#lbd writes

Name: Velia Furlan da Nicolaou or simply 'Velia Furlan'

Alias/Nicknames: Vel

Age: Early 20's, more specifically they are 2 years older than Strohl.

Tribe: Clemar

Pronouns: She/They

Gender: Nonbinary (Unspecified)

Height: 5'4"

Body Type: Short, looks more delicate than and wispy than she actually is.

Associated Archetype (s): The Witch (starting Archetype), The Watcher, and the Prophet (basically a theme of magic, observation, and foresight)

Family, Friends, and Loved Ones: Earl and Countess Furlan da Nicolaou (parents), Julian (eldest brother), Victorine (eldest sister), Gaius (older brother), Patricia (older sister), Cosette (older sister), Rosabella (younger sister), Lord and Lady Strohl da Haliaetus (Legal Guardians), Leon (childhood friend, legally betrothed)

Home: Nicolai (up to Age 7), Halia (Age 7 to mid teens), The estate of their sister Patricia and her husband (mid teens to just before the start of the game), Grand Trad (parents and her sister's family spend a significant time here and this they spent time here as well while living with them)

Background:

The childhood friend of Leon Strohl. Velia hails from a noble family of some importance and the sixth born of seven children. Their parents invested their time, love, and attention into their two eldest children, and then later their very youngest, tending to emotionally neglect the others.

While Velia's parents did the typical noble thing of making deals and alliances with more powerful nobles to attain more power, they found many benefits to allying with more obscure and rural nobility, especially when it came to growing their network of information. One such alliance they made with the family of Strohl, which included an arrangement of marriage between their children, Leon and Velia. However, House Furlan asked additional favor of House Strohl, that they take Velia into their house and raise her until she and Leon were of age to marry. In return, House Strohl received a considerable sum of money and much needed supplies for themselves and their village, Halia.

House Furlan made similar arrangements with their other middle children in order to better focus on the children they favored, with the exception of their second son Gaius, who went into the church.

Velia initially felt rejected and abandoned with first arriving in Halia. However, the child of seven was greeted by a kind Lord and Lady Strohl, as well as the amiable servants of the house.

Leon (who was five at the time) was not entirely too keen on the new resident his family took in, and so their initial interactions were rather standoffish and awkward at best and somewhat antagonistic at worst. Leon saw Velia as the latest example of his parents smiling and acquiescing to please the other nobles. (Which, admittedly, in this case, wasn't entirely wrong.)

However, things changed when Velia snuck out periodically to explore the natural landscape around Halia and investigate the town. Leon eventually followed Velia on their outings, and the two bonded over the adventures they had together on them, eventually coming to see one another in a new light.

Eventually, the two of them were able to interact amiably, and in time they became friends. In even more time still, they were the best of friends.

However, tragedy struck when the village of Halia was attacked by a terrible monster known as a Human. Help was sent for but never came. Lord and Lady Strohl gave their lives trying to evacuate the villagers and fight the monster. The servants ushered Leon and Velia to safety and thus they (and a good chunk of the servants) survived, but Halia was razed to the ground and the village was lost, as were the vast majority of the inhabitants.

Heartbroken and traumatized, Velia and Leon were forced to flee the smoldering ruins of their home, eventually taking refuge with the family of Velia's older sister Patricia and her husband*.

(* = I'm not very far in the game so I don't know if anything in canon contradicts this as far as what Leon did after he left Halia. May or may not adjust this later as I play the game more.)

Velia and Leon stayed together, bound by the horrors of what they faced and seeing each other not only as dear friends, but all they had left of the life that was ripped away from them. Their friendship has developed some unhealthy habits around the edges, another unfortunate byproduct of their shared trauma. But they have continued to be close, their friendship a lifeline to each other through the years.

Years later, Leon has left for Grand Trad to join the guard, and Velia is not far behind him, hoping to sign up for the healer core of the guard to assist the injured.

The protagonist can recruit them both as part of the same main story questline.

She could hear the screaming outside more clearly now. The scent of smoke was in the air, and not the pleasant kind. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind now, examining the corpse of the man who tried to break into her shop.

  This was a bandit raid. And the realization turned her blood to ice.

  “Daw,” Meri’s voice was sharp, “I need you to get someone safe. Is there a place you can go?”

  Daw got shakily to his feet, his gaze snapping to hers in attempt to avoid the gruesome scene on the floor.

  “I think so. The church maybe, it’s more fortified than the other buildings in the village, yeah? I think if I can make it there, I should be relatively safe. I suspect some other folks will think the same. There’s also Old Marsden’s cellar, I suppose-”

  “Make your way to whichever is easiest for you. Try not to be seen,” Meri cut him off as she stood abruptly. “I’ll come look for you later.”

  Daw’s eyes widened, “Wait, Miss Meri, what about you? Don’t tell me you’re going out there to fight them!”

  She once again swept the spell tome into her arms, carrying it with her as she made her way to the window, studying the best place to cross through while avoiding the jagged shards of glass that still clung to the frame. She spotted a gap, and hopped through.

  “I know how to fight, should I have to. And right now, we’re under attack. I think that more than qualifies.”

  Meri attempted to take a steadying breath, to prevent herself from shaking with rage.

  This is my home. These people are my friends and neighbors. I will not cower and run as their lives are plundered, their possessions put to the torch. As they are tormented and put to the sword.

  No. I won’t allow it!

  “Miss Meri-”

  “Daw-” She hissed. Seeing his expression, she softened her tone, imploring him. “Please don’t argue with me. Go. I want my apprentice to be safe.”

  Daw hesitated for a moment. But then, he gave her a nod.

  “Aye, Miss.” After a brief pause, she heard him softly add something more. “Naga watch over you.”

  And then, he slunk back towards the back of the shop, no doubt planning to go through the back entrance. Good, thought Meri. He’ll be safer going that way.

  As for herself, she doubted Naga was watching over her. But Daw’s sentiment wasn’t lost on her. She would be careful.

Meri spotted a couple of men turning down the street, coming towards her. It didn’t take long for them to see her in kind. One drew a sword, while the other toyed with an axe.

  “Oi, you! Stay right where you are, little lady.”

  “We won’t hurt you are long as you’re willing to cooperate-”

  My intruder’s comrades. Meri flipped open her tome, quickly reciting a spell as she made a sweeping gesture, first to the left, and then the right.

  “Storm’s breath take you!”

  A strong gale buffeted the two bandits, blowing them apart and sending them into the hard stone of the buildings around them with a loud crack. One slumped down to the ground, the other just staggering back to his feet.

  “You little witch-”

  Meri didn’t let him finish, quickly loosing another gust on him that knocked him into the wall once more. Then he, too, slumped to the ground in a heap like his fellow.

  Good riddance. Now, I just need to-

  “Behind you!”

  “Huh!?” Meri nearly jumped as she whirled around at the sound of someone’s voice. But before she could identify it, another bandit was practically on top of her. He swung down with on her with a hammer, giving her barely any time to react. Meri attempted to leap from the arc of the hammer’s path, and while she managed to dodge, it came at the price of losing her footing. She fell down on her back, letting on an involuntary yelp.

  “Now I’ve got you!” The bandit attempted to wind up his attack again. “Now make this easier on me, darling, and hold still…”

  Certainly not who she heard before.

  Shit! Move! Move!

  The hammer started to come down. But then the arc was interrupted by the flash of blue and white. Meri heard metal grinding against metal. It took her a second to process it, but then she realized someone had shielded her from the attack and was now engaging her would be assailant. Meri looked up to see a fluttering white cape, a head of deep blue hair, the blade of a sword.

  “You won’t be laying on hand on her,” said the stranger. It was him she heard before, she realized.

  Meri struggled to her feet, scrambling out from behind her protector to try and take a shot to disable his opponent.

  She hurled another wind spell, the rush of air knocking the bandit off balance and breaking the standoff. The opening was clear, and her rescuer took it, cutting him down. The bandit crumpled to the ground, a pool of blood beginning to gather underneath him.

  And that was the last of them. At least where she was. She could still hear the cacophony of terror elsewhere, and the smoke was easier to spot as the sun was rising higher in the sky. It wasn’t over yet.

  Even so, Meri closed her eyes briefly, letting out a sigh of relief. That was too close for her liking. She was supposed to be attempting caution.

  “You alright?”

  “I’m fine,” she responded automatically to the query, “Thank you, I would have been in serious trouble if you hadn’t come along.” Her eyes blinked open, and when she got a look at the stranger who had come to her aide, she was caught off guard.

  Now that she saw him from the front, the first thing that grabbed her attention were his clothes. It was clear from the quality of the material and patterning that the man in front of her was a noble of some kind. But the asymmetric design of his garments and the lack of a sleeve on one sie had her a bit… puzzled.

  Then again, it wasn’t like she kept up with the fashion trends of the upper crust anywhere she went.

  “It’s no trouble,” said the nobleman. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  The next thing she noticed was that he had a kind face. A rather handsome face too, she supposed, but the fact his expression was so disarming to her was what really drew her attention. She’d met very few people who could have that kind of effect on a person, let alone her.

  She felt her inner defenses start to gear up. She had a general distrust of nobility. But, anyone with that kind of charm in her experience was someone to be wary of.

  But he had helped her. For now, he was an ally. Someone she could trust at least circumstantially.

  “It hurt a bit when I fell over but I’m no worse for wear,” she answered, “I don’t believe we’ve met. May I ask your name?”

  “Good.” The nobleman seemed assured enough by her answer, although he still held some compassionate concern in his gaze. But then he blinked, as though just realizing she asked him a question. “Chrom. I’m Captain of the Shepherds. We were patrolling through this area when someone from the village ran to us calling for help.”

  Meri subconsciously raised an eyebrow at the introduction. He looks rather young to be a captain. Then again, if he’s a noble… “The Shepherds? You’ll have to forgive me. I’ve lived here for quite a while but I’ve never heard of them before. Are they some sort of special guard or military unit?”

  “We’re more of a militia of sorts. We travel Ylisse rendering aide where we can.” Chrom’s gaze shifted towards the pillars of smoke. “I’m sorry, but I need to move.”

  Alright, here’s the part where he tells me to go find somewhere safe to hide while he runs off to go save the day. She would preempt him on that. “I can handle myself in a fight. If we work together we can cover each other and work to quell these bandits. What say you?”

  She gave him an anticipatory look, expecting him to reject the idea. But, that isn’t what happened.

  “You don’t need to convince me you’re a capable mage. I saw you take care of those two bandits earlier before, and you recovered quickly and managed to help me with the one who tried to attack you,” said Chrom. “We’ll gladly take the help. But stay close. It’s dangerous for someone like you to fight in close quarters.”

  Meri took a moment to process the answer, having been thrown off her script. But she quickly regained her bearings, and nodded. “Of course. I’ll follow behind.”

  “Let’s go, then-” Chrom paused. “Er. You’ll have to forgive me, I never asked your name.”

  “It’s Meri, Captain,” she replied. “I’m the apothecary in these parts. I’m sure we’ll have time for pleasantries later.”