The elder Peverells
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Once upon a time there were three brothers. One met a savage end at the hands of his own vanity, the second fared better, if a death of grief can be counted as a means to happiness. The third escaped. While not believing himself to be cleverer or better than his brothers, Ignotus Peverell was the one granted the fortune which cloaked him from death. For three hundred odd years it was passed on from father to the eldest born, and the line was graced with luck. Ignotus's line rose in prosperity from the gratitude of their neighbors; for the cloak brings with it an awareness of the needs of others. There was never a Peverell who was haughty or stingy towards muggle or wizard, and each eldest child took their responsibility with a keen heart and sharp mind.
Humber had accepted their governing, with the title of Duke over the land, for a hundred years before Viking raids became prevalent and costly on the northern coast of Britannia. Humber was raided as were Kent and other holdings. The intent was easily isolated: the English were too used to their habit of isolation and their wealth was not heavily guarded. Town after town fell as matchsticks, leaving a handful of the devastated to reclaim the scorched hovels and bury their dead.
The first raid came under the Duke Edmond Peverell of Humber, and his concern for the people of his land trumped even his care for his first born son, Roderc, an act which should not belittle his compassion. He did all he could to ease their suffering, but Edmond knew this would not halt the Viking assaults. On the contrary, enriching his people would do to encourage the brutish northerners from Denmark. A petition of the King and his new Queen of England came of no avail, for all he received was a letter in the hand of the young Queen Emma stating that the Vikings could be swayed with gold, and this would do to save his people from continual destruction. It would appear that the Vikings had been refused payment of tithe in the previous year of our Lord, 1000 because the royal coffers had run dry from the defense of the nation.
The Duke was no fool, but he was he was left with no alternative. The choice fell between his people's gold and lives, or his own gold. The Duke sent 20,000 pounds to London to buy off the raids, and under Emma's scrutiny 4,000 more were added to buy the Viking's interest from all of Britannia.
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