Lady Athena Vauss of Vadronia, thirty five,
third child of Mallas and Aelinor of Vadronia. she/her. lesbian
intro | musings | interactions | visage | pinterest
adored by Jace, 27, gmt+ 9:30 (acst), they/them, for @ilthoriafm
⸻ "some bold words from one yet to put an arrow to flight, least of all in the direction of the target." belisarius remarked dryly as he approached, his voice drawing the eyes and murmurs of the other contestants as he cut a passage through their midst. his cheek twitched with barely concealed irritation their attention brought. though he outwardly spared them little mind, he knew all too well what half-truths and exaggerations their whispers carried, finding them just as familiar as the lingering looks of fear, admiration and more beside that were being cast in his wake. ravenfeeder. he fought the urge to snap and snarl, to bear his teeth at those that thought they knew him. knew how such a name had been earned. what it had cost him. such a reaction would have been normal in vadronia, where violence was a language in of itself, but these softer climes were made for softer souls. souls that sought to bind their guests with the very same chains of civility and decorum that had ensnared them. propriety.
'why should wolves,' his father would remark after every visit to these summer lands, 'concern themselves with the bleating of sheep?' his mother would always know what to say in return. soothing his ire before it could fester further, or redirecting it entirely to more pressing matters lest he spark yet another diplomatic incident. but she was not here, and nor was he. all belisarius had was an old man's grousing and his sister to keep him company. clearly the gods, if they existed, had a terrible sense of humour.
"certainly took your time, sister of mine. i have been waiting for days now," he muttered as he leant on the barricade that divided spectator from participant, the words biting yet she would know the tone was not for her. well, perhaps it was a little. she would think he was going soft on her if it wasn't. "i take it you stopped off to commission that witty rejoinder?"
"Some of us just know when they are the best, dear brother." Athena rolled her eyes as she positioned herself side on, a wheel of her chair facing the target while she faced down the line of archers. As a child, the master of arms had insisted she learn the way he had taught hundreds of soldiers prior to her however, it simply did not work for her. She could not pull back far enough to cause enough flight to hit the targets, couldn't aim nor hold the bow properly. Her mother had politely suggested that he try another approach, reminded him that Athena was not like others. She was a Vauss and he was to make it work. A week later she had been gifted a specially made bow, one she could hold and draw while in her wheelchair. Those around her at the moment her very first arrow hit the target would tell of the young Lady Athena squealing with pure joy. Something Athena would now deny.
She had a new bow now, one gifted to her by the Princess Isolde before they parted ways, before she was a Princess. The ebony coloured bow had been her most prized possession for the better part of ten years. It was marked and dented, one of the silver owls on the handle had fallen off long ago but to Athena that showed her love for it. She couldn't understand why people kept such gifts locked away, they were meant to be used, to be loved. Not stared at nor hung on a wall.
"I encountered a few small issues along the way, little brother. It pushed back my arrival time" She explained as she laid her bow across her lap, before reaching into a pouch on her leg looking for her glove. "I see you didn't leave your terrible humour in Vadronia. You have had plenty to keep you busy until my arrival, yes?"
The travel to Ardora had been rough, travelling long distances was a challenge for her, whether it be by horse or carriage. The pain of being bumped around and staying in one position for hours on end was excruciating. She had allowed herself the night to rest before heading out to join the festivities.
With her bow secured in it’s sheath at the back of her chair she approached a free lane at the archery range. After days of next to no shooting she wanted nothing more than to let off some steam. Her eyes glanced down the row of archers her eyes settling on a particular target that had more arrows around it than on it
“I hope they have better archers than that here” she chuckled out loud, reaching behind her for her own bow, “otherwise they might as well give me the reward for best archer now”
.¸¸.•` [ ruth madeley , cis - female , she / her ] the almighty has blessed us once more, it seems athena vauss has come to ilthoria. the lady of house vauss, brings with them such glorious fortune and they are known for being cunning but also impatient. joy will spark when the thirty - five year old comes to court. what songs would be sung in their name ? [ ruthlesness + epic + the musical ] for in the decades to come they will sing of : arrows soaring through the air, bruised knuckles, a growl akin to a wolf may enerin bless your soul, welcome to ilthoria child.
name athena vauss nicknames thena, age 35 place of birth vadronia titles lady gender cis woman pronouns she/they sexuality lesbian relationship status: unbetroth. positive traits cunning, efficient, calculated negative traits cruel, scheming, stubborn
NOTE: Athena is an ambulatory wheelchair user. She uses a wheelchair %90 of the time. She has spina bifida and chronic pain and all the things that come with both those (If i listed it all we would be here for a hot minute)
the third born child of mallas and aelinor vauss. It was evident at birth that Athena would not be like her siblings. Her spine had not formed properly leaving her with weakness in her lower limbs.
when it became evident that she would not be able to walk as much as expected her parents had a special wheelchair commissioned. one that allowed her the freedoms of moving herself as well as being supported by others
while she could not run and swing a sword in the same way her siblings could, Athena was no less lethal. A bow was crafted specifically for her, designed to allow her to shoot from her chair. With much practice she was able to hit almost any target.
while her siblings were learning in battle strategies or training in close quarter combat, Athena was learning the art of planning battles, sieges, methods of interrogation. Just because she could not participate in battle (though on very rare occasions she could) it did not mean she simply had to sit on the side and wait for everyone to come home.
She honed her skills as a tactician becoming one of the best house vauss had.
Athena is firey and stubborn. She will argue with just about anyone about anything if given the chance.
Wanted Connections (open for plotting!)
Lovers (current/past/future? all of the above) 0/?: What it says on the tin! super open for plotting
enemies 0/?: she can't stand to be in the same room as these people, they bicker, argue, maybe even break out into fist fights who knows.
girlfriend 0/1: “Ah, those two. In a fight, they’re lethal. Around each other, they melt.” (WC sent to main)