Vesper Nightshade
MystaransKeeper of Forbidden Prophecies
"Some futures should not be known. I have given my life to ensure they remain unspoken.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Vault of Unspoken Futures
- Civilization
- Mystarans
Appearance
• Physical: Vesper is gaunt and severe, with silver-streaked black hair and eyes that have seen too much. She moves silently, as if trying not to disturb the dangerous knowledge she guards. Her presence makes people uneasy. • Clothing: She wears dark robes covered in protective wards against the prophecies she guards. Her jewelry is made from materials that block prophetic influence. • Distinguishing Marks: Her lips are permanently stained black from speaking forbidden words. She wears gloves at all times to avoid accidental contact with dangerous texts.
Relationships
- Family - Forgotten them long ago; the vault is her only family now
- Allies - The Council who trust her with this duty; the vault's guardian spirits who keep her company
- Rivals - Those who want to access forbidden prophecies for power; entities that feed on dangerous knowledge
Personality
- Traits: Severe but not cruel, deeply committed to her duty, lonely from isolation, surprisingly gentle with those who must learn terrible truths
- Mannerisms: Speaks in whispers, touches her black lips when agitated, positions herself between visitors and the vault
- Voice: Soft and careful, with a quality that makes even casual statements sound ominous
Backstory
Vesper was a promising young seer until she accidentally spoke a forbidden prophecy and caused a localized disaster. Rather than execute her, the Council assigned her to guard the Vault of Unspoken Futures—a prison for prophecies too dangerous to be known. She's been there for over a century, protecting the world from knowledge that could destroy it.
Daily Life
She maintains the vault's wards, reviews requests to access restricted prophecies (usually denying them), and performs rituals to keep dangerous knowledge contained. She has minimal contact with the outside world and speaks to the prophecies themselves more than to living people.
Secret
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Story Hooks
- 1 A forbidden prophecy has escaped the vault, and Vesper needs help tracking it down before it causes disaster
- 2 She must choose whether to reveal a terrible prophecy that could save lives but destroy the person she tells