Tristis Venia
From Changeling Venue
Contents |
Overview
Name: Tristis Venia
Real Name: Grayce
Age: appears 30ish but young
Concept: Scion of Seasons
Mean: description: Green tangly/shiny hair, shiny black eyes, silky barkskin
Mask: Youthful, wide-eyed plain woman who could be in her 30's except for that she seems confused and naive.
Relevant Mechanics: Has court good-will in all seasons, neutral of all.
Seeming: Elemental Woodblood
Court: Good Will in All
Freehold: StormWatch
Player: Karin Miller-Scheidt
Character Livejournal: None yet
Quippets
The sadness and Grace, from the look on your face is that more so than the other. With this way and that way, to go forwards or backways - is the question that has us all in a bother. The Leaf as it falls, listen - Autumn calls... and Winter beckons it's icy breeze. Spring comes a bouncing, bringing flowers a bounding with trickldee prickldee ease. Summer comes lately shining the heat of the sun - the circle is spinning, come back round again to the beginning or ending and re-begun.
Keeper
Basic Timeline
- Grayce was born 1952 in Wolftown, Virginia.
- Grayce's mother passed away in July, 1964 and was buried in a small graveyard located in Wolftown, Virginia.
- Grayce was abducted by The Widow at her mother's funeral.
- Grayce, now calling herself "Tristis Venia" escaped her keeper in 1988 - she landed at the foot of her mother's grave in Wolftown.
- She waited several days for her brother, Craven, who was with her during the escape - but didn't come out with her.
- The cemetery keeper found Tristis & assisted her in finding a place to stay and work.
- After a few months, Tristis was assisted in moving to Richmond, Virginia, where she hoped to locate her brother as they had made arrangements to meet at their grandparents home there if they should be separated.
- Between 1988 and 2004, Tristis traveled extensively, looking for her brother and meeting other Lost - there were very few Lost in Richmond, so she felt the need to meet others, learn of each court and the blessings of the seasons - she however, would always return to Richmond.
- 2002, Tristis travels to a large celebration being had in Charleston, West Virginia. The Autumn King Charlie, is known for his outrageous gatherings and there is scheduled a Wyld Hunt - Tristis goes in the hopes of finding her brother & is also wanting to continue making connections from all over and she knows there will be many there. The Wyld Hunt ends up causing many casualties and those who survive the initial rampage wind up barricaded in at the Bad Penny having to work together to fend off the Gentry who were angered by all those who disturbed them too deep in the Hedge.
- in August 2004, Hurricane Gaston opened up a path from Arcadia to the mundane world bringing with it a huge flood and literally a boat-load of Changeling along with it. Tristis assisted a local Oracle, Max, who had foreseen the event - assisting in sheltering the newcomers and establishing the first pledge to the City on a piece of the very boat they came in on... and also assisted in arranging that the first Summer king take his place to begin the seasonal rotation for the City.
- 2004-2007 Tristis assists Richmond in becoming a fully functional freehold, Richmond takes the name of StormWatch and the Autumn King suggests a Parliament to be in charge to be fluid between each rotation of season.
- 2004-2007 Tristis continues to travel on occasion, but maintains a stronger bond to StormWatch and thus remains closer to home more often.
- 2007, October - Craven returns! Hector, a strong Autumn representative, finds Craven in the hedge and brings Craven to Richmond where he and Tristis are reunited - it is not as wonderful as it may seem it should be for there are many issues to iron out between them, and many years since the separation causing her to be free while he stayed behind.
- 2007, November - Tristis begins strong efforts to work with and form a local motley to join together to form a local safehouse. The 'Cheshire' Branch House begins to become a reality. The Lost's "Innkeeper's Guild" takes interest in the Cheshire & begins to patron Tristis to become a full fledged member of the Guild. With this additional security, Tristis feels she can best benefit StormWatch in being able to offer such a necessary benefit to the community.
Current Activities
- Serves as Scion of Seasons, specifically in Richmond, Virginia - [StormWatch] Freehold. She is the first to create this Changeling position in an official manner and is establishing the role as a prestigious and necessary part of Changeling society.
- Has established her own neutral door to the StormWatch Hallow.
- Serves the Parliament of StormWatch as required.
- Recently established The Cheshire Branch House as part of [The Innkeeper's Guild].
- Is a member of the exclusive Elemental group, Geode.
Allies
Enemies
Character Inspirations
Songs and Lyrics
Fear by Sarah McLaughlin "Morning smiles like the face of a newborn child, innocent, unknowing. Winter's end promises of a long lost friend. Speaks to me of comfort But I fear I have nothing to give. I have so much to loose here in this lonely place. Tangled up in your embrace There's there's nothing I'd like better than to fall. But I fear I have nothing to give. Wind in time Rapes the flower trembling on the vine And nothing yields to shelter it from above. The say temptation will destroy our love. The never ending hunger But I fear I have nothing to give I have so much to loose here in this lonely place Tangled up in our embrace Theres nothing I'd like better than to fall But I fear I have nothing to give. I have so much to loose. I have nothing to give. We have so much to lose..."
Shoot & Ladders by Korn Ring-a-round-the-rosies. Pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Nursery rhymes are said, verses in my head. Into my childhood, theyre spoon fed. Hidden violence revealed, darkness that seems real. Look at the pages that cause all this evil. One, two - buckle my shoe. Three, four - shut the door. Five, six - pick up sticks. Seven, eight - lay them straight. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London bridge is falling down my fair lady. Nursery rhymes are said, verses in my head. Into my childhood, theyre spoon fed. Hidden violence revealed, darkness that seems real. Look at the pages that cause all this evil. Knick-knack paddywhack, give a dog a bone. This old man came rolling home. Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow. Baa baa black have you any wool? yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. Ring-a-round-the-rosies. Pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Nursery rhymes are said, verses in my head. Into my childhood, theyre spoon fed. Hidden violence revealed, darkness that seems real. Look at the pages that cause all this evil. Knick-knack paddywhack, give a dog a bone!
Quotes
Rumors
History/Background
Grayce grew up in Rural Virginia with two brothers. Her parents were estranged, existing but not very present much in her or her brother's lives at least not without a lot of push on the kid's part to be a close family - unless the parents were mad about something of course, but otherwise life was free and so were they to do as they pleased. Every year and a half to two years her family moved from one rundown country home to another, usually not too far away in country terms of course. Each move was a new adventure for Grayce - new fields to trollop through, new woods to discover and enjoy, new streams to cross and new creatures to bring life to her mind's creations. When Grayce was 5 years old her family was living in a particular house across a dirt cross-path from a circlet of mimosa trees just far enough into the rough that Grayce could sneak away and not be found for hours. She built herself a home inside this circle, she swept the dirt floor free from debris... she brought out wooden boxes and scraps of fabric to cover them as chairs for her stuffed companions to have the proper setting for afternoon teas - especially her favorite bears Brownie and Tabitha, both of whom her mother had given her sometime around the age of 3, but she doesn't exactly remember when.
While her brothers climbed the Beech trees and fished in the nearby pond, Grayce spent all her time creating her fortress of intertwined branches enclosing the circlet of mimosas. Whenever she was happy she would go to her outdoor room, if she were scared she would run to her secret place, and if she were sad - going there would bring her peace and help her be happy again, she wasn't often sad - every moment was new for her, and she looked at each step as the beginning of a new journey. Winter came and her family began speaking of moving again. After several seasons of play underneath the perfumed canopy of her secret room, Grayce was sad to think of how hard it would be to find some place as perfect. When the movers came, Grayce slipped away and decided to untangle the branches she had woven as walls and she said a few words of farewell to the place she had considered home. She turned & with Brownie & Tabitha on her hip, left for her new adventure. Now on the verge of turning 8yrs old, her father had begun allowing her to assist with the family gardens. This soon took the place of her tending to her mimosa circle. Every vegetable and non-tree fruit you could think of was part of her plot, if winter's hadn't been so harsh she would have had something growing year round. Her father was amazed and jokingly said she best be careful else she actually grow a green thumb. She finally convinced her mother to join in and they planted flowers as far as you could see on the other side of the property, they were happy and all seemed really good. A couple of years passed again, and Grayce knew they had been in one place longer than usual. In late winter her parents began speaking of an old mansion they had found and told the kids that everyone would be going to see it soon. Her mother had begun having terrible bouts of flu-like sickness, the doctors hadn't figured out what was going on... but the next week when she was feeling better, they all visited this old house - eager to see what it was like. Grayce remembers following her brothers up onto the rickety porch with strong columns, looking into the dusty windows into the empty depths of hollow rooms. The grand front door opened with a deep creek and they all went inside with just the murky lighting from the windows to light the space. It was huge to Grayce. She followed her brothers closely up the Washington staircase to the 2nd floor - and they peeped into the multiple bedrooms up there. It was all empty until the last room facing the front side of the house overlooking the neighboring church and it's small cemetery.
When turning to leave the room, the kids noticed a magnetic message board with 5 magnets shaped like flower pots. We took turns placing them in different patterns and then agreed upon the symmetrical square and then left with shutting the door behind us. Back down the Lincoln stairway which narrowly lead into the hallway leading down to the kitchen. The kitchen was in remarkably decent shape considering the age and condition of the rest of the house thus far. Looking out the back door to the porch, Grayce saw the remnants of what obviously once was a hedge-maze, and her heart lept with joy - the idea of tending such a splendid plot of land made her almost forget about the gardens she had tended in the past. Spring hadn't quite touched the leaves of the boxwoods, the walnut tree or the Oak. She could only imagine what flowers might pop up unexpectedly once the frosts subsided. She had seen enough, and sought out her parents who were still talking with the real-estate person in the foyer. Her eldest brother saw Grayce slip out the side door and followed her - stopping to climb a sturdy leafless tree along the way... a little enjoyment along with accepting the responsibility of watching over his little sister as he knew her to wander at every given opportunity. She found her way to the cemetery and was curious of the tree that marked the center of the gated plot of land, hovering over the headstones which seemed to circle around it was the most amazing Weeping Willow she had ever had the pleasure of seeing. She thought it odd to have a Willow tree so far from an obvious water source. But there it stood, strong and healthy. She touched the bushes surrounding its base and recognized the azalea, honeysuckle, morning glory vines and some other various bushes - all of which created a serene and somber ode to the dead - a focal point on which the souls might find peace in its presence. She meandered about the graves reading names and wondering how they had come to know this spot. The Church was Presbyterian, but she had not known of its existence before that day. After viewing everything she cared to, she made her way back to the house - noticed her brother climbing out of the tree from where he had kept an eye on her - and her parents were already making their way to the car. Her mother was not feeling well again, and so they headed to the doctors rather than home. Grayce found herself staying with her mother's sister and family that weekend and her brothers went somewhere else - she found out the next Monday that they had gone to the grandparents house. Over the next few months the kids found themselves separated often, or at times together at their Aunt's house. She longed to know if they would be moving to that house... but time passed by and her mother being diagnosed with chronic-flu changed to walking pneumonia and then eventually the doctors realized her mother had been suffering from lung cancer.
At 5am on the 13th of July, Grayce was at her grandparents house in Richmond and the family got the phone call that her mother had passed away at the hospital. She didn't know what to think at first, her family gathered around and said the Lord's prayer and she cried - but she didn't understand death enough to know why. Her first thought was happiness for her mother to have found peace from the sickness that had caused her suffering for so long. Then she became defensive wondering why everyone was trying to hug on her and comfort her, all she wanted was for someone to help her fully understand what was happening... but the whirlwind began and she was tussled around like a rag on the wind. There was a wake, where Grayce was given a rose to place in her mothers casket. She looked inside and saw a beautifully made up woman with thick reddish/auburn hair and the smell of sweet-sickly makeup, a smell she will never forget. That image froze in her mind and she became scared of what it meant to not have her mother, but no one would ease her mind. Finally, the day of the funeral, denial passed away and Grayce found herself standing under the Weeping Willow amidst the azalea, honeysuckle and in the morning light the blue of the morning glories hung heavy with dew... to say her final goodbye to her mother being lowered into the ground by another gravestone covered in bells and chimes tinkling sounds in the breeze.
A sadness took her that she had never experienced before, and she cried openly though she had never done so before. Family and friends hugged each other and gathered in groups moving farther and farther from the gravesite. Grayce stood sobbing and noticed everyone had left her there to grieve. She turned and crawled into a small opening of the azalea - she wanted to lay down and stare up at the sky through the leaves, branches and flowers swaying in the breeze. As she crawled, she thought it was deeper than she had imagined - and then she heard something, and tried to find it - she heard her mother, or so she thought... she stopped and found she could stand without popping out the top of the brush and looked to see her mother holding out her arms waiting to give her a hug. Grayce ran to her mother and embraced her longingly... and she cried, and as they walked she became sadder and sadder.
Eventually they reached Arcadia, at which point Grayce thought she was dreaming. From that point, time stood still... she was put into a room and a beast looking individual who could only be thought of as a squirrel type who called himself Gizmo, informed her that she had become the property of her keeper called The Widow. The Widow would hurt her and ask her to do work that caused her to become hurt, that was the end of it, it would be done. Before Grayce had time to ask questions she was thrown into the maze. Grayce soon realized this was the hedge-maze in the back of the house her parents had wanted to purchase. She overheard the hedge telling her to tend to it - and it began to lash out at her, ripping her skin to shreds in the process. This occurred over and over again, for who knows how long. At the end of each period in the maze the Widow would oversee the progress and punish Grayce according to how well it was believed she had done. Eventually Grayce learned her way through the maze well enough that she could tend it properly. She had downtime on what seemed to be a regular basis - but she could not call anything day or night, for in the maze it was always light and dark, which makes no sense - but it was such none the less.
Once, Grayce, who now called herself Tristis Venia (sad grace), was able to tend the maze well - the Widow offered her freetime on occasion to attend the goblin market and purchase seeds or other items needed to use in the gardens. Tristis had created minor droughts to trade in the market her specialties being memory-loss and sleep fruits. Her eyes had changed to accommodate the emptiness and sorrow of her keepers lair, they were as polished obsidian - so she had gotten used to using goggles while out and about in Arcadia. She also noticed her skin had taken on the form of something barklike. She hadn't seen herself fully in a mirror in so long - she wondered what she looked like. Often she would view through the reflection in water or the goggles, but all she could make out was the emptiness of her eyes and that her hair had grown a shade of green that blended with her garden. She could get lost in her reflection relishing in the sadness of her eyes... and then would be punished for having wasted away her period of time she should have been working.
Tristis met many other changeling in Arcadia, some she remembers more vividly than others. There was the lively air fellow who changed his name frequently and insisted on calling her a fiddle, once she was stolen by another keeper 'the water queen' and this caused a feud between the two keepers. Tristis was chastised greatly upon her return and the Widow grumbled constantly about the required contracts it took to get her back safely. Their relationship changed slightly after that event, Tristis's freedom was quelled for a time until the Widow regained her senses. Tristis found herself at odds with the Widow on the occasions that she insisted on introducing what she considered 'seasonal' plants to the maze. She tried to explain to the Widow that tending the gardens was more productive with the introduction of change and rotation... the Widow would have none of that, but Tristis always found a way - and eventually the Widow tortured Tristis using means of mental agony rather than whips and gauntlets. The Widow's ire was suppressed when she believed Tristis's spirit had been completely broken... and so Tristis went about tending the bland but superficially beautiful gardens obediently - but created her own secret room of hybrid flora through which she learned not only her base goal of creating unique enhancement fruits to trade at the market - but she opened the door to her knowledge of the creation of balance through change and rotation. She had become as much a part of this world as any other creature native to it... and had forgotten of her youth and her brothers.
Then, she met an individual who seemed eerily familiar and she began having nightmares - much to the concern of the Widow who confined her until the dream subsided. Then she crossed paths with him again, and he had in his had a teddybear... and then a second one. She ran back to her keep, and stayed away from the public for as long as she could stand - but she was drawn to the image of what those toys represented. When she saw him the third time, she remembered and was broken... the Widow would never have the pride of ownership of that which finally broke Tristis' spirit, for it was remembering all that had been forgotten which drained Tristis of all the strength she had had through her entire journey of time in Arcadia. She fell down and was awakened by one of her own berries who's stench could all but wake the dead. She looked upon her brother in his changeling form and cried so deeply, he had to cover her face with his chest for fear someone would come looking to see what was going on. He told her he had found a way to escape and wanted her to come - she agreed.
Her sense of duty to the plants she had tended for so long was deep, so she took several days trying to show one of the other foundlings the easy way to do things, she tried to leave detailed instructions - but didn't want to be obvious about what was going on. She plucked seeds from her rare hybrid variety plants and packed them in a secret pouch for the journey... hoping they would be effective or even grow on the outside. It was time, she left to go to the goblin market took her things for trade and found her brother as they had planned. He had bargained information on an opening that would be only temporary. They headed out quickly, and ran for what seemed like forever... they held hands as the entangled vines opened on queue for them to step through into the real world once again. She didn't even notice when his hand let go of hers & she fell to the ground and rolled hitting the trunk of a tree. She took a moment, stood up and saw her mother's gravestone. The Willow hung heavy over her, and she heard the eerie sound of the windchimes tinkling in the breeze - but otherwise silence. She looked around and there on the ground were Brownie and Tabitha, but her brother was no where to be found. She yelled for him, but no answer. She dug into the bushes looking for some sense of a passageway - but nothing. She was alone.
She fell to her knees at her mothers grave and cried. She lay down there beside her mother, and fell fast asleep - she must've slept for several days, but the pastor of the Church finally approached her. They talked and he realized she had gone through a very tough time. She told him she needed to get to Richmond, and he arranged for her to travel there and stay with the Church organization. She realized there were not very many Changeling in Richmond, so she made her marks where she knew her brother would look for her so that he would know she was alive and how to find her. She began working for the Churches, tending to their cemeteries as the Pastor who found her had put in a good word for her. She then would travel to DC, Hampton and then farther places teaching what she had learned about the changes and security, which eventually evolved into her being an advocate of the turnover of seasons. She noticed as she traveled each season there seemed to be a selected individual who exemplified the traits of the current date. She translated this into a pledge and offered her services to any who might need assistance in ensuring the changes happened appropriately to ensure the balance remained constant. While traveling she met many individuals, she never felt a calling to any one particular court, but rather felt a deep sense of belonging and camaraderie with each. Her neutrality and ability to get along with all she believes helps her best advocate for the seasonal transitions.
She would always hope to see her brother each place she went... she would always ask if anyone recognized his description in or since escaping Arcadia. Nothing... for many years this has continued, and she continues to return to Richmond - she now claims the title Scion of Seasons, she assists with harboring newly escaped Changeling and was present for the influx of Changeling to Richmond in the 2004 hurricane. Her ties with those of Richmond are strong, she offers her neutral housing for temporary stays and the occasional gathering - she tends the cemeteries off of Patterson Ave diligently and creates flower arrangements for Bliley's Funeral Home. She enters prize wining orchids on occasion, but feels her abilities give her an unfair advantage. She will also partake in the rare trade of items - a sleep berry for a lucky rose-petal, done. She has overseen the pledges of seasons in Richmond since the creation of a secure freehold in 2004 and continues to offer her services to other freeholds if it is found support in this effort is needed.
