The First Branch of House Valgon in Eltabbar, 1300s Dr
from the archives of House Delizan
Disclaimer: This page discusses one view of Thay, an infamously evil, slave-keeping, magocratic country in the Forgotten Realms. This vision is offered for entertainment purposes for adults only. I do not condone anything described; quite the opposite. Please read with discretion, and feel free to stop anytime. Before you use any ideas herein, please gain your group's full consent to engage the material.
The family tree below shows the five most recent generations of House Valgon in the capital city of Eltabbar, in birth order. Portraits reflect the most recent (or last known) family portraits commissioned for each person. Members who originated in other branches of the family but live in Eltabbar now are not included here but in their branches of origin.
Player character names are marked with an asterisk.
Members who currently live in the household and are counted in the Eltabbar census are named in bold print below; the deceased are in italics.
All of the character portraits on this page were created with the PortraitWorks app (beta version)
Tharas Valgon
CN Bard, 1259-1334
Tharas Valgon was known his whole life for a kind of playfulness. He would find the weaknesses of people and poke at them, either to get a rise out of them or to see if they could rise above them. He was an only child who got up to all kinds of mischief in the house as he grew up, but he had a way of smoothing ruffled feathers that kept people from holding grudges against him for long. As a bard, his strength was in oratory and persuasion; he could rally his family behind him, despite their current feelings about each other. He was also a regular presence throughout the city and looking for ways to advance the interests of House Valgon. This eventually led to his becoming Head of House in 1304, when the former head, his cousin Gethos, was ousted after many of his betrayals were revealed.
There was some surprise when he married Aludira Yonago, given her quiet and scholarly reputation. Tharas didn't fool himself that she chose him out of lust or love; he did his research and knew what she was really after. He was intrigued by her aims, however, and believed he could win her over, given time. They wed in 1292, and by 1293 he'd found enough ways to prove that he was invested in helping her enjoy herself. Both of them wanted a large family and were pleased when their first child was born healthy. Unfortunately, their luck didn't last, and a number of miscarriages and stillbirths followed. They gave up for a time but tried again, which resulted in their last three children being born in rapid succession.
Tharas was an indulgent father and leader; indeed, Aludira was the strict taskmaster of the house. He had the most trouble with reaching his eldest sons but had the most fun with his younger children. He tried to keep his wife's interest as it waned but failed, and he could rarely join her on her journeys due to his position and duties. Rather than ordering her to stay, he let her go where she wished and provided whatever she asked without complaint. Although divorce was a perfectly acceptable option - since they'd produced and raised their heirs by then - he never pursued it. He enjoyed himself with lovers but never had a clear favorite. He may have been hoping Aludira would return when he died peacefully in his sleep in 1334.
Aludira Valgon (née Yonago)
CN Wizard, 1268-?
Aludira was patient and inventive but sought to study magic in interactive ways. She focused on the physical impacts of magical effects in her youth but over time homed in on how magic could be used to expand people's horizons of sensation. She married into the Valgons for their business, which was pleasure, and experimented on slaves, her husband, and customers alike, with and without advance permission. She was never invited into the ranks of the Red Wizards due to this focus but no one could impugn her scholarship. Her husband Tharas Valgon knew their marriage wasn't for personal connection but found playful ways to catch her attention. They began to get along surprisingly well, resulting in four children who survived to adulthood.
When her eldest son Antek passed his magic test, Aludira decided to send him to be trained at the academy soon after so he could start making the connections he would need as a future Red Wizard and Head of House. But there was more to it than that; Antek's fascination with pure theory bored her, and they had never been particularly close. When her next son, Boris, also passed his test, she chose to keep him at home for five years to learn under her first. Boris worked hard to impress her and expressed only loathing for having to deal with people his age at a school. His sadistic streak revealed itself early and only deepened, which disappointed Aludira (not that she ever said as much). She sent Boris along to school in 1321 and tried working with her younger children, but Gulyas was almost as focused on pleasure as Boris was on pain and spite; getting Gulyas to pay attention was a feat in and of itself. Vadalma was more interested in learning about the house and business than anything else, and by that point, Aludira was growing bored with it.
After Vadalma turned 16 in 1324, Aludira began to take trips abroad on her own (sometimes with members of her former house, Yonago), visiting places of magical importance as a tourist and scholar. It may have been her intention to break up the routine and return home refreshed, but she was increasingly restless when she got back. Boris tried to visit her a number of times but found her completely engrossed in the location, or had trouble finding her at all. She returned to Eltabbar when her husband passed and Antek became the new head of house in 1334 and then departed permanently, relocating to the City of Doors. She stopped reaching out to the family, including her grown children, and has likely passed away - but no one knows for sure.
Antek Valgon
LN Wizard / Red Wizard, 1294-1347
The eldest his siblings in Eltabbar's branch of House Valgon, Antek became head of the house in 1334. Under his guidance, the local family became known for spellcasting and magical research, but not the kind of that interested the Red Wizards much. Instead, they offered spells that increased sensual pleasures, decreased or increased pain, and controlled fecundity. The traditional family business fell by the wayside. He maintained a fair but relatively loose rule, calling on services as they were needed but allowing family members to operate individually most of the time.
Since Antek was more interested in magical formulas than most people, few got to know him well, and most were his immediate kin.
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He was quietly but firmly proud of his eldest son, Lee'voth, and spent much of his time working with him in their home laboratory.
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In 1330, he sent his second son, Imourad, to live and train in the House of Loviatar. At first, this seemed like a way to clear Lee'voth's path to become head of house unopposed, but Imourad returned after his mother's death and was fully welcomed back.
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He openly encouraged his only daughter, Zelsea, to learn the ways of Thayan commerce from an early age. He allowed her to learn mathematics by studying household accounts, to learn appraisal by going to the market, and to learn the secrets of wealth from the clerics of Waukeen. They were often seen conversing just out of earshot, but no one knows what all they discussed.
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Antek was visibly (but respectably) mourned when his wife Falda suddenly died in 1336, but he accepted her loss and didn't try to have her resurrected. (Some whispered that he was glad to have her out of the way so he could study uninterrupted, but never when he was in the house.)
Antek may have seen his younger brother Boris as a threat, but he never let it show. He was one of the few who was never fazed by Boris's outbursts; indeed, dealing with Boris may have taught him the crushing silence that he used against others for the rest of his life. Antek likely had some influence on Boris being kept with the Red Wizards for years longer than expected, but if that was a way of protecting himself, it was a risky gamble, since it gave Boris more chances to make connections, earn favors, and acquire blackmail material.
No one expected Antek's death when it happened. The family was at a christening while Antek and Lee'voth were putting the finishing touches on their latest experiment; they were too excited and engrossed to care about social obligations, but the Valgons were used to that. The explosion that killed Antek and his son also took out a chunk of the estate and some house slaves, but no one else was injured. Boris clicked his tongue at Antek's recklessness and forbade anyone in the family from experimenting with explosive reagents in the estate again while he took over rule of the house. It's likely that Boris squashed the investigation, but no one raised a ruckus, not even Antek's remaining children. They were too careful for that - likely as their father had taught them to be.
Falda Valgon (née Csittanko)
CN Aristocrat, 1298-1336
Falda was an aristocrat visiting Eltabbar from her native tharch of Thazalhar when she met Antek Valgon at an event. She saw his smarts when it came to magic but also noted his awkwardness with the public, which meant she had something of value to offer him. She approached him with a marriage proposal, which they negotiated and sealed without any trouble. They seemed to have an agreement that she would promote the family interests in public while Antek focused on magical studies, and for the most part, this worked well. Falda did seem to be left out of his attentions too often, but if she was deeply resentful, she never made a show of it. Instead, she spent more time in the company of friends in and around Eltabbar and less in the company of most of the Valgons.
Falda tried her best to pass on some of the traditional Mulhorandi tastes and traditions she was raised with. She made more of a lasting impression on Imourad and Zelsea, with whom she spent more time; her eldest son was usually kept busy by his father. Falda always stood out for her fashion sense, which was rooted in Mulhorandi cuts and textures. While this led to some snickering behind her back, her cool, biting wit and her husband's status were enough to keep people respectful to her face. She kept her worship of Nephthys private, however, since reverence of Mulhorandi deities is openly mocked in the heart of Thay. Through her ties to her former house, Falda improved the family's collection of non-magical antiques, some of which adorn the house to this day.
A limnic eruption interrupted Falda's pleasure cruise on Lake Thaylambar, killing her quickly and unexpectedly. Her body was never recovered and assumed eaten by the lake's denizens.
Lee'voth Valgon
LN Wizard / Red Wizard, 1317-1347
As the firstborn of a Red Wizard on his way to being Head of House, Lee'voth always faced high expectations. They understood them early and responded with curiosity instead of fear, competitiveness, or arrogance. In fact, curiosity was the watchword of their life. As a child, Lee'voth turned their keen insight on their parents and learned what made them tick. They figured out how to handle them expertly to make the best impression. They knew when to leave their siblings alone and when to approach because they'd memorized their moves. At the same time, Lee'voth never seemed to develop close relations with most family members because they didn't want to impose on them (such was the case with his aunt Vadalma) or deal with their ugliness (in the case of Gulyas).
Once they passed their magical aptitude test in 1327, Lee'voth was drawn further away from regular relationships with family. Their father Antek? insisted on rigorous early education, forcing them to memorize large swaths of magical theory before doing normal things like eating or sleeping. Then Lee'voth was sent to school in 1331 for the traditional training period of 7 years (and to make connections with others who would become Red Wizards someday). Unlike many others, Lee'voth was called home at intervals to report what they'd learned, but Antek monopolized most of their time during those visits.
What no one knew was that Lee'voth managed to make some intense bonds at school, but not the way their father demanded. Lee'voth didn't try to toady to their teachers. Instead, they became a patient tutor to some and a friend to others, without regard for who their families were. They developed a powerful rivalry with a boy that swung between full-on duels to helping each other out of dire straits. Becoming an adult with that rival showed Lee'voth who they wanted to be with - the only man whose opinion mattered as much as their father's. And that became their greatest secret. Lee'voth had no interest in the duty to procreate for the family line and was determined to avoid it for as long as possible. They also hoped to get out of a traditional marriage, when the time came.
Other than that, Lee'voth had little regard for how others judged them. They referred to themselves in gender neutral terms from earliest childhood because they felt gender lines were a waste of time. They blended fashions for men and women freely, trying whatever drew their interest. As a child, they told their parents, "As long as I'm yours, what difference does it make what I wear?" And after careful consideration, their parents agreed. As a teen, Lee'voth insisted, "Nobles of Thay should have the power to be what we are." As a young man, they explained, "I am a living vessel for magic. I have no fear of being out of fashion."
By the time Lee'voth returned home in 1338, they were 21 years old and their father was Head of House. Antek made it clear to everyone that Lee'voth was his chosen heir in every way, and Lee'voth embraced that challenge for many reasons. Father and child shared a respect for magic that few others seemed to have, and becoming Head of House would give Lee'voth the most leverage in the future. Lee'voth made some efforts to help their family and House Valgon's business, but they mostly lived in two places: the house lab and wherever they could meet their lover privately.
Unfortunately, Lee'voth perished in the same magical explosion that killed their father and a number of house slaves. All of their efforts to prepare for the future were for nought. Rather than trying to resurrect the next in line, their uncle Boris made the decision to give the dead a lavish funeral and move on. By then, their mother Falda was already dead and their remaining siblings stayed silent, likely out of fear for their own lives. Lee'voth's secret lover and former rival was also in no position to go against Boris. He was never publicly revealed but has never forgotten Lee'voth (and named his later children in honor of them).
Imourad Valgon
LN Monk, 1318-present
While it was bitter in his earliest years, eventually Imourad learned that he was - and would always be - his father Antek's second child, and a distant second, at that. Something about Imourad made it easy for people to forget he was present. Perhaps it was his natural silence, which meant he sneaked up on others without meaning to. Perhaps it was how still he could get when he wasn't in motion. Fidgeting annoyed him, but challenging himself to stay stock still was always interesting. If others passed him in the halls without noticing, that was their failure, not his. It just wasn't in his nature to make a scene or demand attention; the humiliation of being driven to such a graceless display would have hurt worse than not having much of his father's attention.
So Imourad worked on being the obedient and dutiful son, no matter what he was given to do. In this way, he actually earned a lot of his mother Falda's attention and approval; he soaked up her lessons about Mulhorandi customs and history without judgment. He took on household duties early, inspecting the premises for things to be cleaned or fixed. He knew the estate's layout like the back of his hand and could often find lost or hidden objects just by guessing where someone probably put them. He minded his younger sister Zelsea for a while and never complained. No, any pain he felt, he held onto; that was always his way.
Once Lee'voth passed his magical aptitude test, Imourad knew that any chance he had to shine was lost. He instinctively felt that he would never develop magical abilities and when his turn came, he found out he was correct in that assumption. It seemed that he gave up on everything, refusing to do much more than eat and sleep. When his father finally came to punish him, he was actually grateful. In fact, as his father caned him, Imourad wasn't just relieved - he felt joy for the first time in months. Every nerve tingled and reminded him that he was alive. His reaction seemed to say something to his father because a couple of weeks later (in 1330), Antek announced that Imourad would go to live and train at a distant Church of Loviatar. If Imourad had learned well and wished to return after a year and a day, Antek would allow it.
Imourad was more intrigued by the news than frightened. The temple environment was strict and harsh - far more than his home life had ever been - but Imourad loved it. When the time came, he told his father he wanted to stay and learn more. It was there that he trained to be a monk and met Cezria Indolf, the girl who would one day become his wife. They started out as competitors and rivals but learned to work together without needing to say a word. When he was invited to return home after his mother's death in 1336, Imourad accepted but made it clear that he would often attend the local church, not just his house-related duties.
In 1338, Cezria journeyed to Eltabbar to challenge Imourad in a new way. She didn't make courtship easy for him, even if that's why she made the trip; in fact, she posed different, excruciating challenges for him to overcome until mid 1341, when she finally agreed to marry him. They wed in Eleint of 1341, with their only son, Rayek, arriving late the next year. By mutual agreement - the way they tend to approach everything - they decided they only ever wanted one child. So together, Imourad and Cezria poured all of their effort into molding Rayek into a fit, controlled, observant, assured man. They refused to coddle their son, even after Rayek passed the magical aptitude test. Instead, they raised him in a regimen of pain and laid plans for his future. Even though betrothal was unfashionable, they made their choice for his future wife while he was a child to secure a worthy arrangement. (The recent success of Rayek and Lorna's young marriage stands testament to their wisdom.)
Imourad and Cezria became fixtures of house security, and when Boris vanished in 1375, they moved as one to raise Rayek into the acting Head of House position. Contemplative and controlled as always, Imourad and his wife are now their son's advisors and continue to watch for any threats or opportunities they can use.
Cezria Valgon (née Indolf)
LE Monk, 1320-present
Cezria was the youngest of five children, and was a wild child, at that. Born in Pyrados to the Indolf mining family, she played in the camps her parents managed, even when they warned her not to wander far. She wasn't afraid of pain, or the darkness, or being alone. She actually preferred to be on her own. She had a light step and a light touch, at least when it came to snatching gear she could use (which led to many slaves being punished for losing their equipment, but she didn't care). She thought she had seen lovely dusky children in the tunnels a few times and wanted to know who they were. After that, Cezria was drawn to the depths and would try to delve deeper, no matter how she was punished.
At age 10, Cezria went on her deepest journey yet, having gathered enough gear to last her a tenday. What she didn't know was that two of her siblings followed her, hoping to drag her back and gain favor with their parents. She noticed someone pursuing her so she hid and waited - only to hear a deadly trap unleashed in her wake. Her brother Beshgar was killed instantly; her sister Yanuma was horribly burned. But instead of putting her plans on hold to help, Cezria took in the scene, realized what had happened, and looked down on her sister coldly before leaving Yanuma to her fate.
And seemingly as her reward, Cezria found the beings she'd been looking for: a group of drow scouts who immediately took her captive. She was too fascinated to be afraid, absorbed in watching every move they made and their intricate sign language. She even tried to mimic their signs with her bound hands when they approached her, which seemed to impress them. Cezria didn't know it, but identifying herself as a Thayan provided the local drow with an opportunity to gain favor with the lands above. They could see by her health, dress, and breeding that she was noble-born and therefore valuable.
The scouts decided to return her and treated Cezria fairly well along the way. One of them spoke a language she knew - the tongue of earth elementals - so she told the story of her siblings trying to stop her, which amused the group greatly. When they delivered her to the search party that had been sent, they made sure she overheard and understood that if she survived to maturity, they welcomed her to visit their city. But upon her return, Cezria was blamed for siblings' mishap and sent to be punished and trained in a temple of Loviatar until she came of age.
That was where she met Imourad Valgon and thought he was laughing at her. She wasn't as luxuriously dressed as many others and didn't have the most genteel manners; she was from a mining family, after all. And everyone knew her adventure had killed one sibling and maimed another; these facts drew as much ridicule as fear. Much taller than Cezria, Imourad became her first mark. She showed him up at every opportunity until he she was nearly caught after wandering off the grounds and not only did he keep her secret, but he provided her an alibi. Eventually, they were given assignments together as a way to use their rivalry against them - and that's when they learned to get along. At first, they agreed to work together to spite their teachers, but it went further than that. They learned to read, anticipate, and understand each other without speaking. They learned to love each other in actions and reactions, in silence and the meeting of eyes.
When he left the temple, Cezria left not long after. First, she gathered a crew and went to the drow city she had been invited to years before. She'd gathered intelligence on the place and its inhabitants in the years since her capture and knew that if she could make it to their door, she could bargain with them. And make it she did (although some of her crew didn't). Cezria parleyed with the drow and offered a relationship that would benefit everyone: she would be their contact in a noble house in Eltabbar. She would bring them choice slaves from above and take what they offered back home. In return, she simply asked for a missive from them to that effect and for a truce with their city: she wouldn't try to harm them without cause, and vice versa. It was that message which she took home. She told her family that she would be going to Eltabbar to marry and they would be wise not to get in her way. When her scarred sister Yanuma attacked her, Cezria laid her low and left without offering another word.
That didn't mean Cezria jumped right into House Valgon; she made Imourad earn her partnership. But it did mean that she offered to help the family trade with the drow and began leading expeditions to do so, without her husband on her team. Given how dangerous Boris Valgon was as Head of House, they decided that one or the other would always be at home. Once Rayek was born, this was essential to his education, not just his safety. It was Cezria who chose Rayek's future wife, with an eye toward future benefits for the house and her son. It was she who insisted that Lorna be raised with stories of Rayek's fine qualities and the life they would have together. It was Imourad who announced that their son would be Head of House - but only after consulting with his wife and hearing from her lips that it was the right time to strike.
Proud, quiet, and sharp as ever, Cezria still leads any expeditions to trade with the drow and has become not a little like them. She speaks and signs their languages fluently, uses much of their code in her own dealings, and has received an offer to retire among them. No one knows if she'll accept that offer, and it doesn't look like she'll worry about it any day soon. Although she's nearly 60, Cezria has stayed in fine shape by working hard and her greatest trials have just begun. Her only son is now where she'd plotted for him to be: a Red Wizard and the head of one of the most notable branches of the family. With her husband's help, she intends to keep him there. Thus, Cezria is always on the lookout for schemes against her family and advantages for her son - and now for her grandchild, as well.
Rayek Valgon
NE Wizard / Red Wizard, 1342-present
Others would say that Rayek's parents were too strict and controlling - crushing, even - but he wouldn't, and not out of fear. He was raised in the faith of Loviatar from the moment he was born, but not recklessly. Neither Imourad nor Cezria were petty, unstable, or inconsistent with their only son. Harsh? Yes, at times. Demanding? Certainly. But every lesson served a larger purpose. Every bruise and cut reminded him that he lived in a society where failure would leave marks; every day spent fasting taught him that anything could be taken from him except for his own strength of will. Once he passed his magic test, his parents didn't ease up in their approach. They didn't apologize or try to win his favor with gifts. If anything, their regimen went deeper as his need for discipline became more pressing.
As a result, Rayek didn't get to spend as much time with cousins near his age, but he wasn't completely kept away from them. He wasn't able to get too close to them but viewed his visits as a respite. He developed silent understandings with Ulkar and Azonia that served them all well as they grew older together. When Ulkar passed his magic test, Rayek congratulated him and left it at that; they never competed. When Boris Valgon refused to send either young mage to school or train them at home, they each found their own ways to secretly study. Neither would tell on the other.
Quiet and observant - and in better physical shape than most wizards - Rayek was finally sent to school at age 18. When he was finally accepted back home ten years later, he didn't complain. He served the House's needs attentively while Boris stood in the way of his being invited into the Red Wizards.
Once Boris disappeared, perhaps no one's life changed more drastically than Rayek's. Nearly overnight, he became a Red Wizard. Two months after that, his father announced that Rayek would become the acting Head of House, with his parents as his chief advisors (and guardians from all attacks, foreign or domestic). His cousins stood behind him and the rest of the house followed. He began to bring the family together and improve the house without tyranny. He even started to enjoy his private tastes for the company of men.
The next year, Rayek married the girl to whom he was betrothed as a child, Lorna Zurn, not because he wanted to but to comply with the demands of his station and age. He was put off by how she had been raised to worship him and how she bragged about him at first, but after she conceived, they had their first real talk. After that, they began to work as a team, and no one looked twice at the handsome drow slave Azonia gave him as his personal manservant.
But Rayek forgets nothing. He knows his good fortune would never have happened if Boris had remained in power. With his cousins' help, Rayek found Boris's secret lab, but its experiments are beyond his understanding and he's been trying to catch up ever since. He knows Boris's demands for a laundry list of magic items to use during his escape, but doesn't know the plan because the old bastard won't share it. Although he's okayed efforts to gather the items, Rayek doesn't seem to know if he wants to bring Boris back, and either choice is dangerous. No one else knows key secrets Boris holds, but once he returns to Thay, Boris is unlikely to relinquish his power, and only a senior Red Wizard could force him to do so.
And Boris has a reputation for making his rivals disappear that Rayek can't afford to ignore, especially now that he has a daughter to think of.
Lorna Valgon (née Zurn)
CN Bard, 1345-present
Lorna was one of a trio of children her parents had between trips to enclaves scattered across Faerun. She and her siblings were raised in the capital, which led to the first great surprise of her life: a betrothal offer from House Valgon when Lorna was five years old and her husband-to-be was only eight. The deal that was made between their parents was unusual for Eltabbar, but not unheard of in the country. It's an older tradition from Mulhorand that most Thayans shun and even despise, but wasn't a bad way to cement relations between houses. Both Lorna's and Rayek's parents held onto traditional ways that helped seal the deal smoothly.
From that point on, Lorna was raised to worship the goddess Sharess and Rayek. Her parents plied her with stories about how strong, smart, and dutiful he was. After Rayek passed his magic test, his great destiny was featured in their home-made fairy tales. They didn't ignore Lorna's potential, however. They taught her to be proud of her strengths and skills, and to master her studies so she could be the best wife for a Red Wizard, a leader of their nation. As a result, Lorna started envisioning her beautiful children well before she could have them.
Lorna met with Rayek occasionally for awkward meals, tea services, and public events, during which she watched him in awe and he didn't know how to act, so he kept respectfully quiet. Their parents didn't let them spend too much time together so they wouldn't get sick of each other early. Lorna began to travel with her parents to visit the enclaves until she was spending half as much time at home. While abroad, she learned various languages, grew familiar and comfortable with other cultures, and had fun with her siblings. She also fell in love with the bards she saw and heard during her travels and began to put her own musical skills to use.
Lorna didn't panic when Rayek wasn't sent for magical training until he was 18; she believed he was being taught at home by Boris Valgon, the Head of House himself. Around that time, she pilgrimaged to various temples of Sharess. She planned to one day host great parties and please her future husband in every way; what better place to learn those things? She eventually took lovers but never let them into her heart; there was only one man she wanted to share everything with. In her early 20s, she continued to travel, but she made more efforts to be seen and make connections at home. She counted the days until Rayek's 7 year school term was up, but then he didn't go home for another 3 years. Even then, Lorna didn't think the worst. But when he finally began serving the house and still didn't summon her to his side so they could begin their life together, that's when Lorna began to worry. And there wasn't much she could do about it except wait.
The call came out of the blue but Lorna was primed to become part of House Valgon. What she wasn't prepared for was for everything to happen so quickly. Because the Head of House had disappeared, Rayek was promoted. Since he was nearing the age at which Thayan nobles had to be married and have their first child, they were married as soon as the house was able to host a worthy wedding. She also wasn't prepared for Rayek to be so cold toward her. He was always civil and did his duties toward her but nothing more. Most efforts she made to engage him fell flat, as if he were still the awkward boy she first met. So Lorna figured that trying to help the house would get his attention, give him some space, and show her devotion.
What it took to win Rayek over was finding out she was pregnant. Rayek invited her to sit down and talk, and talk they did, for hours and days on end. He shared many of his observations and impressed her with his insight. He shared some of his concerns and plans, and she felt bolstered by his trust. He explained his interests had mostly been in men but that she had become even more beautiful and refined than he could have ever anticipated. With so much on his plate, he was nearly overwhelmed and had little to offer her - but if they could learn to work as a team, like his parents did, and if she could give him some space and time to tend the needs she couldn't fulfill, he would strive to give her the marriage she deserved.
It was the deal she'd been hoping for her whole life, and Lorna accepted it with both hands. She opened her arms to all the children of the house and welcomed everyone in the family to join in meals and parties. She even converted to the worship of Samora, the goddess of his favorite cousin, Azonia's, to become even more dedicated to the house. When the time came to name their firstborn, Lorna heartily agreed to name their daughter after Rayek's mother Cezria, whom she's grown to deeply admire, and Azonia.
Now, many approach Lorna as the gateway to her husband. She also entertains at house events and sweeps through Eltabbar, making as many ties as she can.
Cezonia Valgon
1377-present
Although it might horrify many in Faerun, it's not unfair to say that Cezonia was born purely to satisfy Thayan law. Her father Rayek waited to marry until he was 33, which was cutting it close. By decree of the Crimson Courts, all Thayan nobles must be in a sanctioned marriage and have at least one legitimate child before they turn 36. (Yes, this is required by law, which should tell you something about how Thayan nobles tend to regard marriage and children.) Rayek held off despite having been betrothed as a child and sorely in need of more allies during his 20s, allies which his wife's house could have provided. And at first, Rayek was cold and distant, while her mother Lorna Zurn Valgon sought to prove her worth and adoration.
But the fact of Cezonia's impending birth brought her parents together. They came to an understanding that has served them in public and private. Lorna became a mother who welcomed all the children in the house while Rayek became a quietly proud and warm father to his firstborn. Rayek has shown increasing warmth to her mother and her grandparents have shown her nothing but stoic approval. Cezonia was named in honor of her grandmother, Cezria, and her cousin, Azonia. She's being raised alongside Thurisa and Azonia's children like a sibling instead of a cousin.
Thus far, Cezonia is a happy girl surrounded by luxury and protectors. She'll probably have siblings soon. House Valgon isn't one of the highest placed and Rayek is too new to power to have many enemies, so for now, there aren't many threats to worry about. But as the daughter a Red Wizard and Head of House, it's only a matter of time until she'll need protecting or will be forced to defend herself.
Zelsea Valgon
CE Rogue, 1319-present
Zelsea married once and never tried to make a public match again after her husband disappeared. A lover of wealth, Zelsea scouts for buyers and watches the markets of Eltabbar with a hunter's eye and an abacus for a heart.
Halav Valgon (né Kallos)
CE Rogue, 1315-?
A mischievous man, Halav went missing on a secret mission years ago; his fate is unknown.
Kano Valgon
CN Cavalier, 1354-present
Kano is young, energetic, and impulsive, and not known for being terribly bright - which is why he is often paired with his sister. He was raised around local fighters and loves his family blindly. He is tasked with security and slave expeditions by land and is the house standard bearer.
Isa Valgon
LN Cleric of Waukeen, 1356-present
Once she was touched by Waukeen, she received a special insight into the marketplace that made her valuable to the family. Isa keeps her brother on task and keeps the schedule for younger members of the family. She has seemed embarrassed of the family in the past but has changed in recent years; she may still be quick-tongued, but she doesn't use it against her kin much anymore. Instead of staying at her mother's side in the markets of Eltabbar, she goes on slave expeditions by land whenever she can. While some expected her to marry out of the family as soon as possible, she's still made no motions to do so.
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