Mauthen was a prosperous farmer who owned the Mauthen Farm near Borrorill on the outskirts of Trebon. He is described by various sources as normal, but wealthy. He, his entire family, and all the guests (except Denna) were killed during his daughter's wedding celebration. His death was said to be the result of a lot of knife and sword work, although the details of how and why he and his 26 guests were killed are unclear.
In the Chronicle[]
Prior to his death, he and his family had spent months preparing for his daughter's wedding. His house on the hill was built with stones dug up from beneath the foundations of the earlier house. In the process of unearthing the stones, he discovered a piece of pottery with pictures matching descriptions of the Chandrian. Kvothe theorizes that this pottery and the information that it revealed about the Chandrian may be what prompted the killing of everyone at the wedding—similarly to when Kvothe's parents were uncovering information about the Chandrian for their song about Lanre and subsequently got killed by the Chandrian along with the rest of the troupe.
Speculation[]
It is possible that Master Ash sent Denna away from the farm before the attack knowingly, following the theory that Master Ash is Cinder, and his subsequent disappearance after knocking Denna out was him leaving to join the rest of the Chandrian.