Vende Molniere

Background

Sehann is the product of an ill-advised fling between a house Bear merchant, Sen Molniere, and a house Lizard barmaid, Maxelle Febvre. The two never really shared any kind of relationship, just an evening of drunken fumbling on the Night of the Bear. Unfortunately for them, one night is really all it takes.

One year later, Sen was happily married to Cara, the daughter of a respectable merchant of his own house, with whom he had fathered a son: Vende. Maxelle's arrival upon their doorstep with the three-month-old Sehann was an unpleasant surprise, indeed. She had been unable to hold down her job and care for the child, and, facing a good fifteen years of hardship as the unsupported single parent of a Houseless bastard, had become rather desperate, and somewhat bitter. At first, she asked the couple for money, threatening to reveal Sen's indiscretion in a most indecorous fashion -- something which would very likely have crippled his business. Then, however, while he and his wife retired to another room to discuss their options (read: have a huge fight), Maxelle apparently had a better idea... She fled the house, leaving her baby behind, never to be seen again. Presumably, she left the city entirely, escaping to somewhere where the stigma of her Houseless offspring would not follow her.

Sen and Cara were not bad people... The prospect of abandoning a baby to an orphanage, even if he was Houseless, seemed rather harsh. In the end, the couple decided to take Sehann in. Although they were unwilling to anger the gods by passing him off as a member of their house, they did not want his parentage to reflect badly on his father, either. The boy was presented to friends and acquaintances as an unfortunate distant cousin; although most people did not understand what would possess two upstanding persons such as the Molnieres to burden themselves with a Houseless orphan, many also felt that it was a selfless, charitable thing to do... sort of like rescuing a stray dog. Although it would be difficult to say whether his father and stepmother loved Sehann, they did at least accept him, raising him alongside their own son. The boys themselves were not even told of their actual relation until they were nearly fifteen.

Surprisingly, Sehann and Vende did not resent each other in the least; they were as close as any brothers, even before they came to know the truth. Even when Sehann was forced to wear his younger brother's hand-me-downs, or look on forlornly while his father worked to show Vende the family craft; even when Vende was mocked by the other children for letting a little houseless rat tag along with him... they were virtually inseparable. They even looked somewhat alike, with their father's thick dark hair, dark eyes, and strong nose -- although Vende was a little taller and broader. The revelation of their brotherhood only brought the boys closer together.

The idea to strike out on their own after they had both turned fifteen was Vende's. Having spent his whole life in the city of Diablotin, he wanted some kind of adventure to remember when he was older; something perhaps to tell his children after he had taken over the family business. Although Sen was none to pleased at the idea of having his successor take off for parts unknown, and for an undetermined period of time, there was little he could do to stop the boys. It was understood, after all, that Vende would at some point (in the not-too-far-off future) return to Diablotin, and any parental attempt to stop his leaving could just as easily end up changing his mind!

Sehann and Vende spent five years on the road together, hiring themselves out for odd jobs, and sometimes even as mercenaries or bodyguards. It was incredibly exciting; every day a new challenge, a new experience. They encountered all manner or interesting travellers (even an elf, once!), and came across beasts which they had thought to exist only in books. Best of all, to his mind, no-one questioned Sehann's House outside the city... Vende would always introduce himself as being of house Bear, and tell newly-met acquaintances that Sehann was his brother. It was a very different life than the one of general rejection and ostracism he had known among the populace of Diablotin. He thrived in the rugged frontier lands, secretly wishing that his brother would decide to stay away from the city forever... until the day they ran afoul of the owlbear. It fought with brutal strength, and though between the two of them, the brothers finally managed to fell the beast, Vende was fatally wounded. Sehann could do nothing but watch helplessly as the life drained away from his brother, who was sadly beyond any mundane means of healing... Himself injured, it was all he could do to bury Vende, and limp to the nearest settlement.

Sehann was crushed, at a loss... Eventually he realized that he would have to return to Diablotin, and tell his parents what had happened. After all, as unpleasant as it would likely be, they did have a right to know. Throughout the long trip home, his heart weighed heavily. They would be crushed, utterly destroyed; Vende was their only real son, the heir to the family business... and what would they be left with but him, an unwanted reminder of a long-ago mistake.

As he trudged into and through the city of Diablotin, he was reminded of all the things he had not missed. Children harassing an elderly houseless beggar. Overheard conversations about what a shame it was that Houseless children could no longer be merely abandoned to the elements. Street preachers proclaiming the Houseless as a disease of the spirit of the Empire. Was this really all he had to look forward to, for the rest of his life? Wanting to briefly delay the inevitable, he stopped at a tavern in the Place d'Iena for a drink. As the bartender served him without comment, he realized something... This man had no idea he was houseless. It wasn't something you could tell just by looking... An idea began to form. He looked up from his ale, and into the mirror behind the bar, and was stricken by just how much he did resemble Vende. The hair, the eyes, the nose... They had both been away so long. A person does change, over five years; any discrepancies between memory and fact could easily be put aside... He took another look at his reflection. The scar the owlbear had left above his lip... Why, that would be just another distraction. He knew all of Vende's quirks and mannerisms... it would be easy. Surely, he thought, his brother would not begrudge him this. Living as a Houseless in Diablotin, Sehann might as well be dead himself. Vende would have wanted him to have a decent life, or at least a chance at one... His mind made up, he paid for his drink, and headed home to tell his parents the tragic news: sadly, Sehann hadn't made it home.

It is difficult to say whether his parents believed the lie entirely, or whether the lie was simply more acceptable to them than the fact of their son's death. Whatever the case, their acceptance virtually guaranteed the success of Sehann's deception. Acquaintances and family friends had no reason to even question his identity, with the Molnieres claiming him as Vende. Posing as his brother, he took over the family business only a year after his return to Diablotin,

Sehann has been successfully 'passing' for about six years now. He runs a butcher shop in the Place d'Iena, has just taken on an apprentice of his own, and is widely considered to be a respectable, successful merchant, from a long line of respectable, successful merchants. He lives alone, in a small house a few blocks away from his shop. While amicable enough, he generally keeps to himself during his off hours, but he does have a handful of close friends. He maintains a close relationship with his parents.

Sehann is unmarried, and unattached.... Although he is not willing to believe that he has no soul, he does not want to involve anyone else in his deception, or to inflict his Houseless status upon a wife, or, gods forbid, any children, should the lie ever be discovered. He is, in general, a rather prudent person, for obvious reasons; and, although basically a good man, looks out for himself before anyone else.

Description

Sehann/Vende is a man of 26 years, of average height with a compact, wiry build. Although he is not as large as some other members of House Bear, it is obvious that he possesses considerable strength. There is little fat on his body, and his muscles stand out like tightly knotted ropes when tensed. His thick, black hair hangs in waves to just above his shoulders; and he wears a full, although well-trimmed beard, interrupted by a scar which runs from just below his left cheekbone all the way down to his lip. His dark brown eyes are quite active; one has the impression that he is trying to watch as many things as possible at once. His features overall are quite strong: his cheekbones prominent, and his eyes deep-set. Vende typically wears his leather butcher's apron over a white shirt (well, white at the start of the day) with the sleeves rolled up, and well-made but simple brown or grey wool pants.