Aster Holdenhome

Despite her dedication to the destruction of demons, Aster would not live to see the end of the 136-year-long Demon Wars.

## Events up to Birth

Preluding Aster's birth and the Demon Wars, the lord of House Holdenhome was Anton I. His father, the previous lord, had died in 135 and his sisters were all married off. Lord Anton Holdenhome I had three young sons with his lady wife Annabelle - Ferlix born 129, Owain born 131, and Bay born 135. Anabelle was pregnant with a fourth child, to be born in early 144 AE.

However, in late 143 AE, tragedy struck. A terrible illness swept through Holdenhome lands, rumored to have come from the Marshlands to the west. It caused Lady Anabelle to miscarry, and took the lives of her sons in quick succession. This illness would later be dubbed "The Demons' Breath". It passed through to the east, and would occasionally pop up over the next year before appearing to die off.

Despite the horror of losing their children and pregnancy, Anton and Anabelle had little time to grieve. Only a few months later in 144 AE, the Demon Wars began. With no heir and the lands swarming with demonic entities, the lord and lady had no choice but to try and bear more children. Anton was frustrated by his inability to go to the fight until his wife had born a child - as soon as he discovered she was finally pregnant in 146, he left for battle.

Rowan Holdenhome was born later that same year. He was kept under strict supervision at Homefast as Anton was away at war. For three years, Anton would not return - it was only when one of his injuries put him out of the fight that he finally came back in 149. He bore another child on Anabelle and Dolores Holdenhome was born in 150. Anton stayed for a time to try and bear another child, knowing the frailty of life, on his wife. When he finally succeeded in late 151, he returned to war and left his pregnant wife.

Anabelle suffered a third-trimester miscarriage in 152 and locked herself away in her chambers. Finally, the house guard had to break down the door to get the healers access but regardless she died from sepsis shortly after. Anton returned for her funeral and took his wife's former chambermaid, Gwynreich, as his new bride - marrying her the next day. Obsessed with the idea that he must have as many true-born children as possible, he spent as much time possible attempting to get the girl pregnant.

Finally, Gwynreich fell pregnant in late 153. Anton again returned to the front lines - only to have himself beheaded by a demon on the eve of the new year. Young Rowan Holdenhome, only 7 years old, was now Lord, and his younger sister Dolores, at only age 3, was his heir.

One of Anton's sisters, the recently widowed Pamela Corcoran (husband Cormac Corcoran, grandson of the house founder) came to Homefast to act as his regent.

## The Reign and Death of Rowan Holdenhome (154 AE - 159 AE)

Aster was born 154 AE, ten years into the Demon Wars that were ravaging the Isles of Aradia.

Her 8-year-old half-brother Rowan was Lord Holdenhome and her 4-year-old half-sister Dolores was his heir. With her mother Gwynreich being naught but a maid prior to the hasty marriage, Aster was considered more lowborn than her half-siblings and grew up with the stigma of being 'second-best'. Because of this, she became stubborn and adamant she had no need to prove her worth to others - only herself. Gwynreich encouraged this mentality, helping her young daughter become self-sufficient.

From birth, Aster had a strong connection to nature. It was clear she had the druidic gift of magic and the natural world around her responded positively to her presence. As a small child, she was often found playing with the bees of the nearby apiaries - much to her mother's horror. Also to the chagrin of every nanny and maid, she often ran off on adventures into the woods only to return hours later unharmed. In the midst of the Demon Wars, this was especially terrifying to her guardians.

In 159, when Aster was five years old, almost-13-year-old Lord Rowan Holdenhome chased after her into the woods, his own bodyguards quick on his heels. But through the trees, in a nearby clearing, was a small band of demons. The bodyguards tried to protect their lord, but they were cut down in quick succession and the young Lord Rowan similarly dispatched. But little Aster, hiding in a hollowed-out tree, watched the entire thing in horror. She remained there until the demons were gone and stayed hidden until a search party came looking - they found the massacred bodies and Aster came from her hiding spot. She was interrogated over the events and taken home.

## The Reign of Dolores Holdenhome (159 AE - 166 AE)

Now with no male heirs, Dolores Holdenhome was Lady at age 9. Pamela was also her regent. Pamela quickly began looking for an eligible husband for the young lady.

But now, Aster was the heir. Pamela reluctantly turned her attention to also raising Aster as a lady - even if the girl was never going to be Lady Holdenhome, she would be used as a marriage candidate to gain an alliance in the future. After witnessing the demons tearing her brother to shreds, Aster insisted she had no use for etiquette and learning how to be a lady - she, and every able-bodied person, needed to be out there preparing to fight these monsters. Her baby-voiced pleas were dismissed by Pamela.

However, the captain of the guard who had been the one to find her in the woods with her brother's body, did listen. He made a plan with her mother Gwynreich to train the girl unbeknownst to the overbearing Pamela, which Gwyenreich agreed to.

Although the girl was small, not even having seen a decade pass, he put her through rigorous trials and taught her how to use her small stature to take down a greater opponent. By no means was she a warrior in her early years - but Captain Rogan trained her how to survive.

At age 10 in 164 AE, Aster began training with actual weapons. She was still small, but she was lithe and coiled with muscle. And while she had been physically training, and learning what she uncreatively dubbed 'shitiquette', she had also been developing her bond with nature. Like many Holdenhome druids before her, there was little need for a tutor in this field as the magic came intuitively. But with her other areas of study, she began to realize how nature could be used as both a defense and offense against her future enemies.

Although Pamela had been an efficient steward over the Holdenhome holdings and wealth, she was strongly disliked for her brash comments and lofty critiques. She almost refused to accept the Demon Wars were raging as other than the death of her nephew, she had seen no first-hand carnage - even then, she had insisted it was bandits and Aster was a rotten little liar. She lived safely in Homefast, surrounding herself with luxuries like a discount queen, feasting on the spoils of her family's wealth while a teenage girl held the house seat.

Dolores wasn't much liked either despite her beauty. She had her aunt's sharp tongue but none of her wit. She knew nothing of war and was no strategist - bred to look pretty on a nobleman's arm while he made the decisions for her own house. But however hard Pamela pushed invitations on suitors, Dolores was still unwed at age 16 in 166 AE. There was reason to believe that even if Dolores wasn't a fine companion, her position was still worth the attentions of a nobleman trying to find a noble wife - she had many resources that could be used in the War. It seemed only old men were interested in her - old men who had lost their sons and heirs to the war. Pamela shot down these old farts, believing her niece - her pride-and-joy - was more deserving of a young gentleman capable of wooing her.

Pamela's lofty aspirations and romanticism in ignoring the war would be the cause of her death - and that of Lady Dolores.

## The Blue Queen (166 AE)

In 166 AE, one of Pamela's betrothal attempts finally bore fruit. Emyr Rodin (b. 146, aged 19) - he had been fighting in the wars alongside his father Magnus, (older) twin brother Edvard, and cousins for the past four years. Suffering a injury that put him out of the action for a few weeks, he had taken time to look over the recent portraits of marriage candidates. He asked around about the girl on the portrait and had varying reports - but most attractive was what her house could offer his father's house.

Emyr traveled to Homefast to establish a trade agreement and offer the betrothal. Pamela was impressed with his youth and vigor, delighted that her favorite niece might finally have a good match. But somewhere, the miscommunication finally came out - the portrait he held was that of 12-year-old Aster, not Dolores.

Although deeply insulted (which she made abundantly clear), Pamela commanded Aster to be brought to the great hall to meet this nobleman. But Aster couldn't be found and it was assumed she was off in the woods doing 'her thing' again. After her druidic prowess was explained to Emyr, he became even more intrigued by the prospect of this girl being his wife in two or three years' time when she was of fair age. Although he was plainly disgusted by the concept, Pamela tried to talk Emyr into an immediate marriage.

A guard burst in at that uncomfortable moment and yelled that hundreds of demons were coming up from the bay, spilling across the settlements of Mereham and Rivergate, making their way up towards Homefast. Pamela, stunned, did nothing, and Captain Rogan began shouting orders. He quickly enlisted the help of Emyr in rallying the troops and preparing for a terrible battle. In the confusion, he yelled at Gwenreich to find her daughter and keep her somewhere safe.

In the meantime, Aster was not out in the woods doing 'her thing'. She had been selling medicinal herbs to an apothecary in the village of Mereham. Surprisingly despite her family's wealth, she had little access to her own coin and if she wanted to trade or shop in the villages, she had to work for her own money. She was on her way back, walking the path to the crossroads that would take her back to Homefast. So at the time the demons rose from the Sorrows, she was very near the coast.

Some of the towns-guard turned and ran. Those who didn't were cut down in terrible swathes of blood and gore. Villagers weren't able to move fast enough to escape the horde, but Aster had seen this once before and knew precisely what it was.

This was what she had known was coming almost all her life.

She knew she couldn't stop this from happening. She hadn't been able to stop her brother's death - but she hadn't known how to even try at that time. She knew many would get past her. She knew there would be deaths she couldn't stop. But she was going to save as many as she could.

Aster raced back towards the village. Snatching up the halberd of a fleeing guard, she screamed out a primal roar to the magical spirit of nature - the trees around the village thrummed in response, vibrating with life and rage.

Then the buzzing came.

The hives and apiaries of the Holdenhome lands hummed to life, spreading across Mereham in a blanket that almost blocked out the sun. Part of that blanket, living, girl-shaped, and bearing a halberd writhing in tiny black and yellow insectoid bodies, met the demons in a terrible clash of blood and guts. The scent of bee-venom was thick on the air as this nature-incarnate fury tore through the demon ranks.

Some still got past. Demons who took the other side of the bay near Rivergate worked their way north towards Homefast. But Aster held many of them off at Mereham with her ferocity and the help of her bees. Armor was inefficient against the tiny wriggling bodies of the bees, and many a demon roared with pain, clawing at their armor and trying to peel it off. But the bees were relentless, driven on with the same rage and fear that their queen felt.

At the setting of the sun, Aster finally slumped to her knees. Drenched in the dark ichor of the demons and the hemolymph of her bees, she was a grotesque vision. The villagers that came to her aid saw an exhausted young woman splattered in blue blood - but they also saw their savior. They cleaned her off and tended to her many wounds, and those who were able-bodied remaining in the streets ready for another attack - but no more violence came to Mereham that night.

## The Deaths of Pamela and Dolores (166 AE)

The entire village of Rivergate on the east side of the bay was massacred by the demons. They made their way north up to Homefast, breaking through each line of defense. By sunset, the monstrous horde had reached the gates of the keep. This was where much of the horde was thinned by archers and more experienced soldiers - but they still broke through. Less than a hundred still-living demons spilled into the keep, ripping their way through the ranks to the great hall. There, they tore Pamela to shreds as she put herself between them and Dolores - they just went straight through her.

Gravely wounded, Pamela screamed one long terrible shriek as the demons set upon her, biting and tearing, all while she still screamed. Gwenreich, from across the room, shot a crossbow bolt into Pamela's head, silencing her and putting her out of her misery. Emyr tried to fight off the demons to get to the downed Dolores, but she had died the instant Pamela was taken down - she was pushed back and her head hit the corner of a table with a terrible crack. Several minutes later, Captain Rogan finally killed the last demon.

A frantic search began for Aster - now the only legit heir left to be Lady Holdenhome. Over the next few hours, rumors came to them of 'the blue girl'. With no other leads, Captain Rogan went to the village of Mereham where this 'blue girl' was said to be. There, he found Aster heavily wounded but alive.

## The Early Reign of Aster Holdenhome (166 AE - 170 AE)

It took several days for Aster to wake, and during that time, Captain Rogan stepped in as regent. He learned the people of the Holdenhome lands were very concerned for their new Lady - and to his surprise, they were looking forward to her rule upon her recovery. Instead of 'the blue girl' they began calling her 'The Blue Queen' as the story was more aptly detailed and the connection to the bees was made more obvious.

Emyr remained in Holdenhome territory, sending news to his father of the attack and what had happened. He began helping with the recovery effort and building defenses under the guidance of Captain Rogan. By the time Aster woke, House Holdenhome was ready for her to reign. While she still recovered, both her mother and Captain Rogan assisted in bringing her up to speed, and Emyr told her of first-hand experiences fighting demons in the war. It was a couple of days before Emyr finally admitted he was here for her hand in marriage - not her sister's as she previously thought.

Aster told him she was happy to form an alliance against the demons, but she would make no such betrothal promise at this time. She encouraged him to ask again in a few years or when the war was over. Emyr returned to the front lines with his own family a few weeks later, laden with supplies courtesy of House Holdenhome.

With Aster as the last Holdenhome, she was heavily discouraged from joining the war effort herself until she could provide an heir. And although she was Lady, Captain Rogan insisted she could not make such a decision of her own accord until she was at least 16 - she had not squired after all. So she squired to Captain Rogan while she led the House from the safety of Homefast.

And although she could not be at the battles in-person, she learned how she could still make a difference alongside her people who were out there fighting. Through time and practice, she learned to control an entire swarm of bees - to see through their many eyes, to make decisions for them as a whole. There was no way to communicate verbally with others in this form, so she did not lead the armies like this - she only aided them as a ghostly soldier.

With Aster's druidic abilities, the Holdenhome lands bloomed with life. In the midst of the worst wars the Isles of Aradia had seen, the lands were extremely fruitful and provided food for a good chunk of the southern isle. Trade was strong, and nature defended the caravans against any marauding demons with a terrible ferocity. A saying came into play: "by the blue queen's graces".

Upon reaching her 16th year in 170 AE, Aster ended her squire-ship with Captain Rogan. The war was still raging heavily, but Emyr returned to her and asked again for her hand in marriage. Again, she turned him down - finally, just when she was able to join her own people on the front lines, she would not be burdened down by betrothals, marriages, pregnancies, nor children.

Captain Rogan advised her to marry Emyr and at least bear one child before going to war, but she refused. She encouraged Emyr to seek out another wife as she would not be available for the next few years - or until the war was done. She left her mother as regent, with Captain Rogan to support her.

## Fighting in the Demon Wars (170 AE - )

Truly her own woman at this point with no mother or tutor to guide her, Aster surrounded herself with more experienced soldiers as advisors. She learned much on strategy and throughout her own clashes against the demons, she learned how most efficiently to kill them - with or without her druidic prowess. Although she was a fair leader, even other non-demonic troops feared her and her ferocity on the battlefield.

After three years of fighting on the front lines, Aster withdrew her troops to [SOUTH EASTERN ARADIA] as she had been hearing more and more reports of demonic presence in the area. She also wished to be closer to home where she could partially retake her role as Lady Holdenhome. Aster also gained more druidic power while closer to home.

Upon her first venture home, she discovered her mother Gwynreich and Captain Rogan had started a relationship - they asked for her blessing to marry, which she granted. They were wed in late 173 AE.

Over the next two years, Aster fought alongside many of her neighbors in [SOUTH EASTERN ARADIA]. She encountered several nobles from Everglow City, Fairsmiths, Dalmans, Umbridges, and even met the Rodins again.

After a particularly terrible skirmish with demonic forces along the coast East of Holdenhome lands, Aster sustained an injury that healers believed made her barren. This was in 175 that she returned to Homefast to recover and weigh her options on what to do for an heir. At this time, her mother was pregnant with Captain Rogan's child, and there were some mutterings among the nobility that Aster would make that non-Holdenhome child her heir. When the child, Owen (later known as Owen "the Hexed"), was born male in 176, the mutterings intensified.

It seemed that after being told she could not sustain a pregnancy, she became obsessed with proving the healers wrong. A strong woman with a willful personality backed by druidic magic and a sharp wit, Aster was not an unattractive prospect. At twenty-two years old and faced with a demonic war without an end in sight, Aster lived life to the fullest. She discreetly shared her bed with several different partners once back at war.

## Druidic Virality (177 AE)

She knew of her pregnancy, but did not leave for Homefast nor allow her people to know. For she knew the child was only alive within her only because of her druidic magics - she feared she would lose the babe if she allowed her scarred womb alone to do the job it was meant for. Only in the last month of her pregnancy was it impossible to hide her burden and she was strongly urged by her advisors to return home and give birth in a safe environment. She finally relented and was only back at Homefast for a week before she went into labor. At twenty-three years old in mid-177 AE, Aster gave birth to her base-born daughter Ricarda Holmes.

Ricarda, fair-headed and blue-eyed, was suspected to be the child of Cameron Fairmane but Aster would never confirm nor deny. Some historians claim Ricarda's appearance was not due to her father, but a genetic throwback on her mother's side.

Aster spent her time between Homefast and the surrounding lands as she kept a steady hand on the Holdenhome war effort. She loved her daughter dearly, but never officially named Ricarda as her heir, nor legitimized her. It seemed she had her heart set on producing a son as she fell pregnant again. This one, she spent the latter five months of the gestation in Homefast.

She gave birth to another daughter in late 179 AE - Velvela Holmes, at the time rumored to be the bastard daughter of Lord Thalcyn Umbridge I. Velvela was a fussy child, perhaps even more stubborn and bull-headed than her mother.

Shortly after the birth, while Aster was still recovering, she received a visitor - Emyr Rodin, even more battle-hardened and still somehow without a wife. He admitted to her that he had been in love with her for some years now, and unable to bring himself to find another. Now that it was clear she was interested in having children, perhaps she would consider his proposal of several years' prior?

Aster and Emyr were wed in 180 AE, the latter taking his lady's name. Aster gave birth to Egonia Holdenhome in 181 - the first heir, Imelda Holdenhome in 183, and Aveline Holdenhome in 184 AE. From outside Holdenhome lands, rumors abounded that these were not Emyr's children but the peoples of Holdenhome lands adamantly defended their Blue Queen. Those close to Aster and Emyr insisted the two were inseparable and incapable of infidelity. Aster also confided with Emyr that neither her baseborn daughters were fathered by nobles - only commoners.

## Birth of Rogan Holdenhome (185 AE)

Finally, when Aster was 31 years old, she gave birth to a son whom she named after her step-father and mentor, Rogan. This son Rogan Holdenhome was named heir and his true-born sisters fell behind him in the succession - their base-born half-sisters after them. Aster, with her mission finally completed, threw herself back into the war effort with a vengeance, Emyr at her side. They were oft thought reckless by those around them, bringing their horde of children with them wherever they went - but with them, Nature acted even more protective of the Blue Queen's offspring than she did. Wildlife was drawn to this family and it became clear that more than one of the children at least carried a spark of their mother's druidic power.

From as early as 190 AE, a wild she-bear befriended young Rogan and began trailing him wherever he went. He formed a close bond with the bear and Aster's druidic abilities allowed her to trust the beast with her children.

In 194 AE, Aster's oldest daughter Ricarda Holmes was wed to Thalcyn Umbridge II at age 17. Over the next 14 years, she would give him five sons.

**In 197 AE, Aster and Emyr's daughter Egonia Holdenhome was wed to \_\_\_\_ at age 16.**

It was a surprise for all in 200 AE to discover that Aster was pregnant at the late age of 46. It was by far her worst pregnancy, bedridden for most of it, and she gave birth on the last day of the last month in her bed at Homefast. Twins Taral Holdenhome and Rosamel Holdenhome were the last children born to Aster and Emyr. Aster tore terribly during the traumatic birth and, despite her druidic healing, had to take some time to recuperate. The age gap between the twins and their older siblings was between 23 and 15 years.

In 202 AE, Aster and Emyr's daughter Imelda Holdenhome was wed to Gavin Umbridge at age 19.

## Everglow City is Lost to the Demons (208 AE)

None of the Holdenhome forces were near Everglow City when it was lost to the demonic horde. 54-year-old Aster was back towards Homefast and her son Rogan was patrolling further south-east, nearer to Rodin lands. However, 62-year-old Emyr was in Everglow City with his younger step-daughter (visiting his mother Ania) and sustained injuries during his defense of the city alongside them. Near-death, he was dragged out of the city by 29-year-old Velvela but shortly after succumbed to his wounds. 78-year-old Lady Ania Rodin died in the city.

Aster mourned her husband deeply, but did not blame her daughter for not being able to save him. She had been at war long enough to know loss was inevitable and she had been fortunate to hold him so long.

Simultaneously, Aster's oldest daughter suffered a great loss. 31-year-old Ricarda Umbridge was in Huperbrigge with her husband and five sons when the demons came. She was well-protected but unable to reach her children to save them. In the course of a terrible hour, all her sons and her husband were killed. The fighting went on for hours until reinforcements arrived and the demons were cast out. Ricarda wrote to her husband Thalcyn's brother Chrysanthos Umbridge II and informed him of the deaths and his new position as Lord. Ricarda remained in Huperbrigge and aided Chrysanthos in his new lordly duties to shove down her grief. She suffered an unexpected miscarriage within a few weeks and Chrysanthos' wife Zephora encouraged her to return to Homefast to recover.

Aster and Ricarda found some solace in their shared grief, but Ricarda returned to Huperbrigge after a year.

Emyr's still-living twin, Lord Edvard Rodin spoke to Aster on re-strengthening the alliance that his brother's marriage to her brought. He was wed, but his 18-year-old son Gustav Rodin was not. Unmarried 24-year-old Aveline Holdenhome was chosen to be his betrothed. Within days, it was revealed that Gustav had gotten a girl pregnant and Aveline refused to go through with the wedding. Aster waved off the entire affair and insisted they could strengthen the marriage bonds at a later time when there were more available candidates - for now, an informal alliance would be maintained. Gustav married the girl, a 15-year-old commoner named Renata and their son Markus Rodin was born in early 209. All through Renata's pregnancy, Edvard pestered Aster about betrothing the as-of-yet-born baby to one of her future grandchildren but she found the entire situation ridiculous.

## Heirs Secured (210 AE)

In 210 AE, Rogan married the elegant Genevieve of House Vennet and she moved to Homefast. 56-year-old Aster was all-too-happy to let the girl run the house administration while she and her children saw to the war. Precisely nine months after the wedding, Genevieve gave birth to their first daughter Juniper Holdenhome in 211 AE. In 215 AE, daughter Hazelle Holdenhome was the second child born to Rogan and Genevieve. In 219 AE, when Aster was 65-years-old, Oswin Holdenhome I was born to Rogan and Genevieve. Their final son Flint Holdenhome was born two years later in 221 AE.

Edvard Rodin finally got his legitimate alliance when Rogan agreed to betroth his newborn daughter Juniper to 2-year-old Markus Rodin in 211 AE. Aster did not agree with such an arrangement, but despite her position of power chose to allow her son to run his own family how he would - but not without much argument.

In 212 AE, it was revealed to Aster that her married daughter Imelda had been carrying on an affair for four years - with Aster's half-brother Owen (7 years Imelda's senior). Aster strongly urged them to break it off, but Imelda was pregnant and believed it wasn't her husband Gavin's child.

**In 213 AE, Imelda gave birth to \_\_\_, of disputed heritage.**

In 217 AE, Aster's oldest daughter Ricarda remarried. Her former brother-in-law Chrysanthos lost his wife Zephora two years earlier due to childbirth complications. Chrysanthos found comfort in Ricarda and the two were wed. In 223 AE, they had their only child Acacia Umbridge.

**In 221 AE, Aster and Emyr's youngest daughter Rosamel married \_\_\_\_ Dalman at age 20.**

Markus Rodin and Aster's granddaughter Jupiter Holdenhome were wed in 226 AE. Their son and Rodin heir Malachai Rodin was born 231 AE.

In 239 AE, Aster's grandson and second heir Oswin Holdenhome I wed a common girl named Taliya. The following year they had their first son Gunjan Holdenhome. *Aster would not live to see the birth of their second child, Oswin Holdenhome II, in 243 AE.*

## Death of the Blue Queen

Aster had felt her death approaching for some time as a cancer spread through her flesh, but held it off with druidic magics. Despite the urging of her family to retire, she kept pushing and pushing through battle after battle against the demons. This was in the vain hope that one day it might just be enough to end the Demon Wars.

Her body no longer moved as easily as it had once. Physically she could no longer rival a trained man beyond the skill of a squire. Yet the image of her blue war paint still instilled fear in the enemy and hope in her allies. She warded off attacks with her swarms and druidic magics. But as the pain grew from the cancer mutation and her focus had to be tighter, she knew there was a day approaching where she would slip in her druidic magics. She could not determine if that day it would only be her needing protection, or if she would fail in protecting another.

In late 240 AE, 86-year-old Lady Aster Holdenhome chose the moment of her death. It was believed she passed peacefully in her sleep, in her own bed. In truth, Aster believed if the demons saw her fall, it would only incite them. She felt a death of apparently natural causes would inspire her people more than a death by demons - that an old warrior's peaceful death was still possible.

## *Legacy*

Post-166 AE, the village of Mereham was renamed to "Koboltblod" in honor of Aster's blue-dyed appearance.