¤ The Loiseau Family

The last important faction based in Armorique is the Loiseau clan. In the complex and changing society of this northwestern province, the Loiseau have managed to carve themselves a unique slice of power. Like so many other old families of the region, they saw their lands and importance beginning to decline in the face of increasingly audacious merchants from l'Anguille. But, instead of quietly submitting or putting up a futile struggle, Henri Loiseau, Duc de l'Anguille, chose to try and beat the so-called 'noblesse de robe' at their own game. After years spent developing the Bretonnian colonies in the New World, he inherited his father's title just over two years ago and returned with an intrepid, grasping attitude and a determination to win power for himself and his family. Upon arriving in l'Anguille, Henri mustered what resources his family could still claim (and, as they had once been the greatest family in Armorique, these were still considerable) and invested them in commercial ventures and in developing his remaining estates. He expanded his clientage, abandoning many intransigent old families (some of whom retain a deepseated grudge for the Loiseau even today) and gave patronage to promising merchants and professionals. Henri and his supporters now constitute the strongest counterpoise to the Granvelle in Armorique, vying closely with them for dominance of l'Anguille. Although the Duc de l'Anguille has actually embraced many of the practices his fellow aristocrats decry as more befitting the 'noblesse de robe', he is nevertheless seen as the conservative, traditionalist party in Armorique. Ironically, he is far more ready to quit old practices and norms than the Granvelle, who place a great value on caution and consistency. Already Henri has introduced a number of new practices to his estates, and encourages intrepid ventures amongst the traditionally stolid merchants of l'Anguille; these include further colonisation in the New World, direct challenges to the hated dominance of Marienburg (said to involve midnight raids on premises in the Suiddock of Marienburg and sabotage of rival vessels) and even attempts to woo Sea Elven traders into l'Anguille.

In his struggle to gain primacy over the upstart Granvelle merchants, Henri Loiseau divides his time between l'Anguille and the Oisillon Palace, where his slick (some would say slimy) technique of persuasion has won him many supporters, especially amongst the King's own faction where Henry has some blood-ties; privately, he knew that they presented the best way of getting at the King without tying himself either to Cardinal Dumourieux (who favours the Granvelle family) or the De Semblancy faction (who would dominate the comparatively weak Loiseau). A major coup was won last year when Loiseau, in conjunction with the minor Blois related Gevaudan family of Breton, succeeded in having Seigneur Xavier Gevaudan appointed as Governor of l'Anguille, having persuaded the King that Bernard Granvelle was well past his prime. Since Henri has eased Xavier's progress in several ways, the Seigneur has taken the hand of his daughter and spurned the somewhat draughty and functional L'Anguille lighthouse for Henri Loiseau's comfortable mansion. This overt fraternisation with the Duc de l'Anguille is seen as a scandal by Bernard Granvelle, who sternly disapproves of the new governor's well-bred ways. Xavier Gevaudan is a weak and vacillating man, tormented by gout and terminal indecisiveness, who is quite content to do whatever Loiseau tells him. Already Henri is fighting an arduous legal battle with the Granvelle family to try and win control of l'Anguille, distracting his opponents from their work at the Oisillon Palace.

One individual who has associated himself with the Duc de l'Anguille, more out of a sense of traditional loyalty to the nobility than anything else, is Admiral Pierre Marouanec. He was offered the chance of an alliance with the new governor of l'Anguille, and saw that this would make his job of controlling the naval elements stationed in the city much easier. Loiseau, however, is finding it hard to get Marouanec to do anything; he is extremely pragmatic, and will do very little that is not directly related to his naval responsibilities. But the fact that he has declared for the governor rather than the Granvelle family is enough for Henri to keep on currying his favour.