Saronne's People
Jaquet d'Artais
Jaquet d'Artais was a legendary explorer and navigator. He founded the colony of Aradie and the city of Sherbourg. Born in 1494 into a family of shipbuilders and mariners from Saronne, d'Artais was raised on ships and exploring the boundaries of the newly discovered continent of Everique. He mapped the length of the Grande Vire River and discovered Lake Chambenac. In 1521, he purchased the monopoly on the fur trade for the explored lands from King Marcelet III of Saronne. His first two attempts at colonization met with disaster, either due to the weather or hostile natives. While he was attempting to found Sherbourg, d'Artais lost his monopoly on the fur trade to other explorers. He brought in other investors and co-founded the Aradie Trading Company which regained the fur trade monopoly. Then his third attempt at founding a settlement in 1548 was successful, after the unexplained disappearance of the hostile Odaneois. He assured the prosperity of his new colony by aligning with the Elakanois against the Liranequois to the south.
Jaquet d'Artais married for political reasons, but he and his wife Ysabel were never a well-matched couple. She refused to relocate to the colony and eventually their marriage was annulled. d'Artais married Clouds-to-Rain, the daughter of the Elakanois chieftain and had several children with her. Jaquet d'Artais died of natural causes in 1561. He was buried in a small chapel in Sherbourg. The chapel was destroyed when an army from Kleef sacked and occupied the town. The exact location of the chapel was lost, and his grave's location is still unknown.
Madeleine Vignerot
Madeleine Vignerot was the niece of King Marcelet IV of Saronne. She rose to prominence at the royal court in the mid-16th Century, eventually becoming a lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche. Never considered a beautiful woman, Madeleine was instead blessed with a discerning eye for talent and a generous nature. After the death of Blanche in 1559, Madeleine's political influence waned and she shifted her attentions and considerable wealth to charitable efforts. She sponsored many artistic and humanitarian projects, including the Vignerot Hospital in Sherbourg. On her death in 1583, she was one of the most loved women in the country, and her name has became incredibly popular for baby girls ever since.
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