Isolde de LeSarre

"*I may be a **monster**, for what I've done. And I will **never** forgive myself for the things I did...for **you**. And when the time comes I will face the gods' punishment. But maybe...**maybe**...one day I can find peace...**in knowing that I am your monster no longer**,*"
—Isolde to a captive Adam[src]

**Isolde de LeSarre**, born and formerly known as **Yen Black**, is a powerful sorceress from the Thalmonian duchy of Sarre and a co-founder of the Knot. After abandoning the organization after 120 years, Isolde decided to use her powers to seek her fortune and joined a company of mercenaries led by Hermoor MacDuff. When the company brought young Minerva an Kett into the fold, Isolde decided to protect her from her former friends in the Knot, who sought her purported access to the lost realm of Dauðstaður.

## Biography

### Early Life & Background

Isolde de LeSarre was born under the name "Yen" as the illegitimate daughter of Fernus, the Duke of Sarre and a powerful lord within the Black Empire; her mother was a common maid at Castle LeSarre. Due to her status as a bastard child, she was unable to legally claim the name "de LeSarre". Her mother named her Yen, a common name in the region, with the surname "Black", the name given to bastards in the Empire. For her sixth birthday, her father gave her the noble name "Isolde", a title she disregarded in favour of her birth name.

Despite her status, Yen remained the daughter of the Duke and therefore was allowed to reside within the walls of Castle LeSarre with her mother in a small hut.

## Overview

### Personality

Moulded by a life of adventure, pain, ambition and regret, Isolde is misanthropic, pragmatic, outspoken, confrontational and battle-hardened. Capable of casting devastating spells and drinking any drunkard under the table in equal measure, Isolde is usually the first to join a fight, offer an insult or defend the downtrodden. She never tolerates a glare or a sneer, and has the strength, wit and skill to face any thug, soldier or monster.

Once hopeful and optimistic, Isolde has been worn down by 120 years in service to the Knot, as well as by the abuse she suffered at the hands of Adam, her former true love and leader of the Knot. She has found brotherhood in the Black Blade Company, and thus will defend her brothers-in-arms at any cost.

## Powers, Equipment & Abilities

### Powers

* **Master sorceress:** Despite being born with a weaker connection to the Beach than most mages, Isolde is a powerful sorceress with command over a wide variety of spells and elements. Her strength and proficiency are solely down to more than a century of practice and education, putting her on par with the continent's finest mages.
	+ **Elemental magic:** Isolde is a master of the four fundamentals of magic: fire, force, shield and control. She can unleash jets of fire from her hands; harden her skin to resemble armour; unleash concussive blasts that launch debris and oncoming foes; and manipulate the minds of weaker opponents, turning them passive or into temporary thralls.
	+ **Eldritch Magic Manipulation**: Isolde is able to shape and manipulate eldritch magic, forming tangible constructs of energy, such as weapons or shields, as well as cast spells by writing specific formations with the fiery energy.
* **Beach Perception:** Isolde's magical nature allows her to perceive the Beach when she enters it in her sleep.
* **Slowed aging:** Like all mages and others treated with magic, i.e. wardens, Isolde ages at a much slower rate than regular humans. Despite being 170 years old, she has the appearance and strength of a healthy woman in her forties. However, her advanced age means she is beginning to experience hallowing, a fate all mages eventually succumb to.

#### Former

* **Blood magic:** As a long-time member of the Knot, Isolde was able to wield the bloodflame and a host of other blood magic abilities. She would use these powers to manipulate those of weaker mind, perform goetia and teleport over short distances in a blood-red mist; hallowing was also greatly delayed as a result of her blood magic. She lost these powers when she abandoned the Knot and severed her connection to Morag.