May 09, 2025

All Around Lore - Greenguard's Noble Houses

All Around Lore - The Nobles of Greenguard

Hi, all! This is Cylisse in with another big lore post! This one covers four of the Noble Houses in Greenguard.

We're looking at Houses Vaughn, Cavendish, Bligh, and Granville - all of whom you've met in the Main Story. In the near future, there will be an in-game vote where you choose one House to be featured in a short Boss-Only release. It'll explore how the chosen House was established, and what the origin of their Crest is. That means you'll be fighting a Crest Beast very soon.

All of the crests, as well as house Vaughn's signature armor were designed by Lae. The design of the other noble families' signature armor haven't been decided yet, but will be assigned once a future release puts the spotlight on them.

House Vaughn

“House Vaughn of Greenguard have been the wardens of Chiral Valley for generations, preventing the expansion of the Sandsea, Doomwood, and Darkovia.” - Lorekeeper Maya

"Its Lord and Knights are so skilled that they're called the Immortals of the Battlefield. During the Rebellion, Duke Henry "Thronekeeper" Vaughn I was captain of the Kingsguard, and stayed loyal until his death by Sir Valen’s blade."

"The remaining Vaughns have been stripped of their titles, and are essentially under house arrest because they didn't defect to Alteon’s side. The restrictions were tightened when Chaos Lord Escherion attacked Chiral Valley, and they were forced to watch helplessly."

"House Vaughn’s motto is “The Hunt Slays the Dark,” which proudly declares their duty to destroy the tides of Evil lapping against Greenguard’s borders. It rang hollow during the tyrant’s reign, but perhaps the younger generation can make things right."

"The current Lord Henry Vaughn III (call him H3 for short) admires the Hero of the Alliance a great deal. Should they approach him with a request, he will move mountains to fulfill it, but only if the Alteons let him."

"When Lord Henry Vaughn III visited Balemorale, several Nobles and Knights tried to bully him into leaving by force. “Our ten against your five? I feel bad about how unfair this’ll be.” Lord Henry signaled his warriors to lower their blades. “Ten against me. Now it’s fair.”

"Henry III isn’t the only active member of the Vaughn family. I swear, Edward did this on purpose to drive me insane." - Lorekeeper Iamus

House Cavendish

“Despite their personal goal of preventing the spread of endless night, many members of House Cavendish have an affinity for the Moon, and are rumored to be witches themselves. Note that the men of the family were raised as Warriors, but couldn’t ignore the call of magic.”

“Though the previous Lord Cavendish was one of King Dethrix's Generals, his wife found an opportunity to lock him outside of his castle, and took over - immediately siding with Alteon's rebels.”

“With Lord Cavendish's death at the hands of Sir Valen, Lady Catherine Cavendish became matriarch and fell in love with a baker, being the first of Alteon's court to marry a commoner. The King fought to have this union protected by law.”

"The deceased Lord Cavendish was known to attack the Vampires and Lycans of Darkovia, but Lady Cavendish has taken a more peaceful approach. Her daughter often acts as a mediator between humans and those of the night."

House Cavendish’s motto is “What Begins…Must End,” now considered a spoken cliche. It isn't a phrase meant to rally an army. Their motto and crest actually symbolize how their family resides between the Sun and Moon."

House Bligh

“The Noble House of Bligh were powerful Mages who were said to be able to grant any wish. Even experts from Arcangrove and Dragonrune Hall couldn't quite place the origin of the Bligh's ‘forbidden’ magic.”

“Arcangrove was within their jurisdiction, and they were consulted by magic practitioners from all over Greenguard. Yes, their spells were considered profane…but they held a vast wealth of knowledge and were generous about sharing.”

“Even more dangerous, the Blighs were charismatic. “Fun” to the point where even the most moral of Mages found themselves indulging in rituals that required the tears and terror of others.”

“This was possibly why the Blighs were fiercely loyal to the Tyrant King. Duke Lucas Bligh became a Court Magus out of his own free will and gave his life in a last ditch effort to quell the rebellion.”

“Lucas’ death marked the complete eradication of House Bligh…or so it seemed. The spectre of their influence hangs over Arcangrove and Dragonrune Hall - their edifices and libraries built on Bligh generosity.”

“House Bligh’s motto is “See the Stars, They Yearn for Us.” An arrogant declaration to be sure…but there’s something foreboding about it. Their Crest even more so. Is it the gaze of a star? Or is it…a familiar eye?” - Lorekeeper Muusa

House Granville

“As soon as the rebellion began, House Granville joined Alden Alteon in the battle against King Dethrix I. For their honor, valor, and loyalty, they were given custody of the lands surrounding Swordhaven - The Sea of Trees.” - Lorekeeper Maya

“Some whisper that they're opportunists who decided King Dethrix was likely to lose the war, and took the rebels’ side - not out of principle, but greed. If that’s true, they chose correctly. The Granville’s territory is now the largest out of all the noble houses.”

“There's an anecdote about how the Lords of Granville would wait until the real warriors tire themselves fighting each other, before jumping in to plunge knives into their throats - winning the glory of the final blow.”

“It’s not just combat or battle. Many took note of Lord Granville’s relentlessness when it came to finding his daughter a worthy match. He only stopped when Nialla became a trusted confidant of the royal family.”

“That said, people have tested their blade against the current old Lord Granville - and came to regret it after waking up with two black eyes and an upside-down nose. Perhaps the Granvilles are just smart on top of strong.”

“Blades and Blood. No Alternatives.” The motto of House Granville sounds aggressive, but all of its Lords have interpreted it differently. The current Granvilles see it as a call to action. To forge golden age, you must act. There is no alternative.”

“As for the crest, the brave knight is a constant, but they never rest easy on their laurels. The beast this warrior stabs with their lance constantly changes. It’s currently a lion as a jab at the Lionfangs.”

“Following the fall of House Lionfang, the Alteons gave jurisdiction over all that they had to the Granvilles. In a way, the Granvilles conquered the Lion without lifting a finger, but they know and respect the Hero they owe this victory to.”

"By the way, Jadzia and I were chatting about the nobles when the Granvilles came up. Shakaz was nearby, and I felt the air get sucked out of the room. He got up, left, and I almost threw up from anxiety. He might have some beef with the Granvilles." - Hans