Lady Waira Virayana
by Jennifer GuerraSecond Wife of Prince Jherek Virayana IV of Krondahar
AC 1014
"Mind your instructors, and write me only when you have a break from studying, and after you've written your father."
(Waira Virayana to her son Rejladan, upon his leaving for the Great School of Magic. Palace staff say that Waira shut herself in her room for a week after the carriage pulled away)
Appearance
Waira Virayana appears to be about thirty years of age, thanks to Prince Jherek Virayana's supplies of potions of longevity for all his wives. She is plainly pretty, with long wavy medium brown hair framing her heart-shaped face. Her hazel eyes highlight the coppery-gold tones in her skin. At 5'6", Waira is petite, but she hides her figure under loose dels in the plain style of western Ethengar. Her smile is quick when she is complimented (a rare occasion), but her blush is quicker in times of embarrassment (a not-so-rare occasion). If she is actually engaged in conversation, Waira opens up, making expansive gestures with her hands and widening her eyes.
History
Waira Virayana, born in AC 976, is the daughter of the ultra-rich Krondaharan spice and silk dealer Arghun Subutar and his fifth wife, Ni-Jin. Growing up, Waira was very close to her shy and loving mother, who was browbeaten and shunned by Arghun's other jealous wives. But Arghun genuinely loved Ni-Jin, and defied convention (having more than four wives is considered extremely arrogant) to marry her; he was gentle and caring with her, and adored young Waira above all but his eldest son. So Waira grew up secure and confident, and with a fairly high view of-or at least certainly no bad opinions of-marrying as a lower wife.
At the age of fourteen, she was betrothed to the new Prince of Krondahar, Jherek Virayana IV, as his third wife. Prince Jherek had married his second wife, Aleah, only two years before, and had an infant son by her, Ralindi. But it was commonly known that Aleah was no mother: Jherek needed a mother for Ralindi as well as a woman who would bear him more sons. Waira's father, pleased at having made such a prestigious match for his darling daughter, sent her off to Singhabad with her sumptuous dowry jewellery and trousseau. It was Waira's first time away from home.
On the wedding night, Prince Jherek made it clear to Waira that there would be no emotional attachments of the kind her parents had lavished her with. Jherek was kind but distant, and frightened Waira with vague threats of discipline, if she did not obey his wishes. Waira complied, but wept when he left her chambers immediately after consummating the marriage. The next morning, though, her absent husband sent gifts of food, clothing, and servants, and Waira began to believe that she could win him over if only she was patient and understanding. She slowly adjusted to life at the palace, caring for young Ralindi as if he were her own. This earned her the eternal wrath of Aleah-although she wanted nothing to do with her son, neither did she want Jherek's snivelling brat of a wife to have him.
Waira gave birth to her own son, Rejladan, in AC 993, nearly two years to the day after her disappointing wedding night. Surprisingly, Jherek immediately warmed to her after the birth, lavishing attention upon her and the new baby. Waira fell in love with her husband then, but time passed and too quickly, and Jherek's attention turned once again to his favourite, first wife Lan-Syn. So Waira went on with her life, raising the boys with competence and confidence.
When Ralindi was nine and Rejladan six, Jherek enrolled both boys in special introductory (read: private) classes at the Great School of Magic, and Waira suddenly had a lot of time on her hands. Then one day, she was watching the boys practice with their physical trainer, and had an idea. With Jherek's permission, she hired a female fighter from Klantyre to train her in the use of the sword, just to keep herself busy and in shape. Jherek didn't quite understand her new passion for fighting, and grew suspicious of the trainer for a while, but thought it amusing. Waira found new self-confidence and stamina, and climbed rapidly through the levels to the eighth level, surpassing even her teacher.
The following year, AC 1000, Waira, three months pregnant, took a bad fall in practice and miscarried. Jherek was sick with grief, and furious. He melted down Waira's weapons and armour, and forbade her to pick up a weapon ever again. After that, Jherek all but ignored her completely. But tragedy soon struck: Rejladan disappeared, and Waira broke down completely. Jherek, half-insane with rage and fear as well as guilt, came to Waira. They comforted each other, and Waira finally grew close to her husband of seventeen years. Jherek revoked his order, and allowed Waira to resume her weapons training; this was her only solace during the long years of Rejladan's absence.
Jherek and Ralindi found and rescued Rejladan in AC 1011, from a strange pocket dimension in which Countess Sinaria Verlien of High Sonden, had trapped him. Waira has since retired from fighting, to focus upon guiding Ralindi and Rejladan into manhood.
Personality
Waira is the least dynamic of Jherek's three wives. She has none of Lan-Syn's grace or Aleah's fire. Instead, Waira is a dull little mouse. Since retiring from fighting, Waira has taken to doing pretty much nothing but whiling the days away in the gardens or by a window, should Ralindi and Rejladan not be around. The other wives call her lazy, and Aleah will occasionally even arouse Jherek's ire against her.
Friends & Foes
Aleah is intimidated into silence by Lan-Syn and terrified of Aleah. Although she has resigned herself to the fact that it will never happen, Waira still carries deep within the ember of a hope that someday Jherek will love her once more, as he did when Rejladan was born. Unfortunately for her, the marriage was simply one of convenience. Her birth-son, Rejladan, so full of pain and anger at his long imprisonment, holds himself aloof from his mother, but Waira will not be daunted. Ralindi is as close to his stepmother as most are to their natural mothers. She guides him carefully toward realising his destiny, as Jherek's heir and future Prince of Krondahar.
Statistics & Fighting Styles
8th-level fighter, retired.
Str 14 Dex 16 Con 16 Int 12 Wis 10 Cha 10; AL N (D&D, AD&D).
Languages: Ethengarian (Krondaharan dialect), Thyatian (Glantrian dialect), and a bit of Kaelic.
Skills: reading/writing, blind-fighting, endurance, riding/land-based (horse), etiquette.
Weapon Proficiencies: long sword, short sword, dagger.
Waira has long retired from fighting and hardly remembers the sword fighting style taught to her long ago. She has no more weapons or armour in her possession. The only magical treasure she has is a ring of protection +5, given to her by Jherek.
"Isn't it funny? People call me a cat and her a mouse. Ah, to be allowed to live up to my end of the bargain and be rid of her once and for all!"
(Aleah Virayana)