EDIT: If the Pronobii thing takes off, I'll try to add more masculine characters due to the very large amount of females. 'Sides, I wanna play a big MANLY ICE MAN. With a sword of TESTOSTERONIOS
@Cyclone, a question: do there exist female elementals? So far, all elementals that I remember have been masculine in form. I'm unsure whether this is a coincidence or whether it is something fundamental to their nature.
It came up in our collab, where Teknall shows his girls galbar. I think there definitely should be female elementals, this whole Nymph, Dryad, Siren and so on stick is a rich topic one could explore this way. Like beautiful Nymphs of the Wells drowning young wayward men and stuff like that XD
@Aristo Sorry for needing so long to answer. I have a presentation and an exam coming up this week, but I should be able to do a new map on the weekend.
Minutious collaboration by TheSovereignGrave & Hygswitch
The sun was high in the sky, shining down on the Mermaid's Palace in Mierbuerg. This including a rather spacious, but minor, courtyard which served as a garden. It was filled predominantly with a rainbow of different flowers, some native and some foreign to the Ardäin. Many of them grew straight from the ground while others grew in short shrubs, and a few were even small, cultivated trees. The centerpiece, however, was a thick tree that grew at the top of a small hill, meant to give shade to anyone enjoying the garden. And at present this consisted of small group of young woman, including Cosima Idoni, the young daughter of Pierro Idoni.
The young woman was currently laughing at something one of the others had said. She seemed a bit less inhibited by a noble upbringing then the others, or just maybe it was her southern temperament. In this moment her being at the watershed between womanhood and girlishness was very aparent. Despite Ardäin not quite being like all the knightly sagas described it she had come to like her stay here. It had been a week since they arrived, and her father and the duke, together with a number of consultants where working on a contract to formalise the trade between the Ardäin and Turchina. Time in which she had gotten to know the other women of the court. Quite some of them about her age, so the stay was not too unpleasant.
However, their discussion was somewhat interrupted by the arrival of Wellëm vun Mierbuerg at the edge of the garden. The Ardäinesch ladies present stood to give the man a quick curtsy when they saw him and a chorus of 'My Lord', which he responded with a nod of his head before speaking. "You know that is not necessary ladies," he said with a smile, then turned his attention to Cosima, "And hello to you, Lady Idoni."
Cosima had curtsied a moment after the others but had not said anything. Now she seemed a bit baffled at being directly adressed by the young Lordling. Two of the other ladies giggled a bit as she curtsied again, flustered. "Um, yes hello, Lord Wellëm, hello." she quickly blurted, much to her own chagrin and much to more amusement of the others, who decided to leave her stranded with him. Or from another point of view, to give them some more space.
Wellëm simply watched the others leave, which suited him just fine. They were permanent residents of his father's court and none of them had ever really caught his eye, while Cosima was different. "Oh, there's no need to be nervous," he said, still smiling as he sat down underneath the tree, "Please, have a seat. And all the formalities are unnecessary. Please, call me Wellëm."
She calmed a bit at that though kept on standing chewing her lower lip. "I am sorry Wellëm, I am just not used to this level of etiquette. It is easier at home without all those titles. I just... do not wish to offend, or cause any trouble." She sighed, frustration emanating frustration. "I am sorry I should know this all better from all the knightly lengends and sagas, but in reallity, well it is just so real."
Wellëm laughed at that, "True, it is quite real. And I dare say that legends and sagas do not do much to prepare one for the reality. If they did, then I wouldn't have had to learn from experience. But I must say, from what I have seen you've done well for someone so new to it all." Then he patted the ground beside him, "But really, please do sit down."
She gave him a look but then sat down, carefully holding her dress in place to not expose too much of herself. "It's just, Wellëm you are a flesh and blood ardäin knight, sitting right here." She looked at him in a meaningfull way. "It's a bit like the heroes of old come to live in front of me, Willbur the flower knight or Ramfrey the undying." as she spoke the gesticulated a lot compared to the ardäin women. She stopped holding up her hands then let them sink "I sound like some kind of madwoman to you don't I?"
Wellëm gave the young woman a smile before shaking his head, "Not at all. Of course all this is normal to me, but I can see how it could be overwhelming. Honestly, I likely felt the same way as you once. When I was only 17, I was made a Knight Paramount of the Order. Any nobleman who can hold a sword is sworn in as a member of the Order of Saint Aloysius, but a Knight Paramount? It's an honour that only the greatest knights hold, and it was almost overwhelming. I was standing where the greatest knights that the Kingdom had ever produced had stood, being granted the same title they had been granted. And meeting the other Knights Paramount was even worse; according to my father, some of those men would've been legends had they been born in an earlier time."
She listened intently, looking directly at his face nodding. "It might be, too much of a peacefull time for knightly heroism. A time of people like my family." She sighed, not sounding happy about this, but also greatly showcased how guarded her upbringing was, and how little the burning pyres of much of the continent had reached the blue city.
"Well, I like to think that valour and honour will always hold a place in the world. It will be a sad day when they don't, if you ask me," Wellëm replied, though his tone indicated that he felt the same way about it as Cosima, "But it truly is a peaceful era; my eldest brother was the youngest in my family to see battle, and it was before I was even born. I may be a knight, but I wonder if I'll ever get a chance at real glory."
As they had been talking Cosima had slowly leaned a bit closer to Wellëm, now a mere handbreadth divided them. "It is easy to say that, you are living in Ardäin, where there still are a lot of honourable people. I am from Turchina, I am not sure you know it but we are basically ruled by a shadow ruler without a real claim." She looked around to see if enyone was listening, then drew closer to him and whispered conspirationally. "Some say she even killed her husband and it to blame for the sorry state the real Doge is in."
Wellëm listened closely, and then looked around for a long minute to make sure nobody was listening. After all, he had more to lose if anyone heard him since he actually lived here. "Well my brother-in-law may be King, but the man has no shred of honour. And there are far too many sycophants living in Kinnekdrelaps. All of them agreeing to the King's lies to his face. Like blaming my sister for my niece and nephews' poor states," he whispered back to Cosima, "But let us stop speaking of such things; no good can come of it. And I do not enjoy speaking of my brother-in-law in the slightest."
Cosima blushed a bit at that and shifted uncomfortably, nodding in agreement. "I am sorry, I think I volunteer my opinion too freely. I might be hailing after my father when it comes to this." she said apologetically.
"Oh, there is no need to apologize; I can hardly fault you for being honest," Wellëm said, chuckling, "Honesty is quite the virtue, after all."
She smiled sweetly at Wellëm, a certain awkwardness to her demeanor. Wellëm returned Cosima's smile, though he was not anywhere near as awkward as she. Then he looked around the garden, once more checking on whether there were any onlookers present, "You know, Cosima, I have actually wished to speak with you all week. But unfortunately, the opportunity had not shown itself until today."
She was genuinely surprised by this. "Oh, you...did?" she asked softly. "So yes, I guess a foreigner is more exotic in these parts then in a trading hub like my home. What did you want to talk about? Sir....I mean Wellëm?." She tilted her head slightly as she askes, unintendedly pronouncing the noble form of her slim neck.
"Why, is it not obvious? I wished to speak about you," Wellëm replied, moving his hand to brush against Cosima's jaw, "Truthfully, I do not care that you are foreign or exotic. But I cannot recall the last time my eyes fell upon a maiden as fair or beautiful as you."
She tensed, surprised at the sudden closeness, but instead of pulling back actually twitched against Wellëm's hand, the slight blush from her ears quickly spreading. Her cheek was soft and feminine and comfortably warm. She stammered startledly, but no real words came out so she just sat, staring like a deer before the hunters arrow hits it. Wellëm opened his mouth to speak once again, but this time his words were interrupted by a polite cough from the entrance of the garden.
The young lord looked up from Cosima to see one of the castle's servants bowing low. The man's gaze lingered on Cosima for a moment, though what his gaze held Wellëm couldn't tell. Then he looked back to Wellëm and spoke, "My Lord, I apologize for interrupting but your father has requested your presence."
Wellëm sighed, removing his hand from Cosima's face and pulled back before looking back to her once more, "I am sorry my lady, but I cannot keep my father waiting. Until we meet again."
Cosima sighed involuntarily at that, truely disappointed that her time with the young knight was cut short, she stood up gracefully, curtsying to Wellëm, "By all means heed your fathers summon. I cannot wait for this moment to arrive." she said softly, indicating with her posture that she would not be averse to a handkiss, actually biting her lip as she hoped for it intensely.
Wellëm was more than happy to oblige the young woman, quickly taking her hand in his own and planting a kiss upon. Then he looked up to Cosima and smiled, "Farewell, my fair maiden." And then he was gone, following the servant to where his father was no doubt waiting for him.
As he turned Cosima sighed slightly, looking where he had left until she was interrupted by the noisy crowd of young courtly women returning. Quite a lot of excitement was apparent in all of them at how close Cosima had come to Wellëm, and how he had treated her. Instant fame (or maybe infamy?) was sure for the young turchinan Lady now. Nothing short of a divine intervention could stop the gossip from spreading now.
-Cosima Idoni, the daughter of Turchinas Shipmaster get's to know Wellëm vun Mierbuerg, a bit. -Might this be the beginning of a courtship?
Just 'cos it's a keyhole sweater, doesn't mean they need to go "popping out" like some kind of stage show. Jvan would never be that salacious in MY headcanon!
Great now Jvan is part of the Gilmore Girls in my headcanon.
@Antarctic Termite well the butterfly should be a needlefly of course, and I don't think twofold symmetry for lips is very Ivannic either, but yeah that catches her girlish demeanor very well.
