Darl Norwit

Baronet Darl Norwit was the lord in charge of the Baronetcy of Norwit, or West Avengene (or Western Avengene).

He was a robustly built man, shorter than his son Charles Norwit. He was common-born, and proved himself in battle.

He held his lands and title from the Marquis of Avengene rather than the King of Clairmont, and owed his allegiance to Avengene. As such, he had limited independence in his own lands, and little authority directly over the Evangeline Avengene. Baronet Norwit was a warrior lord, and he and his troops often had to fight to defend his lands against incursions by the orcs and giants.

The author had this to say about the status of Baronet Norwit: "In the eyes of Bianca Bristol, Bellany is essentially the daughter of a captain of knghts. In modern terms, Bellany might be the daughter of a governor and general combined. In other more liberal eyes her father's lands are as large as some baronies.  Yet he keeps them for a Marquis not a king, so he is not as august as a baron is; however, he is certainly greater than a mere knight."

Family
He was married to Lady Eleanor Avengene, the daughter of Marquis of Avengene, and had three children:
 * 1) Lord Charles Norwit
 * 2) Lady Bellany Norwit
 * 3) Lord Darren Norwit

Biography
Darl Norwit was a commoner that distinguished himself in battle. A knight whose command he saved sponsored him as a squire. Subsequently, Marquis Avengene made him a baronet; and made a part of his extended family by allowing his daughter Eleanor marry the former commoner.


 * In September 723, shortly after sending his daughter Bellany to the Vargrend Academy, he suffered the loss of two forts, and then found out that Bellany was taken captive by the orcs. He experienced heavy fighting, and was able to defend his lands only with the help of Marquis Avengene.


 * In April 724, he discovered a badly injured Brianna Barter, magically disguised as Bellany in Leech Fraksen's clinic. From that point he had an ambivalent relationship with "Bellany": proud of her endurance, strength and intelligence, and yet ashamed by her traits unbecoming a daughter of a Vindicator follower. In this latter attitude he was encouraged by his wife Eleanor. The relationship was characterized by naming her an unofficial knight of Norwit on one hand, and eventual (short-term) commitment of her to the prison-like Convent of Contemplation in 725 on the other hand.


 * On the marquis' orders, Baronet Norwit executed Brianna's father around December of 722. Norwit refused to kill her mother, and this caused tension between the marquis and Norwit, especially when the marquis ordered Constable Rasper Grayton, nominally in Norwit's domain, to execute the rest of Brianna's family. Darl Norwit was even more distressed when he found out from his son Charles' investigation that Brianna was probably innocent.