Anastasie Barthélemy

Anastasie Barthélemy was the guildmaster of the Covenant during second era. She was the one instrumental in garnering power for the guild by accepting, and carrying out, the assassination of the Mad King Etienne. When the Succession War broke out she saw an opportunity to make the Covenant famous. She began selling the idea to the nobility that they were the answer to all their troubles. By hiring the Covenant they could dispose of their rivals and earn a quick rise to the throne. But none took into calculation how smart Anastasie was, and after two years was the heads of all leading families in Valonde placed in crypts.

Anastasie had orchestrated so that there would be no one able to claim the throne and as the country was in disarray, she stepped forward and proclaimed herself queen. The nobility didn't take kindly to the deceit and they tried to have her removed, only to release that the Covenant wouldn't attack their own leader. Anastasie also saw an opportunity to keep the families at bay by saying that it would garner prestige if they sent their youngest to the Covenant to train as assassins because everyone would know not to trifle with them. This tradition is still honored to this day.