Queen of Swords
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Queen of Swords | |
| Player: @Wingman | |
| Origin: |
Magic |
| Archetype: |
Scrapper |
| Threat Level: |
43 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: |
Amber Pierce |
| Known Aliases: |
None |
| Species: |
Human |
| Date of Birth: |
1985 (age 39) |
| Height: |
5'1" |
| Weight: |
100 |
| Eye Color: |
Blue |
| Hair Color: |
Blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: |
USA |
| Occupation: |
Crimefighter |
| Place of Birth: |
Providence, RI |
| Base of Operations: |
Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: |
Single |
| Known Relatives: |
Mother and Father (estranged) |
| Additional Data | |
| [ Source ] | |
Contents |
Origin
In her Sophomore year, she was spending Halloween in her house, hosting a 'witch' party where she read cards and she saw auras and generally helped along the atmosphere of the evening. But as midnight came and went and 1AM neared, the party wound down and she began to read the tarot cards for herself. What she saw in that last reading made so much sense that she knew something had changed. She realized that she must be feeling the power of magick, REAL magick. It thrilled and frightened her. She wondered if she should continue in the face of real consequences and what they might be. She knew that magick held unimaginable power but also that it was incredibly dangerous. Trepidatiously, she laid the cards out, understanding their meaning with insight unimaginable before.
As she laid out the last card, "Future," her mind flitted to the question she had asked originally. 'What is the best thing that I can do?' As she laid down the card, the clock struck one.
With a blast of arcane light and power, the Queen of Swords was born. The other girls slumped to the ground, the cards arose in a whirlwind of cosmic images as the mystical energy coursed through her. Amber Pierce never finished her reading. But the armored warrior of justice whom she had become finished it for her, laying down the last card and taking her name from it.
The other girls woke up the next morning in a mess of cards and candles, but Amber was gone and none of them remember anything about the night before.
The Queen of Swords is the Mother of the Wind and the Keeper of Knowledge. She can call upon any of the mystical works stored in the lost library of Alexandria, whence the Tarot originated. In her current state, she dons weapons and armor formed of her spiritual essence and fights alongside Paragon City's heroes to fulfill Amber Pierce's destiny.
In the intervening years, she has gained more control of her power. She and Amber coexist as two aspects of one person. Amber found her parents (a year after she had disappeared) and explained what had happened to her that night. That she had been the Queen of Swords for a year and had just finally understood how to become Amber again. They still haven't 'forgiven' her, but she hopes that they will understand before it is too late. But until then, she doesn't need anyone's permission or understanding to know that what she is doing is right and indeed, the best thing she can do.
Affiliations
When she first became Queen of Swords, she worked alone. Later, she would be recruited by a somewhat vigilante hero group called Paragon Gothic, whose methods she found somewhat distasteful. After a number of clashes with the group's leader, she left and was recruited by the Templars of the Abbey. There she made many friends, some of whom she still is in contact with.
During a Rikti Raid in Steel Canyon, she felt a strange attraction to a very young hero who was fighting with swords. Once the raid ended, she looked at him and knew that he was another hero whose life had been influenced by the tarot. He was the Knight of Swords. She bid goodbye to the Templars, knowing that she and he would be stronger together. The Queen and the Knight are both currently members of the Golden Age Heroes.
Powers
Appearance
The Queen of Swords is an armored sword-wielding superhero. But when she wants to, she can become Amber Pierce once again. When she's not in her armor, she is a normal human with no superpowers whatever. While she is in her hero form, she does not age, eat, or sleep. However, when she is Amber she is bound by all the same wants and needs that a human normally has.
Armor
The Queen's Armor appears to be a light steel, but it is formed of her 'spiritual essense.' Which is to say that it's made of magic. It has the hardness of steel, though it is lighter. And it offers her more protection than normal steel. However, the fact that it is made of magic means that she can change its appearance given enough time and concentration. While she is in her superhero form, the armor is always on her.
Sword
The Queen's sword is also formed of 'spritual essence.' However, unlike the armor it appears and disappears as needed. Being formed of her thoughts, the form that the sword takes is also up to her imagination. However, thus far it has only appeared as a longsword, sized down to her small frame.
Divination
Despite the fact that Amber has very little magical talent, the Queen of Swords is an accomplished reader of tarot cards. She can summon cards from thin air (actually, the cards come from the spirit realm) and use them to do readings and cast some very limited divination magic.
The Library of Alexandria
The Lost Library of ancient legend contained the collected mystical works of the day. It was the single repository for all the ancient magical lore available at that time. During the 5th Century CE, the library was destroyed by fire. However, anticipating this the librarian created a duplicate library in the spirit world. This library exists to preserve all the ancient knowledge of magic that was lost in the dark ages. The Queen of Swords is the sole gatekeeper. She can at will, leave the physical world and appear in her library. She can allow anyone else to travel with her or to be in the library while she is absent. However, only with her can anyone enter or exit the library.
Liege of Bladed Weapons
As the Queen of Swords, all swords pay homage to her. Those that have personalities or intellect acknowledge her position and her authority. She can speak to and understand any magical bladed weapon. However, only swords and sword-like bladed weapons must obey her. Indeed, she has had a very antagonistic if begrudgingly respectful relationship with Himndenbjorg, the magical axe wielded by the hero Savage Axe.
Personality
Amber and the Queen are, in fact, one person. However, in hero form she becomes more serious and more analytical. Amber was a sorority girl, and she liked being wild and partying. She dated almost anyone who asked. She was never the prettiest girl in a room, but she knew how to dress and liked to show off. So she never lacked for attention. As Queen, she knows and acknowledges that part of her exists. However, as the Queen of Swords, she is driven and has purpose. She is all business and tends not to engage emotionally at all.
Known Weaknesses
While in her hero form, the Queen of Swords is heavily associated with the element of air. As such, her 'domain' is that of air. Her powers of divination extend anywhere upon the earth where there is air. This means that as the Queen she can't go anywhere there isn't air. Most notably, she cannot leave the Earth except to go to the spirit world.
