Melysa Marwyn

Lady Melysa Marwyn-Ashvale is the Countess of Seastone and one of Stromgarde's most prominent political figures. She frequently travels throughout the Eastern Kingdoms on diplomatic affairs and remains active in the restructuring of Stromgarde's House of Nobles. She has been an annointed paladin of the Order of the Silver Hand for two decades and has recently framed the beginning of a chapter of the order in Stromgarde, known as the Order of the Crimson Fist.

Melysa is the eldest daughter of Joren Marwyn and his lady wife, Lizabet McGowen. Following the deaths of her father and elder brother, she became the first female head of house Marwyn. Like many descendants of Strom, she is no stranger to combat and well-trained in the art of warfare, having fought for the Grand Alliance in numerous conflicts against both the scourge and the new Horde. Approaching her 39th winter, Melysa rarely charges headlong into battle as she once did, now serving as an ambassador of Stromgarde and a prominent political figure.

Preferred Form of Address
Since the death of her lord husband, Melysa prefers to be addressed as Lady Marwyn or simply Countess.
 * Reference Style - Countess Seastone or Lady Marwyn
 * Spoken Style - Countess Marwyn or Lady Marwyn
 * Informal Style - Melysa

Appearance
A striking woman in her late-thirties, she has the figure of a woman matured. Well-endowed and aged like a fine wine, she is clearly of noble blood. Her sapphire eyes are perhaps her most memorable feature, though they reveal much sadness of late. Her hair is quite long, easily reaching the small of her back and cascading in soft, reddish curls which accent a somewhat pale complexion, common to many highlanders.

She tends to wear long, richly colored gowns of silk and samite, tailored to accentuate her figure while leaving just enough to the imagination. They are often a season or more out of fashion and unlike many women of Noble birth, Melysa is seldom seen wearing fine jewelery, save for her earrings of course.

Though rarely seen in it, she does own a handsomely crafted suit of armor, befitting a woman of her station, but Melysa seems to prefer her simple, light-weight armor to the cumbersome suit of plate. The simple armor she wears regularly is well-worn and showing a myriad of nicks and scrapes from many years of use.

Personality
A woman of grace and dignity with a good mind for politics and diplomacy, she often attended King Terenas' Court in Lordaeron and handled matters of her late husband's estate. Once a woman of unconditional kindness, devotion and faith in the Holy Light, her husband's infidelities and the many tragedies she has endured during the last two decades have hardened her heart a great deal. She places high expectations on those who hold political offices and does not suffer fools lightly. Those who serve her well are swiftly and handsomely rewarded so as to ensure their continued loyalty.

Loyalty is of paramount importance to her and those who have earned her trust will find no more loyal an ally than Melysa. Contrarily, those who have proven themselves to be disloyal or dishonorable are treated with nothing short of contempt and will rarely be given a chance to redeem themselves. Like all Marwyns before her, Melysa is fiercely loyal to the house of Trollbane and patiently awaits Lord Danath's return.

Despite many tragedies and the precarious position in which she now finds herself, Melysa still believes that it is the sacred duty of the nobility to guide and protect the commonwealth and to that end, she continues to live modestly while using what wealth she possesses to improve her lands and provide a better quality of life for her people. She has been known to accept refugees from neighboring villages without hesitation, often providing them with food, shelter and even work where available.

Ethan Ashvale
Though she initially loved and respected her lord husband, Lord Ethan was not faithful to her and was known to have fathered a bastard boy with one of his mistresses during a vist to the South. When Ethan returned from Stormwind with another woman's child, Melysa's initial reaction was rage and she is said to have knocked out one of her husband's teeth during the heated argument that followed. The couple eventually reconciled and Melysa attempted to put the matter behind them, but in her eyes, the boy would never be a son to her and his very existence served as a painful reminder of her husband's infidelity.

Karindir Stonewarden
Champion of Seastone and Melysa's sworn shield, the somewhat reclusive Knight has become her lover in recent months. Due to her many responsibilities and frequent travels, their relationship has been anything but easy. There are some within Seastone that believe Sir Karindir is both too young and too low born to be a fit consort for the Countess.

Merridyth Marwyn
In keeping with her brother's wishes for his only daughter after his unfortunate demise, Melysa now acts as guardian to her Niece and works to arrange a suitable marriage for the young lady.

Varyc Marwyn
A distant Cousin of the Countess, the young soldier pledged his sword to the defense of her holdings and was granted a Knighthood in recognition of his service. Wishing to rise higher still, the young man has repeatedly pressed the Countess to make him lord of the holdfast on the border of Alden's Rise.

Arryc Blackfyre
Melysa has tried to do what she feels is right by offering her late husband's bastard a living at Seastone. Due to his frequent travels, Melysa fears that he may try to pursuade the remaining powers within Lordaeron to grant him his late father's land and title. She rarely speaks with him, making it difficult for her to understand what he has truly been up to on his travels. In reality, the boy has been searching for his two other siblings who were fostered elsewhere after his mother died giving birth to her youngest.

Hellissa Brisby
When Hellissa Brisby took up the mantle of Lady Regent of Stromgarde, Melysa was quite skeptical and often questioned the Duchess' motives. After watching Brisby prevent two different men from usurping Stromgarde's Crown, Melysa chose to support her efforts and has worked with her to restructure the house of Nobles, broker alliances with other nobles and prevent a number of small rebellions.

Stormwind
As an Ambassador of Stromgarde, Melysa frequently visits the Southern bastion of humanity and has developed many contacts within its house of nobles. She works tirelessly to promote good relations between the two Nations and establish strong alliances.

Gilneas
She is not particularly fond of Gilneans, viewing them as cowards who hid behind a wall while the rest of the world dealt with the threat of the undead scourge. Though she has since warmed up to some of them, she still views the majority of them with suspicion. She does however empathize with the Northgate Rebelion and those who sought to convince their King to do away with his isolationist policies.

Alterac
Despite her friendship with Hendrek Westfield, her hatred of Alterac and the syndicate that rose from the ashes of the traitor Kingdom is surpassed only by her hatred of the forsaken and she has ordered the deaths of a number of high-ranking syndicate members since her return to the Arathi highlands.

Pandaria
Melysa has only recently traveled to the continent of Pandaria in the interest of establishing trade agreements that will benefit Stromgarde in the years to come.

Beliefs
Still very much a classist, Melysa believes that the appointment of those not born into Nobility to positions of government presents a threat to the stability of any realm as those men and women typically lack the qualities present in those who were bred to rule. While she does believe that change can be a positive thing, she is cautious and insists that such changes must happen slowly and over a period of many years so as not to upset the balance of power and invite chaos. She has greeted Hellissa Brisby's desire for reform with a mixture of skepticism and enthusiasm, but remains closely involved in the workings of Stromgarde's house of lords in the effort to prevent reforms she feels would be detrimental to the Kingdom's future.

Though she was an annointed paladin in Lordaeron and has always remained one of the Light's faithful, Melysa is a firm believer in the separation of church and state. It is her personal belief that certain sects within the Church of the Holy Light have taken too much power unto themselves and become little more than another political machine, rather than true servants of the Light. Because she feels so strongly about the separation of Church and state, Melysa has thrice refused to lead the Order of the Crimson Fist, insisting that whoever leads the order should hold neither Noble title, nor political office. Recent developments have prompted the Countess to reconsider such views and Stromgarde's Bishop, Allrick Antonius has expressed his desire to see her lead Stromgarde's chapter of the Order of the Silver Hand.

Residences

 * Seastone Keep- The seat of the house of Marwyn
 * Stone Manor - A fortified manor located to the West of Seastone Keep. (Now largely a ruin)

Though Melysa was the rightful Lady Ashfort after the deaths of her lord husband and their son, the forsaken currently occupy the Ashfort and all its attended lands. With no other personal residences, save for her family's Castle at Stonegarde in the Kingdom of Stromgarde, Melysa has resided in many places since the Ashfort was taken, including Ambermill and the city of Stormwind.

Since being created Countess of Seastone, Melysa's official residence is Seastone Keep, though she often stays within Stormwind Keep when her presence is required in the Southern Kingdom. Though the chambers she was given are small and sparsely furnished, she much prefers them to the busy Cathedral disctrict and can often be found in the gardens adjacent to the Royal Library.

Wealth
What little wealth remains to her is what she and her husband managed to salvage from the vaults at the Ashfort, much of which was squandered in Lord Ethan's many attempts to retake the Castle and the sellswords he hired to do so. Melysa chooses to live modestly and avoid squandering what coin remains, often wearing gowns that are a season or more out of fashion and traveling with a small retinue. She has recently sold all of the fine jewelery her lord husband once adorned her with, using the coin to assist in the daunting task of resettling Seastone and rebuilding the village of Alden's Rise.

Much of her current income is derived from the quarry for which the Marwyns original holdings were named, the local fishermen, sea trade and taxes. With much of the Kingdom in ruins, stone from the Countess' quarry is in high demand and is carted to settlements throughout the highlands. Melysa has also recently hired a number of mercenaries, scouts, trackers and other professionals while preparing an expedition to recover the contents of the Ashfort's vaults.

Charitable Work
Coming Soon

The Countess of Seastone's Foundation For The Restoration of Stromgarde
Coming Soon

The Seastone Orphanage
Established in May of the year 623 K.C. with partial funding from the Regency, the orphanage provides food, clothing, shelter and basic education for more than a hundred children orphaned by the ongoing war against the Horde in the Arathi Basin.

Early Years
Born at Stonegarde in the Kingdom of Stromgarde, Melysa was the second child of Lord Joren and Lady Lizabet Marwyn. She was afforded the very finest in education and trained in the arts of combat and warfare like all Stromgarde's high born children. Melysa showed a distinct lack of interest in all things befitting a proper young lady, but took to swordplay like a moth to a flame, much to her lady mother's dismay. Her favorite books were those that told the tales of Stromgarde's gallant Knights and during a conversation at a feast held by her father, Lord Joren was quoted as having said "It would seem I have two sons."

It was her father who decided to put an end to her swordplay and insisted she become a proper lady, but Melysa defied him and continued to practice with their master at arms while her father tended to matters of state. By the time she was thirteen, offers for her hand in marriage came from a handful of Stromgarde's Noble houses, but Lord Joren had other plans for his only daughter and after the second war ended, he was certain of the proper course.

Marriage and Children
Desiring a stronger alliance with Lordaeron after Stromgarde's unfortunate departure from the Alliance of Lordaeron, Joren arranged a marriage pact between Melysa and the new lord Ashfort, Ethan Ashvale. The pair were married in Melysa's sixteenth year. Her marriage joined the house of Marwyn to the house of Ashvale and while the couple hardly knew one another, theirs was not an unhappy union in its beginning. The ceremony took place in Lordaeron and just nine months later, their son was born, James Ashvale.

Despite such a promising beginning, times of war made it difficult for the couple to conceive more children and Lord Ethan's many affairs during their son's younger years put a great deal of strain on the marriage. Despite her husband's numerous indiscretions, Melysa remained faithful and dedicated herself to raising their son to be an honorable man.

Paladin Defender of Lordaeron
At the age of eighteen, she was formally inducted into the Order of the Silver Hand beside her husband in Stratholme and would serve the order faithfully until it was suspended in Lordaeron by Prince Arthas. Despite Lordaeron's fall and the death of Uther the Lightbringer, Melysa still considers herself a paladin of the old order and refuses to recognize Tirion Fordring as anything but a traitor to Lordaeron.

Tragedy
Melysa's later years were marked by tragedy in many forms, beginning with the fall of the Royal house of Menethil and the undead scourge that swept over her husband's land like locusts, destroying everything in their path. Despite repeated attempts to retake the Ashfort, the household was forced to retreat to Ambermill, where they would remain for several years. Lord Ethan was later slain in battle during the Siege of Icecrown Citadel and Melysa had his remains laid to rest elsewhere so as to prevent them from being raised by the scourge.

During a final attempt to retake the Ashfort just months prior to the discovery of Pandaria, Melysa's son, James Ashvale was slain in battle. Like his father, James refused to wait while the forsaken held his seat of power and with less than a hundred men at arms, he stormed the battered castle and was pierced by more than a dozen arrows. Melysa was forced to lead what remained of their household guard on a raid that many considered to be suicide in order to recover his remains. During the raid, Melysa was wounded once by arrow and once by blade, though she continued to fight in spite of her wounds. After recovering her son's remains, Melysa laid him to rest beside his father in the crypts beneath the Undercroft and spent the next few months recovering from her wounds and mourning the loss of her only child.

Now recovered and having lost everything, save for what meager wealth was salvaged from the Ashfort when it was initially evacuated, Melysa began a long journey on horseback to the Southern Kingdom of Stormwind. She planned to return to her ancestral home at Stonegarde, though not before acquiring enough swords to guarantee safe passage through Stromgarde.

First Visit To Stormwind
Shortly after her arrival in Stormwind, Melysa met Sir Hendrek Westfield and the two spoke of their mutual losses and hopes for the future of their broken Kingdoms. At a small ceremony in Stormwind's Cathedral, Melysa renewed her vows and was formally reinstated as a paladin of the Order of the Silver Hand.

Upon learning of the recent occupation of Stromgarde by what amounts to little more than a small army of thieves, Melysa feared for her brother's safety more than ever and had received no word of his whereabouts in months. After speaking at length with Ferenold Stormshend and Sir Vesran Rand, she planned to make the journey to Stromgarde, regardless of the danger posed by those who have occupied it by force. Sir Vesran proved himself to be a gallant Knight, offering to provide the widow with an escort.

Return To Stromgarde
After arriving safely in Stromgarde, Melysa learned that the syndicate had slain her brother and what few soldiers remained under his command during a raid on Stonegarde. Saddened by the news and feeling more hopeless than ever, she visited the crypt where Liam Marwyn was laid to rest and said her final farewell to the brother she had not seen in nearly twenty years. Informed of her brother's last wishes, Melysa now acts as guardian to her Niece, Lady Merridyth and has taken personal responsibility for her dowry in the event that a favorable marriage can be arranged for the young lady.

With the aid of her Cousin, Varyc Marwyn, Melysa managed to rally what remained of her brother's men at arms and personally led them into battle against the syndicate. Victory was achieved when Melysa convinced the remaining people of Alden's Rise to attack from the East while her own force attacked from the West, trapping the syndicate men in the stone quarry, from which the city of Stonegarde received its name.

Following the resolution of the civil strife between various warring factions in Stromgarde, Melysa utterly abandoned late husband's land and title in Lordaeron and with a renewed sense of purpose, she began the daunting task of resettling her ancestral home in the Kingdom of Stromgarde. With a team of masons and unskilled laborers, the reconstruction of Stonegarde Keep itself was expected to take three or more years to complete due to her lack of a consistant income and the rapidly depleting Marwyn treasury.

Trade Agreements
With lumber in short supply due to the constant fighting in the Arathi basin, Melysa has begun negotiations with foreign suppliers to bring in the necessary materials to rebuild Stonegarde's satellite villages. Located beside the sea, Stonegarde had the advantage of its own port, which was the first of many things the lady ordered rebuilt. With four new piers constructed, Stonegarde's docks would accomodate even the largest of merchant vessels. The cost of this improvement was catastrophic to the lady's coffers, but she was confident that the funds would be restored once Stonegarde's sea trade resumed. A trade agreement was made with Wolf's Crossing, which should have provided the Countess with all the lumber she requires to fortify her holdings and construct more homes. The agreement was to begin when Lorrain Blackvale achieved control of the province, but the civil war in Wolf's Crossing resulted in a betrayal. With Lorrain Blackvale effectively bannished from her rightful holdings, the agreement has failed utterly.

Stromgarde's House of Nobles
Known for her desire to weed out corruption and see the highlands ushered into the future under leadership whose primary concern is the people of the land, rather than the gold that fills their coffers, Melysa has dedicated much of her time to speaking with the other remaining Arathi Nobles, lobbying for support with various Alliance organizations and working with the Lady Regent to restructure the house of Nobles. Despite the limited power the house of lords possesses, she feels as though it is the best course of action to ensure the Kingdom's survival during Lord Danath Trollbane's absence.

Countess of Seastone
For her work in restructuring the Stromgarde House of Nobles and all the effort she has made to provide work for the displaced citizens of the highlands, Melysa was raised to the rank of Countess, granted a seat on the Regent's council and also granted the neighboring holdings of Alden's Rise, which were annexed into her holdings. The combined holdings were renamed as the County of Seastone. Almost immediately after receiving her letters patent, Melysa went on a short progress and sent word to various small villages throughout the North, seeking even the most unskilled of laborers and offering them food and shelter in exchange for taking part in the reconstruction of her new holdings.

A New Champion
Despite the tragic loss of Jon Hastings, shortly after being raised to the rank of Countess, Melysa found a new Champion for Seastone in the reclusive Knight, Sir Karindir Stonewarden. Stonewarden shares many of the same ideals for the future of the highlands and has proven to be no less honorable than the former Champion of Seastone.

As Seastone's Champion and Melysa's sworn shield, Stonewarden also serves as her chief military advisor, master-at-arms and commander of all Seastone's men at arms. The Knight rarely leaves the Countess' side and travels with her on all diplomatic affairs. Of late, what began as a professional relationship has blossomed into a close friendship. After rumors of their mutual attraction began to spread, they were soon confirmed by the Countess when she announced that she was indeed being courted by Stonewarden. While the relationship has been accepted by many, there are those who believe that the low born Knight is no fit consort for the Countess.

The Spectre Of Rebellion
What began with the distribution of a series of treasonous pamphlets known as The Freedom Papers, written by Ranves Darn has become a tenuous situation for those who would see order maintained during times of war. Having learned of the author's efforts to see the contents of the pamphlets preached across the Eastern Kingdoms to those workers who are unable to read them, Melysa has done all that she can to silence the spread of his message on her own lands and urged Hellissa Brisby, whose name was invoked by the author to publicly denounce the contents of the publication.

When a man came to Seastone and began reading the pamphlets to the citizens, he was charged with treason and inciting a riot. After being convicted, he was given the opportunity of a full pardon in exchange for information on the true identity of the pamphlet's author. After refusing, his tongue was removed with a hot knife and he was forced to spend the rest of his years in Seastone's dungeons.

When a subsequent publication entitled Freedom Rises, invoked the Countess' own name, she decided it was time for action and spoke out publicly against the pamphlet's author by accusing him of treason and attempting to incite rebellion. Any and all persons found to be in association with the author and the spread of his message found on the Countess' lands were interrogated by the Marshal of Seastone and subsequently put to death. For a time, Melysa suspected that Duchess Brisby herself endorsed the author, but such suspicions were put to rest when Brisby informed her that a statement from house Ravenshadow had been issued to advise the would-be rebels of the futility of their actions.

Diplomacy In Stormwind
Wtih the reconstruction of her holdings near complete, Lady Melysa plans to journey south to Stormwind once more in her official capacity as an Ambassador of Stromgarde. The Lady is expected to travel with only a smell retinue. She plans to remain in Stormwind until the summer's end, during which time, she hopes to acquire the services of a few more swords to aid her in defending Seastone from the syndicate during the winter months ahead.

The Order of the Crimson Fist
Recently, Lady Melysa has been working to establish a small chapter of the Silver Hand in Stromgarde. The order will be known as the Crimson Fist and be comprised entirely of paladins from the highlands. The order was recently featured in the Stormwind Herald's eighth issue. Despite her misgivings and after much encouragement from the Bishop of Stromgarde, Melysa was eventually electedto serve as Chapter Master and represent the order at the Congregation of the Silver Hand.

The Path To Serenity
During a recent diplomatic engagement on the continent of Pandaria, Melysa had an opportunity to observe a number of pandaren monks during their daily training. So impressed by the sense of calm and aura of serenity possessed by the masters, the Countess was determined to take up such training to better herself.

After beginning a vigorous regiment of physical training to strengthen her body and training briefly under Master Bao at the Northshire Abbey, Melysa could not help but wonder if as a paladin and a devout follower of the Holy Light, she might somehow combine the two paths. Most recently, she has sought the wisdom of both the pandaren and human masters, hoping to find one such master to instruct her privately.

Trivia

 * During a heated argument in the early years of their marriage, Melysa struck her lord husband, knocking out one of his teeth. Lord Ethan told his men that he'd lost the tooth in a melee.
 * Despite her stoic facade, when under the influence of spirits, Melysa can be quite bitter and resentful.
 * Her hatred of the forsaken is rivaled only by her hatred of those who have profited from the devastation of Lordaeron and her own Kingdom of Stromgarde.
 * Though it is seldom seen, Melysa bears a scar just below her left collar bone, where she was pierced by an arrow during the raid she led to recover her son's remains.
 * Melysa personally commanded the remains of her brother's troops during the battle for Stonegarde, achieving victory against the Alterac Syndicate and driving them from Marwyn lands.
 * Now approaching her 39th birthday, Melysa has recently begun a vigorous regiment of physical training in order to strengthen her body and has sought the wisdom of both pandaren and human monks in order to become a better leader to her people.

Quotes
"Never let an enemy know your true feelings." To Hellissa Brisby.

"The collective wisdom of one's peers is a resource often overlooked by those who lack humility." To her squire.

"A cornered animal is more deadly, because he is unpredictable. Always leave your enemy the option of surrender and if not surrender, let him retreat." To her cousin when he insisted on slaughtering what remained of the Alterac Syndicate on their lands.

"The forsaken are no better than the scourge that spawned them and they should all burn in holy fire." To her Niece, when speaking of the assassination of Prince Gallen Trollbane.