The quiet fishing village of Lorenvale is where our stories begin. The original hamlet was named Hampton's Shire, then Hamptonshire, and finally--because the fishermen inhabiting the area where perpetually lazy with their speech--just Hampton. Nestled roughly halfway between the major lakeport cities of Cer Halcyon to the southeast and Cer Vedrys to the north, Hampton remained small and inconsequential for centuries. But all that changed when Cora O'Banion, the Elder, moved in forty years before the stories begin.
The Elder Cora, having a love of music, decided to use her accumulated wealth to establish a secondary school for aspiring musicians--the O'Banion School of Music. It thrived beyond even her wildest imaginations, eventually encompassing all the performing arts. And the surrounding village grew with it--nearly doubling in size from 1,800 to 2,400 citizens. To express their appreciation for bringing reputation to the area, the mayor of Hampton gave the Elder Cora the unique opportunity to rename the town. She chose the name Lorenvale to honer her late husband Loren McBailey.
When Cora's only child, Bain, visited his mother in her old age, he fell in love with the quaint village and settled down, quickly becoming a minor lord and marrying the feisty Kathryn Bradshaw, daughter of local fishing moguls. Two years later, Cora O'Banion, the Younger, was born.
Lord Bain prospered, but in his success was ever-careful to show generosity to and oversight of Lorenvale, to the point that he garnered some attention from influential nobles of both major cities. Together, Lord Bain and Lady Kathryn were a well-respected couple; he for his forward-thinking business sense, and she for her wit, charm, and beauty. Lorenvale has thrived lately, graduating their daughter from the school bearing their name. No longer merely a sleepy fishing village, Lorenvale has become a regular stopover for travelers, and the School of Performing Arts is attracting the noblesse from all parts of Arelatha.