Gentry Family
The Gentry family were the neighbors of Zaira von Monocle in Plainsroad Village, living and working on an adjacent property. The family consisted of Mr. Gentry, Mrs. Gentry, and their son James Gentry. They maintained a close relationship with Zaira, who relied on them for practical assistance and companionship, running over to them whenever she needed anything, including simple conversation.
Overview
In For Steam and Country, Zaira reflected on the importance of the Gentry family to her daily survival: "Without the help of the Gentrys, I'm not sure how I'd survive." Their farm and house were situated adjacent to Zaira's farm in Plainsroad Village, and the family regularly sold her harvests at market on her behalf, providing her with an essential means of income and support.
In The Fight for Rislandia, Zaira recalled that her neighbors the Gentrys had been overwhelmed by the Wyranth, confirming the destruction of the family during the earlier conflict: "I'd known my neighbors, the Gentrys, were overwhelmed by Wyranth."
Members
Mr. Gentry
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
James Gentry
James Gentry is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gentry. He escaped alongside Zaira during the Wyranth assault on their properties, aided by his father's sacrifice. He was the sole surviving member of the Gentry family.
Role in For Steam and Country
In For Steam and Country, the Gentry family's farm and house were attacked and set on fire by soldiers of the Wyranth Military. Their farm was destroyed in the assault. Mr. Gentry sacrificed himself to provide Zaira and James with enough time to flee. Zaira later expressed her belief that the Wyranth soldiers had killed Mrs. Gentry and the rest of the family, stating: "They likely killed Toby and the Gentrys." The destruction of the Gentry farm marked a turning point that drove Zaira away from her home and into the wider conflict of the story.
Role in The Fight for Rislandia
In The Fight for Rislandia, Zaira reflected on the fate of the Gentrys, recalling that they had been overwhelmed by the Wyranth. This reference confirmed the loss of the family as understood by Zaira in the aftermath of the events of For Steam and Country.
Spoiler: The Crystal Conspiracy
This section reveals events from “The Crystal Conspiracy”.
Relationships
- Zaira von Monocle: The Gentrys were Zaira's closest neighbors in Plainsroad Village and a primary source of support, selling her harvests at market and serving as companions she could turn to at any time.
- Toby: Mentioned alongside the Gentrys by Zaira when expressing her belief that both were killed by Wyranth soldiers.
- Wyranth Military: The soldiers responsible for attacking and burning the Gentry home and farm, killing Mr. and Mrs. Gentry.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, the Gentry family are described as neighbors of the von Monocle family broadly, and are noted for making occasional visits to Zaira von Monocle during the period when she lived alone on the farm in Plainsroad Village.
The sourcebook's framing of the Gentrys as neighbors of the von Monocle family as a whole, rather than simply of Zaira personally, implies a longer-standing relationship between the two households predating Zaira's solitary tenure on the farm. The characterization of their contact as "occasional visits" also presents a somewhat more limited picture of the relationship than the novels suggest, where Zaira describes running to them whenever she needed anything, including simple conversation.