Thelisa Sunspyre, Regent of Willowgrove

[Electrohydra]

Amazing art by Loops

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I'm never really good at obits, but Thelisa definitely feels like she needs one. I never expected her to last so long, or to be so successful.

Thelisa was a minor noble from a dying family, most of them destitute. The only one of her blood that had been succesful in recent times was her cousin Orianna through her marriage to Desmond Sunpurse. Still, Thelisa was a strong believer in the nobility of blood, of birthright, and she did all she could to act the station of her position.

She started off with a bang, tackling the flagrant corruption in the burgage, with the merchants and the Blackjacks that the houses where happy to use to their own ends. She made her first big splash by arresting and fining the biggest merchant the server had seen in a long time (75k groats just in cash at the time).

She fought the blackjacks (later redjacks) multiple times. She dealt with retainers, trying a few political manovers that went nowhere. Somehow, despite her unfliching rigor, she survived to reach the next phase of her journey.

What was just a duel with Aatish for her cousins honor ended up making her take up residence in the ponds. It was supposed to be temporary at first, but a few people convinced her that she should stay, that the ponds needed someone to keep them safe. So she did, taking up the rule she had a decent claim to.

It was rough at first. Everyone ignored her except those that wanted to beat her up. And a lot of them tried, but somehow she bested them all and slowly solidified her authority. I kept expecting some druids would kick her out. It never came.

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but I knew I was succesful when even those who disliked her called her "Regent". Her trials went uninterrupted. Her decrees of banishment accepted.  In the end, I like to think it was the closest thing to a ruler that the ponds have had in a very long time.

And it was a pretty good rule. Outside of the druids who had to fear her inquisition, the ponds where a pretty safe place during her time. Her goal was to have peace between the peerage and the pondsmen, and it mostly worked.

Speaking of druids, despite all the fear she never actually killed any. She caught a few, but she  always let them go with a second chance (after which they promptly got themselves killed in other ways). I really wanted her to follow that peerage tradition, but I also didn't want her dislike to be without reason. I ended up finding  a satisfactory answer in the words of her patron, the Lady-in-waiting. "Brooke no lying tongue [...] deception led our lady to her state". As shapeshifters, changelings where the avatars of deceit, liars of their very being. Not something she would be flexible on, despite so many people trying.

She wasn't easy to work with. She never compromised, never picked the easy way or the lesser evil. But she was also someone you could trust. It amused me how many people didn't. She quite litterally could never lie as part of her oath.

In the end she died a hero, charging first onto a great monster, on a quest to free her family from the claws of a great evil. I wish she had lived a few more days so she could see what happened next, but isn't that always the case?



Anyways, enough rambling, here is the (very very awesome) loot.

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Big thanks to all the DMs who made it possible, with a special call out to Bearic for all the support he gave me and Ironside for some very cool personal scenes with her family.

Also, a paladin can only be as cool as the villains they oppose. Big cheers to all of you that she fought or conflicted with over these last 6 months.

[Diabl0658]

I tried to steal her orb once, it didn't end well for me. 10/10 would attempt a theft again.

[domare]

A truly epic and inspiring character.  She did well blending nobility with the wilds of the ponds.  She is missed. 

[Scumlord Spiffy]

A paladin that lasted six months is a a paladin worth respecting.

A+

[-UnholyWon-]

I never got to meet the character IG, but every time saw the character's name pop up in the sendings or the forums I always wanted to know more. The character felt like such a mysterious individual because of that, and it was great to watch from a distance. Good luck on your next character!

[Caster13]

I had a hard time figuring out if Thelisa was a positive or negative presence in the Ponds but she was very clearly a force to be reckoned with and respected.

[Astra]

Thelisa really created a lot of interesting situations just by her presence! I wish I had more chances to RP with her, she was really interesting from what little I saw of her. :)

[VanillaPudding]

Very well done! Thelisa was very fun to interact with and brought a nice bit of life to a rather deserted area for quite some time!

[Pandip]

Really stellar. Only had a few opportunities to interact with her directly, but those interactions were always phenomenal and it was great to see you doing your thing in the Ponds and sticking to your guns.