Catherine Nightbreeze
The Witch Queen
Catherine Nightbreeze is the current Empress of the Human Empire, having served as such since the age of 16. Formally trained as a Witch, her ascension to the throne invoked centuries old traditions that had been nearly forgotten amongst those of the Nightbreeze Family, traditions that had been put in place to keep those ruling amongst power and reason.From a young age, Catherine was groomed to take the throne, to fulfill a destiny that had yet to be fulfilled in centuries. Her father believed it was time for an empress to take the throne after years of corrupt men leading the Empire into ruin. Her path to the throne would not be a simple one, but she rose to the occasion when she did not have to.
With her training completed as a witch and her birthright upon her, she gathered an interesting group she had met during her travels, pulling them together at the eleventh hour when the title of Grand Duelist was evoked. The time was upon them to end the corruption and reclaim the Human Empire for everything the Nightbreeze name stood for.
Along with the Grand Duelist, the Vampire Wizard, and a ratty adventurer with a love of Dragon fire, Catherine was able to end the coup and corruption that removed her family from the throne when she was a child. Her ascension brought a new era to the Empire, one of prosperity for all, even those that loathed the Witch Queen.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
All years of a royal's life are rife with politics. Allowing one to have a childhood means nothing to enemies that wish to take everything.Born as the only child of the Human Emperor, Catherine was set to live a lavish life of luxury until the day that she might take the throne. Her earliest days were spent with nannies and tutors watching after her as her father attended to the affairs of the Empire. Sometimes, she would travel with him as he left Stronghold, a nice vacation for the child, but as the political underbelly of the Empire shifted, she rarely left her father's side. The number of people she interacted with outside of her father and his closest advisors dwindled by the time she reached the age of five. Political relations in the capital became strained, so much so, that people once trusted by the Emperor turned against him, staging a coup that would have the Nightbreeze Family removed from the throne. While this coup had been in the works for years, the Emperor was finally able to put his plan regarding his daughter into motion. The beloved child would become a fail-safe of sorts, one that would hopefully restore the name of her family, but no one could be sure if she would follow such a path in the years that followed.
Coven of the Black Thorns
Coven of the Black Thorns
Regaining the Throne
While Catherine eventually taking the throne had been part of her father's plan, it was something the former Emperor was never sure would come to fruition. Many things would have to take place to allow such a plan to be completed, things that were often out of his hands. This fail-safe to reinstate the name of Nightbreeze fell to a 16 year old girl with the training of a Witch. The coven that Catherine had stayed with helped set things in motion by granting her a comprehensive education, but their communication with the outside world would play the greatest part in moving Catherine towards greatness. Few in Stronghold remained loyal to the Nightbreeze Family, allowing the title of Grand Duelist to be invoked and the Headmaster of the Starlit Tower to be released from prison.The Witch Queen
Under the cover of darkness, the group entered Stronghold and Castle Nightbreeze, setting their plan into motion. No one is quite sure what happened in the castle that night, but as the morning dawned, the banner of the Nightbreeze Family flew from the castle once again. Those that had been part of the coup a decade ago were either imprisoned or killed, but no one can be sure what truly happened to those that had disgraced the crown. Catherine's position was not secured overnight. Alexander Cross resumed his role as Headmaster of the Starlit Tower and the Grand Duelist took over as leader of the Night Guard and the Empire's military. As Catherine began restructuring much of the Empire, Darius Nizz was granted lordship over a small area. Those that had been loyal to the Nightbreeze Family and to Catherine were placed in seats of power, but she was not afraid to remove those that showed their true colors and turned against the ideals she was instilling in the Empire. Over the next few years, Catherine would be named the Witch Queen, a title she often wore with pride while many used it as a slur against her. Across the Empire, people either loved or feared the young Empress and her odd group of companions. The others that had helped gain her the throne were often outcasts from society, the type of people that Catherine often chose as they had little reason to attain power through the means that many of the nobles of old had. Even when a dubious public opinion amongst her people, Catherine began rebuilding the Human Empire to a glory that had been seen in the days before the Eldritch War. Her councils and advisors were chosen based on merit instead of relation to some long-lost nobility. While a noble herself, she disliked the petty politics that often came from such stature and chose to build the Empire up with laymen and others whose qualifications far outweighed a noble status.Nightbreeze Insignia
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Why is Cross called the Vampire Wizard? The Starlit Tower article says he guards the crypt. Good article for the prompt. Interesting and engaging.
Cross is a Vampire and Wizard. His jobs at the Starlit Tower are numerous, including serving as the Headmaster of the academy there (which is mentioned in this article and the Starlit Tower one) and as the guardian of the Royal Crypts which happen to be beneath the Tower. Much in the same way that Catherine is called the Witch Queen in a derogatory fashion, Cross is quite frequently referred to as the Pet Vampire of the Empress.
Co-creator of the TTRPG System Storybook
Why are you called by your screen name, your actual name, and any other nicknames? Lol :) He is called the Vampire Wizard because he IS a Vampire Wizard, not to be confused with the Italian Plumber Mario. Vampires, that are Wizards, are not common nor generally welcome so it's a pretty unique identity in the Kingdom. He has a few official duties, you named one of them.
Thanks for the clarification. It was not stated explicitly in either article. Perhaps it was just because he was the guardian of the crypts or because of some magical specialty.