Sloane

## Backstory

Sloane grew up in the expansive Canopy forest, nestled in Central Delia. Her father, Henry Val'Myren, has long been one of the most reviled noblemen in all of Delia, and his parenting skills were never much better than his interpersonal ones. An only child, Sloane spent her youth in their forest Manor, a luxurious manse spanning across many different trees. She spent more time with her tutors than anyone else, leading her to develop a keen intellect and appreciation for knowledge. Sloane had tutors for all sorts of things - from politics to alchemy. Her father knew she would be the heir to his Barony, and was intent on preparing her for it.

Henry and Caelyn, Sloane's mother, spent most of their time at their primary manor in Sojourn. They had fallen in love when Henry was younger and less avaricious. Caelyn was the daughter of a minor nobleman whose seat of power had been in question her entire childhood. She sought stability with the young Val'Myren heir, achieving it and then some. Unbeknownst to many, Caelyn was the driving force behind nearly all of Henry's daring political plays. Henry's influence and territory had grown nearly threefold during their marriage - leading to their family presiding over more land than any other Delian noble save for King Val'Distar. During this ascent, Sloane was raised almost solely by tutors and maids. She would hear of her family's success and dream of one day continuing the tradition.

Her upbringing continued to be mechanical, with little to no contact with anyone not contractually obligated to her. She slowly learned to see other people for what they could get done for her rather than as equals. Lessons in empathy became lessons in manipulation, and time spent with her nursemaids was the practice. When she realized she also had a talent for conjuring magic, Sloane began quietly practicing - using books from the manor's library, often thought to be the largest in Delia. Her father was known to be a wizard of immense power, something she always wondered about. She was intent that her parents not hear of it. She wanted to show them herself, proving she was ready to join them in Sojourn. After several years of successfully deceiving her caretakers, she felt ready. She felt powerful.

When her parents came to visit, she had carefully planned a display of her prowess. When they came through the grand double doors of the manse, Sloane conjured a huge amount of arcane energy and transferred it into a billowing wind, lifting her parents from their feet - helpless in the air as their furniture whipped around the room. As Sloane was about to explain to them why she was ready to join them in Sojourn, Henry burst into flames, dropping to the ground while covered in blazing fire. He redirected her wind, knocking her breath away and slamming her against the wall. After a short discussion with his wife, they decided that Sloane would come to Sojourn so they could keep a closer eye on her. Despite her protests that she was just trying to show off to them, Henry held her in lower esteem than he ever had. The entire trip to Sojourn and following weeks were filled with one phrase: "never start a fight you can't finish." It never registered to Henry that his daughter wasn't intending to fight.

With Sloane in Sojourn and her mid-teens, Caelyn dedicated several hours each day to her. While Henry was determined to create a competent heir, Caelyn wanted to turn Sloane into a maverick. She taught Sloane every manipulative technique she knew, slowly forming Sloane's casual disregard for others into something resembling her own malice. Now interfacing with the other local noble teenagers, Sloane started to understand the utility of a deceptive appearance. She could get someone's guard down simply by appearing dull or friendly - two things that became roughly equitable in her eyes. She began spinning a vast political web among her peers, preparing for the day when it would catch a capital city's worth of prey.

Over the course of 10 years, Sloane worked her way into the political plans of every major noble family with sway in Sojourn. She was every bit the sharp political tool her father had wished her to be, and nearly as ruthless as her mother. She had over a dozen young heirs and heiresses convinced they would have her hand in marriage, and had dozens more branching plans in her head for who she would pick in which scenarios. She would be the most powerful noble in Delia outside of the Royalty once her father passed. Through this time, her father had grown abusive, seeing the person she had become and resenting that it was Caelyn's hand that steered her progress and not his. He told her every time he saw her that he wished she weren't his heir.

When his chance finally came, Henry Val'Myren made it so. He had sired a new heir years ago in secret, paying on the side to afford her every luxury that Sloane had possessed in her childhood. He publicly announced the depths of both his infidelity and ingenuity at once, naming his secret daughter both legitimate and his new heir. Caelyn, though truly attached to her only daughter, showed her true self preserving nature, siding with Henry to save her own lifestyle. Sloane was disowned, with orders given to the constables that she be removed from family property. Word of the betrayal met Sloane, who was staying at the forest manor, before the constables did. She fled into Canopy, taking as much coin and jewelry with her as she could. She has not been reported seen since.

## In Gameplay

### Aptitudes

Personal Skill - Sweet Talker: Hit chance increased by 15% when attacking in melee range

### Bonds

* Irving
* Garrick
* Sophia
* Benji
* Brooke
* Sara
* Monroe
* Thae'Lanel
* Faust
* Fenton