Véronique

Anchor
Basic Information
Pronouns	she/her they/them
Titles	Elect of Fealty Excerpt of Fealty (by Fealty)
Aliases	Erritt Garretty (birth name)
Place of Origin	Stel Nideo
People	Human
Connections
Af­fil­i­a­tion(s)	The Curtain (formerly) Stel Nideo (formerly)
Re­la­tion­ships	Fealty (Elect)
Meta Info
Season	The Road to PALISADE
Game	HOUNDs
Player	Jack de Quidt
Debut	The Road to PALISADE 01: HOUNDs Pt. 1

“

Are you there, Anchor?”

– Véronique, HOUNDs

Véronique was a Nidean Elect of Fealty before she and Fealty defected.

Appearance

Véronique was face cast as Hunter Schafer, specifying blonde, tall, and skinny.

Their dress uniform is a blue dress jacket covered in hundreds of cameos, similar to the doublet the queen in The Green Knight wears.

Personality

Véronique is impulsive and committed, especially to her technically athletic skill, and initially very loyal to their Stel. Early in her escape from Curtain forces they struggle to rationalize their actions, with her oaths to Fealty and to her Stel coming into conflict.

She talks constantly about track-and-field with Fealty, and does not realize how often she does.

Véronique often refers to herself as the Elect Fealty, in the same way as addressing Divines, and herself and Divine Fealty collectively as Fealty. They expresses several times that they think they literally can not be killed due to their status as Fealty's Elect.

History and Involvement

Véronique first became an Elect at 16, with her initial ceremony being held at her high school, Artwright, the same school Gucci Garantine and Clementine Kesh attended a decade before Véronique. While in school they were a "beloved jock" who competed in multiple track and field events (including some type of running, high and/or long jump, and javelin).

In her appearance in the HOUNDs Arc she is 24 years old and has been an Elect for 8 years.

Early in the Curtain's search for a way into the Twilight Mirage Fealty and Véronique are escorting the Peaceful Princept across Nidean space when Fealty happens to catch sight of something that will allow the Stel access to the Mirage. Véronique initially intends to report this to the Princept, but loses their nerve and is forced to flee when the rest of the escort realizes something is wrong.

Véronique and Fealty proceed to try and escape their pursuers, fleeing with the Portcullis System to the Skarnoc Debris Fields where they kill Curtain forces, start a small kingdom, and come into conflict with Millennium Break agents. Over the course of their journey Véronique and Fealty are petitioned by Perennial, Amaryllis, Acacia, and Gallica. After eventually deciding that their only option is to flee to the Twilight Mirage, Véronique expresses doubt that they will be allowed in, but proceeds with the mission after Fealty assists them in formally breaking their oath to their Stel and Fealty swears an oath to Véronique, which is broadcasted across the sector. This leads to several other ships, including Pressure Cove of the Fox in the Snow joining up with the pair (much to Véronique's frustration).

Upon reaching the edge of the Mirage, Véronique, Fealty, and their followers are cornered by the forces of the Curtain. While their followers fight, Véronique and Fealty choose to pilot directly into the Mirage, risking being lost forever in exchange for preventing the Curtain or Pact forces from being able to retrieve any information from them about how to breach the Twilight Mirage.

Véronique and Fealty return in PALISADE as the leaders of the Cause research unit Rose River in the city of New Oath on Palisade.

Relationships

Fealty

Veronique has a very close relationship with Fealty, having begun her service as an Elect at 16. Véronique has a very close, even codependent relationship with Fealty; they both refer to each other as "Anchor" with all the associated symbolic baggage. Fealty has also called her an Excerpt. Notably, Véronique has a habit of referring to both her and Fealty as one person, ie. "We can't do that, we're Fealty".

Véronique often turns to Fealty with questions about the world and their place in it, doubly so after they betray Stel Nideo.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis is the Elect of Conviction that was sworn in only weeks after Véronique. The two are on good terms, to the point where Amaryllis reaches out to Véronique when they and Fealty go rogue, being unsure about what to do, and just wanting to talk. Véronique asks Amaryllis to join them, and though they decline, Amaryllis admits that if their divines choose to fight, they will not willingly raise their weapon against Véronique.

Quotes

“

I am the Elect... Fealty.”

– Véronique, HOUNDs

Trivia

• Véronique is the French name for plants in the genus Veronica, which are associated with loyalty, devotion and commitment. The plants were probably named for Saint Veronica, as known as Berenice; this is an intentional reference by Jack to Cassander Timaeus Berenice.
• Anchor is the term for the final runner in a relay race.

Appears in

• The Road to PALISADE 01: HOUNDs Pt. 1 (first appearance)
• The Road to PALISADE 02: HOUNDs Pt. 2