High Inquisitor Vonstadt

[Ravenna Vonstadt]

Player: Navarre

Character Name: Ravenna Vonstadt
Age: 45
Race: Human
Height: 5'8”
Weight: 121 lbs.

Personality

“Work on my personality? Oh, what a charming idea. If I start now, maybe one day I'll be as popular and successful as you. Thank you so much for opening my eyes, you beautiful, beautiful person.”

High Inquisitor Vonstadt is perhaps the biggest killjoy in all of Marn. A strict disciplinarian and thoroughly gloomy person, she has a talent for sucking the life out of the room. She doesn't get along with most people, and her harsh, no-nonsense personality has made her something of a bogeyman among new recruits. Despite her image problems, she's very devoted to her job – perhaps a little too much – and effective at what she does.

Her most outstanding feature is easily her stoic disposition. It's difficult to get any emotional reaction out of Ravenna other than mild annoyance and disapproval. Only a handful of people have seen her crack a smile, and even then it's questionable if it was genuine. Beneath her collected exterior she's a fairly sad, empty woman, and her work is one of the few things that gives her life meaning. Ravenna also has a tendency to be a deadpan snarker around those who aggravate her, a trait that she's passed down to her daughter. She usually reins herself in around her friends and colleagues, but woe to the person who tests her patience on a bad day.

Everything in Ravenna's life must be carefully structured. Being forced to deviate from her daily schedule is one of the few things that can genuinely anger her. If she has to take an unfamiliar route to work or cover for someone's unannounced absence, she feels her entire day is thrown off and becomes incredibly reclusive and acerbic. Generally her family and close friends recognize when this happens and try to snap her out of it, but she's so stubborn that they rarely succeed.

Her reputation as a “bogeyman” arose from a combination of her stern disposition, antisocial behavior, and seemingly harsh punishments and rulings. She also tends to play up this side of herself when she first goes over the rules with recruits, mainly to set them straight as soon as possible. Though some guards do like to frighten recruits with stories about her, those who know Ravenna well understand that she's a decent and fair-minded person, even If she's difficult to get along with. She's fiercely loyal and protective to the few she counts as close friends, and she opens up to them slightly more than she would around most people.

Physical Description

“Stop looking at me like I'm insane. If everything in my closet's the same, I don't need to waste valuable time picking out clothes every morning.”

Ravenna dresses rather conservatively, as one might expect given her personality. She normally wears simple, concealing dresses, usually in shades of dark blue and gray. Though her facial features are soft and attractive, her stern expression and piercing, icy blue eyes make her look rather imposing. Her black hair has started graying in recent years; she usually lets it flow loosely down her back, but for more formal occasions she'll wear it in a bun or a ponytail.

Her physique is what one would expect of a soldier. Ravenna stands tall with impeccable posture, and years of exercise have left her with a fit, compact build. These days she has much less time to train as often as she once did, so she isn't in as good shape as she once was.

When overseeing hearings, she wears a black judicial robe over her blouse instead of her usual jacket. It originally belonged to High Inquisitor Drastham, her predecessor, who left it to her as a gift before retiring. Some of the guards joke that it makes her look like a witch, and she doesn't appreciate the humor. At formal events she wears simple dresses similar to her work clothing. If the event is directly related to the Guard, she'll take her old armor out of storage and wear it instead.

Possessions

“Please, feel free to continue rifling through my belongings. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.”

Ravenna's always been a bit of a miser, so she only has a few notable possessions:

Vonstadt House

Vonstadt House is a large residence that has belonged to the Vonstadt family for generations. It is a modestly-sized, castle-like house located in Marn's residential district. The curtains are always shut and the Vonstadts rarely answer the door, so some of the kids in Marn have started to believe the house is haunted. If one were to go inside, one would likely be inclined to agree: there are more than a few macabre paintings, the old wooden floors creak with every step, and the lights are always dimmed. Despite rarely having company, Ravenna keeps the house clean to the point that it almost looks like a museum.

Armor

Ravenna still owns her old guard uniform, which she keeps stored at her home. She only wears it for special events.

Greatsword

Ravenna purchased an impresive greatsword years ago while spending time in eastern Eyropa. She only uses it to decorate her office. Whenever the guards ask her about it, she tells them that she uses it for beheading especially difficult recruits.

Documents

Whenever she patrols around the headquarters, she often makes notes on guards and their behavior. She has years worth of these notes stored away in her office for future reference. Only a few of these documents include names, and she mainly uses them to determine if there are any pervasive behavioral issues in the Guard that need to be addressed. [/list]

Strengths

"You want to know my strengths? Watch and learn."

Master Disciplinarian

Thanks to raising eight younger brothers by herself and training countless recruits, Ravenna has become a peerless disciplinarian. She’s a master at whipping rowdy young men and women into shape, usually through fear, intimidation, and – very rarely – positive encouragement and inspiration. Her punishments often seem severe and sometimes cruel, but they almost always prevent repeat offenses.

Self-Confidence

Ravenna believes in herself and what she does. As far as she’s concerned, there isn’t any room for self-doubt in her profession. In her mind her judgments are final and decisions correct, unless any new developments arise after the fact. She’s also assertive and will not hesitate to stand up for herself and those she loves.

Living Lie Detector

While possible, it’s very difficult to pull a fast one on Ravenna. She’s spent a lifetime dealing with guards and little brothers trying to lie their way out of trouble, so she’s become skilled at seeing through deception. Generally, she is not as perceptive to lying in average social situations as she is while working.

Composure

Ravenna learned to control her emotions from a young age to avoid losing her temper with her brothers. It’s served her well as High Inquisitor, as even the most infuriating troublemaker will only get an annoyed sigh from her.

Fairness

Whether she’s dealing with cases or everyday life, Ravenna almost always sees things through a fair and balanced lens. Killing off most of her emotions has allowed her to focus on the facts of the world around her. Emotional appeals won’t work with her, and she won’t single someone out with negative treatment because she doesn’t like them.

Weaknesses

“Weaknesses? I have none. The High Inquisitor does not cry or bleed. Remember that.”

Emotionally Dead

Ravenna is incredibly emotionally stunted. It’s difficult for her to feel and display emotions, and will typically only do so in extreme situations. As such, it is hard for her to pick up on if someone has been hurt or offended by something he said unless they make it obvious. Although she loves her family, she has a hard time showing it and cannot enjoy a close, affectionate relationship with them as a result.

Structure Obsession

Structure is one of the most important things in Ravenna’s life. If someone or something disrupts her daily schedule – even in the slighest way – she becomes irate and difficult. Even having to take an alternate route to work could throw her off and make her aggravated for the entire morning. This clouds her mind and makes it difficult for her to focus.

Out of Practice

Ever since becoming an inquisitor, Ravenna hasn’t had any need to physically train or fight. Although she remembers the basics and isn’t necessarily in bad shape, she is more of a sidelines person these days and isn’t much better than a recruit on the field. A fighter of average experience would have a good shot against her.

Workaholic

Ravenna works far too much for a healthy person, and has been known to often lose sleep over it. Almost her entire life revolves around her job, and she has unwittingly placed it before her family more than a few times. If someone she knows and trusts points out that she’s neglecting her loved ones for work or harming herself, she’ll usually snap out of it and rein herself in for a while.

Garahein

One of the few things that gets a rise out of Ravenna is her father. Asking about him or bringing up his mad descent is the only guaranteed way to visibily infuriate her. Her failure to figure out what happened to him still plagues her, and finding even the smallest clue would almost certainly distract her. Her father is easily the most sensitive part of her life.

History

Family:

Loraise Vonstadt (Husband)
Laila Vonstadt (Daughter)
Garahein Vonstadt (Father)
Therese Vonstadt (Mother)
Michael Vonstadt (Brother)
Arenal Vonstadt (Brother)
Carensa Vonstadt (Brother)
Staven Vonstadt (Brother)
Jacobim Vonstadt (Brother)
Denalle Vonstadt (Brother)
Karesen Vonstadt (Brother)
Sebastian Vonstadt (Brother)

CHAPTER ONE

Garahein Vonstadt wanted to burn the world and dance in its ashes.

He had been an influential philanthropist in Marn for most of his life. Over the years he contributed generously to numerous charities and causes, and his work among the poor made him a respected and beloved man. At the height of his popularity he attracted notoriety by lobbying extensively for social reform for the city’s lower class. Naturally cheerful and always smiling, he shone as a prime example of a good person in an increasingly dark and uncertain world.

Even through the darkest of times his strong spirit persevered. When his first child grew ill and died as an infant, he grieved as any parent would, but he pushed forward and appreciated his other children even more. When he and his wife Therese divorced, he supported her and wished her the best even though he still had feelings for her. He often told his children that no matter how difficult life could seem, they should never lose sight of the boundless happiness it offered.

His children loved him dearly. Though his work often kept him busy, he made time for his children and tried to be an accessible, understanding, and fair father. His only daughter Ravenna held a special place in his heart, and the two were inseparable. Her fondest memory of him was when the two would go pick berries on the weekends, and she would tell him all about her week at school.

Needless to say, his descent hit Ravenna the hardest of all.

CHAPTER TWO

Ravenna can’t say what happened to her father, and she accepts that she’ll probably never know. The change was so sudden, and no matter how hard she racks her brain she can’t think of any strange behavior leading up to it. One night, Garahein kissed her goodnight, went to bed, and woke up a monster the next morning.

She’ll never forget the day of his transformation. Ravenna was watching her brothers playing downstairs in the morning to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves or break anything. Garahein came downstairs, but instead of greeting them like he usually did, he shot them a nasty look and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. At the time she thought she’d imagined that look, and that maybe he closed the door with more strength than he’d intended, but she couldn’t make excuses for what he did later that day.

Garahein had been invited to speak at a dinner celebrating the construction of a new wing at Marn’s hospital. When he went up to give his speech, he lashed out at everyone present, wished death on everyone in the hospital, and stormed out of the building after degrading everyone for nearly fifteen minutes. When he returned home, Garahein turned all the lights off in the house and sat in the living room in complete darkness. Ravenna eventually worked up the courage to ask him what was wrong, but he didn’t even register her presence. He was still sitting there when she came in the next morning.

Ravenna was about seventeen at the time of Garahein’s breadown. She stepped up and became a mother to her brothers that day to fill the void that Garahein left behind. She kept them away from Garahein, which wasn’t especially difficult since he had no interest in seeing any of them. No matter how she pleaded with him to tell her about his problems or see a therapist, he only laughed and waved her off. Ravenna tried to contact her estranged mother, but discovered that she had moved away over a year ago and had no way to reach her. It was up to her to help her family through this tragedy.

CHAPTER THREE

Ravenna felt trapped as her father’s descent worsened. She was suddenly the full-time parent of eight boys, and she had to worry about protecting them from a potentially dangerous man. Her father had never laid a hand on any of them – and to his credit he never did after his change – but at the time she knew anything was possible with his erratic behavior. She considered leaving with her brothers, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to support eight children on her own as a teenager. As different as Garahein was, he still allowed them to use his bishani for their food and clothing.

After a while, Ravenna’s life seemed to become relatively stable. Her father was keeping to himself, and her brothers were making friends and doing well in school. It relieved her that they weren’t more traumatized by their father’s sudden change – most of them were fairly young at the time, so it didn’t hurt them as badly. Michael, the oldest of the boys, did take the change hard, but Ravenna supported him through it. Reporters bothered her family about Garahein’s deterioration for weeks, but she ignored them and they eventually stopped coming.

Two years later, Garahein became far worse. Ravenna found him holding her youngest brother Sebastian in front of the window at night, peering through the blinds while whispering things to him. As soon as she confronted Garahein he put Sebastian down and walked away. When she asked Sebastian what Garahein had told him, he only cried and shook his head. Michael convinced him to talk the next day, and was shocked to discover that his father was telling Sebastian incredibly nihilistic and disturbing things, such as how all of them were worthless and their lives had no meaning. Michael and Ravenna became even more determined to keep Garahein away from their siblings.

Garahein’s behavior became increasingly destructive and erratic over the next few weeks. He knocked pictures down from the walls, tore sheets and curtains, and would pick up furniture and throw it without warning. When Ravenna caught him staring over Sebastian’s bed and staring at him one night as he slept, she knew that they had to get out of there, no matter how hard it would be to support themselves. The father she had known and loved was gone, and staying with him only put her brothers and herself in danger.

Ravenna approached Garahein in the dining room the next night. The curtains were closed as usual, and her father was sitting at the head of the table, looking like he just crawled out of his grave.

“We’re leaving,” she told him, frowning. “I’ve done everything I can to help you, but you won’t let me. We aren’t safe with you in this house.”

Garahein tilted his head. “Is that so?”

Ravenna leaned forward and placed her hands on the table. “Why are you acting like this? It’s been four years. One day you woke up and started behaving like a psychopath. No warning signs, no cries for help – it was a sudden, complete change. That doesn’t happen. Why?”

Ravenna was surprised to find a look of sad determination on her father’s face. “Don’t you understand? I’ve been enlightened,” Garahein said as he rose from his chair. “We are a speck of dust floating in an ocean of darkness. Everything we see and believe is an illusion. I do this out of obligation. I don’t have a choice.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

Garahein walked to the door, then stopped and looked back at her. “I am chaos. It is my duty to open everyone's eyes to the world's true nature. Only then can I finally close my eyes and sleep."

He closed the door behind him and never came back.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ravenna decided that she needed a fresh start after her father’s departure. As much as she wanted to move to another house with her brothers, she didn’t want to waste the bishani her father left behind when they already had a home. But now that she had complete control of the house, it would be easier to make sure her brothers were happy and healthy.

She instituted strict structure and routine – everyone had to be up by a certain time, complete their assignments and lay them out for inspection, and do chores around the house. Michael became her second-in-command and helped her however he could. As the years went on, the youngest forgot about Garahein and his erratic behavior. Whenever they asked Ravenna, she explained that he was mentally unwell and they did all they could to help him.

But Ravenna could’t let it go.

For a while she became obsessed with finding clues about her father’s sudden change – drugs, suspicious connections, and even the possibility of hidden magical practices. Despite her efforts, nothing turned up. She even secretly hired a detective to try and find her father, but he had vanished without a trace. After a while, she accepted she would never know what happened and reminded herself that she promised everyone a fresh start – and that couldn’t happen if she wouldn’t let go of Garahein.

As Garahein’s bishani started to dry up, Ravenna and Michael found work and left the twins Arenal and Carensa in charge of the house while they were gone. Ravenna joined the Marn Guard, and Michael found work as an assistant butcher. Though Ravenna was a little nervous about joining the guard, her brothers assured her that she was bossy enough to fit in perfectly.

CHAPTER FIVE

Ravenna’s time as a recruit was difficult, but she enjoyed every moment of it. She remained focused on her training and mostly kept to herself, though she did make a few friends. One of her closest was a fellow recruit named Vordantis, a loudmouth with a good heart. She also caught the attention of High Inquisitor Drastham, who had learned about her background and found it very impressive that she was able to raise eight brothers after her father’s descent into madness.

She rose in the ranks as the years went on, and she eventually gained a reputation as a stern, yet effective leader. Ravenna also began a semi-romantic relationship with Vordantis – though they weren’t officially dating, it was clear that the two had feelings for one another, but were keeping them in check to remain professional. This show of restraint also impressed Drastham, who had befriended Ravenna over the years and was carefully watching her progress. Ravenna had grown to know Drastham well and saw him as a father figure.

In a surprising move, Drastham arranged for Ravenna to be promoted to sergeant after only four years of service – one year earlier than the minimum. He had already decided to offer her a position as an inquisitor, but he wanted to see how well she would adapt to the new responsibilities. Ravenna struggled at first because of her lack of experience and training, but she soon adapted and showed a particular strength in management, scheduling, and especially disciplining rowdy guards. After one year Drastham approached her and offered her a position as an inquisitor, knowing he had a potential successor on his hands. Ravenna happily accepted.

CHAPTER SIX

Ravenna officially became an inquisitor at 26 after five years of service. She began as Drastham’s personal assistant, aiding him with cases and discussing various rulings and punishment. Aside from working with Drastham on cases, her duties mainly consisted of clerical work and writing and submitting new rules to be reviewed and approved by the Captain and High Constable.

Her relationship with Vordantis also became more serious around this time. He began spending time with her at her house and grew close with her brothers, even convincing Sebastian to join the guard as well. Ravenna opened up to him about what happened with her father, and he seemed just as confused as she was by the changes. She asked if she thought magic had anything to do it, but Vordantis fiercely denied it.

Shortly after Ravenna’s 29th birthday, Drastham announced his retirement and appointed Ravenna as his successor – the first female High Inquisitor in the history of the Marn Guard. Her first few months were mainly spent keeping guards in line and performing other basic duties, but about six months after her appointment a scandal rocked the guard. An investigation had uncovered a small group of unregistered magic-users in the guard that had reportedly been sneaking arms to criminals and underground rebels. Her first major case as High Inquisitor had arrived.

When she first heard the news, she knew Vordantis had a hand in it after his fierce defense of magic when she brought up her father. But she hadn’t expected him to be the leader.

Ravenna arrived in court in her full inquisitor attire, her face a blank slate. She treated Vordantis as a defendant in court, heard his case and the opposition’s, and weighed the evidence. After discussing the ruling with the Captain and the High Constable and receiving approval from the Judges due to the case’s special nature, Ravenna condemned Vordantis and the other guards to execution. Vordantis, who had clearly been expecting special treatment, stared at her in disbelief as he was dragged away.

Ravenna left the court without a word.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ravenna pretended that Vordantis’ betrayal hadn’t affected her, but she became noticeably more withdrawn and emotionally dead as the years went on. Her adherence to schedules and routine became almost obsessive, and she dealt out punishments to guards without remorse. Sentencing her lover to death in her first case gave her quite a reputation, and her harsh behavior afterwards made her bogeyman-like image even stronger.

A few months later she became involved with a professor named Loraise Duvall – an astoundingly bland man with a love of structure that rivaled even her own. Their “dating” proceeded like a business contract, as it consisted of them deciding how many children they wanted, the name depending on the gender, and their daily schedules for the foreseeable future. They even went so far as to draft out weekly dinner schedules for the next two years. The two wed and had a daughter named Laila. Ravenna was 32 at the time of her daughter’s birth.

Ravenna and Loraise lived together in Vonstadt House with their newborn daughter. Ravenna’s brothers had moved out years before, but they frequently stopped by to visit the baby. The couple woke up every day at six in the morning, exchanged exactly one kiss, then went downstairs to read the paper and eat their unbuttered toast and single hardboiled egg in silence. After Ravenna’s brother Carensa stopped by to watch Laila, the two would depart for work. Such was their life for the next ten years.

Both knew that their marriage was one of convenience and that there wasn’t any true romantic love between them, but they grew close over the years, even though to outsiders it seemed like there was no emotion between them. Each was a constant presence in the other’s life, and Ravenna knew she could trust Loraise with anything.

One day, Michael approached Ravenna at work with news that derailed her carefully structured day – Garahein was in Shim. The guards that saw her storm out had never seen the High Inquisitor with such fury in her eyes. After over two decades, the siblings went to Shim to confront their father for the first time.

Ravenna wasn’t surprised when she found his lair – it was a worn, dusty little place that looked ready to fall over. She kicked the door in and found her father again sitting in darkness. He looked like a skeletal mockery of his former self: his hair had turned gray, and his once handsome face was pale and warped from sicknesss. As Michael closed the door, Ravenna slowly walked over to her father and glared down at him.

“You’ve returned. Why?”

Garahein looked up at her and narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?!”

“Your daughter,” she answered, maintaining a level tone.

“Everyone is my child,” Garahein said with a laugh as he rose from his chair. “I am the chaos from which all life springs forth – the yawning chasm of nothingness.”

Ravenna grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward. “Enough of your nonsense. The least we deserve is a coherent explanation for why you started acting like this and walked out on us. Were you practicing magic? Was something bothering you?”

Garahein frowned. “I’ve already answered your question. I am the antithesis of all that is. To order, I am chaos. To peace, I am war. To life, I am death. This is what I must be. If I’m not, then who will carry out my mission?”

She released him. “What made you think this? You don’t have to be this way.”

“Ah, but I do. My only purpose is to shatter this illusory world and ease my children back into a blissful sleep. I am chaos. Do you not see me everywhere? I will tear this world apart through my children, then dance in its ashes as the darkness finally claims me.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Garahein laughed as he walked past her to the door. Michael looked at his father uncertainly, but stepped aside. “You act as though I have a condition that needs curing. I’m perfectly happy fulfilling my purpose. But are you?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Garahein smiled. “Vordantis would have made you happy, you know. I’ll ask you again, who are you?” He closed the door behind him.

Ravenna lowered into the seat her father was in moments before. He knew about Vordantis. “He’s been watching me,” she said after a while. “But why? I don’t understand any of this.”

Michael shook his head. “I don’t think we ever will. No matter what reason he had for becoming this, I doubt we could comprehend it.”

“He can say whatever nonsense he wants, I don’t care. If he’s happy wandering around spouting this insanity, fine,” Ravenna said, looking up with determination in her eyes. “But the moment he tries to cause destruction in this city, I will lock him up forever. Our father died years ago. If this thing proves itself a threat, I will neutralize it.”

Standing up, Ravenna grabbed Michael by the hand and left, unaware of how tightly she was gripping onto him.

[Saruna]

Approved.