LogFAQs > #973646141

So Iolande was just this stuck-up bitch when we first met her, who was like "Ugh, Terrans. I must lower myself to ask you to accompany me to Korugar to find my partner since the Guardians won't give me any help with it."

Brennus and Saoirse went to talk to her once, and she still came across as full-of-herself. Then again, Brennus is the prince of a dead country so he never really did anything princely ever or knew how to hold the title much, and Saoirse was "princess" of a magical realm except she turned it down awhile ago so she was Princess in potential only, and also the realm is dead. So Iolande, princess of a planet for 3 years at that point really had a leg to stand on.

Saoirse's early interactions with Iolande were kind of rude. Maybe even mean. She found a way to listen to Iolande talk within her position, and to say her own things and listen on in a way that was dismissive of this hoity-toity princess, where Saoirse was sarcastically being insulting at times. I think one of those early lines Iolande said was "this tomato is bursting at the seams with flavor". And I think Saoirse sort of lost it at that time, like - "wow, this is the small-talk I get?"

What changed was when Saoirse realized she was being genuine - she was amazed by the tomato's flavor. And Saoirse saw that Iolande wasn't a stuck-up princess - she was a dutiful princess who took the office seriously. She wasn't stuck-up - she was actually ashamed to be partaking in flavorful meals with Saoirse while her people had little. Duty was a very serious thing. And Saoirse, Irish national who went punk in a post-marriage retaliation of her life, found a royal who she could listen to, who she could believe in. Just like Waller, but with Waller, it's because Waller perfectly knows how to handle Saoirse and give her a long leash and self-determination.

So Saoirse and Iolande began to develop - Saoirse providing something Iolande hasn't really had - a friend. A chance to just be a girl for a bit. And Saoirse, opening herself to the idea that she has leadership potential, a part of her mother she didn't use to want anything to do with, has found somebody to model herself after a bit.

Korugar was an intense four sessions because we found Iolande's brother, AND he was ruling Korugar, AND Brennus and Riev disagreed on a split-second decision to assassinate or save him, AND he cut off Iolande's arm and took her ring... I got to play up perhaps the second most angering thing to Saoirse in the campaign, which was Ragnar's betrayal of Iolande. Yet even then, at the end when she was to kill him - Saoirse convinced her to choose mercy. Betrayal of the position of Princess? Perhaps. But embracing the position of sister.

Saoirse is new to sisterhood (and is probably currently rowing with Traci), but she's learning how to handle that and take it seriously - and seeing Iolande's heart break when she saw Ragnar alive, she couldn't let her go through losing him again. And she listened.

They are two WILDly different girls, from completely different backgrounds and races, but - they bring things out of each other.

But yeah, gonna try out some digs next time. Almost was today but... soon. Soon.