Erzsibet Mara

Erzsibet Renata Mara (Styled Lady Myrewood) is an adept arcanist, an archaeologist, and a practitioner of the dark arts. Her affinity for destructive, fel magic and demonology has led her to live mostly estranged from her family for a decade. The eldest child of Janos Mara and his Stromic bride, Annika Stromvyr, Erzsibet was born in the city of Stormwind, with every advantage one might expect as the child of two wealthy aristocrats.

Her mother and her younger brother are both alive and well, though her lord father passed away somewhat recently. Being the eldest child, on the death of her father, Erzsibet became the 18th Countess of Myrewood, inheriting a number of subsidiary titles and properties once held by the late Count.

Founder of the Myrewood Historical Society, Erzsibet has brokered the sale of numerous antiques, artifacts, and magical items in order to finance the restoration of her family's vast estate in the region of Duskwood and continue the family's charitable endeavors.

She seems to be feared by the common people who live and work on her own land, and is often poorly regarded by commoners in general due to her staunch support for both the Monarchy and the Kingdom's aristocracy as natural leaders, and for her desire to see the aristocracy wield the same influence it once did before the rise and fall of the Defias Brotherhood.

Appearance
Average in height, she appears not much older than thirty. Save for a touch of dark mascara and nail polish, she uses little makeup, but clearly takes the time to make herself as attractive as possible. Her shoulder length hair is meticulously well cared for, and worn in a variety of the year's most popular styles.

With regard to jewels, Erzsibet favors silver and emeralds, each exquisite piece of her collection carefully selected to compliment her daily choice of attire. Despite such finery, she wears neither a wedding band, nor an engagement ring.

She favors dark, elegant gowns and revealing corsets made from the finest silks and the softest leather, each exquisitely tailored to accentuate her slim, but shapely figure--some leaving very little to the imagination. Her favorite boots are nearly knee-high and made of soft, tooled leather, the heels adding another two inches to her height.

Of late, she often wears loosely-fitting gowns and robes made of heavier material in a futile effort to conceal her pregnancy. She appears to be at least seven months along, though she does not seem to have put on much additional weight.

Her courtly etiquette, intelligence and refined speech hint at the quality of education available only to the aristocracy. The sultry tone of her voice reveals a faint, Stromic accent, although she was obviously born and raised in Stormwind, and familiar with its customs.

Personality
Possessing a dominant personality, Erzsibet is a well-educated, strong-willed woman who is unafraid to make use of the darker aspects of magic when it suits her. Thoroughly convinced that the end justifies the means, Erzsibet will not shrink from using any means necessary to acquire knowledge and greater power. She tends to dominate the weak-minded, and can be quie manipulative when she wants something.

Despite being estranged from her family for many years, on the death of her father, Erzsibet inherited his land and titles, affording her many advantages she now exploits, such as unsupervised access to Stormwind's Royal Library, limited access to top-secret documents, and connections to some of the most powerful families in the Kingdom.

Accused by a former paramour of being self-serving, manipulative, and thoroughly unscrupulous, her true motivations are seldom revealed until she has reached a particular goal. She has been known to lie, cheat, kill, seduce, or otherwise manipulate others in order to achieve her goals, and she is always quick to discard those who are no longer of any use to her.

Politics
Although she has only recently taken her seat in Stormwind's house of nobles, Erzsibet seems to have learned a great deal from her father about the Kingdom's politics. To date, Erzsibet has only addressed the house on two occasions. In her maiden speech, Erzsibet touched upon the importance of maintaining the Kingdom's vast agricultural estates and the impact which the large inheritance tax has had on so many of them. Applauded by those who had also felt the impact of the tax, Erzsibet was encouraged to draft a proposal for reform.

Months later, she gave a brief talk, addressing a rather controversial subject. Stormwind's Warlocks. In her talk, Erzsibet outlined the numerous contributions made by warlocks to the Kingdom's military efforts and the necessity to see those who were loyal to King and Country exempted from parts of the Witchcraft Act via a system of licensing. While not so well-received as her maiden speech, this proposal did receive some support.

Considered to be a conservative in many respects, Erzsibet is a staunch supporter of the Monarchy and the supporting role of the aristocracy in maintaining order within the Kingdom. She believes the current inheritance tax to be extreme, and has frequently warned that it will herald the eventual destruction of the aristocracy, many of whose estates have already fallen into disrepair as a result of financial burdens placed upon them by such taxes levied to finance the ongoing wars of the Grand Alliance.

Desiring a return to the power once enjoyed by the Kingdom's aristocracy before the Stonemasons debacle and the rise of the Defias Brotherhood, Erzsibet is known to support any proposed laws that may aid in bringing this about.

She has not taken her seat in the house since Early May of 624 KC due to her desire to avoid the scandal of being seen pregnant and unmarried, although if her proposed additions to the Witchcraft Act should be brought before the house, she intends to make a speech to garner support for the eventual vote.

Relationships
Known to have thrice refused potential suitors, Erzsibet remains unwed and without children at the age of thirty three. She is known to have had more than a dozen lovers, both male and female. Although she has recently been urged by her mother to marry, Erzsibet shows little interest in doing so and presently enjoys her freedom.

Ursula Winerose
A former mentor, Erzsibet is rumored to have been physically intimate with both Ursula and her late husband, Janos Levente for more than six years. After Ursula's departure from the Coven, the two have remained estranged.

Karanyi DuBellerose
Initially taken on as a hired bodyguard, Kara and Erzsibet became very close during her brief leadership of the Coven of Duskwood. It is rumored that the two became lovers, but whatever the truth behind the rumors, Kara's counsel seems to be valued above most others. Their relationship has undergone a great deal of strain in recent months, largely concerning Kara's desire to prevent Erzsibet from seeing former members of the Coven. Most recently, their relationship seems to have come to an end.

Arryc Blackwood
Erzsibet is rumored to have begun an affair with the married Earl of Blackwood while serving together in Shadowmoon Valley against the Iron Horde. Although it has not been made public, Erzsibet is indeed carrying Lord Blackwood's child. She and Lord Blackwood had negotiated a marriage proposal and a betrothal followed, but was quickly broken by Blackwood, presumably after he had been counselled to do so. Deeply resentful and insulted by Blackwood's reasons for breaking their betrothal, Erzsibet has neither seen, nor spoken with him since early May.

Taindrel Moonsorrow
A dear friend and former member of the Coven, the kaldorei shadow priestess has become Erzsibet's most trusted friend, confidant and lover. At Taindrel's invitation, Erzsibet is presently her guest and intends to remain at Taindrel's sanctuary until her child is born.

Dalrath Nightsong
A handsome kaldorei mercenary of questionable repute, Erzsibet is rumored to have seduced him during a brief period in which he served as her bodyguard.

Lady Marshal, Myrewood Brigade
Despite having no real military experience, Lady Myrewood journeyed to Draenor with her local levy and managed to lead them to two small victories against the Iron Horde. Sadly, the third and last engagement of her brief foray into battle would prove a total disaster, leading to the deaths of two officers and more than fifty enlisted soldiers, but perhaps worst of all, the capture and execution of a fellow noble peer and a number of his own soldiers. Shortly after a daring, but failed rescue attempt in Shadowmoon Valley, Erzsibet elected to return to Stormwind and leave military matters to those best suited to such. ALthough she retains the title "Lady Marshal" it is merely an honorific, as she no longer leads the troops into battle. The Myrewood Brigade is presently commanded by her uncle, Captain Bjorn Stromvyr. A decorated veteran of three major Alliance conflicts, Captain Stromvyr has proved to be a far more effective leader, covering himself in glory from one end of Draenor to the other and winning several decisive victories against the Iron Horde.

Early Years
Born on the family's Myrewood estate near Stormwind City, Erzsibet traveled extensively during her childhood, and had seen much of the Eastern Kingdoms by the time she came of age. Her mother, a native of the Arathi Highlands was the driving force behind such extensive travel, and her early introduction to society. When she traveled with her mother, Lady Annika's entire retinue, including Erzsibet's tutors traveled with them. As a result, by the time Erzsibet was of an age to marry, she was better educated than most, and thoroughly indoctrinated in the ways of polite society.

Affinity For Magic
During a summer visit with relatives in the Arathi Highlands, Erzsibet discovered that her aunt was not only an arcanist, but a practicing warlock. Intrigued and perhaps seduced by the power that came with such magic, she began her studies at the age of just fourteen. By the age of sixteen, she had the skill of a practiced fire mage, but even that seemed quite trivial when compared to the power to bind a demonic entity to her own will. Thus began her pursuit of demonology.

The First of Many Minions
Still a novice in the ways of demonology, Erzsibet was elated when she managed to summon an imp for the first time. Her excitement was soon over when she realized what a dreadful liability such creatures were, and spent many months simply training the uncooperative little monster to behave properly.

As her power grew, so too did her curiosity until she found herself taking greater risks in summoning creatures far beyond her comprehension. Rumor has it that she lost some of her sanity during this phase, and when those closest to her began to question her intent, she quickly pushed them out of her life so that she might return to her pursuit of knowledge and power. At some point during this period of seclusion, she is also rumored to have summoned a sayaad for the first time.

Betrothal
At her father's behest, Erzsibet was promised to a man more than twice her age--a wealthy aristocrat, and former counsellor to the Trollbanes. She was outraged when she learned of the betrothal, convinced that it would mean the end of her studies and a miserable life with a man she did not know in a Kingdom far away. At twenty one, Erzsibet decided that marriage and children were the last thing she desired, and so she found a way to end the betrothal, albeit in a manner that was scandalous.

Six months before the wedding was to take place, Erzsibet invited a childhood friend to spend an evening with her at the family's Stormwind house, knowing that her father would soon return from his duties in the house of nobles. She made certain to wear her most revealing gown, and quickly seduced her guest, knowing well that her intended would no longer want her if she was no longer a maiden. When her father returned from a long, miserable evening in the house of nobles, Count Janos discovered his daughter in flagrante delicto with said young man.

Upon discovering his daughter with her lover, Count Janos flew into a rage and slew the young man. Effectively ending her betrothal, that unfortunate young man would be the first of many lovers she would use to serve her own ends. Unfortunately, the incident had unforseen consequences. Unlike most aristocratic families, the Maras traditionally practiced succession by Cognatic Primogeniture, a method by which the eldest child inherits all titles, property and wealth, regardless of their sex. For having brought such dishonor to the family, Erzsibet would be disinherited for a time in favor of her younger brother, and bannished to the family's crumbling estate in Duskwood.

Life in Duskwood
It was in Duskwood, that Erzsibet was finally able to continue her studies without interruption, quickly discovering that to have lost her inheritance and the pressure to marry that came with it was a blessing in disguise. Because she was her mother's favorite, she would never want for money so long as Lady Annika lived, and with such a large estate to herself, Erzsibet could concentrate her efforts on the mastery of her craft.

The Coven
Soon discovered by the High Priestess of a small Coven, Lady Ursula Levente, Erzsibet was readily embraced, and would serve as apprentice to Lady Ursula for more than a decade. A master of the Light and Shadow in equal parts, Lady Ursula witheld nothing from her young apprentice, and as the years passed, Erzsibet realized that she was being groomed to take up the mantle of leadership when Ursula was no longer capable of doing so.

The Death of Lord Myrewood
Desiring reconciliation with his daughter as his health began to fail him, Lord Myrewood shocked the entire family by announcing that he had never gone through with disowning his beloved daughter, and Erzsibet remained his lawful heiress. On the death of her father, all lands and titles held by the late Count passed to Erzsibet, and so began a renewed animosity between Erzibet and her younger brother.

Although she would not immediately leave the family's Duskwood Estate, Erzsibet did take her father's seat in Stormwind's house of nobles and it quickly became apparent that unlike her father, Erzsibet intended to make use of her position. She set to work immediately on authoring legislation, though it has taken more than a year for such legislation to see its day in the house.

Draenor and the End of the Coven
With its leadership in tatters following the vote that would see its founder removed, the Coven itself ceased to exist. Undaunted by its destruction and spurred on by the words of one of the Coven's former members, Erzsibet decided that when the King called for more soldiers in Draenor, she would personaly lead Myrewood's levy in battle. With no prior military experience, this decision would prove to be a terrible mistake.

Despite her inexperience, Erzsibet had the benefit of good counsel when she joined forces with two of Duskwood's other aristocrats. Together with Lord Blackwood who had been among the first to step through the Dark Portal in pursuit of the Iron Horde, Lord Varyc and Lord Ravenswood, Erzsibet was able to establish a small base of operations in Shadowmoon Valley. There, she managed to lead her own levy to two small victories against the Shadowmoon Orcs.

While serving together, Erzsibet and Lord Blackwood are said to have become very close, and it was rumored that he shared her bed at least once while the two remained in Shadowmoon Valley. Regardless of the truth, their affair was cut short when her largest blunder of the campaign would see them trapped between two enemy forces. Believing that the orcs would spare the enlisted men, Lord Blackwood laid down his sword and surrendered himself, buying time for Erzsibet and many others to flee the field on his orders. Blackwood's surrender proved ineffective, and both he and Lord Ravenswood were captured along with their men. Lord Ravenswood was tortured for six days and later executed. It was believed that Lord Blackwood suffered the same fate, but his remains were not recovered.

Return to Stormwind
Humbled by her own shortcomings and blaming herself for the fate of two men she respected, Erzsibet left her uncle in command of the Myrewood Brigade and shut herself in at Myrewood House when she returned to Stormwind. She has seldom emerged since her return to Stormwind, and is believed to be carrying Lord Blackwood's bastard.

Consequences
A letter penned by Arryc Blackwood was delivered to Myrewood House, confirming the suspicions regarding Lord Blackwood's fate. He was indeed alive, and intended to remain on Draenor, rather than return to the family he had dishonored by having an affair with Erzsibet. His marriage would soon end in divorce when Lady Muriah refused to forgive him for his indiscretions.

Marriage Negotiations
On March 27th, 625 K.C. Erzsibet met with Lord Blackwood at Westvale House to negotiate a marriage proposal. The initial terms of her proposal were considered by his advisers to be quite ungenerous. Blackwood maintained that in the interest of avoiding future scandal in the wake of his decision to legitimize the child she now carries, a marriage between them would be ideal. With only a single, legitimate male heir, Lord Blackwood was encouraged by numerous relations to "Marry again, and marry swiftly." because the Earldom of Blackwood may only pass through the male line.

Desiring a matrilineal union that would make any children born to the couple of the mother's dynasty, Erzsibet was informed in no uncertain terms that such a union would be impossible for Lord Blackwood to consider at that time. A compromise was reached, in which the first male child born of their union would be of the father's dynasty, and any additional offspring would be of the mother's dynasty. As her title may pass through the male or female line via cognatic primogeniture, Erzsibet accepted the compromise and continued the negotiations. All that remained to be agreed upon is a satisfactory financial settlement.

Betrothal
On March 30th, 625 K.C. at a dinner hosted by the Duke of Newcastle's Willowbrook Hunt Club, Erzsibet and Lord Blackwood formally announced their betrothal. Despite the scandal of their affair and Lord Blackwood's recent divorce, the news of their betrothal was well-received, if not worrisome to a handful of their peers. As members of the same political party and both hereditary peers in their own right, the couple will enjoy two seats in the house of nobles and with Lord Blackwood's fortune to back them, it was believed that the couple would work together to see two of Erzsibet's proposed acts passed through the house of nobles.

The betrothal's financial settlement was not made public, nor did Lord Blackwood seem to have any plans to do so in the immediate future. It is known that Lord Blackwood has already paid the staggering sum of twenty thousand Crowns for Erzsibet's membership in the exclusive, Willowbrook Hunt Club, and presented her with an Azerothian Diamond wedding band, reported to be worth three times that sum. The couple planned a private wedding service at Castle Blackfyre's Chapel, with only family and close friends in attendance. The wedding was set for Friday, April 3rd, but never took place.

Broken Betrothal, Scandal and Isolation
In may, 625 KC, Arryc Blackwood informed Erzsibet of his intent to break their betrothal and seek a younger, more suitable bride. To make matters worse, he made it clear that he was unwilling to acknowledge the child she carried. It is believed that he was urged to do so by the Duke of Newcastle, who while a friend to Erzsibet, did not wish to see Blackwood's influence in the house of nobles grow stronger from such a union.

Shamed by such a scandal that could damage her family's reputation, Erzsibet quit Stormwind City in favor of the family's Duskwood estate, where she remained indoors and in near total isolation for months. Although her intent had been to remain in isolation until the child was born, loneliness and boredom prompted her to reconnect with Taindrel Moonsorrow, with whom she is currently staying as a guest.

During her stay, a chance encounter with Magistrate Glycerius Alexander Titus prompted her to mention the changes she had drafted for the Witchcraft Act. As head of the Legislative Committee, Magistrate Titus offered to bring the document before the committee and do what he could to see it brought before the house of nobles. Her proposed amendment has since been added to the docket for September's session of the house, during which Erzsibet intends to make a speech.

The Unborn Child
Although it remains to be seen whether or not she will petition the King to have the child legitimized after it is born, Erzsibet has been urged not to do so by her mother. Desiring to avoid scandal, Lady Annika is bitterly opposed to the idea of a bastard, legitimized or not, inheriting the family's titles, land and wealth. In this, Erzsibet's brother shares their mother's concern.

Despite such opposition, Erzsibet has considered petitioning the King for the child's legitimization, insisting that because both parents are of ancient, noble blood, the scandal would be minimal. Unfortunately, unless Lord Blackwood chooses to acknowledge the child, its parentage will remain questionable in the eyes of the law, making legitimization nearly impossible.

In light of this, Lady Annika has urged her daughter to marry as quickly as possible, and has gone so far as to draft a list of potential suitors from good families. At her age and with such a scandal looming over her, it is unlikely that any nobleman of good reputation will have her, and Erzsibet seems to be the only one not troubled by that fact.

Rumors - Fact or Fiction?
"People tend to believe rumor, simply because it is far more exciting than the truth. Commoners are all too eager to believe the worst where the aristocracy is concerned, because it takes their minds off of their own, dreadfully boring lives." Erzsibet Mara.

Although there is no proof, it is rumored by Myrewood's peasants that Erzsibet:
 * Uses her family's past and present contributions to the Church of the Holy Light as a means to gain influence and absolution for the many sins she continues to commit.
 * Is a hedonist and has had more than a hundred lovers.
 * Is a witch, responsible for the sacrifice of scores of Myrewood's peasants.
 * Bathes in the blood of those she sacrifices in unholy summoning rituals.
 * Has had carnal relations with demons.
 * Has been corrupted by the destructive fel magic and demonology she practices.
 * Murdered a visiting noble and disposed of his corpse in the swamp East of Myrewood Castle.
 * Is carrying the bastard child of Arryc Ashvale, 9th Earl of Blackwood (Confirmed)

Trivia

 * Despite all the awful rumors, Erzsibet is only publicly known to have summoned a demonic entity while serving against the Iron Horde in Shadowmoon Valley and has never acted outside the bounds of the Witchcraft Act.
 * Erzsibet believes that any person found guilty of aiding an agent of the Burning Legion should be put to death, and seeks to author legislation that would guarantee such a punishment, regardless of the offender's social status.
 * Despite rumors to the contrary, Erzsibet's proposed legislation seeks to further regulate the practice of demonology and other dangerous forms of magic by citizens of the Kingdom of Stormwind, not exploit the law to her own advantage.
 * Her brother, Andras Mara was indeed responsible for an attempt on her life in early January of 621 K.C. during which her Lady's Maid and two other servants died from poison meant for her. While she has always suspected his involvement, she has been unable to prove it and thus no charges were brought against him.

OOC Notes

 * This character has been opted into both the Stormwind Law Project, and the Stormwind House of Nobles Project, and is thus subject to the in-character regulations of both projects. Those interested in pursuing any legal action and/or investigations, or any other form of roleplay are encouraged to contact me in game on (Erzsibet) to obtain permission and/or additional in-character information.
 * This character shows no visible signs of being a warlock, and those claiming otherwise will be disregarded.
 * If this character is ever seen with a demon out anywhere in Stormwind, I am almost certainly sitting in a dungeon queue and not in-character.
 * I am happy to participate in a wide variety of role-play scenarios, but I do ask that you obtain OOC permission before you involve this, or any of my characters in legal action, attempted murder, maiming, imprisonment, etc.