Ruling Family:
The Duncans - Roseworth Manor

Capital City:
Sutton

Motto:
"Loyalty, Honor, Courage"

Religion:
Protestant

Color:
All shades of red (ranging from deep crimson to light pink)

Standard/Flag:


Cultural Notes:
Pemberton is known best for its extravagance in all things. Colorful festivals, parades through the streets, statues made entirely from gold decorating the corridors of Roseworth, fashions that dazzle and intrigue, fireworks displays spanning hours on end.

When it comes to fashion, the courtiers of Pemberton are the trendsetters of Adesia. In style right now are silken flowers decorating the bodices of many a lady, along with draping sleeves, tightly cut bodices, and sweeping skirts. The fashion among men right now is embroidery - and plenty of it. The more intricate the embroidery, the wealthier you are.

Unlike some of the other duchies, women are not required to hide their hair beneath hoods, though some still choose to. Many prefer intricately arranging their hair in braids and twists with wire, ribbon, and jewels.

Girls come of age at 14 while boys come of age at 16.

PM Edmund (Duke Edmund Duncan) with any questions or requests of the Duncan Family. We are currently accepting new members, PM for information and details.

Duke: Duke Edward Duncan
Duchess:
Children:
Other Members:

• Lady Victoria Smith, 37, Dowager Marchioness of Llyn, Cousin to the Queen
  
• Lady Elaine Smith, 17, Daughter of Lady Victoria And Marquess Adrian Smith
  
• Lord Richard Smith, 16, Marquess of Llyn,Son of Lady Victoria and Marquess Adrian Smith

Family History:
The Pemberton dukedom is based on military prowess, though now it is the epicenter of culture. Charles Pemberton III, General of the Footmen of Adesia, defeated an onslaught of highly trained cavalry, footmen, and archers with only one legion of footmen. It was truly a wondrous feat and he was awarded appropriately. At least it would seem so. In truth, the southern most coast of Adesia was a conglomeration of earldoms, baronies, and even some unclaimed land between them that was lacking any type of central economy or taste of culture. It was Charles that united them, established central trade and a banking system, and linked them up to the other established provinces. Sutten, formerly the central of a small earldom, became the place where Charles settled down with his family.

From there, it evolved very quickly. Roseworth Manor was built from the most expensive, finest stone with a rose hue and immediately labeled the most beautiful home in all of Adesia. It would be matched, of course, but the wide open windows and rooms were that of luxury and extravagance. Balls were regularly thrown, parties every night. . .and thus court life evolved in Pemberton. At first Sutten, and consequently Roseworth Manor, were the only places that the court dwelled. Starting in March court would begin, taking breaks every other month for cleaning purposes and various additions to the manor and Sutten. It would become a game, the wealthiest women of the court going back to their estates for the off-month and having their seamstress design an entirely new style. When court resumed, the styles the majority of the court were wearing had already been outdated by the new styles, and thus the fashion game began.

Pemberton never forgot their military roots, either, housing many of the best soldiers in all of Adesia and honoring them accordingly. The Pemberton sons, too, were known for their military prowess.

Now, in more modern times, things have changed. The Pemberton name was lost when the children of one particular Duke were all girls. He had no immediate family, and he would not dare go into his wife's family. It pained him to marry any of them off to different names, but, alas, it was one of only a few options. His eldest, Anne, married her second cousin George Sherbourne and thus retaining family blood in all but name. Since then, the Sherbournes have held Roseworth Manor and further progressed the Pemberton duchy's fame of fashion, culture, and military prowess. Loyalty, honor, and courage.

Mathias Sherbourne, the current Duke, has been so since he was three months old. His father died, supposedly of the sweat though many suspect his mother had quite a bit to do with it. This rumor was strengthened when her brother, Edward, was given rights to be the Steward of the Pemberton duchy. When Mathias reached the age of sixteen he could become Duke. Many thought that even then he would be too young, and no amount of education or training could prepare him at such an age. It took many supporters of Mathias father to reassure them that it has been done before, and has not harmed the duchy. Foiled, Mathias' Uncle had no intention of giving up the power he had and tried to kill Mathias when he entered his teens. The attempt was unsuccessful and Edward was executed, another Steward being appointed for the few remaining years.

At the age of sixteen, Mathias was dubbed Duke of Pemberton and given full power. Having been fully educated in politics, language, fashion, and general culture, he was just as qualified as any. At twenty-six, Mathias Sherbourne thirsted for power. He wanted to unite the duchies and rule as the first king of Adesia, and he hoped that his youth would fool the rest of Adesia that he was not craft enough, not sly enough, to take and keep the crown. It was clear though, that he would not put his plans into action.

Duke Mathias was found dead in his chambers. The cause is unknown, no wounds were discovered on his body but no illness had been reported at his taking of bed. Regardless of the cause though a new ruler needed to be found. The council met, and discussion ensued. There was no Sherbourne capable of continuing the family name but the council was wary of bringing in a new family name. After hours of debate Lady Esabell was invited into the chambers and seated at the table with the numerous courtiers and advisors. She was to find a husband be the end of the coming month to replace her brother as Duke. If she failed the council would find one for her.

Desperate to keep what she saw as rightfully hers, Lady Esabell invited to Roseworth Manor Lord Wylyam of Benthey and Lord Edmund Duncan, also of Benthey. Each of them were looked up0n as potential husbands. After thinking it through as thoroughly as the small amount of time she had allowed her, Esabell chose the older and the wiser Lord Edmund. The ceremony followed soon, and Pemberton had a Duke and a Duchess again. A time of prosperity seemed to have settled in. But only briefly.

Duchess Esabell died of the plague a short time after entering the marriage with the Duke. Nobody had any idea where had she gotten it, why had it avoided other members of the Sherbourne House, and it all mattered little. Stirred again, the Council decided that they could not allow a Benthey native without any roots in the Sherbourne family to retain the throne of Pemberton. Only one solution remained, one way out of the turmoil for Duke Edmund. Lady Madeline Shebourne invited him to her chambers, proposing a deal. If he was to marry her, she would gain the husband the Council would have insisted upon otherwise, and he would keep his newly found title. Looking upon it carefully, Edmund agreed, seeing he had no other choice.

Pemberton had a Duke and a Duchess again, two rulers, as it should have been. Only the kind and the caring Duchess Esabell had been replaced by the cruel and the scheming Duchess Madeline, who also had two children of her own from her previous marriage to Lord Evan Denton, who had been executed for treason. Seeing her son as the next heir to the Dukedom, as a male of Sherbourne blood, she was intent on him reaching his rightful place some day.

However, he hadn’t lasted, to put it crudely. In the ninth year of his life, Devon Sherbourne was killed in an attempt on the life of Duchess Madeline. Beside herself with grief for the second time in her life, she made a mistake, becoming pregnant with the child of Duke Edmund. Something she had vowed not to do. Many, most, had wondered why had she given birth to the child at all-they’d all expected her to dispose of it sooner or later in order to keep Pemberton’s throne safe for her daughter, Josephine. However, she gave birth to a healthy son, naming him Edward. Certain people had considered it an act of open disrespect of her brother, naming the son and the heir after her Uncle who had been executed for trying to kill Mathias. Not that they had cared.

Edmund and Madeline had ruled together for nine years. They’d had many differences, many arguments, many fights. But, their union came to an untimely end when Madeline, for reasons plenty of people speculate about , undertook an urgent journey to Benthey and never returned. She was ambushed by group of what some believed to be highwaymen. A majority now knows, even if they never or rarely say it out loud, that she’d been involved in the plot to unite Adesia under one ruler. Her daughter, Lady Josephine, married the King the conspirators had set only two years later.

Edmund did not marry again, mostly because of his son as well as the heartache from losing his beloved mistress years earlier. He is still alive though his health comes and goes. He voluntarily relinquished the dukedome to his son. Edward then inherited the Duchy, becoming Duke. He makes an uncertain one, possessing his mother’s sense for schemes, strategy and intrigues, but also senses of honor and honesty that come from his father. Therefore, he often is hesitant and indecisive, which hardly pleases the Council. Born to polar opposites, what kind of a ruler will he become?

Family Estate: Roseworth Manor