### **Emeline Whitewood – The Iron Matron of House Whitewood** --- ![[DALL·E 2025-02-22 15.07.35 - A regal and formidable noblewoman in her mid-to-late 60s with long, silver-streaked hair, always arranged with precision. Her piercing blue eyes are s.webp]] #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Lady Emeline Whitewood *(née Luthais)* - **Race/Species:** Human *(Brevoyan noble, of House Luthais—a lesser but respected lineage)* - **Class/Profession:** Matriarch, Strategist, Advisor - **Alignment/Morality:** Lawful Neutral (A woman of **unyielding discipline, practicality, and patience**) - **Age:** Mid-to-late 60s *(Her presence remains as formidable as ever, age only tempering her resolve.)* - **Gender & Pronouns:** She/Her - **Appearance:** - **Tall, regal, and composed**, she **carries herself with the discipline of a soldier and the grace of a noblewoman**. - **Long, silver-streaked hair, always immaculately arranged**, never loose, never undignified. - **Piercing blue eyes**, sharp as **steel in the cold morning light**, **capable of silencing a room with a single glance**. - **Wears simple, elegant gowns of dark blue or deep green**, always **practical over ostentatious, but no less commanding**. - **Every movement is deliberate, every word measured, every expectation unspoken but clear.** --- #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Emeline Whitewood is **not a woman of wasted words or empty gestures**. She **rules her household with the same precision that Brinnard led his armies**, and **her expectations are not suggestions—they are law**. She **commands without needing to raise her voice**, **enforces discipline without cruelty**, and **ensures that the Whitewood name does not falter under lesser hands**. Unlike her husband, **Brinnard, who forges legacies through war**, Emeline forges **stability through discipline, routine, and the relentless expectation of excellence**. She **did not marry a warlord to be a quiet noblewife**—she **married a force of nature and made certain he did not burn their house to the ground with his unchecked ambition**. - **She is the only person who can control Brinnard Whitewood.** - **She does not argue. She states.** - **She does not ask for respect. She demands it simply by existing.** - **She is the foundation that keeps House Whitewood from falling into chaos.** - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Unmatched Authority:** Her **presence alone** commands **respect, obedience, and precision**. - **Master of Household Strategy:** While **Aldric maneuvers politics and Brinnard commands armies**, Emeline **ensures that the foundation they stand on does not crumble**. - **Unshakable Composure:** **She does not panic, does not waver, does not break.** In crisis, **she is the one people look to for control.** - **Matriarchal Power:** She has spent **decades managing warriors, politicians, and heirs**—she is **not a ruler, but a force that makes rulers possible.** - **The Final Word:** Even **Brinnard, Aldric, and Brinn all defer to her, even if they do not realize it.** - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Iron-Willed to a Fault:** She **does not bend**—and **when she believes she is right, she will not be moved**. - **Emotion is a Controlled Weapon:** **She feels deeply, but she does not let it show.** Even when **her heart aches, she will not break decorum.** - **Detachment from Affection:** **She loves fiercely, but she expresses it through expectation rather than warmth.** - **Sees Weakness as an Unforgivable Sin:** **Failure is not something to be pitied. It is something to be corrected.** - **Does Not Tolerate Foolishness:** Whether **political games, needless sentimentality, or wasted potential**, she **has no patience for them.** - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - **Her tone is always measured, never hurried, never frantic.** - **She does not yell—she does not need to.** - **Her praise is rare, but when given, it is as valuable as gold.** - **Her silences are as powerful as her words.** - **She will look at you for a long moment before responding—judging not just what you said, but why you said it.** --- #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Born into **House Luthais, a noble family known for its strict discipline and unwavering loyalty to Brevoy’s hierarchy**, Emeline was **raised in a world of rigid expectations and meticulous order**. - Her father **ruled their household with the efficiency of a military command**, and Emeline **learned early that power was not always about war—it was about control**. - She **married Brinnard Whitewood**, **not for love, not for convenience, but because she saw in him a man who could conquer the world if he did not destroy himself first.** - She **tempered him, reined him in, reminded him that war must be balanced with legacy**. - While **Brinnard led armies, she managed their house, raised their children, and ensured that their name did not fall to ruin**. Now, **Brinn has left Brevoy for Rivermarch**, and **Brinnard has followed him**. And **Emeline is waiting to see if her grandson’s kingdom will be worth the trouble.** - **Current Motivations:** - **To ensure that Brinn does not destroy House Whitewood’s name with reckless idealism.** - **To remind Brinnard that he is not a warlord anymore—he is her husband, and he will come home.** - **To ensure that when Rivermarch rises, it is not built on sentiment, but on strength.** - **To correct any failures before they become legacies.** - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[Brinnard Whitewood]] (The Husband She Commands Without Question):** She **has tolerated his wars, his battles, his conquests, but she will not tolerate him staying in Rivermarch longer than necessary.** - **[[Brinn Whitewood]] (The Grandson Who Might Prove Himself):** She **believes Brinn is strong, but strength is not enough—he must be disciplined, controlled, worthy of the Whitewood name.** - **[[Aldric Whitewood]] (The Son Who Respects, but Frustrates Her):** Aldric is **brilliant but soft**, **capable but overly cautious**—she **knows he lacks Brinnard’s fire, but he has his own strengths.** - **Lady [[Evelyne Marwin-Whitewood]] (The Daughter-in-Law Who Understands the Game):** Evelyne **is one of the few people Emeline truly respects—because she does not waste time on frivolity, and she does not make mistakes.** - **[[Tybalt Rattigan]] (The Rat Who Amuses Her):** She **sees Tybalt for what he is—a player of games, a dealer in secrets—but she does not mind. He is useful, and that is enough.** - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **House Whitewood (Her Life’s Work, Her Blood, Her Purpose)** - **House Luthais (Her Birthright, and the Foundation of Her Discipline)** - **The Legacy of Brinnard’s Wars (A History She Will Not Let Be Forgotten)** - **Notable Items & Equipment:** - **The Whitewood Signet Ring:** A **symbol of her power as matriarch**, a **reminder that House Whitewood is hers to command.** - **A Tightly Locked Journal:** Filled **not with emotions, but with names, alliances, and debts owed.** - **A Letter to Brinn, Unsent:** **One that, should he ever prove himself, she might finally deliver.** --- #### **Recurring Themes & Story Hooks:** - **“Brinnard, you will come home when this is done. That is not a request.”** - **“Brinn, a leader is not made through sentiment. A leader is made through discipline.”** - **“Power is not won in war. Power is what remains when war is over.”** - **“You are my blood, Brinn. Do not make me regret it.”** --- Emeline Whitewood **does not fight wars. She ensures that those who do remember who they fight for.** And **if Brinnard and Brinn think they can ignore her expectations, they are sorely mistaken.**