General Information SoF: http://www.playbypost.com/forums/secrets-foresight/76022-vanderlou.html
Image by: iahgames.
Name:
Vanderlou Windsborough
Concept:
Naive and Earnest Apprentice.
Age:
16 Ordinations in Human Equivalent
Heritage:
Half-Elf / Half-Vagaran
Birthplace: Enamoria Midlands.
Physical Description:
While elven blood runs through his veins Vanderlou has always felt that he lacked the grace and beauty his mother's kind are naturally predisposed to. Instead of the slender and graceful elven features typical of almost all half-elf, Vanderlou possesses the rougher lean-looking frame of his Vagaran father.
Vanderlou's eyes are a bright almost clear shade of blue framed by perfectly combed chestnut colored hair. He has a boyish face, more cute in appearance rather than handsome though with the onset of puberty his features are slowly changing, appearing more masculine and dashing as the seasons pass. His frame while not as broad as expected of a Vagaran men is still muscular, though it leans more towards lean than bulky.
Passive Abilities
Spirit Vision: Vanderlou can see those not of this world and those who have passed away as a result of the Glossalia ritual performed on him by his teacher, Amelia Lynsdaughter.
Spirit Tongue: By splitting his tongue at the tip by a glass knife and burning the wound shut during the Glossalia ritual Amelia gave Van the ability to converse with ghosts and spirits. The language of the dead however would sound like gibberish involving a lot of hissing here and there to the living.
Spirit Sense: Due to his failed intervention of the murder of a child who was killed by a minion of the famed Bone-Woman of Secyclion the benevolent local spirits rewarded him with the ability to sense nearby spirits through a few harmless bone fragments embedded just below the skin of his hands. When an evil spirit is close a mild burning sensation (that doesn't impair mobility) manifests itself and when benevolent spirit is close his hands tingle. [Link]
Eagle Vision: As a side-effect of becoming a were-eagle Vanderlou has acquired the improved eyesight of an eagle. He can see things far more clearly and can see further that he ever could before. His cursed eyes also allow him to perceive things in the dark like he would during daytime. [Link]
Heightened Hearing: Another side-effect of becoming were is that Van has acquired refined hearing. He can hear conversations (among others things) a few meters away clearly if he concentrates on that sound alone. He can also use this ability to eavesdrop through doors. [Link]
Personality
Vanderlou is the typical mild-mannered youth who's patient, polite and understanding to a fault. Earnest, hard working and always eager to please he's always been well-liked by his co-workers and employers so he's extremely enthustiastic when it comes to work. He does have a stubborn streak however and will do what he believes he must regardless if the situation favors him or not.
Morals
While people would believe Vanderlou's morals are as straight-laced as they come he's not holier than thou as he'd have people believe. He would lie, cheat and steal provided that its for the greater good or if the life of his friends depended on it but putting that aside, he really is a paragon of virtue and honor. He would protect a commoner from a noble at the cost of his life and salary if he has to and he has given alms even when he has next to nothing on him.
Beliefs
Vanderlou has his gods but he would never rely on them given the option. He can only feel satisfied with something if he gives it his all and he's absolutely hates cheating in any form. He's not exactly puritan, Van has tried and failed to peep on women while they were changing and would openly admit it and yet he's never acted on those impulses because as hard as he tries to hide it deep inside he's a closet romantic and is saving himself for marraige!
Vanderlou parents were Ragnar Eisengrad who was a human noble of some repute and Lyavelel, a mysterious but beautiful elven witch. The two met for the first time in the middle of a crossroads in the Enamorian wildreness where Ragnar who was a cruel malefactor at that time, had been double-crossed by his allies and had been practically left for dead. It was coincidence that Lyavelel came upon the dying Ragnar and saved him from bleeding to death.
She took him back to her village out of pity and nursed the man to health without even asking for compensation. It was this rare brand of kindness that moved the cruel Ragnar and he grew fond of her and eventually fell for the elven witch. He decided then and there to repent for his sins and he devoted his life to this woman who had saved him.
Eras passed and the two produced a lovechild, a son. Vanderlou's childhood was a happy one - albiet he had difficulty making friends because they quickly outgrew him but because of his mother's position as healer and baker in their village he was generally treated aimably by the townsfolk and he didn't experience the typical alienation other children of both worlds would have at his age.
Then one day, Ragnar decided that it was time to make peace with his past completely and he returned to Daltina with his new wife and child. His welcome however wasn't as civil as he had expected it to be, his other wife and her children weren't so pleased to see Vanderlou. The child was illegitimate and yet he was Ragnar's only son among his many children. Tradition dictated that it was he who would become heir to his father's many estates and it was on that fateful darkening when his parents would be killed by the ambition of his sisters.
Chance however, provided Van with the opportunity to escape. His sisters had made the mistake of leaving the half-elf alone thinking that he could be taken care off later. Being only a boy at that time he was able to escape the manor through an unlikely exit, a pet door. Upon climbing over the old moldy walls that marked the perimeter of the manor he
ran trough the countryside and the rain coupled with the darkness of the night prevented any chance of his trail being followed. Eventually brightenings later the young boy came a temple and took shelter in it. Upon seeing boy battered and bruised the priestess of the temple took him in and it was in this temple where he would invariably spend the rest of his childhood.
Eras passed and when Vanderlou had finally reached the age of credibility the priestess, who was already an old woman by now decided to send the boy off to Daltina under the care of one of her closest friends, a rich old lady who happened to own a popular but small tea shop.
Part 1:
Secrets :
His life had so far been an unspectacular one and yet Vanderlou was content.
An old wooden broom with a sleek black handle. Wrought silver bindings keep the cleaning straws in place, hence this broom can be refitted for future use. This is a keepsake from his mother.
Daltina
Starting Item
Old Cookbook (pending)
An old, small leather-bound tome which contains recipes, though some pages contain scribbles completely unrelated to cooking. Van suspects these notes are related to witchcraft - then again, it could be just harmless scribbles.
Notes: Food and Lodging is included in the educational stipend at the Magi Schools Van's attended. Daltina's Brightshadows and Candaceburg's Mystic Planes respectively.
pgrading CIR. Please bear with it while its still in disarray.
Linear Mode
