peacockherald | Drift Fleet Application

OUT OF CHARACTER:
Name/Handle: Luna
Contact:

inkedhymnal, AIM: inkedhymnal
Reference: Samm

IN-CHARACTER:
Character name: Vanyel Ashkevron
Character journal:

peacockherald
Series name: The Last Herald Mage Trilogy
Canon notes: Taken from the end of Book #2 - Magic's Promise, Around 3+ Years of Paradisa Memories

Species: Human - with magical abilities

History:
Wiki of his History, though he is taken from the end of Book #2 - Magic’s Promise, when he goes through the gate to escape the falling castle
Events of Book 1: Magic’s Pawn
Events of Book 2: Magic’s Promise

Paradisa History

Vanyel arrives in Paradisa mortally injured from battling the Baires and opening a gate to escape the trap-spell. He is largely unconcious, and Yfandes summons help via banging on the Castle doors

The next day Vanyel awakens in the Castle clinic, where he rises and begins to explore his new home
- He discovers that though he has his magical abilities, his Bardic Gift has been taken as his Loss and he can no longer touch an instrument or sing

Vanyel attempts to return home via another Gate, but fails. The Gate backlashes and he becomes feverish and sick as he recovers from mage fever

Vanyel learns of the first of the Castle’s favorite holidays to prank its residents with: Valentine’s
- He kisses several people, something he has not done in a long time, which brings into question his stance on not having physical contact, or otherwise not being interested. He also has a first hand experience of the Castle’s influence on the mind and his own helplessness against it - a new sensation for him and leaves him uncomfortable with his new home

Vanyel meets with Bucky Barnes for a drink, speaking on their duties in their own worlds, the loss of friends and family.
- Bucky is the first person he has been with physically in Paradisa, and the first within a year in his home world, again making him consider his thoughts on romance and his loyalties to his lover who has been dead for over a decade

The Castle forces everyone in Paradisa to take part in a “family reunion”

Vanyel is made a “brother” to Apollo and has his memories re-written to fit this new reality. He is given a happy home life in contrast to his less than accepting one in Valdemar, and forms a deeper bond with Apollo

After the Family Reunion, Vanyel meets with Apollo at the stables after learning that Apollo's lover has returned home
- For the first time Vanyel tells someone the tale of his love for Tylendel and his death, as well as his own attempts at suicide.

A second round of the Castle’s kissing game brings Vanyel to Clow, whom he has respected as a friend and a mage. The kiss opens the potential for romance, and on Yfandes’ urging he takes up Clow’s offer of a dinner date
- This his first real attempt at the beginnings of a relationship or dating since arriving, finally beginning to believe that seeking his own happiness is not in any way disrespecting the memory of Tylendel or forgetting him

Tylendel (Vanyel’s lifebonded partner) arrives in Paradisa
- This is the first time Vanyel has seen Tylendel in over ten years, and since his death. He is overwhlemed and at first things it is a trick, but comes to realize Tylendel is with him sans his Companion

Tylednel and Vanyel pick up their relationship where it had left off despite their now dramatic age differences
- Through this second chance at a relationship, Vanyel learns to forgive himself for his role in enabling Tylendel towards the actions that ultimately brought around his death. He also gains Tylendel’s forgiveness for his actions, both for the events leading up to his death, as well as what came after such as laying with others, assuring Vanyel that all he ever wanted was his happiness.

Vanyel proses to and marries Tylendel
- Wanting to make the most of their time in Paradisa together, Vanyel takes advantage of the lack of stigma and wants to make their bond complete. They have an open wedding, and Vanyel finds a sense of peace he has not felt since Tylendel’s death

Tylendel is sent home by the Castle and once more Vanyel is faced with the pain of his loss
- He handles it better than the first time, recalling their time together in Paradisa he would not have otherwise, and believed he did all he could to love Tylendel while he could. He has friends to aid him through his pain besides Yfandes, and his grief does not become a burden as it did when he first loss Tylendel. He knows he is forgiven.

The doors appear and Vanyel knows he must return home to aid his people against the threat he had felt building before he came to Paradisa
- He takes a good friend of his, Duke, with him to Valdemar, hoping to give his friend a measure of peace and to bring new magic to his country

Personality:

Protective nature - Being a herald, Vanyel is naturally protective of people, especially those he cares about. He will always step in to aid someone in danger, regardless of station, and will never give up on their defense, even at the cost of his own life.

Sense of responsibility - Vanyel feels that he is responsible for the protection of others, especially within his own world as he is one of the Last Herald mages. He feels it is his his duty to provide for the country as a whole with his magical abilities, even taking on the burden of creating a spell to help keep those who wish Valdemar harm out of her borders using wind elementals called sylphs, and seeking out the dark threat he can feel gathering at the borders

Awareness of limits and sense of preparedness in the long term - Vanyel is aware of his own limits within his multitude of gifts, understanding how far he can push each and which to use when. He is also able to admit when his Gift(s) are not the best for a situation, and will readily suggest that another Herald with a strong version of his same Gift solve a situation. He tries to do this as often as possible to prepare the Valdemarian people for the day when the Mage Gift is no more and to get them used to calling on Heralds with singular, specialized Gifts

Ethics - Vanyel has a strong sense of right and wrong and adheres to a very strict code of morals and ethics, especially with his mental gifts. He does not send to someone’s mind or read someone’s mind without their express permission unless he has no other option, and does not work any magics on them (either through Mage or Healing Gift) without permission unless he has no other option. He finds it grotesque to think of forcing himself on someone in this way, and is a violation akin to rape to his way of thinking

Charming, but reserved - Vanyel has a natural charm, due to training as a lord’s eldest son and spending time with his mother’s ladies in waiting growing up. He knows all the courtly graces, and is always kind in his dealings and conversations with others (even though this has garnered him unwanted affections from ladies at the court), but tends to be reserved on the personal level. He has few close friends, and confides his deeper issues to even fewer

Very aware of other’s feelings - Vanyel is very aware of other’s feelings and emotions, and as such does his best to avoid hurting them. He will go out of his way to be kind to let someone down gently, and will often try and avoid conflict altogether if he can

Depressive tendencies - Vanyel suffers from mild depression, usually drawn on by bad dreams, concerns over his sexual preferences and society’s views of it, or the approach of Tylendel’s death anniversary. He is able to function and hide it, but often feels lonely and sad and as if he is set apart from others, sometimes making it difficult for him to more deeply connect with people around him

Willing to put aside or work through own discomfort for the sake of his loved ones’ happiness - Vanyel is attracted purely to men in sexual terms, but puts this aside three times in order to aid his friends in conceiving children (once with Shari, since Randal was impotent, once with a Tayledras woman who bore twins, and once with a lesbian soldier couple)

Deep love of music - Vanyel’s first love was music, finding he was good at it whereas he was terrible at his swordsmanship lessons. He would often hide in a secret spot in a tower of his family’s estate home and play for himself, and his mother would have him play for her ladies. He always carried a lute with him when he went on Circuit as a Herald, and shows interest in any new stringed instruments.

Sense of guilt - Ten years gone, and Vanyel still feels guilt over his role in Tylendel’s suicide, as well as the death of Tylendel’s companion and several innocent people. While some of his guilt was eased by his reunion with Tylendel in Paradisa, some of it still remains. He will often take on guilt/responsibility for issues or consequences he really had no control over.

Willingness to sacrifice himself to save others - If it becomes necessary, Vanyel is willing to pay the ultimate price to ensure the safety of others and stop the progress of evil. He remains behind in a booby trapped Castle after ensuring all the innocents had escaped, ultimately dying himself as a result (but when offered the choice by the Goddess to pass on or return to life and continue one as he is, he chooses life, feeling his work is unfinished within Valdemar)

Difficulty in accepting intimate relationships - He is largely celibate for the ten years between Tylendel’s death and meeting Stefan, only sharing a bed with one or two people. He feels that letting anyone close to him will put them in danger, make them a target for the dark force he can feel gathering, and so does not let himself indulge or easily accept the romantic affections of others. This has eased somewhat since Paradisa since the threat was not present, but he is still somewhat unsure of forming deep bonds given the knowledge people could go home at any time.

Peacocking - Vanyel is aware of his good looks and appearance, and does take some pride in this. He tends to dress in colors that compliment or show off his dark hair or his eyes, and in flattering cuts. ( His nickname from his Aunt and several other close friends is “peacock”)

Patience and dedication - Vanyel is extremely tolerant and has a large amount of patience. He deals easily with his rowdy and more “masculine” brothers, irate villagers, a less than tolerant father, or a besotted maiden, and is willing to spend weeks learning new magics through trial and error practice.

Tendency to work alone, or shoulder a burden alone - Vanyel will try and solve problems alone, seeking out aide only as necessary, especially when magically related. He realizes he is the strongest mage in centuries and possibly the last, and does not wish to tax the few remaining mages. Further, he doesn’t wish to put others in danger, but thinks far less of risking his own life. He will bounce ideas off people, but otherwise works on problems by himself, and always tries to find the solution with the least amount of risk to others.

Combat only as necessary - Vanyel is capable as both a swordsman (he leans towards a lighter rapier rather than a full sword) and as a mage, but if he can avoid combat he will. He does not enjoy killing, though he will if he has to and has killed before.

Strong will - Vanyel is able to resist the temptations of a dark sorcerer early in his awakening as a Herald Mage, refusing dark promises. He faces danger head on, and will not back down before evil.

Abilities: Vanyel possess all of the Heraldic Gifts as well as the Bardic Gift

Mage Gift
- the ability to perform magic spells, including the creation of Gates which allow a person to cover great distances through a magical ‘door’

MindSpeaking
- The ability to both project thoughts as well as read them from another

Fetching
- The ability to transport objects over a distance (essentially teleportation)

FarSight
- The ability to see something/someone over a long distance

ForeSight
- The ability to foresee the future
- For Vanyel this often manifests in dreams, and he does not have active control of it

FireStarting
- The ability to create flame
- He is not as strong in this, though he has enough he will “never need to use a tinderbox again”

Healing Gift
- The ability to encourage the healing of the human body through magic separate from the mage gift
- Again, he is not very strong in this, but he has enough to encourage the healing of minor wounds

Bardic Gift
- A proficiency for music, both for playing and composition, and the ability to project emotion through song that can strongly affect a person/people
- Vanyel favors the lute