Vasha the Gentle Sting
Vasha, the Gentle Sting, is the current guild master of the Black Leaf Guild, all while putting forth an alter ego as Vesai, the Knowing Queen, for appearances with the Royal Hexagon. Raised from birth to be both a lethal assassin and a courtly noblewoman, many are comforted by her gentle charisma and encouraging advice. However, those who know her by the Sting are terrified, marked for death, and never seen again.
Description
Vasha is a young wasp in her prime, her form radiating health as her muddy orange chitin glistens in the light. Embraced by soft whisps of black, many regard her colors as beautiful, her stripes resembling a wavy tiger pattern, pulling many eyes away from her intentions. While not as imposing as the other queens at first glance, she more than makes up for it in her underhanded prowess, deducing threats with a smile and heading the Royal Hexagon's more shady dealings.
History
Ever since the inception of the Black Leaf Guild, its prominent members were kept well hidden from the public eye, either through alter egos or by living off-grid. The link between the remaining wasp nobility and the infamous guild could not be known, and thus, the families within both were kept far apart. Love did not care for these limits; thus, House Varundom's fledgling matriarch Valta fell in love with the Black Leaf Guild's potent master, Lorshof. This attraction brought forward Vasha, whose arrival was dreaded by both parents. Hiding Vasha's existence proved a grueling task. Discontent and frustration poured onto the small vespoid and grew into a well of anger smothered by the Black Leaf Guild's secrecy.
As soon as she could, Vasha gripped the hilt of a blade, ripping dummies to shreds. Many of the Guild's veteran instructors took a liking to the little ball of fury that held nothing back, and with anger echoing off of the training halls, they nurtured her. Calm words and wise instruction taught her to compose herself, turning her wrath into precision. Slowly, she learned to trust, admiring the grisly old assassins who gave her the support she needed and the space to grow. Vasha's clouded mind began to clear, revealing a keen intellect that was truly observant.
Her training regimens were brought to an abrupt halt by her mother. Once she caught wind of her only child training to become a ruthless killer, she stepped in to 'correct' her life path. Valta tore Vasha away from her newfound support and thrust her into the noble estate of House Varundom. As a walking liability to House Varundom's secrecy, Vasha had to be presentable, with a facade to fool onlookers and the other noble wasps. Valta gave Vasha the new name Vesai, contorting her into a caricature that mimicked House Varundom's demeanor and culture. This guise had its faults, but with the lessons she learned from her mother, Vasha made it work to her benefit. She recognized the keen sense of detail needed for the profession and developed a love for it.
As she matured, her talents showed and impressed many, especially her parents. They both took the time they could to further train her, right in time for the Tunnel War. Armed with proper expertise, she willingly volunteered to aid the Guild's war efforts. The Black Leaf Guild did not immediately act when the fighting broke out, understanding that surprise was on the White Flood's side. As the stalemate formed, the Guild let loose their own floodgates and spread their agents across entrenched lines and tunnels. Vasha's role in this flooding was simple yet dangerous: to probe the Detrinian front for potential weaknesses the other Queens could exploit using guerilla tactics. Lorshof accompanied her in this endeavor, acting as the chief infiltrator to potentially assassinate leadership to create power vacuums. These actions would prove fruitful, sowing chaos into their northern front, but Lorshof would not return unscathed. Dying in Vasha's arms, Lorshof gave her the Guild's seal, crowning her its new leader.
With their efforts concluded, the guild retreated, having successfully forced the Detrinians to reorganize their troops, opening them up to attack by Commander Brighid. As the soon-to-be warrior queen began her exemplary campaign, Vasha brought Lorshof home for proper burial, thus being witnessed and officially instated as the new Guildmaster. This proved difficult to manage, but once again, she was home with her old mentors and found comfort even in her great loss. Once again, she grew. Understanding the layers of secrecy the guild operated on, she gained confidence in her ability to lead. This experience proved vital since Valta abruptly passed shortly after the war. With no other heirs to the throne, Vasha was forced to take her mother's place and was crowned in due process.
Present
As confident as Vasha is, her inexperience has proven itself as well as she has. While the Guild prospers in the position Vasha has brought it to, it also reels from considerable losses due to negligence. Vasha's sporadic attention span is limited, with the Queendom and the Guild's northern fronts currently in her immediate view. Distracted by these points, the Guild's network into the Royal Hexagon was established with little effort, now suffering to keep its secrecy from being exposed. The Guild's extension became little more than a glorified gang present across the Royal Hexagon, harming its citizens and angering its rulers, especially Queen Alexandra II.
Contrary to this, Vasha has proven herself to be a competent leader whom her attention is actually able to reach. Within the Amber Fallow, the Guild's presence has long been abhorred and to this day is contested with violence. Since the Tunnel War's end, Vasha has worked to hide the Guild's operations to a higher degree. Launching a false campaign as Vesai against the Guild, she claims to be combing through the infrastructure of the Amber Fallow, convincing the masses that she has destroyed crucial meeting grounds and imprisoned important figures. As it stands now within the public eye, all but remnants remain of the Black Leaf Guild's once potent influence.
The biggest challenge Vasha has faced yet are the numerous tribes of Fallowfolk. None would enjoy their home being taken from them, and the Fallowfolk have made their plight known. Some tribes voice their struggles, aiming to solve territorial disputes diplomatically, challenging Vasha's political prowess. The rest have taken up arms to defend their sacred home from Ambrisian expansion, forming warbands of allied tribes to defend their homes and repel further encroachment. These warbands have caused disruption all across the Black Leaf's operations, pulling Vasha into the open. Being forced to employ both identities to combat this threat, Vasha has been pulled in all directions. Exhausted, her temper has come surging back, leading to rash decisions that have cost lives. Even with more successes than failures, losses are mounting, and Vasha's old mentors worry her rash determination will invite a greater threat.
Vasha, The Gentle Sting; Vesai, The Knowing Queen Age
48 Gender
female Species
Vespoid (Wasp) Appearance
A sleek ever-moving vespoid wasp with muddied orange plates and black tiger patterned stripes. Considered beautiful, her smaller form fools most into thinking she isn't a threat. Nationality
Ambrisian Class
Nobility, Queen Occupations
Queen of the Amber Fallow, Guild master of the Black Leaf Guild Religion
The Order Pantheon General Disposition
Practical, Impish, and Hellbent. Motivation(s)
Vowing to never lose another soul again, she keeps her people close, safeguarding their future as well as her own.
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