Five Headcanons
Five Headcanons
Tagged by @eilitheandiel and @moonbaki. This ended up taking forever and going into more detail than I intended it to. But it does help me fill in the blanks of what Vel is spending her time on off screen.
1. Countess of Duskwatch: Vel really doesn’t behave like traditional nobility would when it comes to the overseeing of Duskwatch. The title itself is one she is fond of but her approach to governing the region of the Golden Isle is modeled on the way Dead Sun itself is governed. As Dead Sun is governed by a council of Sun Speakers, Duskwatch has a council made up of various voices from the community. Council meetings are held once a week and any citizen may attend for the sake of transparency. A second weekly meeting is held for anyone to bring up any issues to the council.
While she makes final decisions on important matters, Vel tends to accept the will of the council and only uses her authority in the event an issue is particularly contentious. Even then she will encourage more discussion over the issue in hopes of reaching compromises before just using her authority. This can lead to extra meetings.
This approach to handling things was influenced heavily by Dead Sun Harbor, Eilithe and Kurel in some ways and is much different than how the Vel of a few years ago would have approached things.
2. Lady of Darkwake Oblique: Vel approachs Darkwake Oblique differently than she does Duskwatch. More like the Vel of the past would have handled things. It is also more of what she was familiar with. It is meant to be a contrast. And while her approach to Duskwatch is representative of her current influences and present self, her approach toward the Oblique is representative of her past influences and aspects of her past self.
Vel is far less concerned for the input of others in governing the Oblique, far less transparent, and very controlling. Vel inherited the title from Lady Quel’vuran, and since has struggled to establish her legitimacy among other nobles of Quel’thelas. To many traditionalists she is shunned for being a commoner who inherited a title. Lady Quel’vuran’s reputation was not particularly positive to begin with, so Vel has had to spend time rebranding a bit. Given that the Oblique could easily be targeted by rival houses, Vel has also felt pressured to build up some forces to discourage intimidation tactics from more militant houses. Additionally she inherited some of Lady Quel’vuran’s personal enemies (this ties into headcanon 5).
The process has been slow, but Vel has been able to start to gain a few allies and ward off some critics, and is starting to be seen as legitimate. She still lacks firm connections among the nobility in Quel’thelas. And even just useful contacts in the area, as she spends less time there. She has a few, but much needs to be done still.
She still takes overseeing the Oblique quite seriously but has been pushing a rock uphill to be seen as legitimate and improve the public perception.
3. Contacts: Vel still maintains various contacts she’s made from her time as a diplomat, and still has some legitimate political connections that she’s made. She also still maintains some less savory connections from some of the other circles she used to run in, but Vel has never been one to write anyone off if they may still be useful.
This rarely comes up in rp, but networking used to be a large part of what Vel did. And I feel like it is still a big part of who she is, and even though she may not actively be networking as much, she still has a few important contacts for when she finds herself in a pinch. And is always looking for more.
4. Parents: Vel’s biological father (who she has zero memory of) is still very alive and still a bastard. He has sold Vel off - twice when she was a baby, and would probably sell her again if he could find a way to do it.
She is oblivious to his existence and she would find him to be a very disappointing creature as he is not even an ambitious criminal, he is just a criminal, who is just kind of a shit person.
While Vel is oblivious to his existence, he does keep track of his daughter and her successes and feels entitled to some of that success.
This is just a plot idea I have never fully pulled the trigger on - as I am unsure how I want to handle it. But it is always there. Waiting. Much like this next one,
5. Enemies in Waiting: While Vel is far better at making friends than she is enemies, she has a few figures from her past that seek her out as an enemy.
There are members from rival sects (cults), from back when Vel was in one of those. There are also others who seek items from her archives. There are a few groups of under the radar Light types that just want to purge Vel from existence.
Like Vel’s father these are just potential conflicts I have for possible Rp in the future. Vel’s past coming back to mess with her present is an idea that I play with a lot, but haven’t really tapped into much (as I have not fully fleshed out the ideas), but yea. There are enemies - laying in wait. If they ever tie into something going on, I may make use of them. Otherwise it just stuff in headcanon. She is aware of a few of them but some are likely to blindside her. There are plenty of reasons to see Vel as an enemy for those that - knew her in various phases of her life.