People of Vathis – Veil: A Rogue With Many Faces

Veil embodies what it means to be a noir. She is a rogue who honed her skills over years in the service of her patron goddess, Nightmother, stealing both physical goods and sensitive information.

Internally she wrestles with what she has lost, and she behaves in a reckless and somewhat jaded manner. She longs to discover who she may have been in her former lives, but this desire is eclipsed by her longing to escape from the endless cycle of death and rebirth noir endure time and time again.

As a player, I rarely build characters as dark or morally ambiguous as Veil. I’ve also never played a noir before, so I found it challenging to create a realistic, believable noir. She is in a dark place mentally and emotionally, but I look forward to delving into whatever secrets are hidden in her past and seeing how she grows as a character.

Name: Veil
Age: Early 20s, unable to know for certain.
Race: Noir
Gender: Female
Height: 5’6
Weight: 110
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
Sigil: Isto (Snake)
Identifying Marks: Sigil
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Description:

Veil is a noir who consistently takes the form of a human female. In this form, she is of medium height and lean build. Her hair is long, black, and slightly wavy, and her eyes are green. She typically wears dark leather and other unassuming adventuring garb, but as a social chameleon she looks at home in clothing of any type.

Veil is not known for her patience, especially in situations where combat and confrontation are imminent.

Though she can practice restraint, she often chooses not too, and though she is glib of tongue she is quickly annoyed in arguments and negotiations. Veil is well-spoken and articulate, though after losing the people closest to her, Veil is a bit of a wild card. She seeks vengeance for those she has lost, and she cares little for the preservation of her own life. She is rather chaotic.

History:

Veil began this life by awakening near a small town outside of the city of Dragonheart. She made her way to the city while gathering her bearings, and after entering Dragonheart she wandered aimlessly for a while, unsure of what to do with herself. She stole just enough to keep a cheap roof over her head and food in her stomach. Veil eventually found purpose in the church of the Nightmother, known in the Vath pantheon as Uryll, where she began worshipping the Nightmother under the guidance of a priestess named Senesra. She developed a few diverse aliases and pulled off a number of impressive heists using her gifts as a noir. Veil was noticed by a rival thief of a notable gang, who cornered her after a few months of cat and mouse. This thief, Rohan, tried to recruit her into his criminal organization, but she refused. She also refused to leave the city, having found a purpose for her life within its formidable walls. Rohan was eventually given orders to kill her if she wouldn’t quit interfering with their operations, leaving him stuck between a rock and a hard place. Now quite fond of Veil and her lifestyle, Rohan left the gang he was in to be with her. They duo managed to avoid the wrath of the criminal organization for some time, but eventually they were discovered, and Veil was beat within an inch of her life. She was only saved by an influential former associate of Rohan’s stepping forward to put an end to the violence. This associate joined Rohan and Veil and brokered a truce between the groups, solidifying their place in Dragonheart. The three took in others over time, and Veil became the leader of a small thieves guild.

Their success and happiness came to a sudden end shortly after Veil completed a complicated heist on behalf of a sect of vandiel cultists.

While she was away on business, her group’s headquarters was destroyed and burned to the ground. She was unable to locate survivors, and was left stricken by the knowledge that her associates and loved ones were dead. While running from the cultists she inadvertently involved her alchemist contact, Ana, as well as an amari named Violet, whom she stole from some years prior. The three girls met Hove, a dwarf, and Raziel, a vasar, on their way out of the city. Hove and Raziel were also targets of the cultists, and the group banded together for their mutual benefit. They’ve been traveling ever since, seeking vengeance on the cultists.

Training:

Veil woke in this life with a muscle memory for fighting. She is skilled with knives and daggers and is quite formidable with her elven curved blade. She is quick and agile, having honed her skills in Dragonheart running through alleys and across rooftops.

Day of Sigil Acquisition:

Veil came into being already sigiled.

How a Sigil Changed Her:

Veil is extremely grateful for her sigil. She once longed to find out who she may have been in her former lives, and she thought that her sigil may be the key. Though she has given up on this goal in light of Rohan’s death and the destruction of her guild, she is comforted by her sigil, and considers it a blessing from the Zodiacs.

How and Why She Become a Wanderer:

Veil became a ‘wanderer’ and joined the party as they went on the run together. It wasn’t really her choice of a lifestyle – she was comfortable in Dragonheart and enjoyed having a home.

Motivations:

Veil is primarily driven by her desire to avenge her guild’s destruction and partner’s death. She also longs to dispatch the vantus and his cultists so her traveling companions can find peace. Her work in thieving and information gathering has slowed as she’s been on the run, but she is still a devout of the Nightmother, and she seeks her deity’s guidance on a daily basis. Her ultimate goal is to destroy the vantus and return to an Isril city where she can serve her goddess and continue researching her inaccessible past and inability to move on to the afterlife.