Greetings, tactician.
In the previous week's updates, we met the lifelong friends of Eden that comprise his ragtag band of mercenaries at the onset of Lost Eidolons. Circumstances as they play will force Eden to enlist the aid of powerful new allies to overcome difficult hurdles ahead of him. Today's story revolves around one of the first of the fiery compatriots that Eden will encounter once chaotic events spur into motion: Marchelle.
In the Ludivictan Empire, power corrupts, and corruption pays. Nowhere is that axiom more on display than among the ranks of the Inquisitors. Mid-level bureaucrats tasked with auditing the local officials who oversee the provinces, Inquisitors are theoretically a safeguard against corruption. In actuality, most are as dirty as they come, earning more in bribes than they draw from their salaries.
Then there's Marchelle.
Highborn, educated, and deeply principled, Marchelle is the embodiment of dignity and grace. Hailing from the Imperial capital of Leroyaure, in the Province of Floriant, she is an excellent administrator, experienced at fighting lopsided battles with little resources or support.
But trying to fix a corrupt system from within is no easy task, and might even be downright impossible, a moral conundrum Marchelle is soon forced to confront, with a little help from a certain young mercenary.
As Eden is drawn into broader conflicts for the future of his people, Marchelle will become one of his closest allies and most dependable advisors: ready, willing, and able to bring justice to a land sorely in need of it.
That concludes today's story entry. Later this Saturday, we'll meet one of the key figures of Lost Eidolons, and one whose face has already been seen a number of times: Balastar.