Editing Zeladona Ischen

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{{Infobox_character
|name=Zeladona Ischen
|gender=Female
|status={{Status|Deceased}}
|occupation=Blademistress
|first appearance=[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/08/22/8-38-h/ Chapter 8.38 H]
|aliases=Great Zeladona<br />
Zeladona of Blades|species=[[String People|String Person]]|image=Zeladonna Erin by butts.png|caption1=Zeladona while possessing [[Erin Solstice]] by [[Fanworks/Butts|Butts]]}}

'''Zeladona Ischen''' is a [Blademistress of Ancients] who had mastered six styles of blade school, each with their unique Skills and Sword Arts.<ref name=":0">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/08/22/8-38-h/ Chapter 8.38 H]</ref>

== Appearance ==
She was a Stitch-Woman with skin of worn cotton and golden stitchings, implying she once wore finer materials until she couldn't be bothered with it. She had turquoise hair,<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/22/9-66/ Chapter 9.66]</ref> and her eyes, colored light grey, were sharp, as if her very pupils weren't circles but a thousand thousand straight lines.<ref name=":1">[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ Chapter 9.30]</ref>

She was tall and long-armed.<ref name=":1" /> She had a gap in her teeth from childhood, accidentally knocking a tooth out with the hilt of a training sword.<ref name=":0" />

== Personality ==
As one of the greatest [Blademistresses] in history, Zeladona had devoted her life to the blade, mastering her abilities akin to a [Craftsman]. Having mastered every weapon and style, even reinventing some sword schools, she is delighted when she sees something new, like [[Klbkch]] and [[Ksmvr|Ksmvr's]] Silver Illusion sword school. She can be merciless and doesn't hesitate to shed blood even when training. Zeladona was described to be a "bit of a bastard."  However, she notably refrained from killing or amputating limbs during the Trial of a Thousand Blades, though when fighting with [[Pekona]], she admitted she would have cut off the [Blade Dancer's] arm in other circumstances. As someone who learned and mastered Skills instead of simply acquiring them from levelling, Zeladona looks down at [Warriors] who do otherwise. Having recognized that [[Eldavin]]'s sword mastery was copied from [[Teriarch|someone else's]] memory, she was much more aggressive in their fight, and threatened to kill him if he raised a sword in her presence again.

== Background ==
Zeladona lived ~1000 years before the Long Night during which magic died. She visited every continent, including Tiernas the Continent of Glass, with the exception of [[Rhir]] which was a lifeless blasted wasteland at the time. She visited the [[Drath Archipelago]] 1176 years prior to the return of magic to learn from their blade masters, and she taught the ancestors of House [[Veltras Family|Veltras]].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/11/26/9-67-pt-1/ Chapter 9.67 (Pt. 1)]</ref> Zeladona lived to be so old she was turning to dust.

== Chronology ==

== Powers and Abilities ==

=== Classes/Levels: ===

* [Blademistress of Ancients] Lv. 84<ref name=":1" />

=== Skills: ===

* [Cleave the Mortal W—]
** (Skill Name Incomplete. Possible [Cleave the Mortal World])
* [Dagger Art: Grin of the Vortex]
*[Leap of Twin Swallows]
*[Lightning Iai]
*[Walk of the Blademaster, Path of Legends]<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/18/9-29/ Chapter 9.29]</ref>

==== Blade Styles: ====

* Soul’s Light<ref name=":0" />
* Arts of Viscera<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2023/04/30/9-41-pt-3/ Chapter 9.41 (Pt. 3)]</ref>
* [[Samal]]'s Key-Schools
* ??? - An ancient style that even Dragons used<ref name=":0" />

== Possessions ==

* Dragonbone sword<ref name=":0" />
* Wyvern-scale armor<ref name=":0" />

== Trivia ==

* Zeladona bears the same epiphet "of Blades" as [[Greydath]].
* She never encountered [[Goblins]], as they were near extinct at the time and had faded into legend.<ref name=":1" /> 
* In Zeladona's first appearance, her class was listed as [Swordmistress of Ancients].<ref name=":0" /> 
* She once had a pet [[Sword Crabs|Sword Crab]].<ref>[https://np.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1fizzqn/ama_with_pirateaba_author_of_the_wandering_inn/ Reddit AMA 2024 September 17]</ref>

== Quotes ==

* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To herself] and [[Erin Solstice|Erin]]) “A true blade of Drath! Simply made, but they endure! And look—what a strange, small little festival! It calls me hence. Lend me your body, Erin. You have given me a glorious death—and a chance even now. ''I shall teach them what you wished.''”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To everyone]) “''I see the unworthy and the talented, the weak and the glorious.'' Look now, [Blademasters] of each and every era! I am Zeladona, [Blademistress of Ancients]! We convene the oldest trial in blood and glory! Face me, you warriors gathered here! Show me the sharpness of your souls!”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Symphony]]) “''You have the honor of seeing it. Be it so coarse as to speak a Skill aloud—''come, singers of deadly little lullabies.”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Pertheine]]) “You sang too much together. In armor, in pride. Not enough alone.”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Pekona]]) “Try this blade. Try them all. You’ve only ever sung with the melody of home.”
* [https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Eldavin]]:
** “''You know the song and the words. But you don’t practice.'' You sing loudly, but you have not earned it. You don’t deserve this.”
** “You did not master this—whomever you are. You are a Skill incarnate. All borrowed power, no form of your own. ''But even masters elevate Skills.'' You have earned nothing.”
** “Raise that blade in my presence and I will take your head off.”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Taletevirion]]) “Master, will you not fight with me? Even if you will not dance this day away? To you—I could give you what is so richly deserved. Perhaps. Will you not dare it and try?”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Redscar]]) “Had I been alive to realize this truth—I had never faced a Goblin in my years. No wonder your kind refused to die. ''Stand, one last time, warrior. And show me how you would die.''”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Colthei|Colth]] and [[Ressa]]) ''“Sinister warrior, you had a fine teacher. Keep practicing. Come now, girl of shadows.”''
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Ressa]] and [[Durene Faerise|Durene]] and [[Tyrion Veltras|Tyrion]]) “Then I have nothing to say. Because I was always alone. And the sword was all I ever wanted. Come, child of Trolls. Show me courage. ''You last of all, lord of the woods.''”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Tyrion Veltras|Tyrion]]) “''Oh, stranger. Oh, man trapped in a boy’s body. Oh, child—have you never seen art with sword and shield?''”
*[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Tyrion Veltras|Tyrion]] and herself:
** “Stranger, you have longer than I. Damn you. I give you nothing but—”
** “—envy. Cherish your years. ''Would I another decade even in age! I envy half-Elves! I wish I had sat at the feet of [[Sprigaena|her]], the origin of this all, and worshiped her and begged her to learn!''”
* ([https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To] [[Drassi Tewing|Drassi]]) “''What happened then?'' Names…places…who called me here? Erin…I should repay her. Has she any enemies? You—tell me whom this girl hates, and I will kill them.”
* [https://wanderinginn.com/2022/12/21/9-30/ To the] [[System]]:
** “Yes, each one. Yes and yes…may I not say…? Damn you twice upon Dragons’ scales, then. And thank you, if aught can be said to one such as…yes.”
** “Who? ''Oh.'' I care it not. I know how it would be—but these things happen. I would cut down those who dishonored my festival and trials—but I am not living, am I? No, I would not ''always'' cut down one. It varies. Such things do. Let [[Halrac Everam|him]] go, then. Punishment? I care it not. I…”

== References ==
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Swordsmasters]]
[[Category:Blademistresses of Ancients]]
[[Category:Deceased]]
[[Category:Souls Consumed]]
[[Category:String People]]