So, for OCtober, going to post some of the character concepts for We’re Not the Bad Guys We Swear.
This is Lenora Ashford, Queen Mother of Nocte, as she appeared upon ascending the throne and in the present time.
Notce has a tradition of “marry out-marry in” to preserve family lines in its dangerous climate, and Lenora’s husband, King Nathaniel, married out of the royal Cleabach family to marry her (he was the fourth son anyway). The match was beneficial to both families, the royal line tended to have many children while the Ashfords had been given only children for three generations to the point, and the Ashford’s mines were good revenue for someone related to the royal family to use to benefit the royals.
Disaster struck, as it is wont to do in Nocte, and the royal familiy was wiped out in a plague of wyrms and dragons that had not been seen for over a hundred years. After some debate among the surviving branches of the royals, Nathaniel and Lenora ascended the throne and the Ashford legacy began.
Lenora was a very popular queen, helping her husband manage the rebuilding of the nation after the disaster and using her economic skills to bolster many livelihoods. She brought locks back into fashion as a hairstyle and many, many children were named after her (including her granddaughter, who goes by Lena). The magic the Clebach family was known for also runs strong in her children and grandchildren, and she supported more standardized education for magic users across Nocte’s citystates. These days she mainly focuses on keeping charities and welfare organizations in the capital humming along smoothly, letting the current king and queen set the major policies publicly.
Lenora is well known for her iron will, wry sense of humor, and deep love for her family. She’s very proud of her imposing height (6′2″ when she was younger, an inch taller than Nathaniel), and in old age wears a back brace under her coats and dresses in an effort to preserve it. Her family often need to guilt her into using a cane, though she really should use it more often for her health.
