Catherine Nightbreeze

The Witch Queen

From a young age, Catherine was groomed to take the throne, to fulfill a destiny that had yet to be fulfilled in centuries. Her father believed it was time for an empress to take the throne after years of corrupt men leading the Empire into ruin. Her path to the throne would not be a simple one, but she rose to the occasion when she did not have to.

With her training completed as a witch and her birthright upon her, she gathered an interesting group she had met during her travels, pulling them together at the eleventh hour when the title of Grand Duelist was evoked. The time was upon them to end the corruption and reclaim the Human Empire for everything the Nightbreeze name stood for.

Along with the Grand Duelist, the Vampire Wizard, and a ratty adventurer with a love of Dragon fire, Catherine was able to end the coup and corruption that removed her family from the throne when she was a child. Her ascension brought a new era to the Empire, one of prosperity for all, even those that loathed the Witch Queen.

— Unknown Tome at the Starlit Tower

Catherine Nightbreeze is the current Empress of the Human Empire, having served as such since the age of 16. Formally trained as a Witch, her ascension to the throne invoked centuries old traditions that had been nearly forgotten amongst those of the Nightbreeze Family, traditions that had been put in place to keep those ruling amongst power and reason.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

All years of a royal's life are rife with politics. Allowing one to have a childhood means nothing to enemies that wish to take everything.

— Catherine Nightbreeze

Born as the only child of the Human Emperor, Catherine was set to live a lavish life of luxury until the day that she might take the throne. Her earliest days were spent with nannies and tutors watching after her as her father attended to the affairs of the Empire. Sometimes, she would travel with him as he left Stronghold, a nice vacation for the child, but as the political underbelly of the Empire shifted, she rarely left her father's side. The number of people she interacted with outside of her father and his closest advisors dwindled by the time she reached the age of five.
Political relations in the capital became strained, so much so, that people once trusted by the Emperor turned against him, staging a coup that would have the Nightbreeze Family removed from the throne. While this coup had been in the works for years, the Emperor was finally able to put his plan regarding his daughter into motion. The beloved child would become a fail-safe of sorts, one that would hopefully restore the name of her family, but no one could be sure if she would follow such a path in the years that followed.

Coven of the Black Thorns

Coven of the Black Thorns

Coven of the Black Thorns Emblem by Crest via Emblem Creator, created by RiverFang

The Coven of the Black Thorns is the most secretive of the Covens of the Tree, rarely letting outsiders into their villages. It is unknown how many Witches are part of the coven or how many smaller covens exist as part of the Coven of the Black Thorns.

As political upheaval became imminent, the Emperor sent Catherine to a Witch coven in the Fairy King's Wood that would protect her for as long as necessary. This coven, part of the Coven of the Black Thorns, had special ties to the royal family of the Human Empire, although it was a connection that few knew about. In an area of the wood under the protection of Festival Snix, Catherine would remain safe and begin to fulfill the plan that her father had set in motion.
Amongst the women of the Coven of the Black Thorns, Catherine began her schooling, not only in the Purple Magic utilized by the Witches, but in all manner of things, including writing, history, and politics. No part of her education was missed, giving the girl a basis in all things that a ruler must know. While a great deal of time was spent learning magic and the ways of the Witches, the women believed that all other knowledge about the world was just as important if Catherine was to someday take back her birthright.
Catherine spent nearly a decade with the Witches, but the situation in the Human Empire was becoming more dire. Her father and his followers had failed to reclaim the throne, setting in motion the secondary plan that he had hoped for all along. It was time for Catherine to rejoin the world that she had left, but it would take an interesting group to make that a reality.

Regaining the Throne

While Catherine eventually taking the throne had been part of her father's plan, it was something the former Emperor was never sure would come to fruition. Many things would have to take place to allow such a plan to be completed, things that were often out of his hands. This fail-safe to reinstate the name of Nightbreeze fell to a 16 year old girl with the training of a Witch.
The coven that Catherine had stayed with helped set things in motion by granting her a comprehensive education, but their communication with the outside world would play the greatest part in moving Catherine towards greatness. Few in Stronghold remained loyal to the Nightbreeze Family, allowing the title of Grand Duelist to be invoked and the Headmaster of the Starlit Tower to be released from prison.

With these key players in place, it was now time for Catherine to set out to meet with those that would help her regain her birthright. The plan her father had set required these three pieces to play specific roles, but no one could have predicted the fourth necessary piece that would eventually cross Catherine's path. On her travels to meet with the newly appointed Merrick Grayhorn and Alexander Cross, Catherine met a somewhat crazy adventurer known as Darius Nizz who joined her party with little persuasion.
The party spent nearly a year planning how they would infiltrate Castle Nightbreeze and reestablish the Nightbreeze Family as the rulers of the Human Empire. The young Nightbreeze had been gone from her home for a decade, necessitating relying on Cross for his in-depth knowledge of Stronghold. Planning was a delicate process, but eventually, a usable plan was formed, utilizing the strengths of each of the four.

The Witch Queen

Under the cover of darkness, the group entered Stronghold and Castle Nightbreeze, setting their plan into motion. No one is quite sure what happened in the castle that night, but as the morning dawned, the banner of the Nightbreeze Family flew from the castle once again. Those that had been part of the coup a decade ago were either imprisoned or killed, but no one can be sure what truly happened to those that had disgraced the crown.
Catherine's position was not secured overnight. Alexander Cross resumed his role as Headmaster of the Starlit Tower and the Grand Duelist took over as leader of the Night Guard and the Empire's military. As Catherine began restructuring much of the Empire, Darius Nizz was granted lordship over a small area. Those that had been loyal to the Nightbreeze Family and to Catherine were placed in seats of power, but she was not afraid to remove those that showed their true colors and turned against the ideals she was instilling in the Empire.
Over the next few years, Catherine would be named the Witch Queen, a title she often wore with pride while many used it as a slur against her. Across the Empire, people either loved or feared the young Empress and her odd group of companions. The others that had helped gain her the throne were often outcasts from society, the type of people that Catherine often chose as they had little reason to attain power through the means that many of the nobles of old had.
Even when a dubious public opinion amongst her people, Catherine began rebuilding the Human Empire to a glory that had been seen in the days before the Eldritch War. Her councils and advisors were chosen based on merit instead of relation to some long-lost nobility. While a noble herself, she disliked the petty politics that often came from such stature and chose to build the Empire up with laymen and others whose qualifications far outweighed a noble status.

Nightbreeze Insignia

Nightbreeze by RiverFang

The symbol of the Nightbreeze Family and their legacy is often a simple drawing of the Nightbreeze in either black or a blueish-purple color. This insignia can be found on many assets of the Human Empire, to include armor and weapons.

Current Status

Empress of the Human Empire

Species

Humans

Ethnicity

Human Culture

Other Ethnicities/Cultures

• Witch Culture

Date of Birth

23 Spring's Morning, 279 EA

Year of Birth

279 EA 21 Years old

Family

Nightbreeze Family

Eyes

Blueish green

Hair

Long, brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Fair

Height

5'4"

Weight

120lbs

Other Affiliations

• Coven of the Black Thorns

Ruled Locations

• Castle Nightbreeze
• Great Plains
• Stronghold

Trusted Companions

The men that aided Catherine with her ascension would become her most trusted companions, serving in important roles throughout the Empire that she hoped to bring back to its former glory.

Grand Duelist

Little more than a small town hero, Merrick Grayhorn was granted the title of Grand Duelist when the title was invoked by a supporter of the former Emperor. Another piece of the fail-safe plan, the Grand Duelist would be able to lead Catherine and the others through to the end. He would become a trusted companion of Catherine throughout the following years.

Merrick Grayhorn

Merrick Grayhorn by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Alexander Cross

Alexander Cross

Alexander Cross by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang

Delegate from the Society for the Preservation of Historic Vóreios

Alexander Cross, the oldest and most well-traveled member of the Historic Council, serves as the Council's expert on magic and how the various types and usages have affected the history and cultures of Vóreios. He has served in this capacity since the founding of the Alliance.

As Catherine was removed to the Fairy King's Wood during the early days of the coup, Alexander Cross was imprisoned so that power of the Starlit Tower was held by those removing the Nightbreeze Family from the throne.
While not a close advisor to the Emperor, Cross became part of the group to reinstate the Nightbreeze Family

to the throne as he saw great potential in Catherine and what could be accomplished. Before Catherine's group returned to Stronghold, Cross was released from prison by an anonymous supporter of the Emperor and became apprised of the situation through communications with the Grand Duelist.

Darius Nizz

A wandering Adventurer, Darius Nizz stumbled upon Catherine through sheer luck. The young girl was enthralled by his stories of monsters, Dragons, and harrowing escapes. With little persuasion, Nizz would be convinced to join the group for the thrill of it, hoping to expand his repertoire of monster knowledge and magic.

Darius Nizz

Darius Nizz by Portrait via Portrait Workshop, created by RiverFang