Mark Hillary

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324PE: Mark was allowed entry into the acolytes of the Cellan Church. As a noble child he was given every advantage over the other new recruits.

329PE: Emperor Garath limited the Templar order in response to the Church's resistance to fighting in the elven forest of Quintox in the conflicts of the previous four years. His concept was that if the church wouldn't fight for the Empire it would not be allowed to fight at all. Mark remembered this embarassment as it had been his hope to become a templar so he could live as close to the life of a knight such as his elder brother would live.

329PE: Mark became a full cleric in this year.

333PE: Mark was raised to the rank of Silver Clerk as recognition of his missionary work and effective relationship building with the Red Protectoran. He had performed admirably as clerk and spiritual liaison to the the legion.

345-347PE: The failed invasion of Alkan. This was a very unpopular war with Mark and indeed the rest of Tor Celer. The Emperor Garath was not seen as a friend to the church and the church made every attempt to completely stand aside from the war. However the Emperor moved to force clerical involvement as he became increasingly desperate for success. There were some clerics who were imprisoned and even martyred in these years. Mark on the otherhand went to war with the red legions that were mobilised alongside the Yellow. In so doing he managed to cover for a prestigious Golden Clerk who was able to flee to claim sanctuary in the First Shrine. During the war the scarcity of clerics resulted in those who had come such as Mark being heavily used and vital to the survival of key officers and noblemen. Mark survived the conflict and returned to Tor Celer a national hero in an time of great imperial shame. He now had sponsers from across the nobility, was incredibly well respoected and supported among the military and was one of the few clerics who had fought in the war that was not seen as a traitor but rather as a noble martyr of a different kind by the church.

347PE: Mark was made a Golden Clerk in the church in recognition of his bravery, popularity and growing power and influence.

347-362PE: The Behind the Throne conflict to determine power after the death of Emperor Garath. Mark was very active in this conflict and used his growing 'network of influence' to secure for himself and the church powerful allies and to ensure that his enemies did not grasp power or at least did not for long.

347-356PE: Mark spent these years building a powerful network of mututal assistance links between the military, senators, noblemen, trademasters and the church. He was especially influential in working as a broker of political marriages that garnered him immense popularity and favours.

356PE: Mark was made a Theonist at the Cathedral at Tor Celer after the death of his predecessor. He was by far the popularist choice and what was greater than that both within and outside of the church almost all the major decision makers considered him a personal friend and a vital ally.

376PE: The Theonist Mark Hillary was made Imperial Vizier. He was extremely influential in expanding the church's influence across all the Empire's key organiasations.

376-380PE: Mark sponsered many clerics into the ranks of the Ro'Tier as they were barred from being senators.

381PE: As vizier he was now allowed to officially re-establish the Templar Order such as it had not been since the reign of Garath. Once again the Church of Celer had an order of militant clerics and paladins though they had no civil authority. In order to bring this about Hilary also saw to it that the Order made promises to support the Protectorans in war.

385PE: Hilary was retired as Imperial Vizier in favour of a younger man. He officially retired from politics and from active leadership in the Church of Celer though he retained significant influence until his death. Indeed, many said that he continued to run much of his official and unofficial business, information and influence networks from his estates.

391PE: Mark Hilary died on his estates. It was belived to be a wasting sickness. At his request his funeral services were simple and held at his estates personal chapel though they were presided over by his friend the Theonist he worked with in his years as Theonist himself in Tor Celer. His vast fortune was split most being given directly to the church but a significant amount was given to an undisclosed organisation which many believe hid his so called network of influence. His successor in this area was never publically revealed.