R's Character Q&A (Patreon)

Hey gang! The results came in and about 60% of you voted for R this month, so A will automatically get the next month's Q&A.

We got a couple of questions specified for R from past voting rounds, as well as a bunch more from this round!

Onto the questions ✨

Who is your favorite person to work with?
"I would say Ashti/Azad. We see eye to eye on many things, and the few times they do disagree with me I appreciate hearing their perspective. They never condescend to me; I can always count on them to be honest.

"Aside from them, I always enjoy seeing Perjin and discussing matters of magic with her. Her field is limited mainly to alchemy, minerals in particular, but as that's not one of my own talents we can exchange a lot of knowledge over the course of even a single conversation." 

"I would've also said Dara/Delal, but... frankly, I'm not as experienced as they are yet, so sometimes it feels less like we're working together and more like I'm learning from them, like a student would from a teacher." 

What is the achievement that you are most proud of to this date?
"Hmm... it would have to be... the first time I created magic between my fingertips. I must've been thirteen winters at the time, only recently a pupil of Lady Zerya's. 

"She had already taught me how to conjure magic from the sky--I lean towards outer magic, in most cases--but creating it from within was much more difficult. Lightning in particular is an incredibly powerful element, and very tough to tame. I've burned my own hands more times than I could count.

"When I finally succeeded... to say I was overjoyed was an understatement. Lady Zerya looked so proud of me, too. I'll never forget it." 

What advice would you give your successor?
"Find a trusted few friends for your inner circle, and keep them close. Never trust a noble, but keep them even closer." 

Is there any historic event or person you find interesting?
"That would be Lady Viyan, the Crown's First Sorcerer. She served Crown Ashadūna; before the Empire was founded, Lady Viyan was the head of one of the Tribes of Sur that Crown Ashadūna allied with. In fact, one could say she was the main reason the alliance held together at all. Her achievements as the Crown's foremost advisor makes her a role model to all Sorcerers who followed in her footsteps." 

That's quite admirable. Speaking of which, weren't there rumors that Lady Viyan and Crown Ashadūna were lovers?
"Rumors, yes. No one has been able to prove it with certainty; if they did have a love affair, they kept it secret. Even so, Lady Viyan advised the Crown to the best of her ability, though... such relationships are ill-advised. It could compromise the Crown's Sorcerer." 

Or it could compromise the Crown?
"That's also possible, yes. The Crown might make decisions based solely on what their Sorcerer says, due to their relationship. That would be of great concern to the country, to say the least."

Do you believe the Crown--the current one--can remain a good person forever?
"That depends on their choices. Even someone who puts the country first can make bad decisions if they were misguided in some way. It is the Sorcerer's foremost task to ensure the Crown doesn't stray from the path of truth and righteousness.

"As for our current Crown... it remains to be seen what kind of ruler they will turn out to be. They haven't had a chance to govern yet: I look forward to seeing what decisions they'll make." 

Hypothetically, if you were to fall in love with the Crown, would you still be able to hold them accountable if they become a tyrant?
"Of course. It would be my duty, in fact--personal relationships would have to be secondary to that. Though that's easier said than done, I'm not sure how I'd feel in the moment." 

Would you be able to kill them, if it comes to that?
"I... I'd rather not imagine such a future. I don't know. I hope...

I hope I won't ever have to find out."