Violena Nightshade

Commander Violena Nightshade

Violena is a cybergoth inspired sylvari renegade and a complete rascal.  She's a bubbly, upbeat thing with an edgy streak.  Vi is the current Pact Commander, initially assigned during the hunt for Balthazar.  She was appointed by the previous Commander, Degga Sie, just before stepping down.

Awakening
Vi is very close to Stel, a sylvari mesmer she connected with in the Dream.  They awoke from pods in close proximity within minutes of one another and bonded immediately, having already met each other before their Awakening. They have been inseparable ever since and have a tight sibling relationship, much like twins.  Despite having awoken around the same time, Violena came to at Night while Stel emerged before her at Dusk.

In her Dream, Vi was shown much about Tyria, its vastness, its cultures, and its strifes.  She awoke with a gnawing wanderlust, feeling restless and closed off in the Grove.  Her brother felt similarly, and they talked extensively of plans to leave their home in search of what the world had to offer.  Violena was particularly taken with visions of making a difference in the world, becoming a strong leader and uniting the people against the many threats to their way of life.  

Joining the Vigil and the Pact
The Dream also taught Violena about the Revenants, a growing profession recently pioneered by the famous Rytlock Brimstone.  She was shown how they drew power from the mists and were aided in battle by a host of long-passed legendary figures.  She became obsessed, learning everything she could about the profession.  With the help of the Pale Tree she was able to find a teacher, who specialized in calling on an ancient warband in battle.  Once she mastered the craft and the Pale Tree felt she was ready, Vi joined the Vigil in the ongoing fight against Mordremoth.

Despite being unpopular in the pact not only for being a sylvari, but also for her love of mischief, Violena's stubbornness and determination helped her quickly rise through the ranks during her time in the jungle.  She managed to endure the snares of Mordremoth's call, and she became well known among the Pact.  Her superiors were consistently impressed with her performance under the pressure of both the dragon and her work.  After Mordremoth was destroyed, she succumbed to fatigue and stress and was put on bed rest against her wishes.  During that time she was visited by Stel and they were able to catch up as she recovered.

Rise to Commander
During her time in the pact she became close to the Commander Degga Sie, who connected with the young sylvari's struggles as a charr in the Priory. Shortly after the Pact arrived in Elona, Degga promoted Vi to serve directly under them.  Degga became a mentor and a good friend to Vi.  She was completely blindsided when she learned that Degga had been planning to resign as Commander, and wanted Violena to take their place.  She was confused by their insistence on stepping down, but could tell it was something they needed to do.  She decided to support their decision and accepted the position.

Despite her rough beginnings in the Pact, Violena has proven to be a more popular and capable Commander than Degga had been, who lacked confidence and finesse, making too many decisions that ended in tragedy.  Violena has become known for her accomplishments leading the Pact in their destruction of Balthazar, Palawa Joko, and the elder dragon Kralkatorrik.  She is now working to bring a stop to Bangar Ruinbringer and the elder dragon Jormag.

Violena and Sylvari are from the MMORPG Guild Wars 2.