House Cantilever is an old and storied bloodline established in Cormyr. The family can trace their heritage back 17 generations to their founding member, Baron Aldion von Cantilever. The once proud and successful family is now broken, its members scattered. Few people, if anyone, in Cormyr even recognize the family crest of the Cantilevers. The location of the family home is lost to time.
Members of House Cantilever
Aldion Von Cantilever
Aldion Von Cantilever was the founding member of the Cantilever family. Born of noble blood, Aldion was a charismatic Purple Dragon general. Aldion was well-respected by his soldiers for his honorable behavior and compassion for ally and enemy alike. A title and land grant, bestowed by the king for meritorious service, allowed Aldion to establish a peaceful realm based on the values of honor and personal freedom. The Cantilevers became a large and prosperous bloodline under Aldion's guidance.
Maximillian Cantilever
Maximillian Cantilever was the great-great-great-grandson of Aldion Cantilever. Maximillian was a paladin and champion of the common people. He won many great victories in his lifetime and did much to secure the safety of Cormyr against the forces of evil. Despite these noble efforts, legend has it that an ancient insidious evil arose in heart of Cormyr. Maximillian pursued this darkness at great personal cost. After many years of searching and facing the monster's minions, Maximillian was finally able to confront the evil plaguing his lands. The fierce battle raged for hours before the paladin was able to strike the killing blow. Fading from mortal existence, the monster used its final breath to bestow a potent curse on Maximillian and his descendants.
Mordenkainen Cantilever
Mordenkainen Cantilever was the elder brother of Maximillian Cantilever. Mordenkainen was a powerful spellcaster and a loyal servent of the king. It is suspected that he was also a War Wizard. Mordenkainen developed his own style of spellcasting, although this art has been lost to history.
Dalmas and Meredith Cantilever
Dalmas and Meredith Cantilever are the parents of Maxwell Cantilever of the Ebon League. Dalmas spent his life trying to break the family curse. His obsession drove his family into poverty. Meredith died a few years later of consumption. Dalmas was eventually claimed by the curse.
Odium Cantilever
Odium Cantilever is an aging cleric of Oghma. From the safety of his fortified personal library, he researches the history of the Cantilever family and the nature of the curse that follows them. It is his dream to see the curse lifted.
Locating Manor Cantilever is the first step to breaking the curse. The location of the manor was lost long ago when the manor was abandoned. The best hope of locating the manor would be to find Mordidious Blackmantle, an aged scholar well-versed in the heraldry of ancient Cormyr. Afraid to leave the safety of his fortified library, Odium has sent his nephew Maxwell to find Mordidious.
Other Members
More on the surviving Cantilevers to come.
The Cantilever Family Curse
The Cantilever Family Curse is the name given to the curse received by Maximillian Cantilever at the hands of an unknown evil. The fall of the house of Cantilever is largely attributed to the curse.
At the very best, the curse manifests as extremely bad luck for the family. The Cantilevers have lost fortunes to failing crops, mysteriously dying livestock, and financial deals gone awry in the years since Maximillian was cursed. Cantilevers began dying from odd circumstances; bad falls down the stairs, fires on stormy nights, ships lost at sea on clear days.
At the very worst, the curse draws creatures of darkness towards the unfortunate family member. More than a few Cantilevers have been found frozen dead, their faces locked in silent fearful screams. Other family members have simply disappeared in billowing clouds of shadow on moonless nights. Still more Cantilevers have claimed to been haunted by apparitions in the family manor.
The curse spelled disaster for the family, which had difficulty maintaining noble status within a few generations. Cormyr's other noble houses took notice and moved on their weakened competition. Currently, only a dozen or so Cantilevers remain alive. Most live in obscurity.
Cantilever Manor
Cantilever Manor is a ancestral home of the Cantilevers. The sprawling, semi-fortified manor was built by Aldion von Cantilever on the land granted by the King of Cormyr. Historical evidence suggests that the manor was located on the outskirts of Cormyr and used as outpost for patrolling Cormyr's borders, but since that time the borders of the Forest Kingdom have expanded significantly.
After the family became cursed, the once lively manor gradually took on an ominous air. Reports of hauntings became increasingly commonplace. With the surrounding farmlands failing and influential members of the family dying, financial troubles forced the Cantilevers to abandon their home. Without the protection of an active lord, neighboring townspeople and farmers moved away and the entire area became a ghost town.