CHARACTER PROFILE: DUCHESS VERONICA EVRILL
“This morning started like any other. I made my rounds through the hospital and checked on the test subjects. 3, 9, and 17 died while I slept. 20, 16, 1, and 10 were breathing but just barely, as the plague began to take them. I could have wept, Clark, and I would have, had it not been for subject 5. When his bandages came off the dog rot sores around his lips had faded, and his skin lost its yellow sheen, and his eyes were bright and alert. I think I may have found a cure….”-Sins of a Sovereignty
WARNING, I CANT TALK ABOUT EVRILL WITHOUT GOING INTO SPOILER TERRITORY, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Evrill is a character who embodies all the hope of scientific discovery, and all of it’s demons. I see Evrill as an amalgam of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Marie Curie. Both real life geniuses ahead of their time who suffered because of their discoveries. Evrill’s lived a long life, so buckle your seatbelts kids, it’s gonna be a long blog post.
The Evrill family arrived in Amernia when the country was conquered by Vaetor. For hundreds of Years the Evrill clan lived in their mountain home, Harpy’s Point, isolated and removed from Amernian politics. Veronica Evrill has a sister, born when she was 22.
A vicious plague struck Amernia, and claimed the lives of Evrill’s parents. The Dog Rot plague weakened Amernia, and the Amernian people quickly became dissatisfied with Vaetor, who still ruled Amernia from across the sea. The sinking of the Yellow Keep ignited the Rose Rebellion, as Gabriel Roselock led a crusade against Vaetorian rule.
During the Rose Rebellion Evrill struggled to maintain order in Harpy’s Point. Seeing opportunity in the cave systems exotic wildlife Evrill began to conduct experiments with Cave Salamanders, who can regrow maimed limbs. Through her research Evrill was able to develop a vaccine for Dog Rot just as Amernia gained independence.
Evrill’s research preoccupied most of her time, and left the Duchess little opportunity to serve as a surrogate parent to her sister. Against Evrill’s wishes, her sister married into the Stolke family and left Harpies Point for good. It was during this time Evrill began to study Dragon Anatomy.
Her research into Dragons led to the discovery experimental weapon, Nixus. The unstable compound was famously deployed in the Green War before testing was complete, and left Capricorn, one of a Amernia’s proudest cities, permanently shrouded in poison fog. Thousands died in the fallout, and Evrill has never forgiven herself for that day. Haunted by her mistakes, Evrill retreated to Harpy’s Point, where she spent the next decade furthering her humanitarian efforts to try and make up for her terrible misdeed.
(Thanks Adventure Time!)
To Evrill’s disappointment, the constant exposure to chemicals left her barren. The closest thing she has to a child is the sorcerer Calcifer, who she tries, “and fails” to be a voice of reason for in the young man’s chaotic life. Pendragon shares many of the same regrets as Evrill, and it’s perhaps because of this the two share a special connection. I don’t know if I would call what they have love, but there is an intense bond hiding beneath the surface.
Evrill tries her hardest to lead by example, putting her ideals before all else. She somehow manages to give her people hope, when all else seems grim. I find her committal ideals to be both admirable and infuriating. Evrill is someone many people aspire to be, but few have the strength to become. I’ve said enough for now….
More character profiles coming soon.
This blogpost was originally posted on my goodreads.
