Claudette Vance, the Vance family’s illegitimate eldest daughter, was born to a plebeian mother who perished in her infancy. Denied noble status, she was raised as a servant before ascending to command frontier armies, earning the moniker “Lord of Thundercloud” through relentless martial skill and her lightning-charged blade, Thunderclap. Barred from succession by her lineage, she ranked third behind half-sisters Leina and Elina, balancing resentment toward Leina’s abdication of duty with a fierce, unspoken protectiveness toward Elina. Compelled by Count Vance to retrieve her sisters post-Queen’s Blade tournament, Claudette entered the fray, deeming it the swiftest path to her objective. Wielding Thunderclap’s storm-summoning might—and eventually conjuring lightning unaided—she overwhelmed adversaries like Risty, her austere demeanor masking a yearning for paternal acknowledgment and buried affection for her siblings. Victory thrust her onto the throne when the reigning champion refused the crown. As Queen of Thundercloud, she revolutionized her realm with Wizard Stone-driven technology and supplanted aristocracy with meritocracy. Yet her reign darkened: alliances with the Marshland Witch fortified her power as draconian laws and merciless punishments sparked dissent. Former allies turned rebels, culminating in clashes with Annelotte’s forces. Enhanced by Wizard Stones and reforged armor, Claudette fell not to armies but to Leina, reborn as Maria the Phantom Warrior. Her legacy endured as a paradox—innovation entwined with oppression. Her visage evolved with her roles: a stark white bodysuit and cape during rebellion, later shifting to violet hair, gilded armor, and a bifurcated cape. Once defined by rigid discipline, her persona hardened into unyielding absolutism, fueled by warped loyalty and the unresolved fractures of kinship.