Venad Sistolfyi
Sargent Venad Sistolfyi Gesherd (a.k.a. Venit)
I've lived many lives, but here is where I'm happiest
Sargent Venad Sistolfyi Gesherd, better known as Venad Sistolfyi is a Ugane-Chershe (former) missionary and one of Kalan's narrators.
Personal History
Youth
He was born the 14th day of the Second Month of the Year 2233, at home in Kavo Panv, Luze with Dasha Chankshevz Hurnurin as witness. According to the Chershe Calander, this makes him born under Dachio's eye. He was born to Froba Sistolfrin and her husband Komd, both workers in the city's Kechka Nyanvo and their 3rd child, after a son who died infancy and older sister Atobel Zhunsolfrin. He has 3 younger sisters: Nocha, Gafë and Knrin.He lived a floor above the Hurnurds, who could afford multiple rooms. Because of this, he ended up extremely close friends with Dlana and her older brother, Vlanzun Hurnurd, two years Venad's senior. They became "Brothers In Law", or sworn brothers, as teenagers before joining the army together.
He lost his father at 11 due to illness, possibly relating to his handling of dyes in the fabric houses. His mother, with who Venad was extremely close, died 4 years later. She had always been ill, having caught Chlega Altshar in her teens and never fully recovering. This prompted him to quit schooling (despite being a promising student) and his joining the army as to lighten Atobel's load providing for their younger sisters.
The Army
I loved my sisters so much I joined the army to ease their burden.
Sistolfyi enlisted in 2249 alongside Vlanzun. They served together in the Chilvë Kveno Line Infantry Regiment where he rose to the rank of sargent. He left the army in 2261 at the age of 28. While the army imbued him with discipline, it also gave him some unhealthy habits, indulging in cigarettes and too more liquor. When he wasn't passed out drunk, however, he took up journaling. Sometimes, the thoughts you wish to express. He also served alongside his future brother-law, fellow Sargent Dozven Zhunsolf.
Luze
by Elisabeth Trkova in Heroforge
He also for this brief time partook in a relationship with city merchant Dvari Drulvansk, a member of Chosna Zilshirmrin's Shniwem Society. They got along very well. Venad always appreciated her confidence (not just her gifts) and her good humour. She always apricated the calm rustic presence and bluntness in comparison to her cutthroat courtesy. However, for a cocktail of reasons, as much as he planned to marry her, the relationship didn't pan out. He still corresponds with her occasionally, less so since he found out she jumped into a relationship with Vlanzun a couple of months after he'd left for Koprivos.
His brother-in-law is a devout follower of Otlera Vikh Kastav byi, the Otlera Kastavic worship based in Vluchnost. He'd been educated at a City Ploana as a child, however due to their understaffing and other systematic issues, he'd only received a rudimentary education in reading, arithmetic and some music skills. Eventually, too, he found faith there and was educated through their missionary program. He also learnt Otleric due to the insistence of the clergy to read the Uzheke in Otleric rather than Uganic.
After his relationship ended with Dvari, through the church he met an Otlera widow, Parya Limchvrin. Their relationsghip was a lot less close than that shared with Dvari. However, she was the reason he went on mission, intending to marry her once they returned home to make something of the reformed life he'd began to lead.
Koprivos
He arrived in Koprivos in the late autumn of 2263, where he and Paraya stayed in the capital for a while with a Blazarvi covert family. Eventually, they re-joined their group and headed up to Tarkos in the midwinter to which was meant with amusement from locals.Here, he learnt Ofwosanéng. He also learnt Northern Izij with less proficiency after a bar fight - learning that his Southern Izij talk learnt from could enflame his new neighbours. Eventually, as the mission progressed he began to doubt his faith and the value of such missions to people who clearly don't want to be proselytised to. Expressing these doubts led to relationship breakdown between him and Parya.
He met his future wife Chenya Gesherd soon after in the spring of 2264. She was staying in her deceased husband's home at the time with her 3 children, Widow's Law. In between proselytising, meetings and other activities at hand, he would spend every waking hour possible with Chenya, feeling compelled to be in her presence when he could afford.
As the year progressed, his faith also continued to deteriorate despite renewed effort and participation. So by the time Chenya was out of the house she'd been staying in, he lept at the oppurtunity to join her in her native Sóndoshor. He also proceeded to propose to her before being told there was another method up here in the Ochozofazu Mountains
So, he abandons the mission that sent him here, walking the way home to Sóndoshor with his desired wife and her 3 daughters: Ezayrmi, Ie, and the young Tona Gesherd.
Sóndoshor
She initially stays in her mother’s Ochucho while he takes lodgings in the Sheyema é Sóndoshor because that’s the only lodgings for outsiders in a village of about 400. In order to make his bread and not feel like a leech, he took work as a carpenter with Chenya's brother-in-law, Ofucho. Here as well as fixing and making furniture, he also learns to make toys as Tona doesn't take nicely to him and he wishes to buy a least one person's peace in Sondoshor.Eventually, after some time at work, he asked fro Chenya's hand in marriage from her mother in the spring of 2265. This was met with several layers of scepticism - from hostility to confusion as to Chenya would allow him to even ask. But the Nór Tenchiiéng & Tencha were drawn up as with every other Chershe union. The Nór Tenchiiéng was longer than usual beast - demanding the customary 2 years of labour as well as a settlement of cash. This two years was spent as he had been doing: carpentry. They are also attempted to put him to work herding the sheep with the dogs and his future-brother-in-law but he did not take to such a vocation. After paying the price, they donned the Nuptial Costumes and wed in 2267 under the light of a full moon. On their wedding day, a crow flew by and does to this day, which he still feeds to maintain good luck. 4 years later, his dfdaughter Echa Sistolfyi Gesherd came into the world and he could never be prouder of the little tyrant or his wife.
Relationships
Family
He’s quite close to all of his sisters, but especially Gafe and Atobel. Because of this, they are some of the few who call him Anad rather than the usual nickname of Venit, see Uganic Nicknames.Tonye Zhunsolf, his niece, doesn't remember him vividly. She didn't care for him much when she was younger as he wasn't known for being great with kids and drunk 90% of the time. But he liked her quite a lot then, and from what he's gathered, she lives up to her name's meaning (clever) even more these days. She writes occasionally, and is absolutely fascinated by the Chershe way of life, so different from her provincial Luze lifestyle
Chenya, being his wife, is extremely close to him. They work as a couple - his calm verses her hot-headed impulsivity. They bring out sides in each other no one else could think of. He has taught her some Uganic since she hopes of vising him homeland of the Uganë Empire someday and meeting the characters in his anecdotes.
Ezayermi doesn't take too kindly to him which he doesn't blame her for. She is 15, and change is difficult to deal with in this rapidly changing world she finds herself in. They keep to themselves in the house, only conversing if necessary. Chenya wishes they were closer but he doesn't want her to force her to cope with losing her father any more than she should.
Ie, her middle daughter, bears resemblance to Venad personality wise. Calm and methodical in every way. She's also exceptionally bold which is a trait they both appreciate in each other. They are not affectionate with each other, but sometimes you will find her hounding him with questions in the evening as he reads or writes in any of the languages he has to hand. Some day she wishes to be like him - to travel the world.
Tona initially despised him, but toddlers were and are fickle creatures. He eventually bribed her by power of toys and now they're as thick as theives. She usually got some scheme for him to play apart in. Together, she enjoys playing music with all of them, including Venad who does sometimes call father.
As for Echa, his actual daughter. Since she is young, there is very little to say about her personality. That changes a lot as a young one, at least so he says. He adores her, happily spending many hours carving toys for her to play with (as well as the other village children around her age). He also learnt to sew so he could unburden Chenya with her demands for garments and slight alterations to be more "pretty". He adores her - happy to live as long as he has to see a daughter of his own grin. He prays to gods, if they listen, that unlike his parents he will live to see her adulthood.
Friends and Companions
A good man he was, your uncle. How I wish he were still here but he's aborad up in the snows. It would certainly make your father more palatable at Shniwem Society dinner, my girl Tona. He's quite a bit like you in a way, deceptive in a way, an inccredibly smart storyteller. You should write more, try convince him to return to the motherland with his new wife and little girl.
Vlanzun and him were and still are blood brothers. However, there has been tension between them ever since Dvari waltzed out of Venad's life straight into Vlanzun's bed. Still, they write to each other as much as they can, longing to see each other again and get drunk together just like old times. Vlanzun wishes to meet Chenya since he's heard so much about her.
Dovzen and him are friends and now brothers-in-law. However, these days they rarely write to each other. From what Venad's heard, he's moved up in the world and his dealings more suspicious which Venad highly dissaproves of.
Chosna Zilshirmrin and him did meet once or twice. She doesn't have much opinion of him. And vice versa, all he knows is that she has sent Vlanzun mad since they were young.
Oskeru Froya the timid and tiny Uviuuryang correspondent for the Luze Mercury and him grew up near each other. They wasn't exactly close, as Venad was an athletic child who valued that in others and the nerdy Oskeru wasn't. Oskeru used to sometime attend the Kastavic worship but that tapered off, especially as Oskeru's wife grew ill.
Talents and Abilities
A lot of folk never took my brother Venad for more than a ruffian, especially those in my husband's new circles. But he's the finest of all 5 of us. Me and Nocha would say. Gafe would probably say something about her husband. She's strangely devoted to the ugly bastard.
Though quite an unassuming man on the surface, he has many skills and uses. He speaks Uganic, Chershe, Otlera, some Izij of both northern and southern dialect as well as the Koprivosian language. Someone once told him he should do good for the Empire and become a diplomat but that never surfaced: he could never get into university! Even if he did, for a common man, the cost would bankrupt him.
He also can play two instruments, the accordion and the Eynsasényfe, Dachio's sacred instrument. He took it up because someone truly invested in living like and with the Chershe must know an instrument and the Eynsasényfe appealed. He'd also had some experience with instruments like them much closer to home. Nowadays, he gets a mighty more experience with the latter, Tona usually demanding he plays tunes when she practices dancing.
Comments
Author's Notes
This is a beast of an article. It's a lot more Wikipedia style than I like to for even my characters as I'm writing this to get the 10k I'll be honest. When it comes time for articles to be unlocked after WE, this will be high priority considering he is a narrator!