Manton Fisher

== Overview ==
Manton Fisher was a male Mhordynian adviser and aide, having held various high positions in his life, such as that of High Confidant of the Patriarch and Matriarch, entering the service of the Ruling Family Fyth of Helmont in 184 AG. In this capacity, he notoriously undermined Patriarch Norgoux Fyth and eventually highly influenced Matriarch Shackschogorth Fyth's decision to separate from him. Later on, his relationship with Patriarch Forkoux Fyth became infamous, greatly influencing his strategic and political conduct even after retiring from his service in 203 AG. Following this, he worked for the Council Magnus through many of its establishing years from the ashes of the Grenthyx Dynasty. In 212 AG, he and his wife, Moira, retired to spend the rest of their lives farming in rural Helmont. He was known to be forthright and loyal but had a notoriously short temper. 
== Appearance ==
Manton, frequently stressed, had somewhat sullen features, particularly in his elder years, owning grey eyes. He greyed in his mid-40s, sporting a beard and brown overalls. 
== Biography ==
=== Early Life ===
Manton was born into a working family in the kingdom Mhordyn in 145 AG. He had 10 siblings, being the youngest - not an uncommon occurrence in the farmers of the east of Mhordyn. Indeed, Manton grew up but a few miles from the Capital and Ephellindronian border with the kingdom. After eventually gaining a scholarship at Brendellos University in the Chaestlands. He completed his studies in diplomacy in 166 AG. 
=== Time in Desperation ===
Soon after concluding his studies, Manton approached various houses and institutions, seeking to advise or act in a diplomatic role. He was accepted as an advisor for House Zeri of Zerisorn in 168 AG, but quickly attracted negative attention for his forthright approach, eventually earning him a dismissal by 170 AG. 
However, shortly afterwards, he could no longer find any work. Eventually, he found himself working in the Capital, tasked with delivering goods via horse to various close by houses. The pay was insufficient for Manton to enjoy anything substantial, and led to him rationing. For a long time, this remained his condition, feeling depressed and aimless. Often drunken, and eventually forced out onto the streets, Manton had nowhere to go.
=== Entering the Service of the Ruling Family Fyth ===
One day in 184 AG, Manton was made aware of a long journey he would have to undertake on behalf of the company. He was very hesitant to accept it; and even considered ending it there, quitting his job. However, in a burst of uncharacteristic consideration, he was told that he would be given supplies, including food and drink. He was to deliver wine to Helmont Castle in the far north of the kingdom of Helmont. Upon his arrival, he predictably created a scene of commotion when a Helmontan guard began to disagree with his plan he had drawn up in his manifest as to how the wine would need to be distributed. What began as a trivial disagreement eventually grew into a heated argument, with the tired, beaten Manton thinking that he had nothing to lose, wanting to vent. Eventually, the argument became so load, that it attracted the attention of a young, small woman: new Matriarch, Shackschogorth Fyth. Having heard the noisy fracas through an open window, she quickly descended to the cobbled path where the two quarrelled. Upon her arrival, she broke the argument up, announcing herself as the Matriarch to Manton. 
Fisher, realising who she was, promptly apologised and explained his dispute. The young Matriarch considered Fisher, finding his resolve refreshing, if not petty in this instance. Nonetheless, Upon acknowledging his points, she ordered that the wine be distributed into the castle according to Manton's plan, and invited him inside into an ornate receiving room to talk. Learning of his studies at Brendellos and his fortitude, coping with his new life after all had rejected him, Shackschogorth sympathised with him. She offered for Manton to stay the night as she secretly discussed matters with her aides. By the morning, Manton, still quite bewildered by the attention he had garnered, was offered unique access to all scrolls in the realm of diplomacy and strategy in The Continent through the library wing in Helmont Castle as well as the position of High Confidant of the Patriarch and Matriarch. Shackschogorth trusted his character and judged him to be a great man for the job, trusting him. Naturally, knowing her husband, Patriarch Norgoux Fyth, would disagree with her judgment, she lied about Manton's recent history, battles alcohol and homelessness and opted to merely state that she had found a suitable high aide, with the pair being in need of one. Norgoux passively agreed, as both heads of the kingdom had to agree to sanction such an appointment. However, Manton judged that Shackschogorth was not a bad stratagist herself, for even if Norgoux learned of his past, he could not ever hope to dismiss him without the approval of the Matriarch, and vice versa. Feeling enthused that he could at least try the position out, he gladly accepted.
=== Early Years as High Aide - Shackschogorth, Norgoux and Forkoux Fyth ===
Manton gave his reading all he could muster, spending days without end in the library even before he began his official duties, reading widely in all literature, beyond even diplomatic texts. Once satisfied with his developments, Manton felt refreshed and ready to tackle the world, his instincts from University returning to him, but guided by the miserable existence he had led which had offered him a pessimistic outlook on people. During his early work, Shackschogorth was extremely impressed with how well he was able to handle affairs, with an outstanding level of efficiency. Manton enjoyed beginning to sink his teeth into the job, visiting various kingdoms as he did. Though, he became increasingly sceptical about Patriarch Norgoux Fyth, having overheard some conversations with Shackschogorth he could only describe as vile and manipulative. 
==== Meeting Moira ====
In 185 AG, while visiting Mhordyn's House Preôs to sort out a trade dispute, Manton met Moira Preôs. The two had a conversation while talks were paused, and bonded immediately. Manton saw an innocence in the girl, but an innocence that was so firmly rooted in a good-sensed compassion, care and love for nature and the people around her. Manton, having experienced many changes in recent years, decided to pursue the young Preôs and arranged to grow close to her. Predominately, they embarked on walks, a hobby the two shared for their different reasons; with Manton's reasoning being that it was the only way for him to pretend for a second that he was just as well off as the other Capital folk had been bustling around the streets. Though he was undoubtedly in a safer position now that he worked for the Ruling Family Fyth, he felt isolated in the far north. Moira, seeing this vulnerability, decided that their next visit would be to where he explained he grew up. 
When the two met again, they visited his parents who were still farming, despite their advancing age. Moira led Manton in and introduced herself, eventually striking up a conversation with Manton's mother. Manton, sitting down with his father outside, talked of his journey as his father listened intently. Proud of his son, he began to cry following his brief exposition. Manton, also shedding tears, expressed his desire to help the two, that he had returned to see how they were and help in any way he could. He had brought some money to them, anticipating that their level of comfort would not have improved much, if at all. Overwhelmed, his father and he embraced as he bid them farewell. Manton left with Moira for a walk in the surrounding countryside, and the two talked about the conversations they had, finding comfort in their visit. Manton thanked Moira for all the care she had devoted to him, admitting that he had expected nobody to have the patience required to tolerate him, or the stomach to contain his occasional outbursts of anger. But Moira, in many ways, now represented an escape, a hope and very much a representation of how he felt about his new life. The two kissed and embraced, and Moira asked Manton to marry him moments later in a field close-by to his childhood home. The two would marry shortly thereafter, in a private setting with his parents present in Mhordyn. Following this, Moira moved in to Helmont Castle with her now husband. 
==== Concerns with Norgoux and consultations with Shackschogorth ====
Manton had grown increasingly impatient with Norgoux, seeing him as woefully inept, and not just as a leader. More often, Manton saw Norgoux to be a repulsive husband and lover, especially now that he was now in a loving, happy marriage himself. He and Shackschogorth began to meet confidentially to discuss matters, genuinely wishing to understand Shackschogorth's position so that he may gain an idea of who he is serving. After a few meetings, disaster struck at the Rokningspik Circle's Ensom Citadel prison. A massacre occurred, with swathes of its prisoners transforming into Kromorte due to ill-adpted facilities. In the coming days, Manton observed no acknowledgment of the event ever occurring, let alone a sense of remorse, and even less any contemplation that its effects could have been made worse by his own wrongdoings at all. Utterly repulsed, and enraged at what he saw to be the utter uselessness of the embarrassment of a Patriarch he thought he was serving, Manton decided to speak to Shackschogorth confidentially again. While the pair discussed her ongoing problems with Norgoux (Manton had now invited Moira to these meetings to help in this regard), Manton raised the issue of the breakout massacre. He explained his position and how he saw Norgoux's behaviour to be disastrous, and gestured to the increasing unpopularity of Norgoux. However, he was keen to point to the immense popularity of herself still, beginning to let his idea permeate. Manton, in essence, wished to take advantage of those two facts: Norgoux's unpopularity and Shackschogorth's popularity, persuading her that if those were explored, then they could potentially solve both the danger which Norgoux represented to the Kingdom and secure her freedom from the Patriarch, with the marriage being largely loveless. 
Manton was impressed by Forkoux Fyth, then a newcomer to the Castle, issuing a rousing critique at a banquet in 187 AG, arousing the attention of all Fyths present. Manton, in particular, saw himself to an extent in Forkoux, his rebellious quality to speak in this manner he judged to have taken a great deal of bravery, considering that he only hung on to his place in the family due to his relationship with Vaioria Fyth. Following this, Manton met with Forkoux and the two discussed his future desires and general leanings, finding his Euphratuman upbringing fascinating, although listening with slight distaste given his own experiences in the Capital but a few years prior. The high aide promised to stay close with Forkoux, and the two would go on to coordinate in the coming years in order to undermine the Patriarch in any way they could.
The need for this became evermore pressing as time passed. Throughout the calamitous Crusade of the Borrows, he had even began to cease all meetings with the Patriarch, having attempted to persuade him in private sessions to rethink his strategy to no avail. As Norgoux refused to see the threat at hand, and then refused to send in the Gryhskor Guild for fear of upsetting the Grenthyx Dynasty, Manton hastened his plotting behind his back. Now, Manton had expanded his talks to Norgoux's own brother, Tibost Fyth, who also viewed his brother with disdain, going as far as to consider his brother mentally unsound. As he met with the Matriarch, Tibost and the young Forkoux Fyth on occasion, he became surer in his conviction to bring about the end of Norgoux's disaterous rule, and preferably as soon as possible given that the Borrosians were on the verge of reaching Tyst Dod Lake in early 189 AG due to his inaction. 
Manton, having studied the Martial Charter extensively in the few years prior to 189 AG, noted that a rule of Helmont could only be broken under two circumstances: firstly if both parties agree to dismiss themselves from the role and abdicate, and second if either one of them breaks the bond of love, divorcing the other, and thereby end the legitimacy of their rule in the kingdom, resulting in a plebiscite to pick new rulers. Manton had floated the idea with the Matriarch, who seemed nervous, apprehensive and, to Manton, frankly scared to say much about how likely she was to want to pursue that route. The Crusade of the Borrows had exposed Norgoux's increasing detachment from reality and entirely self-interested inaction for what it was, and, having put it off, Shackschogorth agreed to explore the option with Manton and Tibost to oust Norgoux as soon as was possible. She was quite comfortable with the idea that she too would cease to be Matriarch, finding reassurance in the idea that the now increasingly popular Forkoux Fyth and his partner, Vaioria, would be their likeliest replacements. After further meetings, the group (which by now included the majority of Helmont's aides) decided on a course of action. Shackschogorth divorced Norgoux in the late spring of that year, with Forkoux and Vaioria winning the resultant plebiscite for the next Patriarch and Matriarch. Forkoux, immediately calling in the Gryhskor Guild to spare any more Helmontan blood, relieved Manton of a large amount of stress, no longer having to apologise for the actions of his own ruler to representitives of other kingdoms. 
=== The Reform Years with Forkoux Fyth ===
Manton was incredibly happy with the new Patriarch, finding his thinking to be very thorough. In fact, Forkoux grew to be one of the only people, aside from Moira, who was not fearful of the high aide. In fact, the two frequently held quiet conversations, now an extreme rarity with the increasingly scathing Manton. Manton was impressed with Forkoux's initiative; firstly in fortifying the southern border with no help from the now waning Grenthyx Dynasty in 191 AG, and then with the landmark Floralys Agreement of 192 AG. Manton, now nearing 50, was entirely untethered in his approach, no longer restrained by what he saw as a hindering, incompetent Patriarch. As such, Manton's presence was very much felt at the Floralys Agreement negotiations in Floralys Castle, and again in the 195 AG negotiation of the handover of Ensom Citadel prison. This presence was not, however, overbearing - quite the contrary. Forkoux seemed to assume all the duties of the diplomat and aide, and only brought Manton forth in matters of political optics, how best to deliver the convictions the Patriarch was set on. The two together became notable for their effectiveness in pushing through radical changes, ceding power from the Grenthyx Dynasty in the 190s. 
With the crowning of King Barren II Grenthyx, Manton's role expanded yet further, organising a trip to Contra in 198 AG to discuss the King with Duke Lythe Armitage. Here, he first encountered Lythe's own Head of the Advisory Council of Contra - Cesil Burnwyn. Repulsed by his patronising, maligned light-heartened ferocity, Manton swore that the Contran was the most detestable human being he had ever met, noting to Forkoux on the way back in The Murndorl that he was,
Added to this, and perhaps in an uncommon agreement with Cesil, Manton was beside himself at the actions of King Barren II, infringing upon hard-fought terms of trade won by the Floralys Agreement. Compounded with other overtly repressive actions from the king, in a meeting Manton characteristically remarked that he was going to need to find a way of duplicating himself multiple times in order to deal with the amount of problems that the "foetus of a king" was causing from his Palace in the Capital. Manton and Forkoux frequently went nights without sleep discussing the king, and, by early 200 AG, had decided upon a plan of action.
=== Involvment in the Uprootings ===
=== Overseeing the Transition of Power in the Capital ===
=== Later life ===
Category:Characters
Category:Helmont character
Category:Mhordyn Character