The Noble Family Cassovar

Head of the Family

Markus Cassovar

An elitist and openly sexist man, Markus Cassovar is a bitter and vengeful individual who will use any means necessary to get what he wants, including underhanded tactics. However, his influence does not give him enough reach to give him his ultimate goal: the power and support of House Fenbrook. Markus holds a personal vendetta against Salomon and Meijer Falmouth due to them breaking an engagement between him and Salomon's daughter, Estrella.

Heir to the Family

Elkan Cassovar

While not as bitter as his Father, 26-year-old Elkan shares his elitism and sexism, often treating his younger sister with disdain and even slapping her in public when she "makes a mistake". He is openly hostile toward Amanda Meers and has frequently butted heads with her in public, despite her now technically outranking him due to her position as Head of the Family.

Other Family

Marianne Cassovar (née Manwarin)

Marianne is known to be manipulative, working as a puppet-master amongst the women of High Society to enact her husband's will. However, her position as the Queen of High Society is tenuous and easily overshadowed by the woman known as "The White Rose", Maleena Fenbrook.

Iesha Cassovar

Weak and meek, 19-year-old Iesha Cassovar is known as "the porcelain doll of the Cassovars" and has only recently made her debut in society due to a long period of illness. She is known to be shy, and both her father and brother regularly reprimand her in public.

Dayna Ruben (née Cassovar)

Dayna is Markus' older sister, who was married into the Ruben Noble Family of Hartmoor. While the marriage was touted as a political one, many of the business propositions fell through and the Cassovars did not gain what they had intended. Strong-willed and stubborn, Hartog had initially tried to marry Dayna off to the widowed High Lord, Kaeydon Fenbrook, but he had been incredibly resistant to taking a new wife. Hartog, wanting rid of the "trouble-maker" Dayna, eventually made arrangements with the Ruben Family. Dayna happily left Muriedge and she has not been in contact with her family since she married.

The Era of Hartog Cassovar

Hartog Cassovar was well known for his ruthless business practices and his infidelity to his wife, Anna. However, to speak of his disloyalties aloud often resulted in severe punishments in the form of ruined businesses or dismissal from Hartog's circles. Hartog made it his business to know everything that was happening within High Society, so that he could subtly influence things in his favour, though he often found that he could never truly predict the behaviours of the Fenbrooks or the Pelydrus, which greatly annoyed him.

Hartog's first child was a daughter, Dayna, born in 1428. Hartog saw business value in Dayna, as she was an intelligent child, but did not view her as a potential Heir. In 1433, his wife gave birth to a son, Markus, who immediately became his heir and received all of his Father's attention. This made Dayna very upset, and she subsequently began acting out, becoming known as "the Vicious Wild Cat of the Cassovar Family".

The Schism of Muriedge High Society

28 years ago, Markus Cassovar was engaged to be married to Estrella Falmouth, the daughter of Salomon Falmouth and younger sister of Meijer. Estrella was nineteen at the time, eight years younger than Markus, and the engagement had been decided upon by her father and Markus' father, Hartog Cassovar, when Estrella was only five years old. The Families had been friends for generations, and had "ruled" High Society when members of the House had been absent. The marriage was meant to solidify this unofficial partnership, but had been delayed when Salomon's wife died, causing Estrella to request that it be put back one year so she could mourn. However, High Society was turned on its head when Estrella announced that she wished to marry the Heir of the Meers Family, Anton Meers, instead. Seeing the Meers family as lowly, the Cassovars scoffed at the idea, but Estrella was adamant that she loved Anton, and threatened to elope with him should her father not support her. Not wanting to see Estrella unhappy, and with the agreement of Meijer, Salomon called off the engagement and allowed Estrella to marry Anton, angering Markus and Hartog in to process. Hartog immediately married his son to the Manwarin's seventeen year old daughter in retaliation, knowing that Salomon and Lucius Manwarin did not have a particularly good relationship after Lucius attempted to seduce Salomon's wife.

High Society was split over whether they supported the decision of the Falmouths, or the anger of the Cassovars. Traditionalists who believed that agreements should have been enforced took the side of the Cassovars, citing "obligations" and "hierarchy" as their reasoning. However, there were those who took pity on the young Estrella, and sided with the Falmouths by saying that the "old ways" were not necessarily the correct ways. The two Families became bitter enemies near enough overnight, and have been warring ever since.

The Succession of Markus Cassovar and the Birth of Elyas Mayne

Shortly after Marianne Cassovar fell pregnant with her and Markus' first child, a year after marriage, Hartog Cassovar died in his sleep, with his illegitimate son, Elyas Mayne, being born in secret shortly after. Having no other (legitimate) siblings in a position to question his right, Markus became the Head of the Cassovar Family at the age of twenty eight. Markus was unaware of his Father's rape of Elyas' Mother, Anwen Mayne, until much later, by which time it would be difficult to get rid of Elyas without raising suspicion. Markus chose to leave Elyas alone, but has kept loose tabs on him throughout the years.

Markus' son, Elkan, was born in early 1462.

Marianne struggled to get pregnant again after Elkan, but finally gave birth to Markus' daughter, Iesha, in 1469.

The First Marriage of Elkan Cassovar

Elkan Cassovar married Anya Dale, the cousin of Egon Lindholme's wife, in 1483. However, she did not take well to the openly sexist attitudes of the Cassovars and attempted to run away. Caught by the Guards, Elkan kept her imprisoned for a year before allowing her to attend Social Events once more. However, he caught her in the arms of another man, and Elkan began a smear campaign against her, ultimately seeking divorce. The Lindholmes disassociated themselves from her, and Anya took her own life before the divorce could be finalised in 1485.

The Assassinations of the Meerses

In Greenrise 1486, Anton and Levi Meers were killed when their carriage was forced off a road and into the River Murie near North Yarrowbank. Circumstantial evidence suggested that the Cassovars were involved, but nothing could be proven. Shortly after the funeral, Markus Cassovar reached out to Estrella Meers and offered to take the Family under his wing by having his son, Elkan, marry Estrella's daughter, Amanda, under the pretense of letting bygones be bygones. It was a move meant to strengthen Markus' position by giving him access to not only the Meers fortune, but the Falmouth Family's as well by extension. However, both Estrella and Amanda refused. Estrella Meers was later poisoned at a Social Event, leaving Amanda alone. Once again, circumstantial evidence suggested that the Cassovars were to blame, but nothing could be proven, and the Cassovars strongly denied any wrongdoing. However, the relations between the Cassovars and the Falmouths became worse as a result, with the two Families openly spatting in public.

The Engagement Attempts with House Fenbrook

Since she turned eighteen, Markus has been attempting to get his daughter, Iesha, engaged to the Heir of House Fenbrook, Alesstus. However, his attempts have been met with rejection each time, angering both Markus and Elkan. Father and son then attempted to have her engaged to Talyn's second son, Taldaelyn, but these requests were also rejected.

The Renunciation of the Trahern Family

The Cassovars publicly denounced the Traherns in 1487 when evidence of their embezzlement of charitable funds came to light, as well as their involvement in illegal gambling. Likewise, they did not offer support to the Thulenor Family, who claimed they had been misled and cheated by the Traherns in order to ensure their involvement. With the Traherns being dissolved, the Cassovars have lost one of their key supporters in their bid to maintain control over Muriedge's High Society. Additionally, the Thulenors seemingly lost faith in the Cassovars, and are believed to have defected to the Falmouth's side. This move was potentially devastating for the Cassovars, as it meant that both sides now held equal sway over the Families in High Society, having seven loyal Families each. This has led Markus Cassovar to redouble his efforts to sway neutral Families to his side, as well as expanding his reach into the Lower Aristocracy of the Noble Lines.

Support for the Promotion to Family

It is known that Cassovar supports the Noble Line of Artaxsassa to take the Trahern's place amongst the Noble Families. However, it is also a well known fact that the Noble Line of Saran is currently top of the candidate list, as their wealth and influence both surpass that of the Line of Artaxsassa. Markus refuses to support the Line of Saran because their Head, Suri Saran, is a woman.