Somehow the "family" kept working hard to make up the money used by someone to "start his military career". But the only one on the field for the Norman family was a commoner named Alan in Beluaterra. This is where the money was going.
Zekiel's story begins on his seventeenth birthday, when he graduates from apprenticeship at Balance's Retreat. He is on Dwilight to discover answers for his family's split, why the nobles have refused to acknowledge the name Artemis and Artemesia, and why commoners have no idea about the noble side of the family.
All Zekiel knows is that the last member of the pureblood noble house of Artemis, the predecessor of house Artemesia, Garret, did something that the family could never forgive. While he heard about how some members of his family had disgraced themselves and damned their souls by serving terrible creatures from some other plane, Beluaterra no longer felt the presence of daimons, and Ramuh's former masters were no longer to be found. Only, in Dwilight, did the shadow of daimons still exist. Zekiel's goal is to find out what happened to Garret, whether he yet lives, is dead, or has met a fate incomprehensible and more terrible.
I suppose this will be a thread of exchanged roleplays that are relevant to this plot, if there is any. I hope there is (Continuity!). Goal for completion of Zekiel's story is 6 months realtime, after which he can either retire or continue wherever he finds himself at that point.