Ahestere: Renate Fleurant

[Renate Fleurant]

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Character Name: Renate Fleurant
Character Age: 27
Gender: Male
Birthday (including year): November 5th, 214
Current Location: Enos, Ahestere
House: House Fleurant
Banner Appearance:


House Description:
House Fleurant is an old and well-regarded banner house of Ahestere, serving under House Linnet. The city of Enos has been theirs for so long that no one remembers how house Fleurant came into power, and most consider them to be the original settlers of the city, even though they are not. They are deeply loyal to House Linnet, having always supported them. Though they were spared from war with the Hazir and have tried to isolate themselves, the city of Enos has felt the impact of their presence like everywhere else.

The Fleurant family has always boasted a large military, though they would claim this is not their focus. It is a necessary evil, and they look down upon those that revile in war and hold barbarians in contempt. Their military is a force to be used only when necessary, and should never be paraded or celebrated, and as such they have always been large patrons of the arts. In particular, the family emphasizes education even for their women. Every family member is well educated in numerous subjects and is encouraged to travel outside of the Province.

As a result, they frequently cross marry outside of the Province. They also have strong ties to many other families outside of Ahestere, which they are not ashamed to trade their fine goods with. As for their money making, the Fleurants have little direct businesses anymore. Though they oversee many trade operations with the city and have hefty taxes (it is a wealthy city, after all), most of their money currently is due to investments. They have always invested well and held close relationships with banker and as such they are very stable in their funds. Though the banks of Enos are welcome to outsiders, they are some of the most restrictive privileged. House Fleurant also officially backs them in collecting debt.

Family members themselves are usually very haughty. They do not like to show too much affection in public, whether it is between themselves or with others. However, they are always aware of cultural procedures that vary and will always show up with the appropriate gift when going somewhere as a guest. Overall, they are rather cold, but intelligent. They are highly snobbish of culture, and will look down upon people who are not as well breed as they are. Though their women are allowed more free speech than what is typical, the men are still of higher stature. The Fleurants also hold strict laws for adultery, and if either party is caught in public they may be subject to execution. Mistresses for both women and men are accepted and even understood, but they must be kept in secret.

Fleurants are typically blonde haired with light skin, though there may be some with darker hair. It is unusual for them to marry people of darker skin, as it is frowned upon. The architecture of Enos traditionally resembles French architecture, with the Hazir (considered "nouveau riche") influence looking similar to Persian architecture.

Player Base: Alexander Skarsgard
Appearance:


The Fleurant house is traditionally tall, and Renate is no exception with his height of 6’ 4”. He has light blonde hair which is always kept short, and greatly prefers to stay clean shaven (which is typical of his family, as well, they look down upon beards). He is very narcissistic about his looks, though he doesn’t want you to know it. Renate cares about his body and makes sure to keep it in what he considers to be perfect condition, which is not without effort. He frequently exercises and makes sure to watch what he eats, though he does have a weakness for sweets.

Like of all his family members, he dresses almost exclusively in their family colors, only sometimes opting for black or white. All of his clothing is of the finest materials and details, though he usually lets out the women of the household pick them out. Simply put, he enjoys dressing for the occasion and wearing the highest fashion, but he lacks the patience to style himself. For jewelry, Renate adorns himself in two pieces. The first is a ring bearing his family crest, a platinum ring with a large sapphire set in it and the family fleur de lies engraved into the band. The second is a slender silver chain which is kept under his clothing and hidden at all times.

Personality:
Depending on whom you are, Renate can either come across as the most charismatic man in the world, or perhaps the haughtiest. He is charismatic to those that he finds of worth. This usually means those of higher stature, but is not limited to that subset of people. If you have something he wants or admires, he will be nice to you and attempt every so hard to get you to like him. Renate likes to be liked and appreciated, though he doesn’t want you to know that.

At the same time, if you are beneath him, you will probably instantly know and recognize this. Despite of all his breeding, Renate is an impatient man, with little tolerance for those that are unintelligent or poor. The only exception to this is someone willing to become better, which delights Renate. He loves crafting men into his own image, and women into his preferences. However, once it is decided that he dislikes you, it is incredibly hard to change his mind. Fleurants are steadfast in their hatred as well as their determination, and can be very unbending on general principle.

As Lord, Renate is well educated. He stays up to date on current affairs, trading, and what not. He has many connections in the various provinces and uses them to stay on top. He is competent and efficient, and cares deeply about keeping Enos in its position. He will settle for nothing less than what both Fleurant and Enos have, and are constantly looking to improve and provide for them. Though he may not have the nicest personality, his city is well kept and quite beautiful, even after the plague. Renate has a strong talent for mathematics, which is expected of the men in the Fleurant house.

Renate has a strong thirst for all the fine things in life. Whether it be food, culture or women, he wants only the best and the ability to pick and choose. He savors everything and is open to trying new things. As a bit of pleasure seeker, he has always enjoyed traveling, and along the way has picked up many new habits or desires. Renate particularly favors visiting different theater around Forsilvra, and will visit almost any art installation if the area is prosperous enough.

As for women, it has been difficult to pin Renate down. Though he was technically engaged at one point, which did not last, with his fiancée dying due to the plague. After that, he has pushed off getting betrothed again, claiming that he is looking for the right connection. Renate takes many various women, and without shame. Of course he is discreet about it, though he is not bound to the Fleurant rules yet, for he is not married. Renate has no interest in being married, believing that people are meant for multiple partners, and that not one person is a true soul mate. The Hazir’s practice of polygamy is perhaps the only thing he does agree with regarding them.

Overall, Renate can be quite snobby and at times impatient. He has a short temper which he considers to be his largest character flaw, and does his best to temper it. He also suffers from being judgmental, just like the rest of his family, though he doesn’t realize this. On the other hand, he is a capable Lord, and tries his best to be a good man. He does care about not hurting people, though his own selfishness often gets in the way.

History:
House Fleurant has been the ruler of Enos for as long as anyone can remember, though they were not always the rulers. However, to dare to suggest that is the biggest insult to the family. People have been executed for saying as such, for they do not like to present an image of being a ruthless family (though they are). Overtime, they have developed a high standard for how their Lords and family members would be raised.


On a crisp November night, Renate Fleurant was born to Gaston Fleurant and his wife, Adolie Alysworth Fleurant. The birth was a quiet, easy one, though he would not prove to be an easy child. Gaston and Edolie were an arranged marriage, and had originally hated each other, which was still going on during the time that Renate was born. As such, his mother seemed to operate in either two moods: extremely clingy or wanting nothing to do with him. He spent much of his time being bounced between the servants and his mother.

However, at some point around the age of three, his parents seemed to reconcile. From at that point there were inseparable, and the neglect of their children only increased further. Gaston and Edolie were often traveling, exploring the realm, and he left much of the Lord duties to his younger brother,

Oh, of course, the children were well cared and educated by the servants and tutors as well as a few other Fleurant family members. Well provided for, most definitely, but there was little emotional support for any of them. The first thing Renate and every other Fleurant learned as a child was how to suppress their emotions.

In the meantime, the servants and tutors were well prepped to deal with the children. It was not unusual in House Fleurant for the parents to be disinterested in the children. Child, in the family’s mind, were unsophisticated and could not properly appreciate culture. They needed to be trained, and then they would be acceptable. Until that point, it was standard for the adults of the family to want little to do with the children.

Renate, growing up, was a very rebellious little boy. He was also merciless in his teasing of his younger siblings. There were only two that he was fond of, and those were Maurice and Narcisse. For some reason, he never bothered them, and would defend them if anything were to happen. The rest, especially the youngest, he could not care for. As each child was born, he liked them less and less.

Though he was rebellious, he was also deeply interested in learning. For the most part, he excelled at his classes from the House Scholar. He loved learning about politics, war, the world, and more. The boring technical details of being a Lord, less so, but he still took it at all in. Though the Fleurants are more interested in art than physical activities, all Renate males receive training. As a result, Renate is a skilled fencer, as well as archer. He is also a strong swimmer, though he’s terrible at anything involving maces or axes. Fleurants don’t traditionally hunt or wrestle. They are trained in jousting, though it’s not incredibly common for Enos.

Besides his lessons, Renate had a fairly relaxed childhood. House Fleurant was wealthy enough for all their needs, and Renate was generally allowed to do as he pleased. As a result, he has little ill will with most of his family, and does actually greatly enjoy Enos. He is proud of the city, and for their family, though he does resent his own parents.

At age 15, Renate was matched with a fiancée from a banner in the realm of Arbrecht. He considered this to be an absurd match, and of course pretended that it didn’t exist. He met her once, and developed a strong disliking for her. The feeling was mutual, and they both knew it would be a loveless marriage.

Upon turning 18 and knowing that he would be married, Renate set out for another province, with the help of his great uncle, Michon. This was a slightly scandalous affair, as Michon was one of the least favorite family members and highly uncharacteristic of the family. During this, Renate greatly enjoyed his time, and wrote to his family members that he just wanted to experience more culture (Renate has a strong penchant for theater, in particular).

In 233, Renate returned to Enos, homesick for his family. Upon returning, he learned that the plague had reached Forsilvra. So far Enos was safe, but he decided to stay and oversee if necessary. In 235, he found out that his fiancée succumbed to the plague, which he found to be no great loss, though he paid his proper respects.

When the plague began to appear, House Fleurant willingly supported houses that they had other connections with in outside provinces. They sent many supplies, to the point that they hired ships and travelers to entrust with the goods. The house went above and beyond to lend as best they could, devastated to see the dreadful plague. However, they were also cautious, and restricted the entry of anyone who had been visiting other provinces where it was known that the plague had broken out. They were quite zealous in protecting their city.

While it did take time for the plague to come to Enos, eventually it did, and House Fleurant was not without loss. The first person to officially catch it was a young brother of Renate’s, Bayard Fleurant. When he fell sick, Renate’s other brother, Maurice, immediately went to take care of him. Maurice was one of the kindest Fleurants that had ever existed, and would help anyone who asked. He was always caring and concerned for others, so when Bayard and other family members fell sick, Maurice was the one who looked after them. Renate tried to get him not to do so, but he would not listen. Eventually, Bayard succumbed, and finally, Maurice as well.

Renate had been closer to Maurice than any of his other siblings, and as such, was fairly devastated over his death. At the time he wasn’t lord, so he was able to relax, however, that would not last long. Word came that his father and mother also caught the plague, in another province at the time, embarking on a trade deal. With that, in 237, Renate was crowned the Lord of his house.

Shortly after that, the plague seemed to die down. Renate slid into his Lordship easy enough, for he had been mostly running the house while his father was absent, anyway. With the plague seemingly gone he relaxed the city’s guards and begun to re-establish trade and commerce with various Houses.

During the plague, Renate’s need for marriage was almost forgotten, as the realm was busy with more trying matters and truthfully, he had plenty of brothers if he caught it. However, now that the plague receded his family has once more begun to push matches onto him. He has absolutely no interest in being married, though he has other ideas for his siblings.

Renate has begun to consider marriage matches for his siblings. Renate personally doesn’t have a desire to keep them around, with the exception of Narcisse. His is all too eager to rid himself of Etienne Fleurant, his closest in age sibling who he has never gotten along with. As for the rest, it’s just easier to get them out of his way. However, in the meantime, for the younger ones, he has been to open wards, which he hopes should at least keep them company.

Writing Sample:

Renate strolled through the gardens of the Fleurant estate, carrying an apple with him as he went. It was still dusk, which was precisely why he was out in the gardens in the first place. If it had been later in the day the women of his family would be flocked there, gathering and drinking tea while they gossiped about what family was having financial problems or what someone worn to the last theatre visit. Renate couldn’t stand the constant jabbering, so he chose to only enter the garden at odd hours.

Watching, he noted a pigeon arrived. Soon enough whatever the letter was would be brought out to him, so he did not worry over it, and instead enjoyed his apple, taking a bite out of the crisp flesh. By the time he had finished, the letter had been brought over.

Quickly, without any fanfare, he read the letter, and smiled to himself. The royal family would be throwing a spring ball, one which he would most certainly be attending. A ball at the palace was not an occasion to miss, especially as he was related to the Fontenots, a fact for which he and all of his siblings were proud of.

“Very well, then, it looks we will be attending a ball,” he replied calmly to the servant who had delivered a letter, and with that he was off to begin to make preparations.


[Time Line Events]

Essential:
Year 214: Renate Fleurant is born.
Year 215: Etienne Fleurant is born.
Year 217: Maurice Fleurant is born.
Year 219: Narcisee Fleurant is born.
Year 224: Bayard Fleurant is born.
Year 229: Renate is engaged to his fiancée.
Year 233: Renate Fleurant returns to Enos.
Year 235: Renate’s fiancée dies to the plague.
Year 236: Maurice and Bayard Fleurant succumb to the plague.
Year 237: Gaston Fleurant and Adolie Alysworth Fleurant die to the plague.
Year 237: Renate Fleurant is named Lord of House Fleurant.

Non-Essential (For sanity in tree purposes):
Year 156: Clovis Fleurant is born.
Year 174: Clovis Fleurant and Teresa Onora Bright Vulferam are wed.
Year 176: Silvain Fleurant is born.
Year 178: Giselle Fleurant is born.
Year 180: Andre Fleurant is born.
Year 181: Bernard and Bardot Fleurant is born.
Year 182: Micheline Fleurant is born.
Year 185: Josephine Fleurant is born.
Year 188: Coeur Fleurant is born.
Year 190: Giverny Fleurant is born.
Year 194: Silvain Fleurant and Adrienne Fontenot wed.
Year 195: Reynard and Gaston Fleurant is born.
Year 196: Rochelle Fleurant is born.
Year 197: Severine Fleurant is born.
Year 199: Reynard Fleurant dies of illness.
Year 200: Elaine Fleurant is born.
Year 203: Ludovic Fleurant is born.
Year 205: Solange Fleurant is born.
Year 213: Gaston Fleurant and Adolie Alysworth are wed.
Year 214: Renate Fleurant is born.
Year 215: Etienne Fleurant is born.
Year 217: Maurice Fleurant is born.
Year 219: Narcisee Fleurant is born.
Year 221: Silvain Fleurant dies.
Year 221: Gaston Fleurant assumes Lordship of House Fleurant.
Year 224: Bayard Fleurant is born.
Year 237: Gaston Fleurant and Adolie Alysworth Fleurant die to the plague.
Year 237: Renate Fleurant is named Lord of House Fleurant.

Family Genealogy:

House Fleurant [Enos]
  - Clovis Fleurant -- Treasa Onora Brigh Vulferam
    - Silvain Fleurant -- Adrienne Fontenot
      - Reynard Fleurant
      - Gaston Fleurant -- Adolie Alysworth
        - Renate Fleurant
        - Etienne Fleurant
        - Maurice Fleurant
        - Narcisse Fleurant
        - Ambroise Fleurant
        - Musetta Fleurant
        - Bayard Fleurant
        - Jolie Fleurant
        - Cecile Fleurant
        - Leon Fleurant
      - Rochelle Fleurant DeLauncey
      - Severine Fleurant -- Wife
      - Elaine Fleurant Forthwind
      - Ludovic Fleurant -- Wife Fleurant
        - Bastien Fleurant
        - Leverett Fleurant
        - Miette Fleurant
        - Lenore Fleurant
        - Olympe Fleurant
        - Pascal Fleurant
        - Aceline Fleurant
      - Solange Fleurant Harcourt
    - Giselle Fleurant Alysworth
    - Andre Fleurant -- Wife
      - Jacques Fleurant
      - Michon Fleurant
      - Natalie Fleurant
      - Oceane Fleurant
    - Bernard Fleurant -- Wife
      - Chamonix Fleurant
      - Angelie Fleurant
      - Jovianne Fleurant
      - Germaine Fleurant
    - Bardot Fleurant Landalis
    - Josephine Fleurant Linnet
    - Coeur Fleurant -- Alexandrine Blanchard
    - Giverny Fleurant Montrose
    - Corbeau Fleurant -- Wife Fleurant
      - Pepin Fleurant
      - Theoren Fleurant
      - Sequin Fleurant
      - Sophie Fleurant
      - Urbain Fleurant
  - Lenore Fleurant Fitzwulf
  - Revanche Fleurant

[Aashiq Linnet]

Approved my dear by your province lord. Fleurants are EPIK. <3

[Thelonius Larson DeLauncey]

Stamped! Stunning! <3

[Jenn]

The feeling was mutual, and they both doubted it would be a loveless marriage.

And they both knew it would be a loveless marriage?

otherwise, lovely! APPROVED!

[Deek]

Fixed! <3