For two centuries, the name of de Velland was unheard in the White City, following the brutal murder of, seemingly, the entire family. For two hundred years the name languished in books alone. Then, some two summers ago, Belor de Velland appeared in the White City speaking of the younger daughter of a younger daughter of the family who escaped West, of a family's struggle with a great and Nameless Evil beyond the Western Forest and of the family's need for help in facing it. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed, the de Velland name again was spoken in the city following Belor's meteoric rise through the ranks of the nobility, though this was certainly helped by his association with the sorcerous and controversial Toquell Velasquez. Given this and his guarded and private manner and his Aurorean eyes rumours abound as to the source of his success. Such rumours were only reinforced following his being named one of the four High Captains of the High Guard after his activities in the Marius Insurrection.
Finally, some months ago, following the revolution in the Port of Glass, Belor de Velland made an extended trip East, returning with Selena Curiana at the head of the largest army of undead the world has ever seen and overran the weakend Port. As waves of Black Flame swept across the city, consuming buildings and people alike, Belor declared himself Lord Protector of the Port of Glass and Flame.
Cousin to Belor and one of the clan's seers, Erica grew up in the far West defending the front from the onslaught of a nameless terror. Upon reaching adulthood Erica was sent eastward by her mother to gather aid for their cause, going first to the Port of Glass and then on to the White City to support her cousin. She appeared a mild mannered and soft spoken woman and seemed to have a high sense of honour and duty.
Erica died tragically in the far north, shortly before she was to be married to Federico Velasquez. Although details of her death remain obscure it seems it was extremely traumatic.
Erica's coat of arms was a golden tower with a silver snake wrapped around it, on a cartouche coloured blood-red on the right-hand side, black on the left.
The former Captain of the Low Guard and one of Rebecca De Courci's most trusted advisors, Carlos disappeared into the North following the defeat of the Necromancer at Three Rivers. Some speculation has it that the loss of his half-brother Bairoth on the mission may have been more than the young noble could bear. More cynical gossips hold that his close relations with the High Priestess of the Light, Carmina Curiana, had earned him the displeasure of the Governer.
On his final journey Carlos reportedly sustained a severe injury that appeared to resist the restorative powers of Ash. His current whereabouts are now unknown but some alchemists in the Whistful City claim to have encountered a man seeking help for a weeping wound in his side. Given the addled state of most of the Whistful City's inhabitants these rumours are not seen as particularly conclusive.
Carlos' coat of arms consists of two Velasquez silver serpents entwined around one another on a black diamond field.
The di Falconi Family were once an unremarkable De Almedia offshoot with mid-range holdings and fairly good standing. Less than three months after the battle of Grey Ford, however, Earl Gilberto di Falconi 'received a revelation' and 'realised what his destiny was'. He had been born to conquer the Port of Glass in the name of all that was Good and Holy.
He raised an army and marched to the gates of the Port of Glass, where he might have started another devastating war, or at least caused a major diplomatic incident, if his troops had numbered more than eight bemused but extremely excited peasant children who could not even lift the log they had cut for a battering ram.
As it was the whole affair was terribly embarrassing and the Governor at the time decided it would be simplest to strip the Family of its title and holdings and try to forget that they ever existed. The Earl's children were too young to argue the point, his wife had died some time before and he was obviously not competent to bring any legal appeal himself, and had already fled to the Whistful City to begin some kind of asparagus based cult. The remainder of the Family settled into honest trades, and two generations later no di Falconis foster any ambition to restore the Family name by dredging the whole awful business up again. Honest guv. No intentions whatsoever. Nope.
For most of her life, Arbella was a typical minor-De-Courci-cousin White City socialite. However following the death of her father in the recent Red Gryphon war, Arbella got a bit bored with the social scene and decided to take up adventuring. Her stories from adventures spread like wildfire amongst the nobility (despite being perhaps not entirely true), involving her battling numerous enemies, meeting at least five Powers, hanging out with all manner of salubrious characters, burning lots of stuff in the name of the Black Flame, and looking damn good in a steelsilk corset.
On a recent trip to the Northern Mountains Arbella spoke with the Dream Power Innocence about the Bound Ones, who said they were once 'hers' and good. Arbella violently rejected this, and joined the Cloistered Brethren mainly to get the power to combat those who followed Innocence's claims (particularly Rupert Locke, Clare Shelton and Adi). This caused problems the next time she adventured with Adi- Arbella ended up attacking her, leaving her bleeding to death, before disappearing off into the Northern Mountains alone. It is believed she is currently studying the nature of Dream, trying to concoct a plan to kill Innocence.
Arbella's coat of arms is a black diamond field bearing a rayed white crown. Arbella's design has the same colours as her late father's arms (the same as Belric's) but features a crown to show that through her mother she is a minor member of the De Courci bloodline. It's on a lozenge because Luxfrey women normally don't fight.
Lord Belric is the head of the Luxfrey family, one of the oldest noble families in the city, and through his mother he is a cousin of the De Courcis. However he's not very good at being a noble - unlike his sister and mother he regards politics and the petty squabbles between noble families with contempt. This is because he is a Knight of the Shining Order, and much prefers to deal in the light-and-dark certainties of Purging Evil Things (and especially Purging Evil Heretical Things).
As is traditional for Luxfreys he follows a form of panentheistic Light-worship originating in the North. As such he is one of the Church of the Light Indivisible's strong supporters and is fundamentally opposed to the True Servants of Marius, regarding their avataristic and materialistic beliefs as heretical. He recently started being trained in Light Magic by Sir Gustav Oberon.
Belric's arms are those traditionally carried by the Head of the Family and his direct heirs, a black shield with a rayed white star. These arms are based on those of The Shining Order, showing the Family's long connection with the Order, but with a star instead of the sun.
There is a history of the Luxfrey Family available in the Fiction section.
The De Fideli family are the newest addition to the nobility of the White City, Lord Sebastian having been ennobled for services to the City. The coat of arms is as follows: A black dog rampant and a black raven in flight, facing in towards a golden sword, all on a blue shield.