House Madrona
- County of Madrona
- Sworn to the Duke of Arilan
- Crest: The Madrona Crest has a scepter with grapevines growing around it on a field of green.
- Motto of House Jahassa: “The Vine Climbs.”
Madrona is a House with a long history that entwines it with House Arilan, for there have been several from this House who have married into House Arilan, becoming Queen and King consorts of the realm. House Madrona specializes in three things: Seduction, Trade, and Wine. They have the second most important trading port in the realm, Queen’s Bay.
The city of Queen’s Bay was dedicated to a Queen Consort from House Madrona by the third King of the Arilan line after the Conquest of Brydd. This gift was meant to enrich the Queen Consort’s House, giving them an independent port for the distribution of their famous Madrona Wine.
Madrona Wine is the major product and export of the region, coming in varieties including White, Red, and Black- from Red, White and Black grapes that grow in the valleys of the region. Madrona grapes are said to be the sweetest in the known world, cultivated under countless generations to produce the finest vine-fruit.
It is rumored that in days gone by, unattractive boys and girls from the Madrona line were either killed or sold off as slaves. In modern times, there are regular balls with prizes granted by the Lord or Lady of the House, awarded to the most handsome eligible young men and women. The awarded men and women become the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes in the County, assuring that beauty continues to thrive in the Madrona region, and especially within the Madrona bloodline.
Culture of House Madrona
House Madrona stress the social virtues of the elite and the methodology of courtly intrigue. They are social climbers who value their trade in wine as much for the fame it brings them as the money it pulls in.
Martial Traditions
House Madrona has knights just as every other house does, but they favor finery over effectiveness in combat. They have ornate armors, often decorated with engravings of vines and inlaid with gold. Their helmets tend to have open faces- not so the Knights can see more easily- but rather so their handsome faces can be seen. They favor curved swords and sabers, considering them elegant when deployed. They are decent horsemen, because one looks good astride a horse. They are not often the best combatants in the field, but they are almost always the best looking. Less well known is the House’s talent for knife-fighting, something every young man and woman of the house learns. It would be better for a warrior of any other house to face them on the field of battle than to encounter them in a dark corridor with a dagger in hand.
Dark Secrets of House Madrona
House Madrona sometimes sells more than fine wine from the ports of the realm. They also sell slaves, which is illegal in the Kingdom of Brydd and would harm not only their reputation but also the reputation of Arilan, to whom this family is most closely tied. If House Arilan was to learn of this illicit trade, they might begin to distance themselves from House Madrona, and Madrona would consequently lose influence. The secret, illegal slaves often pass to House Vass and House Mindolin who use the City of Brokewater as an outlet.
Queen's Bay
The City of Queen’s Bay was established as a gift from the third post-conquest King Arilan to his wife and her family. It has been operated by House Madrona ever since. They primarily use Queen’s Bay to export their wines and import luxury goods and anything else they may need that can’t be acquired locally. Madrona wine is renowned throughout the known world, and this one product sustains the County at a high level of comfort for its nobles.