((Obviously, unlike this picture, Maire has pale blue eyes and a double chin.))
Name: Maire Virtanen
Sex: Female
Age: 26 years old
Appearance: Maire stands at a meager height of 5'5" and has short black hair, a sizable gut, and eyes the color of a frozen lake. Her skin is also exceptionally pale, and she usually wears brightly dyed tunics, breeches, and robes. Lastly, the gifted alchemist always seems to radiate an aura of unshakeable confidence and poise.
Personality: There are those who are satisfied with the cards fate deals them. And then there are people like Maire Virtanen. Due to her humble origins, the bloated clanswoman loves nothing more than glutting herself on life's finer things, and she enjoys lavishing gifts upon the meanginful people in her life. Of course, the most valuable objects are kept for herself or offered to the clan chief. One commodity Maire is happy to share, however, is the knowledge and insight she's gained by studying with learned men and women. A kern wants to encourage his cattle to eat sweet grass so they put on flesh? Maire will help the peasant find where sweet grass grows, and she'll teach him how to harvest it without damaging the fragile seeds. Soon, the kern's herd will be full of fat, healthy animals. In truth, the alchemist finds ignorance and stupidity appalling in the utmost. Only by understanding the world around you can you successfully manipulate it. And Maire enjoys twisting things, whether its a quote from Aran the Sage or the opinions of others, to suit her purposes. In addition, the overweight urlandi enjoys a challenge as long as it doesn't put her or those she cares about at risk. Danger is something to be avoided at all costs unless it absolutely has to be confronted.
Maire also has a soft spot for children, viewing them as valuable investments in the clan's future. Only by shaping their young minds through hard lessons and firm instruction will they grow into capable members of the group. Only then will they be capable of determining their own destinies. This is the final and most important part of who Maire Virtanen is. She doesn't like being controlled. She prefers to do the controlling. While she knows her gender limits her in some ways, Maire always appears to be composed and focused. Only when she's indulging her love of rich foods and high-quality garments is her hedonism apparent. In the end, Maire is a willful, formidable clanswoman determined to thrive in a world teeming with danger. No matter the cost.
Background: Born to Fergus and Idunna Virtanen, Maire grew up in a small yet beautiful house towards the center of her clan's holdings. Many years earlier, Caradoc "The Wolfslayer" Virtanen earned a place in the clan by slaying a wolf pack that had been harassing their flocks. Before he perished ten years later thanks to lung rot, Caradoc also built the renowned Blue House out of marble blocks quarried from a nearby mountain. He died shortly after the house's completion. Originally, the gorgeous building housed Fergus Virtanen and his wife but, nearly three years after Caradoc's demise, Maire would be born into this well-known home. Idunna, a skilled alchemist, was the foremost brewer of potions and elixirs in the entire clan. Other urlandi would travel great distances to visit her to obtain remedies for their ailments, and Idunna was more than willing to help. As long as they paid in full and didn't ask for poisons. She also wanted Maire to follow in her footsteps. While other clan children were still struggling to say their names correctly, Maire was learning about the properties of various plants and alchemical reagents. Idunna also used her considerable influence to introduce her daughter to wise men and women from across the kingdom. These intellectuals taught Maire a great deal, and she grew into an introspective yet deceptively observant maiden.
Unfortunately, Fergus, son of Caradoc the Wolfslayer, was a constant blight on this otherwise happy household. His excessive drinking ensured the Virtanens always lacked coin and supplies when they needed it most. Despite their well-constructed and charming home, Idunna and Maire lived in constant fear of the family's inebriated patriarch. Perhaps the one decent thing Fergus did for Maire was to teach her how to wield a dagger and quarterstaff, though she never mastered the skill. It was the only time Maire saw her father truly happy. When he was laughing at her for failing to execute a particular strike correctly. A humorless man tormented by his father's legacy and his wife's prominence, Fergus was viewed as little more than a piss poor woodsman by the rest of the clan. If it wasn't for Idunna's extensive knowledge of herbs and poultices, the clan chief would've more than likely banished the drunken fool. Of course, Idunna's eventual appointment to the clan's council prevented this from ever coming to pass. Whenever someone asked why she stayed with such a despicable man, the alchemist simply smiled and said she loved him. Unfortunately, the sounds of Fergus drunkenly sharing his "love" with his family became commonplace after his wife's ascension.
And then, during the Rain Season, bandits attacked the clan.
After the brigands were driven back, Idunna was found with a bloody gash carved into her back, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open in an expression of dismay. Maire, who by this point was more educated than women twice her age, found this curious. Her mother had been killed from behind, and the blow had come as a surprise. Furthermore, the injury looked like it was made by single, razor-sharp edge. The brigands had fought with saw-edged blades and daggers pitted with rust. Her father fought with a two-headed axe, which he loved more than anything else. Except alcohol. In the wake of this horrific tragedy, the Council was one person short and, shockingly, Fergus offered himself as a replacement. His proposal was greeted with mockery and outright scorn. Furious, the woodsman returned to the Blue House in disgrace. Nobody is entirely sure what happened next. At some point, however, Maire ran out of her family's home, screaming that her father had been ambushed and killed by bandits. The Council ordered the gallocmen to seek out the remaining miscreants, though they found no sign of the trespassers. Only the corpses of the bandits killed earlier that day. Considering the clan's opinion of him, Fergus' death wasn't investigated very thoroughly. Especially when, several weeks later, Maire suggested she might be old enough to assume her mother's duties as a member of the council and the clan's foremost alchemist. To distract her from losing both her parents, of course.
The orphaned woman, who was now in her early twenties, joined the Council and quickly proved her worth. While she did develop a reputation for being a glutton and a hoarder, Maire always ensured the clan never wanted for herbs or vital tinctures. She also reached out to her mother's former patrons and became quite wealthy through her dealings with them. Furthermore, she did something Idunna refused to. She made poisons for those willing to pay her exorbitant fees. Without Fergus holding her back, Maire transformed from a scrawny girl into an immense woman who regularly stuffed herself with rich foods and dressed in only the finest garments. Life seemed to be taking a turn for the better until High King Harlaus issued his proclamation. Maire believed it might be worth trying to reason with the man, but this wasn't a popular opinion. Now, the alchemist has been forced to move into this strange, new valley alongside the rest of her clan. Still, Maire intends to do all she can to guarantee the group thrives in their new home so she can enjoy her beloved luxuries. And possibly return home as a member of the most formidable clan in Urland.
Personal Goals: Maire is more concerned with her own survival than anything else. She does, however, intend to become the most knowledgeable and respected alchemist in the kingdom. Of course, what she truly wants is the wealth and prestige such a position would bring.
Clan Goals: Outwardly, Maire claims she wants her clan to grow in power and become a force to be reckoned with. A force to make even the high king tremble. In truth, she longs to return home despite the unpleasantness of her childhood.
Estate: Prior to High King Harlaus' decree, the Virtanen family resided in a hut made of blue marble bricks, which was known as the Blue House. Maire left her childhood home behind during the clan's forced migration, though she's tried to make do with the resources available to her. She currently lives in a well-constructed, if somewhat rustic, hut on the outskirts of the clan's territory. This shack, which is filled with luxuries most people have never seen, is jokingly called Maire's Mansion. On a more ominous note, a weathered quarterstaff can be found leaning against the bedroom door, and there are rumors of an extensive knife collection hidden somewhere on the premises.
Traits:- Basic Weapons-You are skilled with the usage of less specialized weapons, such as knives, clubs and staffs. +1
- Alchemist-You have an impressive knowledge of herbs, salves, and even poisons, and know how to identify and create them. +3
- Chef-You can prepare and preserve food better than most. +1
- Learned-You are literate and have a relatively advanced education, in comparison to the common man. +2
- Heavy Eater-You have a big belly. -1
- Observant-You are better at noticing traps, as well as your enemies' weaknesses. +1
- Greedy-All of the riches are yours, and nobody else's! -1
- Light Sleeper-You wake easily at the first sign of danger. +1
