House Blackstone

House Blackstone, also known in today's time (31 ADP) as the Blackstone Company, is currently the conjoined organization of both an old familial house and mercantile company belonging to the family of Velkron and Venaren Blackstone. The House was one of the most influential in the history of Gilneas.

Background
Initially formed in 106 BDP in Gilneas City, the House of Blackstone was commandeered by current Blackstone family patriarch, Ewain Blackstone (Velkron Blackstone's great-great-great-great grandfather), after a tense dispute about the family name with another relative, Joseph Blackstone. The initial group of members included thirty-six Blackstones, Joseph was later inducted in 100 BDP to become the thirty-seventh. The population of the Blackstone Family fluctuated over the decades, adjusting its number occasionally to accommodate for a death, a birth, or even a banishment.

By 64 BDP, the House of Blackstone was a driving force behind the politics and aristocracy in upper Gilnean society. Rivaling only the House of Crowley for supremacy in the atmosphere of nobles, the Blackstones became a prominent member of Gilnean foreign affairs as well, often sending diplomats to help assist the Gilnean Government in brokering deals and communicating trade with the other Human Kingdoms in Lordaeron.

After a Blackstone official was seemingly "killed" in an incident in Dalaran, the Blackstones withdrew their hand from politics and foreign affairs and tended to their own flock for several years, before Haldor Blackstone stepped up and claimed the title of House Patriarch. Haldor instituted several new governing rules over the house, and set up the first major mercantile shipping company in Gilneas' history, the Blackstone Company. Recovered company records show the first shipping lane created by the Blackstone Company was first used in 50 BDP.

With the Blackstone Company stretching it's powerful legs across Baradin Bay to the newly established port town of Menethil Harbor in 42 BDP, the company began a Golden Age of shipping and trading, running goods and products from Stormwind in the south to the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas in the north. Haldor Blackstone was pleased with his enterprise and began expanding operations to include land shipments to the Dwarves of Khaz Modan, across the Thandol Span. Eventually, trade reached the Wildhammer Clan at Aerie Peak in the Hinterlands, leading to a prosperous diplomatic period between the House of Blackstone and the Wildhammer Dwarves.

In 35 BDP, Haldor Blackstone died rather abruptly and without warning, leaving the fate of the Blackstone Company and the House of Blackstone in question. Stepping up to succeed him was his younger brother, Nicolas. Nicolas led the House through the tumultuous political period between 35 BDP and 15 BDP, as the Kingdom of Lordaeron was growing substantially to the north, and the Kingdom of Stromgarde was significantly waning in the south. Gilneas tried to avoid regional disputes and conflicts, but the House of Blackstone was in the midst of it all, brokering treaties and spreading their mercantile influence across the lands of the continent in a greater fashion than ever before.

A relatively quiet period began after Nicolas' death in 15 ADP, and succeeding him as Patriarch of the house was his son James Blackstone, the grandfather of Velkron and Venaren. James led the house through another period of silent prosperity up until 2 BDP, when he abdicated the title of Patriarch to his up-and-coming son, Lucius (Velkron's father). Lucius took hold of the Family's reins and charged forward into the history books of Gilneas, establishing more shipping lanes and political connections than any of his predecessors.

Two years into Lucius' patriarchal command, however, a malevolent force emerged in Azeroth, far to the south. The Dark Portal had been opened by Magus Medivh, and savage war-hungry beasts were pouring out of the portal in droves. Lucius rallied his company and mobilized his fleet of ships to make haste to Stormwind, in an effort to assist the Stormwindians in their war efforts against the brutal Orcish Horde. Their efforts proved unsuccessful however, and the House of Blackstone became a target for the Horde after the burning of Stonewind Keep.

Retreating back to Gilneas for safety, Lucius worked extensively with his team of House advisors and family members, to come up with a plan in case the Horde attempted to strike further north in Khaz Modan or Lordaeron. During this time period (May of 0 ADP), Lucius' first son, Velkron, was born. Months of joy and celebration followed as this signaled the birth of the next family patriarch.

After a few years of planning, the family's worst nightmare became reality when in 6 ADP, the Second War began, and the Horde pushed north through Khaz Modan and into southern Lordaeron. Lucius focused his shipping efforts on re-supplying the Dwarves near Dun Modr and the humans in Stromgarde, before turning his focus on Lordaeron City in the north. The House of Blackstone eventually became a silent but very deadly force in the Second War, keeping the Alliance supplied, clothed and fed while maintaining a good political standing with their parent nation, Gilneas, seeing as Gilneas had withdrawn from the war early on to stand alone.

Following the war and the death of his brother, Jonathan (father of Venaren), Lucius Blackstone returned home to his family, and let his advisors and trusted friends run his company in his much-needed absence. During this time, the Greymane Wall was erected, which stood for the next twenty-one years. During this period of isolationism, the Blackstone Company operated its mercantile activities in relative secret, away from the prying eyes of King Genn Greymane. Lucius retook control over the family's company, and continued to make a small fortune through trading and shipping. Some of the company's skilled carpenters and stonemasons were sent south to assist the Stormwind Stonemason's Guild in rebuilding the once glorious city. Some of these Blackstone stonemasons went rogue with the rest of the guild, resulting in the creation of the Defias Brotherhood and the death of Queen Tiffin Wrynn. A few, however, remained neutral, like master mason Erefor Pelija, and returned home to Gilneas to once again serve the Company.

Between 8 ADP and 20 ADP, the Company experienced a decent period of peace, amidst political turmoil and rebuilding all over the Eastern Kingdoms. The House of Blackstone also re-emerged onto the political scene in Gilneas, to assist the Royalty in quelling treasonous citizens. After establishing a strong foothold in Crestfall and Kul Tiras, the Company turned its gaze to the northern regions of Lordaeron, where shipments of grain had become tainted and plagued with undeath. Attempting to send relief packages to Stratholme and Andorhal, the packages ultimately failed, and the two major cities became teeming with hordes of undead soldiers and reanimated citizens.

In 21 ADP, immediately following the Battle of Mount Hyjal and the founding of Orgrimmar, word reaches Lucius and the House of Blackstone that Lady Jaina Proudmoore is attempting to set up a major human foothold in the newly discovered continent of Kalimdor. Lucius pledges his assistance and sends supplies and men across the Great Sea to Dustwallow Marsh to begin assisting Jaina in her efforts.

Between the years of 22 ADP and 27 ADP, Gilneas underwent a firestorm of political activity and dissidence. The Northgate Rebellion ignited itself around 24 ADP and a Civil War began in 27 ADP between the Gilneas Royal Crown and the Northgate Rebels, led by Darius Crowley. Lucius gave his utmost support to the King and his sons Venaren and Thomas became underground resistance operators in Gilneas City, working against the agents of Crowley that were seeded throughout the capital.

By 28 ADP, an enigmatic and strange "curse" broke out in the Northern Highlands of the nation, sending the Northgate Rebels into a downward spiral of bestiality. Lucius, seeing his opportunity to gain more favor with the King, offers Genn the support of his company in determining the cause of the curse and a possible "antidote." However, their efforts became futile when the curse reached the capital city itself, preying upon the young, old, poor and rich. Lucius and his family retreated southeast to their home in Tempest's Reach, on the Baradin Bay coastline. There they waited out the "Worgen plague" for weeks, until their cousin Venaren came to fetch them in the midst of a warm June night. Lucius, learning that most of the House of Blackstone had fallen victim to the curse or had been killed in a ballroom explosion in Gilneas City, swore to avenge his fallen loved ones.

During their retreating flight to Keel Harbor in western Gilneas, the remnants of the House of Blackstone came under attack by two rabid worgen. Lucius and his wife, Satheria, continued to flee west with Venaren to Keel Harbor, while their two sons stayed to fend off the attackers. In the end, Thomas was killed in the melee and Venaren was bitten by a fast-appearing third worgen. Venaren fled south to Duskhaven and was given a partial "cure" while Lucius and Satheria fell under attack at Keel Harbor by an invading Forsaken amphibious group. They were captured and tortured by a team of two Forsaken warlocks, Alistair Montgomery and James Grell, respectively, the same pair that had caused the ballroom explosion that killed most of the Blackstone family. The Blackstones were well known amongst the ranks of the Horde as being major providers to the war efforts of the Alliance, and anti-Forsaken propagandists.

Shortly thereafter, Velkron returned to Keel Harbor only to find his parents in a very weak comatose state and Venaren lying tortured and unconscious on the deck of a Gilnean ship. Speaking a few last words to his father, he hid as the two warlocks entered the room, and tortured the last bit of life out of the legendary Blackstone Patriarch and his beloved wife. As Alistair left the ship's cabin immediately, James stayed behind to dispose of the bodies, which is when Velkron entered into a rage and killed the warlock from behind with a fallen Gilnean's sword. He fled the ship, assuming Venaren to be dead and swam south to the cliffs of the Headlands, and made his way back to Duskhaven to grieve.

In Duskhaven, Velkron sought safe haven among others with the curse. However, the return of the dragon Deathwing caused a global cataclysm that shook Azeroth to its core and plunged Duskhaven beneath the waters of the Great Sea. Venaren, who was hiding in a fishing hut outside of Duskhaven, having escaped from the ship in bad shape, came incredibly close to drowning while attempting to save an afflicted Worgen child chained to a wooden post. Velkron survived the flood, but washed up on the shore near Greymane's former manor, beatened, battered, and left with little hope. He was presumed to be the sole survivor of the House of Blackstone.

The same day, Velkron found a small fishing boat, and began to depart from the coast of Gilneas, hoping to reach Menethil Harbor in a few days time. However, a Night Elf vessel picked him up on its way out of Keel Harbor (after the defeat of the Horde Gunship) and Velkron agreed to sail to Darnassus and begin a new life. Upon arriving the Night Elf capital city, Velkron Blackstone took charge of what was left of his family's name and company, and began preparing the one-man House of Blackstone for the new era before him, not knowing that his cousin Venaren was still alive.

Recently, in April of 31 ADP, the company was seized and taken over by newly re-emerged Cavil Blackstone, stealing the reins of the company from his cousin Velkron and driving it forward with an iron fist. Cavil was eventually killed in the ruins of Tempest's Reach in Gilneas, by Velkron himself. Shortly thereafter, Venaren re-emerged as well, and met with Velkron in Stormwind, just before Velkron had a climactic showdown with the rogue mage Valdric Galestone. Following the battle, which took place in the Western Plaguelands, Velkron fled north to the icy lands of Northrend, seeking refuge and safety from Valdric, attempting to draw the mage away from the much younger Venaren. With Velkron in hiding, Venaren took control of the Blackstone Company, hoping to push it into a new age.

Known Members

 * Ewain Blackstone (founding Patriarch)
 * Joseph Blackstone
 * Haldor Blackstone
 * Unnamed Blackstone official killed in Dalaran
 * Morgan Blackstone
 * Henry Blackstone
 * James Blackstone
 * Nicolas Blackstone
 * Lucius Blackstone
 * Satheria Blackstone
 * Jonathan Blackstone
 * Arya Blackstone
 * Cavil Blackstone (former Patriarch)
 * Velkron Blackstone (former Patriarch)
 * Venaren Blackstone (current Patriarch)
 * Thomas Blackstone
 * Kara Blackstone