Marjorie Venilia-Viggo
22 // The Stormchild // Female
"My father would consider you pathetic and I can't help but agree with his sentiment."
When asked about the Viggo family, anyone capable of answering would likely call them ?violence incarnate.? With a wide array of devastating elemental spells under their belt and the unbridled fury characteristic of the Viggos, a common coming-of-age ritual for teenagers of the family is fighting an entire Soldoran platoon as a training exercise. Alone.
Many of the Viggos choose to focus their skills in a particular element or technique, and Marjorie is no exception. Born as the third child of four in a generation of prodigies, Marjorie took an immediate liking to lightning and water magic. Luckily for her her parents were both specialists in one or the other, and thanks to the training they put her through, Marjorie became a very capable warrior with each element.
This is especially evident in her ability to use both elements at once, conjuring sun-shrouding storms in clear blue skies. Much of the family have high expectations for her growth, and more so if she could ever learn to work with her elder brothers and their respective elements.
Over the last six generations, the Viggo family has become one of the most respected families, despite not being one of the oldest. The family has ruled the March southeast of Avera with great pride. The newest head of the family, Marquis Arthur Viggo II, gained control of the Viggo border land in the midst of the Vestian-Soldoran War after the death of his father upon the battlefield. Of all of the families who participated in the recent war, the VIggos were ones to be remembered. Having been on the front lines against the Vestian Empire, they were considered to be the first line of defense and proved themselves capable of such a task. True to their nickname, the Viggos ran amok on the battlefield, destroying whatever Vestian crossed their path, albeit not without many losses within their army and family alike.
The current rulers of the March, Marquis Arthur Viggo II and his wife, the Marquise Cecily Venilia-Viggo, have proven to be quite the formidable duo in Soldoro. They have both shown to hold great skill and power on their respective battlefields. The Marquis has proven to hold himself quite well in the midst of war, both for his strength, but also his will to finish what needs to be done. The Marquise is not too different in this respect, though, she is known best for her role in politics. Their eldest son, Lamont, is currently a Baron on the western side of the March, whereas the second oldest, Callum, is currently taking up a role as one of the military leaders under the main Viggo branch. Together, they have garnered the respect of not only their own citizens, but of the surrounding nobles as well.
Though the Viggo?s domain is known for being one of the more well defended Marches, it also has a strong textile and clothing industry, often thought to even rival the nearby city of Avera. The March itself has a small mix of terrain due to its size, and although the Western side can be considered swampy and difficult to maneuver through, the Eastern side hosts many of the villages and towns. Many of their needed material are imported from other families, such as the Damontefeltro, due to their otherwise large focus on military and industrial might.
The chance of having their daughter taken as heir to the throne has sparked a great interest in the Marquise, and to a lesser extent, the Marquis. What could possibly happen if the Viggo's gained more influence of the Soldoro Kingdom?
When one looks upon Marjorie, they see exactly what is expected of the daughter of a Marquis. Marjorie makes the most of her 5'8'' height by standing with clean elegance and confidence, worthy of her position. She is known to take pride in her long, stormy grey hair, often stylizing it in ways that go with the situation at hand. No matter the style, her hair compliments her dark-blue eyes and fair skin well. Being south of Avera, Marjorie has access to some of the best fabrics and clothing in Soldoro and her wardrobe proves such. Most of the time, you are more than likely to find Marjorie's lithe body in an elegant dress. However, that does not mean she isn't one to put on a combat outfit when needed. Many cannot tell which style of outfit fits her character the most.
Born as the third child of the current Viggo family, Marjorie, not unlike her elder brothers, was hailed as a prodigy from a young age. Having chosen to teach their children themselves, Arthur and Cecily Viggo hoped to instill any knowledge that would be important for the Viggo family in the future. To the pair, nothing less than perfection was acceptable and it was quickly drilled into the minds of their children. Though both parents? intensive training hosted many similarities, Marjorie found her father to be the more harsh of the two. As difficult and brutal as the lightning magic the man taught was, Arthur proved to be much worse.
In the eyes of the man, emotions such as sadness and kindness were only important in the court and were otherwise seen as a sign of weakness. Were Marjorie found crying, the young girl was reprimanded. If she were to ever fail in her training, the failure was to be dealt with. Early on, there were many nights she was sent to bed hungry or bruised.
When her grandfather had been killed on the battlefield, she was ordered to keep her emotions in check, even at his funeral. Arthur described his father as weak and pressed Marjorie to be of the same mind. However, her as-of-yet unchecked feelings continued to put the two at odds.
?It?ll get you killed,? he always said. Marjorie understood some of what her father?s words meant, but not why he considered her grandfather weak as he did. Nor could she see why he thought having, much less showing, emotions could only end so tragically.
One day, the time came that she failed to grasp one of the concepts being taught to her during training, and the young Marjorie's soured expression was derided and punished. Arthur's distinct lack of empathy when executing that punishment only left Marjorie confused, hurt, and slowly pushed into denying her emotions as much as possible?at least in front of
him.
She found her youngest sibling, Coretta, to be the only solace in her life, her elder brothers far older and more absorbed in Arthur's teachings. Marjorie spent what little amount of time she wasn?t studying or training with the younger girl, telling her stories and showing what skills or tricks she had learned. Caring for and playing with Coretta was Marjorie?s one true escape from her father?s iron fist. Unfortunately, Coretta was a sickly child and was bedridden when Marjorie was twelve.
Marjorie and her mother were the only other people in the room when Coretta?s time had finally come and were thus the only people to hear the little girl thanking Marjorie for loving and playing with her so much, one last time. At the time, the words only brought sadness, and despite her father?s training and even her mother?s own stoicism, she found herself sobbing at the dead girl?s side without pause. She sat at the girl?s side for hours, staying long past her mother, and until her father arrived.
?Pathetic.?
Marjorie lost a big part of her own life?one of few reasons she had to smile and push through all the pains of training every day, the only person she wanted to use her talents for. Her mother seemed to understand, but her father drove a stake through her heart that day. Marjorie had never gotten over this day and with the words of her sister, something inside her clicked.
The war soon ended and without her sister, Marjorie dove ever deeper into her training, its intensity having elevated with her parents? newfound free time. Marjorie continued to hold her sister?s words close as she pressed onward and over the next several years she developed her skills further, honing her water and lightning magics until she was on par with her brothers in their own elements.
Much like her family?s own nickname, the fitting title of Stormchild was quickly associated with the now young woman. However, an expansion of Marjorie?s political abilities was also expected.
Though Marjorie never attained the complete control of her emotions that her father expected of her, she did manage to show at least some political potential. In court, Marjorie maintains a honest visage, showcasing her respect for political roles both below and above her own family?s station. Due to her mother?s advisement, she is up-to-date with the political climate of Soldoro, giving her the opportunity to participate in some of the general discussions most often seen in court.
Unfortunately, the young girl?s negotiation skills are not quite fine-tuned. Though she can formulate strong plans, she is lost on implementation. Marjorie has been known to become flustered, or even, aggravated when participating in some of these conversations, usually requiring her to step outside and calm down before moving forward. She is considerably more open to opposing opinions and possible revisement than her father, but she too possesses a very matter-of-fact, if not blunt, disposition when making decisions. She often believes there to be one final outcome for any situation, though the process to get to this result can be worked out when possible.
When another son of a Marquis brought up the possibility of small border skirmishes, Marjorie?s instant thought and solution was to simply destroy the enemy. It seemed like an easy decision to her at the time, not that all of her peers agreed with her. They had managed to skirt their way quickly through the rest of the discussion, though Marjorie was left feeling embarrassed.
Having only dealt with the members of her own family and their servants for most of her life, the young woman has issues conversing with others in normal settings. When topics of no political meaning arise, Marjorie?s less than stellar. Her father?s training and warnings had made her paranoid of what others were trying to accomplish. She has scanned over many a person, attempting to decipher any verbal or visual queues that could give away their purpose. This habit has caused some issues for Marjorie, but has tended to subside as the conversation moves forward.
Relationships have not been something that come easy to the Viggo, and as such, Marjorie is hesitant of making friends, even with those she considers allies. Her initial meetings with other, after overcoming her slight paranoia, often end with the young woman?s social ineptness taking the best of her, whether it be from her bluntness or her sometimes obvious paranoia-filled onceovers that scare them away.
When a Baron?s son once approached the girl for a simple chat and, later, a dance, Marjorie had found her way stumbling through the conversation and the dance, but quickly took her leave, flustered. Out of the room before he realized what had happened. By the time she had returned, she was still unable to look at him properly, embarrassed from her previous performance.
Fortunately, Marjorie does have some things going for her. When in Avilla for the Soldoran summers, Marjorie makes it a point to participate in the occasional charity event hosted by the kingship, refreshed by the smiling faces that remind her of her sister?s.
When news of the King's decree made it to their March, Marjorie's parents were quite eager to send one of their children to Avilla. Although Arthur wished he could send his sons, the eldest, Lamont, was already a Baron on the Western side of the March and the younger, Callum, had no mind for politics. Marjorie was the last child, and despite her opposing tendencies, Arthur knew she, as the heir, would suffice to allow his power to grow.
Marjorie, on the other hand, saw this as a time to prove herself not only to everyone else, but to herself as well. She was fairly interested in the idea of a ?Grand Tournament?, but also considered what it would mean to be the heir to the throne, and eventually Queen. She was confident that this opportunity would allow her to surpass her parents, and if things went well, that the fear of her father?s iron fist would be no more.
