Vespertine Family

The Choosing Sometime during a Vespertine’s infancy, a ceremony is held where they are presented with 8 identical gemstones- each imbued with the essence of one of the 8 schools of magic. Whichever gemstone the Vespertine chooses/gravitates towards becomes the school of magic that they will focus on throughout their education.   The Burning On a Vespertine's 18th birthday, a coming of age ceremony is held where they get branded on their right hand with their family’s sigil. The ceremony is usually followed with a city-wide party/festival- celebrating a Vespertine’s entry into adulthood.   Maester Naming When a new Maester is named they receive the following titles: Wielder of the Arcane, Father of Angels, Protector of the House of the Dragon and Maestar of Drakengard. (Long shall be his days) The crown of the Maester is forged of obsidian (dragonglass) and is worn by the current Maester of House Vespertine at court and to special events.   Marriage Ceremony It is traditional for Vespertine marriage ceremonies to involve a blood pact - mirroring the pact that Azazel made with Balerion.   Funeral Rites Vespertine funerals involve a ritualistic cremation. It is customary for one of the deceased’s living relatives to light the funeral pyre with magical fire. This is done so a Vespertine is sent into the afterlife with the ancestral fire of Balerion.   Gilded Games The Vespertine house hosts an annual tournament within the city of Drakengard, focused on magical prowess. Many events are organized, with winners receiving fame, glory, and treasure. Some such challenges include arcane duels, item crafting, monster slaying, racing, jousting. etc.

House Vespertine has several residences and properties that can be granted to either family members or allies at the Maestar’s discretion. They exist in the surrounding areas of Drakengard. These are: Dragonstone Runestone Ironrath Haze Island

House Vespertine is a Great Noble House of Exandria. The Vespertines rule over and operate the independent city state Drakengard. Historically, Drakengard has enjoyed the natural protection of the strange magics of the Savalirwood making it easy to defend from invaders.   The family of Vespertine is one of the oldest lines of Exandrian nobility - boasting a line of descent stretching back for 1000 years. Long ago, it is said that the house’s founder Azazel rescued an Ancient Gold Dragon named Balerion from champions of Bane. In gratitude, Balerion placed a magical ward on Drakengard and it’s surrounding areas to create a beautiful livable environment for Azazel and his people to live in, proclaiming: “So long as there is a Vespertine in Drakengard, the city shall remain warded from dark magic” . This ancient magical ward exists to this day and currently protects the city from the corruption of the Savalirwood. Azazel and Balerion then made a blood pact solidifying their brotherhood. This blood pact is believed to be the reason why many of Azazel’s descendants are sorcerers or possess an affinity for arcane magic.   Balerion’s dragon descendants also live in the surrounding areas of Drakengard mostly along the Coast and in the Flotket Alps. The Vespertines have always held them in high regard as trusted friends and allies, and this relationship has persisted over 1000 years. It is the Vespertine's sworn duty to protect these dragons from hunters, poachers or anyone who would seek to do them harm. At pivotal battles in Drakengards history, the dragons have come to its defense. It is known that a select few Vespertines have been able to mount dragons, such as Maester Baraqiel, however this practice is rare.   It comes as no surprise that the Vespertine’s main line of trade is in arcane innovation as well- they create and sell magic items, author magical contracts, forge arcane weaponry, and devise methods of arcane security. This trade has proven to be extremely lucrative for the Vespertines who in turn invest their money into Drakengard. They have forged lines of trade with the Empire, Uthodurn, and even cities in the Clovis Concord.    The previous Maester was Zachriel Vespertine, ruling alongside his wife Amaryllis Vespertine. They were well liked rulers of the city, but an unfortunate tragedy visited them. Due to some arcane anomaly or malfunction, the Vespertine main house was lit in flames that spread quickly and were highly dangerous. Zachriel and his entire family were killed, so his brother, Samyaza Vespertine, was crowned the next Maester of the city. Samyaza was a far more strict individual than his brother, employing greater violence upon criminals and military expansions. While this lowered the criminal elements of the city, it has also increased tensions within the city and family. The Vespertine family has been making inroads with many other powerful families in Wildemount, with the notable marriage of Sidriel Vespertine and Armin Dwendal as a recent example.

The Vespertines originally- worshiped members of the fey pantheon and Melora referred to generally as “the Old Gods”- but have long since expanded their worship to include the more mainstream religion of the Prime Deities in Exandria specifically:   New Gods

• Bahamut (The Platinum Dragon)
• Honor and Justice
• Pelor (The Dawnfather)
• Sun, Healing, Agriculture

Old Gods

• Melora (The Wildmother)
• Wilderness, the Sea and Nature
• Titania (The Queen)
• Wildlife, fauna
Queen of the Summer Court)
Archfey of light, flowers, peace, tranquility (The worship of Titania also expands to other fey members of her court) 
• Oberon (The King)
• Xalicas (The Angel)
• The Healer
• Noviask (the Redeemed)