The House of Thorpe
The House of Thorpe is a noble family and one of the most affluent in the kingdom of Bardonne. Rising from obscurity centuries ago to dominate the rich banking system of the western kingdoms, the Thorpes are famous for their political influence, cultural power and their patronage of the arts.
Indeed, few noble families are as tied to the Bardic Colleges as is the House of Thorpe. And more than a few Bards are in the personal employ of various heads of the family.
With all that being said, however, the House of Thorpe hides a terrible secret. The members of House Thorpe were raised in the cultural traditions of their family, striving to be on the edge of new fashions and trends. This has bred in them a strong desire for risk and thrill-seeking.
Normally, this has left members of the House as mere eccentrics, bored, rich nobles playing at being adventurers. However, tales are told of more depraved members of the family, people who descended into narcotics use, extreme lifestyles and, in some cases, outright murder for the simple thrill of it.
There are persistent rumors that a scion of the family, several generations ago, even went so far as to take up cannibalism in the name of adventuring new fields in the culinary arts. He was exiled from the family's estate and journeyed into the northern kingdoms were he has founded an outlaw band of oddly-sophisticate raiders who dine on human flesh.
Despite this, the House of Thorpe remains one of the most influential families in all the Nine Kingdoms. Their natural talent for logistics and organization makes them a force to be reckoned with in politics and their old money heritage awards them more than a few friends an admirers among the other nobles.