The Velvet Quill is Lindral’s most outwardly refined publication — its pages are beautifully typeset, its columns draped in florid prose, and its contributors always introduced with two middle initials. Yet beneath its embroidered tone lies a great deal of well-masked venom.
Less concerned with national politics or breaking news than its rivals, The Velvet Quill thrives on society gossip, cultural commentary, and exclusive exposés with just enough truth to be dangerous. It enjoys a reputation for civility that allows it to get away with quite a lot — especially via the beloved Between the Ribbons, penned by none other than Pellinette Vance, a lesser fae with a talent for social concealment and a husband who quietly supports her secrets. Pellinette is known for her cascading curls (strategically styled to hide her ears), pastel finery, and a smile as polished as it is unreadable. Elegant, generous with compliments, and terrifying to anyone with secrets, her column seems light — fashion, fêtes, charming mishaps — but beneath the lilac prose lies a mind trained in tactical ruin. Often described as “delightful.” Rarely by those she writes about.
Printed in lilac ink on soft parchment-like paper, the Quill is as much a fashion statement as a periodical. It is often seen on café tables alongside sugared pastries, or peeking from embroidered handbags at lectures and salons. While less widely circulated than the Observer or Voice, it is arguably more feared — after all, no one wants to be the subject of one of Pellinette’s devastatingly genteel takedowns.
Notable Sections:
- Between the Ribbons — Pellinette’s elegant column, full of whispers, passive-aggression, and thinly veiled truths.
- The Undercurrent — An anonymous column of cultural and romantic scandal.
- Silk and Soot — Reviews of theatre, literature, art, and manners.
- A Touch of Lace — Style features and social season previews.
Tone: Cloyingly polite, culturally astute, and softly savage.
Circulation Motto: “Elegant News for Discerning Minds.”
Known Rivals:
- The Citadel Voice (“indelicate and terribly loud”)
- The Lindral Observer (“too fond of facts to be truly entertaining”)
