Claudette Vance

Intro The eldest and arguably most renowned of Count Vance's three daughters, Claudette is quite different from Leina and Elina. It's not just her appearance - purple hair and lavender eyes, compared to her siblings' gold and sapphire - although it makes the reasons for her disparate status plain for all to see: Born out of wedlock (and to a common wench, no less), Claudette is an illegitimate bastard, and therefore third, not first, in line to inherit the Continent's greatest constituent realm. Vance did little Claudette a great favor when he acknowledged her and took her into his noble court, but he also made sure that she would never dare challenge her legitimate sisters' birthright: Claudette was raised as a soldier, and rather than being entitled to anything, she had to work at least twice as hard for everything she was ever given! Of course, such strict upbringing has turned Claudette into a haughty and disciplined woman who values order, strength and obedience, but also one to respect justice, loyalty, and honor. It's no surprise, then, that once she accepted her place and overcame her shame, she turned into a natural leader: Guarding the borders of the realm against the enemies of mankind, she would soon earn the reverence of commoners and soldiers alike, as well as the fear of those who would hope to oppose her. In time, the legendary smith Owen gifted her with Thunderclap, a magical greatsword whose power to control weather and lightning she mastered with astounding ease, hence her moniker of "Storm General Claudette." Ultimately, even her father couldn't ignore her skill and popularity any longer, and had to grudgingly raise her to overall command of his armies, despite his dynastic worries about her ambitions. Then, when the Goddess' messengers announced a new Queen's Blade tournament to find the next ruler for the Continent, Claudette realized that she didn't need the Vance throne to satisfy her ambitions - not if she could win the Queen's crown instead...