| Europe | |
|---|---|
| |
| Other names | Various |
| Status | Alive |
| Age | Between 29-33[1] |
| Origin | Naimes |
| Affiliations | Naimes |
| Title | Duchess-in-waiting |
| Occupations | Fulgar teratologist |
| Relatives | Magentine (mother) |
| Unique traits | Cruorpunxis on the insides of her forearms in the form of miniature X's. |
| Weapons | Fulgaris |
| Series debut | Foundling |
Europa, more commonly known as Europe and nicknamed the "Branden Rose", is the Duchess-in-waiting of Naimes and a renowned fulgar and teratologist. She is the deuteragonist of the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy and the nature of her relationship with Rossamünd Bookchild is one of the key aspects of the story.
Names[]
The nickname of the Branden Rose, as Europe is known as throughout much of the Soutlands, is derived from her spending much time in Brandenbrass, where she maintains a residence. This has resulted in the mistaken belief that she is originally from there. Rose is a reference to the dark red clothing that she prefers but can also refer to her personality.
- "Europe of Naimes" is her formal title
- "Miss Europe" by Rossamünd Bookchild
- "duchess-daughter" by Baron Idias Finance
- "cousin" by Narsesës, more of a reference to their status as fellow peers than any actual blood relationship
- "Lady Rose" by various characters
- "Rose of Brandentown" by the Lapinduce
- "lady astrapeline" by Cinnamon, a nod to her role as a fulgar
Appearance[]
Europe is a beautiful woman who has smitten men wherever she goes. She has hazel eyes and chestnut coloured hair, which she typically wears up and secured with a hair-tine. Her spoor denoting her as a fulgar is a small blue diamond above her left eye. Europe favours clothing which would typically be worn by men in the form of proofed frock coats and equiteer boots. A portrait of her when she was a teenager depicts her as being plumper and in the prime of youth, her face free from spoors and less gaunt, wearing a magenta skirted coated with a high collar.[2]
Unlike others who bear cruorpunxis in the form of monster's faces, Europe views this as vulgar and instead has hers in the form of tiny X's, which are puncted on the insides of her forearms. These are arranged in blocks four rows long and four across. When Rossamünd saw them he estimated that she had at least 70, although this number has since increased.[3]
Personality[]
Like a rose, Europe is known for her beauty but also has thorny aspects of her personality, which is generally cool and aloof. As a peer, she is capable of moving within high society yet in her role as a fulgar can also comfortably and easily deal with members of the lower classes with whom she interacts. She focuses on maintaining proper decorum without being condescending and maintaining the proper social respect for those she is dealing with, although she can also show her disdain without being overtly insulting. While she is reluctant to return home to Naimes to fulfill her role as duchess-in-waiting, Europe appears to take this position seriously enough that she does not comport herself in a manner unbecoming it.
Having been a monster-hunter for a decade has hardened her personality and given her a realistic, jaded view of life, but she nonetheless remains focused and committed to her mission as a teratologist. She actually does not need the prize money to earn a living as she is independently wealthy. Europe generally holds a negative view of monsters from having battled them all her adult life. Her experience with Rossamünd in particular and later Cinnamon and Freckle softened this slightly, but she knew that she would not be offered refuge in the Sparrow Downs.
She has difficulty in expressing affection or concern for others, which she largely keeps to herself, being more used to expressing anger or disappointment. Europe is also a very private person and rarely shares her thoughts with others, having to normally be prompted to do so. Despite her personality, her staff at Cloche Arde is devoted to her as is Baron Idias Finance. Rossamünd eventually grew to love her despite her attitudes towards monsters.
Despite being regarded as one of the great beauties of the Soutlands and perhaps of the Harthe Alle, Europe has never been shown to have returned any of the advances made to her. She has a fierce sense of independence and of being the mistress of her own affairs, and the desire to preserve this can be attributed in part to her attitudes towards romance. She is used to this sort of attention, having received it since her days at the calanserie. According to Threnody, her mother Syntychë believes that Europe loves herself the most of all.[4]
Despite her renown and infamy as a beldame and being the subject of various scandals, obsequine admiration, Europe does not care about the attention.
Relationships[]
The relationship between Rossamünd and Europe is the most complicated to be dealt with in the trilogy. Despite its inauspicious beginning when Licurius found the boy in a bush of boxthorn, Rossamünd proved loyal to her when her organs spasmed following the fight with the nimbleschrewds, as she had missed a dose of Cathar's Treacle. He was able to bring her to the Harefoot Dig and was trusted with functioning as her temporary factotum while she recovered. Despite her apparently cold attitude towards him, Europe's concern for the boy was first seen when he went missing in High Vesting. After his rescue, she offered him the chance to resume his role as her factotum after she returned from Sinster and would pass by Winstermill. She also wrote him a farewell note disclosing for the first time who she really was and providing the first concrete indication of the depths of her feelings towards him.
It was a measure of Europe's commitment to reenlisting Rossamünd as her factotum that she did not replace Licurius in the intervening months. She remained optimistic that Rossamünd would be able to rejoin her permanently despite his commitment to the lamplighters and she stated her intent to have him become her factotum more than once after they reunited at Winstermill.
It is implied that she similarly had a complex relationship with Licurius, who she nicknamed "Box-face" and was in her service for more than ten years. The warping of Licurius' personality caused by his sthenicon having grown exetious began to make him more rebellious at times towards Europe, although he did not openly turn against her. This caused Licurius to take the lead in the two of them engaging in unknown, yet "wicked and infamous things" that are unspoken of.[5] Nonetheless, Europe took Licurius' loss very hard.
Europe's closest friend is the Brandenard peer Madigan and the two women regard each other as sisters, although they do not get together often. Madigan readily aided Europe in her assault on Pater Pontiflex Maupin, leading a group of lesquins against the Broken Doll. Afterwards she accompanied Europe to Sinster. Madigan's factotum Threedice is also known to Europe but the two rarely interact.
Her longstanding residence in Brandenbrass has created tensions between Europe and its ruler Narsesës, he fears a war between his city-state and Naimes if anything were to befall Europe while she was in Brandenbrass. The two share a mutual dislike but treat each other formally when brought together by circumstances.[6] The archduke looks for ways he can one-up Europe either in conversation or deed but this has proven challenging for him, to his frustration.
Although her determination to pursue her chosen path as a fulgar estranged Europe from her mother, the duchess is still concerned about her wayward daughter, charging Baron Finance with keeping an eye on her when she is in Brandenbrass. Europe's father is never mentioned in the series, making this aspect of her parentage a mystery.
Abilities[]
Fulgar: Europe is a veteran fulgar, having worked as a teratologist for ten years. Her fighting style is based on two forms of combat, harundo and the sagaris used by sagaars, which she proved adept at while studying at the calanserie of Fontrevault.[7] This style is well suited for offense and defense and Europe is very deadly in close quarters combat. Europe has demonstrated many of the techniques available to a lazhar:
- Defeasance/Scinderation
- Thermistoring: Europe favours fighting outdoors in conditions when stormy weather is at hand, which she terms "fighting weather".
- Vacillating
- Vendette
Physical resilience: During the time that she knew Rossamünd, Europe had to return to Sinster twice in order to have additional surgical work done after sustaining threatening injuries.
Shrewd businesswoman: Unlike many moneyed peers, Europe has "interest in many prosperous endeavours". While her man-of-business Pragmathës Carp has had no small role in her financial success, Europe's business interests bring in 10,000 sous a year.[8]
History[]
Euorpe's history has only been hinted at and she herself rarely speaks about it. What is known is that after encountering lahzars in her childhood, she was instantly fascinated by them and became so obsessed that she ran away from home and traveled secretly to Sinster, where she was transmogrified by the best surgeon available. As a young woman she was boarded at the calanserie of Fontrevault by her mother in an attempt to tame her. Here she also studied alongside Syntychë, although the two did not develop a friendship. According to Threnody, Europe was to become a calendar but was expelled.[4] It is suggested that Europe's affinity for the sagaris and bastinado as opposed to learning the five graces had a role in this. Soon after her expulsion she permanently left Naimes.[7]
At some point Europe traveled to and decided to settle in Brandenbrass, engaging Pragmathës Carp as her man-of-business to purchase the mansion Cloche Arde nearly a dozen years before the events of the main story.[9] Licurius also began serving as her factotum before or around this time. Since then she has undertaken knaving work which has brought her into the surrounding lands, developing a formidable reputation.
Plot[]
Foundling[]
Trivia[]
Her formal name, Europa, is a reference to the Greek mythological figure, the namesake of the continent of Europe.
References[]
| e · d · v | Naimes | |
|---|---|---|
| Peers: | Duchess Magentine • Duchess-in-waiting Europe • Baron Idias Finance | |
| Europe's personal staff: | Rossamünd Bookchild • Craumpalin • Fransitart • Licurius | |
| Cloche Arde staff: | Clossette • Condamine • Kitchen • Latissimus • Nectarius • Pallette • Wenzel | |
| Affiliated characters: | Camillo • Pragmathës Carp • Eurodice • Elecrobus Slitt | |
| Related articles: | Percusor • Sainte | |