Fonteyne Howell

* 131WD
* 9WD
* 3WD

Triumvir of the Radiant Triumvirate (Previous)

Lord of Howell Hold

Fonteyne Howell is the Lord of Howell Hold. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Howell Holdings. Fonteyne is also a member of the Jewelled Chalice guild in Rydoon. He was married to Jessabelle Glint, and had four children by her: Faustus Wren, Fiona Jowena, Forsythe Wuthram, and Foebe Ithinia Howell. He lives in Howell Town in Howell Hold.

## Beginnings

Fonteyne was born to Wren Pinewoods and Ithinia of Hookhaven, abandoned swiftly by his father as he left to pursue a life of adventure. Ithinia took care of her new child by giving him home in Hookhaven's church, her place of work as an acolyte and soon both their place of residence. Ithinia provided Fonteyne with food, drink, and shelter, but the cramped attic space of the church quickly grew too restrictive for the young half-elf, and above all, Fonteyne yearned for adventure.

He was often visited by a barn owl in the attic, who stayed with him in the winters when it was too cold to fly. One day, this owl spoke to him in a voice Fonteyne knew belonged only to a god, the creature's eyes glinting with twinkle from the night sky. It asked the young half-elf to find its name, and to answer the call of destiny.

Fonteyne could not resist this beckoning from adventure itself, and he raced to the nearby town of Hookhaven, using what favour he could to purchase a cheap set of owl-like armour, a sword, a shield, and an amulet in the shape of a star-pupiled eye. He stowed away on the next ship out of Hookhaven, arriving after on the shores of Ahlus, were he enscripted himself into Nelenet's Expedition Guild out of Whittengrove.

## Working in Whittengrove

Shorty after arriving in Whittengrove through Nelenet's wayfinder stone portals, Fonteyne, who then called himself Fonteyne Pinewoods, started his career as both an adventurer and a lumberjack, searching for the name of his mysterious god while saving up honest coin for days of labour in Whittengrove's neighbouring forests. Soon he had enough money to establish Fonteyne's Fountain, the first tavern of the new city of Whittengrove, and Fonteyne's first taste for industry.

His lumberjack axe was not the only source of his income however, and his skills as a swordsman with the Expedition Guild also garnered no shortage of wealth. He ventured into the dunes of the Echo Waymark, securing a life-long steed in the camel he named Hamilton, a beast he caught and tethered on his first ever adventure. He explored Whittengrove's borders and fought jackelwares on old stone bridges. His exploration brought a sense of accomplishment, but as is true to every adventure, there must also come tinges of tragedy.

In the sands that surround the Ironfangs, the young half-elf paladin would experience his first taste of irrevocable despair. After Fonteyne's leaving of an expedition party by will of his god, Zareyl Arkenviir, a drow cleric and a rival of Fonteyne's, returned to Whittengrove as the only surivor. She explained to him that Wren Howell, a half-elf sorcerer the two had ventured with, and who had been on this mission, had been none other than Fonteyne's true father. In his memory, and in Fonteyne's grief, he adopted the surname Howell and made a vow to ensure it was a name that Ahlus would not soon forget. This tragic memory was the source of his ambition, but it was also the first crack of his faith in his god. After all, he may have been able to save the party if he had been there with them, if he had not been pulled away.

After an avenging expedition turned up nothing but empty tombs and missing bodies, Fonteyne poured himself into his industry, joining his businesses into what would come to be known as Howell Holdings. Through the combined efforts of himself, Morennel Uthreloth, Ronan, Siebern Kuiper, and Zareyl, he established the Lotus Council of Whittengrove where he sat as a member of its first cabinet of councillors. His wealth and influence grew in Whittengrove as his skills hardened on Ahlus' frontiers, and coin flowed from both directions as Fonteyne made a name for himself, and for his father. And, finally, during a visit to Chalimar Palice, Fonteyne would come to know the name of his god; Divinus, the god of Destiny. A name to the voice that had called him to greatness.

But it was a god that had failed him. Fonteyne never lost sight of that first betrayal, and it was not the last time this god would abandon him. As time and adventures grew more severe, Divinus was not there to answer his calls. Trust and faith in his god was wavering each and every day. He no longer visited the chapel of Divinus he had constructed after his visit to Chalimar Palace, seeing it now as a temple of deceipt. When he was swallowed in the belly of purple worm, the same worm that tore Hamilton to his death, Divinus did not answer his prayers of escape. When he was petrified by a Tviatini basilisk, there was only silence from the god of destiny. In fact, it was Seibern, the Wizard of Whittengrove, his close friend and confidant, that had helped him through both of these life-altering adventures. And finally, when they had found the being responsible for the death of his father, when Fonteyne was finally able to avenge the death of the man he had come to love in memory, Divinus kept him from the fight, luckless, stunned and alone in the darkness by magical corruption, useless to his allies that had only just survived these magics.

The half-elf paladin decided that day that Divinus was not worthy of his worship. If he was the god of destiny, if he controlled all that unfolded, than surely he had meant for only suffering to befall Fonteyne Howell. Fonteyne would not give worship to such a diety. He would put his faith in what he could rely on: his abilities as a businessman, and his ambition as a maker of laws.

## Vacuity in Viridell

Whittengrove was nothing more than a reminder of his faith, of the life he had lived so blindly until this point, and it was only natural that Fonteyne desired a change of scenary. A new town had developed around the Radiant Waymark, the town of Viridell, and where others saw a dense jungle of dangers and an inhospitable climate of disease, Fonteyn saw only opportunity. Stepping down from his position on the Lotus Council, he comissioned a small fortune to create Howell House, his manor house of residence in Viridell, and set his ambitions on the fledgling colony of the Expedition Guild.

There was nothing in his mind anymore beyond expantion and greatness. He had made a promise to his father's memory, and he would not abandon it like he had the god that mocked him. Like in Whittengrove, he sought to establish law to a populace that seemed to refuse it. Fonteyne had found difficulty in dealing with the other Counselors during his time on the Lotus Council, and decided that for Viridell, a smaller governing body was more advantageous, and less disagreeable. He established the Radiant Triumvirate of Viridell, an assembly of three triumvirs that would oversee the laws and saftey of Viridell's interests.

They were protected by and housed in the Precinct, a base of operations for a group of like-minded warriors under Fonteyne's rule as their Constable. The many-titled half-elf provided, with these warriors, peace and swift justice to any that offered coin and trouble that needed to be rectified. With matters settled in Viridell, and Fonteyne's place as one of its rulers secured in the force of his men and the power of his wealth, he set his eyes on dragon hoards to amass even more, with plans for something big on the horizon.

Political allies from outside of Viridell were also a target of the young paladin. Several trips to Rydoon on business for Howell Holdings placed him in contact with a woman named Jessabelle Glint, the human daughter of a rich mining kingpin. Through their courting, Fonteyne met Jessabelle's father Wuthram Glint, the afformentioned miner and head of a successful collection of businesses of his own. When it was clear Fonteyne intended to marry Jessabelle, Wuthram introduced Fonteyne to the Jewelled Chalice, an organization based in Whittengrove where like-minded businessmen and women could come to secure dealings and assistance in their ventures. It seemed Fonteyne couldn't fail. This worked in his favour, as the hole in him that had once been filled with purpose now demanded something to fill the gap.

It was then that the hoarding started. And it would not end.

## Hoarding in Howell Town

While the continent of Ahlus grew restless with darkness, and forces beyond comprehension threatened the world's very safety, Fonteyne was only concerned with the riches and success he was amassing. Once it had been for his father's name, for his family's name, but now it was for him, and it was not something he wanted to stop.

Finally, after securing enough wealth from his businesses and what gold he could usurp from fallen dragons he would slay with the Expedition Guild, Fonteyne had enough gold to construct his first true landmark: Howell Hold, a castle located in the snowy lands out of the Hiemal Waymark. A small town followed this keep's construction, a town he would name Howell Town; a people he would rule as their Lord. Finally, he had a fiefdom. He was not one of five, or one of three, but one of one. A single ruling crown. It was an incredible feeling.

But the dangers of the outside world, a threat known as Hadar and his harbingers, was not something the half-elf paladin could avoid for long. After all, what would all of this mean if he could not see the world protected from ruin and destruction? Many battles were fought in Ahlus' name with the Expedition Guild, some on this plane and even some on others entirely. Fonteyne survived them all. He had to, if he intended to continue. His wife and newborn child depended on him, the world depended on him, and that crack of faith that had swelled to a fissure, that endless greed, depended on him as well.

Eventually, using his many years of swordsmanship and the powers of the Undying Queen he had siphoned from the Jewelled Chalice's rituals and practices, Fonteyne and the Expedition Guild were successful in their victory over this threat. Rivalries were settled, loose ends taken care of, and finally, after years, Fonteyne retired from his active adventuring. Howell Town was his focus now. He had three more children by his wife, and set his sights entirely on his family, his business, and the hoard he hid beneath his castle. These recent years had seen many trials and tribulations, but Fonteyne knew that even though he may have retired his sword, he was far from finished with his crown.

## Plutocracy & Politics

Without an attendant in court, much and many of the efforts of Lord Fonteyne Howell remain unknown to the majority of the general populace, although it is undeniable that the ambitions of the Lord remain unfettered. Along with maintaining in the Greencrown tradition of leading the hunt in the Hoarfrost Expanse in pursuit of white dragons, remorhazes, frost salamanders, giants and other threats to the people, Fonteyne appears to have been busy pulling the strings of political interests across the continent.

In a few years, Fonteyne, alongside his daughter Fiona, had brokered a deal with the Proviciar of Whittengrove to buy up each and every ounce of produce not required by the region itself, whether originating from field, farm, vine or net. Likewise, he has strengthened ties with the Hollow Concord, entering into a number of trade deals to revitalise the city of Saltwharf by bolstering Rydoon, as well as offering the hand of his daughter Foebe to that of the long-standing Archonos Aratus qu Regas. Simultaneously, he manoeuvres his family's position in Atralran, consorting with Marquis Imbert Charbafosse to marry Faustus Howell to the Marquis' ward Isabellis. Ultimately, the lattermost effort would be foiled by Faustus' refusal to partake in the marriage, despite the weight of immeasurable consequences to come.

## Quotations

* *"What can they offer that I do not already possess?"* (Fonteyne asks Faustus as to the purpose of his bringing of companions to dinner.)
* *"Benefits and boons, they ought to be handed ought drop by drop, piece by piece, so that they may be relished and savoured all the more." (reprimanding Faustus for his gift giving to the White Coats Jarod and Glynice.)*
* *"In Common, I want them to know what I am willing to forgive."* (Fonteyne forces Faustus to admit to his role in his mother's death to the adventuring party.)
* *"Pressure is an instrument that prepares us for our prosperity to come."*
* Faustus: *"That is what you've always hated me for, isn't it?"* Fonteyne: *"You may have to specify..."* Faustus: *"No. I don't."* (Faustus confronts Fonteyne about the nature of their relationship.)
* "I do not need a good man for a son, I need a competent one." (In response to Rover attempting to offer up the merits and virtues of Faustus to his father.)
* *"The very fact that you request the consequences are delivered only onto yourself betray every failure in the decision you have made, your ignorance to its significance. There will be consequences unto you Faustus, and unto your friends. Unto me, unto your siblings. Unto Atralran, unto the Concord, unto Ahlus as a whole. The consequences will burn deep and true across the continent."* (After Faustus refused the wedding pact to Isabellis, pleading that the implications of his choice be conferred only onto him.)

## Arsenal

* **The Shadowsword (Exalted):** A magical blade once impaled in the Storm of Rust, and once wielded by Mordakhesh the Shadowsword. It heals Fonteyne in battle, extinguishes non-magical light near him, and is capable of many things, such as swallowing spells, turning Fonteyne invisible, banishing threats, and blasting enemies with blinding cold energy. It also houses the spirit of Mordakhesh, and with each magic use, threatens to release him back into Fonteyne's mind.
* **Plate of the Prakhutu:** A magical plate once worn by Mordakhesh, forged in the Nine Hells. It grants Fonteyne fleuncy in Infernal, and can retaliate against attackers with a blast of cold energy.
* **Gauntlets of Deliverance:** A set of gauntlets that can only be worn by paladins. They allow Fonteyne to transfer certain magics from one source to another through touch.
* **Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments:** A collection of magical paints. They allow Fonteyne to create objects out of paint, or modify existing ones with a simple stroke.
* **Glamerweave:** A woven set of enchanted fabric. It can shift in form to allow Fonteyne a set of distinguished clothes for any occasion.
* **The Howell Signet Ring:** A large crystal ring with an 'H' on its flat surface. It allows Fonteyne to focus his paladin spells.
* **Slippers of Spider Climbing:** A set of purple slippers with a web-like pattern. They allow Fonteyne to walk along surfaces beyond the horizontal.
* **Bag of Holding:** A enchanted rucksack. It allowed Fonteyne to carry around many items during his time as an adventurer, but finds little use now.
* **Cape of the Mountebank:** A red cape with a golden trim. It allows Fonteyne to travel great distances in a puff of red smoke.
* **The Howell Helm:** An asymmetrical crown of jagged design, affixed with five gemstones. It gives Fonteyne a dreadful appearance in his official matters as Lord. Recent innovations to the crown seem to have added additional details to the extravagance of the item, as well as seemingly possessing enchantments that have bolstered his intellect and percipience.

## Trivia

* Fonteyne is three quarters elf, his father being a half-elf of wood-elven decent and his mother being a high elf.
* Fonteyne is a talented painter.
* Fonteyne has a fear of petrification after an encounter with a Tviatini basilisk turned him to stone for a week.
* Fonteyne was once a fiend, sharing his mind with a rakshasa named Mordakhesh.
* Fonteyne wears his Slippers of Spider Climbing to bed.