Maria Cassorta

== Description ==
=== Physical Description ===
Maria Cassorta is a tall dark skinned tiefling woman. She is dressed in luxurious silk and golden jewellery and is known to wear sweet smelling perfume. 
=== Character Description ===
Maria Cassorta wants the best for the town she rules. Partly due to a genuine feeling of responsibility and partly due to wanting to rub her success into the noses of the other Imperial princes in Confederation of Haystan.
She views politics and diplomacy as a zero sum game and is not above using underhanded and ruthless tactics to gain the upper hand in the political landscape around her.
== History and Lore ==
=== Circumstances of Birth ===
Maria Cassorta was born to two tiefling parents. Her mother a skilled gold-smith and jeweller and her father a renowned book-keeper. Despite her parents being skilled labourers Maria and her parents lived in relative poverty. Partly due to their hometown Ufensee's relative poverty and partly due to laws putting limits on how much non-imperials can earn.
=== Early Life ===
The following is "Available Knowledge". See Availability of Information for details.
As Maria grew up, while being educated by her parents, she got involved with petty thieves and criminals, mostly as an act of rebellion against the society that sees her and her parents as little more than beasts.
Though she didn't earn a lot of money as a criminal, it did give her many valuable contacts and more importantly: Information. Information she can use to blackmail a lot of important people.
End of "Available Knowledge".
=== Political Career ===
The following is "Restricted Knowledge". See Availability of Information for details.
In the year 1546, when Maria reached 22 years of age, an opportunity opened up: The only son and heir of the then Baron died, leaving the matter of succession up in the air. With the barons advanced age and ongoing illness, this soon turned into a crisis and the neighbouring princes vied to put their candidate in charge of Ufensee. 
Leveraging a wave of fear over Ufensee's independence and blackmail, she got herself appointed as temporary regent until a better replacement could be found. Soon after she mixed poison into the barons medicine, killing him. She then forged his will to announce his regent to become the next Baron. Allowing Maria to clutch the ropes of power.
End of "Restricted Knowledge".
In the winter of 1546 Maria was proclaimed the new baron of Ufensee, much to the displeasure of the citizens and the surrounding lords. Despite many protests and the machinations of the princes and princesses around her Maria has managed to hold onto power and actually managed to marginally improve the lives of her citizens. Her rule, though stabilized, is an eternal uphill battle and there are many factions just waiting for her to make a mistake or overplay her hand to remove her.
Category:Character
Category:House of Princes