Titus Mace
Lord Titus Mace was the heir to the Grand Duchy of Lotric during the late Fourth Era, until the Lotrican Genocide saw the destruction of his Duchy, home and family. He managed to escape to the Aqumis Republic, where he was adopted by a trader, and where he would eventually build a small fortune as an important figure of the Helmira-Aqumis-Ardoria trade triangle. He and his son, Timothy Mace, are the last remaining members of the ancient House Mace.
Life
Titus grew up in great privilege and prosperity. He would often accompany his father, the Grand Duke of Lotric, on journeys abroad, often visiting Helmira at the court of Emperor Alexander Viromaro, where the Grand Duke was a great friend of the Kythiran Crown Prince Louis.
With the sudden death of Emperor Alexander, the Imperius Kaiser took advantage of the chaos of succession within Kythira by finally taking out the Grand Ducal House Mace. This ultimately cumulated in the Lotrican Genocide.
Only 15 years of age, Titus saw the annihilation of his family, his people and the ruin of the Lotrican capital and lands. Attacked by Imperius Royal Guards in his room, he was narrowly rescued by Lotrican soldiers, losing an eye and receiving several scars in the process.
Escaping to the Aqumis Republic like most of the Lotricans who managed to escape the genocide, he was adopted by the trader Van Ryn. The latter sold the handful of family jewels of House Mace in order to finance the expansion of his Van Ryn Trading Company, purchasing a small fleet of Kythiran ships, many of which ironically had been sold as surplus from the failed Kythiran attempt to supply Lotric with food and weapons during their short lived rebellion in the early Fourth Era. In order to protect his identity, Lord Titus used the fake name Dr. Titus Van Ryn.
Together with Van Ryn, Titus helped form one of the largest Lotrican trading companies. After the death of Van Ryn, who had no children, Titus took over the entire company, maintaining the name. When visiting Marsadini, he was stabbed in an attempted assassination by Imperius agents, which was not made public by the Kythiran secret services in order to protect Titus’ identity from the public and Imperius sympathizers. In memory of his late father, the now Emperor Louis Viromaro gifted Lord Titus a large home in Helmira, which became the Helmiran office of the Van Ryn Trading Company.
After the Raggisar Revolution and the fall of the Von Dragesteiner dynasty, Lord Titus Mace finally made his true identity public, naming his son, Timothy Mace, the Pretender Heir to the Grand Duchy of Lotric. After the deposed Kaiser settled in Helmira, Lord Titus swore he would never set foot in the imperial city again, moving permanently to his home in Aqumis.