Celine Moonflask
Celine Moonflask is a Beastfolk woman, Imperial Trade Director of the Avinadal Empire, and one of the more quietly unconventional figures in Aries Villanite's inner circle. She has spent most of her adult life building organizations, running them well, and selling them for substantial profit. The exception is Moonflask Essentials, the bath and body product company she founded at eight years old — which she has held onto. It became a household name.
She was hired to fill the trade functions vacated when the Villanite Trading Company had to close following the empire's formal announcement. She came to the hiring panel prepared, with a clear analysis of what VTC had done well and what she would have done differently, and walked out with the position.
Aries apparently decided he was in love with her on the spot. This did not appear to inconvenience her.
She relocated Moonflask Essentials' headquarters to Regulus Island and developed two product lines that became central to the empire's early finances. The first, Sire's Gold, uses Aries' pheromones. The second — the Beast's Seed line, sold exclusively at the Regulus Palace — is considerably more expensive. Both are consistently sold out, and together they played a significant role in funding the reconstruction of Plasid and the expansion of the Regulus Palace into a luxury destination.
Celine Moonflask walks into rooms prepared. The hiring panel for the Imperial Trade Director position saw someone who had done the research, formed genuine opinions, and was willing to voice the critical ones directly — including what she thought VTC had gotten wrong. This is the kind of preparation that signals confidence without performance: she was not trying to impress, she was trying to be useful, and the two things happened to coincide.
She built Moonflask Essentials at eight years old. The company became a household name. She sold other companies across her career for massive profit, but she kept this one — which is its own kind of data point about what she values when she lets herself value something.
She is not easily flustered. Aries falling in love with her on sight — out loud, without subtlety — did not appear to inconvenience her. She treated it the way she treats most things: as a fact of the situation to be noted and then worked around or with, depending on what was useful. She eventually worked with it, but in her own time and on her own terms.
Her business instincts are creative in the specific way that commercial creativity works best: she identified an unusual resource (Aries' pheromones, and more directly his biology) and built premium products around it that became the primary financial engine for rebuilding Plasid. The Beast's Seed line in particular suggests someone with no particular anxiety about unconventional ideas, as long as the market responds.
She is small in stature and tends to get described as "tiny." She does not appear to find this relevant.
Formation of the Avinadal Empire and the Plasid Campaign ►
The Villanite Trading Company recruited Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as a mental health consultant. After a confrontation in which Aries shifted into beast form, Talia pledged loyalty to him and joined the team with a goal of building a capable imperial staff. Separately, Aries traveled to Plasid after Piper's crystal activated, where he learned of Empress Edith Markov's plan to transfer her consciousness into Enyxia Markov's body using a ritual that would absorb the memories of all Plasidian citizens. Trained in both Myst and Malei by Augustus Markov, Aries allied with Crowned Prince Vinisent Atril and Queen Lynia Yawlin to oppose Edith. The campaign involved liberating slaves in Harkul, surviving military assaults from Edith's forces, and the capture of Augustus and Apollo Regulus. Aries defeated Edith by using Piper's crystal to drive her from Enyxia's body, with Piper's essence expelling Edith before fading. Arielle killed Edith's physical body, trapping her in the Maleidic Realm. Following the victory, Aries and Enyxia founded the Avinadal Empire, named after Piper's middle name Avinadalia. Enyxia became Empress, and a formal imperial hierarchy was established encompassing the Regulus Sanguarchate and Plasidian Triumvirate. Lynia Yawlin and Arielle Villanite joined as High Imperial Consorts. Nyx Regulus and Aurelia Villanite also formed a romantic relationship during this period.
Years 190–193 AF: The Plasidian Campaign and Rise of the Villanite Coalition ►
Between 190–193 AF, Aries Villanite (age 30) expands the Villanite Trading Company by recruiting Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as mental health consultant. Talia submits to Aries after a confrontation triggers his beast form, thereafter dedicating herself to building an elite staff for him. A Plasidian delegation led by Augustus Markov, Crown Prince Vynisian Atril, and handler Katalyn Atrilmed arrives at VTC HQ requesting Aries' help to stop Edith Markov's ritual — a consciousness-transfer targeting Enyxia Markov's body, which would grant Edith control over all Plasidian memories. Aries agrees and travels to Plasid with Augustus and Apollo Regulus, receiving training in both Myst and Malei. The coalition secures alliances with Yawlin under Queen Rosalynia Yawlinitik and Atril, then liberates Harkul from a corrupt regime concealing a slave trade. Katalyn Atrilmed, manipulated by radical Atrilian Nationalists who were secretly poisoning Atril's king, attempts to assassinate Aries; Aries subdues her and executes her at Vynisian's reluctant direction. During the campaign against Edith's forces, Augustus and Apollo are captured. Aries defeats Edith by using Piper's crystal to expel her from Enyxia's body; Arielle kills Edith's physical form, trapping Edith in the Maleidic Realm. Enyxia, carrying the memories of all Plasidians and vast Mystic power, proposes assuming Edith's rule as a benevolent successor. Augustus recommends she rule jointly with Aries, whom Enyxia openly declares she loves.
Years 190–193 AF: The Plasidian Campaign and Rise of the Villanite Coalition ►
Between 190–193 AF, Aries Villanite (age 30) expands the Villanite Trading Company's influence by recruiting Talia Hekata, a Hornhound dominatrix and sex therapist, as a mental health consultant. After a confrontation in which Aries shifts into beast form, Talia swears loyalty to him and becomes a key advisor. A Plasidian delegation led by Augustus Markov, Crown Prince Vynisian Atril, and handler Katalyn Atrilmed arrives at VTC HQ requesting Aries' help to stop Edith Markov's ritual, which would transfer her consciousness into Enyxia Markov's body using consolidated Plasidian memories. Aries agrees and travels to Plasid with Augustus, where he, Apollo Regulus, and Vynisian train in both Myst and Malei under Augustus. The coalition secures alliances with Yawlin and Atril, liberates enslaved citizens in Harkul, and overthrows its corrupt government. Katalyn Atrilmed, manipulated by radical Atrilian Nationalists who were secretly poisoning Atril's king, attempts to assassinate Aries; Aries subdues her and Vynisian is forced to condemn her. In the final campaign against Edith, Augustus and Apollo are captured. Aries defeats Edith by using Piper's crystal to expel her from Enyxia's body; Arielle kills Edith's physical form, trapping Edith in the Maleidic Realm. Enyxia, carrying the memories of all Plasidians and vast Mystic power, proposes ruling Plasid benevolently. Augustus recommends she rule jointly with Aries, whom she loves. Augustus also reveals Piper is Persephone Avinadalia Markov, Amelie's missing first daughter.