direct. shrewd. ambitious. philanthropic.

tl;dr version, i'll make this more proper at some point.

Vespera is the ruler of a prosperous harbor territory. While not born from nobility, she has managed to claw her way into a position of comfort and power through will alone.

The only child of a King's hunter. She lives a comfortable life until the passing of her father at the hands of a beastie, to which her mother suffers greatly emotionally and financially. She's offered a place among the help as a midwife at the generosity of her late husband's closest client/friend. The nobleman promises pay and board for the widow and her daughter out of respect, and Vesper's mother accepts with no other alternative.

They spend eight years at the nobleman's chateau; their residence coming to an abrupt end after a quarrel between Vesper's mother and the nobleman ends in the death of the former. Vesper is crushed; the loss of her mother- and the manner of which the loss occurs- creates a vicious rage in the girl. She flees the chateau and begins to pursue professions of more violent natures.

Spends a short time as a mercenary before falling into monster hunting. She spends nearly two decades hunting beasts before meeting Duke Giles Moreau, who changes her previously rigid, blanketed opinion of nobles. They marry a short time afterward, causing a political stir within the Duke's court. They spend five years together before he dies under mysterious circumstances.

Since the Duke's passing, the court has been in dissonance. A few refer to the Duchess as a viper, and would betray her should ample opportunity present itself. Vesper has never humored the court with a response to their rumors, convinced the Duke's death was a failed ploy at usurpation. She is well liked by the people of her territory, and maintains political control confidently.