Monty Marshall

**Montague "Monty" Solague Marshall** (in this article mononymously referred to as "Marshall") also known by his business moniker **Quartzenberg** is an Avalonian drug kingpin, politician, explorer, soldier, and architect who, along with Oliver Hayes, co-founded the Kingdom of Avalon in 1860.

## Early life (1835 - 1849)

Monty Marshall was born on October 17, 1835, and grew up in Avalonia with his parents, Oscar Marshall and Rosemary Addison but also his brother Augustus. He studied and attended the University of Western Monsburgh for four years and graduated in 1857 with a degree in architecture and political science, which would later shape his lifelong career. He spoke fluent English, German, Latin and French.

## Life in Solague (1850 - 1855)

Marshall moved to North America to perform with his brother, however one very hectic day changed the course of history forever. On an ordinary day in Solague, great storms struck and caused destruction for the residents living there, which included his brother, Oliver Hayes, Andrew Webster and others relevant to their group. Lightning bolts destroyed buildings left and right, which triggered an emergency evacuation from the Solagist president at the time.

Marshall was running very late for a concert that he and Augustus had planned for a month. However, due to the situation at hand, it was cut short. He ran outside of his apartment to investigate the chaos, until getting orders to flee. He ignored them to find his brother. It turned out that Augustus was at the capital's centre waiting for his brother to perform, who was getting worried about the commotion.

When looking around, Marshall caught his brother standing alone. He was on the other side of a huge chunk that fell off from a building. Marshall called Augustus' name over and over again. Eventually his brother looked at him for the final time as falling debris from a nearby building crushed him. Marshall fell to the ground crying. He couldn't accept it.

Marshall got up and ran to the docks of Solague as his tie flew in the wind, looking behind himself one last time. He made his way onto a makeshift raft and sailed home to Avalon.

## Architectural career (1856 - 1858)

As Marshall graduated in architecture, he spent an entire year primarily in his office sketching out designs for various builds, like a formal canal which would divide Claudius and Avalonia, but also things like a harbor for merchant ships to dock their boats in. Marshall didn't find success as nobody wanted to hire him, and struggled to pay his taxes and various bills from the lack of a job.

## Military career (1859 - 1860)

Marshall decided to earn some money easily by joining the Avalonian military when he was very poor in 1857. He served as a general but was promoted to the Avalonian Knighthood after his leadership during a conflict with the inhabitants from Coast Sumner, where he single-handedly made peace with hostile tribes there.

He resigned from the military in 1860, but Marshall still decided to keep his title as the Avalonian Knight, a reputation which would come in handy during the next great step of his life.

## Political career

### Early career

Before the 1860s, Avalon was a republic with many smaller federal states, which he found irritating. With his long-time friend from the University of Western Monsburgh, namely Oliver Hayes, he set out on a political mission to unify the nation once and for all.

### Unification of Avalon

Monty Marshall and Oliver Hayes stood on the Fountain of Prosperity, with a crowd awaiting an explanation. They spoke out, claiming that the nation was in danger of political infighting if they did not unify as one people, under one monarch and government.

As the crowd grew suspicious, the two men looked at each other and had to try harder and convince the public more. Marshall spoke out again, this time with more force in his words, saying that they were going to create a nation then and there, no matter what.

## Prime Minister of Avalon

After the unification, Oliver Hayes was crowned as the King Oliver of Avalon, and Marshall was appointed as Prime Minister. His old office from the architecture days would be refurbished to fit his new political career.

### First term (1860-1862)

As he first sat in his office to renovate it, Marshall discovered his architectural sketches buried in old cabinets. Surprised to see his old works, he decided it would be a good idea to put them in action now that nobody could oppose his wishes. One of the first things Marshall decided to do was form a government, to help with tasks such as Building, Agriculture, and Correctional Affairs respectively. A flag was designed for the nation, to inspire the Avalonian citizens.

He embarked on many colonial adventures with known navigators such as Ashleen O'Connor, and four colonies were founded by the Prime Minister and his associates, those being Romulus, Sprucelands, Meritalis, and Green Coast.

One of the things he did in 1862 was change the flag and country name to accommodate Avalon's new territorial expansion. From the former Kingdom of Avalon, Marshall officially changed it to the Royal Empire of Avalon.

When the Netherworld intertwined with the Overworld, Marshall decided to explore it with Joseph Clinton, Leon O'Connor, and his wife, the previously mentioned Ashleen O'Connor.

Marshall was not concerned as much with his third year, seeing as the entire Avalonian state had been built up by him and the parliament at the time, and he believed that Avalon's people thought his tenure was above average. One question he preceded over was breaking ties with the Republic of Monsilva as Rafael Law was elected to the presidency succeeding Capella Stardew, thinking that wartime would be imminent. However, on December 22, 1863, Marshall and Law sought to establish another alliance between their nations, however no official document was signed between the two leaders. Marshall announced his official resignation on December 12, 1862, detailing that he would leave his position after the Election of 1863, which he did when Leon O'Connor (People's Party) succeeded him.

### Second term (1867-1869)

Marshall chose to campaign five years after his second term ended with the intent to industrialize Avalon. He chose to focus on the Netherworld Highway and decisively replaced old walkways with efficient ice patterns instead.

## Avalonian Civil War

After the Civil War had broke out, Marshall immediately stuck to the King's side in the conflict. He presented himself as an avid monarchist who consequently fought in every single battle on King Oliver's side, which earned him the nickname *The Lion of Avalon*.

## Maritime Delegation

*Full article in context: Maritime Delegation*

On the 21st of June, 1868, a voyage was prepared by Marshall. Sailors part of the delegation set off eastwards from Coast Sumner in wooden long ships the size of entire buildings, which all, in turn, went behind Marshall's leading boat. The crew landed in dry land known as the Ismarus Desert by its inhabitants. Everyone was invited into a small village, where they drank wine and sang songs, also teaching the classic anthem; *May our land not fray*. Marshall prepared a direct turn southwards for the following day.

## Post-Maritime Delegation

### "Quartzenberg" persona

Because of the failed voyage, Marshall found it hard to deal with the horrific imagery the Maritime Delegation brought him. This culminated in him coping by working as a kingpin who greatly increased the drug market. It eventually caused the assassination of Rose O'Connor which led to instability within the Kingdom of Avalon. King Oliver's cat-and-mouse chase for the mysterious "Quartzenberg" led on.

### Life as Oscar Welles

After having been found out, Marshall fled Avalon in hopes of evading the law. He succeeded, and when speaking to his lawyer for the final time, created a fake identity. Monty Marshall said goodbye to Quartzenberg and welcomed a brand new persona - Oscar Welles - a mountain dweller from Hometown.