Cerys Vael, Herald Commander
Physical Appearance
Cerys Vael, a lovely 41-year-old woman, has a mane of luxuriant copper curls framing a flawless alabaster complexion and large brilliant green eyes that express an intense personality. Cerys moves with a graceful elegance that belies years of wielding blades and spellsong across numerous battlefields and courts; her dancer’s form demonstrates an enigmatic strength.
Background
Cerys grew up in an unconventional household of traveling performers, studying popular music, poetry, and stagecraft. From a very young age, she became the jewel of society’s highest echelons due to her humorous nature and talents, but she yearned for adventure beyond pampered praise. On diplomatic missions, witnessing a bardic performance of ethereal beauty and equally lethal cunning inspired an insight - the life of service she was supposed to live rather than shallow praise. Cerys left her familiar comforts to assume the rigors of a herald in the service of The Silver Serpent order, quickly impressing commanders with her considerable diplomatic prowess and spellsong mastery. Cerys is freshly assigned to mentor the next generation entering the fledgling Green Company endeavor after a decade of operating and recruiting across Britannia’s cultural hubs and frontiers.
Personality Traits
Cerys has a mesmerizing warmth to her voice that catalyzes both intimacy and impact. She enjoys clever impropriety to generate smirks from superiors and eyerolls from stern sticklers while conforming to military etiquette. She is offended by obnoxious patriarchy and gaudy displays that cheapen beauty for exploitation rather than empowerment. Cerys sees the world through the lens of idealism, tempered by the realities of covert work.
Motivations & Goals
Cerys goes on adventures to see personally how judgments made in the face of chaos reflect moral character, and she uses her powers to restore order by indirect rather than conventional means. Another driving force is identifying and mentoring potential talent from unusual backgrounds, such as herself.
Cerys operates with cheerful energy, building strong ties with her operatives, poking fun at the imperious, and philosophizing with the curious. She observes all encounters with razor intensity behind the performer’s persona, discovering best techniques to resolve problems peacefully and inspire truth. Cerys exudes no snobbery, admiring the brilliant regardless of social standing.
Cerys tries to reconcile nostalgic recollections of earlier hedonistic liberties with the obligations that come with wearing the mantle of command, which necessitates controlling others. She privately longs for rootless anonymity and a tight concentration on personal talent development over countless meetings, paperwork, and strategy. On the other hand, Cerys knows that to effect genuine change, influence necessitates the sacrifice of liberty in order to serve a greater goal.
Secrets
Years of aiding the conversion of convicts, dissidents, and the vulnerable continue to raise questions about her theological loyalties. Cerys is concerned about the exposure of diaries recording unconventional operations.