Laeyla Cune

The Half Coin Queen

Art credit: https://www.deviantart.com/delweissart/art/Siv-Finish-concept-713021971 "Siv / Finish concept" by delweissart

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Thousands of years ago, peace was brokered between the islands of Theotia & Themeria after centuries of ceaseless war. The two states and their two largest houses agreed to a co-rule that evenly split their power among the Sister States leading to the construction of the opposite and equal houses Q'al Cune and Q'al Phassa. Traditions dictate that power pass from elders of the house to their children, and that, if they could bear no children, a suitable noble would be married into the family and their children would assume the role instead.
Such a selection was to occur when Mistress Aidelea Vannur and her betrothed Lord Pollux Cune were unable to produce heirs. Before the selection could be made, Lady Vannur took to the side of an unknown suitor from the mainland of Terisirae. Many speculate as to her intentions and motivation, whether she had grown weary of her husband or simply could not bear to be replaced by another wife. Whatever her reasons, she birthed Laeyla and her brother Arius in the year 955 Y.E. Despite her infidelity, both children were permitted to claim the name Cune, and both were recognized as rightful heirs to the name and position. Whether it was to prevent further shame and mockery from being flung upon his house, or because he truly loved his wife and wanted her to know her children--whoever they belong to--were safe.
The unusual circumstance of their birth was worsened by the twins' strange appearances. Thought to be a kind of physical deformity, both have skin so pale and white the features of their face flatten until they can hardly be seen unless from profile, and inky dark hair as if baptized in squid excretion. As they aged, it also became apparent that they possessed cunning minds that threatened the existing political paradigms of a nation still relatively new into its various treaties and agreements, and pacts.
Laeyla, the eldest by two and a half minutes, became the successor to the long lineage of Cune and her brother was largely shunned by the aristocracy. She would have faded into obscurity in Theian society if not for the untimely death of Velardonna Phassa, the heir to the other half of the Q'al Diarchy. Her parents, Lady Sionia and Lord Ervyre Phassa, had spent the last hundred years raising and conditioning her to execute the duties of her station and found themselves suddenly bereaved and unable to replace the daughter they lost. Under Laeyla's guidance, a compromise was confirmed to satisfy Q'al Phassa's half of rulership. Arius was adopted and officially inducted as a member of the Phassa family, though he maintains his mother's maiden name as his moniker.
She works closely with her birth brother to advance the ends of the Diarchy, cooperating on legislation to reform the Sister States in their image. The most major change they have collaborated on is slowly altering their country's culture through a litany of anti Foul-Blood laws. In addition to discriminatory regulations, they introduced informal policies of segregation that worked their way down into local government, automating the process of their inequity.
Foul-Bloods had always been treated poorly, especially by the Elves of the Sister States but, under this Diarchy, sentiment against them reached an all-time high. Because of the advancement of their bigotry, many Themerian localities created the much-maligned policies that expel Foul-Blood children to the area of the Nightveil Canopy.

Education

Within the old city of Poux Rappou is a school of equal age dedicated to the study of divine secrets and clerical arts. There, Laeyla studied at the heels of the greatest and holiest minds in the country. It was there she gained a unique appreciation for a goddess who could only be described as malicious and petty, the Queen of the Depths, Umberlee. 
The evil goddess of the seas was only ever paid respect or reverence by individuals out at sea who were afraid that her vanity and ego would sink them. But Laeyla had a unique perspective of the Wavemother, that her volatile and capricious behavior was a consequence of The Impetus. When her seas were agitated and polluted with magical fallout, Umberlee's rage roused the waters of the Ocean of Gor, creating the Restless Sea.
She seeks divine recompense with this foul ruler of the depths, to calm Umberlee's anger and return the waters back to a state where they could be traveled without fear. This unique understanding of Umberlee has since become an obsession, and Laeyla spends much of her free time in constant study of the deep sea. Along the coast and the island of Kamizoka, there have been sightings of strange, unsightly creatures that walk like men and suck air through engorged, distended gills. It has been suggested summoning rituals have brought them in search of their new, would-be master.

Intellectual Characteristics

Laeyla is a cunning, and charismatic woman who is well-adored among Theian aristocracy. Despite her strange appearance, she has a unique draw that ensorcells the hearts and minds of men, and particularly women, she speaks with. Her eyes are disarming and her voice is like satin, she is easily able to hold conversation and melt the icy defenses most surround their hearts and minds with.
She is also extremely studious in divine matters, able to identify omens and blessings from a hundred dozen deities all over the world. Divine portfolios and areas of influence are a topic of particular interest to her, and she takes very seriously the ability of a single person to greatly affect the world through godly patronage.

Morality & Philosophy

From her mother and father, Laeyla inherited a great sense of duty for the people under her and her family's rule. In her view of the world, those who are in power have a responsibility to stay there, to ward off those who are less scrupulous and would resort to dastardly and evil actions to gain power at the expense of others.
Her rule was righteous in that way, and by extension so was her brother's. Together, they could shape the future of the Sister States for the common benefit of all who call it home.

Age

151

Pronouns

She/Her

Sex

Female

Gender

Woman

Presentation

Feminine

Eyes

Soft Cyan

Hair

The color and depth of Shiraz Wine

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White as freshly driven snow

Height

5'4"

Weight

107 lbs

Belief/Deity

Umberlee