Augustus Renly Martel

What is known...
Born into a privileged family from Gravengate, the Martels gained their wealth from their many artisans and stoneworkers. This led to a very easy and simple life for him as a child, but because of this and his explosive temper many considered him to be a bit of a spoiled brat. In his youth the person he tended to relate most closely to was his cousin Phillipa, who was studying magic at the time, much unlike the rest of their family.

The two as they grew older began their advanced schooling in Hoxboard at one of the colleges there. He and Phillipa were inseparable, the closest of friends, and they began to fall into each other's interests. Augustus sired an interest in magic, but had neither the inherent talent or the patience and dedication for the years of work, and Phillipa began to enjoy the idea of running a business. A deal was made between the two, that the two would work as business partners, and in return, Phillipa would teach Augustus a way to use magic.

She told him of a third option to magical ability, one that is common but he never truly understood its repercussions: attaining a patron and becoming a warlock. And so he did, the two searched for a suitable patron for him, and eventually stumbled across an ancient fiendish spirit known as Viakier. The two came to some sort of understanding with eachother, and a pact was set.

He and Phillipa finished their schooling and went their mostly separate ways, but staying connected financially. Both became quite successful in their endeavors, and Phillipa moved to Whitewall to create a headquarters for her business in the sale of magical items and resources.

Eventually Augustus became a wealthy landowner of a number of countryside estates, and many businesses across Altheia. He made his money primarily from his many quarries and mines, where he gathered and processed metals and gemstones of all kinds. At some point during all of this, he came in contact with the Cult of Tempus, a warmongering group of wealthy individuals looking to make even more gold. His business seemed to grow a sort of shady side to it then, as many of his employees would be found dead and stripped of all material possessions. This isn't uncommon in the Royal Timberlands, but these adventurers in employ seemed like they could easily handle any sort of goblin or kobold who would do such a thing. Perhaps this wasn't as cleverly a dressed plan as he thought it was.

Eventually his plot would be shown to the light of day. He had hired thugs to murder and steal from those adventurers he hired. One such party however slipped through his fingers, and when he least expected it, his consequences had come back to bite him. The party killed him in retaliation for the lives lost because of his greed, and were in turn led to a much deeper rabbit hole of a plot.

- Ser Emhyr von Emeric, Wanderer of the Two Worlds and Scholar of All Histories