Olivia (platinum)
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Olivia Holster
Widow of Lord Eamon Murchadha and Mother of Jaynon Murchadha
From a lowborn Honneland family line, her Father was a shrewd and successful entrepreneur. In his lifetime he amassed a significant fortune, but never managed to quite achieve the elevated social standing he desired. Olivia idealised her Father and adopted many of his views and ambitions. In turn he doted on his daughter, showering her with gifts and wealth. Far from being spoiled by this attention Olivia became a hard working and trusted business partner. Her skill for commerce and stewardship emerged at an early age, and her Father had no issue with making use of her talents. He would often send his pretty, young, and immaculate daughter to conduct his trade negotiations wherein she was frequently underestimated, much to their loss.
As she reached maturity her ambition grew and she began to crave power and social standing for herself beyond what her Father had so far been able to offer them. With his agreement, she began to consider suitors seeking to elevate herself to nobility through marriage. At first they struggled to find any Honneland noble who would consider marriage to a lowborn woman no matter her beauty or wealth. Then by chance during a tournament she met Lord Eamon. The last surviving member of the Murchadha family name, his minor noble house was near destitute. The significantly older man was a military veteran and campaigner. So focused on his duties, he had never found the time to marry or birth an heir. Despite his long service and achievements for Honneland, it was rumoured that the Earl had grown concerned with the state of the Murchadha's affairs and challenged Eamon to get his house in order or risk being dispossessed in favour a younger, more productive noble. Olivia seized on this opportunity and made advances upon the older Knight. Initially Eamon dismissed her, but over time she was able to convince him of the merits of a 'marriage of convenience'. For gaining the title of Lady and the social status associated with it, she would bring her wealth and stewardship offering to save his failing house. They were married in a simple ceremony and Olivia made good on her agreement, turning the Murchadha's finances into a robust and successful estate. This upset many of the other minor noble houses who had until now been poised ready to fight over estate of the dying house. Olivia soon found herself surrounded by enemies at court. Eamon had little interest in politics and left such things entirely to Olivia, pursuing his military career with renewed vigor.
Keen to secure her new family's legacy, Olivia fell pregnant quickly and soon gave birth to her first son named Jaynon. Mostly left to run the Household alone she became stern and bitter, being dubbed the Iron Lady by their servants. She did her best to nurture Jaynon's ambition and business acumen as her Father had done for her, providing him with the best tutors they could provide. Olivia was greatly frustrated in this however as Jaynon showed no desire at all to follow her path for him and his only ambition was to become a Knight, with no understanding of the role beyond that of a vague idealistic fantasy in his head. She found herself having to force her will upon him more and more as he grew.
As their House grew more secure their enemies began to react and a secret war broke out between the minor houses, jokingly referred to as the Wife War by those who knew of it at all. With Eamon fighting abroad Olivia found herself in desperate need of allies. She found herself becoming mixed up in with a secret coven which fed into her desire for more power, and she became reasonably adept in the dark arts of magic.
Eamon's death was hard on Olivia. Despite his frequent absences and for all her talk of practicality, she had fallen for him. His death was shrouded in suspicion and Olivia suspected he had been assassinated. Without any evidence of such her pleas to the Earl to investigate fell on deaf ears. With Jaynon yet to have come of age the House's future seemed in jeopardy again. Jaynon's lack of ambition to one day take up his role as the Lord of the House, combined with the loss of her husband drove Olivia to despair and she fell into her cups. For many months she wallowed in self pity and drunkenness, greatly neglecting her duties as steward. Sensing her weakness, one of her enemies launched an attack meant to be a death blow to their House. Through the use of necromantic powers her husband was risen as undead and sent on a deadly assault against their manor. Unexpectedly for all involved Jaynon's nature as a Paladin was revealed that evening and the young boy was able to destroy his Father, saving his Mother and House.
The attack brought Olivia out of herself and she once again resumed her quest for status and power, becoming determined to ensure a legacy for herself and her child. And yet, despite her efforts, Jaynon defied her wishes leaving their home and joining the Order of Voln, seemingly pledging his life to its cause. She feared that at any time her son could renounce his claims in Honneland and return her to the lowborn status she had worked so hard to leave behind. Embittered, she again sought allies to save her legacy and through her darker contacts fell into the embrace of a dark and secret order. A deal was struck and she joined them. With her ambitions and skills she soon rose to prominence within this order. Finding they had interest in the Landing where Jaynon had taken residence she again attempted to maneuver her son in support of their desires. But he unwittingly foiled her attempts, and brought her into disrepute with her colleagues. Compounding this, Jaynon married a commoner who she considered little more than a street thief, threatening further disgrace upon her image. Incensed, she had finally had enough of her son. Arranging for Jaynon's death making her the sole inheritor, she married Lord Roiberd Holster, a once bitter rival of her late husband, passing all the Murchadha estate to him securing her status once more and giving birth to her second son, Tomas.
Her attempt to kill Jaynon and redeem herself within her order failed. Jaynon has since attempted to reclaim his family name in the Landing, which may threaten Olivia's status once more if he was ever able to return to Honneland and lay his claims to the Earl. And now she hears of reports of a child born to this street rat woman, Olivia feels compelled to act once more.