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Gone But Not Forgotten...

Added 2020-07-17 08:47:57 +0000 UTC

Fantasie Unchained! Location Guide

Queen Renée Memorial Park

As visitors to Valois' capital, Lyonne, explore the residential neighborhoods that cling to the riverbank northwest of the Citadel, they might stumble upon an unimposing park dedicated to the memory of the realm's fabled Warrior Queen, Renée Damocette. The park was commissioned by Renée's successor, her cousin Noémie Damocette. Since Renée was unmarried and had not yet given birth to any children, the line of succession passed to Noémie upon her untimely death.

The statue that adorns the heart of this humble memorial diverges from the militant posture of the statuary that admirers erected elsewhere in honor of the Warrior Queen. This particular statue is unarmed and unarmored, displaying Queen Renée in a more vulnerable light. According to Queen Noémie, the surprised, sorrowful expression carved into the statue's features was intended to represent Renée's grief at being torn away from her beloved Valois, which she had risked so much to defend.

Despite Renée's continued popularity even a century after her death, few locals visit this park, particularly after dark, owing to rumors that it is haunted by a vengeful ghost. It is possible that such rumors were spread on purpose, to keep potential witnesses away; since the park is situated within easy walking distance of the consular estates on Embassy Row, it has become a hub of intrigue, frequented by foreign agents and diplomats who meet there for clandestine purposes.

When the park was first built, Renée's statue was the only one that adorned its grounds. However, an anonymous benefactor has recently donated several additional statues to the park, adding to the haunting beauty of this serene locale...