____________QUICK STATS
Name: Æthelred Veilheart
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 188 lbs.
Occupation: Junior Professor of Astrology, Agent of the Broken Seal, Knight (formally)
Residence: Wyrdwood Academy
Favorite Food:
Alignment: Lawful Evil


____________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Æthelred Veilheart is tall, dark, and handsome. His nose has a distictive curve to it, almost reminiscent of a falcon's beak. He wears ornate robes that have been enchanted to glitter like the night sky.

Personality:
Æthelred Veilheart is confident and proud, with more than enough talent to justify it. Considered a prodigy in his youth, he is now seen as one of the country's most skilled mages- a rising star who will shape the future for generations to come. Æthelred takes this reputation seriously, and has dedicated his life to passing on his knowledge to the next generation of Serenians.

As a teacher, however, Professor Veilheart is absolutely ruthless. He has zero tolerance for what he percieves as weakness- if he believes a student is struggling, he'll deliberately increase their workload to try and force them to drop out of his class. In his eyes, you either sink or swim- there is no inbetween. "Astrology Level 1" is unironically considered the most difficult class at Wyrdwood because of this, and many students refuse to take it as an elective due to the professor's reputation.

Relationships:
Æthelred is a member of the Broken Seal, a secret society dedicated to maintaining the power of serendipity's oldest wizards through forbidden magic. His dedication to their cause has led to him to becoming one of it's more prominant members as of late.

Æthelred is the pride of House Veilheart, his reputation (and his connections to the Broken Seal) having brought fame and wealth to the family name. His accomplishments as a knight have cased him to be viewed as something of a local hero in Moonspear, and even many outside the province have heard of him.

Æthelred's older brother is a knight in the Order of the Moon. (PM me if you want to play this character!)

Æthelred is quite taken by his fellow professor Anwen ferch Rhys, although whether she reciprocates is another story...

Beatrix Evans is Æthelred's current problem student. Beyond her obvious attitude problems, her homework assignments are a bit too well-written for the professor's liking. He's convinced she must be cheating, and has kept her grades low despite the apparent quality of her work. Despite this, she refuses to drop his class...

Magic/Abilities:
Æthelred is an astromancer- a mage with the ability to control cosmic energy. The exact definition of "cosmic energy" is unclear, as are the limitations of his ability. He can use his magic to create constructs out of constellations and summon comets, among other things.

Æthelread is a skilled astrologer- so skilled, in fact, that simply glancing at the night sky is enough to give him a glimpse as to what will happen in the next few seconds.

History:
Born to lesser nobles in Moonspear, Æthelred was expected to be the perfect child. Any game he played, he was expected to win. Every class he too, he was expected to ace. Every challenge he faced, he was expected to overcome- all so he would bring pride to the family name.

Which he did.

Passing Wyrdeood's placement test with flying colors, Æthelred quickly became regarded as one of the most gifted students of his era. Upon his graduation he'd accumulated a number of awards and accolades- as well as earning the eye of the Broken Seal. The young man was taken by the secret society's ideals, and agreed to represent his family in the organization.

For a time Æthelred served them as an agent, becoming a knight under House Orlov in order to keep tabs on Moonspear's military and nobility. In his seven years of service, his reputation and prestige grew even further- to the point where "Sir Veilheart" became a household name in the province. However, he'd ultimately decide to retire and return to Wyrdwood to work as a professor. He felt he'd be more use to them as a talent scout- after all, if anybody knew what a prodigy looked like, it was him.

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It was the last place she wanted to be.

Gwendolyn Mittermeyer climbed up the spiral staircase of the Stargazing tower, shield held closely to her chest. She was out of her armor for the first time in what felt like years, dressed now in a very plain brown dress- it wasn't the sort of occasion she'd ever had to by clothes for.

The church twisted her arm to get her to attend. On a normal day, the Adhara would be overjoyed to have a night off- it was rare enough that she was even given the time to return to Reajh, let alone given enough time to enjoy herself. Of course, this wasn't really time off. Not her her eyes, at least. Being here meant she was obligated to socialize with nobility and military higher-ups, one of her least favorite things to do. She had hoped that she could simply congratulate the Grand Master and find an excuse to leave early, but that proved more troublesome than she'd expected- when Gwendolyn had finally tracked the Grand Master down, she found the woman in an argument with another guest. It wasn't the sort of thing she wanted to involve herself in, so she'd left in search of someplace quiet to wait out the affair.

And so here she was, actively avoiding having to interact with people. Reaching the top of the tower, Gwendolyn cracked the door open and peered inside. It looked to be somebody's private study- bookshelves lined the walls, and a large desk sat at the rooms center. The place looked empty from a glance, and the soldier exhaled in relief. Gently she pushed the door open, only to find that something was preventing it from opening all the way. Unable to squeeze both herself and the shield through, she pushed harder...

... and accidentially knocked over a large stack of books. They fell to the floor with a loud clatter, causing Gwendolyn to wince audibly. "I hope nobody heard that..."

____________QUICK STATS
Name: Priscilla Kingshield
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Species: Human
Ethnicity: Serenian
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 96 lbs.
Occupation: Student
Residence: Wyrdwood Academy
Favorite Food: Filet Mignon
Alignment: Lawful Evil


____________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Priscilla is a slender girl with jet black hair. There are deep bags underneath her flame-colored eyes, as if she's been staying up until the small hours of the morning. She wears the traditional blue robes Wyrdwood provides- though she makes it very clear that she would be wearing something else if they let her.

Priscilla loves shoes, and owns a large collection that she's constantly adding to. Her favorite is a pair of enchanted boots that leave smoldering footprints wherever she walks.

Personality:
Raised by nobility, Priscilla Kingshield holds herself to a higher standard than most her peers at school. She is haughty and arrogant, and is extremely condescending to those she views as beneath her. She delights in putting others down, espescially if they excel in areas where she herself has failed.

Priscilla puts a lot of time into her studies, oftentimes staying up very late to practice her magic. Despite this her grades are middling, and she gets very edgy around students who have more natural talent than her.

Priscilla loves fashion, and uses her absurdly large allowance to buy herself new clothes. She often pays designers for custom outfits, probably having blown hundreds of suns on commissions by this point. It's been suggested to her that she may want to take up fashion design as a hobby herself, but she's never taken this advice seriously.

Relationships:
Priscilla's parents are very high-ranking nobles. While they do love her, she privately fears that their love may be conditional.

Priscilla's older brother Plutonius is probably the most popular student at Wyrdwood. While she loves him dearly, she can't help but resent all the attention he gets. It is not uncommon for people to befriend her just to try and get closer to him.

Priscilla met the Queen of Serendipity at a party once! Their interaction lasted for all of ten seconds, but she'll never let anybody forget that she "knows" the Queen. If you ask Priscilla for her opinion on the Queen however, she'll very quickly tell you that she didn't like her. It's very curious...

Susie Rainfeather is Priscilla's bunkmate. The peasant girl annoys her to no end- especially now that Susie is starting to overtake Priscilla in her studies.

Priscilla has a pet hamster! Her name is Soleil, and she's very cute.

Magic/Abilities:
Priscilla has elemental magic- specifically control over magma. This power is very weak, to the point of basically being useless. She's quick to remind people that her magic will be a big deal someday, and gets very upset if you suggest otherwise.

explaination

"Now wait just a minute!" you're saying. "How is magma a weak power? It's fucking magma!"

While it's true that magma is absurdly destructive, it typically can't be found on the earth's surface apart from in volcanoes. Priscilla does have the ability to create magma, but this require intense effort- making a teaspoon's worth of lava would take about 15 minutes, and if she lost concentration during that period she'd have to start all over again. She also has no way of keeping the magma hot after making it, causing it to harden after only a few minutes. Even if Priscilla were to spend a full day making a gallon of lava, she would only be able manipulate a few cup's worth at a time. Quite simply, her power is not worth the effort.

[close]

Priscilla isn't bothered by high temperatures, and cannot be burned by anything- probably the only parts of her power that are actually useful.

Priscilla comes from money-her parents could probably buy Wyrdwood if they really wanted to.

History:
The second child of the Kingshield family, Priscilla grew up in the shadow of her older brother. Plutonius was the favored child- he was handsome, confident, and most importantly, he was the one who'd carry on the family name. Priscilla was always treated like an afterthought by her parents, who had clearly been hoping for a second son. The girl craved her parents affection, but would always find herself to be second-best no matter what she did...

Untill her affinity for magma was discovered! Now her parents fawn over her just as much as they do her brother- possibly moreso! As soon as she was old enough she was sent to Wyrdwood, with the understanding that she'd use the resources available there to gain complete mastery of her abilities...

She's been at school for less than a year at this point, but already Priscilla is beginning to worry. The other students her age have already shown remarkable improvement, while she's still stuck at where she started. What will her parents think if she doesn't catch up soon? What if she can't catch up at all?

Spoiler

The Kingshield family has privately hated the Serenian Royal Family for several decades now. Nobody alive can even remember where this grudge originated from, but it's gone on for so long that at this point the Kingshields would like nothing more than to see the Di'Veerans crushed and driven from the throne. Unfortunately the current Queen is an incredibly powerful mage, which kept the family from attempting any sort of coup.

Or it did until Priscilla's magic came into the picture. Magma was the perfect counter to Qiana's cosmic magic, they realized- or it would be, once the girl perfected it!

It's been made extremely clear to Priscilla what her role in their eventual coup would be, and exactly what would befall their family should she fail. The weight placed upon her shoulders goes beyond a simple fear of disappointing her parents- if she fails to kill the Queen of Serendipity, she won't have a family to disappoint.

[close]

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"Gods, that was forever ago..."

Sarah led the group through the winding alleyway, sliding her hand along the stoney walls as she did so. "So after I, ah... left, I kinda just wandered around looking for work. I eventually ended up at this super fancy restaurant in Ketra, you know that one where the teacup dragons bring you your food? The owner was like, super stingy with pay, but the dragons were totally cute so I was like 'I gotta stay!'"

There was a spring in the girl's step as she walked now, her mind filled with happy memories. "So, like, after a few years of that, Hildegarde just, like, walked in! She talking to that invisible kid about magic and stuff, and I was like 'I have magic too!' And she was just like, 'Cool! You could totally use that for-'"

Sarah paused abruptly, ears perking up. Shouting could be heard on the road ahead- young, frantic voices, followed by a loud crash and a belching noise. The assassin's eyes narrowed, then widened as she realized exactly who the voices belonged to. She abruply charged ahead, bursting out of the alleyway just in time to see Griselda's fist collide with some sort of lizard-person, sending the creature staggering backwards. Randal and Ewan cowered behind the Yorieqi, clearly terrified.

Regaining it's balance, the scaley humanoid charged at her friends, a plume of flame escaping it's mouth. It hadn't noticed Sarah yet, which put her at a distict advantage. The assassin narrowed her eyes, focused on a small area on the creature's neck, and made the cut...

Joseph paced along the shore, a bit dirty but otherwise no worse for wear. His boat had been among the first to arrive, which gave him a chance to survey their new surroundings. They'd certainly landed in an tough spot- stuck in between a boiling sea and an icy wasteland. Looking outwards to the sea, he could count at least five more lifeboats approaching the shore...

The approach of the sea monster, however, was unexpected. Joseph instinctively stepped back, reaching into his coat tenatively. As it drew closer, however, the man could make out small figures clinging onto the creature's back. Upon realizing the beast had passengers, he slowly let go of the blade he kept concealed. Did that mean there was a beastspeaker on the crew? A summoner? A shapeshifter? Joseph had been trying to keep track of the abilities of each mage onboard the vessal, but this was new to him.

As the serpent got close enough for the survivors to disembark, the navy-haired man greeted them with outstretched arms. "Nice ride!" he called, grinning from ear to ear. "When I saw that thing from the lifeboat I was like; 'Those guys are fucked!' But man, riding it?" Joseph laughed, as if in disbelief. "Which one of you set this up? Come on, I gotta know!"



Hrodebert Von Baumgartner dragged himself out of the lifeboat, immediately collaspsing onto the rocky shore. Everything blurred as he stuggled to pull himself into a sitting position, his left eye throbbing uncontrollably. The young man couldn't help but wonder how much of what happened was even real- the sea monster could have been a figment of his imagination, and he was positive the rat sailing on a piece of drifwood had been a hallucination. Clumsily he felt around the beach, before remembering all his possesions had been left behind on the Halo. His heart sank as the gravity of their situation fully sunk in.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when the doctor approached him, nor was he able to mount any objections to his treatment. He could only nod helplessly, drinking the bitter liquid he was given without question. Letting himself be pushed down, Hrodebert awaited the knife...

Hrodebert attempted to steel himself, but his resolve was quickly drowned out by a blinding pain. The boy screamed in agony as he felt the inside of his eye socket being scraped away, trying his hardest not to pull himself away. After what felt like an eternity the knife was lifted, and the young man felt himself pass out...

_______QUICK STATS
Name: Robuhara Junichiro, "Jun" to his friends.
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Species: Human/Shijie-ren
Ethnicity: Anathanati
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 159 lbs.
Occupation: King of Rulastenia
Residence: Tsubai
Favorite Food: Steamed crayfish
Alignment: Lawful Neutral


_______IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
While not conventionally unattractive, King Robuhara's appearance heavily contributes to how he's percieved by his people. His now greying hair still has tinges of red in it, and his eyes are a dull shade of green. He seems to have trouble smiling, and often looks unhappy when he does so. His ornate robes and headgear somehow manage to look drab on him, to the point where he was once mistaken for a servant by visitors.

Personality:
King Robuhara is a quiet, thoughtful leader. He carries himself with an air of modesty, and is sometimes perceived as being shy or demure. He rarely speaks his mind fully, and keeps his personal opinions to himself unless asked. He has a very self-deprecating sense of humor, which many find unbefitting of a ruler. Some believe these traits are indicitive of him having a reluctance to take charge- a view that has become increasingly popular as time goes on.

On a personal level Junichiro is kind, albeit a bit distant. He has trouble forming close bonds with others, and those he does have are few and far between. He prefers the books to the company of others, and privately laments that his duties leave him little time to read.

Relationships:
"King Robuhara kinda sucks" is probably the only thing Rulastinians can actually agree on, though everybody seems to have different reasons for thinking this.

Junichiro's older brother Akihiko was killed by a Suturigoi in his teenage years. He was a natural born leader, and all who knew him -including Jun himself- believe he would have been a better ruler.

Junichiro's wife Sachiko died while in childbirth, leaving him with a single daughter. Jun has rufused to take another wife out of grief, upsetting those who wished for him to try for a male heir.

Junichiro's daughter is his only heir, and possibly his best friend. She's the most important thing in his life, and he's extremely protective of her. (PM me if you're interested in playing this character)

Magic/Abilities:
King Robuhara is bilingual, fluent in Nhoplani in addition to the standard Embass. He supposedly learned the language "in case Nhoplan ever chooses to come to the table", but most people still think it's weird.

The King carries an ornate silver blade that has been passed down the royal family for centuries. He has trained extensively with it, though he prays he'll never have to use it in actual combat.

History:
As the second child of the royal family, Junichiro was overshadowed by his father and older brother growing up. He embraced this, as lacking the responsibilities of being heir allowed him time to do other things such as reading. His goal in life was to be his brother's advisor- Akihiko was a firebrand, but often needed others to explain the nuances of politics to him. Working together, he figured, the country would be in good hands.

If only things had been that easy.

Akihiko's death was unexpected, and shook the nation to it's core. The Suturigoi were always a threat of course, but for one to claim the Prince's life? Junichiro barely had time to grieve before he was thrust into spotlight as the next rightful heir. The quiet existance he'd enjoyed was snatched from him, and the bookish young prince found himself thrust into a world he simply wasn't suited for...

Eventually, the day he'd dreaded came to pass- his father passed, and his mother stepped down from her position as queen. In the ten years since, Junichiro has proven to be what many feared he would be- an uninspiring, controversial ruler.



Domestic Policy:
Relatively new on the world stage, much of Rulastinia's cultural identity is still in it's infancy. Formed by refugees in an unforgiving land, political differences initially took a backseat to basic survival- and to finding a way to kill the monsters that haunted their new home. However, as their darkest days fade behind them, many issues that had previously been ignored have slowly bubbled back to the surface. Rulastinians have increasingly found themselves at odds with one another, and the growing rifts between them show no sign of slowing.

With this in mind, King Robuhara often adheres to a minimalist philosophy. He strongly feels that national policy reforms should never be passed all at once- they must be implemented incrementally, or else the people of Rulastinia will feel alienated and turn on one another. It is also his belief that both sides of any argument are typically rooted in valid concerns, and the best solution will be found somewhere in the middle.

Unfortunately the King's seemingly weak attempts at compromise have given people the impression that he's conceliatory and lacking in any real conviction of his own. Because of Rulastinia's middling faith in him, he's often teetering on the edge of losing his power.

Foreign Policy:
Nhoplan is and always has been the biggest threat to Rulastinia. With only a single mountain range seperating the two nations, many Rulastinians live in a state of constant paranoia. While he does his fair share of sabre rattling and military spending, the King privately believes that his country stands no chance of winning should their conflict with their neighbors run hot- Nhoplan is far more technologically advanced then they are, and seemingly have the power of their gods at their beck and call.

This does not mean King Robuhara has given up.

Knowing full well the damage a divided populace can do to a nation, the King plans to defeat Nhoplan through subversion rather than strength. Under his rule Rulastinia has secretly utilized escaped slaves and their children as spies, sending them back to Nhoplan in order to discreetly spread anti-slavery propaganda. This group, known as "the Soshiki", specifically targets Nhoplani scholars and priests in an attempt to convince them of their own autonomy- without drawing attention to themselves.

This is by no means an easy task, and many Soshiki have been killed for speaking out of turn (or for just speaking at all). However, in the eight years they have been active, fringe ideas such as "the slaves were given a sense of self by the gods in order to help serve us better" have been accepted by a handful of (highly controversial) philosophers. King Robuhara hopes that their ideas will eventually subvert members of the Nhoplani royal family, making it possible for there to be peaceful negotiations between the two countries. Only time will tell if this ever pans out.

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I got...

Spoiler

Draco! Hope it's ok.

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Welcome to Sote! Can't wait to see you around!

Welcome to SotE! I actually came here after reading a greentext story too (for me it was The Ballad of Edgardo). Looking forward to seeing what you make here!

Welcome to SotE! Can't wait to see what kinds of characters and plots you end up making here!

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See ypu around!

"Row faster, damnit!"

Joseph grimaced. At the speed they were going, their lifeboat would not make it. The lifeboat creaked and shuddered under the strain of the heat, and the steam wafting off the ocean would likely cook them if they didn't reach cooler waters soon. The boats behind them were in even worse straits- some had begun to fracture apart, and others were coming close to capsizing in the churning water. One unlucky vessal was hit by a piece of The Solar Halo's mast as it collapsed, the screams of it's passengers silinced instantly as they fell into the boiling depths.

"It's pointless. We're going to die here." the Connlaothian boy said miserably, barely audible over the panicked yelling of those still aboard the ship. It was obvious from looking at him that the teenager had barely made it to the lifeboat in one piece. His clothes were torn and ragged, and his once neatly parted hair was tangled and frayed. The skin on his shoulder was scraped and bloody, and he was clutching at a large burn on his arm. A large splinter had been embedded into the boy's left eye socket, and a white ooze mixed with the blood already dribbling down his cheek. "This is Ansgar's punishment." he uttered horsely, staring blankly ahead of him. "I never should have left home..."

"Will you shut up?" Joseph sneered, standing up abruptly. Two orbs of light materialized in the palm of his hand, prompting the Connlaothian to shrink back meekly. "You can jump overboard if you want to die so badly. I intend on living through this."

With a flick of his wrist, the navy-haired man sent the orbs flying towards the nearest lifeboat. They circled for a moment, then zipped into the boat's oars. Immediately they stopped rowing, wrenching themselves out of the hands of their masters. The two men cried out in panic, one falling overboard in his attempts to snatch them back as their tools came to life and swam towards Joseph. Soon they had propped them selves on the edge of the lifeboat, as if awaiting orders. "Alright men!" Joseph commanded, sending two more balls of light into the oars they already possessed. "Bring us to shore, double time!"

Bobbing in what could have been interpreted as a salute, the four enchanted oars began to row at a rapid pace. The lifeboat was soon skimming through the water, greatly outpacing the others. As the Solar Halo shrunk behind them, a monstrous shape rose from the depths beneath it- probably some horrible beast looking for an easy meal. The boat whose oars had been taken screamed panicked obscenities at them, but they couldn't be heard clearly over the sound of Joseph's raucous laughter. "Later, suckers! Hope you know how to swim!"

Oh hey, I remember you! Nice to see you again!

Sarah exhaled softly, relaxing her shoulders. Pushing her meal to the side, she stood up to follow her cousin. There was a nostalgic glitter in her eyes- as if this were just another one of the adventures they had been on as kids...

Xamuu's question, however, brought about a pause. Stepping outside the tavern, Sarah placed a finger on her chin. "I dunno." she said finally, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. "Maybe I should ask..."


Griselda's eyes narrowed, studying the lizardman carefully. She had seen this creature before, scurrying around the sewers and back alleyways. She had never payed it much attention until now- there was simply no reason to.

"That monster is lying!" squeaked Randal. The boy would hastily pull Ewan behind the Yorieqi woman, before peering out from behind her legs. "He keeps asking about a boy that we don't know!"

Griselda raised her eyebrows, opening her mouth as if to say "aha". She took a single step forward, raising her arm as if to strike...

Welcome to SotE! I can't wait to see what kinds of characters and stories you make! To help you get started, I reccomend making a wants and limits sheet! It will help you find writers you'll mesh with.

See you around!

_______QUICK STATS
Name: Olivia Wayrest
Age: If alive, somewhere around 36-37
Gender: Female
Species: Human (presumably)
Ethnicity: Serenian (presumably)
Height: Described as being tall
Weight: N/A
Occupation: Knight of the Order of the Moon (formerly)
Residence: N/A
Favorite Food: N/A
Alignment: N/A


_______IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description:
Details regarding Olivia Wayrest's physical appearence are sparse. She is known to have been very tall, and is believed to have had dark hair. Other physical features vary wildly by account, making it very hard to draw a reliable portrait of her.

Personality:
There is little information available as to the type of person Olivia Wayrest was. The few accounts that exist paint a picture of a quiet, thoughtful woman who seemed to have a bright future ahead of her. Details beyond this are often vague and contradictory- a former schoolmate, for example, described her as "logical to a fault, but with a penchant for the unorthodox."

Relationships:
As most accounts describe Olivia as a loner, there is very little information to go off of regarding her personal relationships. Attempts to track down the woman's parents have proven unsuccessful, as there are no records of Olivia ever being born. There have been claims of a husband existing, but with no evidence available we can only presume this is a false lead. There have also been lines drawn to a woman in Zantaric with the same surname, but any connection to Olivia remains unknown.

Magic/Abilities:
While the majority of her school records have long since vanished, Kia's Garden still has an Academic Achievement Award in Wayrest's name. From it we can ascertain that Olivia was in the top percentage of students in her class, and that Advanced Magical Theory was her strongest subject.

Judging from how she'd later join the Order of the Moon, it's safe to assume that Olivia had at least some experience in combating dark magic. One eyewitness account describes her as being proficient with a rapier, but this has yet to be verified.

History:
For all intents and purposes, Olivia Wayrest does not exist. Public memory of the woman has all but faded since her arrest twelve years ago, and those who knew her personally seem unwilling to discuss her. Her name has been scrubbed from most records and official documents, and openly looking for information about her is a good way to find yourself being watched. Should you ignore all this and continue to dig, you may be able to find few, scattered snippets of data:

• She was likely born somewhere along the border of Moonspear and Jadenshine.
• She was accepted to Kia's Garden at a much younger age than considered normal, and was considered a magical and intellectual prodigy by her professors.
• She either graduated early or dropped out, and joined the Order of the Moon in her early 20s.
• She was allegedly highly respected among her peers in the Order, but left the group after only a few years for reasons long since forgotten.
• She was arrested by the Order two years later, after an intense skirmish on the outskirts of Rillaria. While the battle between Wayrest and the Order was witnessed by quite a few people, there is no official record of the event ever having taken place.

Olivia Wayrest effectively vanishes after this incident. There are no explainations available as to why she was apprehended. There are no records of her being placed in prison, nor those indicating an execution took place. Her trail has gone completely cold, and after over a decade of silence it's unlikely we'll ever get a clear answer to who she was.

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Arthur would have closed his eyes and tuned out, had it not been for Mavis's reaction. He hadn't given the speaker more than a glance before, but looking closer he quickly realized that something was not right. The other students had seemingly picked up on it, and the entire hall went silent save for a few frantic whispers. "A hag." Arthur said softly, remembering the faery tale book he'd had as a child. "That's a real life hag..."

The monstrous woman looked around the room hesitantly, her once-excited smile fading as she took in the frightened reaction from the students. She cleared her throat, glancing down at the notecards she held in her hand. "Um, yes... To all the new students; welcome!" she began, voice a little shaky. "And to those of you returning; welcome back! My name is Magistrix Fen-Breath, and I think I speak for all of us when I tell you how excited it is being here tonight!"

The hag scanned the room, as if she were expecting the students to perk up at this. A few of the older students halfheartedly murmured in agreement. Many of the younger children were still staring at her uncomfortably, as if waiting for the woman to pounce at them. Arthur sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Myyla, this sucks..."

Seemingly discouraged, the magistrix nervously glanced back at the faculty table. The headmistress gave her a curt nod, and she seemed to relax slightly. "Tonight not only marks the start of the semester," she continued, turning back to the gathered students. "But it marks my first day as Magistrix as well. As I'm sure some of you already know, Magister Zinzolin passed away over break. He was a talented mage and a wise teacher, and I'm deeply humbled to have been chosen as his replacement." The hag clasped her oversized hands together, smiling excitedly as she looked around the room. "Teaching our newest generation of witches and wizards is such a privilege, and I must thank the Magistarium for this remarkable opportunity. I look forward to meeting and working with each and every one of you!"

Magistrix Fen-Breath looked around the room expectantly. After a few moments of silence, the headmistress began to clap. The hall slowly filled with unentheusiastic applause, and the hag took a seat. Arthur remained motionless, closing his eyes tightly as the surrounding students began to resume their meals. "Gods, I just want to go home..."

"She- she is?" Susie sputtered, panic overtaking her. She'd wasted too much time! Would Juniper yell at her? Would she tell her parents about Susie's misbehavior? "I- I was just talking to- I mean, I was stopped, and..."

It'd only taken a few minutes to reach their destination, and soon Susie was standing in front of recreation room. Taking a deep breath, the girl hesitated for a moment before slowly pushing open the door and peeking inside. The room was full of students playing Monster Mash, all of whom seemed to be having much more fun than than she was. Kana and Liam were playing with weird boy with the pillow hat, and for a brief moment Susie thought she'd been led to the wrong room- until she spotted her patron hovering over them. "He's the Justicier's son, isn't he?" she realized, slinking quietly through the door. "They're probably discussing nobility stuff..." Meekly making her way to where they were standing, Susie cleared her throat. "Um... Mistress Whitechalk?"

Juniper's head turned at the sound of the redhead's voice, face brightening considerably. Immediately she shooed away the Clearwater boy, who quickly scambled away. After staring at her for a few moments, the teenager moved floatily towards the girl and locked her in a tight embrace. "Susie!" she cooed gently. "It's good to see you!"

"Um- ah, hello!" Susie squeaked, feeling rather uncomfortable. She hesitated, then reciprocated the hug awkwardly. "You... You aren't mad at me?"

The noblewoman pulled away, a curious expression on her face. "Of course not, dear." she said flatly. She suddenly ran her fingers down Susie's hair, her head tilted to the side as she tugged at the child's ponytail. "You changed your hair."

"Ow! I- I mean, yeah." The girl winced, shifting uncomfortably. "Is... is that okay? Do- do you want me to change it back?"

Juniper merely shrugged in response. "Dunno. Come on, it's too crowded here for my liking." Susie flinched as her patron took her by the shoulder and begun lead her back out the door. The noblewoman seemed to make a point of ignoring the apprentice who'd brought her there, steering Susie past him without so much as a glance...


"Ex... Extra work?"

Susie stared at her patron, mouth agape. The two had settled in the outer courtyard, a dusting of snow falling gently around them. "But... but, I had gotten into a routine!" she whined, balling her fists in frustration. She could barely finish her homework as it was!

Juniper pursed her lips slightly. "Susie, I don't want to hear any buts. If you want to reach your fullest potential, you must push yourself."

"But- but I do-"

"Susie! What did I just say?"

The redhead went quiet, looking as if she was about to cry. "No buts." she said said softly, voice barely audible above the sound of snowfall. "A-Alright. I guess I can try..."

Juniper smiled. "There's a good girl. You'll do wonderfully- I have faith in you." The teenager put a finger on her chin, putting on a mock expression of wonder. "Now... Why don't you show me that trick you do with the dust? I bet you've gotten much better at it since the last time I saw you."

Susie froze- both because of nerves, and the fact that her school robe didn't offer much protection from the elements. It should be simple to show her, right? She had just made a huge leap of pregress, but what if Juniper was only interested in the dust part? Would she be disappointed of it wasn't the same as before? "Um, well, the trick is different no-"

"Show me!"

The young woman bit her lip impatiently, and Susie folded. Drawing her wand from her pocket, she pointed it at the ground and did her best to imagine her house back in Altas Verde...

There was a sound like static electricity, and a small model house materialized in the snow. It was smaller than the castle, and a bit shakier- as if it'd been assembled by somebody with a shaky hand. Juniper stared at the girl's creation intently, like a cat who'd just caught a particularly fat mouse. "That's perfect." she said breathily, squeezing the redhead's shoulder gently. "Very good job."

Susie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness." she said, relaxing her shoulders. She scooped the model up in her arms, brushing the snow off the bottom. "I didn't know if you'd like it..."

The noblewoman smiled. "Of course I like it. You needn't worry yourself like that." She stretched her arms, snow gently falling off her shoulders. "Come on, I'll take you to dinner."

"...At the Centra Hall?"

Juniper furrowed her brow, a strange grin plastered onto her face. Taking Susie by the hand, she would lead the girl towards the outer gates. "No, child. At the inn I'm lodging at. Fiorina's a wonderful cook, so long as you can get her to turn on the stove."

"Are- are you sure this is okay?" Susie asked nervously. "I won't get in trouble?"

"You'll be back before school curfew." Juniper assured her. "You know... I may have a gift waiting there for you."

Susie's face perked up, and together the two made their out the school gate and towards Juniper's carriage...

In a split second, everything had gone to hell.

Joseph awoke to the sound of screaming, the ship's lurching throwing him off his bunk and onto the floor. He cursed loudly, hastily throwing on his cloak and bag before rushing towards the top deck. He was just barely able to make it to releative safety before the gravity of the situation hit him like a sack of bricks.

The ship's hull had split in two, boiling water rushing into the lower deck where he'd just been. Sailors and crew alike were in a state of panic, pushing and shoving one another in their attempts to make it to the lifeboats. Some unlucky men fell overboard, their screams faltering as they sunk beneath the steaming waves. Others lay dying on the deck, bodies impaled by wooden shrapnel. The captain stood at the ships helm- confirming Joseph's suspicions that it had, in fact, been a woman who caused this mess.

His face twisted into a scowl as he saw the Connlaothian boy had made it onto the nearest lifeboat, and was now in the process of helping another straggler onboard. The passing of time hadn't endeared the youth to him in the slightest- quite the opposite, "Yeah, okay." Joseph muttered, gritting his teeth as he aggresively pushed his way onto the vessel. "Of course he made it out. Of course he did."

Once safely aboard, the Serenian could only look back at the ensuing carnage in a stunned silence. Joseph was no stranger to death, but to see this much in once place was still a bit difficult to process. Now the lifeboats were beginning to fill up, and those still on board the Solar Halo were getting even more desperate in their attempt to flee the wreckage...

Arthur glared at the girl angrily, then looked back down at his own food. "Nah." he muttered, halfheartedly trying to cut a slice of pork with the edge of his fork. "I just got here. Getting up would be a drag..."

The boy looked like he was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of a spoon tapping on glass. The room fell silent, and all eyes fell on the faculty table. An grotesque looking woman had stood up, smiling awkwardly as she towered above her fellow professors. "Um, yes... May I have everybody's attention please?"

Arthur groaned under his breath, slouching in his chair. "Great. Another start-of-year speech." He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. "Not even worth listening to, probably..."