Merridyth Marwyn

Merridyth Elizabeth Marwyn-Aston (née Marwyn) is the only child and sole heiress of Jarl (See Earl) Liam Marwyn and his wife, Catlyn. Merridyth inherited her father's land and titles after his death in 623 K.C. and at the age of just nineteen, became the 2nd Duchess of Seastone when her aunt relinquished the title along with the Regency of the house of Marwyn in 624 K.C. Along with the family's titles, Merridyth inherited some 70,000 acres of land, three villages, and more than a hundred rental cottages in the Arathi Highlands. She has traveled extensively since the age of just twelve, and has spent several months on the new continent of Pandaria, where she has studied at Kun-Lai with the pandaren monks. Since the March on the Highlands, Merridyth has often been referred to as "The Warrior Duchess" by her people. and has led them to numerous victories against the trolls and the Alterac Syndicate. She is married to the Gilnean Earl of Aston, and the couple are expecting their first child in the spring of 625 K.C.

Description
Tall, athletic and beautiful by most standards, she is clearly of Stromic aristocratic lineage. Her soft, wheat-blonde hair, which once easily reached the small of her back has been cropped short and often left messy, with loose strands obstructing her pale, blue eyes.

She rarely wears jewelery unless the occasion calls for it and while she may benefit from it, Merridyth seldom wears any makeup. Her skin is perpetually tan, indicating that she spends a great deal of time outdoors. Once utterly flawless, her body now bears a scant few scars, including evidence of burns beginning on her upper left arm and running all the way down to her forearm.

She moves with a dancer's grace, and almost cat-like agility, possessing a solid, athletic figure and a trim waistline. Well-endowed as any women of Marwyn descent, she is broader in the shoulders and chest and even her more modest attire does little to hide an ample bosom.

Personality
Once considered unconditionally kind and civic-minded, the results of her generosity could be seen throughout the Marwyn land holdings. Never afraid to walk among the people, she would often converse with those most aristocrats would have considered beneath her.

Once deeply faithful to the Church of the Holy Light, she attended services frequently, and prayed thrice daily. Possessing the utmost respect for the clergy, Merridyth lamented the fact that because she was an heiress, she would never serve as an ordained priestess. This of course did not stop her from studying the scripture, nor has it stopped her from working with the Holy Church to spread the Light's message throughout the impoverished villages of the Arathi Highlands.

Sadly, much has changed since the March on the Highlands, during which Merridyth believes she learned a painful lesson in what it means to be a true leader. Having suffered numerous losses and perceived betrayals, Merridyth scarcely resembles the smiling, proper young lady most of her people had become familiar with. She has become increasingly ruthless when dealing with those she considers enemies, and while she maintains the outward appearance of faith through attending church services and even reconciling with the Bishop of Stonegarde, Merridyth considers her former faith to have been a weakness and will rarely consider "The Light's will" when making a decision.

Political Views
While she recognizes the mistake she made in turning to the Argent Crusade as potential allies, Merridyth resents their failure to aid Seastone in its time of need, but will not publicly voice such resentment. She chooses to maintain friendly relations with the Argents in the interest of trade, but any military pact between them has crumbled to dust and will never be revisted.

Although she regrets having turned down the offer to have Seastone become vassals of the Kingdom of Stormwind, Merridyth has resisted the temptation to continue negotiations and turned her attention entirely to her own lands.

Romantic Involvements
At the age of nineteen, Merridyth remains unmarried, and without children. Although it is a closely-guarded secret, she is known to have had a brief affair with Seastone's former Champion, Sir Varyc just before his assassination by members of the Alterac Syndicate. This information has never been made public in order to avoid scandal, and has had no effect on her marriage prospects. It was rumored that she was carrying Sir Varyc's child, but like many rumors surounding the young Duchess, this one proved to be entirely false.

Merridyth is presently entertaining the possibility of a political marriage, and offers for her hand have come from aristocratic families throughout the Eastern Kingdoms. Because her land and titles are held in her own right, any husband she may take will not enjoy a seat in the Stromgarde House of Nobles, nor will he inherit anything but a generous settlement if she should die before him. All of her land and titles will pass either to her children if she should conceive any, or heirs descended from the original branch of the house of Marwyn.

Michael Edward Aston V
Merridyth was wed to the 10th Earl of Aston in January of 625 K.C. While her acceptance of his proposal was initially for political reasons, theirs has been a loving and passionate relationship, and the couple expects their first child in the coming months.

Early Years
Born and raised in the city of Stonegarde, Merridyth was an only child, and her lady mother sought to spoil her at every opportunity. Her father spent much of his time engaged in battles with the Alterac Syndicate, the Witherbark Trolls, and the forsaken, resulting in his frequent absense during her childhood. She began her education at the age of four when her mother insisted on having her remain within the walls of Stonegarde, rather than send her to the Southern Kingdom of Stormwind as her father had wished.

The first of Many Losses
Merridyth was just six years old when her mother became pregnant for the second time, and tragedy struck during the final term of the pregnancy. Lady Catlyn fell deathly ill due to complications, and both she and the child inside her were dead within the week. Difficult as it was for her to lose her mother at such a young age, the tragedy served to bring her closer to her father.

The First of Many Adventures
At just twelve years old, Merridyth journeyed to Kalimdor for the first time, and visited the kaldorei city of Darnassus. Fascinated by the kaldorei, she insisted on remaining there for the next six months. Just a year later, she sailed to Kul Tiras with her Cousin, Sir Hugh McGowen, and was presented at Court. It is believed that her father sought to marry her to a Kul Tiran nobleman.

The Alterac Syndicate
In the year 620 K.C. the Alterac syndicate lay siege to Stonegarde and at just sixteen years old, Merridyth was forced to help tend to the wounded as they were brought to the Castle's infirmary during the protracted siege. Unfortunately for her family, Stonegarde's defenses could not endure the siege, and the Castle walls were eventually breached. It was her grandfather that insisted she be taken to Seagarde Hall in Alden's Rise with the rest of the children, and Lord Joren's decision would ultimately save her life. Despite their valliant effort to hold the Castle, Joren Marwyn, his wife, and their entire household guard were slain.

Seagarde
While her father slowly rebuilt his forces and prepared to take back the Castle, Merridyth spent the next two years traveling extensively.

Tragedy
With less than a hundred men-at-arms, her father managed to take back Stonegarde, and held it for nearly five months before the syndicate answered with another attack. This time, Merridyth's father would not survive. The few men under his command that survived the siege brought Merridyth to the Sanctum of Stromgarde, and it was she who performed her father's last rites and saw to his honorable burial.

A New Hope
Despite her grief and the hopelessness of her new situation, Merridyth's prayers were answered when the aunt she had only known through letters and a handful of meetings over the past decade journeyed to the Arathi Highlands to take back their family's ancestral lands. A widow that had recently lost her only son and heir, Melysa Marwyn joined forces with her cousin, Varyc, and led what remained of their scattered forces to a decisive victory, resulting in  the remains of the syndicate being driven from their lands.

The Rise of Seastone
Despite the fact that Merridyth was her father's sole, legitimate heir, and should have succeded him immediately upon his death, she insisted that she was ill-prepared for such responsibilities. Opting to wait to succede her father, Merridyth agreed to make her Aunt the first female head of the house of Marwyn.

Many believed this would mean difficulty in a line of succession that had remained unbroken for six centuries, but Merridyth was confident in her aunt's promises, and chose not to simply allow her to serve as Regent. This issue was finally put to rest when her aunt passed a new line of succession, naming Merridyth as her sole, and lawful heir.

A childless widow herself, Melysa vowed to groom her young Niece in the ways of statecraft, and ensure that when the time came, Merridyth would be prepared to take on her late father's responsibilities. The arrangement has been mutually beneficial, and Merridyth has traveled the world with her aunt, learning the ways of diplomacy and interacting with many cultures.

Despite her grief, Merridyth watched closely as her Aunt began the daunting task of rebuilding--astonished by the woman's boundless faith and work ethic, but mosit of all the way she treated those under her command like a family, rather than subordinates. The entirity of Alden's Rise was soon annexed into Marwyn holdings, and the combined holdings were renamed as Seastone.

Politics
At her Aunt's behest, Merridyth began to take on a larger role in the governing of Marwyn lands, and when Lady Melysa is forced to make the journey to Stormwind on diplomatic affairs, Merridyth oversees the day to day operations of Seastone in her stead. Stlyed Lady Seastone and later Lady Silverbrook, Merridyth held a seat in the house of lords. Under her Aunt's guidance, she quickly learned that the world of politics in a largely broken Kingdom is anything but simple.

Hostage to the Syndicate
In late December of 623 K.C. Lady Merridyth was captured by members of the Alterac Syndicate on orders from Edwyn Harlow IV while being escorted to the ship that would carry her to Stormwind to attend a wedding reception for Arryc and Muriah Ashvale. She was swiftly rescued by Captain James Karwyn and an arcanist in her aunt's employ. She was then sent to Stormwind, where she is to attend King Varian's Court.

Duchess of Seastone
On the evening of February 21st, 624 K.C. Merridyth became the 2nd Duchess of Seastone, and was coronated in a small ceremony as her aunt relinquished control of the house of Marwyn after becoming a citizen of Stormwind in preparation for her marriage to the Duke of Newcastle.

The House of Nobles
Merridyth temporarily served as Lady Speaker in the Stromgarde House of Nobles following her aunt's resignation, and in addition to her primary duties, she has already taken an interest in the reform of certain existing laws. She has drafted a propsal that would change the laws of inheritance, and make it impossible for anyone but the male or female descendants of the original peer to inherit a titled estate.

The proposed change is in response to the present law enacted by Stromgarde's former Regent, which allows peers to designate any benficiary of their choosing. Like many of Stromgarde's peers, Merridyth views the present law as a mockery of the aristocracy, and a threat to the stability of the Kingdom. After encountering a great deal of animosity from her peers, the Duchess decided that her attendance was a waste of valuable time.

The March on the Highlands
When it was discovered that the Horde intended to push the Alliance out of the Arathi Highlands, Merridyth and many of the Kingdom's remaining nobles set to work in preparing their defenses. Now Duchess of Seastone in her own right, and facing both financial difficulty, and a lack of adequately trained soldiers with which to defend her holdings, Merridyth began a gradual retreat, leaving Silverbrook virtually undefended. Had it not been for her aunt's marriage to the Duke of Newcastle, and the soldiers sent by the Duke, the witherbark trolls would have regained control of much of Merridyth's land to the East.

Merridyth later visited Tyr's Hand to seek the advise of Archbishop Caspius, and was shocked when she discovered that Tendael Dawnlight had come to parlay with he and Aeriyth Dawnsorrow. Attending the parlay with hope for the first time in weeks that the invasion may not take place at all, Merridyth's hopes were dashed to pieces when she learned that Dawnlight had not come to discuss terms of ceasefire, but simply to warn them that the forsaken intended to blight all their villages. Impressed by the Sin'dorei's willingness to warn his enemies for the sake of the innocent lives it may save, and equally terrified of the prospect of losing everything it had taken her family the past six years to salvage, Merridyth returned immediately to Seastone.

The Evacuation of Seastone
After announcing her intent to do so, Merridyth began the heartbreaking task of evacuating the civilians from the lands held by the house of Marwyn for more than a thousand years. With the threat of forsaken blight looming over the population, the young Duchess simply could not take the chance of seeing them suffer the same grim fate as Southshore and Hillsbrad. Depending on the outcome of the march for the Highlands, Merridyth and her people may choose to return. Her decision to evacuate was met with a great deal of criticism from her aunt, and the two were seen exchanging bitter words following the announcement.

After giving a speech at Liam's Landing on the Isle of Longspear, Merridyth could only watch as one by one, her people boarded ships with the intent to return to the mainland, where they would journey to Brightdale to live under Chaori Ravenshadow's protection. Her people had lost faith in her, and she could not fault them for it. She was incapable of defending the lands which her family had held for more than a thousand years, and with the future so uncertain, nearly half of Seastone's population would go to Brightdale.

The Arathi War Council
Much to her dismay, Merridyth learned that her aunt would be unable to attend the final meeting of the Arathi War Council, and would not arrive in the highlands for at least three more days. With little time to spare, the young Duchess penned a letter, and ordered copies sent to each of the Alliance Military leaders and their Captains. Though she lacked her aunt's way with words, and talent for subtle pursuasion, Merridyth prayed that even half of the people who read the letter would be moved by Stromgarde's plight.

Already facing financial ruin for the second time, and with no steady income due to the evacuation of Seastone, rumors had already begun to spread that Seastone's coffers were empty. Despite all of it, Merridyth decided to host a great feast in honor of those who came to Stromgarde's aid, and paid for it personally. Believing that the least she could do was feed those who would soon bleed in Stromgarde's defense, the Duchess had the food store and wine cellars at Seastone Keep emptied, and their contents brought to the Sanctum.

At seven bells on the night of March 9th, the allies began to arrive, and the turnout was far better than Merridyth could have hoped for. Despite her fear, the Duchess addressed the crowd with a new sense of hope, before turning the meeting over to Sir Binor Dungalion.

Although Merridyth had never led soldiers into battle like her aunt, the young Duchess refused to sit idle while the Horde attacked Alliance patrols just outside Stromgarde's gates. Donning her armor, and grabbing a spear from the armory, Merridyth raced to the gates, and joined in the skirmish. Despite being less experienced than many of the city's defenders, the Duchess returned, bloodied, but alive and able to fight again another day.

Refuge For the Children
After speaking at length with Tarso Val'cari and discovering that he shared in her doubts with regard to how safe places like Seastone and Quel'Reth would be while the forsaken had the capability to hurl blight over their walls, the two decided that his children would be safer on the Isle of Longspear, where Merridyth's people had been taken. Later that evening, Aeriyth Dawnsorrow's children were also taken to the Marwyn stronghold on the tiny island. The children were kept safe with the other high born children of Seastone in the Duchess' personal suite of rooms within the Castle Longspear. The children were returned safely to their parents once the fighting had ended and although Val'cari had offered, Merridyth declined any reward, stating that any decent person would have done the same.

Defense of Stromgarde City
Separated from her aunt during the SIege of Stromgarde, Merridyth continued to fight until it was certain that the Alliance would lose the city. Like many others, she was forced to fight her way out of the city, lest she risk being captured by the Horde and becoming yet another chip for them to bargain with. Despite being wounded numerous times, she managed to scale the Southeastern wall and escape into the mountains, where she eluded her persuers. She returned immediately to the Isle of Longspear, where she called a meeting of her advisers to address the defense of Stonegarde City and other Marwyn holdings on the mainland.

Public Denouncement of the Holy League and its Leader
Following the loss of Stromgarde, Merridyth penned a scathing letter, in which she condemns the Holy League and its leader, Johannes Moorwhelp. The letter was copied and posted in Alliance settlements throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. The letter accuses the Bishop of Stormwind of provoking war and being directly responsible for the Horde invasion of the Kingdom of Stromgarde, but provides little evidence of such claims. Some have come to regard the letter as the ramblings of a bitter, if not misguided young woman. Despite being urged to do so by her aunt, Merridyth has not issued a public apology.

Denouncement of the Holy League (Read the letter.)

The Trial of Garrosh Hellscream
While visiting the monks who trained her at Kun-Lai, Merridyth learned that Hellscream would be put on trial at the Temple of the White Tiger. Wasting no time, she made the journey, desiring to see Pandaren justice meted out. She was wounded when the Dragonmaw Orcs attacked the temple and suffered second degree burns from a fireball along her left arm.

More to come!

A Bitter Struggle
Despite having received no aid from the Argents, Merridyth has managed to hold onto much of her family's original holdings, but SIlverbrook, half of Alden's Rise and the entirity of Widow's Watch have been overrun by the nieghboring trolls. With only the Champion of Seastone, thirty men-at-arms and a hundred armed tenants, Merridyth continues to fight the trolls and returning members of the Alterac Syndicate. The ongoing conflict has left Seastone virtually bankrupt, and struggling for its very existence. Despite the odds being stacked against her, Merridyth has shown herself to be a very capable battle commander after utterly decimating the trolls who lay siege to Stonegarde in June. She personally led the city's defense, and despite being urged to remain behind the walls of Seastone Keep, the young Duchess continued to fight beside her people.

Marriage
In early 625 K.C. Merridyth was wed to the Gilnean Lord Aston. The couple are currently expecting their fist child, and heir to the Duchy of Seastone. It was decided that male or female, their first born child will inherit Seastone regardless. Although theirs was a marriage born of the need for an alliance, a love and mutual respect has grown between them.