against the oppression of the gilnean nobles in the area, forcing his heir and son Conall to rise to power at the tender age of thirteen. Guided by gilnean and galuyn men who had infiltrated the nobility as the Nathair family did before them, Conall began to distance himself from galuyn culture, keeping in mind that it was galuyn men at arms that killed his father.

Conall, despite his disposition towards the Galuyn and his own heritage wed Sinead, a woman of the remnant Wavewalker clans in the area at his mothers urging to keep the families line purely Galuyn. Sinead gave birth to two children, Desmond and Aleyina. The two, as those before them were taught of their heritage and the importance to remain as Gilnean as possible for political purposes. Meanwhile Conall continued to cut himself away from the Galuyn going so far as ignoring the encroaching Fallow Crest nobility upon the sacred hills of the Galuyn tribes.

Unrest was assured in the Barony of Iscia's Cove as the people of Iscia's Rest began to feel threatened by the wars outside of their walls between the Galuyn and the Lords of the Fallow Crest. Conall whom had formerly distanced himself from his heritage felt a rekindling to the Wavewalker tribes when the Lords of the Fallow Crest began to push for Usi'nead, the sacred lake of the clans of the area. Both him and his wife Sinead fought against the Lords but ultimately were slain in battle, leaving Desmond Nathair in charge of the Barony.

Desmond Nathair rose to the challenge eagerly, permitting his sister a spot by his side so she could learn the ways of politics rather than be a simple tool to further family connections as previously planned. Desmond, while kind and gentle in his ruling had plenty enemies from his parents' time of ruling specifically to the north from other Fallow Crest nobles and the south from Wavewalker remnants that believed Conall, his offspring, and those living behind the walls of Iscia's Rest to be cowards.

Aleyina began to forge the plans to reach out to the clans to the south, reviving the ancient bonds of House Nathair with those of the tribes. While Desmond understood the benefit, he was hesitant to follow through with the plans his sister had drafted up, as he wished to reach out to the nobility of the Fallow Crest territory first.

Seemingly successful in his venture, Desmond managed to bring in a collective of nobles from the Fallow Crest. Most prominently so was Lord Sean Redmond, who began to serve Desmond as a close adviser. Lord Redmond, who himself held a Barony further north, counseled Lord Nathair against permitting the Galuyn tribes a chance, dismissing Aleyinas urgency on bringing the clans into the fold.

At a time of turmoil from the clans to the south once more, whom choose to attack any ships attempting to dock at the ports of Iscia's Rest, Lord Redmond ordered his own men into the city, claiming to Desmond his men would help bring about peace that needed to be kept between Galuyn and Gilnean. Considering Redmond a friend, Desmond saw no issue on the matter but rather saw it as a strengthening bond between House Nathair and the nobility of the Fallow Crest.

Shortly after Desmond was murdered by Lord Redmond and his men executed by the usurper lord, putting Iscia's Rest and her lands back into the hands of the Lords of the Fallow Crest, whom believed Desmond needed to pay for his fathers crimes, against them.

Aleyina Nathair, was hauled off by few trusted Galuyn guards, whom had joined with House Nathair during their infiltration period in the past. Sir Alroy Ritheor and Sir Dursten Warpwood saw to it that the only remaining member of House Nathair was sailed to safety.

The Hold of Redmond
Once again the Lords of the Fallow Crest began to push for the complete removal of the Galuyn culture in the Cove's territory, with their vantage point in Iscia's Rest they had the upper hand for time, but once more met great resistance as they attempted to push for Usi'nead. The lake, a vessel of power and rumors that claimed a ancient spirit resided within it was fiercely protected by its Galuyn keepers.

Lord Redmond, after several failed attempts turned to the surrounding territories of Galecrest to push for Galuyn annihilation there and give him another foothold from which he could move towards Usi'nead once more.

Iscia's Rest, meanwhile, began to be cut off more and more from traders and eventually food supplies. Windholm, from which most grain was delivered to Iscia's Rest was under constant attacks by Galuyn tribes as well, who burned the grain to weaken the hold on the area by Lord Redmond and the other Lords of the Fallow Crest.

The increasing disastrous hold of Iscia's Rest caused a greater hostility among the people who were slowly being starved to death. At this time Aleyina who had been plotting her revenge to retake Iscia's Rest began to move forward with her plans.

Retaking the Cove
Aleyina made a point of sailing into the cove with currachs in the dark during a storm, traveling mostly unseen and stealth-like through the shadows of the dark water. A small retinue of knights was dispatched after the currachs docked to free the path towards the Manor of Iscia's Rest of any of Redmond's men, which allowed Aleyina and her most trusted men easy access to the seat of nobility.

The rest of the men and women who had remained with the ships were now free to unload the grain and foods for the city that they had brought along on their campaign, almost instantly winning favor for Aleyina with the common city dwellers.

Alroy and Dursten remained by Aleyinas side as they forced their way into the Manor to take down Lord Redmond. While the knights kept the men of Redmond at bay, Aleyina handled the usurper Lord not with daggers as he did to her brother Desmond but rather the shadow magic she had been taught by her mother since childhood. She did not kill the man, but significantly weakened him before Alroy arrested the man and tossed him into the Rest's dungeons. The rest of Lord Redmonds men were executed publicly for the crowd to witness and have their share in revenge after what they had to suffer under Fallow Crest nobility.

Next Aleyina set forth to the north towards Windholm and east to Galecrest, where she removed any traces of Fallow Crest Lords and men, bringing the traitor Barons to her dungeons in Iscia's Rest while their men were publicly executed. The bodies of the men in Galecrest were stacked at the border between Galecrest and the rest of the Fallow Crest as a warning for any nobility who attempted to move into the territory. Alroy Ritheor was granted the Barony of Windholm and Dursten Warpwood, that of Galecrest, from which his clan originally came. With the Galuyn knights as barons, the Galuyn tribes began to cease attacks upon the areas north of Iscia's Rest.

Turning south to the remnant clans Aleyina reached out to the Hierophant Odhran and the Keeper Ultan, promising them their revenge upon the Lords she held captive and the freedom of the Farraige A Rugadh Hills with the sacred lake at its center. Keeper Ultan remained distant, but Hierophant Odhran showed interest in the woman, which gave her enough entry way into the clans. Aleyina together with the Hierophant and the Keeper brought together the scattered smaller clans under a single banner they named Leanaí Iscia, Lord Warpwood and Lord Ritheor brought along the clans from the north as well.

Securing, for herself a ancient relic of the Wavewalkers, Aleyina managed to convince the Galuyn that she would not treat the Galuyn as the other nobles of Iscia's Rest had before and that the collective forces of Galuyn and the Gilneans she had brought along and kept in Iscia's Rest would work together against the Lords of the Fallow Crest.

Iscia's Rest was opened up to the Galuyn clans as it had been to Gilneans, allowing ease of access for trading routes and Aleyina took her place beside Hierophant Odhran and Keeper Ultan as the Waybinder of the Leanaí Iscia. With the expansion of territory and her own nobles in place at the smaller baronies, Aleyina rose to status of Countess of the Cove, continuing and keeping the duality between the two cultures.

The leadership of the Leanaí Iscia performed the ancient rite of Tharraisce, a ritual during which the Lords were tied to rope which was then looped beneath the currach upon which the Galuyn sailed in the cove. The usurper lords were then thrown overboard and pulled under the keel of the vessels, their backs dragged from side to side of the ship, cutting open their backs by the marine growth on the underside of the currachs while drowning them. The willingness of performing this ritual with the Galuyn once more cemented Aleyina's place among them.

Currently
While those now loyal to House Nathair, both Gilnean and Galuyn are decent in number their lack of proper military training proves to be a setback. Turning towards the Ashen Coast, Aleyina reached out to the nobility there, offering them a foothold in Iscia's Rest, a share in her wealth, as well as manpower in turn for further military training for her own men and marriage to the Duke.