House of Vallian

House Vallian of Vallenhall is an old, proud, yet never great house of human nobility. Founded in the closing days of the Troll Wars upon a fortified mountain pass in northern Lordaeron, the Margraves of Vallenhall have stood watch on the line between Men, Elves, and Trolls for two thousand years.

Fiercely proud and culturally distinct from their once-lieges in Lordaeron, the men of Vallenhall have recently been sworn into the vassalage of the House of Embershield. Effectively turning their gaze in the opposite direction, no one can truly tell what the long-quiet Vallians now intend to do.

History
Founded two thousand years ago, the Vallian family has gone through many distinct periods in its history, marked by the rise or fall of noteworthy Margraves.

The Chief's Era
The founding days of Vallenhall were marked by the decision of Chieftain Karl the Valiant to position his tribe, the Valtheims, for the foreseeable future in a tall mountainous pass between Lordaeron and the northern Elven lands. While in this day, the concept of a noble household was yet to spring fully into being, Karl and his children were already recognized as the representatives of their tribe, and its wartime leaders.

Within the local tongue of their tribe, there existed a word to describe when something came of their people; the word one would use to describe a sword this tribe had forged, or a castle they had built. This word was 'Vallian'. Electing to refer to the Chief and his descendants by this name as a badge of office, Chieftain Karl the Valiant became the founding member of the House, beginning construction of his family's ancestral seat as Lord Karl I Vallian.

This era established many of the traditions which would stay with House Vallian for thousands of years to come, and which would define the culture of Vallenhall's people for just as long.

The Era of Dueling Sons
After the passing of Karl I, questions began to arise. Karl had not become Chief for his age; he had become Chief for he was 'the Valiant'. The first of their tribe, its most clever fighter, its bravest soul. He had been Chief because he had proven himself. While each son and daughter of Karl I was a worthy man or woman, each had earned a fair reputation and each was respected, only one could become the next head. The young Vallians understood dissent was death to a tribe. Whatever happened, there had to be no question who the Lord or Lady was. Their elected solution was simple.

In the absence of challenge, the eldest child of the Lord would become the new Lord or Lady of Vallenhall. However, all other siblings reserved a one-time right of challenge. They could demand a duel of honor between them and their older sibling, with the winner receiving ownership of the family's ancestral sword Valiance, and the seat of the Lord along with it. Whether or not this duel was to the death was entirely up to its participants.

Having decided upon this and agreed amicably, brother turned on brother in short order. Karl's two younger sons each dueled their elder brother, who was a remarkable warrior in his day. Both the younger were defeated, but the elder brother was left wounded and exhausted. At this point, the youngest child of Karl- his daughter, Elizia- challenged her eldest brother. Tired and pained, he was soundly defeated. In this way, Elizia became Lady Elizia Vallian, first Lady of Vallenhall.

In ironic appreciation for their shortsightedness the brothers wrote of these times in jovial appreciation. With equal sarcasm and appreciation, the family would come to call this the 'Era of the Dueling Sons'.