Relovan Marsielles



Relovan Marsielles (pronounced: rell-oh-van mahr-sey) is an NPC warlock elf in the main party of Wacky Ribbons.

Description
They are the youngest child (of four total) in a family of "private practice healers"; they're Trongy's employer and provide financial aid to the party on their expedition. It's because of their Pact that Trongy made use of the Contract, and they were the one to pick the members of the party (against Trongy's required parameters).

It was at their house that Trongy held the pivotal masquerade ball where the party met. They're the youngest child in a wealthy family of "private practice healers", and lives an eclectic lifestyle in The Acropolis. Despite their class standing and their fondness for throwing large parties in their mansion, they're a bit socially anxious and incredibly humbled in the presence of everyone they meet (who they usually find to be more interesting than themselves).

Appearance
Relovan is average height (about 5'6"), with wavy platinum-blond hair that goes to their shoulders. They aren't otherworldly attractive, but they have a sincerity and warmth that makes people grow fond of them. Combined with their posture, it tends to make them look a bit like a cornered rabbit. When in their own home, they dress in loose, large clothing that's comfortable and breezy; while when trying to look more "presentable" or "acceptable", they lean into a more tailored, defined look. Most commonly they like to wear shades of soft pink/peach/cream, and wear their hair styled in variations with braids. They always wear the rose-quartz necklace given to them by their grandmother before her passing.

Personality
Despite Relovan's origins in wealth and high society, they lack the same edge that many residents in the Acropolis share (whether it be the desire to gossip, backstab, or otherwise). When they're in the company of people they're comfortable around, Relovan is easy-going and kind, always interested in hearing about what someone else is doing in their spare time, or where their passions lie. They're naturally curious, and it's what's led them to live such an eclectic and wandering lifestyle, without a real career goal in mind. "Managing" Trongy's career was the closest they got to such a path before their pact with Ray derailed it.

They are a bit romantically clueless, and assumes that most people interested in them can't sincerely be interested; this was only reinforced by their family teaching them to be wary of suitors who might only be invested in them because of their family's wealth and standing. Above all else, they care about doing good for others, and helping however they can.

Pre-Campaign
Relovan was born the youngest of their siblings - all three of them being older sisters. Throughout their childhood they were absent-minded and clumsy, and frequently had scuffed palms and knees from playing and falling outside. This was probably the one and only time their self esteem wasn’t being assaulted from all sides, because their sisters were still young enough that they enjoyed each other’s company. Relovan and their sisters were all home schooled by some of the finest private tutors their family could afford. However it became very quickly clear that they had a much harder time than their sisters - they would frequently lose focus in the middle of lessons and wander off to do something else.

Despite the number of times they were scolded about this, their behavior never changed. Their parents were at a loss as to what to do, but it was Relovan’s grandmother who had the patience to teach them privately, taking into consideration the way Relovan responded to different teaching methods. This lead to a lot of “field trips” that sparked Relovan’s desire to travel the world. However, it was during this time that they also frequently got sick - they had a weak immune system and it made it a little harder for them to travel.

Relovan's grandmother was sad to see her grandchild stuck indoors most days, made a point of bringing them souvenirs and telling them stories of all the places they could visit when they got well again. However, Relovan suffered from an illness much more severe and rare than before. Despite Relovan’s family being comprised of generations of healers, none of them are able to keep Relovan healthy for more than a few months at a time - soon that became weeks, and then days, to the point where Relovan was bedridden, closer to death than anything else.

It was then that Relovan’s grandmother, the family's eldest matriarch and most powerful healer, saved Relovan's life by giving up her own, using a method of magic only she could harness (an ability she passed on to Relovan). By doing so, she was able to cure Relovan and extend their lifespan by giving them the remainder of hers (roughly, an additional 600 years onto their lifespan).

It was soon after this that her own body began to fail her, and she passed on in her sleep. She died incredibly young by Elvish standards, and it was difficult for Relovan’s mother (her daughter) to accept it. Whether intentionally or not, Relovan’s mother has treated them with a bit of resentment since then.

After the passing of their Grandma, they resume being tutored alongside their sisters. They’re more quiet, and instead of wandering off to play with toys, they prefer to daydream during their lessons. They continue to do poorly, and their sisters pile onto the stress when they urge them to get better at their studies; ever since their grandmother’s passing their parents have been pressing down on all of them to become just as excellent of healers as she was. Even when Relovan tries, they have so much anxiety associated with tests and lessons that they still miss the mark. Eventually their sisters give up on trying to encourage them with kindness and resort to name-calling as "tough love" encouragement. This sort’ve lifestyle continues until Relovan is about 50~60.

Feeling the desire for a change, Relovan asks their parents for permission to explore the world freely (paid for with their coin). Their parents, loaded with an excess of money and desperate to keep Relovan out of their hair (and business), they grant Relovan a frankly ridiculous amount of money, and frequently restock their coiffers, should they ever become low on funds.

For the next odd-or-so 100~ years, Relovan travelled as far and as often as they could - they thought they made friends easily, and thus was also just as easily taken advantage of, but without ever realizing. They made the decision to buy a chateau in Scaena because of the entertainers; Relovan always loved music, but was never encouraged to become something like a bard (it would more than likely count as bringing negative connotations to their family's name). While they were allowed to study piano, they were far too anxious for performing - they enjoyed being a part of the audience.

They would bounce from Acropolis parties to street shows in the slums (unaware of its reputation, but curious of what it had to offer regardless), and it was during one of these trips to the slums that they saw Trongy perform, and later approached her after. Relovan had the idea that she was a wonderful performer, but she would look amazing with more coin to fund her production. They decided to tell her so, if it were something she'd be interested in discussing.

Of course, it was during this first meeting that another stranger tried to mug the two of them, resulting in Trongy getting stabbed and Relovan using the healing powers, inherited from their grandmother, to patch her up; and to offer her somewhere to stay if she wanted to live in the Acropolis instead. Trongy agreed, and was moved into their mansion by the end of the week. After spending a few weeks getting to know each other, Relovan proposes the idea to Trongy that if she hasn’t seen the world outside of Scaena yet, that they should show her all the places they’ve been to that they enjoyed. They spend the next five years going all over, becoming better friends along the way. Relovan still doesn’t know much about Trongy’s past - she told them her family died when she was young and she was raised in an orphanage/wayward home situation. She doesn’t talk about much from when she was a kid. Despite being so cagey about herself, they manage to get along, and Relovan can see the way Trongy becomes more relaxed, easy going - she laughs louder, becomes flirty and charismatic. She still occasionally has night terrors she never explains to them, but they’re always there to listen to her play, ready with a long tangential fun fact to share.

She likes listening to them talk about the weird and fascinating things they’ve found throughout all their years of travel. They like that she listens.

There comes a point where Relovan’s family sends them an invitation to a family vacation - it’s been a few decades since they’ve done something all together. Relovan, despite dreading it, feels obligated to go, and does so. The family vacations on a beach down in the Ortes Isles, where Relovan begins exploring some of the sea-side caves, and eventually meets Ray.

Season One
During Season One, Relovan is eager to befriend everyone, and hesitant to admit the full details of their situation (although they yield easily when questioned by Chenille). They remain lighthearted and mostly easy-going; the only time they express discomfort or anxiety is in the face of Trongy's anger (after the discovery that her journal had been stolen) and when put into occasionally romantic scenarios.

After going through the Wilds and succumbing to the ghostly image of their dead grandmother, they were shaken and upset; Acacia, noticing their pain, embraced them -- it was at this moment that Relovan began to consider the group their friends, even after they had to confront Ray's personality. While Ray's appearance in Relovan's body had been short-lived, it was enough to make the group turn against him - and made it all the easier for Song to strike him on Trongy's command, knocking him unconscious (restoring Relovan to being in full control of their consciousness and body). It was an embarrassing experience for Relovan to wake up to after such a traumatic event. During their time in the Wilds, it was revealed that Relovan has a horrible stomach, and is most frequently the first to puke when confronted with an intolerable stench (such as that of mold and fungi in the Wilds).

When the party is (temporarily) jailed in Cilium, Chenille pushes him further for questions about the Contract and what exactly is going on - while they had been told by Trongy repeatedly not to divulge that information, they yield, and explain what happened. While on a family vacation, Relovan had gone exploring some interconnected caves in the hollowed out husk of an island with an inactive volcano; they'd gotten lost and given up hope on finding their way out when they came across Ray. Ray appeared as a glowing piece of coal, the only thing Relovan could see at all - they talked for a few hours and eventually arrived at a Pact: Relovan would give Ray a "home" so to say, in their body (specifically, their left eye) and Relovan would gain the ability to use magic (a boon they sought to improve the visual quality of Trongy's performances).

Season Two
During Season Two, Relovan and Trongy's relationship is a bit strained as they continue to disagree about what information is best kept secret and what should be explained. While in the Glen, the two pointedly don't talk, both instead choosing to distract themselves with all the Glen has to offer.

After leaving and reaching Myre and Brunfyre, Relovan is more palpably anxious as they continue to make their way around town as discreetly as possible. They try to dress a bit "nicer" (by their definition) and avoid drawing attention to themselves/the group. They feel useless to assist in any way with Oliver while they stay at his farmhouse, leading to them offering to use their rare healing abilities to grant Oliver a few extra years of life to spend with his granddaughter, Isabella. The group enters the home as Oliver refuses, leaving a tension in the air. It would be the first instance of many where Trongy expresses anger at Relovan for trying to use their ability, knowing that it shaves off years from their own life.

During their travels, Relovan cracks their enchanted glasses in an attempt to use magic to protect a stranger on the road. After this, they were never quite 100% "themselves", occasionally slipping into something the likes of which Ray would say.

Season Three
Relovan is quite comfortable on the sea, taking to sailing while on vacation with their family, and is at ease on the Eurydice. However, while the group is fighting the Kraken, something changes, and a greater shift in their personality arises, more akin to Ray than Relovan while still never outright claiming to be either. They keep to themselves on the ship, sometimes passing the afternoons with Edmund or Mr. Smithers aboard the ship. Most often, they spent time watching the waves as they approached the island.

While exploring the island, Relovan was briefly transformed into a half-orc by Changeling mushrooms. They resumed a bit of their familiar awkwardness, unsure of how to maneuver in a stockier frame, even at one point carrying a shoe-less Ipu through the forest. During the fight in the Siren's Temple, Relovan was the only one able to deal damage directly to Trongy, due to the Contract's terms.

After leaving the island, Trongy and Chenille enacted a ploy together using supplies from the Eurydice's medical bay to induce Raylovan into sleep, hopefully giving Relovan a majority control again. Trongy asked Parsley to design a new pair of glasses for Relovan that would instead channel a Disguise Self spell (that only worked in a 1x1 square) they could use to hide the marring caused by Ray. This was done in an attempt to hopefully keep Ray out of sight and out of mind.

Season Four

When the party docks on the main island of the Ortes Isles, Relovan realizes where they are, and offers their family's beach vacation house as a place they could stay temporarily to regain their bearings as they figured out what their next move would be. The last time Relovan had gone to this vacation house was when they made the pact with Ray to begin with; while staying at the beach house, they feel something beckoning them back to the caves where they originally met Ray. Initially, they try to dismiss the urge, instead taking the time to show everyone around the beach house and its grounds (despite the lackluster state of the grounds, due to the landscaper's family being spread thin). However, they eventually concede, and sneak out of the beach house in the middle of the night to sail to the island of caves.

There, Ray entices them with riddles and images of memories in the past that made them feel weak and powerless, promising them something more at the bottom of the caves. It's then he reveals that this is another Well of Mana, much like the ones found in The Siren's Temple and underneath the Glen of Theia. This was Ray's responsibility to guard and protect, much like it was for Feia and Theia. However, Ray was greedy and power-hungry, and drained the well of its mana to excess, resulting in their near-death; that is, until Relovan came across them. He tells Relovan that they might have the ability to revive the well because of their unique healing abilities and shows them what the small island once was before it became rotted from the inside out; and he appears genuinely remorseful for the loss of its beauty because of his mistakes.

But, before Relovan can attempt to do so, they are found by the group. Trongy angrily tries to pull them away from the well, only to be countered by Ipu who insists that Relovan should be allowed to do whatever they want. Trongy, upset and tired, explains that this comes at a cost to Relovan, and expresses her anger at how Relovan continues to attempt tossing away their lifespan as Trongy is simultaneously in the process of trying to save it from being endlessly filled with suffering via Ray. After an intense confrontation where Relovan admits they're tired of feeling useless and unable to help their friends, Trongy comes down to a compromise that she'll try to find ways for Relovan to be more helpful. Chenille offers to teach them how to use a rapier, and they enthusiastically agree.

Later on, Relovan is unexpectedly spotted by their older sister, Coralie, while in Kaldur. She insists that they (and the rest of their party) join her for dinner as she dishes about gossip about her employer and business happening at the diplomatic buildings between the Ortes Isles and a member of the Scaenan royal family, a Princess by the name of Anahita. Relovan seems helpless to deny her, despite the obvious contention of Chenille and the lingering discomfort of the party, they proceed to go to dinner, wherein the party quickly causes a scene conjuring the image of a fire and quickly escaping the venue. Since then, they have been in a mild panic since arriving in Osma about what Cora may say about them to their parents, unaware of the fact that Cora's eyes are enhanced with True Sight and she saw the marred marks on their face through their disguise.

Trongy Savond
Relovan has stated on record many times that Trongy is their best and closest friends. They've been traveling, living, and working together for seven years, after Relovan discovered her on the streets during an All Fools Eve festival. While Trongy is often distant with details about her past and her family (claiming up until the campaign's start that her family was dead), Relovan still feels that they know Trongy inherently, and trust her implicitly. Likewise, Trongy is incredibly grateful to Relovan for giving her the ability to get out of the lifestyle that she was in, and feels a strong protectiveness over them; this can lead to her accidentally infantilizing them for the sake of keeping them out of harm's way. Despite all of that, the two co-exist easily together, and frequently wrote music together pre-campaign using Trongy's guidance and bass lines, and Relovan's knowledge of piano and melody; Relovan was so confident in Trongy's abilities they attempted many times to introduce her to their parents, but the meeting never happened.

Acacia Synne
Acacia is a comforting friend to Relovan, and she makes them feel safe and protected. They've often taken many naps (in Relovan's case, of a meditative nature) together, and Relovan thinks the two share similar passions, which makes conversations endlessly interesting. They think she's strong, and clever, and kind, and that's all the best kinds of things a person could be.

Chenille Safin
Unintentionally, Relovan triggers the memory of Chenille's brother, leading them to have a very sibling-like relationship with Chenille taking on a similar protectiveness over them. From Relovan's perspective, Chenille does remind them of their sisters, but without the same constant edge against them; like what their sisters could have been if they'd been more kind. They've made multiple pinky promises with Chenille throughout the campaign, a habit they retained from the time spent with their grandmother. They care deeply for Chenille and can sense a greater sadness hiding beneath her surface (one they've oftentimes felt themselves) and wants to help her as much as they seek to help them.

Ipu Olapa
To Relovan, Ipu is dazzling; a Tiefling who dances like they've never seen and plays a haunting refrain like they've never heard on violin. Relovan admires the way that Ipu looks and appears, while seemingly missing the qualities the two share in favor of this image of Ipu (and the rest of the party) being more everything than Relovan - prettier, smarter, more engaging. Like all their friends, they want to help Ipu, even more after he confesses his anxieties and fears about being back in his hometown during the course of Season Four. Relovan wants Ipu to see himself the way that Relovan sees him; someone who matters without question, before purpose or meaning to anyone else.

Ruby Beast
Ruby and Relovan share a likeminded easy going quality that makes it easy for Relovan to feel comfortable in Ruby's company. While the two have very little in common, the two joke easily when rounded off together, either with or without Boys Town (TM).

Song Savond
Relovan was initially extremely flattered by the moments of attention Song had thrown Relovan's way throughout their travels together, however; during their time on the Eurydice as Song took an interest in the captain, Caval, Relovan began to recede into themselves, feeling self conscious and silly for believing it possible that someone may have taken a shine to them - a feeling they had never previously had experience with. Song later apologizes for this behavior after a stern talking to from Chenille, and Relovan, at the time under Ray's influence, dismissed it. Later, when Song asked Relovan again if they were okay, they replied that they didn't know why things wouldn't be okay, implying they had no recollection of what happened at all. As things currently stand, there's a tentative attract that Relovan still harbors, but with everything else going on in the lives of themselves and the party, they feel it best to not focus on something so frivolous with so much more at stake, and consider Song a friend first, regardless of anything else.