Van

Character Bio
Vancely was born into a life of privilege.

As the 7th child of Alastair Julius Alumina Rhinegrave, Lord of Gylded Point, he never knew the discomfort of an empty stomach, nor the terror of a sleepless night.

The Rhinegrave family ruled over the prosperous city for generations, even surviving the civil war unscathed. Located in a remote region of the continent, Gylded Point was known for its hot springs, wealth of gold, and exotic forms of entertainment. (And earned its name from a massive outcrop of gold facing the east, making for a beautiful, illuminated sight at sunrise.)

Actors, dancers, musicians, and poets made pilgrimages to learn from the masters dwelling within. Their clientele (successful merchants, vacationing royalty, etc) always left the city with a smile on their face, albeit with a lighter coin-purse.

This symbiotic relationship between entertainers and the city led to the Rhinegrave family becoming respected patrons and practitioners of the arts. Every member of the family decided on a focus of their choosing at their coming of age ceremony.

Dealt with a blessed hand in life, Vancely's only concerns were his studies. Alastair - an expert in history, lore and magic - honed his son's skills and natural talent for the arcane. However, unlike his siblings, studying countless tales, myths and legends awakened Vancely's thirst for adventure.

Soon, he was sneaking out of his estate every night. Under the not-so-subtle alias of “Van”, he befriended near-do-wells in back alleys, got into scraps, and had various other goofy kid adventures.

It became apparent very quickly that not everyone shared Van's stroke of luck. His new friends were the children of performers who had not made it big, despite earnest attempts. He quickly sought to right these wrongs by conning the con men who preyed upon the destitute and hopeful.

It wasn't long before Van tried to con the wrong man. The man was Falstaff the Keen, a famed adventurer past his prime, but still sharp as ever. Rather than turning Van in, he showed mercy, and made him a reluctant understudy. Through Falstaff's streetwise teachings, Van gained a penchant for cards, and a smart mouth to boot.

This continued, day and night, Vancely and Van, for some time. As the day of his coming of age ceremony crept closer, he knew he would have to choose one or the other.

The morning of the ceremony, a rift opened over the peaceful city, throwing it into chaos. Monsters rained down over the peaceful Gylded Point, and the guards were barely surviving the assault. Rather than remain in the safety of the family estate, Van snuck out to help his exposed friends. After a series of daring chase sequences, he learned both Alastair and Falstaff were facing a horde of creatures at the edge of the city.

The battlefield was clouded with blood, dust, and silence. In the distance, Van could see the only two figures left standing - his two fathers. As they turned to greet him, another rift opened, swallowing them into the ether.

Since then, Van began traveling the country as an adventurer, investigating the portals, righting wrongs as he sees fit.

Q&A No.1 (6/5/13)
1 – Motives

Van is looking to do nothing less than save the world from the forces of discord and malevolence. He thinks of himself as a righter of wrongs, someone delivered by the cosmos to act as an agent of justice. In his mind, his sporadic, anti-establishment-type actions are the universe's way of administering order, in a greater good kind of way. (Effectively, he feels he can do no wrong.)

And since he's so blissfully, stupidly optimistic: when he saw his two mentors disappear, he actually wasn't as miffed as someone else might be. He feels that as long as he keeps investigating the portals, he'll run into them eventually, safe and sound. It's not a priority for him to find them either. He's sure they're doing fine where-ever they are.

He puts a lot of trust in his luck, and it's this bravado that's also his greatest weakness. Ironically, his luck isn't his own, it's merely been lent... and it's almost time to pay up. (dun dun dunn)

2 – Important People

I guess I'll talk about his mentors... but in doing so I have to talk about Van's mother as well. WHOOP

After the events of his coming of age ceremony, Van's put his past is in the backest back of his mind. Still, these characters are the reason Van is who he is.

Alastair Julius Alumina Rhinegrave Alastair is prude, well-read, and introverted. As a result he's somewhat of a mystery, even to his own children. Viola, his partner, was the first person to understand him well, and they grew close over academic interests and goals. Family friends note his demeanor has soured lately. Still, he means well, and is seen as a force of good. He likes showing something new he's learned. He hates being interrupted from his own thoughts.

Falstaff the Keen Falstaff the Keen is an aged adventurer who wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. Without any direction, he took to drinking, gambling, etc. It seemed only natural to take on an apprentice like Van, giving himself a purpose once again. He's full of life and is essentially the exact opposite of Alastair. (The two may have shared some adventures in the past.) He's basically Falstaff from Shakespeare, because I'm a nerd. He likes telling jokes, and loves sharing laughs. He hates haters.

Viola Helena Roxana Margravew For many years, Viola ruled Gylded Point. Alastair was always more concerned with his studies in the arcane than his political obligations. She was more than happy to take the place of family representative. Armed with a sharp mind and ambitious nature, her time in office was quite prosperous for the city/state. Ultimately the job fell to her partner after her death. She liked word play/puns. She hated being late to parties. Van never got to know her, as she died during his birth...

Or did she?

3 – The Unknown

Even though it's the official story, that's not what happened. Viola died shortly before Van's birth, for a different reason- a reason known only to Alastair, although it was not his doing. POINT BEING it's all very ~mysterious~. Van, fortunately, survived. This was just the beginning of his “good luck”. If Van ever found out the truth, he'd have to seriously re-evaluate his place in the universe, and eat a slice of humble pie. It's also the reason his name is Vancely...

And in order to explain that I get to go on an etymology wank about these characters' names.

Van's name, which he's been running from, is pretty ominous. And HO BOY, I made up a naming system.

Naming in the Rhinegrave house is peculiar, but not unique in the region. As the Father passes on his surname, the Mother chooses the given name. This is a purposeful reflection of the dichotomy between [order/fate] and [chaos/free will]. (A residual tradition from the old-gods days? I'm not sure who in DnD lore would fit there. Nowadays, people in Gylded Point tend to worship Corellon, god of the arts.) The two middle names are chosen by a seer (before birth) and a priest (after birth) respectively. So I named him

Vancely Faustus Bonaventura Rhinegrave

Vance – Celtic in origin. One who traverses the marsh. Marshes, classically speaking, are mysterious, dangerous, and thought of as a place for the dead. Celts often mummified bodies in marshes (look up pics of bog bodies!). [ie: one who walks among the dead]. His mother named him this before her passing. Who knows how she was able to be so ironic. Faustus - In reference to Johann Faust, German wandering astrologer and wizard, who was reputed to have sold his soul to the Devil. The Latinized form of his name, faustus, means "of favorable omen." This name was chosen by a seer, who saw dark, yet optimistic visions. Bonaventura – Italian. Common medieval vernacular given name, composed of the elements b(u)ona "good" and ventura "luck, fortune." This name was chosen by a priest, out of pity for the family, and hope for the future. Rhinegrave - An exclusively German usage, denoting nobles of Countal status (Graf; Grave) with holdings on the Rhine River. Grave pun intended. Plus, I imagined Gylded Point being surrounded by various types of bodies of water.

Alastair Julius Alumina Rhinegrave

Alastair – Gaelic form of the name Alexander. Julius - Pertaining to or descended from Jove Alumina – Traditionally feminine name, from the latin word for Light Rhinegrave -

Falstaff the Keen

Falstaff – The fat, jovial, somewhat unscrupulous knight in William Shakespeare's Henry IV (pts. 1 and 2). A fan favorite, esp of Queen Elizabeth. He serves as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. Henry V's internal struggles closely mirror Van's (and inspired Kenneth Branagh while filming Marvel's Thor). Volstagg, one of Asgard's Warriors Three, is a Falstaff-like character.

[Henry V – A young King, thrust into the position before he's ready. While he yearns for peace, his Vanity and attitude often get the better of him. It's only until learning modesty and compassion that he becomes a great leader, and unites two warring kingdoms. Makes the famed Band of Brothers speech.]

Keen - c.1200, from Old English cene "bold brave," later "clever, wise," from Proto-Germanic *kan- "be able to".

Viola Helena Roxana Margrave

Viola – Violet. In the language of flowers: love at first sight. Her mother was old fashioned like that. She isn't. Helena - In Swedish the meaning of the name Helena is: All's Well That Ends Well.' Also means, the bright one. Roxana - Latin form of Ρωξανη (Roxane), the Greek form of the Persian or Bactrian name روشنک (Roshanak) which meant "dawn". Margrave – Same as Rhinegrave, but in reference to the family ruling over the valleys. In reference to the Gylded Point itself. A noble family in the area.