Marcus Pfieffer
'please pardon my brother,' I told the king, 'he may be well-educated, but he is a well-educated fool.'
Early Life
Pfieffer was born in Diamondheart in 1525, to a wealthy family of good repute. As the first born son, he was expected to inherit from his father and to be well-educated in a variety of subjects, including languages, classic literature, and politics. As a child, Marcus and his sister were both taught to read and write using the family's religious texts. They were also taught math, music, and poetry. When Marcus was ten, he was sent to boarding school while Laura stayed at home to learn house making. Early letters between the two of them indicate that Marcus excelled at language learning and was particularly interested in the subjects of trade and foreign relations. He often wrote to his sister about what he learned and encouraged her curiosity, though often correcting her and criticizing her "simplistic view" of the world. Their letters also indicate they were fond of each other, as the siblings often wrote with anticipation about being able to see each other in person when Marcus traveled home on breaks.
Travels
After finishing his studies in 1547, Pfieffer returned to his home. With his parents busy arranging a marriage for his sister, Pfieffer spent his time wandering the city and meeting people in places his family normally didn't consult with, most notably a Thisaazhou trader. When Laura confided in her brother that she had no desire to marry, he made arrangements for both of them to travel with the Thisaazhou when they left. The two spent the next year traveling the Southern Continent.
At the end of the circuit, Laura refused to return to the family home, instead living in the city of Auras among a religious cult. Marcus paid to have copies of his travel journal published and marketed them to interested parties, eventually gathering enough money for boat passage to the Major Continent. He again, brought his sister, and spent the next nine years traveling all of Nideon. During this time, Laura was kidnapped, and he spent five years searching for her. Two years after they reunited, they finally returned home where they began to assume their family duties--Laura marrying and having a child and Marcus taking over the family business. Restless, the two continued to travel off and on for the next fifteen years, each documenting their adventures in their own separate journals, which were also later published and marketed.
Later Years
In 1573, Marcus married a widow and adopted her children. Letters between them indicate a caring relationship, though not a romantic one. Though historians argue as to whether Marcus was homosexual or asexual, there is little evidence he was attracted to women, and most likely that his new wife was a friend whom he married in order to improve her life, as married women often had advantages that unmarried women did not. This also meant he finally had an heir to whom he could pass on the family business.
Far more lucrative, however, were Marcus and Laura's travel journals, which were compiled into two separate volumes--one for each sibling--in 1587. Though they began as sensational literature, they soon expanded to the realm of scholarship, as curious academics used them to learn more about distant lands and cultures.
There is some controversy over whether or not Marcus and Laura continued to travel after 1573. Some believe that not only did they travel, they took their families with them, while others are convinced that both finally settled down for good, out of a sense of duty. If they did travel further, they likely did not write, and certainly did not publish accounts of these adventures. Later letters reveal, however, that Marcus continued to dote on his sister, as well as her children, to his dying day.
After finishing his studies in 1547, Pfieffer returned to his home. With his parents busy arranging a marriage for his sister, Pfieffer spent his time wandering the city and meeting people in places his family normally didn't consult with, most notably a Thisaazhou trader. When Laura confided in her brother that she had no desire to marry, he made arrangements for both of them to travel with the Thisaazhou when they left. The two spent the next year traveling the Southern Continent.
At the end of the circuit, Laura refused to return to the family home, instead living in the city of Auras among a religious cult. Marcus paid to have copies of his travel journal published and marketed them to interested parties, eventually gathering enough money for boat passage to the Major Continent. He again, brought his sister, and spent the next nine years traveling all of Nideon. During this time, Laura was kidnapped, and he spent five years searching for her. Two years after they reunited, they finally returned home where they began to assume their family duties--Laura marrying and having a child and Marcus taking over the family business. Restless, the two continued to travel off and on for the next fifteen years, each documenting their adventures in their own separate journals, which were also later published and marketed.
Later Years
In 1573, Marcus married a widow and adopted her children. Letters between them indicate a caring relationship, though not a romantic one. Though historians argue as to whether Marcus was homosexual or asexual, there is little evidence he was attracted to women, and most likely that his new wife was a friend whom he married in order to improve her life, as married women often had advantages that unmarried women did not. This also meant he finally had an heir to whom he could pass on the family business.
Far more lucrative, however, were Marcus and Laura's travel journals, which were compiled into two separate volumes--one for each sibling--in 1587. Though they began as sensational literature, they soon expanded to the realm of scholarship, as curious academics used them to learn more about distant lands and cultures.
There is some controversy over whether or not Marcus and Laura continued to travel after 1573. Some believe that not only did they travel, they took their families with them, while others are convinced that both finally settled down for good, out of a sense of duty. If they did travel further, they likely did not write, and certainly did not publish accounts of these adventures. Later letters reveal, however, that Marcus continued to dote on his sister, as well as her children, to his dying day.
Alignment
Educated Foolish
Life
1525
1582
57 years old
Birthplace
Diamondheart
Place of Death
Diamondheart
Children
Pronouns
he/him
Gender
male
Eyes
brown
Hair
brown, long
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
brown
Height
5'7"
Aligned Organization
Comments