Gulvi Dubna Vajat

Fanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Sulamoon/Ursual Dorada https://sulamoon.tumblr.com/post/78295999401/for-not-poignant-3-gulvi-is-awesome

## General details

### Relatives

Dubna (mother, deceased); King Innokenti (father, deceased); Julvia Dubna Vajat (older sister); Galina Dubna Vajat (sister, deceased); Alva Dubna Vajat (sister, deceased); Maruta Dubna Vajat (sister, deceased); two unnamed sisters (deceased)

### Roles or Vocation

Queen-in-Waiting to Gwyn ap Nudd, Chief Judge and executioner of the Unseelie Court, Queen of the Unseelie

## Physical description

### Hair color

Light blonde

"*Your grief doesn’t answer to us, or even you.*"
―Gulvi Dubna Vajat[[The Court of Five Thrones, Chapter 2: Orphan]]
**Gulvi Dubna Vajat** is an Unseelie swan shifter assassin who served as an advisor to the Raven Prince. After Augus Each Uisge used the Blight to destroy her home and kill most of her family, she helped Gwyn ap Nudd and Ash Glashtyn overthrow Augus, whereupon she became co-monarch of the Unseelie Court alongside Ash. After Gwyn's true alignment was revealed, she performed an Inner Court Reversal to promote Gwyn to King of the Unseelie, and became his advisor. She is in a relationship with Fenwrel the Mouse-Shifter, and currently largely rules the fae realm alongside her consort Fenwrel in Gwyn's stead.

## Appearance

#### Class

* Inner Court

Previously:

* Queen / Co-Monarch (alongside Ash in *Game Theory)*
* ??? (something below King as she was being trained by the Raven Prince for eventual Queenship)

Gulvi is most often in her hybrid-form, possessing large white swan wings, and black eyes. She is tall and has light blonde hair. She usually carries unsheathed, curved, twin daggers on her waist. Both of her upper arms possess black tattoos given to her by the Council of Lammergeiers, who trained her to become an assassin. She has a sharp face, a 'pointed chin', and an 'aquiline nose.'

In full human-form, her wings become a feather cloak that can be removed. In true-form, she resembles a white swan. Fenwrel noted that she smells like faintly 'of swan musk and the simple bars of soap she used. Gulvi wasn’t prone to wearing perfumes, and she carried with her the scent of leather and recently oiled and polished knives.'

At the meeting with Albion to parley over Gwyn's fate, she 'wore the sort of clothing she always did - a black tank top that allowed for her wings, her curved daggers, white shorts, red boots with flat soles. She wore the same crown that Ash wore, silvery and fine.'

Her Council of Lammergeiers outfit is a leather costume. During the Masque, she wore her warrior leathers, as well as a 'well-tooled bearded vulture mask with rubies set around the eye-rims, the red beard itself a thick fringe of garnet beads.'

Gulvi's crown when she was Queen of the Unseelie Court was identical to Ash's: 'a unique filigree in a fine silver, looking like thin, leaved twigs.'

## Personality

Gulvi loves her family deeply, despite everything, and would do anything for them. Gwyn knows that she would never do anything that would actually harm Ash. She is also daring, secretive, crass, and smart. She is also very mischievous and manipulative, even to the pain of others, at least partially due to her heartsong of chaos. She is also easily bored by meetings, and prefers to have something to attack and/or kill, although she is often drawn into research and writing on Court matters with Gwyn.

Gulvi 'is and has always been a member of the [Wild] Hunts wherever possible', but was hesitant to start leading the Wild Hunt herself as Queen of the Unseelie Court, when Gwyn presented the idea.

Many of her clients give her charmed furniture, which she enjoys, and many of her rooms at the Unseelie Court contain the pieces.

## Life

Gulvi 'is a member of a legacy Court family that has existed in the world of the Unseelie for generations'. They did not support her decision to become an assassin. 'They did not want to count a swan-maiden assassin among their number. [She] was - to them - aberrant, even for an Unseelie fae.' This was the primary reason she left them.

The Council of Lammergeiers trained her to be an assassin, and they gave her the tattoo sleeves she still bears.

At one point in her career, Gulvi was assigned as a bodyguard to a powerful family of fae overseeing covert Unseelie matters in France. There was another fae 'criminal organization who wanted to move that organization into France,' but he had to oust the family Gulvi was working for first. 'He placed a hit on the family.' Gulvi was known as a swan, and swan maiden reputations as pacifists made him think that dealing with her wouldn't be a problem. He was also the father of two twin nine-year-old girls. Gulvi knew the best way to get rid of the hit was to neutralize him, so she killed the girls, which traumatized him and potentially forced him into retirement. The incident seems to have haunted Gulvi, and when she told Ash in confidence, he told Augus, who later used it against her to offset her rage against him. It's unclear if this was before or after she met Ash and Gwyn.

Gulvi and Ash met at a *Cockney Rejects* concert in east London, at roughly the same age. Ash viewed Gulvi as prey, but Gulvi rejected him, as she wanted to hear the music. They ended up drinking together and 'wandering the streets, talking about issues with the fae world, delighted [they] were both Unseelie and . . . hit it off.' They both liked getting away from the fae world, although Gulvi still doesn't know why Ash was so tired of the fae world. Some years later, she gave her heart to him because he wasn't 'relevant': she didn't want anyone to use a loved one against her. Gulvi stated that although the love is purely platonic, it is mutual, and not something she gets elsewhere.

At some point after meeting Ash, Gulvi met Gwyn on the battlefield, where they were on opposing sides. Gulvi went straight for Gwyn, as he would have been a prized kill, and claimed the surrender saved him from her. Once the battle was over, Gwyn helped her up. The two formed a friendship. When she later told Ash about the meeting, Ash said she should stop getting involved in warfare, as he didn't want to lose her, which led to them fighting.

Gulvi sensed the zahakhar in the Unseelie Court, which the Raven Prince knew about. He trained her to become Queen someday. She also served as his hired assassin.

After Augus destroyed the Dubna, Gulvi's family home, which later killed almost her entire family, Gulvi aided Gwyn in the battle against Augus, feeding him information from the Unseelie Court, and helped convince Ash to help, as well. Gwyn sealed the deal by locating Gulvi's single remaining living family member: Julvia Dubna Vajat, and returning her to Gulvi. Once they defeated Augus, she became co-monarch alongside Ash over the Unseelie Court. She struggled in the role, as she and Ash were still new to their roles and the Unseelie Court was still unstable. They had no army, and Gulvi largely relied on people she trusted for fighting - mostly assassins. Her position as an assassin also made her position as Queen suspect, as putting people she trusted in power would cast suspicion on them, which unfortunately meant she managed most things alone. Gwyn aided her by giving her advice and even lending her a list of noble families to help support the Court.

She later insisted that she and Ash attend Augus' Display, to comfort Ash, and for Gulvi's own satisfaction. Efnisien ap Wledig later revealed a plot against Ash to Augus, which Augus told Gwyn about, and which Gwyn spoke to Gulvi about, prompting Gulvi to increase security at the Unseelie Court.

Ash stated that when he told Gulvi about the Soulbond, her reaction was 'ridiculously bad, *insanely* bad.' When she first encountered Augus again after his release from the Seelie Court, she stabbed him in the stomach, but in a way that wouldn't kill him. She also worried about Gwyn, particularly when the Seelie Court went silent following Gwyn's (then unknown to the Unseelie Court) demotion. The reveal of Gwyn's true alignment later was a shock. Augus attempted to order her to arrange a meeting with Albion, but Gulvi refused to obey, pointedly reminding him she was Queen and he was merely Inner Court, and she and Ash left him to talk over the situation, alone. The pair later returned, having agreed to set up the meeting with Albion to contest Gwyn's execution. Gulvi questioned Augus and learned that he loved Gwyn, and that Gwyn had visited Augus after massacring Nwython's army.

She later went to the parley with Albion over Gwyn's fate, along with Augus and Ash. The Seelie contingent were uncharacteristically late, and Gulvi conferred with Ash while they waited. When the Seelie finally appeared, Albion accused Gulvi of hiding Gwyn, while Gulvi shot back at Albion's incompetence of *losing* Gwyn, and that the Seelie Court was the last place the Unseelie Court knew him to be at. She played along with Augus' gambit to play up Gwyn's manipulations.

After a long time of Augus' fruitless search for Gwyn, Gulvi consulted with him, pointing out that he was searching inefficiently, and sharing the knowledge that Gwyn preferred cursed land. This greatly helped Augus' search, and led to his finding Gwyn.

Gulvi agreed to the idea of using an Inner Court Reversal to promote Gwyn to King, while Gulvi and Ash would become Inner Court, as it would be best for the Court, given Gwyn's skills and experience, as well as his reputation. When Gwyn met her again in the Unseelie Court, she promoted him to Inner Court without Ash's approval, stating that since Ash had Augus, then Gulvi would have Gwyn. When Gwyn sensed the zahakhar, Gulvi pulled Ash aside in private to discuss promoting Gwyn to King, which Ash didn't like. When Gwyn nearly collapsed from hunger, Gulvi, worried, teleported herself, Gwyn, and Augus to the kitchens. Gwyn suggested she seek Aleutia the Rat-Maiden to heal him using Gwyn's funds, and Gulvi ordered him to rest.

Between them, Augus and Gulvi convinced Gwyn to agree to become King of the Unseelie Court. Gwyn asked if Gulvi would be his Queen-in-Waiting, and Gulvi reluctantly agreed, though she suggested Augus first. After Gwyn's promotion and Gulvi's demotion, he promoted her to Inner Court, and officially made her his Queen-in-Waiting, to 'preside over strategy and espionage, and serve as Chief Judge and executioner.' She then accompanied Gwyn, Ash, and Augus to meet with Albion to acknowledge the change in power.

After Augus murdered Crielle ferch Fnwy, Gwyn and Gulvi got drinks together, where Gulvi attempted to comfort him, even performing a common fae ritual for him for death, as Gwyn could not attend the funeral.

Gulvi later suggested Gwyn contest ownership of the An Fnwy estate.

After Aleutia began working at healing Julvia, Gulvi spent some time fetching various herbs that would help Julvia's recovery. Gulvi struggled to coax Julvia into taking medicine. By chance, she ran into Augus during one of her plant excursions, where he advised her on different plants to pick. They fought, and Gulvi took his suggestions under advisement. She later discussed it with Gwyn, while discussing his care for Augus and giving Augus more diplomatic work to do. Some time later, Augus began helping with Julvia's treatments.

When Augus and Ash were nearly killed during one of Augus' attempts at healing the Blight, Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden ordered Gulvi to take Gwyn away, as his energy was hurting Fenwrel and Aleutia's efforts to heal Augus. Gulvi took Gwyn to her rooms, and she goaded him into a fight to take their minds off of their dying waterhorses. They moved on to talking about why they gave their hearts to Ash and Augus, with Gulvi telling him the full story. They were still together when they lost the scars from the blood-oaths they'd obtained from their respective waterhorses, indicating that Ash and Augus were dead.

When the pair teleported back to the sickroom, Fenwrel ejected them from the room. Gulvi had to stop Gwyn from going back and attacking Fenwrel and Aleutia, reminding him that Fenwrel and Aleutia wouldn't do that unless they believed there was hope. The pair held hands while waiting for news. Later, Fenwrel teleported to them and told them both waterhorses were alive.

In the following days, Gulvi took over many duties for Gwyn in the Unseelie Court, as Gwyn needed the relief in the wake of his distress over Augus. Gwyn later had Fenwrel tell Gulvi to leave off and be by Ash's side. She was there when he woke up.

When Albion declared war with the Unseelie Court, Gwyn ordered Gulvi to implement the Red Path strategy, where she assassinated various Seelie elite to weaken the Seelie forces. When she attempting to assassinate Alysia mer Malakhy, Alysia's daughter, Mera-Alane mer Malakhy, heavily injured Gulvi, and Gulvi returned to the Unseelie Court, to meet with Gwyn about her results. Fenwrel arrived, heavily distraught, having used a tracking spell she and Gulvi had agreed to. She then proceeded to, presumably, lecture Gulvi about it. It was clear to even Gwyn at this point that the pair were in a deeper relationship.

Around this time, Augus agreed to allow Gulvi to accompany him, for his own safety, to try to heal the Blighted land.

When Gwyn kicked Augus out of the Unseelie Court palace, Gulvi visited Augus to request that Augus either make Julvia's treatments where he was or show her how to make them, as she felt that his treatments were aiding Julvia's recovery. Augus agreed to help. Gulvi later warned Gwyn about the danger Ash presented, and that Ash's rage against Gwyn - encouraged by Gwyn kicking Augus out - might make him do something dangerous.

After Ifir's mutiny, Gwyn ordered Gulvi to not kill anyone, no matter what he said, before he teleported them both to Ifir. Gwyn then made a show in front of Ifir of ordering Gulvi to, 'Go find Ifir's daughters. Ada and Adalia, yes? Give them the send-off that you've given to the children of others in the past.' Gwyn could tell he'd hurt her, but Gulvi nonetheless 'obeyed' the command for show. She returned later with the blood of someone she'd meant to kill on her knives, to help with the show.

After she and Gwyn were alone, she told Gwyn, 'Don't you *ever* put me in that position again. There are some things I don't need to be reminded of.' Gwyn promised to avoid it if possible, but if it would help, he would use it. Despite the difficult situation, she still checked up on him, as he looked rather ragged.

Despite her love for Ash, she understood the depth of Ash's crime against Gwyn and the Unseelie Court. She advised Gwyn while he worked on mopping up the coup, and agreed to be by his side while he confronted Ash, as witness. She was also angry that Ash abused Gwyn. At the meeting, she asked Ash herself why he did it, and refused to be satisfied when Ash had no real answers. Gulvi also spoke on Gwyn's behalf when Ash rebuked him, stating that Gulvi had Julvia back only because of Gwyn.

During a later visit where Augus was helping to prepare Julvia's treatments, Julvia became distraught and attacked Augus because she recognized him, which was a breakthrough her recovery. This seems to have been a turning point in their relationship, as Gulvi saw Augus as bringing Julvia back to her.

Gulvi mostly took over coordinating the Winter Court, down to landscaping the area for the event.

When the shapeshifter using Mafydd Brant's shape was discovered by one of Gulvi's apprentices, Gulvi first informed Augus, although she didn't know who Mafydd was. Augus had her keep the knowledge from Gwyn.

Gulvi later assisted in trying to get Unseelie fae to evacuate the Courtlands to safer territory after the Seelie military encroached on the area. She also fought along a group of lammergeier shifters in airborne combat in the great battle by the Unseelie Court.

Gulvi attended the last Wild Hunt, choosing to go without a magical horse and fly herself. She helped with crowd management after Prince Vane murdered Mikkel and Gwyn disappeared. She was outraged when the King of the Forest permanently ended the Wild Hunt, and lectured Gwyn for not standing up to him.

Gulvi later accompanied Gwyn, Augus, Ash, and Fenwrel to the Coalition of the Classless, where she observed the proceedings and provided support for Gwyn in accepting sanctions against the Unseelie Court. She was not happy about the assignment of Old Pete as a watcher at their Court.

Gulvi tried to keep Julvia from getting involved in the quest to deal with the ice plague, out of concern for Julvia's safety. She and Fenwrel remained behind to defend the Unseelie Court while Gwyn, Augus, Eran Iliakambar, Mosk Manytrees, and Grip went to investigate the Aur forest. When Fenwrel opened a portal to King Oengus Og's tower, Gulvi came along, with Fenwrel, Ash, and Julvia, though Gulvi seemed to dislike Oengus. Although Gulvi fought it, Julvia remained behind with Ash, Gwyn, Eran, and Mosk, while Gulvi and Fenwrel returned to the Unseelie Court to defend the Court.

When Gwyn's party was traveling through Zhitovar, Gulvi and Fenwrel went to join them. Julvia tearfully embraced her sister, and Gulvi tearfully embraced her back. They spent a lot of time together while preparing to face Olphix.

After Olphix died, and Julvia and Mosk merged their powers to form the new Aur forest, destroying themselves, Gulvi hugged Eran, grieving with him over the death of her sister. After the battle, she transported Gwyn's bones away with Fenwrel, and returned to ask Eran to leave with her, for food and rest. He refused, and she said they'd return with supplies.

Gulvi spent the next nine years working alongside Fenwrel to run the fae realm in Gwyn's absence, and watched over Gwyn while his body and eventually mind recovered. Six months after the battle, she visited Augus on Fenwrel's behalf, with the intent of getting him to visit Gwyn at the Court. Augus refused. She grew angry at him, but left him alone.

During Gwyn's recovery, she and Gwyn discussed the Seelie and Unseelie thrones, and realized that Gulvi's 'time to be Queen is now. With Fenwrel at her side.' Gwyn noted she didn't sacrifice herself to the throne like he did: 'She is good at delegating, she has many contacts, and they respect her. There are less fae coming to ask for status changes, and they’re starting to understand that I’m…not there anymore to provide them.' She also seemingly talked about the disposition of the Seelie crown with Gwyn, which Gwyn ultimately gave to Eran.

Gulvi continued to rule the fae realm as Queen with her consort Fenwrel after Gwyn left the Unseelie Court to travel more. Gwyn noted she seemed to enjoy running the Court. They also talked about Gwyn's kingship at length, and agreed that the fae realm was ready for him to retire, and even if it wasn't, Gwyn was.

## Special Abilities

### Fae Abilities

**Wind Manipulation:** As a swan maiden, Gulvi is able to control wind currents, which she uses along with her wings in order to fly.

**Teleportation:** Gulvi can teleport, whereon she turns herself into air to move through the sky to her destination.

### Skills

**Combat:** Gulvi is a highly-skilled assassin who has killed countless marks, and her ability was held in high esteem by the Raven Prince. She is deadly efficient with her twin daggers and other bladed weapons, such as throwing stars. She is also 'collectively known amongst the Unseelie as being one of the best bodyguards in existence.'

**Accounting:** Gwyn noted that Gulvi did a good job of managing a struggling Court's accounts, despite having no training and inheriting terrible circumstances.

**Multilingual:** Gulvi knows multiple languages, or at least parts of them (as shown in the various pieces of French she uses), including Southern Latgalian, Kalymyk Oirat, Ingush, and a fourth language that even Gwyn doesn't know.

**Brewing:** Gulvi makes homemade kvass, in accordance with family tradition (although Gwyn said it's not accurate).

## Relationships

#### Aleutia the Rat-Maiden

The pair seem close, to the point that they hugged upon meeting again in *Game Theory*. Aleutia has saved Gulvi's life 'a few times', and seems fond enough of her to be all right with living in the Unseelie Court knowing that she'd be closer to Gulvi.

#### Alva, Galina, and Maruta Dubna Vajat

Gulvi noted that she was far closer to her sisters than their mother.

#### Ash Glashtyn

Ash and Gulvi have blood-oathed to each other. Gulvi gave her heart to Ash, not intending to love him romantically, and greatly enjoys the platonic love they share for each other. She was the one who suggested Ash start collecting and raising plants in the Unseelie Court. The pair have seemingly started drifting apart, at least since Augus killed her family. Ash encouraging Ifir's mutiny and abusing Gwyn only made her angrier.

#### Augus Each Uisge

Gulvi wanted to kill Augus for destroying her home and killing most of her family, but staid her hand (at least fatally) for Ash's sake. The two became more cordial as they conversed more often when Augus was released to the Unseelie Court. Gulvi advised him on his relationship issues with Gwyn. The two even became somewhat friendly, with Gulvi starting to care for him as she worked as his bodyguard while he healed Blighted land.

#### Dubna

Gulvi stated that her mother often advised her, to which Gulvi never listened, 'always at [her] folly . . . Except becoming a mercenary. That[, Gulvi] was right to do.' Gulvi said that she misses her mother more than her dead sisters, despite everything.

#### Eran Iliakambar

Although Gulvi and Eran don't spend much time together in the story, Gulvi comforted Eran after the battle with Olphix, as they both mourned their lost loved ones, and Gulvi looked out for him in the ways she could over the years Eran waited in the Aur forest.

#### Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden

Fenwrel initially distrusted Gulvi, as Gulvi is an assassin, and an assassin murdered Fenwrel's grandmother, Fluri the Mouse-Maiden. Over time, the pair started interacting more, and became romantic partners.

#### Gwyn ap Nudd

Gwyn considers Gulvi to be his best friend. They've known each other for many years prior to *Game Theory,* and also go drinking together. Gulvi considers him one of her closest friends and also like an older brother. She often advises him on his relationships, particularly with Augus. Gwyn taught her a great deal about being a courtier.

#### Kerri

Kerri is Gulvi's right hand. Gulvi suggested Gwyn place her on Gwyn's council of War Generals.

#### Julvia Dubna Vajat

Of Julvia, Gulvi initially said: 'Julvia and I never saw eye to eye on anything. Of all my family, I think I would have preferred her to survive the least. I left my family for a reason. They did not want to count a swan-maiden assassin amongst their number. I was – to them – aberrant, even for an Unseelie fae, and Julvia was one of the loudest in protesting the choices I’ve made. I don’t want her back for me, I want her back for herself. She is all that remains of my family.' Gulvi is still incredibly protective of her. They argued often, particularly over Julvia leaving the safety of the Unseelie Court, but they clearly care for each other.

#### Marika

It's possible Marika and Gulvi know each other, since Marika seemingly went to talk with her during the last Wild Hunt.

#### King Oengus Og

Gulvi seemed to disprove of Oengus, at least in part because of how the swan shifters lived at his tower.

#### The Raven Prince

The Raven Prince kept Gulvi on his Inner Court as an assassin, but also an advisor. He was the first one who knew that Gulvi felt the zahakhar, and was training her to be Queen of the Unseelie Court. They were close, and Gulvi is still bitter about his vanishing, and blamed Augus for it. Gulvi said she 'loved the Raven Prince, *adored* him.' She also said that 'one would be foolish to *trust* him.' She also said 'He was a liar when it suited him. Which was often. I thought I missed him, but I don’t.'

## Quotes

* 'Love does not conquer all, fool . . . It doesn’t conquer anything at all. I thought you had the capacity to be wise. The Raven Prince once said you could rule. But I suppose everyone makes mistakes, even my once-liege.'
* 'La! No! What did I just say? If I stay, you and I will end up talking shop over ale, and I’m not interested in anything you have to say while you look like you’ve been pulled through a knothole. Rest. We have time. What urgency is there now? The Court already looks like it’s been through several wars and come out the poorer for it. We cannot sink much lower.'
* 'Ash gives me all of himself in our friendship. His love is a whole thing. He has such an *abundance* of it. It spills everywhere. It makes him do and say stupid things. It makes him wiser than he should be. He loves love. Whether it makes him a fool or seer. And me, with my cynical heart, I needed his idealism, his romanticism, all of it. He gives me something I have never been able to give myself. And he has enough of it – so much – that he can give it freely and I never have to worry about depleting him of anything.'
* 'I’ve lost too many people,’ she said, her fingers clawing the ground. . . . ‘But if they want us to leave, they think there’s still hope. If they were…if they were truly gone, Aleutia and Fenwrel would have- They would have let us say goodbye.'
* 'Gulvi gave her heart to Ash,’ Fenwrel said, sighing. ‘And she seems to think that it means that’s that, life is done for her. I know some swan maidens have pined away after their lovers have died, but some haven’t, and some go on to find…but she won’t listen to me. Which would be fine, I suppose, except she also won’t leave me alone. She has a habit of just…turning up. Usually when I’m trying to sleep. She has no sleeping pattern, and I’m quite sure she finds the most aggravating times to turn up on my doorstep.'
* ‘I prefer knives’
* Fenwrel: 'It was refreshing to know that Gulvi didn’t need Fenwrel’s strength. She had plenty enough of her own.'
* ‘I’m having sad thoughts,’ she muttered, and then blinked once, slowly, when she felt a large, heavy hand touch the side of her face. It wasn’t clumsy at all. And, startled, she thought: *Soft.* ‘Give them to me,’ Gwyn said, his voice slurred. ‘I can carry all of your sad thoughts. And then you’ll only have good dreams.’
* To Augus: ‘Because I care less about what you’re going through . . . Because in ten years, twenty, you will get him back. But I will never get back anyone except for *Julvia.* Only to lose her too.'

## Trivia

* Gulvi shared equal power with Ash while they were co-rulers and each of them were as strong as a single ruler would be. A King or Queen being weaker if serving with a co-ruler is a myth that Augus and perhaps Efnisien and Efnisien's co-conspirators believed, but Gwyn knew to be false.
* Gulvi said that she has 'three thousand years of training', which implies she is around or at least 3,000 years old in *The Court of Five Thrones*.
* Gulvi has 'an eyrie near the top of the [Unseelie] palace' that Gwyn made for her when he transformed the Unseelie Court.
* Gulvi's throne is in the center of the eponymous five thrones, and is 'a brutal, huge thing, of leather and metal and wood melded together and almost grotesque. The back was a long narrow shape - almost like sword shaft - to give her room for her wings to rest when she leaned back against it.' It sits between Augus and Ash's thrones.
* A few months before Gulvi fought Mera-Alane in an attempt to kill Alysia, Gulvi's then-third apprentice was killed. Gulvi usually has two or three apprentices at any time.
* Gulvi has stabbed Augus on multiple occasions.

## Folklore/Mythology

*Swan Lake*, a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky that premiered in 1877, tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. Prince Siegfried goes on a hunt and nearly kills a swan before she transforms into a human, and explains her curse: by day, the women are swans, and by night at an enchanted lake made from the tears of Odette's mother, they are human. The spell can only be broken if one who has never loved before swears to love Odette forever. Siegfried promises to help. The sorcerer Rothbart tricks Siegfried into announcing he will marry Rothbart's daughter Odile, instead. Siegfried realizes his mistake and goes to apologize to Odette, but the mistake cannot be undone: she and her sisters will remain cursed forever. In despair, she decides to die, and Siegfried goes with her. It's theorized that the ballet might have been inspired by the 1858 Russian fairy tale *The White Duck*, about a newly-wed Queen who is tricked by a witch and turned into a duck. The King discovered her mourning over her murdered children, and when he caught her himself, she returned to her original shape, and restored her children to life.

## Image Gallery

Fanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by SulaMoon https://sulamoon.tumblr.com/post/78295999401/for-not-poignant-3-gulvi-is-awesomeFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Svedverite https://www.deviantart.com/svedverite/art/Fae-Sketchdump-2002-560539105Fanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Kauri https://kauriart.tumblr.com/post/644882617979830272/the-swan-queen-gulvi-dubna-vajat-fromFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by saiwaimode https://saiwaimode.tumblr.com/post/173280502042Fanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by atristart https://not-poignant.tumblr.com/post/149266043558/gulvi-dubna-vajat-from-not-poignants-fae-talesFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by djingin https://djingin.tumblr.com/post/48737747500/lady-chaos-djinngindeviantartcom-forFanart of (left to right): Ash Glashtyn, Augus Each Uisge, Gwyn ap Nudd, Gulvi Dubna Vajat, and Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden by MorbidLizard https://morbidlizard.tumblr.com/post/648930519130767361/i-guess-i-realized-i-never-really-uploaded-theFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Ravenemore https://raven-nemore.tumblr.com/post/131641147606/gulvi-by-raesalander-my-own-version-of-one-of-theFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Fanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by corviidaee/pavlovslola https://corviidaee.tumblr.com/post/143907394115/here-is-a-rough-gulvi-for-your-viewing-pleasureFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by RainbowDogma https://not-poignant.tumblr.com/post/129390495218/rainbowdogma-a-little-sketchy-doo-of-gulvi-fromFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by f-imaginings https://f-imaginings.tumblr.com/post/93112801851/also-from-not-poignants-work-gulvi-the-swanFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by ishkabibblie https://ishkabibblie.tumblr.com/post/51345045107/yep-even-more-not-poignant-fanart-i-really-loveFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Ishkabibblie https://ishkabibblie.tumblr.com/post/51341926762/gulvi-character-doodles-from-not-poignantsFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by soleadodol https://soleadodol.tumblr.com/post/50916763995/end-of-the-day-practice-was-playing-withFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat and Ash Glashtyn by soleadodol https://blackstoneirregular.tumblr.com/post/84763220280/if-life-were-fair-to-gulvi-leave-me-alone-i-haveFanart of (left to right): Ash Glashtyn, Augus Each Uisge, the Nain Rouge, Gwyn ap Nudd, and Gulvi Dubna Vajat by Ravenemore https://raven-nemore.tumblr.com/post/141402640371/omg-im-done-my-hand-is-dead-yay-anyway-i-hadFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat and Fenwrel the Mouse-Maiden by Bobo Kitty https://bobokitty.tumblr.com/post/128353817469/quick-doodle-of-gulvi-and-fenwrel-an-adorableFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat by corviidaee/pavlovslola https://corviidaee.tumblr.com/post/75334120193/say-what-you-want-about-gwyn-being-a-terrible-kingFanart of Gulvi Dubna Vajat's throne by invisiblejune https://invisiblejune.tumblr.com/post/180461444294/a-concept-of-the-five-thrones-of-the-original-work
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56. ↑ "Swan Lake". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan\_Lake. Accessed 20 May 2021.
57. ↑ "The White Duck". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_White\_Duck. Accessed 20 May 2021.