House of Kestrel

The official GemStone IV encyclopedia.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The House of Kestrel was one of the great families of the Turamzzyrian Empire.

It was not precisely known where the Kestrel family originated, but it possibly the Imperial province known as Earldom of Chastonia, may be such a place. They did own land near Tamzyrr, however. The Kestrels first entered recorded history with the placement of Chaston Kestrel as regent for Verdel Anodheles in 4307. Two years later, Verdel fled the throne due to scandal, and Chaston assumed the title of emperor. However, the Kestrels did not establish a dynasty as later houses did, but lost the throne after two more rulers. Celeste Kestrel was the last Kestrel to hold the position.

Instead, the Kestrels established themselves as the guardians and controllers of magical arts in the empire. As early as 4547, the Kestrels had managed to control the Hall of Mages, a state established school of magical arts. The Kestrel in charge of the school was Hyla Kestrel. The Kestrels were active in attempting to subdue their only rivals at The Arcanum, which ceased to exist after it was destroyed in a magical explosion in 4565. The explosion moved the monarch of the time, Verranna Chandrennin to make the Hall of Mages the only legal school of magical study. In effect, this provided the Kestrels with a legal monopoly of magical instruction in the entire empire. As the Hall of Mages spread out in satellite colleges, so did the influence of the Kestrels.

The Kestrels sealed their position in Imperial magic by supporting the claim of Trydall Anodheles to the throne in 4921. Their role in finding Trydall remained unknown, but Trydall managed to remove Prentius Anodheles from his position as future king in regency and took the throne. As a reward, in 4922, Trydall bequeathed upon the Patriarch of the family the hereditary title of Royal Magister. The position gave the Kestrels complete control of the arcane arts on the same level as the Imperial Sentinels, and in addition, the ability to serve as an adviser to the monarch. In one fell swoop, the Kestrels had sealed their control of magic in the Empire, and granted themselves a chance to influence the monarchy in perpetuity.

In addition to the position of Royal Magister, Trydall bequeathed to the Kestrels a small earldom, Chastonia, and the city The Swale, where the family centered itself from ever since (at this time, they relinquished their property close to the capital of Tamzyrr).

In 4935, Ander Kestrel, succeeded in the establishment of the Imperial Drakes, wizards trained for war as a special section of the Imperial military.

In the time period nearing the end of the fifty-first millennium, the Kestrels tried, but failed to stop the support of the Baron of Jantalar, Lerep Hochstib. This disfavor may have involved the Baron's use of the Mandis Crystal, an artifact that effectively denied magic users the ability to tap into mana for spells. As of 5107, the Kestrels remain in their powerful position in the empire.

In 5114, Earl Berniah Kestrel was assassinated by adventurers during the events of Cross Into Shadows.

See also