Harmona

resolute . loyal . cautious

• daughter of a southern fur trader and a northern conwoman. She’s the youngest of two children, and arguably the most sensible of the entire leventis family. raised on the southern border of a small market-city, harmona’s mother was infamous for her business dealings. working primarily on a black market circuit, the woman was a master of manipulation. smooth charm and cutting wit does little for an accumulated debt, however, and harmona’s father is forced to work off his wife’s massive debt. the couple resolved to come by the money they need honestly, and that it was a burden shared by the both of them.

• the sentiment lastes a week before harmona’s mother bails, leaving her (former) husband and children neck deep in debt. the family struggles, spending nearly a full decade poor and hungry, and when their father dies in one particularly difficult winter season the debt is passed to the last of the leventis name. harmona manages to settle the remaining debt by becoming a mercenary for the wronged party. her brother, more like their mother than not, earns his keep through even less savory means. he gets in with some shitty people and harmona is forced to clean up his mess. this revolving processes of covering for him lasts years. it’s exhausting, resentment builds, and harmona’s boundaries are pushed to extremes. The siblings are eventually forced to flee their hometown, but do so separately. the last time harmona sees her brother, he’s on a ship heading farther south. she hasn’t seen or spoke to him since.

• mona’s exodus ultimately finds its end in vesuvia, were she manages to find meager work. does a series of odd jobs for various merchants and ship owners; but dock work can only make so much, and in a thriving city you either sink or swim. hearing talk of the cities resident coliseum breathes new life in harmona; while she’s loath to make coin by means of violence again, it’s better than starving to death. she volunteers, and does exceedingly well. the coin she earns, however, lasts only a few months. her visits to the coliseum in the following years are more frequent than she cares to admit, and her reputation as a talented swordswoman builds with the locals.

• in the spring of her fourth year of vesuvian residence, she enters again to participate in the coliseum. this time, with a dire need. upon her victory, she appeals to the countess from the pits. pledging her life and loyalty, she humbly begs for a place within the palace as part of the royal guard. with a bit of clever wording, leaned from her mother, and fierce honesty, gifted by her father, she’s able to sway the countess. harmona is made an official member of the palace staff three days later.

• since her sizeable life upgrade, harmona has found contentment in her position. she’s spent the last handful of years by the sides of the count and countess (though it’s the latter’s company she prefers) and has traded the title of “guard leventis” for the more fanciful “guard CAPTAIN leventis”. in truth she doesn’t care much for the promotion, as it leaves her swamped with duties she never asked for. but she isn’t one to complain vocally, and she is willing to suffer for the sake of at least one of her royal retainers.

• (don’t let the prickly demeanor fool you. while she does carry a massive amount of adoration for nadia— as one does for someone they see as their savior—, she isn’t nearly as repulsed by lucio as she probably should be. She just has a stoic reputation to uphold, and she isn’t going to let some bratty goatman fuck with that.)

• tired almost all the time, has the patience of a saint, absolutely loyal to a fault. she honestly hates vesuvia but she’d never say it out loud— thinks its hellishly hot, and is terrified of all the water. loves the marketplace though; occasionally buys fancy writing quills but she rarely spends money on herself, or ever at all if she can help it. enjoys gardening and writing poetry but would NEVER admit the latter.

if i can still breathe, i'm fine.