LucidRain

Blood of the Crown

Ame sleepily adjusted her ceremonial garbs as she listened to the Lord Steward's address. Her attendants had been informed that today's address was of particular importance, and thus had wrapped Ame head-to-toe with the most intricate of fineries. Most frivolous, in Ame's opinion, as her hair had been twice tied and perfumed with garrishness Ame was sick of already. This much, though, she knew to hide. Ame did not betray anything other than a collected gaze to the Steward, even as the announcement loosed an aura of excitement upon the crowd. As much as she could rather tear off these robes and hide back in her comfortable domicile, back in the world of books and numbers, her mantle was to sit here and represent the might and dignity of Valkenkarr.

The weight didn't settle her nerves. Heavens, now everyone was up and offering their own little two coppers to the news. The other Knight-Commanders, many of them fresh faces save for Idris, uniformly expressed a cautious optimism. It was hardly surprising. Alveria was on the brink of collapse, both from within and from even Ame's own country. A true heir was easily the saving grace that the beleagered state needed, but to have such a light shine from beyond the pale so easily? And without any other detail than the rumor-mill of mountain folk? This was walking a fine line between optimism and naivete.

A miracle or simple illusion, though, it meant the Steward was finally making moves. Ame could hear the distant rustlings of the attendees, and further still; a giant clock hand shaking off rust and grime as some invisible cog or a time-eaten beast purred into life. In time, horses will ride through the mountains and the news they bore would arrest the ears of the Council. A thunderstorm in the distance...

Ame snapped back into her own consciousness as the tempered voice of Kalowick spoke near her. It was due to be her turn next, and her title of Champion-Apparent demanded a voice. She rattled her mind for what to say, but came up with little more than empty platitudes. The profession of her current station was to offer such ceremonies with presence, but Ame found herself lacking in depth and measure.

Keep it simple. Don't stand out. Valkenkarr needs to show straightforwardness right now, no need for dramatics.

She swallowed a deep breath and stepped forward as her turn came. Her vacillation was swept clean from her voice as she spoke up, her guise of measured resoluteness as practiced as ever. "Lord Steward, consider it done. Valkenkarr stands with Alveria, and we will restore the heir to the throne, as sure as snow and steel."

Blood of the Crown

Yeah I'm happy to get this show on the road!

Btw, when's the Discord set up, if we're getting one?

Blood of the Crown

@LucidRain Would she volunteer or do you think the Lord Steward would request her to go?

@Lyla

She'd probably volunteer. Bad form to make people ask of you to go on a quest.

Blood of the Crown

Ame

---

---

AME FELFARER

---

---

| 23 | Female | Champion-Apparent |

| PERSONALITY |

Ame was always a bookish and curious type, never looking for fame or fortune. Responsibilities are, after all, just distractions of the material world, and she was much more interested in the spiritual and the arcane. She enjoyed the simple life of living in her older sister's shadow, nodding along to whatever half-hearted praises and prizes were thrown at her. Such a lifestyle made her undersocialized and unequipped for the life of the spontaneous champion, much less one that should be riding alongside the strongest champions of the kingdom. This much, she knows, and she is mature enough to understand the weight of her position within the world. She has since tried to push herself more and more into social settings, but is often awkward and can't seem to get her words right during high pressure moments.

| BACKGROUND |

With the weakened Alveria in turmoil in the south, the usually isolated and aloof Valken barons were split on how to deal with their southern neighbour. Some of the more militant barons, keen to shore up their influence through closer ties with the outermost regions of Alveria, pushed for immediate economic annexation of Alverian trade outposts. Not only would they free their country from the heavy mercantile tariffs, but they could levy their own fee upon the other baronies should they gain control over the few mountain passes that maintained trade over the two kingdoms. The moderate barons who would gain nothing from such an aggressive push advocated for more opportunistic diplomatic and religious concessions.

Weiss Felfarer was both a compromise and a gamble. As an accomplished champion in the arena, Lady Weiss was due to be married off to Alveria anyway, but famously refused the hand of any marriage unless the would-be suitors could defeat her in fair combat. At the combined Grand Council's request, she bowed her stubbornness and agreed to secure the hand of House Estival, the House that had the ports closest to the mountain passes to Valkenkarr. For the hardliners, Valkenkarr would collectively reap the benefits of severely reduced tariffs and some influence over the much needed trade ports. For the moderates, they would be able to sate the bloodthirst of their southern counterparts and demonstrate their political prowess of the usually unwieldy Felfarer clan.

Weiss quickly rose in infamy and rank, garnering support from local fringe believers of the northern faiths whilst also gaining respect from knight commanders with her knowledge of battle tactics and brute strength. Soon, she was in the close company of knight commanders and putting down insurgencies left and right. Most famous of these exploits included her alledgedly wrestling an armored bear to submission as a show of force. This is, however, not her story. Weiss was killed in the bloody coup several years ago with her involvement in the coup remaining unknown. The entirety of her landing was burnt in a mysterious fire at the night of the coup, and her body was never found.

Although the popular narrative was that she died in defence of the steward loyalists, the lack of solid evidence and unifying answers sent many of the baronies in the north into an uproar. Hardliners immediately started moving military units, and others started scrambling for a solution before Valkenkarr would start a full blown invasion in search of a blood-debt. The Felfarer House in particular was in hot waters both from the Valken and the Alverians who suspected Weiss of treachery.

Ame Felfarer was the last minute stop-gap attempt to stop the brewing conflict. Weiss' much younger and disinterested sister was forced into the limelight. Befitting the rest of the Felfarer clan, she was always aloof and quiet, although unlike her sister Ame was also altogether removed from the cavalier lifestyle of a champion. Burdened with the sudden responsibilities of having to soothe tensions in a international incident in the middle of a possible civil war, she mostly let the Felfarer clan diplomats speak for her.

Due to her elusiveness she earned the reputation of being icy and ill-mannered, and many questioned her Champion-Apparent status as she only inherited the title from her sister and by will of the Valkenkarr Council, never having participated in a duel herself outside of ceremonious scripted combats. Her saving grace was the enthusiastic vouching of the Alverian College, who praised her as 'esoteric but honest' in her forays into alchemy.

| RUNE AFFINITY |

Ame is eligible to accept runes which would theoretically enhance her magic, but as a pledge-kin accepting Alverian rune would cause a major diplomatic incident, Ame will refuse any offer of a rune.

| SKILLS |

Ame's primary subject of interest is alchemy and detection magic. Her Arcane Eye grants her the ability to detect poisons and traces of magic not ordinarily seen by untrained eyes, and can often figure out the mechanics of a given spell if she spends enough time. This also grants her limited darkvision but ironically is limited in more mundane environments.

With her portable alchemy kit she can craft various elemental flasks that can quickly imbue a material with an elemental affinity, making blazing blades and polearms of everfrost. She can also perform limited transmutation with enough materials, but she is more interested in crafting poisons than transmuting objects.

Ame's study subjects into the arcane has been broad and wide-ranging, but due Alverian skeptics always looking over her shoulders she has limited her forays into the traditional Old Magic of the north in favor of a more fundamentalist approach favored by the Alverians. Thus although she has a good grasp of traditional avenues of knowledge, Old Magic is still something she avoids.

Ame is somewhat weak on the physical front and will prefer to avoid direct combat, but is handy with a knife and staff if she is cornered. She often coats her knife with a paralytic poison to disarm rather than disfigure her enemies.

Blood of the Crown

@LucidRain - 100% accepted. The only thing I'd like you to do, is help me come up with a reason why she goes on this journey with the party. Or let me know if you'd rather her stay back in Olenta. I'd rather the party, but I'm willing to work with you on this character~

@Lyla

I reckon it could be something along the lines of needing to prove her worthiness as Champion-Apparent and help allay fears among Alverians that Weiss was somehow a foreigner who participated in the coup attempt. Ame personally would rather stay in Olenta but it's more a necessity for her survival to try and contribute to loyalist causes.

Blood of the Crown

Work in progress, still trying to get a nice faceclaim.

Ame

---

---

AME FELFARER

---

---

| 23 | Female | Champion-Apparent |

| PERSONALITY |

Ame was always a bookish and curious type, never looking for fame or fortune. Responsibilities are, after all, just distractions of the material world, and she was much more interested in the spiritual and the arcane. She enjoyed the simple life of living in her older sister's shadow, nodding along to whatever half-hearted praises and prizes were thrown at her. Such a lifestyle made her undersocialized and unequipped for the life of the spontaneous champion, much less one that should be riding alongside the strongest champions of the kingdom. This much, she knows, and she is mature enough to understand the weight of her position within the world. She has since tried to push herself more and more into social settings, but is often awkward and can't seem to get her words right during high pressure moments.

| BACKGROUND |

With the weakened Alveria in turmoil in the south, the usually isolated and aloof Valken barons were split on how to deal with their southern neighbour. Some of the more militant barons, keen to shore up their influence through closer ties with the outermost regions of Alveria, pushed for immediate economic annexation of Alverian trade outposts. Not only would they free their country from the heavy mercantile tariffs, but they could levy their own fee upon the other baronies should they gain control over the few mountain passes that maintained trade over the two kingdoms. The moderate barons who would gain nothing from such an aggressive push advocated for more opportunistic diplomatic and religious concessions.

Weiss Felfarer was both a compromise and a gamble. As an accomplished champion in the arena, Lady Weiss was due to be married off to Alveria anyway, but famously refused the hand of any marriage unless the would-be suitors could defeat her in fair combat. At the combined Grand Council's request, she bowed her stubbornness and agreed to secure the hand of House Estival, the House that had the ports closest to the mountain passes to Valkenkarr. For the hardliners, Valkenkarr would collectively reap the benefits of severely reduced tariffs and some influence over the much needed trade ports. For the moderates, they would be able to sate the bloodthirst of their southern counterparts and demonstrate their political prowess of the usually unwieldy Felfarer clan.

Weiss quickly rose in infamy and rank, garnering support from local fringe believers of the northern faiths whilst also gaining respect from knight commanders with her knowledge of battle tactics and brute strength. Soon, she was in the close company of knight commanders and putting down insurgencies left and right. Most famous of these exploits included her alledgedly wrestling an armored bear to submission as a show of force. This is, however, not her story. Weiss was killed in the bloody coup several years ago with her involvement in the coup remaining unknown. The entirety of her landing was burnt in a mysterious fire at the night of the coup, and her body was never found.

Although the popular narrative was that she died in defence of the steward loyalists, the lack of solid evidence and unifying answers sent many of the baronies in the north into an uproar. Hardliners immediately started moving military units, and others started scrambling for a solution before Valkenkarr would start a full blown invasion in search of a blood-debt. The Felfarer House in particular was in hot waters both from the Valken and the Alverians who suspected Weiss of treachery.

Ame Felfarer was the last minute stop-gap attempt to stop the brewing conflict. Weiss' much younger and disinterested sister was forced into the limelight. Befitting the rest of the Felfarer clan, she was always aloof and quiet, although unlike her sister Ame was also altogether removed from the cavalier lifestyle of a champion. Burdened with the sudden responsibilities of having to soothe tensions in a international incident in the middle of a possible civil war, she mostly let the Felfarer clan diplomats speak for her.

Due to her elusiveness she earned the reputation of being icy and ill-mannered, and many questioned her Champion-Apparent status as she only inherited the title from her sister and by will of the Valkenkarr Council, never having participated in a duel herself outside of ceremonious scripted combats. Her saving grace was the enthusiastic vouching of the Alverian College, who praised her as 'esoteric but honest' in her forays into alchemy.

| RUNE AFFINITY |

Ame is eligible to accept runes which would theoretically enhance her magic, but as a pledge-kin accepting Alverian rune would cause a major diplomatic incident, Ame will refuse any offer of a rune.

| SKILLS |

Ame's primary subject of interest is alchemy and detection magic. Her Arcane Eye grants her the ability to detect poisons and traces of magic not ordinarily seen by untrained eyes, and can often figure out the mechanics of a given spell if she spends enough time. This also grants her limited darkvision but ironically is limited in more mundane environments.

With her portable alchemy kit she can craft various elemental flasks that can quickly imbue a material with an elemental affinity, making blazing blades and polearms of everfrost. She can also perform limited transmutation with enough materials, but she is more interested in crafting poisons than transmuting objects.

Ame's study subjects into the arcane has been broad and wide-ranging, but due Alverian skeptics always looking over her shoulders she has limited her forays into the traditional Old Magic of the north in favor of a more fundamentalist approach favored by the Alverians. Thus although she has a good grasp of traditional avenues of knowledge, Old Magic is still something she avoids.

Ame is somewhat weak on the physical front and will prefer to avoid direct combat, but is handy with a knife and staff if she is cornered. She often coats her knife with a paralytic poison to disarm rather than disfigure her enemies.

Blood of the Crown

Can we get a feel for what kinds of surrounding lands would be interested in Alveria? I'm thinking I'll write a character who's been initially given over to Alveria as a way to solidify diplomatic relations with the weakened kingdom.

Blood of the Crown

Woah, there's been a lot of development since I've been asleep! Glad to have gotten my foot in before the doors closed, this looks like it's going to be fun.

A couple questions as I am brainstorming some ideas:

1. How much of this is going to be intrigue vs. combat? I'm thinking, since a lot of people are going for direct combat characters, I'll make an investigative character who relies on visions and magically enhanced senses to investigate certain clues.

2. Are we going to have a discord channel or something equivalent? I find that when I'm discussing characters discord smooths things over easier and more quickly.

Blood of the Crown (Medieval Fantasy, Royalty, Magic)

Hello! I'm just here to ask if the group is still open for one more, because I am certainly interested!

Heroes of Auric: Into the Tangle

Hello. Just here to say I am no longer interested in playing.