Difference between revisions of "Valerian Kennex"

Revision as of 22:06, 24 May 2020

Valerian Kennex
Social Rank	4
Fealty	Thrax
House	Kennex
Gender	Male
Age	18
Religion	Pantheon
Vocation	Scholar
Height	5'10
Hair Color	Moonlight
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Skintone	Pale
Family
Parents	Christine Kennex
Journals
Authored By / Featured In
Active

Description

This slightly built teenager has a fragile, almost doll-like appearance that's enhanced by an anxious demeanor that he often expresses with fidgeting motions of his delicate hands. His hair, which is just long enough for him to tie back at the nape of his neck, is the color of moonlight, which only makes his warm, dark eyes even more striking. His eyes dominate a thin and otherwise forgettable face, and provide the occasional glimpse of the intelligent, sensitive soul behind this young man's shy exterior.

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Personality

Growing up under the domineering control of a demanding parental figure has left Valerian ill-equpped to deal with the real world. Intense social anxiety leaves him fussy and cripplingly shy; he's afraid to plunge into unfamiliar situations, and for him, almost all situations are unfamiliar. Accustomed as he is to the quiet life and slow pace on the estate where he grew up, he's easily overwhelmed by too many sights, sounds, or smells, to the point where he can just completely shut down in even modest crowds.

But those few people lucky enough to get close to Valerian will discover in him a loyal and deeply affectionate friend who will never take them for granted. Valerian's sensitive nature gives him a unique insight into the inner lives of the people he cares about, and at the same time, anyone who earns his trust will discover that the reticent young man who could barely be induced to say a few words now won't stop asking questions. An omnivorous consumer of knowledge, he's interested in whatever his friends are interested in, and will talk late in the night about literally any topic.

Background

It's not the easiest thing in the world, being the only son of a free spirit like Christine Kennex. Valerian's father died when he was a baby, and his mother left him in his grandmother's care and took to wandering, coming back to see him so rarely that she's practically a stranger to him. Even less easy was growing up under the thumb of the indomitable Tanya Kennex. His grandmother raised him intending not to repeat the "mistakes" that she made with her daughter, and thus kept him on a very short leash, practically cut off from the world. A revolving door of tutors saw to his education, each one sent away by his grandmother the moment he started to get attached. She made sure that she was the only stable figure in his life so that he would remain entirely dependent on her.

Valerian didn't turn out to be a free spirit like his mother, but he did inherit her love of books and knowledge; on the few occasions when she came to visit, she always brought him a few books, wonderful, exotic books from strange, faraway places. Valerian cherished these books and often sat up well into the night turning their pages and imagining how his mother must have gotten them for him.

As difficult as life under the thumb of his grandmother was, it was the only life that he had ever known, and her death cast Valerian into a sea of uncertainty. Having only ever known the quiet, isolated estate that he grew up on, he now sails to join his family in Arx.