Wordsmith's Forge

Character Bio

Name: Vanessa Quinn

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Eye color: Green

Hair color: Dark brown

Background:
Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was convicted of non-repayment of debt 11 years earlier, remaining in debtor’s prison the entire time. It’s only one more year before his release. Though she wanted to, Vanessa couldn’t bring herself to see him in prison. She blames him for leaving her on her own, though she still cares for him and knows that one of the reasons for the debt was the fact that her father invested heavily in her education.

When she saw what happened to her father for attempting to follow the rules of society, she internally became more open to a life of crime, however it was a doomed relationship with a pirate that actually pulled her into that career. Feeling off-kilter from her father’s imprisonment and lacking any sort of dowry that would appeal to more established and wealthy families, she had no desire to take the typical path of marriage when she turned 18, quickly falling in with the pirate after finding work as a barmaid.

She became the cook on her lover’s pirate ship, but the relationship was already souring when he was killed, along with the ship’s captain, during a boarding attempt. While a mess of emotions internally, Vanessa put on a brave face, knowing that being aggressive and cold was the only way she would survive amongst the unruly pirates. The second mate took a liking to her, respecting her apparent fearlessness, competence, and knowledge, and when he took over as captain, he named her second mate.

Vanessa quickly established herself as one of the more capable of the ship’s officers, devouring books on naval strategy, airship maneuvering, etc. She planned daring and creative tactics that they employed to great effect, making the crew quite wealthy and eventually earning her a promotion to first mate when the previous one was murdered in a bar brawl. She became the captain’s right-hand woman until he decided to retire on their earnings, leaving command of the ship to her. While most men would have balked at serving under a woman, she had long proven herself, and this crew was happy with the decision. Still, to ensure they stayed in line when times were tough, she chose one of her best friends on the ship—a huge, capable fighting man lacking any sort of formal education—to be her first mate.

Strengths: Vanessa is clever, possesses a quick wit, and has become tremendously skilled in subterfuge and combat strategy and tactics. She is able to disguise her true feelings and is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She has grown accustomed to operating in a cutthroat environment and excels under pressure.

Weaknesses: Vanessa still has raw emotions, particularly about her father. While she seems outwardly confident and poised, she can’t help nagging doubts about herself and her choice of career when in private. She is nearly 30 now and wondering if she should be doing something more with her life. In some ways, she also regrets missing her marriage window and secretly longs for someone in whom she can confide, always feeling alone to a degree on the pirate vessel, as the only woman on board.