Valrona
A Weathered Realm on the Edge of Darkness
The once-glorious realm of Valrona stands at the precipice of ruin. With Queen Anastasia's mysterious illness and disappearance, the realm's protective light wanes. Her royal court claims she convalesces in private, but citizens whisper darker rumours of her absence.
With the Queen’s disappearance, beastial creatures of the Black Forest grow bold, terrorizing the borders of Valrona.
Then came the Ashen Plague, a mysterious affliction that descended like gentle snow upon the lands, claiming countless lives. Targeting the young with particular cruelty, the plague also leaves its older survivors sterile, robbing Valrona of its future generations. Many believe that a strict and violent response to their challenges, coupled with the return of Queen Anastasia to her throne, will rid Valrona of its terrible maladies.
THE BLACK FOREST
This ancient, foreboding woodland has long marked the boundary between civilization and wilderness. Once a place of incredible beauty, its now twisted trees and unnatural fog now serve as the source of mounting horrors. As night falls, strange noises emanate from its depths, and those who venture too close rarely return unchanged—if they return at all. The forest harbours exiles and outcasts alongside supernatural threats, creating a dangerous sanctuary for all who oppose Valrona's established order. The Courts’ protectors venture into the forest regularly, battling its horrors and searching for clues to the fate of their Queen.
VALRONA Characters
NIKOLA MARCELLUS
THE INDULGENT
Charismatic and manipulative, Nikola has enjoyed generational wealth to selfishly abuse Valrona’s crippled economy and indulge in acts of reckless abandon. Outraged by the humiliation of his execution, he has resisted death’s embrace to enact vengeance on those who have slighted him.
GINGER
WARPER OF FLESH
Commanding her family’s ancient, forbidden secrets, Ginger’s goals transcend the concerns of the Valronan people. Cruel, capable and cunning, Ginger has seen beyond the Veil, glimpsed the fragile structure of reality, and comprehends the power to be unlocked in the alteration, consumption and adaptation of mortal flesh.
GULMAR
THE ASHEN BOUND
An assemblage of flesh, imbued with life by Nikola Marcellus to serve and perform murderous tasks, Gulmar’s hidden intelligence is bound by the mystical constraints that animated his body. Though capable of extreme acts of violence, Gulmar yearns for the freedom to combat the suffering that the Ashen Plague has inflicted upon the soul of Valrona.
BELLE THRUSHWOOD
COMMANDER OF THE QUEEN’S LEGION
The unchallenged leader of the Valronan army, Commander Belle ensures Valrona’s continued stability through strict control of food security and the suppression of violent uprisings. Solely responsible for all judicial rulings within Valrona, their commands are enforced with swift and violent efficiency, often by their own hand.
DAME SAPPHIRE
THE CLANDESTINE
If not for Dame Sapphire’s reputation as a respected explorer and monarchist, Valrona would have long cascaded into political disarray and revolutionary coups. Her pervasive understanding of the region’s political and religious structures, coupled with unusual powers obtained from strange lands, now guides the crumbling nation towards her own clandestine goals.
KRANDUS MOORE
THE LEGION’S FINEST
Untainted by aberrant thoughts or behaviours, Krandus has dedicated his life to eradicating Valrona of all threats to the Queen and her people. Wielding strange artefacts provided by the Queen’s Legion, he enacts swift justice and summary execution against any who act in defiance of the Queen’s rule.