Lady Xaria Volkov • AQW Wiki Afianf

Broken Sword
Common folk are allowed into Swordhaven Castle as long as the Knights approve of it, but they're too shy to visit. It's nice to see an adventurer taking a walk in the courtyard. I'm of the mind that the Nobles and Royalty exist to serve the people, not the other way around. If only I-Ah! *sigh* my arm's been acting up lately. Lord Harley, let me call on my students to help you with the Undead. I won't be of much help.

Talk
I miss being able to hold a sword.

Arm
You're asking about my arm? No hesitation. I like that. It isn't injured. Long ago, an ancestor of mine defeated a great evil by sealing it inside their body. Their heir inherited the responsibility of keeping this entity contained by defeating them in battle. As you can see, the tradition continued. Among my brothers and sister, only I was skilled enough to beat out father in a duel. I don't regret it, but it turned me into a homebody.

Noble House
I'm not from a major bloodline, but the Volkovs are a well regarded branch of House Harley. Me and this big Ox are cousins thrice removed. It's actually a blessing. I have a lot more freedom to go on adventures or… or nothing, really. My sword arm was taken from me, and everyone's afraid of the thing living in my body. It's draining to carry around, I can barely stay awake before sundown.

School
Sir Valence was just here, and he pitched the idea of building a school. Dragonrune Hall and the Alchemy Academy already exist, but they specialize in magic. We're planning to build an institution to rival them. One that will allow noble heirs and aspiring adventurers to mingle, achieve weapon mastery, and learn war tactics. If I can't wield a blade anymore, I can teach others. This is good. This is going to be good for me…

- Quests
- Shop

Broken Sword
Take care to keep Lord Harley and I within your line of sight. We'll likely encounter wild beasts along with the ghosts haunting the first layer of the maze. By the way… do your music? Could it be the ghosts, or will we be running into expected guests?

After completing the 'Passing Passepied' quest:

Broken Sword
I'll be taking these "Extinction Artists" into custody for questioning. Technically, they weren't doing anything terribly wrong. The royal family did state that all of the kingdom's subjects are welcome to visit the castle, and it'd be nitpicky to me to make an outright arrest for stealing what could easily be reasoned to be rubbish. That said… Look at them. I need to know if any of their comrades made it further into the maze.

Artifacts
We found a number of items in the maze that are of historical significance. I hesitate to call them artifacts, but we should make an effort to preserve them. As unsuspecting as broken glass and tattered silk may seem, they're proof of a dark era. The prisoners who were trapped here underwent untold torment, and some of their tormentors are still free. The evident we found will bring t hem to justice, as late as we may be.

Artists
I spoke briefly with that strange Bard we found. Cosima explained that she was merely an Aficionado. The Extinction Artists are composed of Artists, the lowest rung, who rise through the ranks to become Aficionados, then Virtuosos, and finally Maestros as their art 'flourishes.' They're led by someone known as The Decadenza I wonder if they're from Mysthsong, but their obsession with the endtimes wouldn't be very welcomed there.

Lord Harley
I've met Lord Harley's aunt before. We had tea, and she tried to give me herbs to help ease the pain from my arm. It's hard to imagine her being a part of King Dethrix's entourage, fanning herself as she watched the boars trample and eat prisoners. She helped Harley become more confident in his appearance, too. I thought she was just a sweet old lady… What a shame. It may not look like it, but Harley isn't taking this well.