Retelling of House du Abores
Chapter 4 | Fratricide des Aborès
Following the question of succession between Amaury du Abores and Thibaut du Abores after the timely demise of Robèrt du Abores--which, as we know, boiled into the Silinea Peasant War (1507-1513), causing the depopulation and devastation of the entire central regions of the county--Thibaut ascended to power after the intervention of the ducal forces, as a means to clench the war before it spread into the bordering fiefs. (1) As the newly crested Margrave of Silinea, Thibaut sought to solidify his rule over the lands, in part to stomp out any lingering embers of the peasant war, and in part to restore stability to the fractured county. Which is quite ironic and borderline hypocritical knowing his role in the war itself.
Truth be told, whilst his ascension is a potent example of the ways and means of valkian noblekind, his rule proved to be quite effective and prosperous for the county, even despite his early demise. (2) The construction of Château Onlaire in the central region and his establishment of several estates in its vicinity revitalized the area, shifting trade-routes towards Onlaire. By the end of his reign, the effects of Robèrt’s tyranny and the war’s destruction lived merely as memories than realities. (3)
Thibaut ’the Fair’s departure in 1532 was early, only numbering 44 winters behind him, but it wasn’t sudden, despite his prospering lands, his health was on the decline as early as 1525; corresponding codexes and writings all spoke of his weak stature and ’flaking soul,’ often forcing him to seclude himself from public life for extended periods. Regardless his line of succession was more than secure, fathering five sons; Francis, Eugene, Henry, Michel and Geoffrey, in that order, with Eugene and Henry sharing one womb (4). His choice to divide his lands equally between his sons was a decision made with peace and prudence in mind, but even today most houses deride it as a ’senile mistake’, (5) whilst the lands were divided equally, Thibaut declared that Onlarie would remain a shared seat of council, a neutral ground where the brothers could govern collectively. Boundless naivety. It had not even taken but a month for the brothers to stake their claims on the château, which by then grew to be quite a town too. Squabbles, power plays, and all the hallmarks of noble quarrels followed suite this, transforming Onlarie into the stage for a ‘valkian noble feud.’(6)
As records state, the feud continued for several years with varying ferocity, dividing the populace itself on the matter, to the extent of fights breaking out in taverns and the streets over which brother was the ‘rightful heir’ to Onlaire. Which itself saw a slight decrease in population as the people moved to their favoured du Abores’s estate, each slowly growing into smaller towns of their own. Most contemporary accounts of chroniclers, travellers and general hearsay pointed to Michel du Abores as the most likely candidate to win over the county through his ‘charm’(7) and flair for ruling.
However, in 1539 Duke Saint-Geminne du Avlac raised the entire duchy’s levied forces after pressing his claim against Duke Sylvain Baillieu’s lands, in what came to be known as the “War of Thorns” (1539-1567). The conflict, stretching nearly three decades, ended with a status quo ante bellum only after the intervention of the King-Emperor himself. (8) The tale goes, that after the arrival of the call-to-arms by the duke, the brothers met in Château Onlaire and vowed an oath of camaraderie, ‘to fight for honour and valour at heart’ together, as a means to represent their father’s legacy. (9) Then each departed, one after another from their estates to join the duke’s forces in the coming days. Months later on their way across the Hängätan Pass after the Battle of Endelstan, all but one of the brothers were swept aside in an avalanche that decimated the victorious army (10), leaving Geoffrey du Abores, whom had been leading forces assigned to the rearguard, as the sole heir to the title of the Margrave of Silinea.
All of this is bullshit. While the du Abores family records and hearsay romanticize this narrative, numerous records disprove it altogether. The du Avlac family’s military archives during the War of Thorns make no mention of Silinea levies participating in the campaign. In fact, Saint-Geminne specifically refrained from raising Silinea levies, by his own words, “Only but worry lies with me for their people from the rivalry among their kin.” The most convincing evidence to back the falsehood of the ‘noble tale struck with tragedy’ is twofold; the personal diary of one Maxim Cerf, High Marshall of Geoffrey du Abores and Geoffrey’s own written penance to his court chaplain, Eduard des Froh.
Both records recount the same tale, steeped in treachery and fratricide. Upon hearing of the neighbouring counties’ call-to-arms, Geoffrey du Abores saw an opportunity to secure his succession once and for all. Without hesitation, he seized it. Though he later expressed regret in his penance, fearing eternal damnation, his remorse came far too late. Under the high moon, Geoffrey led Maxim Cerf and his retinue to his brothers’ estates, ensuring no witnesses survived the bloodshed of that night. In the following weeks, he orchestrated their “departure” for the duke’s summons, using mercenaries and his own men to silence anyone who could expose his treachery. By the time the tragedy at Hängätan Pass occurred, Geoffrey had already tied up every loose end, ensuring his unchallenged ascension to the title of Margrave of Silinea.
Geoffrey’s rule aligned with his rise to power, spent with polishing the very tale which now sits in their Codex et Historia Dynastia, and ensuring with maddening paranoia by the waning years of his reign that his brother’s tale went to the grave with them. (11) He only had one son, Paul du Abores who inherited all of Silinea as his birthright, his father having taken care of his brother’s offsprings long before his birth. Paul, venerating his father’s accomplishment of uniting Silinea after the ‘great tragedy of House du Abores’ crested his father posthumously with the title Geoffrey ‘the Great.’
He was neither a great ruler nor a great person.
Footnotes:
- Common practice of their and our time. When was the last time you saw a peasant who spoke against their lord and lived to see a future? Figures.
- Such is the curse of the sickness of inbreeding. But even despite that, he is probably among the fairest of du Abores when it comes to moralty, and his efforts truly were of virtuous in the end…
- But history doesn’t forget.
- All (except of course Eugene and Henry) from different wives! And he legitimized them all! Manwhore!
- How much do they know about peace, bah.
- Surprise, there was nothing noble about it.
- He was an ass. But he knew what to say and how to govern.
- Pity such resolution couldn’t be reached before 28 years of that shitshow.
- Never happened. Nothing but lyrist fantasy. No written record ever exists of such a meeting, nor is it plausible based on the relation between the brothers.
- The Hängätan Pass avalanche did occur after Endelstan, and it caused more casualties than the battle itself. Without it, Saint-Geminne’s campaign may well have succeeded. Perhaps fate found his claims against Sylvain as much bullshit as I do.
- I find it quite ironic he was assassinated on his own son’s orders fearing Geoffrey would kill him in his paranoid attacks.
