Paullus Val'Nasennius Vypsan
Details
Full Name: Paullus Val'Nasennius Vypsan
Race: Re’hyaen Elven
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Height: 6'2
Weight: 225lbs
Birthdate: Searing 1, 93
Birthplace: Solunarium
Profession: Bodyguard to Fadia Val'Nasennius Vopisca and Dye Hunter for Aure Consortium
Housing: A room in the familial manor, his Oasis Manor in the desert
Partners: None
Titles: Populus Ex Re’ha
Factions: N/A
Fluencies: Vastian, Common
Conversationals: None
Ineptitudes: None
Appearance
Vyps stands at an average height, with golden hair that hangs down to the base of his neck, often tied up with a cord. His eyes are golden, his face adorned by a light stubble he tends to keep, his skin holding the color of the Sunborn. When he's on duty, he can be found in a combination of light armor and robes, and when off duty, preferring more open and casual clothing.
Personality
Vyps is a friendly man and has often been described as being able to rub elbows with kings and break bread with thieves. He has an adventurous streak in him, a healthy and active social life, and cares for his friends and his family. He takes his duties as bodyguard to Vopisca seriously, putting that above all other aspects of his life, but still finds time to enjoy life as well. They are each other's closest friends and have been since they were children, and that friendship is incredibly important to both of them.
History
The history of Vypsan is also the history of Vopisca. Both were the only children born to the Val'Nasennius family in the Searing of 93, Vypsan on the first and Vopisca on the last. Vopisca was born the heir apparent to the family, with Vypsan being a far and distant cousin of hers. Their parents are close, and as such, Vypsan and Vopisca were raised together, and quickly became inseparable. And while this did not elevate Vypsan or his parents in station in the family, it certainly allowed them to reap many of the benefits of Vopisca's. When Vopisca would receive tutors, she refused to do her lessons unless Vypsan was there. When there were bigger events, Vypsan and his family were sat closer to the inner circle than their station might suggest.
As the two grew up, their parents continued to foster their close relationship. All involved knew that the two could never marry, with Vypsan so far below Vopisca, however, they knew the benefit of the heir to have a protector and friend loyal to her and only her. However, this became tested in their sixteenth Searing. A large birthday party was being thrown for Vopisca, a ten-day affair, and the entirety of the extended Val'Nasennius family had been invited, everyone from the lowest of cousins to the higher tiered merchant branches of the family. Additionally, nobles of approximately the same general age were invited from other families, as a means of introducing Vopisca to the world of suitors.
The festival had everything from shows to formal dances with chaperones to poetry readings and everything in between. It was extravagant, and Vopisca kept Vypsan close with her and her circle of friends. His presence, however, did not go unnoticed by the other young men, who viewed him as an obstacle to getting in good with the future head of the family. One such man, Phyllus, an heir apparent much like Vopisca, figured if he could get Vypsan out of the way, he would make himself more viable as a suitor. And so, when Vopisca threw an unchaperoned party under the guise of turning in early, Phyllus made sure to have his sister serve to distract Vypsan from ever arriving at the secret event. And when he approached Vopisca, he chose to be more direct and forward with her, a technique that had worked on many lesser born noble lasses.
The slap she gave him turned heads. The slap he returned upon her person sent gasps through the crowd. And that's when the doors opened, Vypsan entering the silence with Phyllus' sister following after him. Vypsan could see Vopisca's reddened cheek, the tears in her eyes, and Phyllus standing over her, and his world went red. It took several of the others to pull Vypsan off of Phyllus, and by the time they had, his face was battered unrecognizable and he was beginning to choke on his own blood. Guards and healers were called, and the young man was saved.
However, Vypsan had attacked above his station and the two families bickered heavily with one another. An agreement was reached. Vypsan was lashed within an inch of his life, and was banished from the familial manor, sent to live with the distant cousins. This, however, was not enough for Vopisca, who had been forced to watch Vypsan receive each lashing, and had to do so with stoicism upon her face. She put her education, her training, everything she'd ever been taught into undermining the business of Phyllus' family, who had made their wealth off of incenses and perfumes. Vopisca bribed, coerced, threatened her way through their lowest ranks, the weakest and forgotten members of the family that do the majority of the work. Fields began to turn barren, lesser branch families began to protest against the main house, suppliers and buyers began to sever ties, and the business was spiraling out of control.
On her eighteenth birthday, Vopisca sent a summons to the family's leadership, an offering of aid in their failing business. A meeting was had, with Vopisca's father overseeing it. Of course he knew what his daughter had been up to, and he made no attempts to stop her, or aid her. This would be a valuable lesson and test for her, to see if she could manage this family when he would pass on. Vopisca shared an intimate amount of knowledge of the specific failings of their various businesses, failings that shouldn't be public knowledge, and some of which they themselves were unaware. They quickly realized she was behind it, but had no proof. She offered a theory. She suggested that perhaps true desert justice had not been rendered and was souring the fortunes of the family. That perhaps a bad apple was spoiling it for the rest of them. And the solution she offered was simple.
Toss Phyllus into the volcano as a sacrifice and hope it would be enough to turn their fortunes around.
And much to even Vopisca's surprise, Phyllus' father agreed to the terms. Phyllus was subsequently taken to the volcano and offered as sacrifice. And as promised, the fortunes of their business turned around. Vopisca sent for Vypsan, to bring him home to her. Her father asked if that was wise, and she smiled at him, "I've known since that first maid gave you word of what I was planning. I've known because I allowed it to be known to you. This was not a lesson to them, this was a lesson for you. Touch Vypsan again and I will tear it all down."
And her father could only smile, he'd never been more proud of her.
Vypsan, meanwhile, had been living with his distant branch family, amongst his many siblings and cousins. His branch of the family ran a small pigment hunters business. They gathered the rarest and hardest to find pigments of the desert, often from monsters or dangerous locales, and these were supplied to the main family to produce their finest and most valuable dyes and textiles. Vypsan was taught the way of the desert, of hunting, of the weapons they used. He was put in the family fighting pits to train with his siblings, and he found that he loved every moment of it. Each hunt was a thrill, never knowing if he would come back or not, and each day was one he was gifted, having escaped death by the slimmest of odds thanks to Vopisca's father.
And when Vopisca's summons came, he left it all behind to go to her.
As the pair entered adulthood, Vopisca was, and still is, being groomed to become the family's Senatorial representative, as well as taking over the family's dyes and textiles and fashion business. She gave the role of personal bodyguard to Vypsan so that none but her may ever send him away again. Her father gave her more and more responsibilities in the family, and Vypsan became more and more a permanent feature in her life, publicly and privately.
In the current time, the pair continue to work at their respective fields. However, Vopisca's father is now pushing more and more for her to marry and produce an heir of her own. Vypsan guards her when it is needed, and when it is not, often returns home to help with some of the more dangerous hunts. But every so often, Vypsan and Vopis will sneak out of the manor, disguised, heading to the worst areas of town, where Vypsan will fight in the rings, and Vopis is there watching him.
