Liz Blanche

Liz Blanche is a main character from Great Hegi, usually known as Liz. She is both a lore and government character, appearing in the past as a child, and in the present, as President of Great Hegi. She wears a red sweater and jean skirt, with big red sneakers, and red rimmed glasses, as she appears in Eclipse. As an adult, she wears a lazily applied white button-up, with a magenta vest, dress pants, and high heels, still wearing those classic red rimmed glasses.

Liz is the daughter of Francois Blanche, and twin sister of Newt Blanche. As a child, she is smart, snappy, and plucky. As an adult, however, something clearly changed, as she's grown up to be a despot, a shell of who she used to be.

Youth
Liz was born a twin, with her brother, Newt. She was born to the Prime Minister, Francois Blanche, and their mother, Aigrette. Liz had an affectionate and loving upbringing, having a good relationship with both parents, and provided with all the knowledge and space to learn she craved. She was especially close with her father, Francois, who cherished her, and taught her everything he knew. Liz spent as much time as her father had free, prying everything out of him. He affectionately called her "Moonlight," and knew, between his two children, she would grow up to succeed him. Liz was hungry to learn everything, but especially history, government, and politics. She loved her father's profession, and, unlike her brother, who spent his time doing what kids do, she studied.

As for Newt, she had a testy relationship with. Always squabbling, never getting along. She saw him as an inferior, and he saw her as lame. Liz was not immune to childish urges, however, and she would occasionally submit to Newt's pleas to play. She especially loved playing cop, or commander.

Eclipse
At the age of 13, Liz's parents informed her that they were to take a week-long vacation to Saibel, and Liz and Newt were going to stay at the Royal Palace with The Emperor and his husband. Liz was outraged, both wanting not to spend any time away from her parents, and furious they were going to stay there. Blanche understood her, Bernard was after all the man who put him in the wheelchair, but there's no arguing with the wifey. The wifey in question, Aigrette, was close friends with the Prince Consort, Rooney, and insisted that Rooney will take great care of them. Liz had no arguing word, and her and Newt were driven off to the Palace.

At the palace, Liz hoped to spend as little time beyond her guest's room as possible, but she found that the Vitni-Mulhars, the royal family, had other plans. Bernard, proclaimed himself their Great Uncle, which Newt readily accepted, and Liz did not. Rooney took a more passive approach, hoping to gain the kid's approval in an amicable way. Liz would appreciate that.

Liz and Newt were taken fishing with Bernard, where Liz got totally soaked, and golfing with Rooney, which Liz bizarrely enjoyed. At the end of it all, Liz came to appreciate the time she had, but was desperate to get home. Bernard announced they were to take one more family outing, to the Carnival.

Rooney's daughter, an occasional regular to the palace, was forced to come as well. Liz did not appreciate Suzi's explosive attitude, nor did she enjoy the newfound quarrelling Suzi would spark, turning the half-hour drive to the Carnival from just awkward to absolutely insufferable. Liz just wanted to go home.

After trailing the group for a while as Bernard and Newt enjoyed themselves, Liz found herself subject to the monstrous relationship Suzi had with her father, climaxing on a Ferris wheel, where Suzi and Rooney's argument became truly personal, horrific and inconceivable to Liz's young mind. Rooney departed for the car, and Suzi retreated somewhere, Liz was alone. The carnival darkened, and it began to rain. Liz travelled, confused, cold, and alone, frantically searching for something familiar. After breaking into tears, Liz would finally come across Bernard and Newt, ill in the porta-potties. The ride home would be dead silent.

That night, their final night at the palace, Liz's mind was racing. She couldn't understand. Why was Newt so happy, and why couldn't she be? At that moment, an apparition revealed itself to her, promising her the solutions to her problem, the recognition she deserves, in return for only the wand Bernard wielded. She recognized him, it was Szemban, the evil behind Pollution. He bartered with her, taking advantage of her young, volatile mind. Eventually, he convinced her, and despite everything in her gut telling her not to.

The result would be catastrophic, Szemban unleashing some mysterious cataclysm onto Monvaros. Liz only had time to grab her brother and flee, as Monvaros was covered with perpetual darkness, crawling with potential danger. Liz and Newt wander this wasteland, not knowing what adventure awaits them, or what they must do. Liz only knows she has to undo what she started.

Liz is a main character in Eclipse, and her journey is ongoing! Follow Liz, Newt, Jean-Claude, and Aurelie's adventure on Great Hegi's Instagram!

Present
It's unknown what Liz Blanche has been through between her youth and adulthood, but one thing is clear, she is not the same person. Liz was elected Prime Minister at age 28, defeating incumbent Rulodok narrowly. Groomed as the successor to Francois Blanche, her monumental father, hopes were placed on her. And yet, she diverted from his legacy, dragging Great Hegi further into autocracy. Liz has repeatedly undermined the democratic institutions her own father established, and has built herself up as a strongwoman figure, a populist, railing against nationalism and sovereignist ideas within the Confederation, strengthening the power of the Confederation in Monvaros. She waged war against neighbouring Sans Marino in the Raugon War, and, critically, finally uprooted the Hegiite Parliamentary system, and made herself the First President of Great Hegi. Since then, she continues to slowly reveal herself as more and more unstable, raising concerns about the future of Hegiite democracy.