Reise Forrawyn

## Sophia Reise-Forrawyn

### Aliases

Kaiserin of the Reich, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces, Marshal of Nadezhda, Queen of Jotunheim, Lord Protector of Guilddon, Warmaster of New Arendur, Defender of the Frostfell, and Warden of the Northern Throne

### Relatives

Franz Forrawyn (father), Walpurga Reise (mother)

## The weak will always be led by the strong...

*"We must face the truth squarely and without flinching from duty. The weak will always be led by the strong. Where the strong see purpose and act, the weak follow; where the strong cry out against fate, the weak bow their heads and succumb."*

-Reise Forrawyn

## History

The daughter of Franz Forrawyn and Walpurga Forrawyn, Reise never knew her mother, who died when she was young. She was well cared for, but her father remained distant from her. She was largely raised by Benno Lang, who was the General of the Army at the time. When injuries forced General Lang to retire and take up the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, he recommended to the Fuhrer that she be allowed to take his place. Franz Forrawyn granted the request, and Reise Forrawyn has led the army ever since.

## Personality

Reise Forrawyn is as stubborn and iron-willed as her father, but less rigid in her worldview. She is revered by the troops for her bravery and beauty, and respected by the Hexenjägers for her commitment to duty. Many lamented that her elven father was likely to outlive her, as she would, in their estimation, make a worthy Fuhrer of the Reich Nördlich.

Fifty hard and bitter years of rule have isolated Reise Forrawyn from the world and made her increasingly solipsistic in her thinking. Her own long lifespan has been a blessing and a curse. It has given her time to consolidate her grip over the largest empire on Terra since Celymnaia of old, defeating and simply outliving any challenges to her authority. It has also cut her off from others, and accumulated memories have led to moments of confusion on her part. She has mistaken men for their fathers, made outdated assumptions about custom and technology, and asked for counsel from long-dead advisers.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Reise Forrawyn would accompany her father on all major battles, commanding the regular army in his stead, while he himself commanded the Hexenjägers. She would personally lead the army's outriders, launching strikes on the Nadezhdan supply lines during their invasion of World's End. She would go on to command the Reich's troops in the field during the invasion of Nadezhda, providing cover for her father's Hexenjägers. She would accompany her father to Xiclotl, but at his command, she would keep her men in reserve while the Hexenjägers attacked the northern dome. After the deaths of Brennen and Franz Forrawyn, she would negotiate with General Warrizek, the highest ranking imperial officer. The two would reach an accord, and merge their forces. Claiming the title of Kaiserin, she and the General would go on to unify the shattered countries of the north, creating the Reich.

Reise Forrawyn would be ejected from the Holy Council due to her refusal to disclose the location of Khamsa, an action that likely perpetuated the war on her own terms. Her departure would mark the the decline of the Holy Council as a credible institution. Already widely scorned for its toothless authority and inability to prevent the War of the Philosopher-Kings, the absence of the world's most powerful monarch would make its meetings increasingly worthless.

## After the War

Reise Forrawyn would dispatch Wolfram Panzer, the newly appointed General of the Hexenjägers, to conquer New Arendur. After the conquest, she would undertake an expedition to New Arendur. She would think little of the colonies, taking satisfaction in the destruction of the Illuminated, and dismissing the survivors as beneath her notice.

Reise Forrawyn would devote the decades to come to hold her vast, unwieldy empire together and ensure tenuous peace in the process. Single minded and ruthless in the pursuit of her goal, she would fail to see that the world around her was changing. In particular, she would dismiss growing reports of the return of the great old ones, failing to grasp their significance. This would be her great failure. Truly dangerous men, such as Flavius Luteus Scaevola, came into power under her watch because of their shared commitment to peace, while potential allies such as Arthur Coralis of World's End or Kuldeep of Shangare were dismissed out of hand.

## The Great Awakening

Reise Forrawyn is quick to dismiss the warnings of the Third Northern Expedition, and is caught off guard by the merger of the Dreamlands and the waking world. She attempts to rally the Hexenjägers, but is assassinated by the traitorous Albrecht Kurz. The Reich crumbles soon afterwards.