Lorelei family

The Loreleis, also known as House Lorelei, are a noble family of the Dwendalian Empire. Secretly, the family bears the curse of werewolf lycanthropy.

History
The Lorelei family is at least three hundred years old, and were made nobility due to their role in the Marrow War between the Dwendalian Empire and the Julous Dominion. It was at that time they were given land near the Cyrengreen Forest, upon which Castle Lorelei was built.

Alfarr Lorelei was the first family member to become a lycanthrope, passing this trait down through the generations. Early on, the family considered lycanthropy a curse, but gradually younger generations saw it as a gift to be wielded responsibly. They created a ritual known as "The Taming" to help control the inner beast and used it to help the family. While there were at times exceptions - members who sought to use their power for evil - the family has always ultimately returned to using their powers for good.

Two generations ago, Geneviève Lorelei became the heir of the family. She was wild and refused to undergo the taming, and fell in love with a drow from Xhorhas, a man the family did not approve of. They had one son, Haldur Lorelei, out of wedlock.

When Haldur was still very young, Lady Geneviève was found murdered, in a "wolven heap" near Castle Lorelei. Her lover was taken back to Xhorhas, which left his son behind. Geneviève's younger sister, Katerine, raised Haldur, who underwent the Taming and became the lord of the Castle. He married a woman named Rosalind, and had five children with her, though she died during the birth of their youngest two, the twins.

Lord Haldur, with Katerine's help, raised his own children. While Aurra, the eldest, refused the taming like her grandmother had; and Lucius, the second child, left to join a temple of Sehanine, the five Lorelei siblings maintained respect for their father, and answered his call when he summoned them to Castle Lorelei.

Known members

 * Alfarr Lorelei: First Lorelei to become a lycanthrope.
 * Grenya Lorelei: Daughter of Alfarr, and first Lorelei to be born as a lycanthrope.
 * At least two sons
 * Katerine Lorelei: Younger sister to Genevieve, and referred to as 'Aunt Kat'.
 * Geneviève Lorelei: Older sister to Katerine, mother of Haldur.
 * Unidentified drow man: Geneviève lover
 * Unidentified drow's twin brother
 * Haldur Lorelei: Father of the siblings.
 * Rosalind Lorelei: Haldur's late wife, mother of the siblings.
 * Aurra Lorelei
 * Lucius Lorelei
 * Portia Lorelei
 * Lawrence Lorelei
 * Benicio Lorelei

Family tree
Bold borders denote those with lycanthropy.

Trivia

 * The surname comes from the Old German words lureln (Rhine dialect for "murmuring") and the Celtic term ley (meaning "rock"). An interpretation of the full meaning could therefore be "murmuring rock". In German legend, Lorelei was a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine River in despair over a faithless lover, becoming a siren who now sits atop a treacherous rock singing to lure sailors to their doom.
 * Lord Lorelei owns a magical sword (+2 Longsword) named Vargr ("wolf" in Old Norse), meant to be eventually passed to the heir of the house.
 * Green is their traditional color, and so is reflected in their clothing.
 * All members of House Lorelei could be trained to be warriors, regardless of gender, and some of them were buried with their weapons and gear.
 * Before the Marrow War House Lorelei was among the prominent families living in Deastok.
 * Although they are part of the Dwendalian nobility, they are not too supervised by the Empire, since both their lycanthropy condition and their worship to Sehanine (a non approved deity) are kept disregarded. The fact that the dangers of the forest keep most of the tax reapers away helps with this matter.
 * The Cobalt Soul (or at the very least Archivist Zeenoth) seems to be aware of the Lorelei traditions to control their lycanthropy using blood hunter rituals, and that information is reflected in some of their documents.
 * By the year 835 PD the Cyrengreen Forest is inhabited by different groups of lycanthropes, some embracing their curse and wishing to spread it, and others who try to contain their beast-like side; it's also the home of the Order of the Lycan. It is assumed that the Lorelei family is also part of the dynamics of those groups, since part of their younger generation is formed by blood hunters, and their ideologies vary between the ones presented by other lycanthropes in the region.
 * During a ball in Jrusar in Campaign 3, Laudna presents herself to Mistress Orlana Seshadri as "Lorelei de Rolo".