Ruling Family:
The Reeds - Ivyhall Manor

Capital City:
Dinley

Motto:
"Veritas - the ultimate quest" (Veritas is Latin for truth).

Religion:
Protestant

Color:
White, pure white being worn only by the highest of nobles, ash grey by those lower in ranks, and cream for those in between.

Standard/Flag:


Cultural Notes:
Marcheford is the capital of learning within Adesia. Their 'free education' policy makes education possible for commoners and nobles alike. The duchy of philosophers and scholars, the people of Marcheford are constantly searching for veritas, or truth, their ultimate quest. Their capital of Dinley sports the largest and most well-reputed academy across the land. Many nobles send their children here to learn.

When it comes to fashion, the courtiers of Marcheford like to keep it simple, yet elegant. Long, sweeping silhouettes are popular among the women while men prefer sharper cuts. A popular trend among the women of Marcheford that is rarely seen in the other duchies it to line their eyes with kohl, emphasizing the "windows to the soul."

Rarely will you see a Marcheford woman with uncovered hair. Whether beneath a hood or a veil, it will be covered once they have come of age.

Girls come of age at 15 while boys come of age at 16.

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


Duke: Duke Mortimer Reed
Duchess: Duchess Serenity Reed
Children:

• Lady Elizabeth Brighton, 20; daughter of Serenity Reed and Alden Brighton, heiress to the duchy of Marcheford.
• Lady Emily Brighton, 20; daughter of Serenity Reed and Alden Brighton, twin sister of Elizabeth Brighton

Other Members:


Family History:

The Duchy of Marcheford had always been one of learning, a place for scholars to come and expand their minds, and to interact with other scholars. Their title as ‘The Learning Capital’ has always been an undisputed title, and indeed they are. The grand library of Ivyhall Manor is open to all to come and read and enjoy a few good books, and the ruling family of this duchy – the Brighton’s, were no different. Indeed, you would find the Duke and Duchess often in a private alcove, reading a book. Rarely did they venture on journeys into the outside world, and rarely did they feel like war. Indeed, their sprawling duchy of green grasses and open fields left many hungry with greed, but it was difficult to get past the guard, a fierce opposition, though they had very few members.

The Duke of Marcheford at the highest peak of intellectual activity was Andrew Brighton, unmarried and with only a bastard daughter. He lived a life of luxury preferring his books to the outside world, and his knowledge rather than running the kingdom. As a result, the Duchy was in shambles when he passed away, no heir had been named. For the first time in Marcheford history, there was a small war between the families, as Persephone Smith – the bastard daughter of Andrew – battled for what she claimed as her rightful heritage. She was denied many times, and she kept coming back stronger and stronger. It dawned upon her that she was only a woman, and a woman was not to run the Duchy. In a move of skilled seduction, she trapped the youngest Brighton son into marriage - keeping her identity a secret. What he did not know would not hurt him. Richard Brighton was the favourite to win the Duchy, and indeed he did, besotted with his scheming wife, who was at least six years his senior.

Persephone was a shrewd leader, much stronger than Richard, and she quickly replaced him on the council, claiming that she knew the affairs better. A lovesick Richard agreed readily, and he was shunned. Indeed, of this era little is known about Richard except that he passed away three years after marriage, and after one child, a small boy who was named James Brighton. Persephone raised James like any scheming mother, and he quickly grew to be as wily as her, though he spent much more time in the libraries. James was one prepared to take over Adesia, and unite it under Marcheford - until the Brighton family name. At the age of twenty nine, his mother passed, and Brighton was his to rule. He enforced the free education law, which meant that all commoners could get the education they wished, and he also founded the Veritas Scholarship, a scholarship for one of extreme talent and cleverness. He himself wished to teach, but found himself defending against the other Duchies who viewed Marcheford as a place to relax and a place to be conquered. James had inherited his mother’s ways, and used his bachelor state to make allies. But, he decided to marry a young woman by the name of Marie, a woman of no noble standing. Indeed, it caused an uproar among the other Duchies, who saw it as the ultimate betrayal and insult.

It was in this period of time that Marie bore two children, the oldest male heir, Alden, and the young woman, Elizabeth. It wasn’t long before Marie died of consumption in one of the biggest epidemics in the history of the Duchy of Marcheford. James was left alone, with only his son and daughter left of the once extensive family. James educated his son before too passing on, joining his wife after a fit of depression, having stabbed himself in the heart. Alden Brighton inherited the Duchy at age eighteen, and continues in his father’s tradition of scholarships and equal opportunities. However, there have been rumblings about another child, threatening Alden’s rule, a bastard child, like a tradition passed down generation to generation. That bastard child was Mortimer Reed, the current duke of Marcheford.

Mortimer's rise to power was a one that took a long time, and a lot of conspiring. At first, the plan was to just take over as soon as Alden would pass away, and to make sure that he would pass away. Many arrangements were made with Adesia's most dangerous hitmen, but it all turned out to be useless as nature favored Mortimer, and a plague broke out killing Alden. Harleston's religious fanatics blamed Mortimer for the plague due to his involvement with a pagan cult, but there never was any evidence to support the fact that Mortimer was the one that started the plague or to confirm his involvement with the Pagans, the council dismissed Harleston's accusations.The only survivors from the Brighton family were Mortimer, and a cousin of Alden's, Elinor Brighton. Mortimer saw that Elinor did not have a slightest chance of beating him to the throne of Marcheford so he did not pay much attention to her, not seeing her as a threat. But when he came to Marcheford, his plans reached a major setback. Marchioness Serenity Smith, Alden's mistress, was proclaimed regent of Marcheford as she was the mother to Alden's children. Mortimer did manage to become the viceroy of Marcheford and allied himself with Elinor, which eventually lead to their engagement. As Mortimer did not at all like Elinor, he planned to get rid of her as soon as her involvement was no longer considered necessary. That moment came in several weeks, when Mortimer joined the conspiracy to unify Adesia.

Mortimer thought that if he was to be part of that conspiracy, and if the conspiracy was to succeed, he would be given Marcheford as a reward for his efforts. He was right. Things could not get better for him since then. The conspirators slowly gained control of Adesia and filled in all the important roles in the nation. That is when Mortimer got to be duke. At first, the duchy was split between his and Serenity's followers, but the status of the duchy got better as the time had passed, and Serenity's followers were no enemies of his anymore, as he decided that it would be best for him, and the duchy, if he was to marry Serenity. But she only accepted under the condition that her eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was to be made heir to the Marcheford throne. The event that raised his influence the most happened when Mortimer's old friend, Madeline Sherbourne who had also been a conspirator, died. That event was a bad thing for the conspirators as Madeline's daughter, Josephine, was the one they wanted to be the queen of Adesia. The reason that this increased Mortimer's influence was that he took her to Marcheford and took care of her, making her think of him as her second father. Six years after that, she became queen, and due to her gratitude to Mortimer, nobody in Marcheford dared lift a finger against him, knowing that it would not only make them Mortimer's enemies, but the enemies of the royal family itself.

Is anyone ready to take that risk?

Family Estate: Ivyhall Manor