A Nirendia Journey: The Mallories

The Mallories are one of two families that control the southern territories of Surdel. These families are so important and ancient that the scion of the family is officially appointed the title of High Lord by the royal family. The High Lord of the Mallory clan at the onset of the Age of Magic is Janus Mallory, father to Julian and Jayna.

Janus Mallory is known across Surdel as a pragmatic, bold, calculating, and even-tempered man. His family has repelled hundreds of orc attacks to keep the southeastern expanses of Surdel safe. The Mallories have also repulsed Visanthi pirates and armies sent to harass ports like Sevania and Fomsea and invasions that extended to Shirun and even as far north as Perketh and Dona. To keep the peace amongst the southern lords, arranged marriages are common between the Mallory and Vossen clans. Both families have rich heritages of Vossen and Mallory lineages, but no such marriage has taken place for Janus’ children, which is highly unusual. Tensions have risen and there are rumors of organized bandit raids in the Vossen lands that may have been ordered by High Lord Janus Mallory.

Janus first married Vanessa Vossen whom gave birth to a beautiful red-haired daughter named Jayna. Rumors swirled about Vanessa and infidelity for years before Vanessa died mysteriously without producing a male heir.

Janus remarried a local noblewoman Samantha Voltaire, who gave birth to Julian Mallory less than one year after the death of Vanessa. Because of the circumstances around Vanessa’s death and the rumor that Samantha was already pregnant when Janus remarried, relations between the Vossen and Mallory clans deteriorated further and quickly.

At the onset of the Age of Magic, the Mallory family is entwined in an unofficial feud with the Vossens. Raids have been reported on local tax collectors, causing the royal Eldenwald family to become involved by proxy. Meanwhile, Janus has requested High Lord Edward Vossen recognize and agree to formal marriages be arranged for Julian or Jayna, which have gone unanswered. The Mallory children are now in their early twenties and rumored to be inseparable, being often seen together at tournaments at Fomsea and King’s Harbor, a port in Vossen territory.

Explore the world of the Mallory family and the Kingdom of Surdel in the Orcusinian Box Set (Books 1-4 of the Age of Magic)

About Rex Jameson
Rex Jameson is the author of the three novels in the Primal Patterns series and half a dozen short stories. An avid history buff and an unabashed nerd with an appetite for science fiction and fantasy, he loves to create complex speculative fiction with layered characters. He earned a PhD in Computer Science at Vanderbilt University and researches distributed artificial intelligence in robotics. Rex and his wife Jenny live in Las Vegas where they enjoy hosting family and friends.

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