Week 4: "I woke in the hour before dawn, stuck in that strange state where the memory of your dreams is still powerful enough to motivate your actions"

Welcome to Week 4, partners-in-crime! Today’s update is on the shorter side since I’ll be mostly continuing off from last week’s post, where I introduced our main protagonist Cynefin Alcestis and his wife Everly Crow. I recently also finished writing the first draft of the prologue manuscript and illustrating Cynefin’s weapon, though I plan to discuss these updates next week along with exciting, new details about the storyline. With that out of the way, it’s about time (shout out to all the Science Olympiad kids!) to meet the “bad guys,” a.k.a. the primary suspects for Everly’s disappearance.

I. Characters (pt. 2)

Solari (I’m currently experimenting with hairstyles): F, 44

• – The cunning and manipulative head of the Prosperan City Council, former Deputy Chief of the Prosperan city guards (the Themedior’s second-in-command)
• – Has never adopted a last name & her exact origins remain unknown but can be traced to the Ossein mountain region
• – Invited Cynefin to join the city guards after the shipwreck –> became his mentor and most significant political ally
• – The primary reason why Cynefin was able to become Themedior.

Aegis Mystral: M, 28

• – Second eldest son of the Mystral family head
• – Magical ability: Hypnosis (related to sensory manipulation like all Mystrals)
• – Informant and infamous playboy with knowledge of all the hottest gossip surrounding the Esojnas elite –> regularly hosts exclusive parties and salon-like gatherings
• – Sent to study Arcane magic in Prospera over a decade ago, though he hasn’t exactly been occupied with his schoolwork
• – Childhood friend of Everly Crow, more out of necessity than anything else –> refused Everly and Cynefin’s wedding invitation

Envonne Crow: F, 22

• – Cousin of Everly Crow and Everly’s only remaining relative besides Albion
• – Magical ability: Fungal manipulation
• – Comes from a side branch of the Crow family, meaning she’s not eligible for inheritance
• – Born without her biological parents and raised by servants
• – Slightly obsessive adoration for Everly, who she sees as both an older sister and savior (after the rose garden party incident where Everly defended her against the heckling of other noble children)

Albion Crow: M, 49

• – The crazed, tyrannic father of Everly Crow, head of the Crow Estate
• – Magical ability: Bio-absorption (draining life energy out of surroundings) –> surplus life force accumulated within him had dire consequences, ultimately driving him to madness
• – Was married to Everly’s mother, an illusionist, before a psychotic episode caused him to lose control of his powers, resulting in her death
• – Bed-ridden for six months, during which time Everly vanished
• – Discovered by Cynefin to have sent dozens of carefully disguised letters (hidden in envelopes used by government agencies) to Everly up until her disappearance

II. Q&A!

Last week, I received a few questions about Themedior’s lore and character backgrounds, so I’m going to go ahead and address them in this new blog section: Q&A!

Q: Why does Everly paint under a pseudonym? Also, how did she meet Cynefin?

A: Everly uses a pseudonym because she desires to alienate herself from the Crow “brand” and stay anonymous, fearing that her father Albion will locate her and drag her back to the origin of her childhood trauma, the Crow Estate. Ever since she ran away from home when she was twenty, she ceased contact with Albion, who not only mentally abused her but also indirectly caused the death of Everly’s mother. Of course, since her pseudonym (E.M. Charlotte) has the same initials as her birth name, several nobles formerly in her circle have mentally connected the two. Nevertheless, Everly remains adamant about clinging onto this piece of her past identity, the only relic of her late mother she has complete ownership over.

Q: How did Everly meet Cynefin?

A: Dating websites. Just kidding, they met at the Finnickan Orrery, located in the Rivetton territories right next to Cynefin’s old home where he grew up. The couple moved to Prospera only after Cynefin’s promotion to Deputy Chief, which required him to live in the central district. At the time, both Cynefin and Everly, who had just fled from her father, were single, lost at least one of their parents in a freak accident, were around the same age, and were interested in this mechanical model of the Solar System. Needless to say, they hit it off pretty quickly.

Q: Can you expand on the last line, “However, for the nobility, magic transformed into…a trendy currency worth more than its weight in gold”? Is there going to be human trafficking?

A: No comment 🙂

Once again, thank you for reading my blog posts, which are totally not cleverly disguised excuses for me to ramble on and on about Themedior. I’ve been experimenting with different art styles, so forgive the changing formats for each character profile. I hope to see you next time!