Peinforte Family Line

Peinforte Family of the Present Day

"The Peinforte Family tree, like all great English family trees, is more reminiscent of a creeping vine that's gotten all confused and ends up snogging itself by the back wall."

—Lady Paisley Priscilla Peinforte

"The way of the Peinforte is marked with wit and charm" Paisley remarked.
"And poisonings." Kaelyn added.
"Oh yes... quite a lot of poisonings." Paisley agreed, nodding.

Overview

The Peinforte Family is an ancient and somewhat infamous family. Hidden in both rumor and gossip, the family line is known for its' curse, passed down from generation to generation from their distant ancestor, the Viking Sundvik, thanks to the extra-dimensional being known as Fenric. Due to this, members of the family have often fallen to madness, cruelty, or being touched by the unusual. This page will list members of the family line and their relationships.

Though it is universally agreed that Averil Peinforte was the founder, there were certain members of the family who told stories of a Roman centurion named Lucius Poena who was said to have encountered a terrible wyrm near the entrance of the underworld and was driven nearly mad by the sight. Paisley (the current head of the family) has called these stories "bulls**t."

It should be noted that until the year 1066, when Lord Cedric Peinforte decreed the name be changed to show loyalty to the new king, the family went by the surname of Poenaforte, from an old Latin name. During The Anarchy (1135-1153), the family began to retroactively rename their ancestors with the Peinforte spelling, in an effort to shore up their support of Stephen of Blois.

10th Century

Averil Peinforte

A young woman, descended from a Viking named Sundvik who had come to England with cursed treasure and settled in the early 800s. Around 969, she made a deal with the entity known as The King in Yellow, from which she gained a noble title and the lands which would eventually become Peinforte Estate, and as a result is the founder of the Peinforte line. It is also because of her that the family was cursed with their unusual relationship with the supernatural.

Kye Peinforte

An unusual member of the Peinforte family, historical records are uncertain whether this figure was male or female. There are some suggestions that Kye had a part in the assassination of Edmund I under the orders of Edmund's brother Eadred, though this is largely just rumor.

11th Century

The Twins

Enid Peinforte

The youngest of twin sisters, Enid always felt herself in the shadows of the elder twin, Abigail. However, after Abigail abandoned her role as heir to the Peinforte estate, Enid's hatred of her grew even more, and she eventually took drastic action. More than any other, Enid helped to increase the power base of her family. She was married three times, her first two husbands dying in mysterious circumstances.

Sister Martha/Abigail Peinforte

The eldest of the twins, Abigail chose to abandon her expected destiny as heir to the Peinforte estate and instead take the religious path, becoming a nun with the name of Sister Martha. She had hoped that in doing so, she would be able to spare Enid and the family from the curse by drawing it away from their lands. However, she did not know of her sister's jealous nature, which ultimately resulted in Enid spreading false rumors to then King Cnut of Abigail's nunnery harboring his enemies. She would be killed by Cnut's soldiers along with her fellow sisters. Her decapitated head would be delivered to Enid, who would ultimately use it as the foundation of what would later become the Peinforte Manor grounds, as a final insult to her hated sibling.

Angus Peinfort

The leader of the Scottish branch of the Peinfortes, Angus fought alongside King Macbeth during his final war against Edward. Angus was killed on the battlefield by his distant relative, Cedric Peinforte, in hand to hand combat. His son, Alexander, would flee into the mountains of Scotland, changing his family name to MacForte in an effort to distance himself from the family of Cedric. It was rumored that Angus consorted with witches and devils, and that he practiced black magic.

Lord Cedric Peinforte

Lord of the Peinforte lands, he fought alongside the forces of King Edward as well as King Harold, before quickly switching his alliance to the newly crowned William. It is said in the final moments of his life he was haunted by the ghosts of all those he killed.

Wilfreda Peinforte

The daughter of Lord Cedric Peinforte, Wilfreda became possessed by a minor spirit of vengeance on her 16th birthday, during a ceremony meant to subvert the family curse. She fought during the Battle of Hastings, disguised as a man, as "The Burning Archer." Her legend inspired generations of Peinforte women to take up archery as a defensive art.

12th Century

Edward Peinforte

The head of the Peinforte family during The Anarchy, Edward threw his lot behind King Stephen's claim to the throne, while at the same time sending money to Empress Maud. When a noble of Stephen's court came to investigate him, he had the man poisoned, which would become a common method of murder by the family in the future. Edward also was behind the name change to it's current spelling in an effort to shore up support.

Margaret Peinforte

An incredibly ambitious woman, Margaret managed to make her way into the court of Richard I, influencing him from behind the scenes, as well as being the mother of his one known child, Phillip. Her efforts to try to get her son crowned king would be for naught, and after failing to try and influence John in the way she had done his brother, it is said that she placed a curse upon him in retaliation.

13th Century

Edith Peinforte

The head of the Peinforte Family during the reign of Edward I, Edith was the real brains of the family, using her husband as a mere figurehead. It is said she had some hand in the removal of the Stone of Scone, in part to get back at the Macfortes. She was rumored to have been killed by her own daughter.

Maud Peinforte

The daughter of Edith, Maud strangled her mother with her bare hands after she had her lover killed. Maud would prove to be less canny than her predecessors and ultimately was walled up alive alongside her daughter by her illegitmate son. She is said to haunt the grounds of Peinforte Manor as "The Lady in Grey".

15th Century

Cassandra Peinforte

The secret mistress of the Duke of Buckingham, Cassandra helped her lover to kill the young princes Edward and Richard in the Tower of London (though it is said that she did much of the work and that it was her idea in the first place). It is rumored that she used the blood of the young heirs to complete a spell to provide further success for the family.

16th Century

Sir Julian Peinforte

A member of the Royal Navy, Julian most notably captained a ship during the War against Spain. It is rumored that he operated as a pirate in secret, taking from both Spanish and British ships at will. He eventually vanished with his ship during an ill fated attempt to reach the New World. It is rumored his ship can be seen on misty nights off the coast where he used to raid.

Lady Eliza Peinfrote

A mysterious lady of the Elizabethan Court, Eliza Peinforte acted as a patron of the arts, raising money for both Christopher Marlow (who she may have killed) as well as reportedly several rivals of Shakespeare. It is said she was present during a particularly infamous performance at The Globe and it is rumored that she sent servants to gather papers found soon after. Some have suggested the Three Witches of Macbeth are partially inspired by rumors of her. Her portrait hangs in the great hall of Peinforte Manor.

17th Century

Sir Roger Peinforte

A nobleman of impeccable morals who was set to wed the "ethereally" beautiful Emma Lambert, Roger seemed to mark a turning point in the historical tide of the Peinforte line. A man of justice and character, he sought to use his family's fortune for the betterment of those around him.

His fortunes changed, however, when he came across the young Fiona Poenart, who immediately and totally captivated him to the exclusion of all else, despite her appearance and manner being substantially inferior to Emma's.

Without a care, Roger broke off his prior engagement, declaring "it was as if Destiny itself had seized his hand" and he proposed to Fiona, who accepted without hesitation.

Roger would be dead within the month and the Peinforte bloodline once again firmly lashed to its original wellspring.

Lady Fiona Peinforte (1594-1638)

Fiona Peinforte (nee Poenart) was an expert archer who fought in battle against the roundheads in the name of King Charles I. She was a woman of eminent learning, and held up among her peers and the gentry for her wisdom - for a time, at least.

A direct descendant of Averil Poenaforte (though this she did not know) she had married (back) into the family after being strangely drawn to Peinforte Manor, where she quickly caught the eye of Sir Roger Peinforte, captivating him so completely he quickly left his original intended, who vanished under mysterious circumstances mere weeks after Fiona's arrival.

Shortly after the marriage, Lady Peinforte brought in a new servant, Richard Maynarde (1607-1657) who was known to be a hardened criminal, after which time Sir Roger Peinforte vanished under mysterious circumstances, leaving Fiona Peinforte the head of the Peinforte line. The Peinforte reputation being what it was, no one dared investigate, but she became the subject of much discreet gossip and suspicion.

It was said that she used the wealth of the late Sir Roger to allow her to devote herself to questionable magics and incantations, and thus she was feared and left largely alone, for the fear of whatever forces she might have at her command.

It was said few would sup at her table, as it was "not unknown for guests not to make it to the last course alive". Still, there were those who dared it because of the exceptional skill of her cook.

One such family to do so were the Remingtons of Remington Grange. They were so impressed by her cook that in 1621 Dorothea Remington took it upon herself to offer the cook a position at her household, which the cook accepted.

Enraged at the desertion of her cook, Lady Peinforte declared that "little good would come of this". Before the end of the year, Dorothea was dead, her suffering so great that it was said her cries could be heard in the nearby woods, where some say Fiona Peinforte was practising with her bow and laughing. Fiona had used a slow poison so that it appeared the once fit Dorothea had suddenly succumbed to a wasting disease, which many found unbelievable. This sparked a feud between the two families that continues to this day.

In 1635, Lady Peinforte and Richard Maynard produced a child out of wedlock who was not publicly seen until 1638, as Lady Peinforte had kept her hidden for fear of retaliation from the Remingtons.

In 1638 Lady Peinforte carved a magnificent silver statue in her likeness named "Nemesis." It was even rumored that the statue "Nemesis" walked the grounds of her estate, killing the hapless with her lethal touch. It was said Lady Peinforte held court with her until one day a wandering physician appeared, after which time the statue vanished after a "loud tumult".

At this time, Lady Peinforte, now often called "the Dark Lady", had also vanished. At the time many wondered whether Satan had claimed her for his own. However, after some time, Richard Maynarde returned, saying they had both been on a pilgrimage, and that "Her Ladyship had seen herself clearly before being carried up into the heavens."

Being well-provided for in Fiona Peinforte's will, Maynarde assumed control of the estate and took care of their daughter until his death on November 2nd, 1657 at the age of 51.

There were dark whispers that Lady Peinforte never truly died, and she yet lives on, somehow.

18th Century

Annabella Peinforte

The granddaughter of Fiona Peinforte and a gentle, soft-spoken woman, Annabella attempted to "cheat" the King in Yellow by marrying into another family as soon as she could. She and her husband would eventually cross to America in 1700, where they would found the family that their new home would be named after: Collins. The Collins family, thus, is generally seen as a branch of the original British Peinforte family, albeit the black sheep branch due to the abandonment of the family name.

19th Century

Flora Peinforte

A young woman who saw herself as an adventurer, Flora made it her decision to explore the furthest and most mysterious reaches of the Baltic regions. She vanished without a trace in 1816 after reportedly taking a trip to Romania.

Tobias Jackson Peinforte

A soldier in the British Army stationed in South Africa in the 1880's under Colonel Godsacre, his journals tell a mad tale of a "trip to Mars" and an encounter with strange "lizard-men resembling "upright crocodiles" in "golden crypts" in service of a "warrior queen." The recollections are fragmentary and were considered at the time to be a product of yellow fever, but they may have had a basis in fact.

Andrew Peinforte

Second child of Gregory Peinforte, Andrew was a self-proclaimed magician, alchemist and student of the occult, though he hid this under the guise of studies of cryptology. He may have been a member of The Fellowship, though documentation was not clear on that fact, as well as taking part in a lengthy correspondence with one Josiah Samuel Smith. He would later leave the Peinforte Estate in 1899, after an unknown incident, never to return.

Philomena Peinforte

A beautiful but sickly young woman, Philomena was well known among the more noble circles for her bewitching personality and strange allure. She soon fell in love with and married Albert Edward, second son to Queen Victoria and not long after would bless him with a son. However, she soon after weakened and passed away. The child was removed from his father's household on orders from Victoria and all mention of Philomena was removed from the historical records.

20th Century

Beatrice Peinforte

The daughter of Mortimer Peinforte and sister to Sir Arthur Peinforte, Beatrice soon grew bored with her familal duties and soon delved into the secret knowledge of her ancestors. In 1913, she became assistant to famed "Ghost Finder" Thomas Carnacki and not long after opened up her own occult detective agency. Her late reported sighting was in 1967, after helping with the dissolution of a cult of Elder God worshippers.

Sir Arthur Peinforte

The youngest son of the Peinforte line, like his two brothers he joined the military when World War I broke out. It is said that during this time, he, along with his trusted batsman, would encounter strange occurrences on the battlefield--events he would chronicle in his war diary and of which he ever spoke again. With both of his brothers killed during the conflict, Arthur would take over the family estate, later being knighted for his valor in combat.

Arthur Ulysses Peinforte

The son of Sir Arthur Peinforte, Arthur fought on the front lines of WWII, mostly in the European front. In 1939, he was one supposed to be of the soldiers acting as ground support against the Berlin Kagekiden, but was recalled before he could move out due to fears of scandals with his family name. He would later take part in the evacuation of Dunkirk, as well as being part of the landing at D-Day, helping to take Gold Beach.

Sylvia Olivia Peinforte

The sister of Arthur U. Peinforte, Sylvia, like her brother, took part in the war effort. While to most she was known as a working member of the ATS, Sylvia in fact acted as an agent for the British Government as part of Operation Morganna, which used women with high spirit power and magical ability to strike against the Nazi menace. Her most famous accomplishment was her continual battles against the Nazi female mage, Kriemhild Wagner, which would ultimately end in the mage's death in a spectacular final battle. After the war, Sylvia would retire to a quiet life in the French countryside, only occasionally communicating with her family in England.

Ashleigh Livia Peinforte

The youngest daughter of Arthur Peinforte, Ashleigh abandoned her family duties, more interested in living the high life off her family name, attending parties with celebrities, exploring recreational drugs, as well as experiencing the growing occult scene in England. These actions soon came back to haunt her after one particularly enthusiastic party at a night club resulted her in getting pregnant. To save face and preserve her family's honor, Ashleigh was forced to give up her baby to her older brother and his wife, who raised the child as their own. She would still keep tabs on the child from afar and after their death in a tragic accident, Ashleigh soon disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Ashley Peinforte

Ashley _____ Married Sir Roger Peinforte, who was a member of the British Rocket Group.

Paisley Priscilla Peinforte

see Paisley Pythia Peinforte.