Irradiant

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie"

The seas of Hathforth, on the day of the Athius voyage

---

VII: Ever-Shifting Tides

@ERode and @LunarParadox

A flash of red, and then... The vast ocean. She'd been teleported against her will by the Ravenfell king's motley crew of mages. The duchess still gripped her sword in her hand, having clashed against that damned king's attendant not long ago. And she would have finished off the wench too, if not for this blasted spatial magic warping her away. A thought flashed in her mind, sounding like a funeral bell. Count your lucky stars, Undead King. For when next they meet, her steel would taste of their cursed blood.

Blinded by the sun's orange light, she momentarily put a hand over her face. Occasionally, the pesky rays would peek through in between the spaces of her fingers. A minor inconvenience, to be sure. But an inconvenience nonetheless.

Tsk. Fortunately, it was nothing that turning around could not solve.

It did not escape her notice how Duke Rhinecliff had saved her from tumbling into the waters below. The only thing that prevented her from partaking in yet another bath was the duke's magic. And for that, she was grateful.

The duchess would lock eyes with the duke. "I must confess, Rhinecliff: you had me fooled there." She was referring to the stunt he'd pulled in Athroyeaux Castle. He'd surprised her once by leveling the ghost blade at the Caelin duchess, a blatant act of betrayal. Unbeknownst to her at the time, this move proved to be merely a feint by the duke. His true target... was the Undead King all along.

Altina felt misled. Tricked. But she held no ill will towards the duke. After all, how could she? He had done what she wished she would have done in that moment!

Her ears perked up at the mention of "poaching." As for what would be poached exactly, Altina had a vague idea. She knew well the duke and his discontent over the state of affairs in the Glasic Fields. It was a discontent she too shared.

If there was ever a better time to strike, it was now. The Queen would be absent, and once she would return, they would have already made off with many of the seeds held in the Glasic Fields. The fields were ripe for picking, and so too were the monsters that lurked in them.

"My thoughts, you ask?" A coy smile would follow those words. "Well, let me make them plain."

The duchess rested her greatsword on her shoulder. "In this 'operation' you are proposing, allow me to take charge." Of course, Altina did not explicitly say what she believed the duke was proposing. Her gaze traveled to the court mage. He was here too, after all, and his allegiances were... still up in the air. It was best to err on the side of caution, lest the man choose to spill his guts to his current master later.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Dang, Callum's got moves! Too bad the other guy's got... HAX. Though with the way things are going, a Round 2 between them doesn't seem to be too outside the realm of possibility. Settle that score, little man.

Now I'm itching to write a fight scene...

Nyx’s expression softened immediately, nearly about to just let the child go just to ease her own guilt, but instead she smiled sweetly. “I hope I see you again too! I feel vorfreude for it.” Nyx stopped Asteria from falling out of her chair as she went limp, swiftly plucking the teacup from her fingers. “Hopefully you’ll be able to feed pigeons with your mother as you sleep…”

@Donut Look Now

My blood sugar levels are rapidly rising. HELP. Anyways, my personal head-canon is that Nyx karate-chopped her with the speed of lightning for good measure, in case the spell didn't completely knock her out cold.

Speaking of writing fight scenes...

“Your new friends, I do believe, will be apt for ridding our Province of Lamont’s hands, but more work, undoubtedly, will have to be done. So, Duchess Bastille, while the Queen is out on vacation, what are your thoughts on some…poaching?”

@ERode

Aw yiss. Looks like I'll get that chance. Time for the Valkyrie to smash face with her greatswords! And there's three of them!

:D

Will have a post up tomorrow!

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Laurent Rhinecliff, Mirie Agustria, & Altina Freya Bastille

Collaborators:@ERode and @Click This

Interactions:@Estylwen, @Izurich, and @LunarParadox

---

If it was the power of a particular Seed that was uncovered and then refined, then it was all the more reason to secure the Glasic Fields in her absence. And if the Clandestine were so capable, so confident in their ability to capture the Wizard-Queen within her own city, then perhaps the matters were not so complex as he had previously believed, despite Duchess Agustria’s own thoughts on the matter.

But, of course…

“Help me, and you will survive the changing of the crown, and find yourself in a favourable position.”

Twenty years ago, Laurent had been one of the first to swear allegiance to the young Ludwig II. It had been an era of peace, of new generations shaking off old grudges, of enlightenment and prosperity. Two years ago, he had watched in silence as Hathforth fell to a clandestine force, and a new ruler took to the throne. It had been a time to sit back and observe, as the Glasic Fields and the Seeds forever changed the political landscape of Arrowfell. And now, once more, another ruler sought to claim the Province as their own domain. How long would this period last? If one observed the patterns at hand, then it would be two months, at best.

“Undoubtedly, it is a gracious offer, your Majesty. I can see the wisdom in your actions too, in inviting us in particular. Through the land, it is easier to cross southwards through Agrovia’s forests and fields. Through the sea, it is convenient to make the Grand Bank a military outpost from which to dock warships. And so long as the gateway to the East is shut, the other dukedoms would find it difficult to assist Evelyn, if they answer her calls to begin with.”

He glanced towards Duchess Bastille, then towards Duchess Agustria, before striding up to the attendant to grasp the translucent sword. It was light, yet substantial, a chill seeping in even through his gloves. Yet beautiful as well, a weapon that seemed to have been carved out of the blessing of the moon. Wondrous, such a thing.

The duke turned to his companions.

“A tyrant yet sits, upon a throne seeped in death, stifling a city that once gleamed as a jewel at sunrise. Will you let this stand?”

“You should already know my answer, Duke Rhinecliff.”

Though her expression did not betray it, Altina felt conflicted hearing the Ravenfell's king declaration of expansion. More than that, she felt... angry, a stark contrast to the duke's seemingly measured reaction.

This king means to strip Arrowfell of its sovereignty. The thought made her blood boil. Arrowfell would not be subjected to the rule of another autocrat. She would reject such a reality.

It took every ounce of self-control not to raise a blade against the Ravenfell monarch. But the duchess managed somehow, her deadly intent concealed behind a visage of stone. As the Odonfield duke would remind her, the situation in their homeland was dire, and they needed all the help they could get.

“Arrowfell must be emancipated from her grasp, at any cost.” A reiteration of the duke's own words.

For now, she would treat the enemy of her enemy as her friend.

Duchess Agustria’s own guards tensed at the spectral king’s words, so aware were they of their liege’s opinions that they immediately saw the potential for this discussion to turn violent, however it might start. Mirie didn’t immediately respond, first frowning at the Ravenfell king’s words, and then shaking her head at Altina’s response. She knew just how well her fellow duchess despised the yoke of yet another power-hungry tyrant, but yet her hatred for the Queen was blinding her.

It was better to deal with the devil you know rather than the devil you don’t.

And in this case, the devil they didn’t was an otherwise immortal ghost with the backing of an entire undead country. What would become of Arrowfell if they let a being like that through the proverbial gates?

Laurent was right. Mirie might have been known for negotiating, and especially for not burning bridges. This, however, was not the time.

“I think not,” Duchess Agustria replied with her own weight. “Arrowfell’s sovereignty is its own, as are its troubles. A foreign king who so readily remakes his kingdom and his people in the image of torpor is not fit to lead a city, let alone Arrowfell.”

Laurent’s lips quirked for a moment, at Altina’s response. Then once more, at Mirie’s.

That was the only hint either of them would receive, before such amusement disappeared, as swift as the first flake of snow upon the Fey River’s flow. Replacing it was a weighty gravity, the Duke levelling the spectral blade towards Duchess Agustria. There was no mirth in his tone as he said, “Alas, the house built upon sand will not last, but so too will it collapse if even one pillar diverges from the other. It is disappointing, Duchess Agustria. Of the dukes that yet rule in Arrowfell, I had considered you to have understood me the best.”

A sigh escaped his lips, as if letting go of decades of memories. Odonfield, the Grand Bank, and Hathforth had once been known as the Arrowhead of Arrowfell, a trinity of advancement and commerce. Then it had become merely a line. And now, today, it would become a point.

“King DuFairre, allow me to demonstrate my allegiance to you. Magic Arrows, One Light.”

Arcane light overlapped with ghostlight, and the leviathan-slaying sword flew, certain as a bolt released by a master archer, its target decided before Laurent had even turned to face his peers.

Backwards, towards a king as undying as those ancient monsters beneath the sea.

The movement of Rhinecliff’s lips might have partially clued Mirie in, but she still tensed as he levelled the weapon at her. Her escorts hovered their hands over their own swords, but the duchess held up her hand, waiting to see what he had to say. She didn’t entirely disagree with him in principle – but she knew that the future of Arrowfell would be over if the Queen was overthrown with the king’s poisoned help.

She would stand by that, even if her fellow ducal holders disagreed.

If Laurent sided with King DuFairre, then she had grossly misjudged his character over the years. She had not.

The moment Mirie saw the granted sword fly towards the man that had gifted it, she drew her sword from her cane into a guard. Her guards immediately followed suit, drawing their own weapons. The die had been cast; she would fully process it later. Her eyes flicked towards Valor. Duchess Agustria might not have been a true martial duchess like Altina, but she was still capable in a fight. Even as the sword flew, she interposed herself between it and the king’s servant, blocking her off from an obvious avenue of rescue for the king. With a flick of her free wrist, she sent a violent wall of wind that whipped towards the ghostly woman.

“Suzette, Alisande,” she directed to her knights, “With me. Do not allow the King’s guards to intercede.”

Duchess Agustria would not be the only one to spring into action. “Ha! It seems I've been outdone.” Altina could hardly hold back a laugh. The duke had utterly caught her off-guard, to say nothing of the Ravenfell king. To think someone so adept at diplomacy could be capable of making a decision antithetical to it...

“You've put me to shame, Duke Rhinecliff.”

Her armor began to float slightly. “I must…” She rushed forward. “...make amends for this dishonor!” Her blades, like envenomed fangs, and herself, like a striking snake — the Agrovian duchess had now set her sights on Valor Teardrop, someone she judged to pose the most threat in the room.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Sir Sawyer Hayworth

At the dock of the Battle-Blood Minstrel in the city of Hathforth, on the day of the Athius voyage

---

VI: Calm Before the Storm

@Estylwen

The waters of Hathforth were looking peaceful today, with naught but a wave or two to crease the surface. Now if only the state of Arrowfell could be much the same... A revolution was dawning, sure as the morning sun, and with it, the looming prospect of conflict.

A lump formed in his throat as he led an elite squad of Agrovia’s finest warriors through the busy pier.

He could feel the wood beneath him bend with each step he took. Though the pier was normally not so tough to navigate, and certainly not as crowded, the preparations for the Athius voyage had filled it to the brim with sailors, helmsmen, and engineers, all of whom were carrying around their own goods, hauling them off to the various cargo holds of the Battle-Blood Minstrel.

Could the pier withstand so much weight bearing down on it? The good sir Hayworth would ask himself in his head. He’d yet to take a tumble into the sea below, and the others in the pier did not look worried in the slightest. So he tucked the concern in the back of his mind, choosing to place his faith in the pier’s construction. The voyage was expected to span multiple days, so it would not hurt for its crew to be ready for any and all contingencies. That explained the surplus in supplies. It seemed the Wizard Queen was not taking any chances. Whatever lay in Athius, she must be determined to have it.

After wading through a complex network of people, Sawyer would eventually find himself at the dock of the Battle-Blood Minstrel. He would ascend the large wooden plank connecting the ship to the pier, beckoning his subordinates to do the same. He wasted no time in finding the Wizard Queen, immediately spotting her horned black dress from within the cacophony of the crowd. He would also spot her advisor, Sir Urimyar, not far from her, though it appeared he was already engaged in a conversation with the court mage and his apprentice. In his haste, Sawyer did not manage to glean the words exchanged between them. It was not any of his business, anyways.

Sawyer stopped in front of the Wizard Queen. His voice boomed as he turned to face behind him. “Attention!” Like clockwork, his juniors would fall into a single file line. They would all salute to the Wizard Queen, dropping to their knees in reverence shortly after.

Sir Hayworth would be no different. He extended both hands in a gesture of paying tribute, holding a sheathed blade. He gripped it tightly, imbuing it with the slightest touch of magic, which would have been imperceptible to the naked eye. It was a display of fine magical control, a testament to Sir Hayworth’s pedigree. But the Wizard Queen was a formidable magician, and more practiced in the art of the arcane. This was not something that would escape her gaze. “Good day, Your Highness,” he began with a standard greeting. “I prostrate myself before your radiance.”

He rose to his feet, returning the sword to his side. “Unfortunately, Her Grace could not make it this occasion. I hope it is not an insult to Your Highness to have me take her place on her behalf.” He reached inside his breastplate to retrieve a necklace laden with a shining gem. It was the Convictus Lavalliere. “Her Grace has bequeathed to me her most prized possession, a sign of her dedication to your safety.”

Sir Hayworth would put on a playful smile. “People often say that there will inevitably come a time when the student surpasses the master.” A lighthearted chuckle. “But I’m afraid that time has not yet come for our poor Duchess.” He would bow deeply. “Rest assured, Your Highness, I will keep you safe.”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Duchess Altina Freya Bastille, The "Valkyrie"

At Athroyeaux Castle in Ravenfell, on the day of the Athius voyage

---

V: Lingering Specters

@Estylwen, @ERode, @Click This, @Izurich, and @LunarParadox

“Your Grace, are you sure about this?”

“Yes, Sir Hayworth.” An exasperated sigh. “We have discussed many a time. My mind is made up.”

“But the territory of Ravenfell is—” Altina cut him off. “Mysterious? Dangerous?” Sir Hayworth could only look on wordlessly, unable to complete his sentence. Her Grace was stubborn, a fact that hadn’t changed since he’d first shook hands with her. The white-haired knight was reaching an impasse.

Desperation streaked across his face. “Which is why I must beg you to reconsider. This could be a ploy woven by powers that seek to harm you.”

Altina cooed dismissively, “And? I am not afraid of cowards who resort to such trickery.” The duchess’ ears could no longer hear his pleas.

Still, the good Sir Hayworth would stand his ground, undeterred. “Then allow me to accompany you, Miss Altina.” He called her by her first name, something he seldom did.

Altina bit her lip in surprise, allowing herself a brief pause. Realizing the knight’s intentions, she sighed again, though this time not out of annoyance. “I will be fine, Sawyer. So, spare me the needless concern.” She returned the favor, referring to the knight casually. It went without saying that she trusted the man wholeheartedly. With or without formalities, this did not change. “Agrovia will need you here in my stead,” she added, providing an additional line of argumentation.

“I must insist. Your safety is my top priority.” But Sir Hayworth would not have it any other way. “You may punish my insubordination if you wish. Regardless, I too have made up my mind.”

—

Athroyeaux Castle. The place sent shivers down her spine. The dreary decor; the long, winding corridors, and the shadows flickering upon their enclosing walls; not to mention, that lonely bridge leading up to its gates, no doubt a line to divide the living from the dead. If one were not aware of its history, one could very well mistake Ravenfell for purgatory itself. Altina did not forget what she had learned about Ravenfell, harrowing as it was. The idea of turning an entire nation into unfeeling spirits churned a sensation of inexplicable dread in her stomach. And it did not help that Altina had not outgrown her fear of the paranormal.

Fortunately, she dwelt among allies, her staunchest standing beside her. As much as she pushed back against his coming here, ultimately, she was glad she acquiesced. Sir Hayworth was a calming presence, a well-needed lighthouse in a frontier she’d yet to tread.

She looked around, her eyes stealing a glance at the others who were invited by the Ravenfell king: the court mage of Hathforth, his Feyling apprentice, Duchess Agustria, and — of course — Duke Rhinecliff. All familiar faces from the most recent Hearthfire Gala. Her gaze eventually came to roost on the imposing figure of the Ravenfell king, Lamont DuFairre.

Altina stilled her tongue for most of the king’s monologue. But once that mystical blade was brandished, a sudden compulsion to speak took hold of her. “Rhinecliff has brought up a prudent observation, King of Ravenfell,” she would interject at the heels of Odonfield’s duke.

Her greatswords stirred lifelessly around her, and her golden armor clanged with each movement of her arm. She held out an outstretched hand, her palm opened wide. “Trust should be the foundation for all forms of cooperation,” she explained plainly. “And what precedes trust is transparency.” Her fingers slowly curled inward. “A house built upon sand will not last.” She quickly slammed her palm shut, as if to crush something inside it. “Surely you understand, King DuFairre.”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

@Irradiant, @Click This, how are your IC posts coming along? I will likely be posting again Sunday, August 18th.

Also, just as a note, I'm going to be on holidays from Auguat 25th to the 31st, so I won't be writing in these days. It'll be an ideal time for collaboration, or we can wait.

@Estylwen

In the works! Will have it up by today.

Yay for holidays!

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

can you translate that into yugioh

can I make apollousa off of her

@Psyker Landshark

What the heeeyllllll is a link monster

Good god, the last time I played YGO was in the synchro era... I don't recognize any of the new mechanics at all lol.

<Snipped quote by Irradiant>

Yeah, you can absolutely say she's been there all along, that's totally fine. The ETA sounds great!

The card looks awesome, btw. :)

@Estylwen

Roger that, boss!

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Still in one collab... but I'll be posting soon. I'll just have Mirie arrive just in time to catch everything said if that's fine.

@Click This

Pssssst. Blink twice if a guy named Irradiant is holding you hostage.

I'll probably do something similar with Altina. That, or if you don't mind, Estel, I can just pretend that she's been there all along, so as to not ruin the flow of things. ETA for post: this... weekend?

On an unrelated note... I don't know if anyone here plays the Cardfight!! Vanguard TCG, but I was struck with a card idea for Altina, and lo and behold...

Monarch of Imperious Will, Duchess Bastille

Made it using vg-iyako, if anyone's interested. Might have it printed out, along with the other support card ideas I have for it.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Better hope Raiden washes his laundry often, Callum ;)

That, or those are a new pair of gloves that he's wearing.

I believe we are just waiting on the Psykers x ERode collaboration now?

@Estylwen

Click and I have an ongoing collab too! I kind of reached out to Click last minute lol. My bad Click...

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

He approached Callum, gloved hand dripping to dip a pinky into Callum's meat pie. He licked the filling off his finger, a satisfied smile growing on his face.

@Estylwen

...Ayo? We putting our pinkies into people's meat pies now...? Oh man, the euphemisms...

At least it was gloved... There's some protection there at least...

New guy Callum's on a bad luck streak.

<Snipped quote by Donut Look Now>

I'll let you come up with it. It's probably something pretentious and overly academic, considering who did it.

@ERode

Make ERode regret giving you this much power, Donut :D