skin, bone, and arrogance
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To solidify a location that has been referenced in this character's backstory.
- Image Credit: HGTV.com
- Canon: N/A
- Links: Talbot Vitalis, Duke of Foxfield
- Structure Name: Foxfield Park
- Classification: Private Estate/Castle
- Location: Galidraan
- Affiliation: Talbot Vitalis, 9th Duke of Foxfield
- Accessibility: The estate is a well-known country house on Galidraan, situated in the western reaches of the main continent, near the equator. Members of the aristocratic set on Galidraan would know exactly where to find it. Access is another foxhunt altogether, as the estate (beyond its gardens and lawns) is surrounded by security measures and walls. The uber-rich and privileged on Galidraan mostly keep to themselves, but expect a certain level of privacy and security when at the country seat. Automated defenses, walls and gates serve to control access.
- Security: Motion sensors along the perimeter, security cameras, electric fences, and armed security are present at the estate, particularly since the wedding of the Duke of Foxfield to the First Order's Grand Moff. The political situation being what it is, the current Duke does not reside there, however his sister and mother, the Dowager Duchess of Foxfield, live at the estate, and guards were hired and security increased to safeguard against the risk that the two might serve as pawns in the hostilities against the Silver Jedi Order and the First Order. The house has an extensive armory, given that the collection of antique weapons -- functional and non-functional -- is a long-standing family tradition. It is worth nothing that the estate began its days as a castle fortress during Galidraan's pre-laser history, and has been updated throughout the years to provide protection as technology develops. The castle would not stand against an orbital strike or equivalent (without a shield generator or other form of protection) but could likely withstand a siege of small- to medium-arms force for some time.
- Description: The name "Foxfield Park," adopted thirty years ago to lend an air of gentility, is a misnomer if ever there was, for instead of a delicate, aristocratic palace, is an imposing fortress castle, a relic the brutal, feudal history of Galidraan prior to its unification. The castle itself is a stout stone fortress, featuring a few taller fortified towers. The estate features lush lawns and simplistic gardens, which were en vogue in Galidraani nobility a few decades ago, circled by a stone wall withe thick metal gates. The castle contains a dozen bedrooms, a suite of small family rooms and also several large 'state rooms' for entertaining or official use. Beyond the walls, the Foxfield Park estate farms enough land to sustain the estate as well as make a healthy income. This, combined with the rents from the nearby village of Fox Corners which form part of the estate, provides a generous wealth to the Vitalis family.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Gardens: Low-key and of simple elegance, the gardens at Foxfield Park feature simple topiary, small fruit trees, and lush, sweeping lawns between castle and outer walls. The lawns are wide and open, providing little cover for intruders.
The Billiard Room: The very top of one tower holds a billiard table, which was installed to give off-duty watchmen something to do. It is still used by men in the family when the women have retired to the drawing room.
The Keep: The center of the castle is fortified and has been used as a fortress in times past. Currently, it holds the castle's security center (where feeds from all the cameras, sensors, etc. are monitored) and strongroom. The strongroom is accessed through a central hub, which is itself accessed via several secret passages throughout the castle.
Secret Passages: A quick escape is sometimes necessary, which is why past generations of the Dukes of Foxfield have installed secret passages throughout the Castle. Some lead to escape tunnels, while others lead to a central hub, where there is an entrance to a strongroom/saferoom. In the library, a small button opens a bookcase; in the study, a certain touch of a frame of the 2nd Duke of Foxfield swings the painting open to reveal a tunnel; in the drawing room, pulling the servant summon cord in a series of directional pulls swivels the fireplace around, and so forth.
Landing Zones: The broad, open lawns double as landing zones for small or medium-sized shuttles and transports.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Originally built before there was a Foxfield to be Duke of, the castle originally served a feudal purpose in early Galidraani history. It was the refuge of the townsfolk and the home of the feudal lord. In times of war it served as a citadel and training grounds; in times of peace, it was a rallying area for local traditions and holiday. As Galidraan became more civilized and less warlike, and as the Vitalis family performed more services for the establishment, it became their family seat. Throughout the years, the castle has been home to the Vitalis family through thick and thin -- more thin than thick in recent years.
The house fell into the hands of Talbot Vitalis upon the death of his father. His father was a second son and not expected to inherit, but his elder brother's death moved Talbot's father into the big chair.
Foxfield Park factors into an interesting chapter of Galidraani social history -- details which, but for the prominence of the figures at play, would otherwise have made for a soapy evening drama: the Fortan/Vitalis feud. Talbot Vitalis (before his father became the Duke of Foxifled) had been engaged to the daughter of the Earl of Herevan, Natasi Fortan, although it became increasingly clear that his eyes were on the real prize: Herevan Hold, a wealthy estate belonging to Frejrik Fortan. When he discovered that Fortan's only surviving child Natasi would not inherit the estate, but instead that it would go to Fortan's closest male-line relative, a distant cousin named Maximilian Jens, the Duke of Foxfield called off the engagement and sought a better (read: richer) match for his son, causing a scandal in Galidraani society. For a decade, the great families of that part of the planet arrayed on sides, Vitalis and Fortan, in the quietest, most polite, and hugely etiquette-based cold war in Galidraani history. It was a battle fought in the dining rooms and drawing rooms of the wealthy and well-connected, its weapons the stinging verbal barbs, rolled eyes, muttered asides, and snubs of the aristocracy. The wealthy and influential Reeds sided with the Fortans, in large part due to the close relationship between the matriarchs of the families.
But when Foxfield Park fell into his hands, Talbot sought to bury the hatchet and seek forgiveness for allowing his father to manipulate him. Foxfield Park became a place of reconciliation when the newlyweds stopped briefly for part of thier honeymoon there. Foxfield Park continues to serve as the ancestral home of the Vitalis clan, with Talbot Vitalis' mother (the Dowager Duchess of Foxfield) and his sister, Lady Violet Vitalis currently residing there. It remains a center of employment in the region, and could serve as a military stronghold against a moderate attack as needed.
