Editing Francis Marlin Blackthorne (section)

==Early Life & Freemasonry Roots (1910–1928)==
Born in 1910 in Charleston, South Carolina, Francis Marlin Blackthorne was raised in a household steeped in military tradition and Freemasonry. His father, Col. Everett Blackthorne, was a high-ranking Freemason and a U.S. Army officer who instilled in his son the values of discipline, honor, and service. From a young age, Francis was immersed in military history, Masonic philosophy, and leadership principles.

His father Everett was a solid citizen but kept his history with Freemasonry very secret, but told his son.  He claimed to have been taken away to a magical land where he fought wars and learned about gods and demons and the secrets of Freemasonry.  As an old man he would tell many of these stories to his great grandson Elias, who became a fanatical Freemason researcher and adventurer[[https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Running_Sheet_Elias_%22Eli%22_Blackthorn]]. 

Educated at Porter Military Academy, he excelled in academics, athletics, debate, history, and leadership, demonstrating early signs of his strategic mind and fierce independence. His exposure to Freemasonry led to his initiation into the Order of DeMolay as a teenager, setting the foundation for a lifelong involvement in Masonic traditions.

He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he excelled in debate and history. He later pursued higher education at Yale University, earning a degree in International Relations. At Yale, he became a member of Skull and Bones, a secret society that would shape his lifelong interest in clandestine networks of power. His academic pursuits, however, were cut short by the outbreak of World War II.
Married in 1943 to Felicity Dinsmore  (Born 1921. Nurse 1939. Doctor 1951), Daughter of Jane Kincaid. 
Son Balthazar-