Merinthires have a habit of spreading across continents, with many different parts of the family settled in various of Eridan and Leanantla.

• Eridanian Lineage: Leanne Merinthire was mother of James and Jonathan Merinthire; John Merinthire was father of Lucianne Merinthire; Lucianne Merinthire was mother of Marianne Merinthire; Marianne Merinthire was mother of Lathander and Iris Merinthire; Iris Merinthire was the mother of Violet and Maddox Merinthire.

• Known Denshian Lineage: Lathander and Lorelle Armitage are mother and father of Alexander Merinthire and Lucinda Merinthire. Lathander and Annette Cavedale also had a child named Nathaniel Zachary Merinthire, now in the care of Drucilla Merinthire.

• Known Leanantlan Lineage: Cornelius and Coraline Merinthire are father and mother of Lockley Merinthire.

Despite not being a noble house itself, the Merinthire Family still manages to make various alliegances - and, sometimes, enemies as well.

• Related Factions: The Vaulting Jester Theatre Troupe (527 - 530), The Church of Balaur and The Eridanic Sect of Balaur therin.

• Known Allies: House Rosier, Armitage Family, The Marshes of Abidjan, Arianna Guinan-Locke, House Summerset, House Aldonis, House Darkel, Vedo Blu’drai’ker of the Blu’drai’ker Clan, House Cavedale.
• Known Enemies: Krasula, Hunter of Sleep.

• Identified Family Still Alive: Lorelle Armitage - divorced, Annette Cavedale - divorced, Drucilla Merinthire (formerly de Ravin), Nathaniel Merinthire, Alexander Merinthire, Lucinda Merinthire, Maddox Merinthire, Violet Merinthire, Merriweather Merinthire, Lockley Merinthire, Tyr Merinthire (formerly Grey).

• Family before self, then self before others - Family is important to Merinthires with only few exceptions, and even the most devious and despicable of their brood still take care of their own to a degree. Not to say there are not rivalries among Merinthires, but more often than not, they take care of each other and aim to keep in touch right down to the last cousin twice removed. Beyond this, they are usually very individual and independent people.

• Make your name known - Many Merinthires are well-off or established in some manner despite their lineage not being noble itself. Some do manage to earn themselves nobility of some form, even, though this is usually due to marriage. This said, fame, glory and fortune are commonly sought between Merinthires - even through more unsavoury means.

The Merinthire family is matrilineal, with its first documented existence in the name of Harriet Merinthire in 384. Harriet arose around the time that the Cabal became an issue for Andal, as a member of the Priory. A powerful witchblood, she went on to fight the Cabal supremely. Proving her worth in combat, Harriet was left with wealth and lands to her name. Harriet married, and in time birthed many children - a grand total of seven. These seven children were made up of four daughters, and three sons, with two sets of twins within the seven. The daughters all bore evidence of similar ability to their witchblooded mother, while all the sons were quite mundane. The seven children took after their father more than their mother, becoming leeches to the Merinthire name and draining their mother’s assets and land.

The combined impact of this left the Merinthire family struggling, with two of the daughters and one of the sons - Leanne, Yvonne and Harrison - choosing to depart for Eridan. Only Leanne stuck it out on Eridan’s shores, the other two finding the place wretched to inhabit. The remaining four children that had remained with their mother had either been shipped to the Priory to become apprentices or to military service, as Harriet was despondent over her tarnished name and desired nothing more than to be rid of her children. She separated from her husband and lived the last years of her life alone, dying aged ninety-two.

Leanne began working as a mercenary magus, and eventually married a militia officer on condition she would settle down, move to his designated outpost and reside there. Their home was forged in an outpost-settlement near the Ancient Woods, and between them they had twin sons James and Jonathan. The two boys chose to follow their parents’ footsteps and fight with or for the militia, as would the next few generations to come. James was killed at a young age in battle, though Jonathon lived long enough to retire and marry on. He fathered Lucianne Merinthire before his own passing.

The house that Leanne set up with her husband became the house that held the Merinthire family for the five generations they remained in Eridan. Lucianne was referred to as a sprightly and kind woman by most, not only assisting the militia as a Doctor, but the local people as well. Some, however, actively branded Lucianne a witch. She still managed to marry a librarian named Godfrey through the hateful names given to her, birthing a daughter in Marianne Merinthire and choosing to teach her girl how to use the weave to heal others.

Unfortunately, the bullying she suffered made Lucianne increasingly dependant on her husband. When Godfrey passed away in his sleep at the age of sixty-three, in the year 518, Lucianne suffered a breakdown and began to study the art of necromancy. So long she had lived her life healing others, the aging Merinthire wanted nothing more than to heal her own broken heart. The citizens of the outpost-settlement came down on Lucianne when she was discovered trying to recover Godfrey’s remains from a graveyard, and burnt her at the stake.

A few years prior, in 510, Marianne had given birth to twin children with her then recently wed husband Jason - another militia officer. She named her son Lathander, and her daughter Iris.

This section is for family member information for characters and members of the Merinthire Family either active, inactive, or with enough in-game history to have a section.

Born Lathander Cornelius Merinthire in the year of 510, to Marianne and Jason Merinthire, Lathander was the first born twin before his sister Iris and raised native to the lands of Eridan in a small, outpost village. This village was one of the ones destroyed in the events of the Shadow War.

From a young age, Lathander had a volatile and unpredictable temper. Though his home situation at the time was quite stable, this temper was then worsened through general taunting and bullying at the hands of his peers, largely thanks to Lathander’s awkward mannerisms and his bright red hair, when he began schooling. As a result he was problematic for his parents and Marianne and Jason were forced to focus a lot of their attention on him.

Thankfully, they found a suitable means of channeling his emotion and temper through creative outlets; Marianne began teaching Lathander how to sew, and through his education he also began to avidly read every single book in the school library. Jason had a large collection of books as well, and Lathander dedicated himself to going through every one. As such, from a young age, his love of arts, tailoring, and literature was born.

Thanks to this artistic upbringing Lathander avidly wanted to become a famous actor. He enjoyed most of all plays and playwriting, acting out little skits and readings to his mother and father. Again, this resulted in a lot of attention being focused on him and he was a touch spoilt - but to his parents, if it meant Lathander was not hitting people and breaking things they were pleased. The one matter they neglected in this was Lathander’s sister, Iris.

Lathander got on well with Iris through childhood though they were very much brother and sister; their relationship was not without your expected spats and bickering as siblings do. But Lathander loved Iris very much, and would be highly protective of her if he felt the need. He had been born first and did consider himself responsible for her as a result. Despite this, though, Lathander was the more fearful and anxious of the twins.

As Lathander grew Iris seemed to shrink away. Lathander became bolder and over-the-top with his outward appearance and gestures as a way to try and disguise his phobias. He made frequent efforts to partake in auditions, events and festivities and was eventually invited to join a troupe called the Vaulting Jester Theatre Company. At eighteen years old, Lathander went on the road.

Coinciding with his departure, Lathander happened across the increasingly distant Iris’ bedroom to find her mid-ritual. It seemed she had begun on the road of following Maguun, and fled when her brother discovered her spitting venom at him in accusation that she had robbed her of all she had had and loved.

With big dreams, ambitions, ideas of glory and want to forget about his twin, Lathander strived to make his big break. Except, his newfound Company did not let him on stage at all unless as “Citizen 3” - and of note, “Citizen 3” was not always male, either. However, his costumery skills did not go unnoticed as well as his oft meticulous eye for detail and so Lathander rose through the ranks to the role of Stage Manager. In this role he earned himself the nickname, “Ghost” - because he was rarely seen, and rarely heard, but still a presence.

Lathander’s hopes of being on stage were brought up when one of his own pieces was to be performed with him in the main role, of what the youth prayed would be his big break. However, such a break would not come as the primary theatre the troupe used, a theatre on the outskirts of Blackmount of which was a town that Lathander adopted as a second home, was brought to the ground in a fire that also saw Lathander horrifically burned. He spent around a year recovering from his injuries and readjusting; in this same time, Marianne Merinthire died of then-thought illness.

With his knowledge of tailoring in hand, Lathander travelled back to Eridan and to Denshy in want of starting a new life and business. It is in his early years in Denshy, pre-Shadow War, that Lathander established his early friendships and met his to-be wife, Lorelle Armitage. However, a sum of events led to Lathander suffering a mental breakdown shortly before the War truly kicked in on Eridan, and his fleeing to the mainland during: Iris murdered hers and Lathander’s father Jason after Jason refused to give up Lathander’s whereabouts. Iris proceeded to investigate through other means and found Lathander on the mainland, where she attempted to mark his body for a ritual purpose (though was later foiled). On top of this, Lorelle was quite brutally tortured by an unknown assailant and Lathander thought her dead.

When Lathander returned from the mainland, he was changed. A former Haelynian, the tailor began seeking a new place for his lost faith. It is in this time he began to learn in quiet about Balaur and the Path of Power. It is also in these years many major events occured in Lathander’s lifetime: the first being his discovery that Lorelle had survived due to her being ‘struck, and subsequent marriage and discovery that Lorelle had fallen pregnant by Lathander. After a brief attempt to hide the pregnancy, Lathander went to collect his child from where he was being cared for - in Blackmount - and for the last time was confronted by his maddened sister. It was at this time that Iris was killed by her twin. Lathander is not ashamed of sharing this fact.

It was also in these years that his rivalry with nemisis Krasula, the freed Gytevsha of Maguun and the Hunter of Sleep, was born. Krasula persistently aggrivated Lathander and Lorelle, and frequently tried to kidnap their son. This led to deteroation in Lorelle and Lathander’s relationship, as well as both their sanities. Lathander turned once more to religion, trying to build his faith in Balaur and strength for his family rather than succumb to phobia, anxiety and anger as he had done through youth. Lorelle, alongside him, walked the same religious Path and was head of the Eridanic Sect of Balaur. For a brief while things were looking up for the Merinthires.

By an unfortunate twist in events, the Zealan magus Zalm knocked Lathander into a portal that imprisoned him in the Abyss for eight months. Lathander fought his way out of the Abyss, and ultimately emerged a changed, more determined man. However, in these same eight months, Lorelle discovered she was pregnant a second time and she demanded that the entire family go into hiding on the mainland to try and escape Krasula’s ongoing torment.

After a full breakdown, Lorelle hid Lathander’s children - Alex, and their newborn daughter Lucinda - in a location Lathander did not know, and shut herself in a Balite convent. Lathander was forced to return to Denshy, embittered and with a greater vendetta against Krasula than ever. Finally, in 545, after taking head of the Balite Sect of Eridan in Lorelle’s place and equally being named as the voice and Oracle of Balaur, Lathander led a siege on Opharon that saw Krasula fall to the swords, arrows and might of the Eridanians, the final blow by Lathander’s partisan. Though this victory was not without its strain on Lathander, who toed the line of death so closely the shock and stress of the battle saw the Oracle greyed beyond his years.

This did nothing towards what Lathander had hoped to achieve by slaying Krasula in pursuading his wife it was safe to come home. It was only after a bitter confrontation, and Lorelle’s brief return to the mainland that Lorelle told Lathander where to find his son and daughter. It was also in this brief return that Lorelle and Lathander finished their marriage.

Lathander’s dedication to the eradication of demonic forces is notable; ever since both his imprisonment in the Abyss, Lathander has had a particular loathing of demons and devils alike. In recent days Lathander has found himself a new enemy in particular in the demon Sjloctys, who tortured himself, and close and beloved friends Aryia d’Marseau (nee Aldonis), Evander Everhardt and Tyria Morrigan. As a result, Lathander has once more set himself to wanting to destroy the demon.

As Oracle of Balaur, in turn, Lathander takes his church duties extremely seriously and devotes himself to furthering the Word of Balaur on Eridan. This includes regularly holding Mass in the Balite Shrine in Denshy and organising events. Lathander also has a particular devotion to protecting Denshy, as he has been a citizen of it now for so many years. In the ducal reign of James Darkel over Denshy, Lathander serves as the Voice of Balaur on the Duke’s council. And, not to be forgotten, Lathander is still a very capable tailor and author.

Since his separation from Lorelle and her return to the mainland, and much to his disdain, Lathander once more does not know where his children are. In recent days, some might notice he has slowly become more and more disconnected and buried by his work.

It was only by fortunate meeting of the Lady Annette Cavedale that Lathander began to pull away from his work again. Finding a new happiness in the Lady, they wed in the year 548 MR. Despite a horrific incident of kidnapping and torture rendering Lathander potentially impotent, he still desires to build a future with his new wife. As well as this, his work does seem to have paid off: in the same year, Lathander was made Duke of Denshy, the city’s twenty second leader since its establishment.

Of all things, what can be said of Lathander is he has come a long way: no longer the phobic, fearful child, but now a steeled man devoted to the pursuit of glory, and ambition.

Born Iris Rose Merinthire, in the year of 510, to Marianne and Jason Merinthire, Iris was the second born twin after her brother Lathander and raised alongside.

From a young age it could be seen that Iris was both very beautiful and fiercely independent. She also showed a natural prowess with manipulation of the weave as per usual traits in the female side of the Merinthire family, and at first her mother, Marianne, wanted to teach Iris the better use of this natural talent. However, when both the twins were young their grandmother Lucianne was burnt and executed for dabbling in necromancy and this led to Marianne giving up her uses of the weave. As such, Iris’ talent went a long time unnurtured.

As well as her talents being unnurtured, with her brother’s fiery temper Iris found herself often the second of her parents’ attentions and affections. Most of their effort went into trying to keep Lathander calm and so Iris went about seeking a secondary parental figure. She found it in a local priest - who turned out to be a priest of Maguun. Seeing Iris’ natural skills with the weave he manipulated the girl into following the ways of the Master of Deceit. This included ritual, murder and vertox abuse, a process which slowly warped the girl against her family, friends, humanity and, particularly, her twin. As she grew more and more deeply devoted to Maguun Iris neglected her looks and herself and began to waste away, poor diet, drug use and chaotic backlash causing a deteroation in her once remarkable beauty and health.

When they were both eighteen and shortly before Lathander was due to go away to the mainland with his newly joined troupe, Lathander found Iris performing a ritual in her room amdist a crazed vertox-caused haze. Her room was thick with mist and due to this, Lathander passed out before he could reach her and stop her. Iris fled.

For some time, Iris was lost and confused. With only faith to try and cling to, for a brief time, Iris saw herself and what she had become. Without a family or home, without her once-good looks and without her sanity she spend a brief few years indulging to great excess. This included heavy vertox use, regular promiscuity and sometimes indulgent murder. Iris did anything to fill the void left behind. In these years, due to her promiscuity, Iris gave birth to her twin children Maddox and Violet. Eventually, though, Iris grew more and more spiteful towards her brother Lathander and blamed him for all wrong done by her. Heart set on vengeance she began hunting her brother down, leaving her children in the care of a Myran monastery.

Iris returned home only to find Lathander was gone. In a fit of rage she fought her mother, trying to find her brother’s location. When Marianne would not tell her crazed daughter where her brother was, Iris poisoned her mother. For a long time it was mistakenly believed Marianne died of an illness, but Iris later boasted the murder to Lathander in a (successful) attempt to enrage him.

However, because her mother had said nothing Iris returned to the mainland and her children to raise them further. Unlike her mother had done Iris paid most of her attention to her daughter, not her son, as her son reminded her too much of Lathander. For a time her children drew Iris’ attention away from her grudge, though still an active worshipper of Maguun. But this distraction did not last and once more Iris left her son and daughter in care to hunt down her brother.

This time, Iris was faced with her father, Jason, a more formidable opponent. Where her mother Marianne had refused to fight her daughter and been murdered discreetly, Iris and Jason fought bitterly and this led to a violent death on Jason’s part. Lathander began actively hunting his sister as much she hunted him. When Iris found Lathander in Denshy they came to blows, as Iris tried to use her brother’s body as a potential vassal for a demon. Her work was later undone, but not without horribly scarring her twin. She was spooked away when Lathander brought her name to Denshian authorities.

During the Shadow War and the consequent sealing of Maguun Iris was left distraught. Her faith was one of the last things she had beyond her twin children, and without Maguun, Iris went totally insane. She discovered Lathander’s then-wife Lorelle had fallen pregnant by him through chance and viewed this as her opportunity to rob her brother of something he loved as he had done to her: Iris set about on an assassination attempt to kill Alexander. She was foiled by her brother, who fought her for the final time in the woodlands outside Blackmount. During the fight, Lathander severed Iris’ hand, and then turned her other hand against herself in a moment of weakness brought on by backlash. Her own magic inflicted upon her as a result, Iris was impaled.

Demonstruck as her brother is as well, it could entirely be possible that Iris remains alive. But there is no way to determine this fact. She is succeeded by Violet and Maddox Merinthire.

Born Alexander Jason Merinthire in 540, Alexander is the first-born son of Lathander Merinthire and Lorelle Armitage (ex Merinthire) and godson of Zerakil Rosier and Alicia Illyana Trevelyan. At first kept a secret from his father, Alexander was born in quiet by Lorelle Armitage in the city of Blackmount and left there to be nursed. Lorelle blamed her absence on a contagious illness but after being called out by Lathander, broke down and revealed the truth. As much Lathander was overjoyed that he was a father for the first time, he was enraged his wife did not tell him. This signalled the beginnings of the collapse of Alexander’s parents’ marriage.

Alexander, though only young, has lived a life fraught with strife. When Lathander went to collect Alexander initially, Lathander’s twin sister Iris also showed herself and made an attempt on the baby Alexander’s life. Lathander thwarted this, however. Then returned home, Alexander was then again subjected to a near-kidnapping by the minions of the demon Krasula. In fear Lorelle sent her son to Abidjan under the protection of his godfather. Lathander was not best pleased and eventually demanded Alexander be returned to his rightful home - by Lathander’s side.

The growing boy developed a very close bond with his father as his father was the one responsible for most of his care. Lorelle buried herself in her work very often and had little time for family, so Lathander was Alexander’s teacher, primary guardian and best friend. Alexander showed some creative talent even when little, and Lathander sought to nurture this.

Following Lathander’s imprisonment and then subsequent freedom from the Abyss, another attempt by Krasula on Alexander’s life, and then Lorelle discovering she was pregnant again the whole family uprooted back overseas. By this time, Alexander was four years old. Lucinda was born and right away Alexander was as fiercely protective of his sister as much his father was of him, and continues to be with his parents’ now dissolved relationship.

Present to this being written (547) Alexander is seven years old. He resides with his mother, and his sister, but frequently asks questions about his father; Lathander, once more, does not know where his son has been taken.

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