The lost noble families of Mordent

[Vlad]

Hi, does anyone has had any use for the 10 lost noble families of Mordent? Most of them died out before 579 BC, so I find it quite hard to link them to anything in my campaign. Why did they all had to go, having still existing families, petals with a curse like the Wescote's, is much easier. Of course i can change things, but if I want to create something for a Netbook I want it to correspond to Canon.

So does anyone of you ever use one of the families?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Hi, does anyone has had any use for the 10 lost noble families of Mordent? Most of them died out before 579 BC, so I find it quite hard to link them to anything in my campaign. Why did they all had to go, having still existing families, petals with a curse like the Wescote's, is much easier. Of course i can change things, but if I want to create something for a Netbook I want it to correspond to Canon.

So does anyone of you ever use one of the families?

Ι will be having the descendants of one mentioned in an article for the new QtR, also one of the FoS Umbra, Malcolm Scott is of the Scottmatter Family.

[Jeremy16]

Hi, does anyone has had any use for the 10 lost noble families of Mordent? Most of them died out before 579 BC, so I find it quite hard to link them to anything in my campaign. Why did they all had to go, having still existing families, petals with a curse like the Wescote's, is much easier. Of course i can change things, but if I want to create something for a Netbook I want it to correspond to Canon.

So does anyone of you ever use one of the families?

Ι will be having the descendants of one mentioned in an article for the new QtR, also one of the FoS Umbra, Malcolm Scott is of the Scottmatter Family.

I agree with Mephisto, it makes good background fodder for PCs or NPCs. I don't care if the gazetteer says they all died out. Legacy of the Blood shows us that familial connections can survive even without a direct line of descent.

Want someone who worships a weird demon? Make them a cousion of the Gualdamon family. Want someone who sees ghosts? Make them a scion of the Mournesworth. Is someone an alchemist in your party? Make their homebase Blackburn's Crossing. Want someone with a tragic naval background, have them married into the Holsworth family somewhere down the line. Stuff like that...

[Vlad]

Thanks both, I was thinking about having noble families feuding with each other, or at least as a background, but with 150+ years that's hard. But I can also use 'new/upcoming nobles (rich merchants) as well, coupled to your suggestion of a descendant of one of the old families, perhaps also with a link to what happened.

As a side question: are there articles elaborating on what exactly happened to these families?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Thanks both, I was thinking about having noble families feuding with each other, or at least as a background, but with 150+ years that's hard. But I can also use 'new/upcoming nobles (rich merchants) as well, coupled to your suggestion of a descendant of one of the old families, perhaps also with a link to what happened.

Don't forget that other families originate from Mordent, like the D'Honaire and a Renier built the House on Gryphon Hill. Other nobles may have moved there from other domains as is the case with the Dilisnyas, they moved from Barovia to Mordent and then in Borca when Camille became darklord.

As a side question: are there articles elaborating on what exactly happened to these families?

In some there are speculations or facts in others no info, but they are all interesting.

[Mistmaster]

In QtR 26 article on Mordent I make use of all of them. I treat them as still living and not lost.

[alhoon]

I agree with Mephisto, it makes good background fodder for PCs or NPCs. I don't care if the gazetteer says they all died out. Legacy of the Blood shows us that familial connections can survive even without a direct line of descent.

Want someone who worships a weird demon? Make them a cousion of the Gualdamon family. Want someone who sees ghosts? Make them a scion of the Mournesworth. Is someone an alchemist in your party? Make their homebase Blackburn's Crossing. Want someone with a tragic naval background, have them married into the Holsworth family somewhere down the line. Stuff like that...

I agree with the sentiment but for alchemists, you have a much wider field to choose from; I would go with a Disilnya offshoot personally.
That random piece of info that nobody asked shared...

I would actually rule that those families have not died out, just fell in bad times, if I wanted to use Mordent. I like those families and the "lost" aspect of them so I would change things around as mentioned.
For canonical purposes, I would go with a cousin as someone suggested. Or someone coming back from the dead which is entirely not impossible.

[IanFordam]

There is a distinct advantage to having canon materials presented by an unreliable narrator such as "S" or Dr. van Richten: The narrator might be wrong.

Ultimately, although canon provides some excellent guidelines, I believe it should be used to inspire, not constrain, creativity.

[Jeremy16]

There is a distinct advantage to having canon materials presented by an unreliable narrator such as "S" or Dr. van Richten: The narrator might be wrong.

Ultimately, although canon provides some excellent guidelines, I believe it should be used to inspire, not constrain, creativity.

While we're on this subject, does anyone know the behind-the-scenes origin story for the Mordent entry in the Gazetteers? I always wondered why the real world author put so much time and energy into creating these amazing tales of family ruin but then killed them all off so nobody could be used during "current" campaigns.

[Vlad]

That was more or less the reason for starting this topic. So much work, but difficult to use.

[Mistmaster]

There is a distinct advantage to having canon materials presented by an unreliable narrator such as "S" or Dr. van Richten: The narrator might be wrong.

Ultimately, although canon provides some excellent guidelines, I believe it should be used to inspire, not constrain, creativity.

While we're on this subject, does anyone know the behind-the-scenes origin story for the Mordent entry in the Gazetteers? I always wondered why the real world author put so much time and energy into creating these amazing tales of family ruin but then killed them all off so nobody could be used during "current" campaigns.

That's why I fixed it.

[alhoon]

That was more or less the reason for starting this topic. So much work, but difficult to use.

I think part of the reason for that work, an important part, was to give inspiration to people on how to make such families for their own campaigns.
And another important part was because the guy writing about them liked writing such things and the reviewers liked the stories so they ended up in the book anyway.