In the beginning…
2220 – Lydia and Alexander Mathesius welcome a son, their third child, to the family. In addition to expanding their family unit, he becomes the newest member of the Mathesius Family cult, a group of terrorists dedicated to forcing the world into what they see as an “egalitarian” existence. Egalitarian, from their perspective, means forcing partnerships and engineering DNA to produce equally excellent human beings. While this works to produce new members for their cult, the greater community in Tesland rejects their desire for growth.
2225 – Lydia and Alexander perish, orphaning three children. The Mertens family act as godparents, offering emotional support and guidance as Kay Mathesius, the eldest child, steps up to provide for her siblings.
2228 – Anaxarete Mathesius elopes with General Robert Sands, and the pair prepare to add a daughter to the family. In a military coup d’état, Sands seizes power and declares himself king. Anaxarete, desperate to stay removed from the Mathesius Family, hides in the shadows of her husband’s administration and stays out of the public eye.
2229 – Lavinia Bellamy has a daughter and names her Christine, a common name for that generation. While she cherishes the child, her arranged husband, Bernard, only wanted a child to secure a generous inheritance from his dying grandfather. Bernard and Christine never bond.
2230 – The Sands celebrate the birth of their second child — this time, a son. That same year, Lavinia Bellamy attends a funeral for her husband’s grandfather and meets the extended family. She shares a moment of camaraderie with a woman named Celeste Simmons.
2233 – Raleigh “Ralph” Simmons comforts his dying sister in Europe while Tesland is dealing with the Separating Disease, a destructive plague created by Mathesius Family terrorists. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter, Kristina, contracts the plague and dies. Lavinia Bellamy, now homeless with her daughter, begs Ralph’s wife to adopt her toddler. Celeste, heartbroken at the loss of her daughter, agrees. Lavinia sends her off with a scrapbook full of Christine’s baby pictures and legal documents so she can piece together a convincing story for the child.
2235 – Titus Mathesius is caught in an inferno and loses half a leg; shortly thereafter, he inherits Tarm Industries from his older sister that died in the blaze. The Mathesius Family helps him adopt a new identity, and they plant his removed leg at the site to ensure medical examiners find his DNA. Titus Mathesius is declared dead, the Family is considered extinct, and Titus Tarm forges a new path forward.
2236 – Lavinia Bellamy meets Titus Tarm by chance and is offered employment by Tarm Industries. Having lost her family, too, the pair bond. Titus eventually reveals that he works with the remnants of the Mathesius Family and offers her a house in exchange for allowing the Family to use her departed relatives’ identities. Lavinia agrees, so long as he does not use her surviving daughter’s name. In turn, Lavinia begins jointly working for the Family and Tarm Industries.
2238 – Broadening his horizons and preserving his sister’s memory, Titus establishes Kayliope Vineyards. Being a young newcomer with a huge interest in fostering the local economy, Paísan Reina Valentina offers him encouragement and friendship.
2241 – Kemet falls to foreign invaders, and the country’s way of life begins to unravel. Its princesses evacuate as many citizens as they can and, eventually, leave the nation themselves.
2242 – Captain Asher Murphy begins working as a shipping contractor for Tarm Industries. His recently appointed first mate, Saida, catches Titus Tarm’s eye and temporarily accepts his affection.
2243 – Looking to expand his shipping fleet, Titus Tarm hires Qattara Merymut and her crew. Qattara initially traffics exports from Kayliope Vineyards into Tesland and neighboring countries, but she soon starts moving T.I. materials, too.
2245 – Lavinia tells her employer that her daughter, Christine Bellamy, is studying engineering. Intrigued by the idea of capitalizing on a mind as sharp as Lavinia’s, T.I. connects with Christine’s private teacher to discuss recruiting her.
2246 – Kristina Simmons starts working for Tarm Industries as an intern. After she completes the internship, Titus takes her to a coffee shop to discuss employment away from the gaze of his security officers. He significantly alters her invention assignment agreement, ensuring that the two of them jointly own her inventions rather than Tarm Industries.
2248 – Tensions are once again rising in Tesland, and Titus decides to start producing weaponry. He recruits Lavinia to oversee his secret weapon production, and he recruits Kristina to help him build a new hangar for bigger projects. Over the holiday and into ’49, Kristina and Titus complete the hangar and begin working on larger machinery, including a zeppelin he recently acquired from a Paísan collector.
2250 – Kristina Simmons receives an invite to the annual T.I. Unveiling Gala.