A Baker’s Dozen

of Noble Families

Azukail
Games

i
 A Baker’s Dozen of
Noble Families
Credits
Designer: Neal Litherland

Editing and Layout: Adrian Kennelly

Cover and Page Backgrounds: Lord Zsezse Works

Published by Azukail Games, a trading style of eGDC Ltd

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 Introduction
Many fantasy settings have a strong feu-
dal nature, and a feudal society not only
has rulers and commoners, it also has the
noble families in-between. Should a Gam-
eMaster need a noble family to drop into a
game, as a friend, a foe, a quest giver or
a source of adventure hooks, this supple-
ment has thirteen families described in de-
tail that can be dropped into a setting. The
different families described are suited for
different parts of a kingdom or realm, as
they are all different in nature. The families
can be used to add depth to a setting.
Using the Families
A GM should select an appropriate family
for whatever their current need is and drop
that one into the setting.
Dredger
For generations, those of noble birth in the
fertile valleys and rolling hills looked down
on the swamp country. While the black
waters and sucking mud protected their
borders against attack, the people who
lived there were seen as frightening sav-
ages who were nearly as dangerous as the
beasts that prowled the mires.
The swamp clans have a long memo-
ry, though, and they hold on to promis-
es made. That was why, when the crown
needed support in the face of invasion,
the throne swore that the clans would be
raised up so they could rule over them-
selves, rather than paying tithe to inland
gentry. That promise was enough to un-
leash a kind of hell that even the king-
dom’s enemies had never dreamed lurked
beneath the hanging boughs of the salt
widow trees.
Warriors from the Blackwell Delta slunk
through the waters in the dead of night
to cut barge ropes and burn camps. Still-
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water and Knotwood irregulars ambushed
officers, poisoned food supplies and took
scalps to prove how many enemy troops
they’d buried in the muck. Bone women,
with their curved knives and strange famil-
iars, cast hexes that led the enemy forces
into quicksand and sinkholes. At every turn
it was the craft, the spite and the sheer
ruthlessness of those raised in the swamps
that broke the enemy’s backs. For all the
blood they’d spilled, and all the sons and
daughters they’d lost, the swamps were
granted to the Dredger family. With a crest
that bears a rampant black dire rat with
bared teeth and red eyes, the family has
made no attempt to hide their simple roots
despite being risen high in the nation’s
regard.
The Dredgers, and those they’ve risen up
as minor lords, land captains and ban-
ner bearers, are much like the land that
birthed them; unpleasant and inhospita-
ble. They can be useful to those willing to
embrace them, though. Dredgers are rare-
ly seen in the inner cities or court unless
answering summons or performing their
yearly duties. They bled for their land,
and tend to have little interest in what lies
outside of it. And while many of them may
dress in finer clothes now, clan customs
and blood ties bind them more strongly to
one another than patriotism or gold could
ever bind them to any outsider. Most other
families maintain their courtesies, though,
because they have seen what befalls those
who make themselves enemies of these
folk.
Tercel
Called the King’s Falcons, the Tercels sit at
the right hand of the throne. One of the
oldest of the noble families in the land,
they were some of the first to be raised to
a position of authority. Some of their best-
known seats, like Ermine Hall in the Weep-
ing Hills or Hawk’s Manor near the edge
of the Oak Reach, are even older than the
royal palace itself.
 Swathed in soft gray and white at court,
the Tercels even resemble the falcons that
decorate their coat of arms. For those who
think the family are nothing more than
puffed-up jaybirds who play at hunting,
though, they have also produced some
of the finest warriors in the kingdom. In
fact, the Tercels were the first irregular
troops in the royal forces. Many of these
skilled rangers brought their hunting birds
with them, using the raptors to exchange
messages between units, and to harry the
enemy before finally striking. Many of the
Mistcloaks still use the techniques perfect-
ed by the Tercels in their early years, and
no few members of that family serve in
those units.
Despite their age and prestige, though, the
Tercels pride themselves on being close to
the people. Every child is taught a trade to
understand what the common people have
to go through, and they are encouraged to
make friends with those who don’t share
their noble birth. They are also taught that
their purpose is to protect their subjects
and to make sure their needs are met.
Lastly, they are taught to hold themselves
to the standards of honor, fairness and
respect that have stood them in such good
stead over the years.
Tercels make good friends, fair judges and
bad enemies, or so the saying goes.
High Hall
Every noble family has something to of-
fer. Some were granted their position for
strength of arms, others for their counsel
and wisdom and still others for their honor
and devotion. The High Halls, though, wear
their chains because their fortunes were
greater than ten other houses combined.
Edric High Hall first earned the favor of the
lords by using his wealth to stage great
games and festivals. While the nobles re-
ceived the best positions and were treated
to lavish entertainments, these games paid
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for themselves thanks to the admission
costs and service charges for the common
folk who came to enjoy them. Not only
that, but with the rental prices earned from
storytellers, peddlers, singers, jugglers and
even hedge knights and prize fighters who
sought to enter the tournaments, it was
said that High Hall grew a little taller with
each event.
According to the history books, High
Hall was accepted into the nobility for its
staunch support of its allies, and for open-
ing its coffers when drought and pestilence
meant that crops were dying in record
numbers. Not only that, but the mercenary
companies that turned the tide at the fa-
mous battles of Blue Hill and Brick’s Wall
were paid with High Hall gold. However,
there are some who believe that it was the
very debts owed to the family by the gen-
try, and even the royal house, that paid for
High Hall’s ascension… a gift in exchange
for wiping the records clean.
While the lords and ladies of High Hall have
made their share of poor decisions, and
have lost fortunes that would have crippled
poorer estates, they always seem to find a
way to turn even great losses into profits.
They also tend to offer patronage to those
whose skill they admire, whether that be
this year’s avant-garde theater companies,
or hiring the Gilded Companions in order to
see a dragon hunt for themselves.
Storvall
There are those who swear by the crafts-
manship of dwarven steel, and while not
every sword or ax that’s forged under a
mountain is of superior quality, everything
made by the hand of a Storvall is.
The Storvalls were originally known as
one of the most peaceful among the clans.
Hard-working, and focused on the beau-
ty of true craftsmanship, they were en-
gineers, smiths and enchanters. Though
brusque, they were believers in common
 cause and common good alike, and felt
that the old grudges so many held were
what kept them from moving forward as a
people. That was why when orcs fled from
the deep caverns seeking shelter, the Stor-
vall took them in while other clans closed
their holds. Dorrin “Graybeard” Storvall
spoke with Etrusca Red Eyes, and from
her he learned of the dark deeds brewing
beneath. The dead were rising, and every
warrior who fell joined their ranks. This
single band of the Dorunda was all that
had escaped, and the dead were coming
behind them.
Graybeard accepted Etrusca’s words, and
did something no one in his clan had done
before. He commanded his artisans to
forge weapons to destroy this threat. They
were no fighters, but Etrusca’s people were
fierce, and burning for vengeance. The
Storvalls gave them the means to reap it
from their foes.
The forges ran day and night, iron and
magic alike wrapping through the weapons
that were hammered and cooled to perfec-
tion. Shields and armor were also made,
each glimmering like a lake’s surface on a
bright day. It was with these that the orcs
marched forth from Storvall lands, to find
the other clans under siege by the dead.
The orcs drove the hordes back, leav-
ing the other clans dumbfounded. With
Graybeard standing beside her, many of
the other clan chiefs agreed to join their
strength to their new allies… but only if the
Storvalls would make weapons for them as
well.
And so they did. For years the forges ran,
and hammers rang with the precise music
of war. Every blade edged, every hammer
weighted and every helm shaped was one
more nail in the coffin of the rotting le-
gions. When every one of the walking dead
had been put down, the ichor bled from
their veins, many of the old houses had
fallen. New families were raised in their
place, and the Storvalls were among them.
4
Though they had not raised a hand against
the enemy, there was no denying they had
been instrumental in the victory.
The Storvalls still produce many of the
finest weapons and armors in all of the
mountains, and their maker’s marks are
highly valued by warriors from all walks
of life. Not only that, but the Storvall clan
is the only one to have orc men-at-arms.
Even all these centuries later, the bonds
between them and the descendants of the
Dorunda run deep.
Stargazer
There are a hundred stories about gallant
warriors and great wizards finding love
beneath the open roofs of elven noble
houses. Most of those stories were born
beneath the sunburst and while elm crest
of the Stargazers.
The Da’thaeolin, to give their proper
names, have never been reclusive. On the
contrary, they tend to seek out centers of
learning, teaching just as often as they
learn. Whether it’s the arts arcane, divine,
or alchemical, these scholars have contrib-
uted more than their share of knowledge
on a variety of subjects. Their histories run
deep, and while they are not known for
their craftsmanship there are several ex-
amples of exquisite, functional art including
the Tetracoradon (a gold and silver mas-
terwork that tracks the exact movement
of the planets, and has for centuries), the
Shrine of Temporus (a huge, domed art-
work whose carved walls track the time-
lines of dozens of nations all the way back
to their birth, and which is the only record
of some forgotten empires), and the Or-
chestra of The Winds (a cavern at the sum-
mit of Darga Peak, fashioned with exquisite
care to catch the mountain breezes in crys-
tal pipes, producing hauntingly beautiful
music).
Unlike noble families both elven and mor-
tal alike, the Stargazers embrace children
 from all their unions. While bastard-born
members of the family may not be raised
to high positions, they are never shunned.
Many of them, in fact, have gone on to
become prominent historians, far travelers,
diplomats and advisers. And every member
of the family, no matter the circumstances
of their birth, is given the opportunity to
grow, learn and to become the best they
can be.
While there are many who whisper about
the Stargazers behind their hands, or who
privately disparage the way the family will
occasionally sow wild grass from time to
time, few are willing to alienate the re-
sources, the knowledge and the opportuni-
ties the family can offer to its allies. Few-
er still are willing to earn the Stargazers’
enmity, because while their pursuits may
tend toward the high-minded and academ-
ic, it is not unheard of for them to bend
their knowledge of poisons, magic and
engineering to far more destructive ends
when they feel genuinely threatened.
Far Walker
Many of the small folk are known for their
warm hearths and open hearts, but none
exhibit this tendency with such reliability
as the Far Walkers. Farmers and woods-
men, this family earned their name for
their tendency to cross long miles in all
kinds of weather whenever their neigh-
bors needed help. Whether it was floods,
droughts, fires, or snows, the Far Walk-
ers always made sure those around them
were cared for. Liked, and more important-
ly respected, they have been caretakers
for their patch for some time. It seemed
natural that they would be raised to the
nobility, and though the family eventually
demurred, the amount of fuss their friends
and neighbors put up was enough to make
them redouble their efforts to make sure
all problems were well in hand.
While some families might call the Far
Walkers “low landers” as an insult to their
5
height, there is no denying that the burn-
ing heart on their crest is well-chosen.
Public servants who sit on dozens of coun-
cils, and who pride themselves on being
the voice of the common people, the Far
Walkers know what their duty requires of
them. And while many members of this
family serve in the army, it is rare to find
one that’s a warrior. Instead they act as
supply sergeants, cooks, engineers and
in some cases, as officers of intelligence.
Because, as the infamous Leona “Gray
Mane” Far Walker was so fond of telling her
grandchildren when she’d retired, there’s
no reason to be sad that no one pays at-
tention to you. That means there’s no one
watching when you stick your hand in the
cookie jar.
Crowsbeak
Carrion birds are seen by some as ill
omens, and others as necessary evils.
The same is largely true of the Crowsbeak
family. Dressed in funerary black, with both
a raven and a crow on their crest, they
are often mistrusted by others. Particular-
ly since their reputation as schemers and
information brokers is more often hard-
earned than it is false.
Having perhaps the humblest of begin-
nings, the Crowsbeaks were originally little
more than gravediggers and tomb fillers.
They handled the jobs no one else had the
stomach for, and over the generations it
ate away at their scruples. It was said that
when the city was sacked, and the crown
prince was taken prisoner, it was a young
Crowsbeak who got him out. He got into
the city gates with a dead cart, shared a
drink with the prince’s guards, and when
they had passed out from the sleeping
draught, he cut their throats and took the
prince with him. He hid the boy among the
piled dead, talking all the while to keep
him calm. He kept a crow on the cart with
him, so those who saw the strange young
gravedigger never once questioned his
oddness as they assumed he was talking to
 the bird. malicious spirits lurking in their rivers.
The common folk had no way to protect
Though the family was raised to the gentry themselves, and the great lords wouldn’t
for this heroic act, they have not forgot- respond to calls for aid. So the baron’s son
ten where they came from. It’s said that took the house’s silver, and had it made
Crowsbeak knights are all so broad-shoul- into the kind of short, curved blade he
dered because they dig graves instead of always took on his hunts. What little sil-
latrines, and that their soldiers are so un- ver was left he forged into arrows. Darren,
flinching because they’ve already handled a called the Silver, tracked these beasts, set
hundred bodies before they’ve ever drawn traps for them, and stood against in bat-
steel in combat. While some members are tles of tooth and claw alike. Though often
polite, even charming, it is hard for those wounded, he was always triumphant. And
with black feathers to win friends among he passed his knowledge on to his children,
the peacocks. When there’s a mess that and to their children as well.
needs to be cleaned up, however, suddenly
the crows are the birds everyone is calling Even more important than the forging
for. The Crowsbeaks know this, and while techniques he developed, and the knowl-
they’re more than willing to handle the edge of how to fight monsters, it is Dar-
dirty work of others, they make no secret ren’s words that appear beneath the stag’s
that it is how they are treated that keeps head with silver horns on his house’s coat
them willing, and which keeps them quiet of arms. “Pure Hearts, Strong Arms,” reads
after the bodies are buried. the family motto, reminding them that it
is not enough to simply be strong; that
Silver strength must be used for the right rea-
sons, or you have already begun to walk
Seen by many as knights errant and val- down a path that will make you a monster,
iant protectors, the Silvers are some of the as well.
finest warriors in the land. Trained from a
young age to the sword and the bow, the Blackbriar
horse and the hunt, members of this fam-
ily stand tall in terms of great victories in The towns of Thornton and Scratch Rise
battle, and are often found within the com- both border the Blackbriar Wood, lurking in
mand ranks of the royal guard. the shadow of the heavy, somehow menac-
ing forest. And if you stop in at the wayside
The true origin of this house, though, lies taverns in those places, they tell tales of
in an unusual tradition. Every child, upon the family who took their name from those
reaching an age where they can be trust- woods. Tales that would make curly hair go
ed with it, is given a silver dagger. These straight.
weapons may be plain or elaborate, but
they are always functional. Not only that, Some tell how, before this land even had a
but every child is taught to use that dagger name, the Blackbriars were here. How they
to deadly effect. may look like men and women, but how
you can tell they’re something else when
In the early days of the family, when the you look in their eyes. Their eyes shine in
Silvers were just regional landowners with the darkness, like no natural thing. Oth-
small deposits of this precious resource in ers tell how the Blackbriars’ founders went
a few mines, the locals were terrorized by into the heart of the woods, and called up
monsters. Strange beasts who came only something they couldn’t put down. Some-
during the full moon, undead monsters thing that tied them to the land, binding
who crawled out of deep wells, and even them to the dark woods with chains stron-
6
 ger than blood. Rumors of dark magic,
ancient pacts and tales of when the family
wore wolf pelts and elk skulls rather than
silk and velvet abound, and have been told
for generations.
A look at a Blackbriar makes many wonder
if some of the old stories are true, though.
They tend to grow big and strong, with
wild manes of hair and rough courtesies.
Many delight in the hunt, in battle and in
the revel of feasts and celebrations. The
red banner with the rampant black bear
is often seen in battle, as well, where it’s
said Blackbriars fight more like beasts than
men; roaring, savaging and fighting on
with wounds that should have crippled (if
not killed) them.
There is something else odd about the
Blackbriars, though. While they may ven-
ture forth from the woods when they’re
young, Blackbriars always return to their
woods. No one has ever seen an aged
member of this family, and some whisper
that it’s because they bred amongst each
other for too many generations. Others,
though, believe it’s something more sinis-
ter. That there is something in those woods
that calls them home… and which drags
those close to them in their wake when
they return to the forest.
Flinders
With a warmly blazing hearth on their
crest, the Flinders are known far and wide
for their hospitality. All guests on their land
will find a room, and at least a few meals.
A family that controls a great deal of rich
farmland, the Flinders often have far more
than they could use themselves, and what
they can’t store they give away to their
neighbors, or use to stage feasts for occa-
sions as grand as holy days, or as humble
as peasant weddings.
In addition to their reputation as good
hosts, though, the Flinders family are also
renowned for their clear thinking, their
7
judgment, and their ability to look at issues
without bias. It is this honesty, and their
ability to bind people together even when
they make hard decisions, that makes the
Flinders popular with the common folk.
The old story of how they became so
well-regarded was that one of the family
patriarchs was a successful farmer whose
land was the keystone for defending the
nation. When the old king died, leaving no
direct children, those with the best claim
both came with their retainers and warriors
to claim the land. Seeing the bloodbath
that was brewing, Hobin Flinders invited
the commanders to grace his table. They
were all countrymen, he said, and there
would be no hostilities beneath his roof. No
man should go to war hungry, as he said,
and one last night of peace was not so
much to ask.
It was that night, over apple wine and with
a warm fire at the high table, that both
Lord Donegal Spruce and Lady Janquil Far-
thing spoke face to face. They were polite,
and each laid out their claim. They decided
that if one man could decide who should
rule, there would be no need for battle. Af-
ter more than three hours, as the midnight
hour drew near, Flinders said that each had
a strong case, and there was no clear win-
ner between them. However, Flinders sug-
gested they enter into a marriage, uniting
both their houses and their claims. The
idea was not new to either of them, but it
wasn’t until after they’d been made to look
each other in the eye, and to see the ten-
sions melt out of those who served them,
that they both agreed it was the best way
not only get what each wanted, but to
defend their claims from others who would
try to come forward.
The Flinders are called the Kingmakers by
some… though there are many who are
suspicious of the family’s reputation. No
one would ever be so generous without
expecting something in return, would they?
And what is fair can look very different
 from the top of a lord’s tower than it does Those who were foolish enough to attack
from a farmer’s kitchen table. someone on the highway often lived to re-
gret that decision. Not only that, but as the
Causeway Causeways’ soldiers of fortune traveled,
their services were demanded in more
With their crossed spears against a stone places. So the family expanded into the
road, on their shields the Causeways are iron trade. They had so many men, at one
a family known for providing security and point, that the king had to make a deci-
safety. Their engineers built most of the sion; to legitimize them as a noble house,
highways and bridges that link together the or to attempt to disband their force.
various towns of the realm, and it is their
warriors who patrol most highways. And He chose the former, as it was bloodless,
though most towns have their own reeves, painless and overnight doubled the amount
these patrols will often lend their strength of fighting forces the crown could call on
to help keep the peace when necessary. should the need arise.
It wasn’t too long ago, however, that the
Causeways were simply very successful Harthway
stone merchants. With quarries that yield-
ed some of the finest stone, they needed The Hounds of Harthway are loyal, stead-
to ensure their drovers had reliable roads fast and true. With the golden head of a
cleared to transport it. So they used their hunting hound on their banners, this fam-
own stone to connect the region, allowing ily’s home can be found in the Shaggy
easy travel for everyone. This earned them Hills outside of the capital. Though often
no few accolades, and the praise of every on-hand for royal functions, and holding
merchant who set foot outside their own several positions on important councils and
town. within the city, it’s said that every Harth-
way craves the wind in the trees and the
The Causeways didn’t rest on their laurels, quiet of the hills. Not only that, but they
either. Instead, they acquired new inter- will always raise their young ones in coun-
ests to grow their wealth, and to make use try estates until they’re ready to contend
of their new roads. However, what they with the ways of the city.
hadn’t counted on was the highways draw-
ing so many bandits. When the losses grew There are some who say there’s more to
frustrating, and the local authorities were the Harthway’s retreats than the need for
unable to keep their cargo safe, the Cause- fresh air and country living, though. That
ways recruited mercenaries to patrol their their resilience, their skill at arms and their
roads and protect them. This made many obedience to the throne are all tied up in
people uncomfortable, especially since the something that’s been hidden behind a cur-
Causeways had several prominent thieves tain. Tales trickle in from the countryside
and other criminals taken from the king’s of children being raised in seclusion and
dungeons among the ranks of their guards. taught strange arts. Going through unusual
Because, as Farah Causeway said when rituals before they’re allowed to come into
asked why she would take such dangerous the city.
men into her service, “You can teach a wolf
to guard more easily than you can teach a No one says these things very loudly,
chicken bravery.” though. Old tales have a way of birthing
new generations of stranger and stranger
As more men agreed to take their coin and rumors. Those who do wed the Harthways
watch the woods, the number of bandit say it’s all just nonsense… but not all of
attacks dropped away to nearly nothing. them seem as convinced of it as they wish
8
 to be.
Stonejaw
First brought together by Clefter Stonejaw,
this noble house began its life as just an-
other orc war band. What set Clefter aside
from the other chiefs, though, was that
he was shrewd and calculating. He won
his victories through unexpected tactics,
and through the reputation of his fighters.
Many battles were won without a blade
even needing to be drawn.
It was that reputation that drew so many
warriors to his cause; warriors with vi-
sions of plunder and glory in their heads.
With no enemies among their own peo-
ple, though, an army that size would have
quickly left the countryside stripped bare
for provisions. So Clefter organized his
band into smaller forces, and bargained
with the nations around them. Someone
was always at war, and no one wanted to
stick their own necks out. For some of their
spoils, the Stonejaws would do the blood-
letting.
Their reputation preceded them, and they
found no shortage of paymasters eager to
hand over their coin. While uncouth and vi-
olent, Clefter always sent a trusted captain
with the Shankers that went out to ensure
they stayed on good behavior. They fought
hard, died harder, and with every victory
renown and spoils made their way back to
Clefter. The fighters kept their share, but
the war chest grew in the Golgotha where
Clefter had built his compound. More war-
riors came from a dozen different clans;
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Broken Hands and Bleeders, Cold Hearts
and Maws, all of them wanted to fight for
Clefter.
And fight they did.
In time the battles Clefter’s warriors had
taken part in were beyond counting. They
had grown into a tightly disciplined fighting
force made of up scarred veterans. De-
mand for their services had only increased,
with half a dozen nations offering gold
and gems for their swords. It wasn’t until
a small kingdom to the Southwest made
them a unique offer, though, that Clefter
grew interested.
It was an offer not of gold, but of land.
Good land, far from the dusty hard pan of
the Golgotha. In addition to a proper seat,
the Stonejaws would be made part of the
nobility, able to raise their lieutenants to
the gentry, and to give title and knighthood
to their deserving warriors. Blind in one
eye, and not having held his own sword in
ten years or more, Clefter knew that such
a small place would need a fierce fighting
force to stay independent. And they were
willing to do the one thing none of the oth-
er nations were; to take the band into their
borders, and to give them a place at their
table.
Clefter accepted that offer. The movement
of the Stonejaws was what sparked the
War of Ferocity, but when the dust settled,
it was the bigger nations who withdrew.
Clefter took the stone seat at Granite Hall,
a lodge built into the side of a mountain,
and since then the leering death’s head of
his banner has never once fallen.