Irene Aarre

**Irene Condor** (née **Aarre**) was the first wife of Emperor Beagle de Caine. A noblewoman from the House of Dor, Irene began making advances towards Beagle in the days after his coronation, which was a result of the Corsican Revolution of 1380. Wedded to the King in 1381, it would quickly become evident that the royal marriage was purely a political move to strengthen ties between Irene's house and the House of Caine. Irene would betray Beagle, embarking on an affair with his trusted advisor, Lucel Condor; after much tension, the marriage was dissolved and both partners in the affair were exiled. In 1412, the exile was lifted; this would enable Condor and Aarre to finally marry, after the birth of their first child, William. Throughout her life, especially after her return from exile, Irene was plagued by attacks from a former lover known as Damian Keneth, who was a sorcerer with the power to control animals. In late 1412, such attacks would devastate the Ajaccio Palace and its residents, with psychically-controlled ravens being sent after Irene and those around her.

## Early life

Irene grew up in a rural area; modern historians have not yet discerned precisely where this area was. Writings from her early life suggest that the area was poverty-stricken; however, Irene was not affected by this, being a member of the noble House of Dor, which possessed great wealth. From an early age, Irene was friends with Damian Keneth, a boy of the same age who lived nearby. Irene lived in a large house that starkly contrasted the average dwelling in her area; this was especially impressive to Damian. Their friendship turned to romance in their late teens; however, it was at this time that Irene was to leave her home and move to the small Mediterranean island of Corsica. While Irene was able to move on, Damian was not; he made a vow to himself that he would take Irene back once and for all. After Irene's departure, Damian became skilled in the ways of sorcery; a woman known only to historians as "Esmeralda" taught him magic and performed a ritual on him which allowed him to control people's minds and thoughts. Damian would become very powerful; multiple historical accounts allege that his power was nearly equivalent to that of Emperor Beagle himself.

## Marriage to Beagle de Caine

Irene's arrival in Corsica coincided with one of the most turbulent times in the island's history. The Corsican Revolution of 1380 was taking place, between the forces of Lord Beagle de Caine and those of King Albert IV. After multiple accusations of infidelity were made towards Albert, the Corsican public became disillusioned with him, beginning to revolt. On November 14, the civil war came to an end when Albert was thrown from the bedroom window of the Ajaccio Palace; in his place, Beagle de Caine was crowned as King of Corsica. The coronation took place on December 24 at the Ajaccio Cathedral; Irene was seated, along with Lucel Condor and Reginald Vetinarvi, in the front pew, due to her family's noble status. She began to make advances towards the new King, which culminated in a royal wedding on June 1, 1381.

### Affair with Lucel Condor

The royal honeymoon was cut short by an attack on Corsica which came at the hands of a Dark Lord; during this attack, Irene's marriage to Beagle would begin to deteriorate. It was eventually revealed that Irene had been having an affair with Beagle's trusted advisor, Lucel Condor, and had begun to carry his child; however, she would end up miscarrying. When the Dark Lord was defeated, Irene and Lucel were exiled from Corsica, and the King went into a mental downward spiral. Devastated at the loss of his wife, Beagle was found unconscious on the floor of his bedroom after a drinking binge which lasted for three days; he was institutionalized in the Ajaccio Sanitarium for one year.

## Return from exile

In 1412, both Lucel and Irene would find their way back to Ajaccio on separate occasions. Their transgressions would be forgiven by Beagle, who by now had become Emperor of Beaglia, an entity named after him that comprised a large part of the world. In addition to the removal of Lucel's exile, he would be given the title of Deputy Patrician, an assistant to the Lord Patrician, a title held by Reginald Vetinarvi at the time. It would be revealed that Irene and Lucel had a child named William; they were finally wedded on August 15 at the Ajaccio Harbor. Immediately after the ceremony's conclusion, the couple boarded a large ship known as the Felicidade; they enjoyed a honeymoon on a tropical island in the Caribbean, but were forced to return to Corsica after a short time due to Lucel's duties as Deputy Patrician.

### Attacks from Damian Keneth

A few months after her wedding, Irene would be targeted by Damian Keneth, who still maintained his wish to take her back. He was able to inflict physical symptoms on her such as headaches, and also had the power to control animals. His preferred animal was the raven; in November of 1412, ravens would flock to the Ajaccio Palace in droves, crashing through the windows and attacking its inhabitants. In addition, Emperor Beagle would be targeted, repeatedly becoming possessed by a dark force connected to Damian. The Emperor turned to psychic retaliation; transcending the physical realm and projecting into Damian's location, Beagle discerned that the sorcerer's power was nearly equivalent to his own.