Alys Vanadia

Alys Vanadia

Thanie closed her eyes when she saw the face of the woman that had come over the horizon. Of all the people, she had to be the one that Magistrate Haideri wanted to have a quick word with, out in this nameless valley near Coridii. How did he even know she was going to be here? Not like Alys let people know where she was going...
The woman had a broad smile as she approached. "Thanie! I didn't know you'd be here!" She wrapped the younger girl up in a hug. A faint whiff of lavender essence, but mostly sweat. 
"Hi to you too, Auntie Alys." Truth be told, Alys wasn't much older than Thanie was, but years of being a child while Alys was off running around on adventures with her mother built hard habits.
Haideri had a raised eyebrow. "I suppose I was aware of this relationship, it just hadn't crossed my mind." The Magistrate turned to Alys. "Thanie and I are investigating evidence of a smuggler's ring near here, and I believe you know the lay of the land here as well as any."
"Ah, so that's what those folks were up to." Alys reached into her vest and drew a weathered roll of parchment, unfurling it into a map. She sat crosslegged on the ground, pointing. "Here's where we are, here's where I was two days ago, and here's a farmhouse that had about fifteen people offloading four power-wagons into a barn as I passed by on this ridgeline. Pretty straightforward. I suppose you got the message from the local District Commander."
"That I did." Haideri had a finger on his chin. "Fifteen will need a few guardsmen, I don't think Thanie and I could handle it by ourselves."
Alys gave Thanie a broad smile. "I'm sure Mirandei's daughter can handle anything you ask her to. I owe her a lot, I could see to assisting here, myself."
"Unless the Cartographers have training in arms that I'm unaware of, that may not be prudent." The Magistrate frowned. "Appreciated, but unnecessary. What would be useful would be observation, if you could double back, keep an eye on them, and get word to me if they start to flee. I assume you'll be able to outpace them across the wilderness, should they catch on."
"Of course." Alys gave Thanie a tap on the nose. "And once we're done, you and I have some catching up to do! I can't wait to hear what you've been up to in all this Magistrate business."
"Not as exciting as what you've been doing, Auntie Alys." Thanie sighed. Alys was never in town much, but when she was, she was an incessant talker. "We'll have this all taken care of by tomorrow evening."
"Already sounding like a Magistrate! Once you've got the black coat on, let me know and we can go on an expedition together!" Alys clasped her hands together. "It would be just like old times!"

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Alys Vanadia is a thin, wiry young woman, with an acrobat's build, strong for her size and weight. She is in peak physical shape, a requirement of a job that requires traveling long distances on foot and climbing hills and mountains.

Identifying Characteristics

A mountaineering accident gave her an easily recognizable scar running down the length of her left arm, a scar she bears with pride as the 'true mark of an explorer'. In a concession to vanity, she preferentially has her city clothing tailored to expose her left sleeve and put the scar on display, though she does not do this with her traveling leathers.

Special abilities

Vanadia has excellent recall, permitting her to sketch scenes from memory and transcribe conversations she had several days prior, without notes. Many of her return trips to the Capital simply have her at her drafter's desk, sketching scenes from her expedition to file in her report, before leaving the Capital on her next journey.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Alys Vanadia is a Field Cartographer of the Cartographer's Lodge, one of the youngest to have ever received the title. This accomplishment principally rests on her volunteering for a mapping expedition of the edge of the southern icecap between The Tulhermaa and The Whitecaps, as a member of Isolde of Saumann's dangerous expedition in the Fourth Season of 718, when Alys herself was only fourteen.
Born to poor circumstance and raised as a state ward in the Etoile Capital City , Alys was enchanted with the maps and proposed globes of her early education playrooms. A lucky break occurred at the age of eleven, when Mirandei Aldur came to her classroom to give a presentation about Cartographic expeditions; the young Alys drowned the veteran Cartographer with questions, and not long afterwards was tasked to Aldur as an assistant. While a quick study, Alys was impetuous and restless, and was caught many times 'exploring' off-limits areas such as the water catchment network near the Capital City main pumps or the central power distribution clutch building.
In 718, Isolde of Saumann, the famed sailor and explorer, approached the Cartographers for an expedition to the southern icecap, an attempt to circumnavigate the icecap and make a confirmation as to the size of the planet - the theory was that expeditions to the fourth season would minimize the number of dangerous bergs in motion. This was her second attempt at such an expedition, with the last attempt causing the Skyhawk to freeze in pack ice until currents carried the ice far enough away from the icecap to thaw the Skyhawk from its prison. The Cartographers considered the excursion foolhardy in the extreme and refused to assign a guild associate to the team; Isolde posted a job listing, inviting any Cartographer to join her expedition in free association. Alys stole the guildmark of her mentor and signed onto the expedition, making false claims to her age and qualification. By the time the ruse was discovered, the Skyhawk had already departed the Capital.
By all accounts, Alys was an outstanding Cartographer during the expedition, taking accurate star readings, detailed gauges of weather and oceanic conditions, and perfect sketches of the icy seascape. The expedition was eventful; the Skyhawk was struck by multiple icebergs and took on water, losing provisions, and Alys performed admirably as a sailor and forager. The Skyhawk returned to the Capital Docks limping but triumphant early in 719, with observations that demonstrated that the planet of Creus is at least three times as large as the original historical estimate. Alys herself returned to a hero's welcome, as the journals had seized on the story of the 'Young Miss Cartographer' as soon as word had gotten out. Aldur herself took it upon her own initiative to formally invest Alys as a Field Cartographer in good standing in the Guild, though preconditioned on her completion of her basic education.
The Field Cartographer Vanadia is rarely found at her Academy studies or in the Capital City at all, preferring to sign on to remote expeditions or wander off on her own. Her early fame is something she rarely comments on, as she prefers to be in parts of the world that have no idea who she is.

Education

Vanadia is still completing her education at The Academy of Etoile, having chosen to take correspondence courses during her Cartographer duties. She is well read in Cartographic domain knowledge, having passed all of the written and practical examinations of the Cartographer's Lodge with flying colors.

Employment

As a Field Cartographer of the Lodge, Vanadia is regularly tasked with accompanying expeditions across Etoile and Saibh, though she prefers the journeys that take her outside the relatively tame lands of the Principality. While she is in good standing at the Lodge, she is often gone from the Capital on her own initiative and unavailable for expeditions.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Apart from her journey to the southern icecap that gave her no small amount of fame, she is responsible for several new naval maps deep in the eastern Saibh archipelago as well as published deep studies of some of the frontier societies there. It is expected that she will qualify for Grand Cartographer within three years.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Vanadia has the wanderlust that makes for great Cartographers; she simply wishes to always be somewhere she's never been before, and is happy to be paid to fulfil this desire. This desire can verge on monomania, as Vanadia has been known to simply disappear from the Capital after a few days, foregoing appointments and galas she was supposed to attend. This has, naturally, limited her opportunities for patronage. At one point, Isolde of Saumann remarked that while she would play the Capital game for the benefit of the Skyhawk, Alys had no such ties, and had a form of absolute freedom that she envied.

Year of Birth

704 M 21 Years old

Sex

Female

Gender

Woman

Eyes

Grey

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Medium tan

Height

5'5"

Weight

105lb