House Chabardieu has its origins in botany and nature. The founder of the house, Ursulin, was a man who spent his days wandering the land. He was meticulous, documenting the properties of every plant and animal and noteworthy phenomena he ran across. One afternoon, he stumbled across several injured knights, fleeing an ambush that had claimed the lives of their brethren. With the enemy hot on their heels and their wounds threatening to send them to Halone's halls, Ursulin realized that the knights had dragged themselves to a field full of Dragonlungs--a (now extinct) type of bulb that was prone to exploding when disturbed. Thinking quickly, he picked up the heaviest rocks he could find and launched them at the Dragonlungs. His plan worked; the explosions confused and repelled the Dravanians, if only temporarily. But it was enough to help the knights find safety. In recognition of his cleverness and bravery, House Chabardieu was born.
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In the modern day, however, the house would come to be known for its fine silver than its explosive start.
After the death of his father, Dacien de Charbardieu became lord of House Chabardieu. By the time he ascended to the position, Dacien and his wife, Nimie, had three children: Ameline, Oldaric, and Sylveret
Ameline was engaged to Aibertain de Guillot. Well-known for the high quality war chocobos they bred, an arrangement with House Guillot was a beneficial one; the Chabardieu would have access to their chocobos and they would have access to the silvercrafts that House Chabardieu specialized in. Their wedding, however, was put on hold for several years due to the calamity and the ensuing chaos.
During that time, Dacien found himself unable to continue his duties as lord of the house and the position fell first to Sylveret. Sylveret, a proud knight-in-training of Ishgard, only held the position for several months before he died after a Dravanian ambush shortly before the fall of Dalamud. Oldaric, the second son and youngest child, was a lively young man, more interested in sports and athletics than numbers and trade. He compensated for his own lack of interest by surrounding himself with the finest accountants and go-betweens his house could afford.
One day, however, Lord Chabardieu disappeared from his bed. Servants went to check on him when they noticed the early rising lord hadn't left his room yet, only to find him gone. Despite an extensive search and questioning, he was never found and, to this day, no trace of his remains. He had no children and, despite the best efforts of house historians to find a suitable heir, the search was unsuccessful. Thus, responsibility for House Chabardieu fell on Ameline.
There was heated debate about Ameline's specific status in House Guillot, as she was now the inheritor of her birth house and the wife of another Lord's youngest son simultaneously. Much of the debate became moot, however, when Aibertain met his own tragic end at the hands of a dragon's attack. With no further ties by marriage to House Guillot, Ameline opted to return home and reign as Lady Chabardieu. Because of her husband's low status and the fact that the couple's only child was a daughter, she was able to leverage continued access to Chabardieu silvercraft in exchange for the right to bring her Sophine home with her. Despite her husband having passed less than two years prior, Ameline has been approached by and subsequently rejected many a potential suitor.
Ameline de Chabardieu's problems didn't end when she returned home. If anything, they worsened; several of the accountants hired by Oldaric had misrepresented numbers and made off with not-insignificant amounts of the family wealth. Some of it was able to be recovered, but much was already gone. Alongside money troubles, Ameline was also plagued by rumors of how she came into her position. Most of them centered around Oldaric and his mysterious disappearance, with more than a few whispered voices suggesting Ameline had disposed of her own brother in a bid for power. After all, she was visiting his home when he went missing. The manor was also under renovations at the time--perhaps she hid his body inside the walls. Despite her best efforts, rumors of this nature continue to persist.
One must wonder, where did Lady Chabardieu hide the bodies?