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The Conté family (pronounced kohn-TAY) is the Tortallan royal family, and a long-lived reigning dynasty that founded Tortall.[1]

Family history[]

Newlin I was one of the first Conté kings to rule Tortall, and ascended to the throne of Tortall in 795 BHE, originally a state in the Thanic Empire.[1]

Tortall experienced many wars under the Conté rulers, namely the various conquests of King Jasson, the Tusaine War under King Roald, and the Immortals War and the Scanran War under King Jonathan IV. There were also times of relative peace, including during the time of King Jonathan.

Fief Conté[]

Fief Conté was once just an ordinary fiefdom, located on the southern edge of the Royal Forest near Fief Cavall. The castle was held by any royal son without land or title of his own, and was run by a seneschal when the family is not in residence.[2]

Members of the Family[]

200s HE[]

Alysy of Galla married into the family but produced no heirs. They are married in 222 HE, when Roger is still a prince of Tortall. Between 222 and 224, he ascends, as Alysy did carry the title Queen before her death.

300s - 400s HE[]

Coat of Arms and colors[]

The Conté royal colors are blue, white, and silver. Their arms are a sword and crown over a field.

Relations[]

Dunlath family[]

The Dunlath family and the Conté family were fourth cousins in the 400s HE. Yolane, Duchess of Dunlath, was King Jonathan's fourth cousin as was Yolane's younger sister, Maura of Dunlath. Lady Maura, at least, had magic inherited from the Conté line, which means four generations prior to this, a Conté princess married into the Dunlath family.

Naxen family[]

Tortall's ruling family had a close relationship with the Naxen family. Although they tried not to intermarry too often, they had been working together off and on for "a couple of years" by the fifth century of the Human Era. One of King Jasson's best generals and his right hand had been a Naxen and he married a Naxen third cousin. King Roald married Lianne of Naxen and her brother, Gareth of Naxen the Elder, was the page's training master as well as Roald's Prime Minister. This close bond between the families continued on in the next generation, with King Jonathan, one of whose close friends was Duke Gareth's son Gary of Naxen, who also followed his father in being the King's Prime Minister.[4]

Trebond family[]

In the 200s HE, one of Prince Baird's daughters married Lionel of Trebond, thus becoming a member of the Trebond family. Presumably, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau is Prince Baird's descendant through this daughter.

Jesslaw family[]

Jasson III married a member of the Jesslaw family, who is now ancestress to not only the heir of Tortall, but of Carthak.

King's Reach family[]

Princess Kalasin stayed with her kinswoman, the Countess of King's Reach and a relation of Faleron of King's Reach, in order to learn how to be a lady.

Other possible ties[]

Burchard of Stone Mountain mentioned that the royal family marrying foreign royalty was a rather new and progressive concept, suggesting that the Conté family traditionally only married its own nobility. This could suggest that the Conté family is related to quite a few more Tortallan noble families than what is listed.

The Queenscove family[]

Baird of Queenscove shares the same name as many Tortallan kings. As the Tortallan nobility and royalty have a tradition of naming children after ancestors, this could suggest that the Conté family has a possible relation to the Queenscove family. This would be very probable, as the Queenscove family is one of the most powerful and respected noble house of Tortall, not unlike the Naxen family. It is also a duchy like Dunlath and Naxen.

Family tree[]

Thom of Pirate's Swoop's Versions[]

From 795 AE to 367 HE[]

Collapsible family tree showing the family line prior to 367 HE.

Conté family per Thom of Pirate's Swoop's timeline[5][6]from 795 AE[7] to 367 HE.
Unnamed ancestors[8]
Newlin I of Conté[9]Unnamed woman
Conté manUnnamed woman
Unnamed womanNewlin II of Conté
Roald I of Conté[10]Annable of ?
Unnamed womanEnnalt of ? AKA Newlin III of Conté[11]
Roald II of Conté[12]Unnamed woman
Doras of Great MinchGareth I of ContéWoman x2[13]
Unnamed womanConté manContés[14].Contés[14]
Conté manUnnamed woman
Conté man x2[15]Baird II of Conté[16][17][18]Unnamed woman
Unnamed womanRoger I of Conté
Unnamed womanJonathan II of Conté[19]
Baird III of Conté[20]Unnamed woman
Roger II of Conté[21]Unnamed woman
See QueenscoveJasson I of Conté[22]
See BarzunHenrim of Queenscove AKA Gareth II of Conté[23]Unnamed woman
Jessamine of BarzunRoger III of Conté[21][24]Unnamed womanBaird of Conté[25]See Trebond
Gareth III of Conté[26]Unnamed womanContés[27]Contés[25]
Conté woman[25]Lionel of Trebond[28]
Wylles of Conté[29]Unnamed womanSee Trebond
Jasson II of Conté[30]Unnamed woman
Roald III of ContéUnnamed womanSee Legann
Roger IV of ContéConté woman[31]Legann man
Unnamed womanRoald of Legann AKA Roald IV of Conté[31]See Dunlath[32]
Baird IV of ContéUnnamed womanSee JesslawConté womanDunlath man[32]
After 367 HE[]

Alternate Version[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tortall: A Spy's Guide, Section: Cooper Family Papers
  2. Reddit; "Tamora Pierce AMA"
  3. Tortall: A Spy's Guide, pg. 234
  4. Random Buzz; "Random Tortall Questions..."; April 22, 2009
  5. 5.0 5.1 Tortall: A Spy's Guide (electronic edition), Cooper Family Papers, Timeline of the Realm of Tortall.
  6. Unfortunately, the timeline conflicted with Ms. Pierce's commentary prior to the publication of the Spy's Guide. See the "other sources" family tree and footnotes for Newlin I, Roger the Liberator, and Jasson II-or-III, among others. Additionally, there may have been additional members of the family not mentioned in the timeline, as it was concerned exclusively with the reigning kings. Some people have been added from other sources, specified in footnotes.
  7. 900 Asaron's Era was 1 Human Era, so this would be about 104 years pre-HE, or 471 years before this chart ends.
  8. It wasn't clear whether Newlin I was the first Conté or only the first royal Conté.
  9. Per the timeline, Newlin I opened the Book of Gold, founded Tortall, and was its first king. But prior to the publication of the Spy's Guide, Ms. Pierce said in online statements that Jonathan I was the first Conté king, that another family held the Tortallan throne before him, and that the Contés were ennobled in the Book of Silver. Archived at Words of Tamora Pierce "The Book of Silver, Reign of the Contés, and Old Ones" August 28, 2007. Archived at the Wayback Machine December 28, 2009. Accessed November 20, 2022. See also the Succession of Tortallan Monarchs.
  10. Not to be confused with Roald V, Jonathan IV's father.
  11. Newlin III was Annable's nephew by birth and was adopted by the childless royal couple.
  12. Not to be confused with Roald VI, Jonathan IV and Thayet's son.
  13. Gareth I's other two wives were Merice of Queenscove and Andrette of Tameran.
  14. 14.0 14.1 In total, between all three wives, Gareth I sired nine children (five women and four men) who gave him eighteen grandchildren and twenty-four great-grandchildren.
  15. It was also possible that the elder great-grandsons were sired by other Contés rather than being Baird II's older brothers (for example, if a sister or younger brother of Doras and Gareth I's firstborn son reproduced before their brother).
  16. Baird I was omitted.
  17. Baird II was Gareth I and Doras's "third great-grandson", which could in theory mean three-times-great-grandson rather than third-eldest great-grandson, but the former was temporally implausible.
  18. It was likely that Baird II's royal parent and grandparent were men, though it wasn't stated explicitly, as Ms. Pierce has stated that prior to Jonathan IV's reign the royal succession was secured to the male line. Sheroes thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce, "Lianokami and Succession to the Throne" August 28, 2007. Archived at the Wayback Machine November 5,2022. Accessed November 23, 2022.
  19. Jonathan I was omitted.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Baird III founded the Provost's Guard in 127 HE (two years after his death, according to the Spy's Guide timeline). Terrier (electronic edition) "The Provost's Guard".
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 The notes on the timeline made it clear that the character referred to as Roger II in the Terrier (electronic edition) "Cast of Characters" was called Roger III in the Spy's Guide. See also Roger III of Conté.
  22. Jasson I was co-regnant with Sidea of Naxen, but wasn't married to her and didn't sire children at all but adopted his cousin instead.
  23. Gareth II was a cousin of Jasson I by birth, but the degree was not specified.
  24. 24.0 24.1 Roger III of Conté was married to Alysy of Galla until her death, but the marriage produced no issue. Terrier "Cast of Characters" and Mastiff.
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Per Bloodhound (electronic edition) "September 13, 247", Prince Baird's oldest daughter was married to Lionel of Trebond, which implied he had other daughters. Per Mastiff, he was childless.
  26. 26.0 26.1 Roger III of Conté and Jessamine's son Gareth's regnal number may have only appeared in the Spy's Guide.
  27. 27.0 27.1 Roger III of Conté and Jessamine had more children after Gareth III per this Random Buzz thread "Fall 2011 Chat with Tamora Pierce!" as archived at the Wayback Machine October 17, 2012. Accessed November 15, 2022.
  28. 28.0 28.1 Bloodhound "Thursday, September 14th, 247".
  29. Wylles became king, but as there was no second King Wylles, no regnal number was used.
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Prior to the publication of the Spy's Guide, Ms. Pierce said in online statements that Jonathan IV's grandfather Jasson III of Conté was Jasson II, not Jasson III. Archived at Words of Tamora Pierce "The Book of Silver, Reign of the Contés, and Old Ones" August 28, 2007. Archived at the Wayback Machine December 28, 2009. Accessed November 20, 2022.
  31. 31.0 31.1 Roald IV was Roger IV's nephew by birth. It was inferred that his birth Conté parent was a woman. It was not known whether there was further issue from match.
  32. 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 32.4 32.5 Per Wolf-Speaker (electronic edition), Ch. 3, Maura of Dunlath and Yolane of Dunlath were Jonathan IV's "third cousins or something like that" (This meant they shared at least one great-great-grandparent. In the Spy's Guide version, this would have to be Roald IV.) It's inferred that the half-sisters' Conté ancestor was a woman.
  33. Unfortunately, the timeline conflicted with Ms. Pierce's commentary prior to the publication of the Spy's Guide. See the "other sources" family tree and footnote for Jasson II-or-III, among others. Additionally, there may have been additional members of the family not mentioned in the timeline, as it was concerned exclusively with the reigning kings. Some people have been added from other sources, specified in footnotes.
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Prior to the publication of the Spy's Guide, Ms. Pierce said in online statements that "the Old King" (which generally meant Jonathan IV's grandfather, Jasson II-or-III) married a Naxen third cousin. Random Buzz thread from 2009 "Random Tortall Questions..." as archived at the Wayback Machine March 30, 2012. Accessed November 15, 2022. (Perhaps Jesslaw had a connection to Naxen, or Jasson II-or-III was married twice.)
  35. 35.0 35.1 In noncanonical sources created before the reveal of Jonathan IV's father Roald the Peacemaker's canonical regnal number (and newer sources that preferred to stick with what they knew), he was often known as Roald I, but the timeline indicated he was Roald V.
  36. Jonathan III was omitted.
  37. 37.0 37.1 In noncanonical sources created before the reveal of Jonathan IV and Thayet's son Crown Prince Roald's canonical regnal number (and newer sources that preferred to stick with what they knew), he was often known as Roald II, but the timeline indicated he was Roald VI.
  38. 38.0 38.1 Shinkokami's first pregnancy was referenced in Ch. 6 of Trickster's Queen, but Lianokami's name appeared only in the "Official Chronology of Tortallan Events" in the Spy's Guide and Ms. Pierce's online commentary. Sheroes thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce, "Lianokami and Succession to the Throne" August 28, 2007. Archived at the Wayback Machine November 5,2022. Accessed November 23, 2022.
  39. Specifically, canon sources (other than Thom of Pirate's Swoop's timeline in the Spy's Guide) and Tamora Pierce's extracanonical commentary. Unfortunately, both canon and comments conflict with the information given in the Spy's Guide. See footnotes for Newlin I, Roger II-or-III, and Jasson II-or-III. Additionally, there may have been members of the family not mentioned, as Ms. Pierce was not giving a complete accounting. Sources specified in footnotes.
  40. Archived at Words of Tamora Pierce "The Book of Silver, Reign of the Contés, and Old Ones" August 28, 2007. Archived at the Wayback Machine December 28, 2009. Accessed November 20, 2022.
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 Mastiff.
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 Alanna: The First Adventure (electronic edition), Ch. 4.
  43. Lioness Rampant (electronic edition), Ch. 2.
  44. Lioness Rampant (electronic edition), Epilogue.
  45. Alanna: The First Adventure (electronic edition), Ch. 5.
  46. Squire (electronic edition), Ch. 1.
  47. 47.0 47.1 Wild Magic (electronic edition), Ch. 8.
  48. Sheroes thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce, "Kaddar and Kally". August 26, 2007. At the Wayback Machine November 15th, 2022. Accessed April 27, 2023.
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 First Test (electronic edition) Ch. 2
  50. Sheroes thread as archived at Words of Tamora Pierce: "Vania, Ilane, and Thayet". August 28, 2007. At the Wayback Machine November 15, 2022. Accessed April 27, 2023.
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