Mercatius Cantorus Crowe

Overview
Mercatius Cantorus Crowe was the 7th duke of the Fiefdom of Tharsis, and the biological father of Lyreff Mercatius Crowe.

Legacy
Mercatius Cantorus was made duke of Tharsis from the years 592 to 616, until his execution on March 1st, 616.

During his rule, he was known as a far more liberal duke than previous years; advocating for political discussion over war, which had not set well with many of the more conservative members of the Tharsiscan council. Although never announcing his public disapproval of the actions taken by the Teris Empire in recent years, it was clear to the public that Mercatius had certain disagreements with the empire's policy regarding law enforcement, the court system, and the response towards armed conflicts throughout the region.

One of the most radical stances he had taken was towards the issue of elvish slave families living throughout Tharsis. Alarmed by the abhorrent living conditions of the slaves (especially within Swordsfield), Mercatius believed it was a case of restoring "the honor of Tharsis" by abolishing the slave trade and granting large-scale citizenship for the elves. Although opposed by many conservatives living within Tharsis, the proposed "Argentum Decrees" gained momentum and support especially within the human lower class, who had witnessed first hand the treatment of the elves.

However, before he was able to implement the Argentum Decrees, a scandal between him and an elvish handmaiden was revealed to the public. Due to his marital status with Silera Tiamat Briarthorn, the current archmage of the Circle of the Blue Rose, as well as Teris laws forbidding interspecies marriage, Mercatius Cantorus was tried and found guilty of adultery and treason, and summarily executed by the Black Wolves.

Personality
During his rule as duke, Mercatius was described often as kind and charismatic, more so than the previous rulers of Tharsis. His support for elvish liberation, as well as belief of peaceful discussion over armed conflict, cemented the image the public had of Mercatius as a "people's man", garnering him support from many of the lower class within Tharsis but disapproval from conservatives and members of the military. The duke often took the time to walk the streets of Skyscour and Swordsfield, greeting the blacksmiths and merchants along the way.

Mercatius was incredibly scholarly, spending much of his time within Skyscour locking himself in his private library to read. His brother, General Valen Cantorus Crowe described him as a very private man, whenever "he could find the time to be one". There were some rumors that by walking outside of the library door, one could sometimes hear the duke reading aloud to someone, although these were dismissed as mere speculation later on.