A Noble Deed (Inactive)

Game Master PDXCook

The Duchy of Wetenschap has been annexed or divided up again and again by more powerful neighboring kingdoms. Currently enjoying an era of relative peace, Wetenschap enjoys modest prosperity thanks to its textiles and mercantile fleets. The nobility of Wetenschap, stirred to see their countrymen making international contributions, proudly sponsor the arts and sciences.

Lysander, the second son of a noble Burgomaster, quietly takes intense pride in his nations contributions to science. He strongly believes that, through meticulous study of the mundane, his nation can keep up with the great powers, especially the great arcane powers. His father is somewhat puzzled at Lysander's intellectual pursuits, seeing them as an activity more suited for bright commoners, but is relatively supportive of Lysander's efforts. This young alchemist frequently visits neighboring countries to visit prominent scholars, view mechanical or chemical marvels, or obtain obscure ingredients.

Languages: Common, Draconic, Elvish, Aklo, Protean
Gear:
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Oracle Mystery: Dark Tapestry
Revelations:
Interstellar Void (Su): You call upon the frigid depths of outer space to bring a terrible chill to your enemies. As a standard action, one target within 30 feet is cloaked in the void and takes 1d6 points of cold damage for every oracle level you possess. A successful Fortitude save halves this damage. At 10th level, the interstellar void is so extreme that a creature that fails its save is fatigued. At 15th level, a creature that fail its save is exhausted and stunned for 1 round. You can use this ability once per day plus one additional time per day at 10th level.

Curse:
Malevolent spirits follow you wherever you go, causing minor mishaps and strange occurrences (such as unexpected breezes, small objects moving on their own, and faint noises).
Effect
Retrieving any stored item from your gear requires a standard action, unless it would normally take longer. Any item you drop lands 10 feet away from you in a random direction. Add mage hand and ghost sound to your list of spells known.
At 5th level, add levitate and minor image to your list of spells known.
At 10th level, add telekinesis to your list of spells known.
At 15th level, add reverse gravity to your list of spells known.

SPELLS:
0: Bleed, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Stabilize
1 (3/day): Protection from Law, Doom

Equipment:

breastplate
clothes and jewels
oracle's kit
alchemical silver dagger
heavy crossbow
heavy wooden shield
1 potion CLW
20 crossbow bolts
30 days of a valet

5 gp

Hestradas is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Lion Princes, descendants of Adalar, all bound by blood and a connection to the majestic felines of the land. The current ruler is Vahreza Raissi, a brave and strong knight but, sadly, a rather incompetent ruler. Most of his time is spent with the army, hunting the beasts who hold the core of the Wildlands, and as a result, Mihralas and the infrastructure is suffering from neglect and rising corruption.

Fourth child of Vahreza, Nasrin Raissi is a soul of the wilds, the ancestral connection to lions manifesting in her blood as an attitude to magic and a ferocious nature. As a young girl, as customary for the royal family, she adventured into the Wildlands with her father, and brought back a lion cub whom she nursed and cared for. The lion pup, named Kaveh, was to become her most loyal and steadfast companion.

STR 8
DEX 12
CON 12
INT 20
WIS 11
CHA 14

HP 7
AC 11 T11 FF 10
BAB 0
Init +1

Fort +1
Ref +1
Will +2

Speed 30'

Melee Touch: -1
Ranged Touch: +1

Skills:
*Adventuring: Spellcraft r1 +9, Diplomacy r1 +3, Escape Artist r1 +2, Knowledge (Arcana, Religion, Dungeoneering, Planes, Local, Nature) r1 +9

*Background: Knowledge (History) r1 +9, Linguistics r1 +9

Feats: Eschew Materials, Scribe Scroll, Merciful Spell

Traits: Focused Mind (+2 to concentration checks), World Traveler (Diplomacy; +1 to checks and class skill)

Class Features: Arcane Bond (Teacup Pig; "Barnaby"; +3 Diplomacy), Arcane School (Abjuration; Resistance: 5; Protective Ward: +1 deflection bonus to AC; lasts 5 rounds; 8/day)

Spells: 3/3
*0: All
*1: Magic Missile, Shield, Detect Secret Doors, Detect Undead, Burning Hands, Floating Disk, Touch of Gracelessness

Equipment: Noble's Outfit (with jewelry) x2

For his part, Connor doesn't care about secular power; he cares about mastering magic. His oldest brother Nigel holds the family's seat on the council, and his middle sister has forsworn the family practice to join the priesthood, where she is a fairly well-respected member of the clergy. Connor, however, is something of a recluse, spending all of his available time learning; either about magical practices from other cultures, or spontaneous magic users; it is an open secret that he is a sympathizer for sorcerer rights, holding the near heretical belief that magic is magic, and worthy of respect.

Race Human

Traits
* Slippery: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth checks and Stealth is a class skill for you.
* Second chance: One failed saving throw re-roll per day.

Class: Mindchemist Alchemist

Feats
Alchemist bonus feats: brew potion, throw anything
Human bonus feat: Point-blank shot
Lvl 1: Improved initiative

Skills
* Acrobatics: 1 skill point (+4)
* Disable device: 1 skill point (+9, +2 from mwk thieve's tools)
* K (Arcana): 1 skill point (+9)
* K (Dungeoneering): 1 skill point (+6)
* K (Nature): 1 skill point (+9)
* K (Nobility): 1 skill point (+6)
* K (religion): 1 skill point (+6)
* Perception: 1 skill point (+3)
* Spellcraft: 1 skill point (+9)
* Stealth: 1 skill point (+8)

Background skills
* Craft (Alchemy): 1 skill point (+10, +2 from alchemy lab)
* K (Engineering): 1 skill point (+6)

Equipment 525 starting
* Combat-trained pony 45 gp
* Saddlebags 4 gp
* Alchemist's lab 200 gp
* Masterwork thieve's tools 100 gp
* Waterskin 1 gp
* Trail rations x 4 2 gp
* Hooded lantern 7 gp
* Lamp oil x 10 1 gp
* Bandolier x 2 1 gp
[Some alchemical items crafted at 1/3 cost by taking 10 on craft(alchemy) check]
*Unstable accelerant x 3 50 gp
*Acid flask x 12 40 gp
*Shard gel x 6 50 gp
*Leftover gold 24 gp

Formulae known: Monkey fish, reduce person, comprehend languages, crafter's fortune, detect secret doors, shield, targeted bomb admixture.

Lysander, the second son of a noble Burgomaster, quietly takes intense pride in his nations contributions to science. He strongly believes that, through meticulous study of the mundane, his nation can keep up with the great powers, especially the great arcane powers. His father is somewhat puzzled at Lysander's intellectual pursuits, seeing them as an activity more suited for bright commoners, but is relatively supportive of Lysander's efforts. This young alchemist frequently visits neighboring countries to visit prominent scholars, view mechanical or chemical marvels, or obtain obscure ingredients.

He ducks into a nearby basement. If followed, he will be found in an animated discussion with a wizened old gnome over blueprints for a mechanical clock that fits in a pocket. Soon after, he rushes into the woods where he meets an old woman and the two quietly sprinkle strangely-colored powders on the small, gnarly, but hardy looking sprouts in her garden. His hurried lunch consists of black bread and cheese while he reads a dusty old tome. He regularly examines a vial containing a fluid of ever-changing color.

In the evening, he attempts to relax while having his dinner of stew. His chosen recreation is to solve puzzles from a thin blue book. Relaxation is not his strong suit, however, as he soon lets his stew grow cold while rushing to finish the puzzle. He then drinks an auburn and fizzy homemade brew before falling promptly to sleep.

STR 10
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 18
CHA 14

HP 10
AC 18 (+4 Armor, +2 Dex, +2 Shield), T 12, FF 16
BAB 0
Init +2

Fort
Ref
Will

Speed 30'

Unarmed Strike: +2 to hit; 1d3 damage

Skills: Acrobatics r1 +3, Climb r1 +5, Diplomacy r1 +6, Knowledge (Religion) r1 +4
Background Skills: Linguistics r1 +4, Knowledge (Nobility) r1 +4

Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Finesse

Traits: Birthmark (holy symbol on hand; +2 saves vs. charm and compulsion), Wisdom of the flesh (make Climb checks as Wisdom checks)

Class Features: Archetype (Theologian), Domain: Nobility (Leadership Subdomain), Channel Energy (1d6; Positive Energy; 5/day; DC: 12), Aura

Spells:
0: Detect Magic, Guidance, Stabilize
1: *Bless [ ], Cure Light Wounds [ ], Divine Favor [ ]

Equipment: Chain shirt, Noble's Outfit with jewelry, Priest's Robes, 420 GP

Amelia's father, is technically one of three princes that rule the kingdom together. her father, Phil, is the prince that leads the holy knights of Selruun against the evils that plague the world. From her father she learned a love of justice, belief in the god of justice, and acceptance of others regardless of their appearance. When she came of age, Amelia joined the priesthood, a move which disappointed her father (who wanted her to become a holy knight like he was), but Amelia felt the calling and so took to her training with glee. The god of justice teaches it's followers to wield weapons, but there is a cadre of his priests who use their bare hands to deal with enemies. Seeing her faith, she was admitted to this group and began her training in earnest.

Now Amelia is prepared to face the world, knowing that she will bring the light of justice to evil everywhere.

Lysander himself has only ever been mildly interested in ruling Wetenschap. Intellectually, the optimization problem of managing a nation's trade and industry fascinates him. But he fears his lack of ability to inspire respect and loyalty in his compatriots. His intellectual colleagues are the only people who have ever admired Lysander and enjoyed his company. Others tend to be put off by his obsession with incessant mental activity and propensity to tell them that they are incorrect and explain why they are incorrect.

Sovereign Emperor Alexander Volkonsky VI

Heir apparent Prince Ronald Volkonsky I

Other Successors Prince Ustov Volkonsky III (2nd), Princess Alexandra Volkonskaya (3rd), Prince Havoc Voronoysky (4th)

Government Absolute Monarchy

Royal Motto Pura et perpetua (Pure and everlasting)

Council

Slvadiah is a country dedicated to the conquest and destruction of all others it faces. Those who oppose it are destroyed, and those that surrender are enslaved.

Lord Azriel Von'Crouse has ruled his country with a firm fist of steel. He leads his army on the front line, fighting to cover the world in the dark war that he wishes to never end. He is the instrument of his god, the sword of war. On the battlefield he is known to slay waves of foes and leave them bleeding, never truely killing, always granting a slow and very painful death.

To show his enemies his cruelty, he captures the commanders if his enemies, then when he Sieges a city he sets them up, impaled on spikes outside the city as a bloody mark to show what will happen to those within. This has won him a battle on more than one occasion, his foes surrendering to avoid a similar fate. Of course he has no intention of letting them live anyways...

His country itself is prosperous. Because of Azriel's work, almost all the conflict is outside his country, leaving his citizens to their work, farming to feed his armies. Families who's Children are soldiers are given much wealth to help encourage others to give their children to the armies.

Slaves are sent back to the country to be used as laborers on farms or within royal courts. They are treated very poorly, and rarely live longer than a few years on the farms. This that do live are treated worse than dirt, after all you don't treat dirt like you do a slave...

Azriel has Four sons, his eldest son a warlord all in his own right. Almost a perfect copy of his father. The second born is a preist of Szuriel and a true devoted. His third son is Raithor, A slave driver working hard to claim his own land and leave his father's rule. And his youngest son is only 4 years old, and is still innocent to the world.

He was raised as a warrior, but he was constantly picked on by his oldest brother, which led him to start plotting on getting him back. When his older brother would steal his food, he made sure to poison his own food. When his brother broke his toys or weapons, he made sure to replace his brother's metal polish with a metal Corrosive.

As he got older Raithor started to train with hunting dogs, learning to track prey down and bring them back alive. When his father saw him practicing this skill, he was trained to use them on humans, his father would arrange great hunts, where he and each of his brothers would hunt down slaves and whomever brought back the most would be rewarded... Raithor often won, but once he realized this made him look like an obstacle to his oldest brother he began to purposely lose, letting his old brother kill more... But he always brought his quarry back alive. After all, a dead slave is a useless slave

Government Type: Hereditary Monarchy; passed down to eldest magically talented heir.

Sovereign: Kaiserin Oshalia val Ygriss

Heir Apparent: Oscarlin val Ygriss (2nd born)

Other Successors: Aniya val Ygriss (3rd born); Pellian vol Ygriss (1st cousin); Mornar val Ygriss (1st born*); Eriks vol Ygriss (1st cousin*)
* - Mornar val Ygriss and Eriks vol Ygriss have no magical talent, excluding them from the line of succession except under certain circumstances. See below.

Major Sites:
- the Gnorn (An ancient, massive volcano)
- the Hailfast (A stone keep and small city at the base of the Gnorn; Population: ~22,000, rises to ~65,000 during Court Festivals)
- the Eastking (Both the town of Eastking and the surrounding dense evergreen forest on the eastern edge of the Circle, was the site of a major military victory but also the site of Taalbad's final living relative's death. Population: ~7,000)
- the Westmarch (A town bordering the westernmost tundras of the Circle, it acts as a trading hub on the Frostcap river. Population: ~11,000)
- Woods of Drail (Encompasing hundreds of thousands of miles, the Drail is a massive evergreen forest covering mountainous foothills and tundra. Within the Drail are nearly 800 small hamlets living alongside the land.)

Major Religion: Druidic

The Circle of Taalbad sits on the northern fringe of the Mountains of Gnorn, a series of tall peaks which runs along the deep southern end of the continent. Those areas of foothill and flatlands not lying in the mountain range are primarily covered in evergreen forests and southern tundra, the cold of the region focusing not from it's position in the world but rather from the gigantic, frozen peak of the Gnorn. An ancient and massive volcano, many thousands of years ago the Gnorn shook and quaked, threatening to release the wrath of the world below in smoke and fire that would have clouded the world and dimmed the sun. Only by the dedicated sacrifice of a circle of thirteen powerful druids was the Volcano quietened, the land around chilling with the natural magics drawing heat from miles around.

The Circle, named after the Arch Druid Taalbad who led the initial ritual, is frozen in an eternal ring of ice at the centre of the volcano. The magic generated by this perpetual ritual is adjusted and corrected by a secondary ritual of powerful arcane and divine casters, directed by the current Kaiser or Kaiserin of the Circle, to continue calming the deadly volcano. The effects of this constant magical pulse created a miles and miles-wide circle of changed terrain which has fallen under the control of the druid peoples of Taalbad.

The region is now renowned as being something of a wild land, one of the last places to find certain types of animals such as the Giant Elk, the Sabretooth Tiger, Cave Bears nearly twice the size of those in other lands and even two known herds of shaggy mammoths. The lands, and the animals within, are protected fiercely from outside poaching by the Winter Wood, the military of the Circle of Taalbad made up of stealthy rangers, druids and hunters working in teams to patrol and repulse any wandering parties who are not following the few travelling roads through the towns and villages within the circle.

The ruling family of the Circle of Taalbad passes down power hereditarily, though there is a distinction made between the first-born and the 'highest'-born, or the child who has the most skill with magics. Because the Kaiser or Kaiserin is also the director of the Calming Circle rituals, children without magical talent are frequently passed over for younger siblings who do, the only exception being made when such a child has married and brought into the family a respectably powerful magic user in their own right.

The peoples of the Circle are strong willed and dedicated to their rough lifestyles, living primarily in log cabins in smaller hamlets and travelling great distances to meet kin, attend trade festivals or follow the migrations of the herds. Those who show magical promise of any sort are often sent to Hailfast, the small city and fortress at the foot of the Gnorn where the ruling family and the currently active druids and sorcerers in the secondary Circle live, for testing and training.

Because of it's somewhat isolationist nature, the Circle of Taalbad often has rumours circulating throughout the known lands about how they are barbaric peoples who live naked amongst the wild herds. In reality, the Noble Court of the country is extremely extensive, every small hamlet led by an ancient family that can trace their heritage back centuries in the carefully kept records. Twice-yearly great gatherings are hosted outside the Hailfast, where the nobles gather and partake in politicking over land, law and trade, with more minor gatherings of similar type occurring frequently throughout the country, all forming an intricate web of alliances, feuds and other complexities of a fully developed nation.

Melee
Lance +4 (1bab + 3str), 1d8+3 P (3str); x3 (REACH)
PA Charge Lance +5 (1bab + 3str + 2charge - 1power), 2d8+10 P (3strx2 + 2pax2); x3 (REACH)
Longspear +4 (1bab + 3str), 1d8+3 P (3str); x3 (REACH, BRACE)
Scimitar +4 (1bab + 3str), 1d6+3 S (3str); 18-20x2

Ranged
Composite Longbow +3 (1bab + 2dex), 1d8 P; x3

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STATISTICS
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Str 17, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +1; CMB +4 (1bab + 3str); CMD 16 (10 + 1bab + 3str + 2dex)
Traits
1) Beast Bond: +1trait Handle Animal and Ride
2) Influence (Diplomacy): +1trait to Diplomacy
Feats
1) Power Attack: -1 Atk for +2 Dam. +50% for 2handed.
RBF) Mounted Combat: Once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent’s attack roll.
Skills 7 points (4class + 1int + 1fc + 1skilled)
ACP -0

*ACP applies to these skills
Skill Bonuses

*Acrobatics: +2 (2dex)
Appraise: +1 (1int)
Bluff: +3 (2cha + UCS + 1untyped)
*Climb: +3 (3str + UCS)
Craft: +1 (1int + UCS)
Diplomacy: +8 (2cha + 1rank + 3cs + 1untyped + 1trait)
*Disable Device: Untrained (2dex)
Disguise: +2 (2cha)
*Escape Artist: +2 (2dex)
*Fly: +2 (2dex)
Handle Animal: +7 (2cha + 1rank + 3cs + 1trait)
Heal: +1 (1wis)
Intimidate: +3 (2cha + UCS + 1untyped)
Know(arcana): Untrained (1int)
Know(dungeoneering): Untrained (1int)
Know(engineering): Untrained (1int)
Know(geography): Untrained (1int)
Know(history): +5 (1int + 1rank + 3cs)
Know(local): Untrained (1int)
Know(nature): +2 (1int + 1rank)
Know(nobility): +5 (1int + 1rank + 3cs)
Know(planes): Untrained (1int)
Know(religion): Untrained (1int)
Linguistics: Untrained (1int)
Perception: +1 (1wis)
Perform: +2 (2cha)
Profession: Untrained (wis + UCS)
*Ride: +7 (2dex + 1rank + 3cs + 1trait)
Sense Motive: +6 (1wis + 1rank + 3cs + 1untyped)
*Sleight of Hand: Untrained (dex)
Spellcraft: +1 (1int)
*Stealth: +2 (2dex)
Survival: +1 (1wis)
*Swim: +3 (3str + UCS)
Use Magic Device: Untrained (2cha)

Languages Common, Sylvan

C) Challenge: 1/day, Swft Act, one enemy within sight, extra damage = to level, -2ac except against target
C) Mount: Horse (flavoured as young megaloceros to 'mature' at 4th level). No ACP on Ride checks with the mount. Mount is combat trained and starts with Light Armour Proficiency as bonus feat.
C) Order of the Blue Rose
--- C) Edicts: Must guard against needless violence, protecting both the land and its people from wars they neither started nor wish to fight. He must seek to stop conflict with a minimum of bloodshed, to encourage peaceful resolutions to disagreements between intelligent creatures, and to mend the wounds opened by battle. He must also honor quarter when he gives it, protecting captives who have surrendered from his own allies if need be.
--- C) Challenge: Whenever an order of the blue rose cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of his challenge, if the target is an intelligent creature to whom the cavalier offered the chance to surrender (by taking a standard action to offer terms). This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels the cavalier possesses (to a maximum of +5 at 17th level).
--- C) Skills: Add Knowledge (history) (Int) and Knowledge (nobility) (Int) to his list of class skills. Whenever an order of the blue rose cavalier uses Diplomacy to try to mediate a dispute between two parties that do not include him, he receives a bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1).
C) Social Presence: +1 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks. At 4th level and every 4 cavalier levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (to a maximum of +6 at 20th level). A courtly knight starts any verbal duel with an extra edge she can use for only the presence tactic unless she is at a significant or extreme disadvantage in the duel.

C) Proficiency: Light/Medium/Shield, Simple/Martial

*ACP applies to these skills
Skill Bonuses
Perception: +5 (1wis + 1rank + 3cs)
Swim: +7 (3str + 1rank + 3cs)
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EQUIPMENT
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Wooden Barding (+3AC, +3maxdex, -1acp)

(Worn) Breastplate (+6AC, +3maxdex, -4acp, Speed20ft); 30lbs
(Worn) Heavy Wooden Shield (+2AC, -2acp); 10lbs
(Carried) Lance (1d8P, x3); 10lbs
(Carried) Longspear (1d8P, x3, Brace, Reach); 9lbs
(Carried) Scimitar (1d6S, 18-20x2); 4lbs
(Carried) Composite Longbow (1d8P, x2); 3lbs
NOTE: MORE NOODLEY BUYING AFTER ACCEPTANCE. (Probable Packmount/Hirelings)

Money 465 GP 0 SP 0 CP

The reality that this could have happened had always been there, but Mornar had spent so many years being tested and led along to try and spark his own magical talent that it had never truly struck home that he was running out of time. Practically discarded and exiled from the highest tiers of the court, his lessons with druidic and arcane teachers ended without a word, Mornar found himself nigh forgotten by his parents and his siblings. He was, for all intents and purposes, fallen from the royal family.

It took two years of struggling to remain relevant in the court before Mornar decided it was time for him to give up - not his desire to rise again, but rather the method of his struggle. It was clear that without the favour of his family he was something of a floating, powerless body in the court, and so he fell back on the things that he had excelled in as a child. The forests, the training grounds. Hunting, training animals, learning about the people of the land and the land itself. After six months of 'rousting about' according to the rumours of the court, Mornar signed up for a five year commission in the Winter Wood, the roving and nomadic military force protecting the borders of the Circle of Taalbad.

Together with the druids, hunters and warriors of the Winter Wood, Mornar began a new life in the wilderness, protecting the hamlets of the Drail from threats from the depths of the forest and from the lands beyond the edge of the Circle. Raiders and poachers were the usual fare, though more frequently than not the Winter Wood also served to track down maneater Cave Bears or Sabretooth Tigers, and even the occasional witch or necromancer despoiling the druidic sites within the circle.

For the final year of his commission Mornar had been planning to sign up for another half-decade of service. He had come to enjoy his life and the compatriots he had made. Lowborn or high, all were equal in the Winter Wood as all served the land and the people equally. During his final month, however, during the Autumn Court Festival, the royal val Ygriss family made an official appearance, announcing that Mornar's second and youngest sister had shown druidic insight, and that they had also adopted their cousin Pellian vol Ygriss, his mother's nephew, into the family as third in line as he had shown the spark of the Oracle. There was no mention of Mornar in the address, his accomplishments on the border. His service to the realm.

Mornar had been forgotten. Practically stricken from even the memory of the royal family.

There had always been a way for the young royal to reclaim his place in the family, but after being so discarded Mornar didn't want that place any more. He wanted more. Leaving the Winter Wood behind, Mornar returned to the Hailfast and gathered what resources he could before approaching his father, the consort of the Kaiserin and the only part of the family who had shown him some interest after the eclipsing rise of Mornar's sister. Awarded a formal position as an Ambassador of the Circle, Mornar had leave to travel beyond it's borders and represent the desires of it's peoples.

What Mornar didn't tell his father, nor his fairweather friends at court, nor even the few of his old tutors who spoke highly of him, was that Mornar was leaving for more than adventure. He was leaving to find a wife - and a powerful one. Love was no longer an option, it was power he needed and power he would return with or he would die far away without the Gnorn looming on the horizon.

Alexandra’s mother past away when she was 3 years old, taking her unborn sibling with her. People whispered about it, that it was because her mother was a foreigner, part of a political marriage with the neighboring Parian Kingdom, the primary trade partner by land and a key source of grains and other field crops. She wasn’t strong enough to with stand the harsh climate and frozen winter’s of Zamorozhenny.

Although this tragedy caused whispers about her mother, none were about the young Princess. She was everything they could wish for; black hair, pale skin, and her sole trait from her mother and a hypocritically adored and praised feature were her piercing blue eyes.

Her personality was ever calm and cool, which she was praised for as well, though it was really her narcissistic and possibly sociopathic nature that simply prevented her from really caring. Which was fine, she was a royal. She had bigger things to deal with. Surprisingly, it is this very narcissistic nature that lends itself to her utter dedication and passion about her country and its people; for she sees them as a reflection of herself. After all, her whole life she has been told that she is the country manifest – even if it was by servants and brown-nosing nobles.

Her arcane abilities manifested early, around her 6th birthday, and she immediately began her studies in the arcane, along with those in diplomacy, nobility, and other courtly affairs. How was anyone to know that it was the source of this arcane power, the Rakshasa, that had weakened her mother to the point that she succumbed to illness? It had never been an issue before, for it was from within the bloodline of the House of Wolves that the Rakshasa blood had originated. Internal marriages were fine because they were already influenced.

Her father was strong and stoic, loving his daughter as gently and wistfully as the wind does the snow. She adored her father, and his passing under suspicious circumstances drove her further to perfect herself, and to become so powerful that nothing could touch her.

Her Uncle, Emperor Alexander, for which she was named, loved his brother and took the care of the adolescent Princess as his personal responsibility. With both her parents deceased, Alexandra inherited the place of 3rd in line to the throne, something her cousins might have cared about had they seen a woman as a threat.

The praise she received did earn her cousin’s ire though, and they rarely engaged with her other than out of necessity, to uphold face, or appear a certain way. For what kind of person would dislike the beautiful, fragile, tragic, orphaned young Princess?

She learnt to play the game, use her past, her appearance, and her powers to twist people around her finger. As she got older, she began to feel more and more spiteful toward her elder cousins, the heirs to her empire. An empire that deserved better, the best. Wasn’t she the country manifest? Wasn’t she blessed with the arcane? Wasn’t she intelligent, beautiful, politically suave and delicately democratic? Wasn't she the best choice for heir?

She did the only reasonable thing, gathered allies, information, anything she could. She wanted this, but she knew enough to know that loyalty to family wasn’t something to be sniffed at. She couldn’t be seen to be against her own blood, couldn’t just usurp them. She needed the country to want her as much as she wanted it. So, she aimed to be loved, adored, admired, she would know this country better than anyone, and it would be the country that usurped her cousins.

She was royal blood. Arcane blood. But she needed more than the people; they were scattered, and news travelled slowly across the plains. Any whisper of a coup or treason and she was done. She’d talk her way out, but it would be a stain impossible to remove.

She would bind her time, but time was running short as her Uncle aged and all those close to him began to prepare for the inevitable. She made sure that she was there for him at every beck and call, gathering favour while she could, the picture-perfect image of a concerned and loyal woman, doting on her Uncle when she had nothing to gain, for she wouldn’t rule after him. That was what she aimed for, but it presented a more urgent issue. Without her Uncle, what would happen to her lifestyle?

She knew, and it disgusted her. Political marriage. To a wealthy family, native or foreign. She would need to serve the new Emperor unquestionably. So before then, she needed to act. Be appointed something, be tasked something, anything that would send her out of the country long enough for her to be ready to take it. She didn’t have the ingrained mistrust of foreigners; her mother had been one. Besides, she didn’t trust anyone, so it really didn’t matter.

She didn’t want to leave, but her Uncle granted her permission to travel. She wasn’t the heir, there was no harm in her seeking to train as a Minister, something being well traveled would surely assist? She managed it well, it came out as the Emperor’s idea, much to the pleading of a worried Princess for her Uncle for him not to send her away. But he insisted, she should go while she was young. She had seen enough family die. This was his dying wish for her. So it seemed.

She left gracefully, a gentle smile for her people. For herself. It was what the Emperor wanted…

It was what the Empress wanted.