LADY MARTA DE COLOMBIERS DE PLAINTEL
====================================
(In formal announcements and legal documents, "Marta de Colombiers, the
Lady of Plaintel")

Int   +2   +3  Methodical
Per   +1   +1  Precise
Str   -1   -1  Slim
Sta    -    -
Pre   +2   +3  Handsome
Com   +1   +1  Well-Spoken
Dex    -    -
Qik    -    -

Virtues
-------
Landed Lady          +5  (c.10 square miles)
Clear Thinker        +1  (+3 vs. Misdirection and Confusion)
Social Contacts      +1  (Court)
		     	 
Flaws		     	 
-----		     	 
Enemies              -2  (Neighbours)
Driving Goal         -1  (Keeping Her Lands)
Favours              -1  (to Court Legal Clerks)
Obligation           -1  (to Daughters)
Small Frame          -2

Age 38 (76 eps.)

Abilities
---------
Awareness-2           3  (Searching)
Concentration-1       1  (Estate Management)
Folk Ken-3            6  (Nobility)
Scribe French-2       3  (Legal Letters)
Brawl-2               3  (Dagger)
Crossbow-3            6  (Light Crossbow)
Sing-1                1  (Ballads)
Forgery-1             1  (Legal Documents)
Bargain-4            10  (Estate Produce)
Etiquette-5          15  (Nobility)
Intrigue-3            6  (Alliances)
Leadership-3          6  (Estate Management)
Animal Handling-1     1  (Horses)
Hunt-1                1  (Tracking)
Ride-1                1  (Speed)
Chirurgy-2            3  (Diagnosis)
Civil & Cannon Law-1  1	 (Breton)
Area Lore: Breton-3   6	 (Politics)
Speak French-5     Free	 (Norman)
Speak Breton-1        1	 (Rural)
Org. Lore: Court-1    1	 (Politics)

Personality Traits
------------------
Tomboy               +2
Determined           +2
Subtle               +1
Broad-Minded         +1
Egocentric           -1

Reputations
-----------
Landed Lady (Local)  +5

Ageing Effects
--------------
Long Sight Going     -1


Background
----------
 The daughter of a minor Norman noble family (Colombiers des Plessis),
Marta spent a few years acquiring an education at court, and was then
married off to a Breton of similar rank (Bohemond de Plaintel). The
marriage, though arranged, was amicable, and Marta formed a strong
bond with her new lands. She also gave birth to three healthy
daughters; her husband wished for a son, of course, but was too
genuinely fond of his wife for this to become a source of difficulty
between them, at least then.

 However, there then came the day when Bohemond's horse threw him
while he was out hunting. Details of his injury remain unclear to the
world at large - despite some unpleasantly ribald speculation among
the peasantry - but it was noted that Marta produced no further
children in the four years between the event and his eventual early
death.

 At which point, his lack of close relatives, the precise details of
the marriage contract, and Marta's iron determination (and active
dislike of every vaguely marriageable male neighbour) led to
complications, which in turn led to a string of court cases. So far,
Marta is winning the war by a small margin - and keeping the estate
afloat at the same time - but she has come to feel the need of local
allies. Unfortunately, she also feels that none of her neighbours can
be trusted far enough. Her daughters have now all been married - to
fortuitously remote and distant husbands, in Normandy and Picardy -
but those alliances involved certain understandings concerning mutual
support at court and so on (as well as substantial dowries), and
represent extra responsibilities at least as much as they do
reinforcements.

 On the other hand, an alliance with a bunch of mages might give even
her neighbours something to thik about. Yes, it is true that very few
people trust a wizard - but compared to the average petty noble with
ten square miles of good estate in prospect, wizards are probably
pillars of sanctified benevolence...