HERALDS CAMPAIGN
Hesperia
Hesperia is a human female and member of the Merse Collective. She is the only known Augur to be in remission from Rampancy.
Hesperia is a young girl, short enough to almost be confused for a halfling on occasion. Half-lidded golden eyes sit below neatly pinned white hair. Her face seems frozen into a lazy smile as a result of her Rampancy, which has also rendered her non-verbal.
Despite the discomforting nature of her appearance and childlike behaviour, on close inspection one can see great intelligence behind her eyes, perhaps not all of her own nature....
Hesperia grew up the daughter of a notable apothecary in Voltaine, that offered many 'quiet' services to the Barony on the side. Her father taught her everything she needed to know in the creation of tinctures to cure every malady... and some to cause them. Her mother the name of all the plants they used, and what purpose could be found in their seeds, roots and flowers.
Hesperia thus spent little of her childhood playing with other children, but instead spent her days pollinating flowers, building filters and boilers for her father, and delivering 'packages' to Barony hired spies, assassins, and designer drugmongers.
Her complex family life all ended horrifyingly when she returned from a delivery to find her home on fire, lit on orders by a member of the Barony. Hesperia's mind broke when a burning corpse begged for help with her fathers voice, and Rampancy swiftly took over.
Fortunately for Hesperia, she was intercepted by the Merse before she could do any real harm. She was transported to Sanctuary, a secret Rampant facility funded for and hidden by Merse Matron Elimarah Nylone, filled with philosophers, doctors and theologists of all walks of life. It was there that a cure for Rampancy was researched, and discovered.
The researcher attached to her recovery discovered Hesperia could briefly be brought back from ferality by the reciting of plant life and their uses. They built a garden and lab, and watched in wonder as the once terrifying Rampant began to cultivate plants and create concoctions with them. During these moments of clarity, they were able to talk to Hesperia, and eventually her moments of clarity lasted longer than her moments of ferality, until eventually the ferality ceased to exist at all.
Her remission was hailed as possibly the greatest breakthrough of the 3rd and 4th Gift Cycles, but was unfortunately found to be difficult to replicate in other, far more prolonged cases of Rampancy. Nonetheless, she was delivered to Elimarah in Torrens.
When 'Cassandra' left on her pilgrimage to the Fallen Litany in 2398 4G.c, Sodeyn elected to send Paedra ne' Eidern and Hesperia in her wake, with instructions to protect Hesperia and deliver her to Executor Regina in Rhyne.
Hesperia was first encountered in Palisades as a companion of Pae. The party was disturbed by her strange nature, and Orin suspected her to be in the early stages of Rampancy.
When Ffamran was reunited with Kovan and Rhoawn, Kovan began a retelling of their adventure from the Complex. While escaping an ambush set by Korath and his outriders, they themselves were ambushed by four Merse women. Kovan and Rhoawn were both particularly disturbed by the augury performed by one of the women, who seemingly was able to kill most of the Outriders by crushing them into a ball.
When Grippsly was sent to the chapel of ADIN to help the Merse medical efforts, he was instead recruited by Paedra ne' Eidern in an operation to cripple the Pennant Archae army with a water-based poison. Knowing Grippsly had taken an oath, she shared Hesperia's secret with him. Hesperia directed the Merse and Grippsly in the creation of this poison, and later joined her companions in renouncing the Merse and forming the Eidolons.
Sneaking through the swamps to deliver this poison, Hesperia was also able to demonstrate her stomach churning Augury, bursting two Pennant Archae guards in an instant with a twist of her hands. Grippsly noted she seemed to have trouble differentiating right from wrong, seeking clarity from her actions with Paedra.
Hesperia, along with the rest of the Eidolons, were both successful in their task, and survived the ambush Scapebeasts and the Ruhk. She returned to Palisades and presumably continued to treat the wounded until the siege was lifted.
Biographical Information
Age:
18
Race/Gender:
Human Female
Born:
2380 3G.c
Voltaine
Southern Eridinea
Enaeth
Died:
Campaign Information
First Appeared:
Session 14
Aliases:
Liah
Affiliation/s:
Occupation/s:
Apothecary
Consort
Eidolon
