Lysander Aldonne

### Relatives

Demetrius Aldonne (Father), Karolina Aldonne (Mother), Leandros Aldonne (Brother), Lannissa Aldonne (Sister)

## Physical Description

### Hair Colour

Black

Lysander Aldonne is a player character in The Council of Thassalus campaign. He is the Grand Patron of Thassalus, a famous and respected playwright and sponsor of artistic ventures. He is also one of the few to have defeated Queen-Commander Anjelika Weisenberg in a duel.

## Physical Description

Lysander stands at 5"10', with black hair, pale skin and the distinctive bright, azure blue eyes which all the Aldonne family possess. He is lithe, but not particularly muscular. Lysander often wears a smile, as if in on some private joke that only he knows. He is fairly attractive, though he is more pretty than handsome. Lysander often gesticulates when he speaks, his arms and hands moving through grand sweeping gestures or short angled arcs to emphasise a point.

Lysander's clothing is often extravagant. He favours monochrome coats with silver trim lines or tassels, often wearing an ascot with an ornamental sapphire pin. His jewellery tends to be silver, also featuring small sapphires. Lysander's coats all have wide sleeves and are lined with interior pockets where he keeps a brace of throwing knives hidden.

## Personality

Lysander is a personable man, nearly always smiling and is fairly jovial. However, beneath the outwardly friendly appearance there is a sharp wit with a tongue to match, and is well honed for mockery. He laughs loudly and often with his friends, but is utterly unafraid of openly criticising people he dislikes or finds deserving of it. Outwardly, he projects an air that he is above all of it, simply remaining an observer who calls things how he sees them and isn't constrained by societal boundaries.

This comes through in his literary work. Lysander is most famous for his satirical plays which often target major institutions or figures through a thin veil of plausible deniability. He is often critical of Whytehold, finding them too stiff and oppressive and feels that their presence restricts Thassalus' ability to be itself. He has learned to be somewhat resentful of the constant warfare throughout Tyrrus through the effects that it has had on people close to him, losing both family and family friends to the wars. He has little interest in combat itself, and merely keeps up what skill he has to get his father to stop bothering him and out of a vague desire to avoid being murdered, should he anger a powerful public figure in one of his works.

Quietly, Lysander resents his position in his house. As the third child, there is little chance that he will ever inherit a position of note. His disinterest in combat puts him at odds with his father who, as a prominent Baron in Silvershire, places a great deal of value on martial prowess. Both his brother and sister are skilled warriors, while he has little care for fighting. He wishes for authority, for responsibility, for influence and for power, but sees no realistic opportunity to get it as a result of his position. Therefore, he simply chooses to create a group of likeminded friends and quietly agitate for change while enjoying the benefits of the aristocratic life.

Lysander's true love in life is his work. He takes great pride in writing his plays and poetry, and hopes to see them performed across all of Tyrrus some day. He revels in the spotlight and wants to be recognised for his creativity and his wit. In the disturbance caused by the recent election, he hopes to find opportunity to make his name known.

## Background

Lysander was born in 20.65 to Demetrius and Karolina Aldonne. He lived a typically aristocratic childhood, pampered and privileged in the way that only the upper echelons of society are. The Aldonne family over the past couple of generations lost sight of the craftiness that earned them the banner of the silver fox in years past, and had taken on a more traditional military focus like many of the Champessan families under the Charlemonts. Even at a young age, Lysander was not entranced by martial arts, preferring to stick to his stories and his drawings while his older siblings Leandros and Lannissa fought.

He maintained this stubborn disinterest well into his teenage years, over which time his artistic talents began to flourish. He wrote frequently, penning fantastical tales set in the early years of the 20th century during the age of the Saviours while Zaikerik the Betrayer let loose his armies upon the land. He was captivated by the larger than life heroes of Tyrranean history, particularly the Whytehold chapters of The Legends of Tyrrus. The criticisms levied against the Lightguard by the Saviours, as well as Gaius Lestrade's few recorded musings on the nature of Knighthood struck a chord with the young man who found in his heroes some objection to the ways of fighting and killing, and the misuse of the Light.

The Church of the Light was one of the few things that Lysander participated in with his family with little to no objection. He took easily to the positive aspects of the Church of the Light. He believed in justice, the beauty of life, and particularly in trying one's hardest in everything. He struggled immensely with his artistic endeavours, trying everything that he could to show his family that his art was worth pursuing instead of throwing another child into the military machine of the Silver Knights. It was his mother who suggested that he look to Ardella's guidance. He quickly took to the faith.

Lysander's father, seeing that his son was dedicating himself to something traditionally worthwhile in the Church, relented a little on his insistence that Lysander pick up the martial arts as a Knight like his brother and sister. However, he wasn't entirely content to leave it be. That was when he realised that it was time to rely on his faithful friend from the Riverlands War, Sir Orelia Torvaigne.

Sir Orelia always had a soft spot for the young Lysander. He was a spirited and free child, with a winning smile, and was quickly won over by his charming earnestness. It was not unusual for her to be left to care for the Aldonne children while their parents were out at private functions that were not intended for children. When his tougher siblings picked on him a little too much, she would intervene. She supported him in his artistic pursuits, and during the martial lessons that Lysander's father put the children through she was there to observe and helped make class a little more bearable for him by taking things a little easier. Lysander loved her dearly. While his mother was not unkind or unsupportive, she and his father presented a strong united front regarding their expectations of him, and Orelia was a much-needed voice of support.

When Lysander became a teenager in earnest and he began his priestly training, she was asked to keep him to a standard of combat, for his own good. They pulled him out of the overbearing lessons, and she gave him some shorter, less intense lessons to keep him in shape. She also helped him discover his own combat preferences. Lysander was never a man for the traditional Whytehold greatsword or even longsword, nor was he especially fond of the rapier or smallsword. He did find a fondness for knives in their flexibility. She knew then that he was never going to be a Silver Knight, but they might make a Tempest out of him.

For his part, Lysander enjoyed those more private lessons, free of the pressure of his siblings and the tutors who had grand expectations. Orelia knew him, cared about him and what he wanted, and wasn't there simply to force him to conform to a traditional mould that he simply did not fit. Often, they talked during lessons, and it was during one of these lessons that he finally asked her what happened to her face. She told him about the Riverlands War, how she saved his father, how she nearly died to dragonfire, and at his insistence, how she watched the people she knew die and how thousands on both sides were slaughtered. All to gain Sollersby in the end.

Lysander was a curious reader, and had been of the critical mind already. Hearing someone he cared about talking frankly about the horrors of war shattered the illusion of glory around it forever. He even confronted his father about it. Demetrius Aldonne was, at first, angry. But after he calmed down and listened, he realised that his son had genuinely hit upon truth. He did concede that war was not all that glorious. That it was painful, and people died, were wounded and would carry scars the rest of their lives. But he maintained that he believed that war *could* be worth it. Fighting for a worthy cause, fighting for beliefs, for freedom, to make sure that people you cared for weren't harmed. Then, Lysander understood. Glory was a lie that warriors shared so that they could find the strength to fight on for what really mattered - The people that they protected. He would never be a soldier, or a knight, but he did see the point in knowing how to fight. Not necessarily for himself, but for what he truly cared about. At Orelia's recommendation, Lysander and his father agreed that he would go to the Silver Tempest school after his training was complete.

During his training as a Priest he was dedicated in his pursuit of knowledge and in understanding. The greater Light pantheon had ceased to be of as great interest, and instead he began to focus on the Four Muses. The Four Muses were an expression of Thassalus' identity, and he related more strongly to this set of four deities who captured the soul of his country in a way that the broader Light pantheon did not. With how easy being social came to him, his natural charm and his obvious passion, it was thought that he would be dedicating himself to Alyssa. For a while, Lysander himself thought so. In the end, he returned to Ardella's embrace, because that was who he truly was. Behind the smiles, the laughs, the jokes, the flirtation, he was dedicated to what he did.

Lysander had never stopped pursuing his art. His painting and drawings were good, but he did not excel at them. He wrote fine poetry, even great essays during his studies on the aspects of the Gods. It was theatre that captured him though. His family had taken him to plays throughout his life, it was Thassalian tradition, and now with the added mobility from being a little older he did a little acting. But even the acting, he realised, was not enough. It was writing. It was storytelling. His final proof to his mentors as a Priest of Ardella that he had learned her lessons was not an essay nor a divine miracle, it was the manuscript for his first play - *Lestrade*.

After Lysander completed his training, he took that manuscript to the players in Villabourg.

## The Council of Thassalus

#### Act One

The Council of Thassalus campaign began after the recent roaring success of *A Song for Sollersby*, considered to be a modern masterpiece of theatre despite, or perhaps in part because of, its controversial nature. He quickly caused a scene at the Ducal Palace before the Duchess' coronation was due to begin when Lady Sylvia Charlemont began arguing with him about the play. Her brother, High Persecutor Verner Kerzenberg of the Lightguard, had been lampooned along with her entire family in *The Heretics*, and *A Song for Sollersby'*s scathing criticism of her home nation of Whytehold was one injury too many to bear regardless of how artistically sound she believed the play was. Lysander's quick wit and passion left her reeling and furious, and she soon sought out High Persecutor Kerzenberg after fleeing the debate.

The High Persecutor was less than impressed to find Lysander standing before the highest authority in the Lightguard not only unrepentant, but as belligerent as he was with his sister. A second argument then broke out, with both attacking the other's stances on Whytehold military intervention and the overstepping of the Lightguard and the Church into people's private affairs. This was concluded with Kerzenberg threatening a duel, and following that an Inquisition. Mr Gormaire at this point intervened to keep the Duchess' coronation running smoothly, but the drama had played itself out already, so he merely satisfied himself with locking Lysander in a cupboard until he was rescued by Sir Orelia.

At the Coronation, Lysander reunited with an old flame, Lucrezia DeVries, who agreed they ought to have a proper catch-up later at The Evening. He also spotted Grand Baron Lykos Treugard, a man whose distaste for Whytehold was reasonably well known. He struck up a conversation with the old Northerner, and suggested that he watch a performance of *A Song for Sollersby.* The Grand Baron thanked Lysander for the recommendation, and they went their separate ways for the moment. Later that night, Lysander met Lucrezia at the evening where insinuated she was involved with some interesting people and had opportunities for advancement. Lysander loosely expressed interest, though at this stage had nothing particular to offer her and her mysterious benefactors. They then resumed their fling once more.

In the days following the Coronation, Lysander was eager to get out of the duel. He personally had no intention of fighting as he would surely lose. Orelia meanwhile would be in danger, and as a much more competent fighter, Lysander feared that Kerzenberg would insist on more than merely a duel to first blood given the gravity of the insults levied against his family. After taking some advice from his recent acquaintance Antonio Blaccard, advisor to the Archmage, Lysander appeared before the High Persecutor with an argument in mind to sway him. He managed to pin Werner to the key complaint that Lysander's writing did not give fair representation to the positives of the Church. Lysander made the High Persecutor an offer - Lysander would write a play to correct his intellectual blunder, and Verner would retract his threat of a duel and an Inquisition. Verner agreed, and the bet was on.

The play began to take shape in Lysander's mind as *The Saints*, and already at this stage he saw the potential for a third and final instalment named *The Prophets.* He began work eagerly with his heart filled with artistic fervour, mingled with righteous anger and a little fear of the consequences of his actions. This prompted him to reach out to another old flame, Deacon Hope, one of the prospective candidates for Archbishop. They caught up, once again reigniting an old flame, and Hope was able to give Lysander some pointers to refine his religious arguments in the play. He also warned against future dalliances with Lucrezia due to her dubious connections.

He was able to work mostly in peace at this time, until an eventful day that began with a brief encounter at the White Harp Hotel where he and the family were staying. Sylvia Charlemont herself came to visit, and it was mostly pleasant. They managed to agree to hold back the barbs and jabs long enough to have a real conversation about the one thing they both loved - art. After this, he was approached by Mister Gormaire for some assistance with the small matter of the Coronation.

Gormaire revealed that someone had made an attempt on the Duchess' life, and knowing that Lysander was as ambitious as he was creative and fairly reliable, brought him along for an investigation that led them not simply to the Ducal Palace, but the maze of catacombs beneath. After clearing out a small pack of rat-spiders, they met the mysterious Concierge. Lysander was able to glean little about the man or his accomplices, other than that they worshipped the Dark, but the Concierge did reveal that something large and lifeless delivered explosives beneath the palace. To gather evidence, they found themselves at the door of the Bugle news agency alongside the Spymaster LeCleres. Lysander's artistic eye spotted a magical golem inside the Avamore carriage in one of the developing photographs. Here, his role in the investigation ended for now and he returned to work on The Saints.

During this time, he was visited by Sylvia Charlemont again, who consulted him regarding an event. She was planning to host a party and wanted some inspiration on how to communicate her feelings of loss. Lysander suggested blindfolds, to vividly capture a sense of loss and fumbling around in the dark trying to find one's way. He also suggested that she show off her own performing art, ballet, in memory of her lost husband. Lady Charlemont appreciated the boldness and audacity of the blindfold concept, and set about preparing her party with these two centrepieces in mind.

Towards the end of their visit, things took a turn. Both of them decided that they would visit Verner regarding matters of faith, as Lysander had expressed support for Deacon Hope. However, upon arriving at the location where Kerzenberg had made his base of operations, they found only Deacon Hope reporting that Verner had gone to visit Lykos Treugard. Knowing of the Notherners' greater tolerance for pagan faiths, both sped off to the manor as quickly as they could. After ascertaining that the Margovers had likely sold them out, both of them managed to gain entry to the Treugard house and meet with the Grand Baron. They had a short, pleasant conversation where Lykos complimented *A Song for Sollersby* and promised to attend *The Saints* before they got down to business regarding the Lightguard. They really were heretics, dark worshippers specifically, and the Lightguard might actually find evidence. They hatched a plan.

While Sylvia got to work helping the Treugard family hide evidence, rescuing a granddaughter in her more bestial vampire form from the Lightguard and pinning the artifacts on a serving man, Lysander distracted Verner. He tried to convince Verner that Hope was a strong candidate, but the matter descended into an argument. This kept him all too distracted to get involved with the hunt. Eventually, Sylvia returned with her work done and the Lightguard, in the absence of evidence against the family, departed. After this, Lysander and Sylvia also parted ways on good terms, with Lysander seeking out the services of Antonio Blaccard to help with Hope's campaign.

Two nights before *The Saints* was due to premiere, Lysander, alongside other nobility attended the event. He engaged in a little good-natured conversation with Blaccard and Gormaire before the blindfolds were put on. He found himself seated next to a fantastically interesting woman of mystery, with whom he naturally flirted. When the blind section of the party was over, he realised that the woman was none other than Duchess Julietta Theracoure, who was rather taken with his boyish charm and straightforwardness. They separated after this to view the ballet, with Lysander very pleased that he had made such an impression.

After an assassin almost shot Sylvia during the performance, Lysander joined Mister Gormaire in attempting to chase down the would-be assassins. He was unable to land a blow against them however, and was thrown down a flight of stairs and was unable to catch up before they escaped with one of Sylvia's children. However, his knowledge of the town did enable the group to track the assassins, now clearly revealed to be agents from New Haven, to a teleportation circle. There, he and Sylvia argued again as he reproached her for daring to consider charging into the circle with no regard for her other children and her personal safety. They very nearly came to blows before Orelia and Antonio intervened, and Lysander left.

#### Act Two

The next day, preparations for *The Saints* were in full swing and the final rehearsals were in order. Mister Gormaire offered Lysander a position on a team intending to follow the teleportation circle to the castle known as The Cairn. He refused, citing his play and his poor track record in combat. This meant that when Gormaire, Antonio and Sylvia all disappeared, it was he who had to answer to Verner Kerzenberg. Verner was displeased to learn that they had gone, and threatened to not attend *The Saints*, though Lysander was able to cajole him into attending, in no small part due to the fact that nobody had told the High Persecutor where they were going. He reviewed the manuscript, and found it satisfactory, and after that Lysander set off to ensure that the play ran smoothly.

*The Saints* concluded the night with great reviews, and even Verner Kerzenberg begrudgingly admitted that he enjoyed the play and its messaging. Duchess Julietta gave her compliments on the performance, and intimated that they should speak again, and soon. Lysander returned to the hotel in triumph, but before he could get comfortable, he noticed a woman in danger. He recognised her from Sylvia's party as a compromised guardswoman named Cecelia that Gormaire had saved, and immediately took action to defend her from a presumed reprisal. After hiding her in his rooms, he performed a quick investigation revealing a battle had taken place between Lady Cassandra Silvairand one of the assassins who seemingly fled via a portal. Lady Silvair was nowhere to be found inside her room, though he did steal a Telmont dagger with magical piercing properties from her as some compensation for helping her save Cecilia. Then, he took one of the hotel's staffers back to his room to round off the night.

It would be a little while before peace would find Lysander yet. He was invited to attend the palace to visit with the Duchess. When he arrived, he was asked to leave his many knives behind. This caught the attention and amusement of Lord Hirsch of the Hinterwald who had just met the Duchess for a diplomatic meeting. The two had a short conversation before Lord Hirsch left, where Lysander was able to charm his way into the man's good graces. After having heard of his efforts in investigation, as well as his heroic attempts to help, she was happy to offer him a Ducal patronage. He gladly accepted, and lodged his own interest in accepting the position of Grand Patron. While she made no promises, it was clear that the offer was at least being entertained. She also revealed that the Queen-Commander of Whytehold would be visiting, and that at this time she would initiate a plan to make Silvershire independent.

In the meantime, after the recovery of Sylvia's child and the intervention of Antonio, Hope's campaign was beginning to pick up pace. Even Verner Kerzenberg was beginning to be convinced that he was a good candidate after his grievances with Lysander were set aside. However, the Lightguard threat remained. Sollan Temple had sent Bishop Conviction along with a group of witch hunter extremist members of the Lightguard, and he was making aggressive enquiries. Lysander and Antonio settled on using Verner as their weapon against him, attempting to promote some more co-operation between he and Hope and the rest of the Thassalian clergy to deny Conviction support.

A short time later, Lysander was called to the palace to meet Gormaire and LeCleres to be sent as a special envoy to Morvay to deal with the separatist movement there, and the New Haven agents behind it. Gormaire laid his cards out on the table with Lysander, Antonio and Sylvia, revealing that he had sent agents to Sollersby who never returned. Furthermore, following the attack on the Cairn, Gormaire had gone to Lucrezia DeVries' castle at Vriedeberg and burned it down after discovering a dragon egg inside as retribution for his missing associates. The New Haven conspiracy was backed into a corner, and this was their chance to finally discover what their plan was exactly in Morvay. With the unlikely group of four officially conspiring together for the good of the realm, they made their final preparations before leaving.

Before they departed, Lysander called a meeting with Lucrezia revealing he had information that she may find useful. Intrigued and disarmed by their prior relationship, she told him to meet him in Morvay to discuss a plan to advance them both. Sylvia Charlemont reached out to him once again, offering the chance to work together as she made a bid for Grand Patron as despite their disagreements, now that her honour was satisfied by Verner, she wanted to support his work as she believed in his art. He declined, and tactically did not mention his own budding bid for the position. Lysander met with Gormaire, Blaccard and Sylvia to discuss their plans for Morvay and drink together in the evening in anticipation of their success. Finally, Lysander sent numerous communications to various figures throughout Silvershire in anticipation of the Queen-Commander's visit as he planned to host an Independence Day festival.

When the group arrived in Morvay, Lysander wasted no time in embedding himself in Lucrezia's inner circle. He also began acquainting himself with the Altavan Troupe and the eccentric performing mage Francisco Florentino. Sylvia and Antonio busied themselves with understanding the political landscape at High Arbour. Lysander spent the next day working with the Altavan troupe to put on a performance of The Saints for the young Grand Baron Cosimo Morvay, while spending some time with Lucrezia. That afternoon, the dual murder of Sisimo Canaves and Leto Lothair was discovered. When Antonio Blaccard was accused, Lysander did step in to help him clear his name and discovered Sisimo's schedule, including a meeting with an 'L.M'. A man claiming to be Grand Baron Lucian Morvay appeared, and he seized control of High Arbour. This power grab was opposed by Sylvia and Antonio, but Lysander was able to step in and deftly take Sylvia's arguments apart with precisely aimed jabs. With no support, Antonio backed down, leaving Lysander to pin the murders on the recently arrived Mister Gormaire who was promptly arrested. Lysander then deepened his infiltration by proposing a greater independence movement, demonstrating revolutionary spirit and apparent agreement with the plan.

With the situation dire, Lysander worked with Sir Orelia and the Altavan troupe to pull off a reverse-coup. He was able to make contact covertly with Antonio who reached out to mages and other members of the nobility to sway them against the false Grand Baron. When all was in readiness, as the castle was abuzz with activity with guards searching for evidence to convict Gormaire, Lysander recommended to Lucrezia that they put on a show to ease everyone's nerves and to welcome in the Grand Baron. She, knowing that Lysander did genuinely have some separatist alignments and evidently trusting him, accepted his words at face value and called the gathered nobility to gather in the theatre. She also informed him that New Haven troops would cross the border to secure the territory as soon as the formal separation procedures had been complied with.

As soon as Lysander cajoled Lucian Morvay to the stage for an opening speech before the play, the disguised Orelia Torvaigne seized him and his actors drew swords. Lysander personally put a knife to his throat and the room was frozen. At this moment, a liberated Gormaire stepped in with Cosimo Morvay at his side who demanded Lucian's arrest. A battle broke out between the two sides. Lucrezia hurled ice at Lysander and Lucian set the playwright and his faithful bodyguard on fire. Despite this, they were able to subdue both and place them in captivity. Lysander and Sylvia immediately rang the Ducal Palace to report his operation as a success, and that troops may be en route to Morvay as they speak. They were thankful, and promised to deal with it in the morning. Lysander and Sylvia then spoke briefly, with him apologising for being so cruel the day before, and explaining that it was necessary to integrate himself into Lucrezia's inner circle. She accepted this, seemingly grudgingly, but warned him against such words again. Lysander also admitted that he was making a bid for the Grand Patronage. They separated, less filled with hostility but their interpersonal rivalry as artists flaring ever higher. The playwright headed to sleep, burned and emotionally exhausted after betraying a former lover.

However, Lysander slept poorly that night. Not an hour after he climbed into bed, Orelia woke him up to inform him that Sylvia Charlemont was missing, and blood was found at the scene.

#### Act Three

The morning investigations in High Arbour proved fruitless, neither the efforts of Antonio and the mages of the Morvesian conclave, the Morvay house guard, the Charlemont, nor even the small contingent of Ducal Guard who arrived to support Gormaire could find any sign of what had happened to her. Lysander was reserved that day, though he did manage to secure a loose agreement from Florentino and the Altavan troupe to work with him on some future projects. Before leaving Morvay proper, Gormaire introduced him to a composer. Seizing upon this distraction, Lysander won over the man and commissioned an anthem for the festival that he had planned, as well as potentially a soundtrack for an upcoming movie that the young playwright was planning. This rounded up his business in the county, so he returned to Thassalus.

Upon his return, Lysander busied himself writing *The Prophets,* his third play in the *Messerbringer Trilogy,* and organising affairs for the festival to come. With his father's assistance he began setting up a tournament, he reached out to Lord Hirsch of the Hinterwald to bring a Manticore for a hunt. He reached out to a talented blacksmith to create a beautiful sword, and he had Hope and other priests Bless it. He even sent missives to Treugard and Margover to summon their best performers and artists to show off their wonders. During this time, Muselvig the Mad, a controversial painting prodigy who had been imprisoned for murder came to Lysander to secure a new patronage. Lysander granted this, and asked him to create a painting in honour of Sylvia, who it was agreed was quite dead, although her body had yet to be discovered.

Lysander was not free from conspiracy and espionage for long. Not long after he had set arrangements for the festival into motion, he was called to meet the Duchess at the Palace. Firstly, she informed him that Sylvia was planning to resurrect the Day of Asteros, an old tradition that had not been properly celebrated for many years. Lysander offered to pick up where she left off, and so it was done. However, that was not all the Duchess had to tell. Secondly, the Duchess informed him that she was making her way to Avamore to visit with Ophelia Avamore, who investigation had revealed was being pressured by the mysterious Cain of Sollersby. The playwright was asked to join her as one of her loyal followers.

Along with Mister Gormaire and Antonio, and as always accompanied by Orelia Torvaigne, he set out. A little concerned after the Morvay incident, Lysander requested a small group of the Aldonne house guard including Sergeant Jephamir. A short river boat ride later, they arrived at Avamore Court. Cain greeted them personally. Lysander attempted to recreate the success of the Morvay plan, but Cain proved immune to his charms. They were led to meet the Grand Baroness Avamore. When they met, she subtly indicated that she was afraid for her life. Cain had been pressuring her, and she was afraid of what he might do and what his plan might be. Lysander and Antonio briefly spoke regarding how bad things seemed there, as a strange pall was set over the Court. On the way to their lodgings, suddenly the world erupted into blue light.

Lysander found himself in a room, bare except for a chair and two black-clad New Haven agents. The voice of Cain of Sollersby echoed in his mind, offering Lysander the chance to join him in convincing the Duchess to allow him to carry out his scheme. Knowing that he would be useless locked in a room with these two at best and murdered at worst, Lysander agreed. He also was curious. Cain seemed to believe in an independent Sollersby, and he found that he could empathise with the separatist's views of religious freedoms and escaping the boot of Whytehold.

Lysander walked the streets of Bruggenstrasz, the capital of Sollersby, with the agents at his heels. He conversed with a protestor about the cause they were fighting for. He heard performances of *A Song for Sollersby* in the streets and listened to the protestor explain how its message had reached them. They sincerely wanted to be free. He was not keen to let Sollersby go to New Haven, these people were of Silvershire now and clearly had their own artistic spirits and values that they could offer. He didn't want to see them choked by Whytehold either.

When he arrived at Cain's office in the town hall, Antonio and Gormaire, had already arrived as had the Duchess. Cain was there in the room, along with Octavius, a large serpentine wyrm with three eyes. He was offered a seat at the table, and they began to discuss. He quickly pivoted the discussion towards Cain's ideals, and drew parallels between the two of them. He abandoned the attempted seduction, and began to relate on an ideological level. Gormaire, Antonio and the Duchess interjected, adding practical considerations to his philosophical arguments. Cain seemed to be turning. Octavius at this moment told Cain to order their contingency plan, a staged massacre of innocent civilians started by New Haven agents in Theracoure disguises. Gormaire intervened, wrestling the dragonkin down while Lysander came in with a knife. Cain ordered them all to stop, and the room froze as he made his decision. Cain chose to join the Thassalian cause, and as they discussed terms, Cassandra Silvair once again appeared out of seemingly nowhere as Orelia, Ar'gos, and other agents of the party arrived with news.

Sylvia's mother in the Rivenwald was sending forces North to Thassalus, a combination of knights and Lightguard, supposedly with the support of the Hierophant. They had to get back to Thassalus fast to enact the Duchess' plan before they were able to take over. The Duchess revealed that she planned to hatch a Light dragon egg. This revelation finally convinced Octavius to help, as the continuation of a species of dragon was a worthy cause. One had not been born in sixty years. They rushed to the teleportation circles that the New Haven agents set up around the city. Time was short.

When they returned to Thassalus, they found the Ducal Palace overtaken by the Lightguard at the behest of Bishop Conviction. They had to take it back. A plan was drawn up. Antonio and the Duchess would go in through the front doors on official pretence. Meanwhile, Lysander would recover Deacon Hope and holy artefacts to assist in the hatching and meet Gormaire with the rest of the team at a secret underpassage into the Palace. Hope quickly joined the team, bringing along an ancient copy of the Tome of Truths while Lysander claimed the holy sword he had commissioned. When they convened, Antonio, Lysander, Gormaire, Orelia, Octavius and Captain Reno of the Ducal Guard descended into the catacombs.

During their journey towards the palace through the tunnels, they encountered Lykos Treugard and his family with their vampiric forms revealed. They greeted the party warmly after recognising Lysander. They revealed that they were protecting the areas below the palace as it was full of dark magic due to the presence of the Concierge and the Depthers. They warned of a group of Lightguard that were making their way to the centre of the Palace, towards the seal used to keep Azjol the Deceiver at bay that was placed there centuries ago by Asteros the Great. Lysander and Hope agreed to divert the Lightguard towards a sewer to buy them all time.

By using their familiarity with their faith and Lysander's natural way with people, the Lightguard were persuaded to seek heresy elsewhere. After that, they proceeded towards the Palace. Part way there, they encountered Lucian Morvay. He was not pleased to see Lysander, however hostilities were avoided with some deft diplomacy. Lysander directed him the direction of the Lightguard he had misled earlier. As they drew closer, they encountered a Lightguard Inquisitor. However, she called Lysander by name and revealed that she was an agent of Mister Gormaire. She had procured Lightguard disguises and went off to recruit Lucian Morvay to rescue imprisoned members of the Ducal Guard. She returned with Morvay in tow, and with all disguised, the team infiltrated the dungeon.

Lysander, Hope, Orelia, Lucian Morvay and the infiltrator timed their attack with a raid by Mister Gormaire and the remaining Ducal Guard at large. They were able to efficiently dispatch the Lightguard holding the dungeons until an Angel intervened. The Light being terrorised the Dark magic wielding infiltrator until Lysander intervened. Invoking their holy purpose in hatching the dragon egg, he was able to stall the Angel until it decided to pursue heresy elsewhere, and convinced it with Gormaire's assistance that they had this heretic captured already. With that, the group moved to the Palace Gardens.

The combined forces of Lysander, Hope, Antonio, the Duchess and a disgraced Verner Kerzenberg were able to set up a divine ritual circle with the Light dragon egg in the centre. They began chanting and the ritual got underway in earnest. However, it would not go undisturbed. Bishop Conviction, at the head of a squad of Lightguard and flanked by a pair of Angels stepped forward to stop the ritual before it began. They were easily able to disperse the force of Ducal Guard holding the line, allowing Conviction and his Angels to advance into the ritual circle. Lysander abandoned his position in the circle to hold up the Bishop. They exchanged words, Lysander pleading with him to see the greater holy purpose in what they were doing with the ritual circle. His words fell on deaf ears as Conviction was convinced that the Palace was tainted by heresy and could not give birth, and that the act of trying was a mockery to the Gods. When he ordered the egg destroyed, Lysander admonished him as a zealot, and a blind one at that. Worst of all, he insinuated that Conviction had strayed from the Light in his pursuit of heretics and that his focus on death and destruction was rather of the Dark.

Lysander's accusations succeeded only in enraging Conviction. The Bishop raised his mace to strike Lysander down, Orelia was too far away to intervene, leaving only the playwright to defend himself. Lysander reached for the holy sword, and at his will it flew into the air to deflect the blow and disarmed the Bishop. Conviction recognised the true holiness of the weapon and looked on in disbelief. In that precise moment, in a flash of warm light visible for miles around, the egg hatched. Conviction, mind warped by years of zealotry, refused to recognise that a child of the Light had been born in front of him and stepped forward to try to kill the creature. Before he could reach it, or Lysander could command the sword to strike him, his Angel retinue grabbed him by the arms and carried him into the sky, back to Sollan Temple and screaming the whole way. Seeing this, the Lightguard troops stood down and slowly began to file out of the palace.

Meanwhile, Lysander and Hope knelt around the hatchling with the Duchess and Verner, marvelling at it. He noticed an oddity on its face. Beneath its right eye was a patch of black scales. He suspected that the presence of the Dark worshipping Depthers beneath the palace may have had an effect on it. Nonetheless, it was a Light dragon. Holy, and innocent as a babe. Lysander named the dragon Faith. The group talked, but eventually Verner and the Duchess moved off to deal with other matters with Antonio. Lysander and Hope meanwhile had a heart to heart. Lysander confessed that he did love Hope, and that since the Deacon had been by his side through everything, through his mistakes and his triumphs, he could think of nobody else who he would rather dedicate himself to.

Later, the Duchess did borrow Lysander to take him beneath the palace, asking him to make his own judgement on whether to explain to Hope what he found down there. In the catacombs he met Antonio and the Concierge, along with the Lightguard infiltrator and the Duchess. They were admitted into a chamber where the Depthers and the Treugard family were gathered around a ritual site dedicated to Venefica. In the centre, a young Dark dragon lay curled upon a raised circle of stonework. It was explained that Divine magic requires balance, and to give birth to Light an equal and opposite Dark must be born as well. Lysander suggested that Liberty might be a good name for the young dragon, then returned to Hope.

News was delivered with the Rivenwald force that the Duchess and Antonio dispersed that the Queen-Commander was due at the start of the next month. Lysander's preparations for the festival went into overdrive. He drew upon every resource he had, even bringing on Antonio and his mage allies in the Library, Morvay and Telmont to put together a magical museum to fill out the festival grounds. He organised displays of fine art. Performers from Treugard and Margover appeared to perform Lochwyn's Loss, a traditional play from the Northern territories which he turned into a competition to satisfy the rivalry between the two. The hunt for a Manticore from the Hinterlands was prepared and the tournament grounds were arrayed in readiness. All the while, Lysander put the finishing touches on *The Prophets* and managed rehearsals, including the addition of Francisco Florentino's magical spectacle and the casting of Margover and Treugard's star performers as two villains to supplement the previous cast. Everything was ready for the Queen's arrival.

The Duchess and her newly appointed Council including Antonio as Archmage, Gormaire as Spymaster and an ascendant Lysander as Grand Patron met the Queen-Commander as she arrived in front of a column representing all who fell under the banner of the Kingdom of Whytehold. The two leaders greeted each other cordially, but then the Queen-Commander's gaze turned to Lysander. He greeted her with all of the dignity and grace he could muster, and she remarked that she expected him to be taller. He took the barb in good spirit, and gave her a quick summary of the events available for her entertainment, and invited her personally to attend the first performance of *The Prophets*. She accepted his invitation, concluding the exchange by referring to him as "Waldonne", to which he retorted with "Meisenberg" per the mocking script of *A Song for Sollersby*, though hastily corrected himself out of deference with a cheeky smile.

*The Prophets* was a great success and Lysander was proud to see that the Queen-Commander did gasp at a particularly surprising moment during the plot. He had managed to break her notorious stoicism. The rest of the festival was a success, including a suitably regal banquet for the various significant individuals where they were invited to see the fledgling Faith. His hunting competition went off well, if surprisingly, as it was won by a little-known Lady who had a passion for hunting, who personally defeated the Queen-Commander's Svoldean Reaver companion in a race for the killing blow on the Manticore and far outshone Sir Stavros the Dragonslayer in tracking prowess. She even defeated Mister Gormaire's agents.

The next day saw the start of the tournament that Lysander had organised. With the Charlemont side pacified by the Duchess' excellent diplomacy, it promised to be a busy affair with the full order of Silver Knights in attendance as well as the Queen-Commander's retinue, as well as Verner Kerzenberg himself. Orelia gave a fair show but was beaten by Verner Kerzenberg, Antonio was able to defeat the Queen-Commander's bodyguard himself before being knocked out. Filippo Charlemont performed excellently, only being toppled by Verner Kerzenberg in the penultimate fight.

None of these excellent fights were the crowning moment of the tournament. Not even Mister Gormaire punching and grappling his way to victory in a tournament full of sword-swinging veterans was, even bringing down Kerzenberg at the end. Lysander before the tournament began had asked the Queen-Commander whether she would be joining. She said no, that it wouldn't be fair. He then made a simple offer - He would join, if she would. Anjelika Weisenberg did not hesitate to agree. And as fate would have it, in the very first round of the tournament, by sheer coincidence, the two faced off. Lysander with his knives, the Queen with her greatsword and armour. Her assault was sudden, fast, faster than he could have expected. But in that moment, as he threw himself from side to side desperately dodging swing after swing, Lysander remembered his Silver Tempest training and threw a knife, drawing first blood from the Queen-Commander. She took defeat with grace, and her respect for the playwright deepened. He then promptly lost to Filippo Charlemont and Verner Kerzenberg, by proxy satisfying Sylvia's grudge and the rivalry with Verner. Truly, it was a good thing that Lysander negotiated his way out of that duel. Neither he nor Orelia would have won.

## Plays

*Lestrade -* A tale of love and heroism, a biographic play following Gaius Lestrade's tempestuous love life and how it changed the world.

*Katarina -* A raucous anti-war play touching on the importance of love, family, love lives, family lives and even the value of life itself.

*The Heretics* - A witty and cutting performance that wounded the High Persecutor's pride enough that Lysander was challenged to a duel over it.

*A Song for Sollersby -* Some might say Lysander's magnum opus and perhaps even an all-time great, a heart-rending tragedy that shows the absurdity of war through the fate of the brave Sir Julian Mendelle of Thassalus.

*The Saints* - A charming follow-up to *The Heretics*, showing a more hopeful outlook on the state of the Lightguard and the people within it.

*The Prophets -* The resounding conclusion to the Messerbringer Trilogy. While the humour is still good, it is not Lysander's funniest play. However, this is more than made up for in the sheer impact of its subject matter, themes, and character work that brings the trilogy of comedies to an impactful conclusion. The first performance was greatly enhanced by the presence of Francisco Florentino as one of the titular Prophets, and the presence of Orion of Margover and Lancel of Treugard as two of the three central villains in the play.

## Patronages

The Villabourg Troupe - The Villabourg Troupe are Lysander's home performing troupe with whom he has worked for years. Beginning with his work on Lestrade, they played for him throughout A Song for Sollersby and the Messerbringer Trilogy, bringing his best works to life.

The Altavan Troupe -The home troupe of the city of Altavan in Morvay, famous for its performances of tragedies. They briefly worked together during Lysander's visit to High Arbour, wherein they joined him in his conspiracy to counter-coup Lucian Morvay. They later agreed to work alongside Lysander in his production of *The Palace of the Spider*.

Muselvig the Mad - One of Sylvia Charlemont's former artists, he approached Lysander following her death and requested his patronage, which Lysander was happy to grant, even if he was uncertain of the man's stability.

The Altavan Crime Lord - Lysander was able to secure the services of an Altavan Crime Lord with a talent for composition to create an anthem for the Day of Asteros festival, with the assistance of Mister Gormaire.