Founder: Pieter van Brabant
Lord: Karel van Brabant
Heir: Aernoud van Brabant
Sworn to: Kohlingen
Sigil: Boar rampant on a green and red by band sinister
Words: Schilt Ende Vriend

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Well, well. Look who’s gone an’ finally pulled themselves away from their books and stories! We started thinkin’ you’d forgot what today is. Greengrass, that’s what! And you know what tha’ means. So le’s open up the kegs an’ get this ‘ere feastday underway, curt’sey o’ the Brabanders! What? Oh, right. Ye’re new here. Well, come get yer mug an’ sit down, an’ I’ll tell ye ‘bout the Van Brabants. The brewer knights. Or the pig-heads, if ye want to start a good brawl. Har-har!

So, ye see tha’ shield on’ this ‘ere keg? Wi’ the boar? Tha’s the shield o’ the Van Brabant family. I’ve heard’m say theirs’ ‘s one o’ the the oldest families o’ Kohlingen. If they ain’t sayin’ they’re the oldest alt’gether. See, according to the ol’ stories, when Lord Darius Tristram left Benwick at the Minmir an’ travelled up north with his knights to build Kohlingen, there was already people livin’ ‘round these parts. Farmers an’ woodsmen mostly. They had their own ways an’ even their own cant. I’ve heard a scholarly sort mention how’s he found it curious blend o’ old ways, with even a touch o’ the far north. Damarra ‘re somesuch. He said tha’ the Brabanders are distant kin o’ the Moonshaes, but tha’ came an’ settled on Amia instead when the Ffolk settled on th’ Green Isles.

Anyways, when old Darius an’ his arrived, many o’ the village folk ain’t non too welcomin’. They’d rather see them knights an’ lords keep wi’ their own prancy-fancy lot down south, an’ leave the simple folks to their lives. But parts round’ ‘ere were non too safe in those days either, an’ some o’ tha’ lot thought havin’ a company’ o’ knights ‘round might be a trite safer than not. ‘s all a unclear wha’ happened in those days, bu’ in the end ‘bout half o’ the families left. Most o’ the woodsmen built wha’ became Guldorand, while others up an’ left elsewhere. s’ an old rumour tha’ the bandits up the west coast’re wha’ became o’ those. But I dun’ pay too much heed to rumbles like tha’. Now those families tha’ remained became an’ honest part o’ the realm o’ Kohlingen. They’d keep their lands as theirs, an’ the knights’d protect them from beasts an’ monsters. In exchange the locals ’d give them food an’ craft. Other families from down south or across the sea came an’ lived ‘ere as well, an’ the town grew into a real city an’ the keep into a citadel o’er time. Bu’ tha’ old vows o’ service fer protection’ still stand, an’ they made Kohlingen into wha’ it is today. Tha’s nothin’ too special, I hear tha’ a lot o’ kingdoms an’ nobles work tha’ way. Bu’ there nobility’s a thing o’ land, ye see? ‘ere in Kohlingen most o’ the noble families are either merchants, or settled adventurers wi’ a fair amount o’ coin or soldiers fer life. Bu’ the Brabanders are different. They’re nobles fer the land they own, an’ they won’ let anyone take it from them. No’ after… bu’ I’m getting ahead of m’self.

Now, o’er time the Van Brabant family - most people call’m the Brabanders - became the biggest family o’ them all. And in two ways. One’s in numbers. And tha’s not even counting their basterds. Those o’ them tha’ people know ‘bout are known as De Groene’s, bu’ ye’ve to wonder how many o’ them people don’t. ‘s always been a bit o’ a sore point wi’ the other houses, bu’ the Brabanders are laughin’ it off as a blessin’ from Chauntea. An’ who’se to say they’re wrong? Now the second’s in land. They’ve been brewers, inkeeps an’ traders fer as long as anyone knows, bu’ they’ve their fingers in a lot o’ peasant pies. They own a fair share o’ the fields o’ wheat, barly an’ fruit, an’ a vinyard or two. They keep some cattle an’ sheep, an’ even have a fishin’ boat. But’s beers an’ ales an’ wines tha’s closest in their heart. It’s said tha’ nay much food or drink goes through Kohlingen that don’ pass by the Brabanders sooner or later.

Get me ‘nother mug, all this talkin’s makin’ me thirsty. Thank ye, kindly.

Now, wha’ ye’ve to understand is tha’ the Brabanders are an old family, bu’ they’re nay an old noble house. See, fer a long time they were gentry if tha’. They’d own a lot o’ the land, have more blood in the family than the next three o’ four combined an’ a fair amount o’ coin passin’ by from trade. An’ though they’ve never been shy’ o’ a fight when them an’ theirs be threatened, they’d never earn a lot ‘o glory in battle either. ‘s a hard thing to impress a court o’ paladins an’ cavaliers when all ye’ve ever fought ‘re beasts an’ a couple o’ bandits. Tha’ dun’ count the family Jaegers though’. Tha’ lot of hunters an’ woodsmen know their way ‘round the south woods an’ fields ‘s good an’ well as any druid, an’ twice as well as any knight. They’re keepin’ watch o’er the roads an’ makin’ sure the beastmen don’ get ornery. When ye hear th’alarm ‘bout tha, ‘s usually the Jaegers who called it.

Anyways.
Years ago’ but in me own life.. the Horde o’ monsters came out o’ the pit o’ the abyss an’ slaughtered an’ burned their way ‘round south. The Justicar collected ‘is knights an’ soldiers an’ left south to fight’m. Now, these Horders were nay as stupid as ye’d think an’ a whole group o’ them went ‘round west an’ came out o’ the woods when the Justicar was already south o’ the river. So these things went ‘round burnin’, lootin’ and killin’ everythin’ they found outside the walls o’ Kohlingen. Oh aye, there were some soldiers left b’hind an’, bless their souls, they did their best. Bu’ the Horde was nay triflin’ matter. The Justicar di’ hear ‘bout the rampagin’ beasties an’ took wha’ he could spare back north’s fast as ‘e could ride.

See, now here’s where things b’come the stuff o’ legend, an’ wha’ happened next depends on who’s tellin’ the stories. Some say tha’ when he got to the gates jus’ in time to see a group o’ Brabanders cleavin’ the limbs an’ heads off the last o’ the livin’ Horders. Others say’ tha’ the Horde raiders ambushed the knights an’ really tore into’m, until a group o’ Brabanders charged out o’ the woods screamin’ bloody murder. ‘s even a tale they charged along wi’ a sounder o’ huge boars the side o’ horses. Wha’ever the case, the Brabanders an’ their Jaegers had cleaved their way through’ the beasts wi’ nothin’ bu’ sickles, scythes, spears an’ huntin’ knives. Oh aye, a lot o’ them died then an’ there, bu’ they fough’s hard an’ fierce as the boar tha’s on their shield. Ye’d best think twice b’fore tryin’ to take from the common folk ‘round ‘ere, ‘cause if the knights don’ get ye the boar’ll. Well, the Justicar an’ many o’ the knights were right impressed, an’ so Pieter Van Brabant - the eldest survivin’ son - became the first Lord o’ House Van Brabant.

Nowaday’s House Van Brabant’s doin’ well fer itself. ‘s a strong voice for the common folk ‘round Kohlingen, an’ now tha’ we’re tradin’ wi’ the dwarves o’ Runedar an’ Waterdeep they’ve really grown their trade. An’ they’ve never lost touch wi’ their folk. Lord Karel Brabander’s the father o’ the family, an’ he’s a damned likeable sort. Might’ve dipped too much into his own larder an’ cellar too often, bu’ half o’ tha’ keg o’ a belly o’ his is all good cheer. ‘s a real grandfatherly sort, if ye knows what I mean. Now, wha’ I think’s his wife Agnes tha’s the real power in the house. She’s a real motherly type, bu’ there’s a keen eye an’ a razor wit on tha’ one. An’ tha’s nay exceptional fer the women o’ the Brabanders. Tha’ men do the work an’ the women make’m do it. Hah, tha’s how it goes aye? Har-har!

Now, now, dun’ get me wrong. The Brabanders’re right decent an’ honest folk. They dun’ have much patience fer false pomp, an’ ye’re more likely to find’m ploughin’ ‘longside us or stirrin’ the kettles in the brewery than wastin’ their lives on scrolls an’ tomes. ‘s sayin’ they respect those tha’ work an’ feast ‘longside them, an’ little else. They’re the most loyal an’ generous friends ye could have, bu’ ye’ll rue the day ye threaten wha’s theirs. Hell hath no fury bu’ a boar .. .eh.. punched in.. the snout. Or some such.

Well, anyways ah’m jus’ ‘bout done talkin’ an’ ready to really get drinkin’. If ye want to know more o’ make a good friend, ah’d say talk to tha’ one o’er there. Tha’s Adriaen. His older brother died in the war nay long ‘go, an’ now he’s the heir o’ the family.

So aye, here’s to the Brabanders. The Skilt an the Frind!

_________________
Aernoud Van Brabant: Heir of the House. Proprietor of the Beer Wagon.
"Go to the Mayfields, have a pint, and wait for this to blow over."
Aurelius: Sunmaster of Amaunator. Contemplative. Aspirant to Transcendance.
"Sol Invictus"

With this thread, I'd like to gauge interest and gather interested people to build up a faction called "House Van Brabant". Though at the core a noble house of Kohlingen, it does have a few thematic elements that differentiate it with more traditional knightly houses. Please note that this summarizes the profile of the faction at this time, and as such can be expected to evolve.

Concept

• House Van Brabant is one of the oldest (they would say -the- oldest) houses in Kohlingen. Tracing its lineage back to the original inhabitants of super-Minmir Amia, the House maintains a few practical and cultural traditions that are not found in immigrant cultures. However, many of these have over time faded or merged with others, and may eventually disappear entirely. Nonetheless, House Van Brabant considers the area its true home. Indeed, many trueborn Brabanders have shown able to strength power from the land in various though often subtle ways.
• The essence of House Van Brabant lies with the peasantry and craftsmen, and it continues to cultivate strong relations with this segment of the population above all. As most members of House Van Brabant are farmers, brewers and craftsmen themselves - and the House actively cultivates its affinity with the common people - the house is highly popular with Kohlingen's lower class. However, its populist attitudes do at times cause friction with the more traditional noble houses.
• While other houses may emphasize military prowess, religious virtue, civic service or mercantile wealth, the focus of House Van Brabant (as well as the primary source of its wealth) lies in the production and trade of agricultural produce. Within Kohlingen, it enjoys a near monopoly in the production and trade of beers and other alcoholic beverages. By proxy, it has also come to dominate the sale of such in Wharftown.
• As Kohlingen has emerged from the Arcanum War as a strong and prosperous city-state, so too has House Van Brabant begun expanding its reach - exploiting the closer trade relations with Cordor, Barak Runedar and Waterdeep. Though politically inconvenient, House Van Brabant has also begun (discrete) considerations of exploring the unique markets of Wiltun, Careigh and even Tarkuul.
• Though generally considered religiously moderate and tolerant, House Van Brabant is a staunch supporter of the church of Chauntea, and the house produces a respectable amount of clerics of the Grain Goddess.
• While placing little emphasis on military strength, the Van Brabants nonetheless maintains cadre of rangers, woodsmen and light men-at-arms known as the Jaegers that watch the borders of Kohlingen and patrol the roads.

Characters

Overall, members of the faction would fall into three categories:

• Brabanders
  These are the trueborn members, legitimized bastards and adopted children of the House. As a noble, such character would need to be approved by request.
  
  The boar is not merely the house sigil, it also embodies the Brabander spirit. They tend to be hardy and strong, with a taste for life's simple pleasures; Brabanders tend to have a "work hard, play hard" mentality. It is a simple beast, lacking the elegance of others; convoluted politics or doublespeak tend to bore or irritate Brabanders, who prefer to speak plainly and openly. Brabanders tend to have little interest in the academic and arcane, though Brabanders are usually knowledgeable of herbs, animals, weather patterns and other "nature lore". Though preferring to spend its time rooting trough the soil and letting the world be the world, they are utterly ferocious and relentless when directly challenged.
  
• De Groene
  The De Groene's are the bastards of the family. As such they are less restrictive in their character, and may or may not require a request. Though intended for new characters, there's no reason an existing character can't turn out to have been an unknown bastard all along.
  
  Brabanders are jovial and bon-vivant who claim the blessing of Chauntea. As such, it should come to no surprise there are a fair amount of bastards running around. Those that are known (which is but a portion of those that exist) tend to be given the surname De Groene (The Green in the Brabander dialect), and can have almost any heritage. Moreso, the Brabanders usually regard De Groene's as close relatives rather than embarrassing secrets - and would likely not even make a distinction if not for the social pressure of other great families. As such, though they are outside the line of inheritance, De Groene's can nonetheless grow to de facto power within the family.
  
• Retainers
  The collective of employees, specialists and seasonal workers employed by the House. This role is especially suited for existing character who want to get involved with the faction. It also has the least restrictions on background; if the character can make itself useful in some way, it will likely fit. An abjurer who focuses on protecting caravans and warding away vermin? A bard who advertises the family products? A paladin of Chauntea seeking support in its crusade against cultists of Talona?
  
  As a noble house, House Van Brabant directly employs the largest number of retainers of the houses in Kohlingen. However, the great majority of these are farmers, laborers, brewers and craftsmen supporting the business. A small number of scribes handle the day-to-day administration of business, and the house does sponsors clerics of Chauntea and non-Brabander Jaegers as retainers. As the family extends its reach, they have also taken an interest in other profiles.

Faction Objectives
At this time, the objectives of the faction would revolve around expanding the family business; the production and trade of food and drinks. This will naturally involve expanding into new markets, but also seeking out new suppliers. As such, the faction has the potential to become for the relevant jobs what Copper Industries is/was for the more traditional crafting jobs.

Secondly, the faction can build and support an active church of Chauntea; focused on supporting farmers and common people, maintaining the balance between nature and civilization from a pastoral perspective and destroying vermin and cultists of Talona and Moander.

Lastly, the faction would exist as a true noble house of Kohlingen and offer a means for players to get involved in the activities and politics of the city. I also intend to organize appropriate Kohlingen events such as fairs and seasonal celebrations, and would welcome all help.

_________________
Aernoud Van Brabant: Heir of the House. Proprietor of the Beer Wagon.
"Go to the Mayfields, have a pint, and wait for this to blow over."
Aurelius: Sunmaster of Amaunator. Contemplative. Aspirant to Transcendance.
"Sol Invictus"

If you're interested of getting involved with a new character, but you're not sure what to play, maybe one of the following concepts could inspire you. These are intended for PC's and as such would be a little outside of the norm.

The Brute
Some might mistake you for a half-giant. Others compare you to an ox. You're not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but you always preferred a large axe or maul anyway. What you lack in intellect, you more than make up for in brute strength - and it serves you well in a life spent cutting trees, hauling lumber and lifting kegs. You're loyal to a fault, but suspicious of what you don't understand - though few problems can't be solved with copious application of force.

The eldest sister
You're Aernoud's eldest sister, and a trueborn Brabander. Though you were second in line to one day govern House Van Brabant, you instead chose to serve Chauntea. Though a priestess and a noble lady, you've spent your whole life amongst farmers and craftsmen; you're no fragile waif, and can pull your own weight and then some. Your wisdom is looked to for council and direction, and you bind the community together.

The Earthbound
Of the many associates of House Van Brabant, you might be its most mysterious. While all trueborn Brabanders have a mystical tie to the land, this connection is particularly strong with you. Some might call you a druid, though you feel more in common with sorcerers - manifesting an innate magic you've yet to understand.

_________________
Aernoud Van Brabant: Heir of the House. Proprietor of the Beer Wagon.
"Go to the Mayfields, have a pint, and wait for this to blow over."
Aurelius: Sunmaster of Amaunator. Contemplative. Aspirant to Transcendance.
"Sol Invictus"