Edwyn Maxwell Lawrence Deforest Secheverell

Information

 **Year of Death** | ---

## Summary

Lord Edwyn Maxwell Lawrence Deforest Secheverell is the youngest son of the Marquess of Norwood, Phillip Lawrence Deforest Secheverell. After an embarrassing incident in which he impregnated an elven noblewoman (who was already married to someone else), Lord Edwyn was sent on an expedition with Rasmus Enterprise to the continent of New Avalon.

While exploring New Avalon, Lord Edwyn and his comrades discovered that the abundant moxtyledon being mined and exported for arcane uses were not a naturally occurring resource but, in fact, a hive mind created by sapphire dragons. Centuries ago, the moxtyledon grew out of the dragons' control and assimilated all sapient life on New Avalon; only the magical barriers erected by the dragons prevented it from taking over the entire planet. Lord Edwyn and the other members of his expedition were able to ultimately destroy the moxtyledon, though at great cost.

Upon returning to Breten with the riches of his adventures, Lord Edwyn's past indiscretions were mostly forgotten. He married Lady Prudence Caulfield, daughter of the Earl of Kent, and assumed control over Rasmus Enterprise, as the founder Lord Alabaster Rasmus had been killed during their expedition.

## Backstory

Lord Edwyn was born into luxury and wanted for nothing. His father is Philip Lawrence Deforest Secheverell, Marquess of Norwood (born HE 2960); his mother is Lorelle Secheverell, Marchioness of Norwood (born HE 2967). He is the youngest child; his older siblings are Peter Byrne Rainard Deforest Secheverell (born HE 2987, heir to the Marquess); Juliana Collingwood, Lady of Wilton (born HE 2990); and Lady Melissa Oakley (born HE 2995).

After spending his childhood on the family estate in southeast Breten, where he had private tutors, at around 13 years of age Lord Edwyn was sent to the Royal Academy in Merewif, as is expected of all noble youths. There, he was educated in the typical subjects: elvish language and literature, the history of Breten, horsemanship, swordplay, etc. He was at best an unremarkable student in every subject except swordsmanship, at which he excelled.

Upon graduation at age 19, Lord Edwyn spent the next few years as many younger noble sons do: drinking, gambling, and generally getting into trouble, with the expectation that his father's title would shield him from any real consequences. Of his many indiscretions, the more notable is his affair with Erna of Clan Ironfist, which, after a messy breakup, resulted in him being challenged to a duel by Erna's brother, Delg. Though Lord Edwyn had fought in duels before, this was his first duel that resulted in his opponent's death. Fortunately, his family's wealth allowed for a generous wergeld to be paid in compensation for Delg's death, and the Marquess's diplomatic connections prevented an all-out political crisis with the powerful dwarven clan.

The final straw, however, was the Galanodel affair.

In late HE 3023, Lord Edwyn began an affair with the high elf Lady Shalynn of House Galanodel, who was married to Lord Laucien of House Naïlo. The affair would have gone on unnoticed, or at least politely ignored, except that Lady Shalynn gave birth to a half-elf daughter, named Aleimita. While this sort of scenario is only a mild embarrassment (if that) for elvish society, such a scandal would be the talk of human Bretenese society for years; as damage control, the Marquess of Norwood sent Lord Edwyn to New Avalon on an expedition with Kordova Industries, instructing him to return only if he'd made a real name for himself.

## Campaign Events

Once in New Avalon, Lord Edwyn and his companions quickly determined that Kordova Industries was basically a scam to dupe the optimistic and/or gullible, taking passengers' money while providing no real resources or opportunities. Instead, they joined Lord Alabaster Rasmus of Rasmus Enterprise. Lord Edwyn was casually familiar with Lord Alabaster, as they were both noblemen of approximately the same age, but they were far from friends, and it galled Lord Edwyn to be in the employ of someone who was technically of lower station than him.

The Ebon Sparrows, as the team was called (Lord Alabaster having a flair for the poetic), at first focused on building relationships with other colonial expeditions fronted by dwarves and gnomes. They also made several expeditions inland to learn more about New Avalon and, more specifically, about the moxtyledon that were used to enhance arcane energies - and, as a result, were a valuable export. Occasionally they would come into conflict with a competing team of Rasmus Enterprise, the Golden Lotus.

As they pushed further afield, the Ebon Sparrows made several concerning discoveries. Firstly, moxtyledon had a mind-altering affect on those who came in close contact with it; secondly, moxtyledon was not just an ore or mineral - it could be found in thick veins running up the trees in the forests, and it seemed to have infected most of the native fauna, granting them both unusual abilities and enhanced aggression. Lord Edwyn nearly died while protecting his companion Cibook Gnomes from an infected roc. It was clear that moxtyledon was actually dangerous, and exporting it would lead only to disaster.

Before the Ebon Sparrows could warn the rest of the colonists, however, they were captured by the sapphire dragon Azureus and taken to his stronghold in an archipelago off the coast of New Avalon. At first they were forced to work in his magical library; because Lord Edwyn learned to read Draconic at the Royal Academy, they were able to read Azureus's arcane tomes and learn that the gem dragons actually created the moxtyledon centuries ago; it was a hive mind intended to enhance their own arcane abilities, but they lost control of it and it took over the entire continent. The gem dragons were able to escape to the archipelago on which they now live, and they erected magical barriers all around New Avalon to prevent the moxtyledon from spreading further; this was why the Furic Sea had for centuries been such a storm-wracked and dangerous ocean.

Eventually, the Ebon Sparrows were able to convince Azureus to let them go because they needed to prevent the colonists from spreading moxtyledon to Old Avalon. However, not everyone was willing to listen to their warnings; the powers and riches afforded by the moxtyledon were too seductive too ignore. The Ebon Sparrows had to combat a rival colonial expedition consisting of powerful druids and rakshasas who were united in their mutual desire for magical power; eventually, even the Golden Lotus company were so beguiled by the moxtyledon they betrayed their former employer, Lord Alabaster, who died in his attempts to stop them. Before he did, however, he and Lord Edwyn managed to reach an understanding, and even a sort of affection.

Just as the Golden Lotus company was preparing to return to Old Avalon in an arcane-powered airship with the moxtyledon core in their hold, the Ebon Sparrows managed to stop them and destroy the moxtyledon hive mind for good.

## Post-Campaign

Lord Edwyn did not immediately return to Old Avalon; he spent some time cleaning up the affairs of Lord Alabaster and ensuring Rasmus Enterprise didn't completely fall apart. When he did return to Breten a little over a year after he'd first left, the stories of his heroic deeds had already spread; this, along with the not-inconsiderable riches he had acquired, ensured that he was welcomed, however coolly, back to the Norwood estate.

To further cement Lord Edwyn's respectable status, the Marquess of Norwood arranged his marriage to Lady Prudence, eldest daughter of the Earl of Caufield. Whereas a younger Lord Edwyn would have rebelled at the prospect, instead he accepted the marriage as his duty, and he and Lady Prudence have reached arrangement in their marriage that is satisfactory. They have one child, a son named Landon.

Lord Edwyn remains on good terms with both Lady Shalynn and Lord Laucien, though it's unclear whether he and Lady Shalynn have resumed their affair. Though Lady Shalynn has made it abundantly clear that it is unnecessary, Lord Edwyn regularly sends a portion of the profits from Rasmus Enterprise to pay for his daughter Aleimita's care and education, and he visits her when he can.

1. ↑ In western Old Avalon, high elves traditionally retain their house names even after marriage.