Vesper

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  1.   1.  Appearance
    1.   1.1  Basics
    2.   1.2  Miscellaneous
  2.   2.  Personality
    1.   2.1  Summary
    2.   2.2  Traits
    3.   2.3  Details
  3.   3.  Relationships
    1.   3.1  Family
    2.   3.2  Relations
  4.   4.  Assets
    1.   4.1  Abilities
    2.   4.2  Inventory
  5.   5.  History

Vesper is a member of Del Cenere, and a former leader of Inferni.

Born to a coyote loner, she was raised in Mer Bleue until her father, Marcel Moineau, found and destroyed her family. She roamed as a feral loner, a brat picking fights, until she contracted the Luperci virus through a violent attack. Inferni took in the injured coywolf, and Vesper found her place as a scout, rising through the ranks. She became a subleader under Ezekiel de le Poer and served during the first Boreas Conflict. Following Myrika Tears' ascent to Aquila, Vesper became her subleader and later her mate, raising three children and adopting two more with her.

However, her life in the clan was shaken by several betrayals from comrades and loved ones alike. Her paranoia increased to a breaking point during the Inferni and Cour des Miracles War, when one of her commanders betrayed her. Shortly after exiling Marlowe and ending the war, Vesper usurped her mate and became Aquila (breaking the several-years tradition that a Lykoi should lead Inferni) which put her at odds with her daughter Vicira Tears.

The Second Boreas Conflict and a traumatic kidnapping shattered Vesper's already fragile psyche, and she briefly relinquished the role of Inferni's commander to Vicira by necessity. However, the experience brought them closer together -- for a time.

Vesper led through a peaceful spring and summer, until her dear friend Virue was attacked and turned Luperci by a member of Salsola (Vesper's old enemy). She attacked one of their noncombatants seeking vengeance. The Inferni-Salsola War began and brought with it terrible destruction. Salvia Eternity seriously injured Vesper in battle, and in the weeks following the D'Neville Mansion was razed to the ground. Multiple losses (including the death of her adoptive son and oldest confidant) broke Vesper, and she allowed Vicira to take over the clan.

The new Aquila migrated Inferni to the Eastern Realms, where the clan faced a terribly harsh winter. Spring brought a reprieve from starvation, but times remained lean, and coyotes died. Come summer, storms and sickness brought more death and despair to Inferni, until Vicira decided to disband them. Vesper opted to remain behind in the territories with Clover after Vicira's disappearance -- until months of starvation took their toll. After being attacked by a pair of wolves, they were rescued and taken into The Cartel.

Vesper became one of the founding members of the Del Cenere Gang.

Overview

Basics

Heritage

NPCs

OOC Links

  • Date of Birth: 28 October 2009
  • Gender: Female
  • Luperci: Verto
  • Pack: Del Cenere (12 Jun 2019)
  • Rank: Fumar

Previous Pack Info

OOC ASSUMPTIONS!

  • Pack: Inferni (11 Nov 2011)
  • Ranks: Evocati, Aquila, Centurion, Praetorian, Vigiles, Tirones
  • Mate: Myrika Tears (26 Jan 2013 – 15 April 2016)

Del Cenere members may assume and reference the following:

  • General conversations (e.g., greetings, chats about interests) -- nothing plot-intensive or specific (e.g., arguments, deep topics).
  • Vesper teaching your character about Inferni history (in exchange for a meal, at least).
  • Seeing Vesper with her ravens, lounging in the sunlight, wandering around the territory, etc.
  • DM me to set up recurring assumptions about training and other things!

1.  Appearance

1.1  Basics

Essentials

  • Species: Vesper looks distinctly like a coyote-wolf hybrid. Her facial features, small size, and clan scent allow her to "pass" as a coyote, but overall she could be mistaken for either.
  • Fur: Despite her make-up of northern subspecies, her coarse fur is thin and patchy due to her scar tissue.
    • Optime Hair: Thick, no longer than her shoulders. Her mane is usually feral and nondescript, but on special occasions she may brush it into a boyish style messily framing her face.
  • Facial Features: Sharp angles, hard, arguably masculine. Her muzzle is long but tapered, and her ear resembles a coyote's: pointed and proportionally large.
  • Build and Size: Vesper is small compared to a wolf; she's the size of a northern coyote. Her build is wiry, lean, and compact; she often looks skinny, but has tough muscle. Her legs are proportionally long.
    • Other Forms: See forms for descriptions and measurements.
  • Humanization: Very low -- Ves dislikes humanization but will wear some accessories.

Palette

Fur

River Bed (#4C5E66)
Hemp (#948380)
Vanilla (#CCB8A7)
Mercury (#E6E4E3)

Eyes, Nose, Pads, Skin, Scars

Anakiwa (#AEE9FF)
Abbey (#484E50)
Dove Grey (#746F70)
Brandy Rose (#B08580)

1.2  Miscellaneous

Scars

Vesper is covered with scars, from scratches visible on her legs to knife and bite wounds covered by fur on her torso. The scars listed below are the most distinct.

Adornments

Vesper wears very little, unless the item is practical (keeps her warm), of sentimental value, or too much of a hassle to take off.

Facial Scars

  • Left ear torn off
  • Scratch above left eye
  • Slash from base of left ear to cheek
  • Bite marks on muzzle
  • Missing bottom right canine tooth

Other Scars

  • Long, thin gash across hips
  • Wound on right side of chest, from neck to underarm
  • Missing two outer toes on right hind foot
  • Distinct, "clean" scars lining insides of limbs, stomach
  • Right hind leg was broken, healed badly

Jewelry and Accessories

  • Wooden rosary bead necklace with cross broken off
  • Small silver earring worn in right ear

Clothing

  • Reversible fur-and-leather cloak worn in cold weather

Forms

Lupus

45 lbs (20 kg) — 24 in (61 cm)

Vesper is a small, wiry coywolf with pointed coyote features. Her Lupus form is most comfortable to her and therefore her default appearance.

Secui

140 lbs (64 kg) — 33 in (84 cm)

She resembles a heavy but slender wolf Lupus. Her key feature is a thick, stiff, "spiked" mane. She reserves Secui for hunting large prey or protection from the cold.

Optime

150 lbs (68 kg) — 5ft 8in (68 in) (172 cm)

Vesper is small, narrow, and skinny with a flat-chested build and lean muscles. She is least comfortable in Optime and uses it exclusively within her own borders.

Interaction

  • Speech: Vesper has an average-pitched but strong voice, not very feminine. Her speech varies from formal, carefully-constructed sentences to casual, crude speech. That said, she tends toward bluntness and cares little for tact. She heavily employs dryness and sarcasm.
  • Scent: Vesper smells primarily of coyote and Inferni lands -- prairie, forest, marsh -- and ravens.
  • Quirks, Gestures, Etc.: Her gestures run subtle, from arching a single brow or shrugging a shoulder.
  • General Posture and Body Language: Vesper has dominant language that tends toward calm self-confidence rather than overt authority -- usually. She generally stands "on her toes" and light if nervous. She becomes decidedly more feral, dominant, and pushy when angry, forcing herself into others' personal space and having no qualms with bowling people over when mad. In Optime, her posture is feral and closed-off with slight hunching and crossed arms.

Images

2.  Personality

2.1  Summary

Vesper is a sarcastic, arrogant, aloof, but well-meaning individual: a well-worn traveler who, despite settling comfortably into the role of leadership, still carries the attitude of a loner with nothing to lose. She is a good friend, mother, and mentor, patient and protective, generally not taking herself too seriously -- but her paranoia colors her view of the world at large and her own clan, and she often sees enemies where there are none.

  • Outlook: Pessimistic and paranoid, accepting and resigned.
  • Sociability: Introverted. She is perfectly sociable and confident around others, but she enjoys her solitude and prefers the company of close friends to minor acquaintances or strangers.
  • Expression: Dominant, confident
  • Alignment: True Neutral, with leanings of Chaotic Good

2.2  Traits

  • Aloof, cocky, sarcastic, tactless -- doesn't care if she provokes strangers or not.
  • Good-natured with her friends and companions, a confident if teasing and brusque mentor-figure.
  • Independent, used to solitude and self-reliance, but secretly pines for trusted companionship.
  • Nurturing and maternal to her young or vulnerable clan mates, with a massive soft spot for puppies.
  • When provoked: aggressive, vicious, hot-tempered, ruthless, dirty fighter.
  • Protective of her own, as well as marginalized people or means she identifies with (coyotes, women, non-Luperci, slaves).
  • Insecurities hidden by aloof, prideful nature -- constantly worries about her own worth.
  • Paranoid due to multiple betrayals, and has come to expect them at this point.

2.3  Details

Interests

  • Likes: Ravens, Inferni, non-Luperci, wilderness, hunting, scouting, sparring
  • Dislikes: Hatred of groups she identifies with, horses, blades, flirtatious men, overly-humanized beliefs or lifestyles

Motivations

  • Inferni: leading, preserving its welfare, helping it thrive
  • Guiding, protecting, training her children, grandchildren, and loved ones
  • Training and caring for the ravens
  • Defending the marginalized, such as enslaved canines and non-Luperci

Fears

  • Betrayal: Vesper is constantly afraid those closest to her will betray her trust. She is wary of others' intentions, which leads to her assuming the worst of close friends and family.
  • Blades: Traumatic, brutal stabbings and torture will do that.
  • Being Dominated: She has always had this fear but represses it on a normal basis. She is terrified of being completely vulnerable and at another's whim.

Biases

  • Species: Wary of wolves due to her past, but otherwise believes all canine species are equal.
  • Packs: Inferni should look out for itself, and trust no one. She is neutral toward other packs at best, and sees Salsola and Anathema as evil.
  • Gender: Vesper still has chivalrous tendencies toward females; she'd help one in a pinch over a male. While she's never been a man-hater, she does have less tolerance for dudes being jerks.
  • Non-Luperci: Once a non-Luperci herself, Vesper defends their lifestyle and choice to remain free of the virus. She sees Luperci becoming humanized as progress, but not necessary progress. She secretly wishes she could be non-Luperci again.

Sexuality

  • Homosexual
  • Prefers feminine, endearing women; no physical type or species preference.
  • Previously took on a masculine role in relationships, both to "guide" inexperienced partners and to hide her insecurities. With Myrika, she relinquished her role in favor of being equals.
  • Vesper has no qualms with playfully flirting/discussion attraction with women or friends -- but she resents forward attention from men to the point of violence.

Substances

  • Vesper does not seek substances alone; she is a strictly social user.
  • Fond of social drinking and getting wasted at bonfire parties.
  • Bums casual drugs like tobacco or marijuana off others because hey, it's free.

Spirituality

  • Atheistic with belief in reincarnation
  • Vesper believes in reincarnation and karma, connecting everything to cycles. She does not have a defined belief in an ultimate destination (like nirvana or moksha); the idea of other planes (like Heaven) scare the hell out of her.
  • She is not very spiritual but has heeded teachings of Buddhism from others in the past. She dabbled in belief of balance and kindness but has not taken to any creed or religious laws. Her newfound acceptance that the world will always be flawed and horrible, and that she might as well deal with it, has weathered at some of her belief in seeking something so impossible as peace.
  • She occasionally "prays" with her rosary -- more of a mantra to comfort herself than an appeal to any spirit. Her beads represent past murders as well as important loved ones she wants to protect, putting her actions into perspective.

3.  Relationships

3.1  Family

3.2  Relations

Key Relations

  • Vicira Tears is Vesper's daughter. When Vici was young and meek, she was Vesper's favorite child and in turn looked up to Ves. However, following and Vesper's ascent to Aquila after the war with the Court, their relationship hit rocky ground. Vicira resented Vesper for "betraying" Myrika and for letting her paranoia get out of control, while Vesper distrusted Vicira and believed she intended to usurp Ves in turn. After the second Boreas conflict, during which Ves nearly lost her life, the two more or less reconciled.
  • Stark is a raven that took a liking to Vesper long ago. He is her scouting partner and dispenser of sagely advice, though Ves wouldn't admit to others how much she's come to rely on and care for him. Since his injury in the Cour des Miracles war, she has become his caretaker.
  • Cartier Inferni is Vesper's adopted son -- and the only canine that she wholly trusts. She feels closest to him due to their shared interests, working alongside him when she can and dispensing advice. She admires his thoughtful, inherently kind nature, as well as his balanced skillset; however, she is wary of his self-flagellating beliefs and tendency to overwork himself. She openly fears that he will go the way of his mother, which led her to demote him -- something Cartier took personally.
  • Myrika Tears was Vesper's mate. For years they were a solid team, their relationship built on mutual attraction and the ordeals they braved together: from the Boreas conflict to Myri's infidelity to motherhood. However, after Vesper exposed her fierce, paranoid way of thinking by usurping Myrika, their relationship faltered. Their "break" became indefinite when Myrika departed Inferni after the meteor impact.
  • Fang Espinoza is Vesper's new flame (which is the worst-kept secret in Inferni). The feral Cenizan warrior-medic and Vesper have a lot of similarities, and there was always a small spark of tension and attraction between them -- something Vesper denied at first, until they consummated their relationship at last. Vesper is attracted to Fang and cares a lot for her, though she hesitates to put a label on their relationship, partly out of reluctance to definitively move on from Myrika.

Pack Relations

  • Basilio Lykoi: Vesper sees much of Helotes in his son -- which isn't always a good thing. She loves Basi and acted as his parental figure after Helotes' disappearance, but she cannot bring herself to fully trust him due to associating him with bad memories and his own suspicious contributions.
  • Jehan de l'Or & Clover: Vesper dislikes Jehan only on the basis that he's her son-in-law; otherwise, she usually encourages Cartier to be open to Jehan and supports their relationship. (She has, however, made it clear she'll hurt Jehan if he hurts Cartier.) She has taken on a motherly role with Clover, encouraging her talents and acting as her tutor.
  • Virue: Vesper adores and wants to protect this idealistic non-Luperci from Mer Bleue. She is uncharacteristically soft and open with him, perhaps as naive as he is -- and she fears for the day that he will have to face grim reality.
  • Elisabeth de le Poer: Vesper serves as Elisabeth's role model as well as a parental figure, especially after her parents' abandonment. Lis is a wolfish hybrid whom Vesper hopes to protect from prejudice in Inferni; she encourages the notion that Lis is her student.
  • Antioch de le Poer: A stoic and studious Inferni soldier, and Vesper's other son-in-law, Antioch is one of the coyotes Ves most depends on. She is fond of him, if not particularly affectionate toward him. She enjoys his company.
  • Conrad Nielssen: Vesper and Conrad are friends by virtue of their similar interests. Ves enjoys patrolling and working with Conrad, and he is her favorite feral sparring partner.
  • Oriole, Magpie, Serenity, Omar: Vesper has four grandchildren between the adopted Inferni siblings. It's no secret that the Aquila has a huge soft spot for the pups. She adores them and drops in when she can to play with and teach them, hoping to keep a good relationship.
  • Annabeth de Fonte: Another young Infernian that Vesper has taken under her wing; Vesper serves as a replacement maternal figure for the de Fonte girl, and does not really discourage this.

Outsider Relations

  • Salsola: A slave-keeping pack that Vesper once worked actively against. She distrusts the secretive Salsolans despite their trade alliance with Inferni and has more than once spoken against them.
  • Silvano Sadira & Cour des Miracles: Vesper is on edge around the Court thanks to the recent war, but she sees Silvano as a somewhat levelheaded leader. It's hard for her to trust his intentions, but she merely keeps a distance from the Court for now.
  • Alistair Callow-Knight : secret crackship Vesper and cynical Alistair share some similarities, and their conversations are usually dry and sarcastic, full of jabs at the other's expense but unexpected support, too. Their bond was cemented when Alistair fought for the coyotes in the second Boreas conflict.
  • Aeron Ganesa & Anathema: Anathema is pack of criminals. Vesper cannot forgive them for the fall of New Dawn -- however, her relationship with Aeron is neutral thus far.
  • Shiloh Dawnbringer: Vesper briefly mentored Shiloh, teaching her how to fight, and shared guarded news with her when they met. However, their relationship unexpectedly turned sour with the start of the war, and Ves sees her as another potential enemy she can't trust.
  • Skoll Haskel: Though she has not met him personally, Skoll is a hated enemy. He trespassed on Inferni territory, threatened Vicira, injured Cartier, and crippled Stark.
  • Marlowe de le Poer: Son of her former Aquila, an experienced soldier, Vesper trusted Marlowe initially -- but he later betrayed her clan, sending her into a downward spiral of paranoia.

Former Major Relations

  • Sparrow: Vesper regrets not being able to protect Sparrow and that their relationship has never been close. They eventually came to terms with their inability to be "normal," and Sparrow left Inferni in March 2015 on good terms.
  • Helotes Lykoi: Vesper's enemy-turned-best-friend. Their relationship had an unconventional, violent start but settled into a rough sort of brotherly love until Helotes' disappearance, which shook Vesper up.
  • Asher Thompson: Asher was Vesper's best friend, a supporter in her darkest moments and a hunting/bantering partner when things were well. His death in March 2015 left a void in her.
  • Nathaniel King: Her friend and former student's openness and loyalty endeared him to Vesper. She saw him as someone that she could count on, at least until he chose to depart with Brum.
  • Brumaire Moineau: Vesper's relationship with Brumaire was rocky due to her trust issues, but she fought to mend their relationship and got close with him. He left in late 2015 to find his daughters, leaving Vesper feeling abandoned.
  • Micah Lykoi: A timid coyote with a lot of heart -- Vesper thought that his kindly nature was refreshing in the violent clan, and was saddened when he left.
  • Ezekiel de le Poer: Vesper's first Aquila, the one who named her subleader. Several of Ezekiel's interests and attitudes inspired Vesper -- most notably his connection with the Inferni ravens.
  • Willam la Chemin & Ombre: Two hard-working members of Inferni who died unfortunately. Vesper blames herself for Willam's death and hopes to atone by caring for her orphaned children. Ombre influenced some of Vesper's beliefs and woke her to more than one uncomfortable realization about herself.
  • Kiara Amarok: An old friend, if not a close one, Kiara is a non-Luperci of New Dawn and envoy to Inferni. Vesper adores Kiara but also loves what she stands for: a feral canine in a world of Luperci, and a wolf without prejudices.
  • Tayui Aston: An old comrade from the Sequoia Alliance whose wisdom and attitude toward life are respected.
  • Blind: A young wolf whose kindness and innocence led Vesper to befriend (then form feelings for) her. Ves struggled with her (ambiguously one-sided) feelings toward Blind and what it meant for her place in Inferni, and grieved her when she died. She now sees her relationship with Blind as something insignificant compared to Myrika and Inferni, but the memories are sentimental.
  • Cirael June Lykoi: Myrika's cousin, and the father of her children. With alcohol and lies, he coerced Myri into sleeping with him and broke up Myri and Ves -- though the lovers reconciled after Myri's discovered pregnancy and wrought vengeance on CJ.
  • Dartmouth Moineau: A half-brother who betrayed the clan and was killed by Brumaire. She is disdainful toward his memory but more concerned with how it tore up her and Brum's relationship.
  • X'yrin Exultare: A mentor figure and friend whose philosophy inspired Vesper until their leadership duties pulled them apart. She fell from grace in Vesper's view when her prejudices -- at odds with her teachings -- were revealed.

4.  Assets

4.1  Abilities

Survival

  • Education and Learning: A non-Luperci loner learns quickly how to survive in a Luperci world. Vesper became self-sufficient at a very young age and only further honed her skills through rough experience and training.
  • Scouting (Master): Vesper is vigilant and almost impossible to sneak up on. She rarely misses a detail -- especially something out of place or missing in an area she is familiar with. Her constant patrolling has given her a great knowledge of Inferni's land.
  • Hunting (Master): Vesper has a high success rate with hunting small prey like mice, rabbits, and ground-nesting birds.
  • Navigation (Journeyman): Through attention to detail and a good memory for landmarks, as well as more complex processes such as a rudimentary form of star mapping, Vesper is great at traveling through and to territories she knows well. She memorizes the sounds and feel of a place (like elevation) as much as scent and sight, and often can recognize landmarks and regions in different seasons through common signs.
  • Plants (Apprentice): Though no gardener or healer, Vesper can recognize native plants well. She knows which ones should be avoided and knows of a few that might have healing properties, using many as poultices when she was a young fighter.
  • While Vesper can recognize something obvious in unfamiliar territory (e.g., someone is following her, an animal recently passed by), she may miss some signs that would throw up a red flag in her territory -- such as well-concealed traps.
  • Her skill at hunting is limited to a select group of prey, and only in her Lupus form. She is less skilled at other kinds of hunting, such as archery, trapping, or bringing down large prey in a group.
  • Obviously, Vesper's ability to navigate to or through a territory is only as good as her familiarity with the place. Her use of star navigation is not perfect, either, since she only uses her own eyes and has only memorized certain patterns, not all.

Combat

  • Education and Learning: Vesper learned to fight at a young age out of necessity -- or, at least, how to not get killed after aggravating the wrong wolf. She honed her skills through the years, and several teachers -- like X'yrin, Ezekiel, and Helotes -- taught her various ways to fight. She spars regularly to keep her skills sharp.
  • Lupus (Master): Vesper fights like a coyote in Lupus -- taking advantage of speed, agility, and impeccable balance to dart in and out to deal damage. She is quick and brutal, aiming to cripple before she kills.
  • Optime (Journeyman): All her teachers helped Vesper learn hand-to-hand combat in Optime, once her greatest weakness. Her style of fighting is wild and feral, all teeth and claws and without reliance on weaponry.
  • Archery (Dabbler): Vesper might stick an arrow in a wolf's face if she got a lucky enough shot, but she kind of sucks at archery. Still -- a rain of arrows would deter anyone who isn't truly looking for a fight.
  • In her Lupus form, Vesper is hard to catch or knock off her feet -- but once she is down, her small size is a liability.
  • Catch her in Optime, and it becomes clear why Vesper prefers to fight in Lupus. While she can defend herself and fend off inexperienced fighters, any well-trained fighter will see her ferocious fighting style as desperation.
  • While her scar tissue lends her great tolerance for pain, her most recent scars are also targets for attack.
  • Her archery skill has atrophied from lack of practice.

Language

  • Education and Learning: Vesper was taught Low Speech by Stark -- and learning from an intelligent raven has its perks. Her massive time spent around the Inferni ravens only further educated her in their dialect. Meanwhile, her Spanish has not been taught so much as absorbed; her only teaching has been the occasional correction by native speakers.
  • Low Speech (Raven) (Master): Vesper is capable of communicating with and understanding ravens, which helps her keep tabs on and train them to patrol the borders. She cannot speak much more than that single dialect, though she has some understanding of other bird tongues.
  • Mexican-Spanish (Dabbler): Vesper is able to speak very rudimentary Spanish due to friendship and communication with Mexican coyotes, such as Helotes, Molcaxitl, and Harosheth. She only knows a handful of phrases and additional words.
  • The less intelligent a bird species is, the less Vesper is comfortable with its language. For instance, a bird of prey's dialect is likely understandable -- but a songbird's singing is closer to gibberish.
  • Vesper does not actively seek knowledge in languages such as Spanish, so her growth in skill will be very slow.

4.2  Inventory

Residence

Vesper can be found sleeping out in the prairie on warm, clear nights but takes refuge in Grimwell Caverns. Her cave is right beside the river, but manages to remain dry through its unique feature: it is very low-ceilinged, with the rearmost corner of the den, closest to the river, being only a few inches high. There is living space in this cave, but it is most suited to a coyote who prefers their four-legged form -- like Vesper.

Training

Vesper is willing to train other Infernians in the following skills:

  • Combat, both feral and Optime hand-to-hand
  • Scouting -- specifically Inferni's borders
  • Survival, including hunting, navigation, and common plants
  • Raven care, training, and Low Speech

Contact me if you would like your character to be trained by Vesper in one of these skills, and we can set up OOC assumptions for ongoing practice. Non-Infernians may seek training on a case by case basis, especially part of a trade.

Trade

Vesper does not often engage in trading since she has little use for material items, and doesn't have much to trade -- but she is always on the lookout for more useful things for her pack. It is easy to swindle Ves just because she doesn't know the real value of things, but it might also make her too hesitant to trade.

  • Offering: Inferni goods, fighting and other lessons, raw prey products (meat, bones, whole animals), some favors
  • Accepting: Goods for Inferni, gifts for friends, information, bird-related items, some types of lessons or favors

5.  History

See Vesper's History & Thread Archive.