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Verah Amariyo's backstory - Printable Version

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Verah Amariyo's backstory - MaverickMissy - 08-26-2016

Okay, so I've got some basics down on it but there is one detail to a very important element in her backstory that I can't seem to figure out. I need help ironing out these details, and making sure this is entirely (or mostly) lore-friendly. 

So the way the backstory goes is this (BUCKLE UP, FAM! THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG ONE!): 

Verah had always had dreams of leaving her clan and seeing the world. So when she was old enough, she left her clan and traveled the distance from deep in the Twelveswood to Gridania. Once there, she got a job running deliveries for supplies to different cities. One of the rare deliveries was to Coerthas, where she met a young nobleman from Ishgard visiting Camp Dragonhead. While there, the young highborn nobleman had grown curious of her- as they don't often see Miqo'te in Ishgard and he had not personally met one before. His inquiries were ongoing, and there was no end to them. Verah would work as she answered them curtly, her annoyance showing on her face all the while yet her inquisitor had never seemed to take note of it.
This becomes the norm for them over the course of the next few months, and Verah's deliveries to Coerthas became much more routine. After Verah made the request to her manager to have someone else make the journey, the following shipments followed with a personal request to have her deliver the goods. Begrudgingly, Verah began making the trips again. But the trips just became more, and more frequent. Even for the smallest of things to the point that Verah eventually called out the young nobleman for abusing the delivery system. 
Seeing her broiling anger, the nobleman smiled. He apologized for his overabundant curiosity and introduced himself as Lancefer Glearant, first born son to his house. He requests to accompany Verah back to Gridania, to which Verah hesitantly agrees with the condition that their journey isn't riddled with his inquiries on Miqo'te. Lancefer laughs, but agrees.
On their journey back, the two discuss their upbringing. Lancefer mentions that he has a head for strategy, but is rather sheltered and hence unskilled in combat as are a number of other members of his house. Verah brings up her own rather normal upbringing for a Miqo'te, but mentions that after arriving in Gridania she had developed an interest in becoming an adventurer. This sparks an idea in Lancefer who, upon arriving in Gridania, wrote a letter home explaining to his family that he wished to learn to fight and felt that learning the fighting styles in Gridania, Ul'Dah, and Limsa Lominsa would benefit his family and Ishgard. His family, used to Lancefer's unusual methods of going about things (and generally going against what they would normally consider good etiquette for a future head of house), reluctantly allowed his decision.
Lancefer shortly thereafter joined the Conjurer's guild, and Verah shortly thereafter quit her job running deliveries and joined the Archer's guild. The two signed up with the Adventurer's guild shortly thereafter and began killing weak monsters left and right, earning reputation and running missions for the people of Gridania. 
After spending many a fortnight together, the two had fallen deeply in love (Lancefer confesses that he had started falling for Verah sometime after she started delivering goods to Coerthas. Verah had started falling for him only recently around this time).
Some time after, Lancefer asked Verah to marry him to which Verah readily agreed. The two celebrated their engagement at the Gridanian festival that night. At this time, Lancefer asked Verah to meet his family. Again, she agreed but this time rather nervously. 

Now this is the part where her backstory gets a little muddied with my own writer's block, causing a lack of detail and uncertainty. I originally had an idea on it but it didn't feel right. And I guess this problem lies partly with my indecisiveness of how I want this part to play out.

So anyway, on their journey there Lancefer confides in Verah that spending his time with her adventuring, learning to fight, and becoming familiar with the people in Gridania were some of the happiest days he has experienced in a long time. So he tells her that he isn't sure when, but he intends to announce to his family in the near future when he is certain that things will be alright when he does, that he intends to relinquish all responsibility as the first born son to his family and allow his younger brother to take his place. Verah doesn't say much as she considers his confessed plan, but she eventually admits that she became happier than she ever thought she could after having met him (so fluffy) and says she will support the decision if it's what he really wants to do.

The two arrive at Lancefer's family home. Whether this be in Ishgard or somewhere else in Coerthas I'm unsure. I don't know if they'd allow Verah into Ishgard if she's engaged to an Ishgardian. I'm thinking yeah, possibly. But I was hoping someone more familiar might know for certain.

Anyway, Verah meets a large portion of the main family (Lancefer's family is a big family for being on the lower tier of nobility). She meets Lancefer's younger brother, Aurifort, as well as his parents. The family celebrates their engagement, opening bottles of wine and preparing a feast. 

Verah was pulled from Lancefer to another room to speak with other members (slightly more distant members) of the family. In their conversation, the family got Verah angry in their tone when speaking about Lancefer. In his defense, Verah let it slip that Lancefer would be relinquishing his claim to the future head of house. And with that, she stormed out but not before seeing that Lancefer had a mixture of hurt and fear on his face. 

At this point I'm unsure if they begin their journey back to Gridania or if they remain in Ishgard for a time before making their journey home the next morning. I'm leaning toward them leaving immediately... but perhaps just to head toward Dragonhead where they would stay until departing the next morning.

Either way, the main family was exceedingly displeased with the information that Verah had let slip and decided that Verah had begun corrupting Lancefer. By marrying her, he would besmirch their name, and they couldn't have that. So they gave orders to have her assassinated, and in the event that Lancefer got in the way, to kill him instead (or kill him as a last resort). Either way, the outcome would be the same. 


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So the assassins come, and I'm uncertain where to go with it from there. I have a couple ideas... like perhaps she flees thinking she can lure the assassins away from Lancefer and the assassins try to pursue but Lancefer gets in their way (and gets killed), or perhaps she hides behind him in fear though he is just a mere conjurer. 

Other ideas I had is maybe the assassins pursue them to a cliffside where the two fall and only Verah managed to grab the cliff? 

I'm uncertain how to go about it. But I do know that I want Verah to have betrayed Lancefer, even if it wasn't intentional. She kind of already did since she blurted out something told to her in confidence. 

But overall, it's something to which Verah feels she betrayed Lancefer. Whether she really did, or whether she is giving herself more guilt than she deserves is the line I'm dancing between. I kind of like the idea of her actually betraying Lancefer. Not out of maliciousness, but maybe out of fear or a sense of self-preservation... 

It's the kind of character I want to play. I want to play a character that struggles with the weight of that sin, but I'm not sure where to go with this idea. Writer's block, I hate it! Someone refill the tank of ideas, quick!

Oh, and if you can spot check anywhere where something doesn't corroborate with lore (and give alternative suggestions), that would be great.

RE: Verah Amariyo's backstory - MaverickMissy - 08-26-2016

P.S. Please let me know if this isn't in the right spot.

RE: Verah Amariyo's backstory - Warren Castille - 08-26-2016

Spin, spin, spin.

Lancefer was just paying lip-service to the miqo'te girl who seemed attached to him: Her speaking up put him in a jam and he resents her for ruining what was an easy romance and a profitable future.

Lancefer earnestly didn't care about his future and wanted to spend it with Verah; He dies valiantly saving her life and she's left with the reality that her actions caused his death.

Lancefer is dead. His family, however, isn't convinced: They think it's a ploy to get out of the familial obligations. Verah is stuck with proving the horrible reality to people who are convinced she's lying.

Lancefer was in on it. The "assassination" was staged to remove him from Verah's life, and she only becomes aware of the fact when running into someone else who happened to know he recovered okay. What a miracle!

Lancefer is dead. The assassins pin the blame on Verah, who is forced to flee and attempt to redeem her name. She's opposed by the family, who believes she is the villain.

Verah killed Lancefer and made up the assassination attempt, strictly to get his wealth and material possessions.

RE: Verah Amariyo's backstory - MaverickMissy - 08-27-2016

(08-26-2016, 11:33 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: Lancefer earnestly didn't care about his future and wanted to spend it with Verah; He dies valiantly saving her life and she's left with the reality that her actions caused his death.


This is more along the lines of what I was looking for but it was a scenerio I already pictured as an option.

(08-26-2016, 11:33 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: Lancefer is dead. The assassins pin the blame on Verah, who is forced to flee and attempt to redeem her name. She's opposed by the family, who believes she is the villain.

Verah killed Lancefer and made up the assassination attempt, strictly to get his wealth and material possessions.

I probably didn't mention it before, but Verah is intended to be a Neutral Good/Chaotic Good character so killing him isn't really in that realm of personality. Plus she actually loved him and because of her alignment, she wouldn't be able to really kill him.

The rest of these kind of ignore parts of the story that are already pretty fleshed out and solid. That might be my fault, I'll go back through it and see if I phrased anything in here that might be a little confusing or carelessly-worded.

But I'm looking for help finishing this by ironing out the details. Sorry if that wasn't clear in the opening post.
Unfortunately your suggestions are things I can't use, though I appreciate the effort. Smile Big Grin

RE: Verah Amariyo's backstory - MaverickMissy - 08-27-2016

I figured it out, thank you to everyone who offered their ideas.