The thing all Rainecourts value above all else is their royal status. Rainecourts have been ruling Lorendale for as long as anyone can remember, and they have very strict surname practices in place to ensure that a Rainecourt will always rule--and that those far removed from the throne won't bear the name. Rainecourts ought to fight tooth and nail to keep the throne circulating among them and between their offspring. Surely secondary values exist within particular branches of this extensive family, but their royal status reigns supreme.

The primary head of the Rainecourt family is the ruling monarch, formerly the oldest child of the former monarch. Julius II broke tradition when he had his children compete for the crown rather than passing it to his eldest. Leopold Rainecourt was chose and he ruled for over 20 years until illness began to take him. Because he hadn't married or produces offspring, he followed in his father's footsteps. After the second heir race, Nya Rainecourt  became queen and head of the family, and after her death it was passed to her crowned-prince, Sigourney Rainecourt. The king died hours after being crowned, and another heir race was ran, at which point it then became Magdalene's, with her mother, Marjolaine Rainecourt-Teake, as regent.

Secondary headship is present in the form of the princes and princesses who have married and birthed children of their own. As royalty and thus the highest ranking partner in their marriages, the princes and princesses experience a minor kind of headship, and may choose to do things differently within their specific family units. In general, however, it is preferable to stick close to the ruling family, as those in power could change at a moment's notice and it will likely be the closest who are most ready to snatch up the crown. 

Each branch of the Rainecourt family looks different, though in general they all hold closely to the ideals which identify Lorendale's society. Propriety is everything, and decorum is never to be dropped for convenience. Many of them spent their days at the Rainecourt palace, watching politicians, attending balls, playing in the gardens, and learning to walk with straight backs and eyes that looked past noses. 

Per the kingdom's standard of maturity, the Rainecourts consider sixteen to be the age at which a son or daughter is presented to the world and able to become betrothed. They do not, however, marry until at least eighteen. 

It is understood among Rainecourts that marriage is business. None of them are led to expect anything otherwise, from being told directly to seeing the lack of affection in their parents' marriages. Regardless of love, there is an expectancy of faithfulness, and an even heavier expectancy of childbearing. 

Each branch of the Rainecourt family has individualized headship, but all submit to the ruling monarch--as does everyone in the kingdom. There are not currently any specially established roles. 

Royalty, royal court positions, courtiers, and students; there isn't much in between. All Rainecourts are hailed as trend setters and exemplary citizens of Lorendale (even when they aren't). They are all celebrities, held in awe by the public. If they aren't ruling or helping their ruling relative, Rainecourts are typically invested in the social life of the kingdom, which can look like politics or parties. 

The ruling monarch is royalty, as are his/her siblings and parents and children. The children of the siblings of monarchs are duchesses and dukes. All Rainecourts are either royalty or dukes/duchesses, with very few exceptions. 

All that Lorendale has is credited to the Rainecourt family. Their conquests over the years, acquisition of wealth, development, etc. has a Rainecourt name associated with it. Thus, the wealth of the kingdom at large could be considered the Rainecourt's, as well as all of the land of Lorendale. The ruling monarch is as rich as they choose to be, depending on taxes and things of that nature. Beyond the ruling line, the other Rainecourts are typically extremely wealthy, their pockets lined with the gold of their inheritances.


Click spoiler to see full Rainecourt family tree.



All nobles know the history of the royal family. Remembering every detail is unnecessary, but understanding the general overview of their dynamics and the changes in the last generations is important.

The former king, Julius Rainecourt II, strove to make changes to Lorendale that would alter the course of the kingdom forever; he succeeded. There is a great deal of controversy about whether all of his changes were necessary and beneficial for the kingdom, but he was a firm man and there was little to be done about his opinion once it was set. He married a beautiful Baronness named Kala and made her a queen. From their union came five children (listed below). For all his character flaws and misplaced priorities, Kala was an angel at his side and a beacon of hope and strength to those who held their breath during his rule.

The kingdom saw more warfare than ever under Julius II; it also saw more financial prosperity due to looting. Though the people were pleased with the territory's expansion and wealth, there was much civil unrest during his rule. The question on everyone's mind was: "Whose father, mother, sister, or brother would die in the next march?"

The most unconventional, tradition-crushing change that King Julius II made during his rule had to do with the heir apparent. According to custom, the eldest child was to take the throne. Julius II, however, did not favor Julius III, and so he rewrote tradition. His heir would not be the eldest, but instead whichever of his children he chose. This inevitably turned his offspring against one another and set a precedent of performance and favor-winning that extended beyond just the immediate royal family. The favor of the king became something everyone strove for, knowing that with a snap of his fingers he was capable of (and willing to) change even the oldest of customs.

Towards the end of his life, Julius II chose his youngest son, Leopold, as his heir and the next king of Lorendale. The people were largely pleased, but the siblings of the new king were mostly unsatisfied. Tradition was rewritten to state that the heir to the throne could be any chosen offspring of the current king or queen. Leopold, however, had to change this tradition again, for he never took a bride and therefore never had offspring of his own. When he came to his premature deathbed after over twenty years of reigning, ailed by some kind of disease, he asked his siblings to bring together a choice heir from their offspring for him to pass the crown to. This was the second heir race, and the competitors were: Cassian Rainecourt (from Julius III), @mihail (from Helena), Nya Raincourt (chosen by her aunt, Cressida, whose own daughter would not take part), and Imelda Rainecourt-Eldouir (chosen by Eleanor). In the end, Nya Rainecourt , the warrior heir, was chosen by Leopold. She named her older brother, Sigourney Rainecourt-Marx, her heir.

The new queen proceeded to die three months later when Coheed marched on Lorendale. In the span of a day her brother went from a prince, to a king, and only hours later he was killed (supposed assassination but a gifted who speaks to the dead has revealed it to have been suicide). The throne of Lorendale was cursed, it seemed. With no heir apparent--Sigourney surely had a daughter, but those with influence in Lorendale were loathe to stand by and let a ten year old take the throne--the kingdom launched into its third heir race, this time with the people as the judge. Marjolaine Rainecourt-Teake, competing as regent, insisting the throne rightfully belonged to her daughter, became the chosen one. The people of Lorendale, by popular vote, set the welfare of their kingdom into the hands of a gifted regent. 

That is where this family is now.  

Most Rainecourts are some Hispanic variant (though, depending on a spouse, kids may look different). Please reach out to me (Eloell ) to chat about where you'd want to plug in and the parameters around that specific branch.