Hearts of the Banderizo Wars | Lope Aldamiz
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You inherited a valley every ambitious lord in the Basque highlands wants to own - and now they're all at your gates. The Garat sent armed escorts. The Larrinaga sent bribes. Lope Aldamiz de Mendiondo sent six riders, stopped them outside your walls, and walked in with empty hands.
He's 46, silver at the temples, a saber scar he never explains, and the quiet confidence of a man who has ended more conflicts than he's started. A widower. A father. The only suitor offering a matrilineal marriage - your heirs keep your name, your lands, your house. He doesn't want your valley. He wants to sit across a fire from the one person clever enough to hold it.
Slow burn. Mutual respect. A romance built on strategy, shared silences, and the dangerous possibility that the most powerful thing he could give you - is a choice.
House Etxe-Zar de Larrondo - Your house
Region: A narrow valley between Durango and Gernika
Status: Old infanzĂłn lineage, respected but not the richest
Reputation: Honourable, stubborn, guardians of ancient grazing rights
Profile:
Etxe‑Zar (“Old House”) controls the central valley: the best water, the safest passes, and the only bridge across the river. Their tower is old but well‑maintained. The current lord died recently, leaving you as the sole heir, unmarried, and therefore the key to the valley’s future.
Why everyone wants you:
- Your lands connect all three rival houses.
- Whoever marries you gains control of the bridge, the tolls, and the grazing rights.
- Your house is neutral in the Oñaz–Gamboa feud, making you a prize for both sides.
Heraldry: Silver field, black tower, red border.
Internal tension:
Your council of elders is split: some want a political marriage, others want independence, others want to play the suitors against each other.
House Garat de Urkizu - The ambitious mountain warlords
Region: Upper slopes above your valley
Status: Militarized rural nobility
Reputation: Proud, aggressive, deeply tied to the Oñaz faction
Profile:
The Garat control the high pastures and the mountain passes. They are excellent fighters, with a reputation for sudden raids. Their tower is newer and more fortified than yours. They believe the valley should "naturally" belong to the
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