Anne Winton

Baroness Winton
Full name: Anne Winton Winton Nationality: Alconian Occupation: Royal Envoy of the United Duchies Status: Unmarried, 32

Brief Stats

• Born: Wittelbach Harbor, Duchy of Alcona

• Father: William Hazleton Winton, of Hubris

• Mother: Katharine D’Gard Winton

• Married: Never

• Known Acquaitances: Sir Chairman Meow Winton, Knight Companion

• Areas of Expertice: Naval Engineering, Naval Engine Systems, Swordmaster

• Current Address: Blackburn Hall, Upper Northull, Duchy of Alcona

Anne Winton is the current Baroness Winton a peerage in the Alconian system of nobility. She is also currently the Royal Envoy of the United Duchies.

Education

• Primary: Red School of Hubris

• Secondary: Red School of Hubris

• College: Naval Academy, (incomplete, resigned commission senior year)

Military Career

• Earned Entry into Naval Academy at age 17
• 3rd in Class Freshman Year,
• 2nd in Class Sophmore Year,
• 2nd in Class Junior Year,
• Commissioned Midshipman End of Junior Year
  • Served 3rd year training program aboard the [i]ARN Wyeth[/i]
  • Awarded Red Star for wounds sustained at Pentcost
  • Awarded Silver Dragon for actions at Pentcost
  • Awarded Naval Cross for actions at Pentcost
  • Made Knight Lieutenant, Order of the Gryphon for actions at Pentcost.
• Resigned Naval Commission Senior Year due to killing a fellow cadet.
• Commission as Militia Commander after SeeBee incident
  • Elevated to Knight Commander for saving lives of passengers.
• Appointed Naval Attaché to Knotoss, served as Naval Attaché to Iansisle
• Appointed by act of College of Peers to position of Royal Envoy

Other Employment

After resigning her commission, she joined the crew of the Seabee as an engineering assistant. Promoted to assistant engineer six months before Seabee incident.

Wintons of Northull

The Winton family first became prominent in 1672 when the family built a mill on the small Blackberry River. By 1702 the family was one of several prominent Quaker families living in the area of Northull.

In 1705 Philip Winton was elevated to the rank of baronet after leading several defensive actions against pirate raiders attacking Northull.

However, Philip’s actions were also viewed as problematic within the Quaker community. Philip himself retired from religious life rather than cause any strains within the tight knit religious community of the Quakers who debated Philips obvious martial adventure.

Philip’s grandsons Jonathan and Matthew Winton came to prominence in 1735 when they began to form a tea trading house in Thunderbay, orginizing local growers and creating a stock company for the exportation of tea. Matthew ran the drying, grading, and selection side of the business while Jonathan Winton, his elder brother commanded the company vessel Pontiac. In 1738, Jonathan’s ship was captured by a Hubarian warship, Jonathan offering no resistance to the bording was summarily executed by the Hubarian captain.

Matthew, confused by his desires of revenge, and his anger at his brother, became a force of change within the Alconian Quaker community. In 1742 he preached that the Brotherhood of Friends could not ignore those who would do them harm.

There are those souls so corrupted by the words of the devil that they are beyond redemption in this life. We argue that we, as mortals can save them. I say that by our inaction we allow the devil to do his work, to use his poppets to murder those salvageable by mere men while we focus on the souls only God himself can save. -Matthew Winton

In 1742 Matthew Winton also founded the Society of Armed Friends, or Militant Quakers. The society quickly increased in size, such that it was considered a significant religious and political group by 1758. In 1759 Matthew Winton was elevated to the Peerage as Baron Winton.

The Winton’s do not hold the same sway over the Society of Armed Friends as they did in 1759, however they are still considered a prominent family of the Armed Friends. The Winton’s have been primarily involved in the tea trade and in government, primarily in the Inner Ministry and the Office of Trade.

Youth

Anne Winton Winton was born to William Winton and his wife Katharine Winton. William was descended from a cadet branch of her family that had disgraced itself by siding with the Hubarian Revolution and attempting to overthrow the Monarchy of Alcona in the September Plot. Upon Katharine’s marriage to William, she and her heirs were formally disowned by her father, Baron Winton

Katharine Winton was murdered by her husband when Anne was two years old. Anne was then raised by a friend of her father’s at the Red School in Hubris.

At age 17 Anne won the prestigious Helm Trophy in fencing and was offered a post at the Naval Acadamy

Personal History

Anne Winton was a stellar cadet at the Naval Academy earning both academic awards and serving on the fencing team. Due to her high marks she was given a Midshipman posting on her third year training program aboard the cruiser Wyeth. The sudden civil war within the Duchy of Keiva between two local populations resulted in the crew of the Wyeth being ordered to evacuate several hundred refugees from the town of Pentacost.

Anne was attached to the detachment of Marines as logistical and engineering support. Her duties entailed driving and maintaining several appropriated, local vehicles. These vehicles were found to be in need constant maintenance to remain operational and was the primary reason for assigning several warrent officers, including Midshipmen Winton to the mission. The Marine detachment arrived at the refugee camp but came under artillery fire from government forces soon after securing the perimiter. The commanding officer was killed along with almost a thousand civilians. After several hours of bomardment government forces stopped the shelling of the refugee camp. Soon afterwords rebel forces attempted to take the position by sending in a heavily armed force. In the ensuing struggle all of the Midshipwoman’s surviving superiors were killed and contact with the Wyeth was lost.

Midshipman Winton organized a defensive position against both rebel and government forces while suffering the loss of her left hand. The Alconian Marines were relieved forty eight hours later by marines and House Crawfnord forces. Anne was treated at a Lords of War medical facility and her hand was regenerated.

For her actions she was awarded the Navy Cross and also made a Knight Lieutenant of the Order of the Gryphon. As this elevated the Midshipman’s honor, the decree by her grandfather removing her from the line of succession came under review of the College of Peers and was rejected, establishing her claim upon the title and lands of the Barony of Winton.

Anne also became engaged to Midshipman Theodore Nasar March, second son of Lord Highridge.

However, in her senior year Midshipman Winton was found by police covered in blood with Midshipman March’s decapitated body laying in her bed. Midshipman Winton explained that Midshipman March had sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. Upon waking she attempted to throw him off, and then used her sword to protect herself against her attacker. The police investigation proved inconclusive, but upon political pressure, Midshipman Winton resigned her commission. It was this incident which she was given the nickname "The Praying Mantis" by several tabloid journalists.

Anne Winton joined the crew of a tramp passenger and package steamer named the Seebee after resigning her commission. Anne Winton likely would have remained in the private sector except for an incident off the coast of Iansisle.

Pirates hijacked the Seebee out of Northbay Harbor. Anne Winton assisted in getting passengers onto lifeboats before the ship was completely captured. However, machine guns were turned on the lifeboats and Anne intervened although she herself almost lost her life in the process. She was rescued by a young Klatchain Tiger Cub named Chairman Meow.

For her actions she was elevated to the Rank of Knight Commander, and also informed of her inheritance of the title. However, soon after political allies of Lord Highridge (Midshipman March’s brother) were able to cause a dual with the young woman over an incident at a weekend party. To prevent her being killed, and the possible loss of the Winton Dynasty, an agreement was reached where Anne was assigned to be the Naval Attaché to Knotoss preventing the duel from occurring until she had time to regain her fencing skills.

However, the Outer Ministry under Patrick Tinsdale reassigned Anne to Iansisle to prevent her from practicing. In this position she saved the life of Duke Williams, a well known hero and friend of the Iansisle Monarch (at his own funeral). Her actions drew international attention. The Rectors in Parliament became focused upon why the Outer Ministry had broken their deal with the College of Peers. In a huff the College appointed Anne Winton as the new Royal Envoy to replace Sir Edgar Bathworth who had been agitating for retirement. The government lost support of all Rectors in the Grand Chamber causing the Winton election.

Anne’s early career was marred by her almost immediately being asked to leave Iansisle. An Outer Ministry investigation found that Iansisle's protest to the Royal Envoy was caused by Anne’s close association with Duke Williams and a beleif by James IV of Iansisle that the two were having an affair. Considering the Duchess was James's sister he was noticably disturbed by the rumor