Court of love
The Courts of Love is a Vampire domain and feudal institution during the Dark Ages and the War of Princes, and was formed by the French Toreador. It was backed mainly by Toreador and centered around western France.
Contents
1 Overview
2 History
3 Members
4 References
Overview
The Court Of Love
Alexander and the Queens of the Courts of Love.
The Courts of Love began as a social movement among Toreador of Western Europe taken with the emerging concepts of chivalry in its most poetic expressions and quickly became one of the gathering points for Cainites with interests in knighthood, where those who proved their worth through skill at arms and wit gained status and followers.
The basic ideal of courtly love is that a knight holds his lady as the pinnacle of virtue and beauty and does great deeds in her name, all in return for a smile, a praise or a gentle glance – an experience between erotic desire and spiritual attainment that held much sway among Cainites. Hence, while the Courts of Love rarely issue direct commands to local princes, a queen or king has great persuasive authority. When the Courts of Love were held, four thrones would be placed on a raised dais and four unbreathing monarchs sat upon them hearing the case being laid before their august judgment.
These three women and one man were among the most powerful Cainites in France. The Queens of the Courts of Love were Isouda de Blaise, Queen of Blois, elegant in manner and wise in the ways of the Cainite heart and mind; Hélène la Juste, Queen of Champagne, afire with passion that often outstripped her wisdom; Etienne de Poitiers, King of Poitou, witty, charming, conniving; and Queen Salianna, the Matriarch of the Courts of Love.
The Courts of Love came to the attention of the various princes of France when they discovered that they were a great tool to secure one's domains and advancing one's agenda. Soon enough, that advantage became an outright requirement for those seeking power, and the Courts of Love had become the major axis for intrigue and strife among French vampires. They grew so powerful that they were competitors to the German Ventrue and the Iberian Lasombra.
History Eleanor of Aquitaine, had significant influence over the Cainites, particularly the Toreadors, who, under Salianna's leadership, founded the Courts of Love in the second half of the 12th century. These courts mark the emergence of a true countervailing power with which Prince Regent Alexander and Saviarre are forced to deal, much to their displeasure, especially considering that Alexander's relations with Queen Salianna are at their lowest point since he assassinated his Infanta Lorraine.
The incredible political and military skill of Philippe II Augustus is impressive, and with good reason. The ancient Alexandre took back the reins of occult power, emerging from his long depression during which Cainite politics were dominated only by the conflicts between Salianna and Saviarre d'Auvergne, settled through their vassals. The weakness Alexandre had shown allowed the expansion of Toreador power and their Courts of Love, a situation the prince-regent fully intended to reverse by reminding everyone who the true master was, and by breathing some of his renewed energy and fighting spirit into the King of France.
With the departure of Esclarmonde during the Albigensian Crusade, the Courts of Love were faced with a crisis and eventually fell during the witch-hunts of the Inquisition.
Members
- Queen-Matriarch Salianna of Paris (5th Generation)
- Queen Esclarmonde the Black of Toulouse (7th Generation)
- Queen Isouda de Blaise of Anjou (7th Generation)
- Rosamund of Islington (8th Generation)
- Fulco de Outremer (8th Generation)