Askan Maristev

A former Avarian noble known as Acwuld Maris who would later change his identity and found House Maristev of Mütvia.

## History of Askan Maristev and House Maristev

* 869 IC - Askan Maristev (nee Acwuld Maris) born in Avar, Ivari to landed noble house; youngest of three siblings.

* 876 IC - Maris made page to older sister Sar Ageth.

* 883 IC - Maris made squire to Sar Ageth and begins formal training for knighthood.

* 885 IC - - Sar Alward Maris, knight, Lord Baron of House Maris dies; eldest brother Sar Hardwin Maris becomes Lord Baron.

* 891 IC - Maris knighted after Ageth's death in Battle of Borston Bridge; given command of household troops.

* 892 IC - Rumors surround cause of Ageth's death. Investigation by divination commences wherein is found Ageth was poisoned while on the field of battle, resulting in her inability to defend herself against enemy attacks. Acwuld found guilty of treason, is stripped of title and sentenced to death by disembowelment. A curse was to be placed on his body that would prevent resurrection. Acwuld escapes and disappears on eve before execution.

* 913 IC - Hardwin dies. Acwuld returns to claim title of Lord Baron Maris. Local nobles move in to take lands and absorb household troops. Acwuld flees. Spends next ten years forming expeditionary parties and amassing a small fortune.

* 923 IC - With 98 mercenary troops, Maris takes by force the (unprotected) lands of Air Hatto ri Gesten, a local land baron in northern Tunbria. Land is razed after ri Gesten's defeat and murder. Maris hires more mercenaries, ri Gesten's lands are razed, and Maris heads north in to Mütvia on his line of conquest.

* 924 IC - Maris finds and accidently kills a drósti youth, but claims the boy was a thief and was executed. As a "most strict and brutal warning to highwaymen", Maris strings body to side of wagon. Maris is unaware of Mütvian drósti customs and people and two nights later 200 drósti *cesstis* (horse cavalry) attack and slaughter the caravan and mercenaries. Maris was not present, however. Upon return to camp, he sought refuge with a local prince to whom he offered the Tunbrian ri Gesten gold and introduced himself as Askan Maristev, assuming a pseudo-Mütvian name. The noble is murdered, his wealth stolen and House Maristev is established under Mütvian law. Maristev hires Sta'abrian and Tunbrian mercenaries as bodyguards, while conscripting local peasantry as household troops. Maristev spreads falsehoods that he "recaptured a stronghold stolen from my ancestors and thereby enforcing our ancient bloodright". With no proof, locals accept him as prince.

* 925 IC - Maristev quickly begins a pogrom of any who do not bend the knee. Local drósti families flee north.

* 926 IC - Drósti skirmishers and cesstis continue to raid Maristev lands. Using well-paid Sta'abrian mercenaries and barbarians, Maristev issues the order of *Hammer of the Drósti,* a pogrom granting ten gold for each drósti head turned in. Late in the year, five drósti villages totally 323 people were slaughtered in an effort known as the Unjhul Massacre. Unaware of the standard and necessary burial practices of Mütvia, those slaughtered rose again as undead and rampaged across the river valley to the north. Stopped by forces from Houses Dracovich and Armenesti, House Maristev is sent a missive from these two princes and ordered to cease all such activity lest "Your most ignoble house be laid to [its] foundation, your servants' heads be dashed against the walls, and the floors painted with the blood of your people. Your lands shall be salted and your body slowly returned to Nor'dahga as a sacrifice, one bone each day, whilst you stay alive until your corporeal form shall relinquish its soul which we shall also claim for all eternity as a curiosity upon our shelf. Signed, Ströikas Piotr Dracovich"

From here House Maristev grew slowly, concentrating its growth south in to the unclaimed Missing Mountain Plains.