¶ Velraan
Velraan
¶ Overview
- Full Name: Velraan
- Species: Lyndri/NorAellian Hybrid
- Nationality: Tel'Erani
- Born: ~2675
- Gender: Female
- Sex: Female
- Sexual Identity: Straight
- Faction: Tel'Erani, Freelance
Velraan is the Minister of Science on Tel'Erani and one of the most brilliant minds of her generation. What few know is that she is also the first successful Lyndri-NorAellian hybrid—a genetic impossibility made real through years of secret research by the Monarchy in Exile. In a poetic twist of fate, she is now the key to saving her people from the very pandemic that made her existence possible.
¶ Physical Description
Velraan is tall for a Lyndri—far taller and stronger than any of her sisters. She has a lean, graceful build that belies her tremendous physical capabilities, with the fluid grace characteristic of her mother's people combined with strength inherited from her NorAellian father. Her bones and muscles are significantly denser than either parent species, giving her deceptive strength while maintaining a slender appearance. Her fur is a striking mix of green and red from her father's genetics blending with her mother's purple coloring. Her eyes are an unusual oxblood color—so dark they appear nearly black in low light, but revealing their deep reddish hue when the light catches them.
¶ Personality
Brilliant but difficult, Velraan describes herself as "odd and very specific." She inherited personality traits from both parents, resulting in what she self-deprecatingly calls "a social war crime." She is pragmatic, blunt, and socially awkward—but fiercely loyal to the few people who can tolerate her eccentricities.
¶ Biology
¶ The Impossibility
Lyndri and NorAellians are not genetically compatible. Cross-species reproduction between them should be impossible—their biology is simply too different. A NorAellian-Lyndri hybrid had never even been attempted before Velraan. Yet she exists.
¶ Creation
Jirael became obsessed with the idea of having a child with Kashk after a friend suggested it might be possible. The Monarchy in Exile's scientists—the Queen's Scientists—had spent the last millennia perfecting techniques to manipulate the Lyndri genome as part of their efforts to combat the pandemic.
A critical factor made Velraan's conception possible: Jirael herself is an "infected" Lyndri, carrying the pandemic virus. Ironically, the virus that has plagued her people for centuries makes the genetics of those it infects much easier to manipulate—this is the same mechanism the Sooni built into the virus to keep thwarting NorAellian attempts at a cure.
It took years of effort and research to conceive Velraan as a viable embryo. Despite the significant risks to both mother and daughter, Jirael insisted on carrying Velraan to term herself—made possible only by the Lyndri's naturally short pregnancy terms.
¶ Hybrid Traits
Velraan is predominantly Lyndri in appearance and genetics, but enough of her father's NorAellian genes survived to grant her unique advantages:
- Lyndri Grace: She inherited the natural fluidity and graceful movement characteristic of her mother's people
- NorAellian Strength: From her father, she inherited significant physical power—she is far stronger than any other Lyndri
- Dense Physiology: Her bones are denser than either parent species, and her muscles denser still, allowing her to exert tremendous force while appearing lean and lithe
- Enhanced Senses: Her sense of taste is stronger than a typical Lyndri's, inherited from her NorAellian side
- Unique Coloring: Her fur displays green and red tones from her father's genetics mixed with her mother's purple, and her eyes are an unusual oxblood color unlike either parent species
¶ Unknowns
Much about Velraan's biology remains uncertain. It is unknown whether she will continue growing like her father, or how long she will live. She is, after all, the first of her kind.
Due to her unique hybrid parentage, Velraan was born sterile—unable to have children of her own.
¶ History
¶ Origins
Velraan was born to Jirael, head Ambassador to the League, and Kashk, a NorAellian. Her parents have been secretly married for decades, their relationship hidden from a galaxy that would never accept it—especially given the staged war between their peoples. Her hybrid nature is one of the Monarchy in Exile's greatest secrets; if widely known, it would reveal capabilities far beyond what anyone suspects.
¶ Early Development
Unexpectedly, Velraan matured like a normal Lyndri, reaching young adulthood at twelve years old. By sixteen, she had graduated with multiple advanced degrees and was appointed as one of the Queen's Scientists on Tel'Erani. Her intellect and drive were evident from the start.
¶ Lead Scientist
Three years later, at just nineteen, Velraan was appointed lead scientist—an extraordinary achievement for someone so young. Her work focuses on combating the pandemic that has plagued her mother's people for millennia.
Her recent breakthroughs have shown a near 80% success rate in reversing the effects of the virus on "infected" Lyndri like her mother. It seems fitting that Velraan—a product of the very science she studies, made possible by the virus she now fights—may be the key to saving her people.
¶ Minister of Science
Velraan rose to become the Minister of Science on Tel'Erani, overseeing all scientific research on the colony. Her brilliant mind and scientific acumen made her a natural fit for the role, even if her difficult personality sometimes complicates political relationships.
¶ Queen's Guard
Beyond her scientific role, Velraan serves as a Queen's Guard—honor-bound to protect the Queen and the Monarchy in Exile. She has dedicated her existence to the Queen without hesitation, recognizing that the Monarchy is, in a very real way, the reason she exists at all. This duty reflects her understanding of the debt she owes to those who made her life possible.
¶ Major Associations
¶ Jirael
- Relation: Mother
Jirael is the head Ambassador to the League and secretly serves the Monarchy in Exile. She raised Velraan with an awareness of her unique heritage and the need for secrecy. Jirael has been deeply involved in shaping who Velraan became, teaching her breathing exercises, martial training, and diplomatic skills—though Velraan's natural bluntness often overrides the latter. Despite Velraan's difficulty expressing affection (inherited from her father), the bond between mother and daughter is strong. Jirael keeps sketches she has drawn of Velraan, a tender expression of maternal love.
¶ Kashk
- Relation: Father
Kashk is a NorAellian diplomat whose secret marriage to Jirael spans decades. He feels fierce pride in his daughter, though he struggles with how quickly she matured—a side effect of her Lyndri biology that left him little time to experience traditional fatherhood. Velraan inherited her father's stubborn, duty-bound nature, as well as his difficulty expressing affection. As Jirael observes: "She does love you. She just inherited your inability to express it properly." A point of contention between them is Kashk's refusal to let Velraan fix his injured eye—she has the scientific capability to help him, but he stubbornly refuses.
¶ Dani d'Ardenne
- Relation: Best Friend
Dani is a freelance journalist and Velraan's closest friend—"the closest thing to a sibling" she has ever had. Dani is one of the few people who can tolerate Velraan's eccentricities, and their friendship is one of the most important relationships in Velraan's life.
¶ The Queen
- Relation: Liege
As a Queen's Guard, Velraan is honor-bound to protect the Queen of the Monarchy in Exile. She views her service as a sacred duty, recognizing that the Queen's scientists are the reason she exists. She has dedicated her existence to the Queen without hesitation.