[OOC] ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

[Donut Look Now]

@ERode Oooo, I like the idea of her being a servant of his with rumors spreading actually - then her going in his bedroom late at night is just a summary of her spying lol. How old do you think your duke would prefer her to be?

[Click This]

5'11"

@Psyker Landshark

Damn. She's taller than the Duke.

[ERode]

@Click This I consciously held back my desire to make my guy beeg ye.

@Donut Look Now I dunno. Age is kinda just a number for the fey anyhow, ain't it? Doubly so if its anime pictures too. If you need a number, probably mid 20s to early 30s? Feel like that'd be in the spirit of nobility.

[Donut Look Now]

@ERode

Yeah! I was going to ask if there’s a lifespan expectancy for fey/changelings but for her ‘disguise’ I was thinking 20s-30s, especially if we’re going the route of scandal. If she was going to become the new duchess or something, I was probably gonna say 40s :P

(DND has them at 450 yrs)

[Click This]

How peaceful or bloody was Ludwig II's rise, exactly? Was it a proper unification war?

[ERode]

@Click This

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.

Considering how it was only with the Wizard Queen that Hathforth itself went to shit, I'd imagine that Ludwig's rise to power wasn't particularly war-like.

[Click This]

@Click This
<Snipped quote>

Considering how it was only with the Wizard Queen that Hathforth itself went to shit, I'd imagine that Ludwig's rise to power wasn't particularly war-like.

@ERode

Right, but there was still some sort of warring going on if he had to take Aethera by surprise.

[ERode]

Clever tactics being "Bro, I literally already united the rest of the province. Sit your ass down."

[Estylwen]

@ERode

Yeah! I was going to ask if there’s a lifespan expectancy for fey/changelings but for her ‘disguise’ I was thinking 20s-30s, especially if we’re going the route of scandal. If she was going to become the new duchess or something, I was probably gonna say 40s :P

(DND has them at 450 yrs)

@Donut Look Now

Yeah, we can make Changlungs have a lifespan of 450 years. That goes in keeping with the other races I have so far.

<Snipped quote by ERode>

Right, but there was still some sort of warring going on if he had to take Aethera by surprise.

@Click This

ERode has it pretty much right. King Ludwig II preferred to do things peacefully, using the power of his army to quell anymore fighting by more intimidation, and offering good peace treaties. Aethera and Rockhold were the most stubborn, but it was only Aethera that had a full scale invasion of the city done by the King.

Does that answer it alright?

[Click This]

<Snipped quote by Donut Look Now>

Yeah, we can make Changlungs have a lifespan of 450 years. That goes in keeping with the other races I have so far.

<Snipped quote by Click This>

ERode has it pretty much right. King Ludwig II preferred to do things peacefully, using the power of his army to quell anymore fighting by more intimidation, and offering good peace treaties. Aethera and Rockhold were the most stubborn, but it was only Aethera that had a full scale invasion of the city done by the King.

Does that answer it alright?

@Estylwen

Hmm, I see. I was mainly asking because I was intending for Caelin, the island my character now holds, to have been one of the main holdouts until the very end of the war until she took drastic actions and took control to prevent destruction. If that doesn't mesh well with Aethera and Rockhold and the lore though, I'll change it.

[ERode]

Why would Caelin be all that stubborn? Thought a trade-focused city-state would be on the more flexible side of things.

[Click This]

Why would Caelin be all that stubborn? Thought a trade-focused city-state would be on the more flexible side of things.

@ERode

Not everyone is rational. ;3

[Donut Look Now]

@Estylwen

Would it be okay for my character to have been in love with one of the humans Evelyn killed at the academia that she slaughtered? I’m thinking as a reason for her to want to help the resistance. The human would probably just be a low-magic one who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time

[Estylwen]

<Snipped quote by Estylwen>

Hmm, I see. I was mainly asking because I was intending for Caelin, the island my character now holds, to have been one of the main holdouts until the very end of the war until she took drastic actions and took control to prevent destruction. If that doesn't mesh well with Aethera and Rockhold and the lore though, I'll change it.

@Click This

Sure, we can have Caelin as the most exceptionally stubborn. Would King Ludwig II have stormed it like he stormed Aethera?

@Estylwen

Would it be okay for my character to have been in love with one of the humans Evelyn killed at the academia that she slaughtered? I’m thinking as a reason for her to want to help the resistance. The human would probably just be a low-magic one who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time

@Donut Look Now

Sure, I think that's a great idea. :)

[Click This]

<Snipped quote by Click This>

Sure, we can have Caelin as the most exceptionally stubborn. Would King Ludwig II have stormed it like he stormed Aethera?

@Estylwen

Not quite. I'll detail it out in the full history, but the idea was they came to a mutually beneficial settlement at the eleventh hour.

[Estylwen]

Here are a few of the NPCs I've created that we'll be starting out with. For all NPCs, I've made a thread here where they can be easily referenced.

The Church of the All-force

Brinyar Heavy-handed

Potentate Brinyar Heavy-handed

41 | He/him | Human

Description: Brinyar has served the Church all his life. He was picked up by one of the priests when he was an urchin off the streets. Due to his bigger bulk, prowess with a sword, and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, he rose steadily through the ranks. Until, at the untimely departure of the frail Potentate of the Church, he was asked to assume the position of the new Potentate, the new head of the Church.

Potentate Brinyar Heavy-handed is not just a leader within the Church, but a figure of influence in the province of Arrowfell. He oversees the distribution of priests and knights, ensuring the Church's presence is felt throughout the land. As the head of the Council of the Church, he makes crucial decisions that shape the future of the Church and Arrowfell. He is the face of the Church to the nobility, including the esteemed Wizard Queen, and maintains personal relationships with the Church's donors, valuing their input.

The metal halo hovering over his head is a sign of his status, and is an artifact of the Church, handed down from one Potentate to the next for generations. It has survived the bloody history of the province of Arrowfell, and is a symbol of hope for the people.

Heavy-handed wasn’t always Brinyar’s last name, but it stuck. No one knows what his real last name is.

Magic/Seed:

x The Golden Halo - This artifact has been in the Church for generations, and is enchanted to float atop a person’s head. It offers weak protection against the denizens of Dremora’s Shade, ensuring attacks don’t hit as hard.

x The Blade of the Church - A blade recently made with a seed embedded in the guard. This seed allows the wielder to sprout wings made of light and enable the ability to fly.

x Spells:
xx Blade of the White Flame - Coats the caster’s blade in a flame made of white magic, which is extra potent against Dremoras.
xx Blade of the Truthseer - Coats the caster’s blade in an aura of gold, which leaves cuts that are cursed upon the deceitful. Damage taken from this magical blade takes high-level healing to undo, and even then, the pain that’s inflicted is like the blade cuts a thousand times in the same area.
xx White Shield - Casts a dome of protection wherever the caster wishes, which protects from Dremoras.

The Wizard Queen’s Court

Vulluin Urimyar

Advisor Vulluin Urimyar

35 (appears mid 20s) | He/him | Elf

Description: Once a viscount of Aethera, Vullian was always dissatisfied with a human on the throne. You see, Aethera had a problem. After the civil wars, and King Ludwig II brought peace to the land, Aethera sacrificed power for peace. Due to their distance from Hathforth, they had less influence on the day-to-day affairs of running the province. They needed someone of their influence to see if Aethera could remain a powerful voice, instead of being the whisper on the wind it had been reduced to.

Vullian moved to Hathforth to see if he could influence the court. Aethera finally had a designated, full-time representative, but alas, most of his suggestions fell on deaf ears. The king wasn't interested in Aetherian technology that took hundreds of years to produce results. Humans didn't have that kind of time to wait. So, Aethera continued to play in the background, much to Vullian’s dismay.

So, he plotted. When he heard there was a half-elf preparing to overthrow the king, he provided needed intel to ensure her ascension was as smooth as possible. He became invaluable, and pledged his services to the half-elf after her coronation. He soon found himself an advisor to the Wizard Queen, with enough power to pull strings in the court as much as he would like. Aethera once again was a prominent player in the province of Arrowfell.

Magic/Seed:

x Earrings of Enrapture - A seed split into two halves and embedded into a set of earrings. These seed halves have the ability to cause one or another effect in people: The feeling of euphoria, comfort, and happiness. Or the feeling of fear, dread, and impending doom.

x Restoration Dome - A golden-colored aura that appears around a small area. Anything within it begins to be automatically healed from cuts, bruises, and wounds. Anything outside it struggles to get in. It takes several swipes of a sword, or several high-powered magical attacks to break the barrier.

x Camoflauge - Vullian has the ability to blend into his environment. He is nearly indistinguishable from the background he mimics. However, there’s a catch. He must remain perfectly still when camouflaged, otherwise the spell copies the background at a delayed rate, giving away his position to the careful eye.

x Ice Blast - A stream of ice and frost flies from his hand, causing frostbite and chilling the target to the bone.

X Ice Storm - A full-on blizzard forms at his will, affecting a location with biting winds, snow, ice, low visibility, and the ability to cause hypothermia if one remains in the storm for too long.

The College of Hathforth

Caveus Ashan

Headmaster Caveus Ashan

70 | He/him | Human

Description: An old man who's been in the pursuit of knowledge for years. His ambitions helped uncover forgotten artifacts, tinkering with how they worked and unlocking strange and wonderful magic for the College and the crown. He was the one who helped unravel how seeds work, and has theories behind them that are still used to this day.

Caveus still enjoys a good field trip to the Fey River, but is now more interested in what his aspiring students have to offer the College and Hathforth at large.

Magic/Seed:

x The Recordium - A blue tome, an artifact of the College that has stood the test of time, and holds the collective knowledge of the College's vast libraries, second only to the libraries in Odonfield. A person only has to hold it, and the Recordium will share information on anything the holder is thinking about.
x Flames - A weak fire spell shit from the hand.
x Ice Cloak - This spell covers the caster in a cloak of ice, causing frostbite and chills for anyone too close.
x Flame Cloak - Similar to Ice Cloak, this spell covers the caster in a cloak of fire, causing burns, heat, and pain for anyone too close.
x Conjure Familiar - Any type of animal can be conjured, appearing as a spectral entity, and can help fight for a short time.
x Conjure Dremora - Any type of Dremora, or monster can be conjured. This is not a real Dremora, more like a figment of the imagination. The caster would have had to have seen the Dremora in person to be able to conjure it.
x Enshroudment - A miasma of grey smoke covers an area, impenetrable to magic discernment and the naked eye.
x Blue Flames - Tiny blue flames hover around the caster in multitudes, controlled by the mind and able to deliver fire damage in torrential floods.

The Orphan’s Matron

Asteria & Mene Skybound

Viscounts Asteria & Mene Skybound

13 | She/her, He/him | Human

Description: Losing their mother at a young age due to sickness, and their father in the civil war, the Skybound siblings had it tough. Lost and buffered by the winds of noble politics, they heard of an opportunity that could help them. The Orphan's Matron, where the Wizard Queen would ease their affairs in exchange for them to enact her will.

For the twins, having a motherly figure again was well worth the sacrifice of doing some questionable things. And they've been serving gratefully for the past year.

Magic/Seed:

x Rings of Providence - A seed split in two and embedded into two rings that the twins wear. It increases the chance of luck for the bearer when they have a destination or goal in mind. For example, if there was a cookie jar in a locked pantry, the ring would make it so someone forgot to lock the door during the one night someone is craving cookies. It works with luck and probability - if there's no way for something to happen, the ring can't make it happen.

The Wizard Queen’s Family

Azalea Keove

Princess Azalea Keove

14 | She/her | Mermaid

Description: A year and a half ago, something curious washed up on shore, stuck in a net. Local fishermen, hoping to earn some coin, placed it in a glass tank and brought it before the Wizard Queen.

It was unlike anything anyone present had seen before, including the Wizard Queen. A real mermaid!

The fishermen got a bit ahead of themselves, saying how the mermaid would make for a good experiment, how it could unravel untold magics of the sea. They had no knowledge of which they spoke up, but their sentiment flared up feelings the Wizard Queen had never experienced before.

The fishermen were paid a bit of coin and told to leave. The Wizard Queen then asked one of her guards to open the glass box. The mermaid, now standing on two feet instead of a tail, trembled in front of the Queen.

“Have ease, no harm will come to you today, daughter of mine.” the Wizard Queen said simply.

Ever since, Princess Azalea has been treated like a daughter in the Hathforth Castle, being groomed as a potential heir.

Magic/Seed:

x Mermaid Transformation - Depending on if she is in water or standing on land, she has the ability to breathe either air or water, and her bottom half is either legs and feet, or silver-blue fish tail.

x Hypnotic Voice - Blessed with a Voice of the Sea, Azalea has the ability to induce a hypnotic state, slowly washing away a person’s will the longer they listen. In that hypnotic state, she can suggest a number of things to them, and they’ll be more likely to do it.

---

<Snipped quote by Estylwen>

Not quite. I'll detail it out in the full history, but the idea was they came to a mutually beneficial settlement at the eleventh hour.

@Click This

That sounds good to me, then. I can't wait to see it. :)

[ERode]

Are the rest of us allowed to make NPCs? If so, do we pilot them or do you?

[Estylwen]

Are the rest of us allowed to make NPCs? If so, do we pilot them or do you?

@ERode

Great question. Yes, you're allowed to make NPCs. As many as you want. You would pilot them. This expands the story possibilities quite a bit. They would just need to be approved by me first. :)

[Donut Look Now]

Here’s what I’ve got so far - will be making the actual CS and more finished art before Friday, but just wanted to get the foundation
I’m thinking for her disguise @ERode the duke could say he can’t go anywhere without his lute/harpist who helps him sleep or something (tried to think of what position a woman would have in a duke’s retinue XD)

The most basics of basic CS

[Irradiant]

Throwing my hat in with a character sheet! Straight out the air-fryer. I cooked. Somewhat...

A bit of a wildcard but consider her part of the duke's entourage! For now.

Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie"

Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie"

38 | Human, ♀ | 6'5 ft, 204 lbs

"Don't let that gentle gaze fool you. There's a devil lurking beneath those eyes."

---

Goal:

An individualist with hedonistic tendencies, Altina makes no effort to veil her disdain towards any authority wishing to force her duchy under a system of unilateral rule. Be it for peace or for plain tyranny, she cares not for the ends that such governance would achieve. Thus, out of principle, she opposes the Wizard Queen, just as she opposed Ludwig II, despite ultimately bowing her head.

"To live is to be free: free to be strong; to be weak; to be slothful; to be ambitious. The Wizard Queen spits on this very tenet. Which means she is no friend of mine. That said, are you?"

— Altina, in a letter addressed to Duke Rhinecliff, the leader of the rebellion.

History:

From a young age, Altina always felt like a bird trapped in a cage. To marry, to bear children, to serve her husband and family faithfully — the strict traditions of House Bastille kept her confined to a singular, predetermined destiny, one she believed she was powerless to rebel against. At least, at first. Altina was the first-born of Duke Alfred Sigurd Bastille. Typically, the rites of succession dictate that the first-born male would rise to the post of Duke when the time comes. However, as Altina was a woman and considered unfit to lead, she did not qualify. Thus did the status of "heir" fall to her brother, Altair Sigmund Bastille.

The battlefield was Altina's calling, and from the first time she swung a sword, she knew immediately that to master the blade was her true lot in life, something to set her apart from others. Unlike her peers, Altina possessed a strong body, and as she grew, she began to tower above even most of her suitors in height. But alas, despite all of her pleading, she was expressly forbidden from joining the military, with her father insisting it was not appropriate for a lady of House Bastille to sully her hands with calluses.

"And so, Altina resigned herself to the whims of her father, locking away her innermost desires, practicing etiquette, and patiently waiting for the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life."

If Altina were so spineless, then perhaps the strings hanging taut upon her limbs would have never been cut. And perhaps the future that her father had designed for her would have come true. It would have been easy to simply perform her part; to recite lines timeless and traditional. Easy. And boring. Therefore, behind her father's back, underneath the clandestine glow of moonlight, she studied the art of swordsmanship, modeling her stance and each of her strikes after her younger brother, who she could observe every morning swinging his blade from her bedroom window.

Although no amount of pleading could change his mind, the Duke did not reject every request Altina threw his way. One request he did honor, and to Altina's mild surprise, was her enrollment into a magical academy. With practiced words, Altina convinced her father that magic would serve as a means for her to protect herself. Of course, realizing her father's protective nature, she knew he would seriously consider it. Eventually, he relented, and she was off on a carriage to the most prestigious magical academy in all of the Arrowfell Province. There, she would become a proficient user of levitation and earth magic.

An exploration of the world at large further assured Altina of her views: that she was missing out; that she was truly akin to a bird in a cage. The cage would only begin to show cracks following the untimely death of her older brother. "An expedition gone awry," she heard from the rumors. Working up the courage to ask her father, she ultimately discovered that Altair had perished fighting a fearsome monster that had been terrorizing their lands for some time. She had never seen her father in such a state before: so broken; so vulnerable. But instead of sympathy, Altina felt a different emotion welling up in her chest, one born from a warped sense of morality. Chink. The next morning, the Duke was found dead in his chambers, a teacup on his bedside table, along with berries as black as obsidian. To most, it was unmistakable what had taken place. "Stricken with grief over the death of his first-born son, the duke killed himself, unable to cope with the loss."

Altina was quick to fill the power vacuum left by her father, though it was certainly not without its trials. Now able to freely join the military, she rose the ranks with breakneck pace, establishing rapport with the people through leading various excursions against the monsters that lay outside Agrovia's walls. In particular, she felled the very monster that even her late brother, in all of his ability, could not fell. With that, she had proven her worth in the eyes of Agrovian people. A woman they saw not, but a protector, strong and capable. Still, there would be factions within Agrovia that would resist her claim to the duchy. Some acted out in the open, waging outright war against her, while others took to the cover of night to assassinate her. None of them would succeed. Altina would stamp out each faction herself, one by one, playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner.

At the end of it all, a crown would make its home atop her head.

Seed:

The Convictus Lavalliere.

"Conviction so steadfast that not even the supernatural can sway it. That is what is contained within the Seed."

— Altina, describing the Convictus Lavalliere's power.

A fanciful necklace upon which dangles a shimmering diamond. It protects the bearer from all mental-based magic. It also nullifies any magic that attempts to take control of its bearer, or otherwise compromise their agency.

Magic:

• [Levitation Magic] Gravitas Armament: The spell that earned Altina the moniker of "The Valkyrie," it involves the application of fine levitation magic to achieve an effect. In Altina's case, she makes both her armor and weapons levitate ever so slightly, maximizing her mobility and allowing her to move as if she is unencumbered by the weight of her gear. In essence, most of the heavy-lifting is done by her magic.

• [Levitation Magic] Sterling Cerberus: A feat of magical endurance, Altina can passively float 3 greatswords without much exertion. These blades form a defensive perimeter around her, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Altina can also treat her blades like projectiles, hurling them with worrying speed towards her foes.

• [Earth Magic] Scaleskin: Altina can siphon any mineral within the immediate area to reinforce herself or others, providing an extra layer of protection. Once made a target of Altina's siphoning, steel and other metals will inevitably lose their integrity. Likewise, earth that has been stripped of its lifeblood will also start to turn to mush.

• Shatterblade: With each swing of the sword, Altina projects magical energy outwards to extend her effective range. Intending to imbalance her foes, or simply repel bombardments coming from a distance, if she is given enough time to concentrate magical energy on her sword, Altina can even uproot trees in one strike, like a hurricane ripping through a forest.

• [Earth Magic] Cortège of the Einherjar: "To split the ground into intricate slabs, and then put them together, architecting the visage of the human form and imbuing it with human-like sentience." Such a painstaking process prefaces the activation of this spell. However, in spite of the time it takes to cast, its benefits far outweigh its costs. In short, the spell manifests an army of humanoid golems numbering to the dozen, equipped with weapons made of enchanted stone. What makes Altina's creations particularly fearsome is their ability to regenerate from the ground or nearby rocks, or even by re-attaching the severed parts. Conversely, the spell can become rather taxing to maintain the more her creations are injured. She will be forced to dispel it if its magical expenditure reaches heights she cannot effectively manage.

Skills: Swordsmanship, martial arts, military strategy, leadership, magical expertise, sewing, tea-making.

Faction: Altina is both the figurehead of her duchy, as well as the chief commander of its military. Often, she takes to the front lines herself, with her golem army in tow. Though she is secretly aligned with the rebel faction, on the surface, she pretends to pledge her allegiance to the Wizard Queen. It is an obvious facade that she puts on, but she knows that as long as she capitulates to the Wizard Queen's demands and more, the Wizard Queen will likely not act against her. After all, showings of goodwill met with sudden betrayal would foment the brewing rebellion that the Wizard Queen fears so much. Towing the line between loyalty and disloyalty puts Altina in an admittedly precarious situation, but it is only a matter of time before her mask falls, revealing her true colors.

City / Assets:

Altina presides over the duchy of Agrovia, known for its bountiful farmlands, horticultural goods, and imposing walls. Though, the latter part was not always so. Situated to the north, ever since its inception, Agrovia has been plagued time and again by beasts of the forest. At first, escape was the only means of "defense" for the fledgling city, if one could call it that. Perhaps "preservation" would be the more apt term. Regardless, fearing for their lives, the denizens of the agricultural city began to build catacombs hidden deep in the earth, to which they would retreat during monster attacks. These catacombs would prove effective in keeping the people safe, but up above, one could not say the same for their crops. Untended to and therefore left unprotected, they were all but trampled afoot by the rampaging monsters. "Such a way of life is not sustainable." This would soon dawn on the Agrovian people. Realizing their plight, the early leaders of Agrovia started to form alliances with the nearby cities, the most notable of which was with Rockhold. A union that has endured for generations, the partnership between Agrovia and Rockhold was one where both cities stood to gain: the people of Rockhold would be hard-pressed to ever go hungry, while the people of Agrovia now possessed weapons with which they could beat back their adversaries.

Owing much to the city of Rockhold, Agrovia benefited greatly from their exports of silver and iron. For the first time, the people of Agrovia no longer cowered in their caves during monster attacks. Instead, they fought. And fight tooth and nail they did, even retaking land that the monsters had occupied for so long in the process. To keep out the monsters for good, the Agrovian people also erected sweeping walls around their city, which are collectively called the "Bastille," a name in honor of the ruling family.