Persona Profile: Vanea

Writer: Vix

Name: Vanea
Age: 47
Birthday: m9 d14
Rank: Hold Resident
Location: Emerald Falls Hold

Physical Description of Persona:
Vanea is of average height, standing 5'5" tall. Her body may once have been think but now shows the effects of bearing four children with a thickening of the waist and slight widening of her hips. Still, she remains active and does not have enough extra weight to slow her. Her hair is probably her most noticeable feature – and the one that she is most likely to hide. An unruly mass of auburn waves, her hair is usually pulled back and hidden by a scarf, the only remnants to be seen a few stray strands and a prominent widow's peak. Her eyes are almond-shaped and blue-green, moderately lashed and set above what Vanea considers to be a too-long, too-thin nose and a full-lipped too-wide mouth. Her skin is fair, with a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

Emotional Description of Persona:
When Vanea has a task to do, she gets it done and expects everyone else to either pitch in or stay out of the way. She is meticulous with details, striving for perfection in all that she does and accepting no less. Though she tries to be supportive of her children and her coworkers and to recognize their successes, often a hint of "you could have done better" filters through. Though she is usually slow to anger, when someone crosses her, her temper matches the fire of her hair color. Her expectations – and her patience – have been put to the test as she cares for her mother.

History of Persona:
Born at Emerald Falls Hold, Vanea was the daughter of a harper who understood and followed the ban on female crafters, but who also believed in encouraging women to learn and to develop their talents and abilities. He and his wife – the daughter of one of the remaining female harpers -- privately oversaw their only child's education, supplementing the usual classes with additional resources and instruction. Vanea was brought up to be well-read and her skill with writing and figures could easily have landed her a position as a scribe in a different age and time.

At 18 turns of age, she married Turbin, a young harper and one of her father's students. The two had met and chosen each other and he respected her for her abilities, often calling on her to copy for him and to check his own work. Shortly after the birth of their first child, he was assigned to a minor hold in the Emerald Falls area, Rapid Run Hold. The hold was struggling, having recently suffered another outbreak of plague, and Vanea pitched in and helped the newly-appointed Headwoman, organizing work crews and keeping track of inventory. The couple were happy, enjoying the sense of purpose that this hold gave them, and rearing their children with those of the holders.

Shortly after Vanea found that she was pregnant with their fourth child, Turbin went with a work crew to inspect a stand of timber, hoping to choose wood for new instruments for the hold children to play during instructions. While watching a group of loggers, a freak accident occurred – as one tree hit the ground, a large dead branch snapped from it, bounced in the air, and struck the harper. He died before they could get him to a healer. Though grieving his loss, Vanea threw herself into the care of her children and her work at the hold. She considered the people of Rapid Run to be her family and stayed on for several turns.

Another death changed the course of her life. Her father developed pneumonia and died, leaving her mother alone. Neana had developed early signs of dementia and with the death of her husband had no one to look after her. Deciding that it would be better for her mother to remain in the home that was familiar to her, Vanea took her three younger children and moved back to Emerald Falls Hold. She carried with her a letter of recommendation from the Headwoman at Rapid Run Hold and was quickly accepted as an assistant to the Emerald Falls Headwoman, taking on extra tasks when that person left the position. One of Corowal's first jobs upon his confirmation as Lord Holder was to offer the Headwoman's keys to Vanea -- an offer which she accepted.

Family and Friends
Binea, 22, Hold Resident, Emerald Falls Hold (daughter)
Turbin, 9, Deceased (husband)
Turvan, 27, Woodcrafter (son)
Neata, 25, Holdbrat/Kitchen Worker (daughter)
Neabin, 18, Holdbrat (son)
Neana, 74, Hold Resident (mother)

Approved: May 6th 2007
Last updated: March 22nd 2010

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Persona Profile: Vanea