Iseult det Midenzi

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## Biographical Information

### A.K.A.

* Iz (by Safi)
* Shadow-ender[*citation needed*]

### Relatives

* Gretchya det Midenzi (mother)
* Corlant det Midenzi (father)
* Habim Fashayit (adoptive father)
* Mathew fitz Leaux (adoptive father)

## Affiliation

### Nationality

* Nomatsi (Midenzi tribe)
* Dalmotti

### Friends

* Safiya fon Hasstrel (Threadsister)
* Aeduan (Heart-Thread)
* Owl
* Evrane Nihar

### Romantic Interests

Aeduan (Heart-Thread)

**Iseult det Midenzi** is a Nomatsi and the Threadsister of Safiya fon Hasstrel. She was originally thought to be a Threadwitch, but she eventually discovered that she is actually a Weaverwitch. She is the shadow half of the mythical Cahr Awen.

## Background

Iseult hails from a culture called the Nomatsis. Her inability to make Threadstones, as well as the strained relationship she holds with her mother, were motive for her to leave the tribal setting. Once she left her village at age 10, Iseult dwelt in Veñaza City, where she eventually met Safiya when she saved the other girl's life from a Cleaved. This led to the two of them becoming Threadsisters. Iseult has always longed for a place to call home, as well as companionship.

Ever since a monk had helped a lost Iseult, she became somewhat obsessed with Carawen Monks, which connects back to her favorite book, *An Illustrated Guide to the Carawen Monastery.*

### *Truthwitch*

Iseult det Midenzi and Safiya fon Hasstrel hold up the "wrong thrice-damned carriage" north of town. Instead of the guy who’d stolen their savings, they find themselves facing a Bloodwitch named Aeduan who sniffs out Safi’s rare magic: the ability to tell truth from lie.

While trying to flee the Bloodwitch by catching the first ship out of Veñaza City, they run into the hot-tempered Prince Merik Nihar who has just left a failed negotiation at the Continental Truce Summit. He’d hoped to reestablish trade for his starving homeland, Nubrevna. Instead, he finds himself facing a Cleaved Tidewitch—the man’s magic having boiled over and turned him into a bloodthirsty monster—alongside two girls who insist on fighting alongside him.

The commotion from the fight draws local authorities, forcing Safi and Iseult to split. That failed carriage heist attracted all sorts of bad attention. While Safi goes with the girls’ mentor Mathew to her lush lodgings at the Silk Guildmaster’s, Iseult goes with their mentor Habim to an inn. Or…she’s supposed to. Instead, she ends up running into the Bloodwitch and having to completely leave town.

To hide, she goes to her childhood home: the Midenzi settlement. As a Threadwitch who could never fit into her tribe’s weave, she discovers her mother Gretchya det Midenzi and her mother’s apprentice Alma det Midenzi are even worse off then when she’d left six years before. Now a Purist priest named Corlant det Midenzi controls the tribe—and for some reason, he wants Iseult dead. After he tries to rally the tribe against her, he shoots her with a cursed arrow. Iseult manages to flee, though, with her mother’s and Alma’s help. Before they separate, though, Gretchya gives Iseult two ruby Threadstones that she claims will allow Iseult and Safi to always find each other.

Later, Iseult, Safi, Merik, and Aeduan all converge at a lighthouse. Safi in white with a pitchfork, Iseult in black with a cutlass. For a brief moment, as they spin together, Aeduan thinks they look like the Cahr Awen. As a Carawen monk, his first duty is to protect that mythical pair from legend that can heal magic in the Witchlands. The girls manage to escape to Merik's ship, the *Jana*—though not before Iseult breaks Aeduan's spine and leaves him to float, his magic healing him, across the waves.

On Merik’s ship, Iseult finally loses consciousness from her cursed arrow wound. Merik’s aunt, another Carawen monk named Evrane Nihar, tends her belowdecks.Safi and Iseult later sneak Evrane onto the Marstoki ship right as sea foxes arrive along with more Marstoki ships. Merik loses precious time trying to find Safi, and the *Jana* barely escapes with the crew intact.

Isuelt, Safi, Evrane and Merik head towards inland as they discover a town called Noden’s Gift amidst new greenery and life. Thanks to the nearby Origin Well of Water, this piece of Nubrevna is finally healing.

Evrane realizes that Well can also heal Iseult, so she takes Iseult and Safi to swim in its waters. Iseult does heal, but additionally, the Well reacts to the girls’ presence by causing a small quake through the land. Evrane takes this is as a sign that the girls are in fact the mythical Cahr Awen.

To reach Lejna and fulfill the contract with Safi’s Uncle Eron, Merik, Safi, Iseult, and Evrane head west on horseback. When they pause for the night to sleep, Merik and Safi share a heated kiss—that is interrupted by a booming wind-drum, which heralds the *Jana*’s approach. vrane sends Safi and Iseult onward because she knows the Bloodwitch and thinks she can stop him. The girls race ahead on horseback, but outside the city, they swap clothes. Iseult will lure the Marstokis away while Safi reaches Lejna and fulfills Merik’s contract. Unfortunately, Evrane is unable to stop Aeduan and he also arrives. Even worse, as Iseult and Safi are sprinting through the city going different ways, a huge unnatural storm arrives.

Things become even more terrible as the Poisionwitches that make up the Marstoki Adders begin to cleave. Iseult is joined by Aeduan, and the two fight the cleaved. Aeduan gives Isuelt his salamander cloak and tells her to hide. After he leaves, Iseult sees Evrane engulfed by cleaved but can't help her.

Iseult later leaves her hiding spot to find Merik broken and grief stricken. She summons the *Jana* to get him, and she sets off to try to find her Threadsister.

## Physical description

Iseult has black hair, hazel eyes, and a simple, plain face. She also has pale skin and folded eyes (typical of the Nomatsi tribes). She tends to wear black, loose-fitted clothing. At the beginning of *Truthwitch*, Iseult had her hair fall halfway down her back, but this was later cut to chin-length during her visit to the Midenzi settlement.

## Personality

Iseult is level-headed, smart, and logical (a stark contrast to Safiya fon Hasstrel). Her rational demeanor and keen sense have tended to keep her, as well as her Threadsister Safiya, from getting killed. Iseult has been said to be selfless and resilient, as she always puts the needs of others before her own and continues to take the hateful remarks, glares, and actions for her origins. In addition, Iseult understands her emotions very well and is found to sometimes wear her heart on her sleeve (not characteristic of many Threadwitches).

With people other than Safi, she struggles to convey her emotions through facial expressions and body language.

## Witchery and abilities

Iseult has a very strong physique and is able to sustain many injuries. Her quick speed, and sharp senses give her a certain advantage in combat.

Iseult's Weaverwitchery, paired with Safi's Truthwitchery, have proven to be a deadly combination. Later, Isuelt realizes that her powers stretch from simply seeing the threads of the world. Isuelt discovers that she can communicate with people in their dreams, as well as sever and create new threads. This means that although Iseult has the abilities of a Threadwitch, she also has the assets of a Voidwitch. This means that Isuelt's magic is surrounded in darkness and can be used to turn a regular person into a puppet (subject to her will).

This makes Iseult an extremely dangerous individual, one who could easily control the world. Iseult refuses to sever people's threads at the start, but in a time of need, she has to and that person haunts her after she kills them (a Firewitch). However, after she escapes Praga, she no longer holds back from her magic, killing and cleaving often.

Soon, she realizes that she's close to falling off the deep end and instead embraces the shadow-ender part of her destiny, realizing that her past actions were wrong.

### Witchery

* **Weaverwitchery**: *To be added*
	+ **Thread Detection**: Isuelt is able to detect threads, which make her more aware of her surroundings.
		- **Empathy**: Her ability to see people's emotions through threads gives her the upper-hand under many circumstances (whether it be in negotiations or designing battle strategy).
	+ **Dream Communication**: *To be added*
	+ **Cleaving**: By wrapping Threads around her hands and then biting them (therefore severing them) Iseult can cause a person to lose control of their magic, leading to their skin bubbling with black tar and their inevitable death-though she can control the Cleaved as well. Sometimes, cleaving leads to Iseult having the person she cleaved trapped in her mind.
* **Firewitchery**: After Cleaving a Firewitch, Iseult gained a limited control over fire. She occasionally starts accidental fires when her focus and control slips.

### Abilities

* **Gifted Intellect**: Capable even without her powers, Iseult is highly intelligent. Always logical in the face of danger, she shows considerable talent for formulating strategies and battle tactics.
* **Scythe Mastery**: She wields moon scythes with a high degree of lethality.

### Weaknesses

Isuelt cannot make Threadstones or see the threads of Threadwitches or certain people, specifically Aeduan.

## Appearances

* *Truthwitch* (First appearance)
* *Windwitch*
* *Bloodwitch*
* *Witchshadow*

## Trivia

* Susan Dennard said she would be a Ravenclaw.
* Her nose twitches when she's nervous/anxious.
* She was originally named Sorsha.

## References

1. ↑ *Truthwitch*, Chapter 1
2. ↑  Susan Dennard (@stdennard) on Tumblr: "They’re supposed to be 18. It’s VERY possible I messed up and wrote 19 somewhere." (2021-08-03) — in reply to @decaffeinateddonutrebel: "Another one...How old are Safi and Iseult actually?? In Truthwitch, I think they were 18 but in Bloodwitch, I am pretty sure it mentioned that they were 19. But in Witchshadow, they are 18?" (backup link)
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Witchshadow*, Chapter 1
4. ↑ *Witchshadow*, Chapter 50
5. ↑  Susan Dennard (@stdennard) on Twitter: "Fun Fact: if the #Witchlands characters were in HP Houses, I'd say..." (2018-01-27).
6. ↑  Susan Dennard (@stdennard) on Tumblr: "Originally, Iseult was named Sorsha!!" (2021-01-08) — in reply to @astaircaseofbooks: "This might sound like a strange question if not, but are any parts of the Witchlands inspired by the opera Tristan und Isolde?" (backup link)