[OOC] ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

[Estylwen]

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I need to know where you stand.
On the side of Power, the side of Rebellion, or on your own?

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+++ Welcome to a tale of woe, bitter misery, corrupt officials, and the struggles behind a facade of gold. +++
+++ Power corrupts, but in the right hands, peace can once again be restored to the land. +++

The Seeds

The seeds of the Glasic Fields near the center of the Arrowfell province, a day’s journey from Hathforth, are a source of power in the form of small crystals. They were discovered two years ago and have catapulted the scales of power all across the land. Anyone who holds one could have the ability to transmute iron to gold, cure illnesses, and create magical feats once thought impossible. Most seeds are little good except as a good luck charm. But some — some, the especially rare ones — can change a common person into a noble and create enough wealth to satisfy a middle-class family for generations.

Currently, all reaping of seeds is done by the Royal Gardeners, protected by armed soldiers. The seeds that are reaped are taken straight to the castle in Hathforth, straight to the Wizard Queen herself. Common folk never get as much of a glimmer of one of these hanging off the neck of a noble passing by in the street.

Corruption runs thick, some not in favour of the Wizard Queen. Some soldiers and seed bearers have been paid off, sharing a fraction of the seed spoils with shady unknowns within the province.

The price of a seed, a rare one, could be the equivalent of twelve orchards, or one hundred cattle. In regards to gold, one or two chests-worth might suffice. It’s no wonder dukes and duchesses that wear these (or hide them) have well-paid guards to protect them.

Due to the rarity of high-quality seeds, a House typically has only one seed worn by the reigning duke or duchess.

The Magic System

Inspired from Skyrim, the magic system is mainly in the form of spells held in the hand, and in arcane runes. An example of a low-power spell would be Flames, where a small stream of flames are shot out from the hand. An example of a high-power spell would be Fire Storm, where it rains fire all around the caster.

When spells are cast, life-energy from the body is expended. Overspending life-energy can result in fatigue, sickness, convulsions, hemorrhage, and death. One of the main ways to increase life-energy is by continually draining from it little by little over years, making the ‘well’ bigger over time.

Seeds differ from spells in that they are more like artifacts, like the White Phial, or Azura’s Star. They serve a specific purpose that may not be easily accomplished with magic alone.

Teleportation Magic

Teleportation can only be utilized on willing targets in most cases. Exceptions are made for Mirie's Seed, Kronos (because lolPC), and the undead (they don't die from getting their MP bars drained to non-existence). This is mostly used because even teleportation near the ground is pretty fatal. Think about any situation where you just teleport an armored person into the ocean, or a swamp, or literally anything that you plan on teleporting people on top of to kill them.

Teleportation mana cost and spell complexity ramps up exponentially as you try to include more people into it. Set it to an upper limit of 10 people, for practical purposes, so no group of mages is out there teleporting armies into capitals and all that. Due to that same complexity, one can say that it's fairly easy to ward a place against teleportation, so you don't have people teleporting bombs into bedrooms for a quick laugh, unless you specifically use Mirie's Seed.

Portals are more costly to maintain than singular instances of teleportation spells, and in almost all cases, are simply not worth it. I'd say it'd make sense to have it be that portal magic only exists via using Dremora's Shade as a medium, meaning that unless you're Melisande (Kronos-assisted hijinks means the side effects are bypassed) or Evelyn (Seed bullshit do be like that), opening a portal is inviting in the demons. The advantage of portals, ofc, is that you can remotely send magic through it, and you can look through the portal before you step into it. Due to associations with Dremora's Shade, church magic can fairly easily break it to bits.

The nobility of Arrowfell have had access to teleportation magic for the last century or so, but its been fairly finicky and there's always the chance of teleporting to the other side in bits and goopy pieces. Only recently (within the last ten years) has it been useful enough to utilize for transportation by the nobility, but while you can teleport somewhere instantly, the mage doing so would be unable to teleport you back until a day later...and, ofc, that mage needs to be with you in order to do so. As such, when matters aren't pressing, it's more likely the case that nobles would travel to a location via carriage, while keeping a teleportation mage (call em a 'porter') on hand to teleport them back home, if there's any possibility of danger.

Guess in terms of rarity, you could say that the number of mages capable of actually performing feats of cross-province teleportation are more rare than Seeds at this rate, and it could be deduced that Ravenfell's deathlessness allowed them to work around the usual costs and difficulties of learning teleportation magic.

Religion

Most people worship the All-Force, a white benevolence that gifted humanity the power of magic eons ago. The Church of the All-Force plays an important role in society, with high-ranking church officials advisors to the Queen. The principles of the Church are mainly to strengthen the weak, take care of the needy, and guide the people to a way of life that brings peace.

In rare instances throughout Arrowfell’s history, beings made of pure light have been seen helping the people, messengers of the All-force. In recent times, no such record of sightings exists.

The recent introduction of seeds, as they were discovered about two years ago, has made the Church wary about their power, unsure if they are a boon from the All-force or the work of devils.

Supplication to the All-force is done by cupping the hands, and praising the All-force before asking for what you need.

The Three Tenants of the All-force are:
1. Wipe out the denizens of the Dremora's Shade wherever you see them.
2. Allow prisoners a fair trial. Accept surrenders.
3. Be the benevolent light of the All-force in actions and words.

Dremora's Shade

Dremora's Shade is a plane of existence that runs alongside the mortal plane, and is relatively unseen for the most part. All the rumours of monsters, demons, and boogymen stem from this realm overlapping with our own. It hosts all kinds of dark abominations that crave the light of the All-force, and so prey on the mortals of our plane. They overlap in all types of ways, like reoccurring nightmares and black ooze that won't go away. The one thing these demons have in common is that they prey on mortals, and it's the Church's role to ensure Dremora's Shade is banished wherever it shows up.

Dremoras in the Shade use an ancient language not understood by most. (OOC:Black Speech of Mordor.)

The Province of Arrowfell

The Arrowfell province has an ethereal beauty about it. Warm air from its southern coastline gives way to abundant forests with trees knarled with age, and all types of wildlife. Wolves, bears, deer, and even the occasional fairy or imp. The summers are often coupled with heavy rain and foggy nights, while the winters are mild with chilled rain, and the occasional light snowfall.

The picturesque scenes of the Arrowfell province are a facade for the bloody history that stains the earth in these parts. The cities within the province have fought many times throughout the generations before, with peace only coming temporarily twenty years ago with the rise of young Ludwig II. Ludwig II was able to unite all the cities under one banner - his banner - and unite the province against any outside forces. He resided in the Hathforth Castle up until two years ago, when the to-be Wizard Queen violently destroyed him.

Map of Arrowfell

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Every 7-9 squares represents a day's journey by carriage.

Hathforth - Settled on the coast of Arrowfell, Hathforth has access to the rest of the world through its port. This is also where the throne resides at Hathforth Castle.

Glasic Fields - Having come into existence two years ago, the glasic fields are shimmering, expansive fields where crystals grow on small, illuminated plants. Thesecrsytlas are more commonly known as seeds, and are only harvested by Royal Gardeners, directly being shipped to Hathforth.

Odonfield - Known for its hand-crafted cigars and strong presence of the Church, Odonfield is a city rich with opportunities for those thirsty to reap from the many sources of knowledge, like the great Duke’s libraries. As of important note, the Duke of Rhinecliff resides here.

Fey River - Crossing the Fey River isn’t for the weak of heart. There are designated bridges that buffer from most of the effects of this shimmering river, but even then, carriages have been known to disappear entirely when crossing the expansive river. The river is home to all manner of nymphs and fairies with water-affinities. The main language used by the Fey here is Sylvan (OOC: Old Gaelic).

Athius - Only known by the glow of many lights deep below the surface of the ocean, this location has been marked by explorers. However, technology and magic are not readily available to dive into the water’s depths ad discover what lies here.

Rockhold - The city of dwarves, the strength of Arrowfell. Rockhold is cut into the side of a mountain, chiseld away after hundreds of years, giving way to the stalwart determination of the residents who live here. Rockhold is mainly known for its iron and silver exports. Dwarves are known for their lifespans of 250 years and physcial strength, however they are more susceptible to magic and Shade.

Shimmering Lake - Legend says that when the sun hits the waves just right, and an explosion of rainbow takes over the face of the lake, the door is open, revealing a treasure coveted by all.

Aethera - The ancestral home of the elves, and at one point was a place fo great strength. Aethera caused many tides to turn in the civil war, their battle prowess being hard to match. However, it was when King Ludwig II used clever tactics to take the city by surprise did Aethera surrender, and an era of peace was ushered in. Aethera, in this age of peace, is struggling to find their power and voice among the humans. Aethera is known for its enchanted weapons and armour. The average lifespan of an elf is 1000 years.

Nordor - Nordor is home to a mainly human population, with an aversion to outsiders. They have their own farmland, and so mainly stay self-sufficient in most circumstances, doing a little trade with the other cities for specialties. Nordor is known for its unique Gold-touch Wine, which causes pleasant dreams in the drinker after any amount is consumed.

The City of Hathforth

Known for its bustling cobblestone streets, jolly tavern scenes, and busy fishing port, the city of Hathforth could be mistaken for a city brimming with life and hope, resting at the southern edge of the Arrowfell province, meeting the ocean.

However, with the recent rise of the Wizard Queen, taxes have increased, and the working person can barely make ends meet. More are starting to turn to crime to make a living, with organizations like the Thieves Guild making a rise.

If you have an affinity for magic, you have the potential to make more of a living here, with adventurers coming from all over to get their weapons enchanted and to pick up staffs and scrolls. Along with the Church, the College of Hathforth is a prominent face, teaching those magic with the coin to pay for the illustrious college.

A stone wall rings the city, with gates heavily monitored for who and what enters and leaves. This wall eventually meets up with the Hathforth Castle, where a perfectly manicured coble road leads and nobles with pristine carriages are often seen moving to and from.

Map of Hathforth

Outer Bristol

A poor neighborhood outside the Hathforth wall. They are mainly made of farmers and farm hands.

White Fields

Poorer than Outer Bristol, with a few families living in tents. These are mainly made out of farmers and their families, and farm hands.

Upper Bristol

The largest neighborhood with the highest concentration of the poor. Also has the highest concentration of those who live in tents. These are mainly industry workers, such as fishers, miners, and farm hands.

Lower Bristol

A modest neighborhood, with a bit more weather than Upper Bristol. These are manual laborers, such as construction workers, miners, industrial workers, servers and waitresses.

Aethera Meadows

A well-off neighborhood with a mix of shops. From its name, it is the highest concentration of elves and half-elves in the city. Lots of the city's enchanting is done here, with some pieces even being commissioned by the Wizards Queen. Adventurers frequent this sector quite a bit.

Elysia Quarters

The quarters of the guards, where the barracks are located, as well as the prisons. This was were Duke Sev Willowsteel was held before his execution. It's proximity to the castle gives the royals more protection in the event of an attack, though it is a bit of a walk to the city walls for guard duty every day.

Castle Gardens

The most lavish, expensive and aristocratic neighborhood in Hathforth. Noble households surround the castle walls. St the edge, the All-Force Cathedral resides, a massive establishment that Potentate Heavy-handed often frequents. These areas are patrolled heavily by the city guard.

Belle borne

This is mainly where adventurers live, having well-to-do houses, settling down with families, and having a base with which to return to after adventures. There are a number of illicit establishments here, such as smoking parlours and pleasure dens.

Gold-Touch

This is a well-to-do neighbourhood mainly filled with wealthy merchants, educated folk, enchanters and folks who know how to make money. From the name, this place is riddled with taverns, pleasure dens, and other establishments where illicit and illegal means happen.

North Pearl

North Pearl is much like South Pearl, except it doesn't have nearly as large of a port or pier. However, that doesn't make it any less quiet. The merchants here travel from all across the province to distribute their unique and exotic wares in the stalls of North Pearl. less known, North Pearl also has a thriving black market in the wee hours of the night.

South Pearl

South Pearl, along with North Pearl, are the prime places where you can get fresh catches and street food with crispy potatoes and fish fritters. This is also where prime boutiques where all manner of charms, enchantments, weapons and Seeds can be bought. This is where the Pier Plaza is located, hosting the largest port in Hathforth, and small stalls with bustling customers. This is also where the Execution Platform is, at the center of the Pier Plaza.

The Hathforth Castle

All the dukes and duchesses of neighboring cities or towns within the Arrowfell province come to attend court, paying fealty and taxes to the Wizard Queen. Much is said within the Hathforth Castle, not all of it good. Late at night, while the guards do their rounds, and most of the dukes and duchesses are asleep in the guest chambers, some stay up late in the night, plotting for power.

If you were unaware of the inner power struggle the courts were having, you would mistake the castle for a very jovial and lively place, with galas and banquets hosted frequently by the Wizard Queen.

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Roles:

Wizard Queen Evelyn Keove - @Estylwen
Duke Laurent Rhinecliff - @ERode
Court Mage/Advisor Eirwen Blackthorne - @LunarParadox
Captain Roderic "Ironhand" Thorne - @twannyman
Spymaster Lady Safina Haliel - @Psyker Landshark
Student Mèlisande Tearmoon & Kronos - @Izurich
Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie" - @Irradiant
Duchess Mirie Agustria of Caelin, The Merchant - @Click This
Sir Knight Roland Corrin - @Theyra
The Honourable Callum Prosser - @The Otter

Roles Hierachy

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Rules:
- No meta-gaming. You control your PC and NPCs, and not anything else.
- Post at least once a week. Those who are inactive for longer than two weeks may lose their PC in a terrible tragedy.
- Ideas and plotting are encouraged. Collabs are recommended.

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The CS:

[hider=Character Name]
[center]
[img]No larger than 500 px high[/img]
[h1]Title, First Name House Name[/h1]
[b]Age[/b] | [b]Race[/b] | | [b]Gender[/b] | [b]Height (in feet)[/b] | [b]Weight (in pounds)[/b]
[/center]

[b]Goal:[/b] (Do they want to get closer to the Queen? Be part of the rebellion?)

[b]History:[/b] (A brief history of who they are.)

[b]Seed:[/b] (A description of how it looks and what it can do.)

[b]Magic:[/b] (All spells your duke/duchess knows. Max of ten spells, three of which being high-level. If it's not written here, they can't do it.)

[b]Skills:[/b] (All skills they know.)

[b]Faction:[/b] (Do they lead a faction, like the Thieves Guild? One faction is allowed per PC.)

[b]City:[/b] (Tell me about the city they lead, how far away it is from Hathforth.)

[b]Assets:[/b] (Tell me about what assets your city has, a silver mine, or lots of farmland?)
[/hider]

NPC Sheet:

[hider=Character Name]
[center]
[img]No larger than 500 px high[/img]
[h1]First Name Last Name[/h1]
[b]Age[/b] | [b]Gender[/b] | [b]Race[/b]
[/center]

[b]Description:[/b] (A little about who they are.)

[b]Magic/Seed:[/b] (If applicable.)
[/hider]

Relationship Sheet:

[hider=Character Name's Relationships]
[table][row][/row][row][cell][b][h3]Character Name[/h3][/b]
(Description of relationship, how your character feels towards the other, if they are friends or not.)
[/cell]
[cell][color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[i]"In-character quote of relationship."[/i]
[/cell][/row]
[row][cell][b][h3]Character Name[/h3][/b]
(Description of relationship, how your character feels towards the other, if they are friends or not.)
[/cell]
[cell][color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[color=2e2c2c]________________________[/color]
[i]"In-character quote of relationship."[/i]
[/cell]
[/row][/table]
[/hider]

[Estylwen]

@Psyker Landshark, @Click This, @ERode, @twannyman

[Click This]

Given your setup, I'm assuming the position of the rebelling duke/duchess is also up for claiming?

[ERode]

So, how much of this RP takes place inside Hathforth Castle (e.g balls and feasts and politics and yapping) and how much of it takes place in the broader Arrowfell province? You mentioned an interfering duke that's preventing the Queen from getting total control of the Glasic Fields, but then there's also a straight up rebellion in place that I'm assuming isn't exactly peaceful.

Regardless,

[twannyman]

Are we always meant to be a lord? I was considering playing as a Mercenary captain who has his own band still trying to become a lord, a bit like the historical Robert de Hauteville

[Estylwen]

Given your setup, I'm assuming the position of the rebelling duke/duchess is also up for claiming?

@Click This

The main rebelling duke who hasn't paid his taxes for months I've given to @ERode. However, having said that, anyone can rebel. They can rebel as loudly or as quietly as they want, whether that's feeding information to the growing rebellion, or straight up refusing to pay their own taxes, and meeting with ERode in secret.

Does that still fit with the character you're imagining? :)

So, how much of this RP takes place inside Hathforth Castle (e.g balls and feasts and politics and yapping) and how much of it takes place in the broader Arrowfell province? You mentioned an interfering duke that's preventing the Queen from getting total control of the Glasic Fields, but then there's also a straight up rebellion in place that I'm assuming isn't exactly peaceful.

Regardless,

@ERode

Yes, you would be the interfering duke, and the people know from rumours on the wind that you have your eye on the crown, or something like that. The rebelling duke and the feelings of the people are one. However, no move, no big rebellion move, at least, has been made yet. We are on the cusp of it, and the Wizard Queen will be doing all they can to squash any rumours of rebellion, whether it's from the duke or from the people.

I imagine the main places the RP would take place is within Hathforth Castle, the Glasic Fields, and within the cities of neightbouring dukes. There is no limit to where we can go within the Arrowfell province.

How does all that sound?

Are we always meant to be a lord? I was considering playing as a Mercenary captain who has his own band still trying to become a lord, a bit like the historical Robert de Hauteville

@twannyman

I think your idea is great; it's not necessary to play as a lord. If that's something you want to move towards, you would only need to disregard anything in the CS that might not apply, like having your own city.

There's no limit to what you can make or do, as long as it revolves around the Queen and the coming fires of rebellion.

[ERode]

Got it. Also, what races are there? We sticking with just humans?

[Estylwen]

Got it. Also, what races are there? We sticking with just humans?

@ERode

There's humans, elves, dwarves, any fantasy race you want is available in the Arrowfell province, seeing as Hathforth's port makes it a hub for trading.

[twannyman]

Great! I'll get started on my merc band and all that.

I think your idea is great; it's not necessary to play as a lord. If that's something you want to move towards, you would only need to disregard anything in the CS that might not apply, like having your own city.

There's no limit to what you can make or do, as long as it revolves around the Queen and the coming fires of rebellion.

@Estylwen

[ERode]

Band of the Falcon inbound.

[ERode]

Duke Laurent Rhinecliff

54 y/o | Human | Male | 5'9 | 212 lbs

Goal: Lead the rebellion to control the Glasic Fields and wrest power away from the bloodstained hands of the Wizard Queen.

History: The third son of the previous Duke of Rhinecliff, who rose to prominence after his brothers refused the weight of the title. By all accounts, he is a gentle, kind-hearted duke, one who has gained the adoration of his populace through policies that shielded the commonfolk from much of the consequences of the Wizard Queen's bloody ascension. It is as his father and his father's father, and his father's father's father says:

Rhinecliff endures, no matter the change of the tides.

Thus is the weight of the title, standing above the detritus of the tides, piercing past the barrier to the sky, in order to bask in the All-Force's light. When the young King had raised his banner and united all of Arrowfell, Duke Rhinecliff had fallen in line, understanding the value of peace. When the sorcerous Queen had burned down those halcyon days, Duke Rhinecliff had fallen in line, understanding the value of compliance.

And now, there laid seeds of miracle, plentiful and clustered. There laid Hathforth, seething in the loss of their rightful king, a stallion trembling beneath the abuse of its new owner. There laid the Church, their divine miracles paling in the glory of true power. There laid the den of dukes and duchesses, of guildsmen and shadow-rulers, the province sliding back further into those chaotic, bloody, inglorious days.

He had been the first to step upon the starting line, having seen what laid before the horizon.

Now, the Duke of Rhinecliff will act.

Seed: The ring worn on the middle finger of Duke Rhinecliff's right hand is known as the Memorimime Signet, a Seed that allows for the memories of the wearer to be imprinted upon flat surfaces, whether in the form of static images or in the form of text. This manifests as a projected light from the Seed embedded within the signet ring, which near-instantly places the memory upon the surface it shines upon.

Imprints made by the Memorimime Signet are permanent and cannot be removed. However, the Signet itself can be used to overwrite previous memories at the will of the user. This overwriting does not require the same projecting light to be shone upon the original surface.

Magic:

Ignite - Sets a small flame atop a specified object. Often used to light cigars.
Messenger Bird - Animates a piece of paper or parchment, folding it into the shape of a bird which will then fly off to a specified destination.
Distant Grasp - Projects a telekinetic force within a certain distance, grasping at an object before pulling it within reach of the caster.
Seal Room - Wards a room, preventing those outside the room from entering or eavesdropping through physical or magical means.
Magic Arrow - Fires a magical projectile at an imagined trajectory. If a small object is held in the hand while this spell is cast, the object can be fired instead.
Shroud - Fills the surrounding space with a disorientating fog, where visibility is reduced to zero and sounds are distorted and echoed.
Silence - Shuts someone the fuck up in particular.
Shield - A common spell for self-defense. Can be concentrated into a small point or cast in a bubble around one's self.

Geas - An ancient spell craft during Arrowfell's bloodied past, when the fey courts took too great an interest in human conflict and mankind needed sorceries that could equally bind the traitorous and the capricious. Enables the creation of contracts that prohibit the breaking of the terms and intentions set by the contract. Doing so anyways would inevitably lead to the offender's death.
Frenzy - A strange scent fills the air, an arcane simulacra of the potions taken by the barbarian vanguards of days since past to work up the courage to charge forwards back when the secrets of riding and plated armor had not yet been uncovered. Drives those who smell it into an emotional frenzy as their thoughts slide away and baser instincts take root. Can be fine-tuned to affect only those that the caster wishes to.

Skills: Horse Riding, Religious Knowledge, Poetry, Swordsmanship, Military Strategy, Leadership

Faction: Outside of being the Duke of House Rhinecliff, Laurent is a well-known supporter of the Church of the All-Force, and has influence suitable for one of the establishment's more significant donors.

City: Two days travels east of Hathforth lies the city of Odonfield, ruled by the Duke of Rhinecliff. Rolling hills have been cut into terraces for agriculture, while rivers have been split into streams in order to provide for the needs of farmers across the land. Ancient cairns mark the boundary line between the lands of man and the lands of the fey, and by the Duke's decree, hunters still must observe ancient tradition when encroaching upon the forest to hunt. The Church of the All-Force has a strong presence within Odonfield, grand structures raised up in honor of its saints, and subsequently, Odonfield itself has become a place for the faithful to journey towards. Others come to study and further their scholastic or artistic fields, seeking the patronage of the Duke and the shelter that the great libraries within the Rhinecliff Estate provides.

Assets: Odonfield is a cultural and academic landmark for those of the Arrowfell province, and plenty of hopefuls travel to the city in hopes of catching the eye of the generous, open-minded Duke of Rhinecliff. Few are truly diamonds in the rough, but that doesn't stop them from spending money for the privilege of remaining in the city. Perhaps it is fitting then that Odonfield's greatest exports, then, are that of tobacco and opioids, substances ostensibly needed to stimulate or soothe one's mind. Which duchy in Arrowfell hasn't been gifted a box of Odonfield's finest cigars? Which smoking den hasn't been filled with the haze of Odonfield's fields?

[Estylwen]

@ERode Looks great! Please add him to the character tab.

[Psyker Landshark]

Cooking an idea, but gimme a day or three.

[Click This]

Working on an idea but will need a couple days too, yeah.

[ERode]

One’s literally just the alt of the other.

[Estylwen]

@Psyker Landshark, @Click This Sounds good, looking forward to it!

[Estylwen]

The Wizard Queen

The Wizard Queen, Evelyn Keove

62 (Appears mid 20s) | Half-Elf | | Female | 5’11 | 126 pounds

Goal: She wishes to tighten her grip over the province of Arrowfell, to ensure complete loyalty in her court and in her subjects. Any mentions of rebellion, she wishes to seek out and quell with an iron fist, happy to make examples of those who cross her. She plans to delicately dismantle Duke Rhinecliff and everything he stands for. She also wishes to tap into the hidden potential of seeds as a way to overcome death. Not for herself, but for someone who was once dear to her.

History: She grew up in a kingdom far away, to an elven father and human mother. There, it was frowned upon to have marriage between races, so Evelyn spent most of her childhood scorned, mocked and roughed up in worst case scenarios.

Eventually, Evelyn and her parents had to live apart from society to escape the prosecution. It was around this time that Evelyn's sweet mother came down with a terrible illness. Evelyn's father, who was a practitioner in magics and alchemy, devoted his time to looking for a cure for her ailment. Alas, after much desperation, he discovered that the research papers he needed were holed up in one of the academies humans ran, and they weren't about to let an elf walk in there.

Without a cure, Evelyn's mother passed away. Evelyn's father only said there was nothing they could do, and he kept the secret of her mother's potential cure for many years, until Evelyn was old enough to read, write, and discern her father's old study notes. Evelyn confronted her father, and he confessed, saying her mother would probably be alive if he had been able to enter the academy all those years ago.

Revenge on her mind, Evelyn went to that academy, and destroyed every single human with the power of the magic her father taught her. She came home to her father, shocked and dismayed, throwing her out of the house, disowning her for her deeds.

Evelyn left her old kingdom, moving to a neighboring kingdom, a place that didn’t know her name and didn’t have an aversion to half-elves. There she became a battle mage for several years, helping win many wars. It was here she began to build a bloody reputation, with rumours of how she would rain fire on her enemies in the battlefield.

It was with this reputation that she earned a place at the king's side as his court wizard. Over the years, the king began to depend on more than just advice, and began asking Evelyn to handle his ‘dirty work' as well. She helped run organized crime syndicates within the kingdom, helping fill the king's coffers even more.

Eventually, the corruption of the kingdom came to light, and there was an uprising. At the very end, the king betrayed Evelyn and left her at the hands of the rebellers. She managed to escape, taking one of the kingdom's jewels with her as the rebels chased her out of the kingdom.

With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Evelyn traveled by boat to Arrowfell, a kingdom she had heard was in a state of peace for the past ten or so years. She had a half-proven theory, a new type of magic based on the kingdom jewel she stole. She just needed someone wearing a crown.

She lived among the people silently, learning about them for ten years, silently hating them for the peace and happiness they had.

Eventually, it was time for her to be happy too.

Roping in a large amount of sellswords with the gold she had gathered over those ten years, she promised them more pay if they followed her well. She attacked the city at large, hoping to scatter the efforts of the city guard to allow her to slip into the castle. Many innocents died in this skirmish.

Eventually, she made it into the castle, forced King Ludwig II to surrender, and dashed his crown into the earth. She would have a new one made. There would be no trace, no reminder of this king. She was finally writing her own story, one where she would be Queen, as she deserved. One where no one would dare cross her or betray her.

Within twenty-four hours, the seeds began to burst forth at the Glasic Fields, and Evelyn was crowned Queen. She gave the men who helped her a sorrowful amount of gold, and then banished them and their families from ever setting foot in Hathforth ever again.

With the previous King Ludwig II declared dead, Evelyn began enforcing her will on Hathforth, the neighboring cities, and Arrowfell as a whole. Taxes increased, and the people murmured in discontent.

But it fell on deaf ears. Evelyn would never be chased out from her place of power again. She'd never let anyone betray her ever again. She would rule with an iron fist, and finally get what she deserved. Happiness and peace, at last. This has been going on for about two years, with the civil unrest steadily growing.

Seed: A small, purple gem in the center of her crown that glitters and pulses with power depending on how Evelyn turns her head. It is in fact a gateway between realms, connecting the mortal plane to Dremora's Shade, the land of demons and monsters. Evelyn is able to summon monsters through this seed, move between realms, and banish others to the plane of Dremora's Shade.

Magic:

x Starsign - The ability to divine from the stars where the location of a person, place or thing is. This spell must be cast at night with a sky full of stars. When this spell is activated, the stars appear in her eyes and over her cheeks.

x Fire Storm - Fire rains from the sky over a small area, igniting anything unfortunate enough to be within it.

x Possession - A five-point spell that's complicated to set up, but allows Evelyn to take over a body’s movements and speech. Five spectral needles are telekinetically moved to pierce the hands, feet and back of the neck of the target, which disappear once all five sites are attacked. Then, Evelyn can control them until she decides to release them.

x Chain Lightning - A lightning bolt hits the target, before arcing to the next, and the next. This spell differentiates between friend and foe, and can chain attack up to ten targets.

x Healing Aura - The ability to heal a single target. The target is wrapped in a white aura (many consider this to be the aura of the All-force) and all manner of wounds are healed over. It cannot heal a fatal blow, and it cannot cure sickness.

x Candlelight - the ability to create a floating source of light that can illuminate darkness.

x Detect Life - The ability to sense the presences of other who are nearby, whether the eyes can see them or not.

x The Pen - The ability to create binding contracts that an individual must sign. Thus, breaking the signed contract can result in severe side effects, such as sickness, confusion, madness, and death.

x Hover - The ability to cause an object to float.

x Tether - A step up from ‘Hover’ in that Evelyn is able to move the object with her mind by mentally tethering it to herself.

Skills:

x Horseback riding
x Swordsmanship
x Knowledge of the arcane
x Enchanting
x Alchemy

Faction: Evelyn has built up over the years the Orphan's Matron, an organization of spies that are, in fact, little children who lost their parents in the city-wide struggle of Evelyn's ascension. They blend in well, are inconspicuous, and adults tend to forget they exist, allowing these children to glean all sorts of secrets within the city.

City: Evelyn leads the city of Hathforth, and the province of Arrowfell. She is dependant on the dukes and duchesses of the other cities within Arrowfell to pay fealty to her to ensure her power over the province remains strong. Fealty is paid through appearance in court, taxes, and parts of the fruits of their labours, like harvests.

Hathforth itself is a thriving hub of commerce brought about by the port. Alongside fishing, innovation, magic and artifacts are of the main trades in the city. Mages from faraway lands make their rounds here at this port, opening up Hathforth to the world.

Beyond being the chosen city of the presiding king or queen, Hathforth also has other riches, besides fishing and trade. Its access to the reefs endow Hathforth with some of the most beautiful pearl jewelry, with artisans buying pearls in bulk to sell to other cities and provinces. These pearls aren't normal - some say they have the breath of the All-force in them, causing them to glimmer and shine when touched.

Assets: As mentioned above, Hathforth has some of the most beautiful pearls, as well as fish.

[Psyker Landshark]

@Estylwen

Gonna float some basic concepts past you for approval since I haven't decided which to run yet:

A. Noble mage who takes advantage of the Wizard Queen's rule to delve deep into forbidden magics. Necromancer, training acolytes and raising undead to bolster his domain.

B. Royal spymaster/assassin. Probably originally hired on while Evelyn was conquering the province, then converted/grandfathered into the position of head spook.

[ERode]

Amulak v2?

[Estylwen]

@Estylwen

Gonna float some basic concepts past you for approval since I haven't decided which to run yet:

A. Noble mage who takes advantage of the Wizard Queen's rule to delve deep into forbidden magics. Necromancer, training acolytes and raising undead to bolster his domain.

B. Royal spymaster/assassin. Probably originally hired on while Evelyn was conquering the province, then converted/grandfathered into the position of head spook.

@Psyker Landshark

Both of these are great! I can see why you'd be torn to choose.

A necromancer would be super powerful. So much so that Evelyn may feel a bit threatened by it, and cause undue spying to be done.

A spymaster that survived the ascension and wasn't banished automatically has much, much more story potential. It means Evelyn and them would have been close for years, and that Evelyn would be sending them on missions throughout the province.

Both offer different stories, so I guess it's down to what kind of story you feel like. :) I approve them both.