The Purring Prince of Lioncourt (Patreon)

Prince Vandell de Lioncourt is the youngest child of King Eriol de Lioncourt and Queen Lesser, Azalyn Tristain, the King’s second wife. Though he is young and seemingly immature, his foppish behavior hides a cunning mind. Shrewd like his mother, the new Raven Prince is very aware of his courtly image; cultivating an air of indifference and irresponsibility to mislead friend and foe alike. In truth the Prince Vandel is a master manipulator and well versed in the artes of intrigue, his knowledge of courtly politics rivals his mothers, though his methods are rather unorthodox.

A ‘gala’, the word used by traditionalist lionkin to refer to effeminate men, Vandell uses his perceived fragility as a weapon against those foolish enough to judge him by his appearance. His epicene beauty, a tool to seduce, manipulate, and use those who would seek to use him.

Once, when Vandell was merely sixteen, the vessel he was traveling upon was beset by kobold pirates as his retinue travelled up the Argentum Coast in Aslan. Seeking fortune and glory, these rogue reptites wished to capture the royal and random him back to his grandfather; the then King, Legault.

His Royal Guards were incapacitated by weapons made of strange alchemy the crew was overwhelmed by the sheer number of the little lizardkin. His bodyguard, the lone Kingsguard in his entourage, a lion named Harrok, was blasted overboard by some strange piece of artificery that created ‘wind magic’. The Prince was stolen away to the Outcast Isles. He was gone for more than a week.

In his time with the kobold, the young lion was able to charm his captors with his beauty, grace, and sensual personability. He was able to seduce his kidnappers, who foolishly thought to make the boy their sex slave. His nights were spent servicing both male and female kobolds who grew to enjoy his touch. Though they felt themselves in control of the Prince, they were unaware that the game of domination is one he enjoyed playing. Caring little for which side he fell upon.

Lulling the diminutive scalings into a false sense of security, Vandell was able to manipulate one of the females into sending out a seemingly banal message; requesting his favorite Aslanian spirit from a winery on the mainland. This innocuous request had the desired effect of gaining the attention of Harrok, who had been looking for such a sign from the prince.

With the aid of a foreign sellsword, a skunk named Reese Akagi, Harrok was able to make his way to the island lair of the pirates and free the Prince from his ‘torment’. Though he seemed to be running the place by the time the pair had arrived.

Thankful for his assistance and intrigued by his participation in freeing the young lion from his peril, Prince Vandell would hire Reese as a retainer, adding to his protection along with Harrok, and creating an agent loyal to him alone and not the crown or peerage. A kind of shadowy ‘left hand’ to help in matters most dire.

Since his return the prince has used the ordeal to be far more promiscuous. Before he had been more judicious with his manipulations and seductions, but now, with the court willing to blame any such behavior on lingering trauma from his Now fully aware of his ‘ordeal’, the Prince has more readily used his looks and body to gain an edge in his political endeavors. Because of this, his detractors admonish him as ‘The Purring Prince’, though none would speak the insult aloud. A pity, the Prince rather likes the moniker.

Despite his increased ‘extracurricular activities’ from that point on, his public persona has yet to be besmirched. The cloak of innocence and nativity the nobility see cloud their judgement and allow Vandell to act with near impunity in the great game of courtly intrigue.

Now, twenty years old, in between sexual dalliances with his favorite women and men of the court, Prince Vandell is in charge of funding and supporting the Sacred Order of the Raven Knights, as the new Raven Prince, after his father ascended to the throne. Though the Order exists as a mostly autonomous entity from the crown, they do still owe some fealty to the crown of Lioncourt. Often fulfilling requests for aid in matters of magical nature, most dire.

To facilitate his influence within the Order, Prince Vandell named childhood friend and ward of his father, King Eriol, Maelyn Visenya as the Royal Legate to the Order. He also convinced his ‘hand’ Reese to join as well, adding to those loyal to him within their ranks. Though this left him without his favorite toys in his day to day life, the ‘Purring Prince’ still had Sir Harrok to keep him warm on cold Maheesian nights.