| Subspecies: | Merfolk |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Born: | 1005 (Age 15) |
| Title: | Champion (Current) |
| Family: | None |
| Residence: | Governor's Mansion |
Madeleine (Corvidan: MADELEN) is the current Champion of Iryna and an activist for homelessness relief in the city. Although the Champion Tournament that led to her appointment was fraught with controversy, Madeleine has remained an immensely popular public figure. Her actions were an important factor in the removal of Reiner from the position of Governor in 1020.
Madeleine was born in 1005 to two parents who worked as fisherpersons and pearl divers. When she was young, they died at sea, leaving her with only the family's boat as a means of providing for herself.
One time, Mom and Dad dived down, and they didn't come back up. It's... It's a thing that happens sometimes. I was lucky that Mom and Dad had friends in the raft city. They took me in and raised me like their own kid. I started learning magic so I could repay them for their kindness.[1]
Madeleine's innate magical talent and charismatic personality allowed her to integrate herself into the raft city community, but her life remained challenging. Madeleine did not complete her mandatory school education, but remained devoted to her own self-study, and became a powerful mage before reaching adulthood.
On Day 30 of Month 1, 1020, then-Governor Reiner announced the Champion Tournament, a public tournament whose winner would be selected as the successor to Champion Kesti Kor'onen.[2] Madeleine saw this as an opportunity to further assist her raft city family, as well as prove her own skills. Madeleine signed up for the tournament using a fake address; the Iryna PD began an investigation into her at that time, but she was permitted to continue participating in the tournament while that investigation took place.[3] Madeleine's first tournament match ended before her opponent could cast a single spell, earning her an instant following among tournament attendees.[4] After 8 wins and 1 tie, Madeleine advanced to the final round, where she defeated well-known self-defense instructor Hamis to become the tournament winner. At the ceremony to celebrate the tournament's completion, Madeleine gave her first speech to the people of Iryna:
I'm so thrilled that I was given the chance to prove myself, and that I'm going to be your Champion! I'm going to do my best to be the Champion you deserve. I'm lucky enough to have a lot of magic, and I want to use that magic to help people. To help you. So that's what I'm going to do.[5]
After the tournament's conclusion, evidence emerged that called into question its legitimacy.[6] Two key participants were absent from the final: Selwyn, the Evridiki official selected by Reiner to officiate the tournament, and Lucine, one of the three contestants who had qualified to advance to the final. Lucine's whereabouts were not known until she gave an account of her experiences to The Inquirer several weeks later. Lucine explained that she had gone into hiding after being attacked by a person posing as Selwyn, who had attempted to bribe her into throwing the tournament in Madeleine's favor. Whether any of the tournament matches were actually tampered with could not be proven, and Lucine made it clear that she was happy for Madeleine to take the title of Champion. Selwyn's whereabouts remain unknown, although two other judges were present at the final to call the match in Madeleine's favor, and there was no reason to dispute their verdict.
On assuming the position of Champion, Madeleine declared her intent to promote the welfare of her former raft city neighbors, as well as the rest of Iryna's homeless population.[7] However, her ability to realize those ambitions was initially impeded by then-Governor Reiner, who already suspected her of attempting to unseat him from his position as Governor. Reiner went to great lengths to keep close track of Madeleine's activities under the guise of protecting his young subordinate, who was still legally a minor at the time. Madeleine was at this point already in contact with Neeka, whose investigation into Reiner had been underway for several months.[8] Due in no small part to Madeleine's cooperation, Reiner was removed from power less than a month after Madeleine's elevation to Champion. Although technically the highest-ranked government official in Iryna after Reiner's ouster, Madeleine recused herself from the position of interim Governor, citing her lack of knowledge and experience. In 1021, she returned to her role as Champion under Governor Neeka, and also assumed the full responsibilities of the position as a legal adult.