Character Avatar: Liv Tyler
Character Name: Henne no' Valerian
Age: 34
Rank/Title: Second of Valerian
Race: d'Angeline
Country/Province: L'Agnace
Player: Desdemona
Appearance: Henne has angelic features that seem to soften up the sharpness often inherited among the d'Angeline people. It adds to her look of innocence and naivety when she is solely among her own people, but stands out less in mixed company. Her eyes are large, blue, and innocent looking. Her hair shines in dark brown waves that show a hint of red in the right light. She is of average height, though on the higher end. She has long limbs that sometimes give her the appearance of being taller. Though she had a bit of a gangling look as a teen, Henne has grown well into her body and carries it with all of the grace one would expect of an Adept Second.
Personality: Henne is a very dedicated Adept of Valerian who lives and breaths her House and it's motto. When filling her role as the Second she is very straight forward with what needs to be done and always makes sure that it is for the good of the House. She is loyal to Trinette and always makes sure the DoWayne is in the open about any significant actions she takes as a second. Though Henne can be stern when needed, she also comes across as a soft and peaceful person. She is quiet and caring with her fellow adepts, though if one doesn't take their vows seriously then that softness in her can quickly fade. When she is in an assignation Henne is every bit the Valerian adept, submitting to her Patron. She has a subtle pride about her when she is in an assignation or when making love to a partner of her choice.
History: Henne is the child of a Mandrake mother and a noble born father. Her mother, Rose no' Mandrake, and her father, Tobias Thayer, were a love match from the moment they meet each other's eyes. They married within 4 months of meeting and had Henne less than a year later. Rose was both loving and highly controlling of Tobias, a dynamic that he sought out and relished. When giving birth to Henne, Rose almost died from blood loss and the midwife told her that she should take care to never become pregnant again.
All went well for the couple and Henne for six years. Rose ran the house and Tobias was father and subservient by choice. Though Rose had managed to keep herself barren for 6 years, fate or the gods choose to work against her. She became pregnant again and early intervention attempts that were considered safe didn't work. The pregnancy was a time of fear for Tobias and Rose. A fear that they tried to hide from Henne, though she still picked up on it to some extent. She sensed it, but didn't understand it.
The couple's fears that were realized when at 8 months Rose miscarried and died in childbirth. The death destroyed Tobias' world and he could not recover, not even for his young daughter. He hired a nanny to care for the little girl, but looking at her only reminded him of the loss of his wife.
Four months after her mother' death Henne found herself in the Night Court with her father. He had meet his wife there and it seemed like a good place to bring his daughter. He took her to Mandrake who accepted her since her mother had done well as an adept. Tobias had also offered to pay for the girl's care as a foster child. Henne's angelic features and big blue eyes marked her as a good potential adept, even if she did not stay at Mandrake and she was accepted.
As soon as Henne was placed in her new home Tobias quietly liquidated his assets and killed himself in his bedroom. An account with a decent amount of money was left to his daughter and the lands ended up being swallowed up by a distant relative. The house told the young Henne of her father's death, but not of it's cause, stating only that it was an accident.
Henne was, naturally, a solemn child. The Mandrake caregivers had seen children from unfortunate circumstances before and they were able to help Henne mourn and move on from her parents' death. On her darker days she was sent to Balm or to Naamah's Priests to talk things out and ask for healing from Naamah herself. By the time she was 10 Henne was your usual cheerful child and ready to become an adept. She had also learned that she was not of her mother's tastes when it came to relationships and pain, but of her father's. She could find some pleasure in pain and had no taste for being a dominate. So, she was taken to Valerian and passed the candy test.
Though Henne had been taught some of Eula and his companions as a foster at Mandrake, the real learning begin at Valerian as a young adept. Henne felt that she truly had received spiritual healing from Naamah. The religious training during this time fascinated her more than anything else. She learned that she was serving Naamah with her future assignations and Henne vowed that she would do her best to repay the debt she owed Naamah for healing her from her childhood grief. During this time Henne also learned the truth of how her father died from a loose lipped adept who had heard a rumor. Henne truly realized the depth of her father's love for her mother. Though she didn't necessarily seek out a similar relationship with another person, she did want to show a similar devotion with her assignations as another form of prayer. She could honor her parent's love through her work as a servant of Naamah.
Soon her 16th natal came around and Henne found herself at her first assignation. She entered it with excitement and trepidation. Her patron treated her with care and the assignation taught Henne how divine her service to Naamah can be. Not every assignation that she had was as well conducted, but Henne still treated all of them as a service to both her Patron and Naamah. She treated them all as if Naamah herself was watching. She always did her best to really read her Patron's and give them whatever it was they needed. She turned no patron down, though she reported those who did not properly honor the signale if she had to give it.
Henne's dedication helped her to gain a small group of regular Patrons and with their help she completed her marque quickly. Three days before her 19th natal she was fully marqued. Upon completing her marque the Dowayne also let her know that her father had left her a substantial amount of money in an account that she was now free to use. Even though Henne had plenty to start her own salon, she choose to stay at Valerian. She bought a few nice things and invested the rest of her money. Though Henne could show up to any event wearing the best, she was also careful not to outshine the other Valerians. She wanted to be one of them, not seem like she was trying to be better than them.
After working as only an adept for a few months Henne asked for additional tasks to help the house and she worked various positions over the years. Her favorite was teaching the new adepts about Eula and his companions and she was often allowed that duty along with a fully marked Gentian adept. After many years of dedicated service Henne was asked to step up into the role as the Second of Valerian when the previous Second decided to get married and have a family outside of the Night Court. Naturally she was honored to do so and she has held the position since she was 28 years old.
Henne actively takes care of her house, makes sure her Dowayne's wishes are meet, and fits assignations in her busy schedule. She loves her life at Valerian and plans on staying until she is to old to fill in any position.
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