The second of two children born to a minor Avalon baron, Veronica never thought she would inherit the lands and estate. Her elder brother, Michael, was the heir apparent, and Veronica was a sailor through and through, bound to the sea (and the Sidhe) by ties of blood Michael shared, but only barely. As a glamour sorceress, she was entitled to an officer’s berth as a Shipmage, but she saw more opportunity in learning sailing and leadership the hard way, first as a sailor under Jeremiah Berek, then working steadily (and swiftly) through the ranks, until she was a Midshipman at the age of 19.
Then, her world crashed down around her. Michael disappeared while on “holiday” in central Eisen, a place where Veronica could hardly follow and remain healthy. Suddenly, Midshipman Veronica was Baroness Carlisle, Lady of Pinnacle House and Warden of Westenport (a moderate port ironically on Avalon’s eastern coastline).
She through herself into her new role with zeal, if not relish, making up in enthusiasm and drive what she lacked in skill. She worked herself almost to death, and had the province whipped into fine running shape within six months. Almost immediately, she departed for the continent, seeking signs as to her brother’s fate. Every six months or so, she would gravitate back to Pinnacle House, to ensure that everything was in order. To her way of thinking, she was little more than Regent in her brother’s absence.
She met Gerhard and Rolf in Montaigne while traveling back to Avalon, and easily fell into their company. The presence of Robert has completed her circle of friends, and she’s turned back with renewed desire for freedom, willingly following in the misadventures of the Avenger, and even coming to Eisen with the rest, with the stated intent of finding once and for all the fate of her brother.
After a recent vision, Veronica has become increasingly afraid of battles at sea. She’s learned that the Queen of the Sea who constantly plots against Avalon has a vested interest in her, and is determined to avoid this ghastly fate at all costs.
Veronica likes having a good time, and this usually includes some (well-intentioned) mayhem. Though she can be very headstrong, and actively works at “being noble,” she’s much happier with decent, good people than other blue-bloods. She speaks less than she might, often conveying her opinion with a look or a glance than a spoken word, and has the very firm attitude of “if I can do something with my own hands, why should I resort to using Glamour?” which makes her an unusual sorceress, to say the least. Still, she regularly calls on the powers of legend to augment her mundane abilities.
Her personal thoughts on her friends:
Gerhard: A skilled swordsman and loyal companion, Gerhard has a certain something about him that makes Veronica believe in him. Though initially wary of his school of fighting, fearing he had something to prove, Veronica has come to rely on Gerhard’s great strength of character. What Gerhard calls “dignity” Veronica considers to be true nobility, nobility of the heart and soul as well as the mind. If the recent stop at Brasenherzschloss is any indication, Gerhard will be a truly great lord beloved by his people.
Rolf: Good in a fight, a steady hand and a (newly) practicing doctor. He’s very plain spoken and thoughtful, though Veronica has decided to take it on herself to soften some of his rougher edges.
Robert: Fun. If anything describes Robert’s personality,
it would be his desire for fun. He sees life as a grand and excellent game,
and is usually enormously pleasant and rather mischievous while still balancing
his responsibilities to his ship and crew. If she believed she had the leeway
to do so, she would inquire if the Avenger needed a Shipmage, but her responsibilities
to Avalon as a Lady and member of Parliament preclude that possibility. As
well, she’s quite flattered by his repeated attempts at romance, but
for herself, she continues to play hard-to-get. Isn’t the saying that
it’s the journey that counts, not the destination?