House Starling

[SupaSaMM 310]

 

 Family Motto

We shall rise or we shall set 

 

Origins

House Starling was founded by Samuel Starling, who despite his commoner roots, sensed great ambitions for himself and his family. Samuel Starling, was born to a privateer mother. He spent his youth upon the seas, never identifying as one culture or people. As a young man he settled in Haense, living in Karosgrad. Samuel would spend decades serving in the BSK, while also becoming the mayor of Karosgrad. A meritorious triumph as not only commoner, but as a foreigner. 

It was during his term as mayor that he met his future wife, a then-married Franziska Bishop, the daughter of a seamstress and a merchant, growing up meagerly in Reinmar. The matron to House Starling, she grew to become as equally ambitious as her future husband. as Franziska became Haeseni-Ruskia's ambassador to Norland. Before marrying Samuel, she had produced 5 children from her first marriage to magnate August Bishop; Kamilla Sophie, Elsie Augusta, the twins Celine Erika and August II, finally followed by the youngest Cosima.

A few years after they first met Franziska received an annulment of her marriage, and moved herself out with her female children. Soon following, Samuel and Franziska, now in their 40s reconnected and decided to merge their families together. Two years later, Franziska gave birth to 3 children with Samuel. Their names; Stefan, Sabrina, and Simon Starling.

Franziska and Samuel Starling lived eight more years in Karosgrad, Haense. Franziska continued her career as ambassador and received the honorary Koenas Brooch for her service to Queen Emma. Samuel continued to serve in the BSK. The social and economic stability of the family was such to allow the taking in of an orphan named Melania. 

Despite their content lives, and reputations, the couple sought new frontiers and decided to then move to what was then the newly formed Duchy of Balian. There they found opportunity; Upon the courtship of Celine Bishop from Franziska’s first marriage with Drasus Vuiller, the Starling family officially resided in Balian. Not only was the relocation good for Celine, it also gave career possibilities for Kamilla and Elsie. With possibilities for the younger children to become wards under the wisest officials in all of Balian.

 

[i] A depiction of the Starlings living in Balian could be seen here

 

History

After leaving Balian, the Starlings would find themselves splitting apart, pursuing different passions. Some of the Starlings would choose to live with their sister Cosima Bishop who had by then married Peter d’Azor. The remainder left Balian to become a band of travelling builders, moving temporarily to villages and towns who would hire them for construction. For most of the family, this would be a time of struggle, due to certain rowdy family members, and the family’s new found love of taverns. The family would often get into trouble, leading often to docked pays and reduced funds received for their renowned quality of work. It occurred at times that they would have to do work for free in order to get a family member released from detainment, and such were the tribulations of particular Starlings for a time. These rough tribulations would ultimately create the basis of the Starlight Construction Limited Company. 

The Starlings which lived in the von Auguesten household experienced a very different lifestyle. With the help of the Von Augustens, they would be well educated and as family guests they were well treated within the walls of the County. During this time, many of those Starlings would learn about the distillery and brewing business; as the Von Augustens were indeed quite fine wine makers during their time in Almaris. It was this learning that would help to create the basis for the Starlight Limited Brewery. 

Good and bad fortunes would change with the flight to Almaris. The wars and battles with the Mori would kill half of the Starling family, most of the losses endured on the travelling construction side of the family who often came at the mercy of the Mori with no walls or settlement to protect them. With new hearts, losses, and a fresh new start in a new land called Aevos, the Starling Families would remain separate from each other. It was only until the Von Augustens left Aaun that the Starlings decided to come together hoping to find solace and comfort with having lost so much now with both families now having no home.  It was during this period of reconnection that the branches of Starling not only merged, but began to exchange skills with the von Augustens. The more travelled but less educated Starlings of the construction trade and their more educated wine-making cousins would teach others the skills of their craft. The distilling Starlings would learn much more about the kinds of wood and building materials to better improve their brewery and learn about other cultures outside of the county while the construction Starlings would learn much about Limited liability business enterprises, how to successfully integrate companies, arts of a higher and well-run mercantile business, and more importantly for one Sebastien Starling… a knowledge of the law. When Stefan Starling migrated to the then Marchdom of Lotusgrad, he was granted the position of Chief Justiciar due to his law expertise. For the first time in decades the family had a place to call home, and there the family would escape turbulence for the first time since their early history.

 

[i] A depiction of the Starlings reuniting for a dinner could be seen here

Culture

Culturally, the family finds itself in its Waldenain roots instilled by Franziska Starling. However, the family has always married people outside of the culture, from peoples unknown, to Balianite common, and Haenseni Marian. Nevertheless, the Starling family primarily expresses itself through Waldenian customs. 

 

With the new formed relationship of the families and their trades, unity, love and erudition are traits instilled early into each member. The family takes pride in having a warm and loving attitude amongst themselves. More importantly now, each family makes sure that each member can adequately communicate with those around them before they can ever work in any of the family businesses. Furthermore, the family values hard work and dedication. 

 

Businesses

 

The family prides itself in its entrepreneurial spirit and business and throughout its history it has come to formed these businesses:
 

Starlight Construction Limited 

Starling Construction Limited is a limited liability corporation that prides itself in building good and solid works of high quality. Run by House Starling, this company excels in all construction, stonemasonry and carpeting work for in and relating houses and manors. Their work can be seen in villages all across the land.

 

Starlight Limited Brewery 

With its origin with the Starling family that lived in the County of Hohengarten, this family prides itself on its academic and more scientific approach to brewing. Not afraid to experiment in the process of a better brew, the company uses innovative solutions and ideas to create a fine and wide variety of drinks from lighter drinks like wine and beer to harder drinks like vodka and whiskey. Their work can be seen in taverns across the land.

[Frank_Dog 399]

Franziska Henrietta Tchaviosky-Bishop-Starling smiled from seven skies to her descendants, "From my common blood, you shall be forever standing."