Vivienne Dartwick

"*Do you know what an antihero is? An idiot who thinks they can use Evil’s own methods to beat it. Here’s the thing about Evil, though – they’ve used those methods for a lot longer than you. They’re better at them. If you want to make a better world, maybe you should act like someone who deserves to live in it.*"
―The Thief. Chiding the Lone Swordsman.

## General information

### Faction

Woe,
 Callow,
William's heroic band
 Grand Alliance

### Status

Alive

Vivienne is introduced as the heroine the Thief. Part of William's band going up against Catherine.

## Biography

Vivienne was originally an ally of William, though she later switched sides to support Catherine Foundling after William's death, in order to help her repel the Fae invasion. She lost the Name Thief in Book 4, when she took on more administrative roles, and with a hand from Hakram put aside the last the anger driving the Name.

Becoming Catherine's chosen heir during the Princes' Graveyard, Vivienne later transitions into the heroic Name of Princess.

### Background

Growing up in Southpool, Vivienne was the daughter of a former baron. While breaking into her father's office to test his pipe, young Vivienne learns her mother was a rebel that was killed by the Praesi governor, that then made Vivienne's father pay a hefty fine for his dead wives actions. This spurred her into wanting the Praesi occupation to pay, so she cut her hair short, and became a thief's apprentice.

By age fifteen, she was offered a spot on the thieves guild but turned it down. Not wanted to be bound by the rules of the guild forbidding theft from Praesi. She came into her Name on the first night she went to steal from the Praesi occupation. Not by one defining moment, but more something she belatedly realized after learning she had done the impossible.

Eventually, Assassin pays her a visit on a recruitment drive. Giving her a warning, and asking if she's really sure she's a heroine. After she learns he's also dropped by her father, Vivienne goes into hiding until her father is dead.

### Book 2 - Liesse Rebellion

As part of William's band, the Thief helped secure legion munition and goblin fire in order to execute his plan at Summerholm. She also tried stabbing both Hakram and later Kilian during the battle that took place at this city. Both with poor results for her concluding in her being rammed into buildings by brute Orc force or magic.

After her band has lost two members, the Thief leaves behind William and Almorava. She instead goes to Wolof steals their fleet. Preventing Heiress from getting supplies and troops from her home. Later she returned to William, and pushed him back into his proper Role as the Lone Swordsman. Chiding him that an anti-hero merely is a hero using the same means as villains: But being worse at it.

During the battle of Liesse, Vivienne empties out her purse in front of the invading, army after they knocked down the city gates. Resulting in all of Wolof's fleet to fall out of thin air (water and fish included), for a short time blocking the way of the invaders. After this, she agrees to take Cat, Hakram and Masego to where William is, helping them to cross several city check points without having to kill Liessan soldiers. As Cat's group and William's group teams up against Heiress, Thief easily passes several devils, trying to stab Heiress from the back. Resulting in her being rammed into a building by magic.

### Book 3 - Arcadian Campaign and Second Liesse

After William's death Thief goes into hiding. Seemingly waiting to see how Catherine's ruling council will play out. Off page, she becomes the Queen of Thieves in Laure by stealing the crown deciding who holds that title. After Catherine disappears into Arcadia for three months, Thief steals all of Laure's treasury in order to prevent the two Praesi ruling council members from using it for their coup.

She then pays Diabolist a visit in Liesse, warning Robber about what Akua has in her basement, while at the same time saving the goblin from an early death, trying to break in places he doesn't have the skill to handle (and preventing him from killing the guards she had knocked out and tied up, arguing a good thief doesn't need to kill people). After Cat returns to Creation, she recruits Thief (or more accurately the guild of thieves in Laure run by Thief) while demanding all her money back. Minus a tenth that's payment for their services.

Next Thief appears is the battle against the Princess of High Noon. Where Thief steals the Arcadian sun the fae was wielding as a weapon. This action cements her as a member of the Woe when the Queen of Summer shows and Ranger goes for her prey. Adding Thief as the final member of Cat's band.

Thief does her best trying to adjust to a villain band, although very much not trusting Hakram, that threatened her against betraying Cat the same night Cat recruited her.

During the final battle against Summer, Thief teams up with Archer stealing banners of the Immortals, thus taking away the ability naming the fae elite force.

At Second Liesse, Vivienne was hiding in Akua's throne room, and stole Cat's bindings after Akua got power over her rival. This freed Cat to tear down the limitations Masego had set on her power to preserve her humanity. And finally kill the Diabolist.

### Book 4 - Tenth Crusade

Vivienne did not take kindly to the idea of Procerans invading Callow, and thus absolutely backed her villain band when the Crusade with twelve heroes arrived in Northern Callow. Cat took advantage of Vivienne's Name, by creating a distraction through killing most of the crusades non-noble officers with the Fae Hunt sworn to her, while Vivienne stole almost all of the armies provisions. This forced the Procerans to speed up everything, as they had a very limited timeframe without food.

After Cat and Masego was knocked out by the Grey Pilgrim, during them pouring an Arcadian lake at the attacking armies, Vivienne's bad relationship with a number of Cat's leading figures started to become an issue, as she went head to head with Juniper on what she should be doing. Vivienne attempted to bargain with the Grey Pilgrim, hoping to trick him into healing Cat. This however backfired due to one of Tariq's aspect, having the Grey Pilgrim leave knowing Cat was out.

When Akua takes over Cathrine's body while she's unconscious, it becomes clear that Cat has bound herself - and her body - to Vivienne with oaths. This was done as a safety net in case Cat should ever loose all of her humanity turning fully fae, and it allows Vivienne to give Cat - or whoever holds control of Cat's body - absolute orders on what to do. As Vivienne is very hostile towards the Doom of Liesse, she proves this by making Akua take out "her" eye ten times in a row.

Vivienne was one of Cat's diplomats as a truce with the attacking army was brokered.

## Appearance

Vivienne is introduced as a skinny, pale-skinned Callowan girl with blue-grey eyes and dark brown hair in a short tomboy cut. She's maybe two inches taller than Catherine and normally wears loose leathers.

By Book 5, Vivienne has grown her hair long, and usually wears it in a milkmaid braid that circle twice atop her bangs and has been described by Cat as crown-like. She's also started wearing light-colored or colorful blouses and skirts, although usually on top of pants and boots. After being named Cat's heir, Vivienne starts wearing a small silver circlet at official events.

Once Named the Princess, Cat notes that there's no more thinking Vivienne's milkmaid's braid is anything but a crown. She also suspects Vivienne's eyes may have turned slightly more grey.

Vivienne's personal heraldry is a sun on a Fairfax blue background.

## Relationships

Father: He doted on her providing her with a personal tutor, as well as trying his best to describe her despite the pressure put on him by the empire. He is also identified as the threat needed to put the thief in her place, thus identified as her largest weakness. After her Father's (natural) death, Vivienne joined William's band of heroes.

Mother: Despite dying at a young age Dartwick identified her as formidable with both bow and horseback riding. She was the reason that Dartwick took on her mission to steal from the empire as "payment" for her family's troubles. This eventually led her to develop into the Name of Thief.

William of Greenbury: During his tenure as leader of the band, Vivienne deferred to his most of the time but warned him that if he acted like too much of an anti-hero he would weaken his story and get himself killed.

Assassin: They appeared at one point to threaten her, proving that they can sneak up even on her.

Catherine Foundling: Vivienne ends up very close to Catherine, although their relationship is complicated. Vivienne is the only one of Cat's band members tighter bound to Callow than to Cat, and for this, Vivienne served as Catherine's conscience while the Thief. This was taken to quite literal extremes, as Catherine had bound herself tightly to Vivienne by oaths, so that Vivienne would be able to stop Catherine, should she go permanently full Winter fae.

Catherine fell in love with Vivienne around the time of their visit to Keter. Something Vivienne was glad to see gone later, as the very straight Vivienne didn't return these feelings, and rather would be without the complication.

Just as Cat strove to not do anything that would alienate the Thief, and using Vivienne as her benchmark for a line in the sand, Vivienne is shown to crave Catherine's approval. This complicates their relationship as Vivienne at the same time also want to prove herself as the future queen of Callow, sometimes using methods Catherine herself would never choose. And sometimes making Cat insecure, as she is convinced Vivienne will end up being remembered as the better ruler than herself.

## Powers

Vivienne is a proficient burgler and pickpocket, usually able to move undetected and take things without even needing to use her Name. She is also fast and difficult to hit, though she lacks offensive power compared to most members of both her former heroic band and the Woe.

As Thief, she lacked the weighted presence associated with a powerful Name.

Her first Aspect, **Hold,** allowed her to stow away objects in a pocket dimension. She could store even large, magical or dangerous objects in this way and prevent them from harming her or her allies while they are stored. This is shown when she used this aspect to store the Sun of Arcadia with no ill effects even though it burned her severely when outside of her pocket dimension.

Her second Aspect, **Hide**, allowed her to move undetected past the scrutiny of most people and even past some magical alarms. Anything offensive or attention-getting on her part could break the effect, however, so she cannot use to to evade her enemies in combat.

Her third Aspect, **Steal**, is much more dramatic, it allowed her to forcibly take objects from her opponents with a touch. Such as the Duke of Green Orchard's protective shield or the Sun of Arcadia, though she was not immune to being harmed by such things while doing or after so. This is evidenced by the way that she suffered severe burns on her hand when she used this to steal the Sun of Arcadia.

In addition to named powers, she is also a skilled spymistress, having a large network referred to as the Jacks. She has been shown to be able to find a great deal of information, locate traitors among the nobility quickly, and to have a large number of people firmly under her control either by loyalty or intimidation.

## Gallery

Cute Thief by GwennafranCute Woes by GwennafranVivienne Book 5 by GwennafranThe Woe (and friends) by GwennafranHunter can be shipped with his entire band - Part 1 - by GwennafranBook 5 Height Lineup - Cat, Hakram, Masego, Indrani, Vivienne, Akua, Cordelia and Kairos by GwennafranFifteenth Legion - Book 3 - by GwennafranVivienne Book 3-7 Ballpoint Pen Sketches by GwennafranThe Woe and Akua AU Beach Episode by GwennafranThe Woe and Akua AU Beach Episode by Gwennafran (no text)Vivienne the Princess (and pigeons) by Gwennafran
## References

1. ↑ https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2016/05/04/heroic-interlude-attaque-au-fer/
2. ↑ Dues
3. ↑ Book 2 - Interlude: Nemeses
4. ↑ Book 2 - Heroic Interlude: Attaque au Fer
5. ↑ Raid
6. ↑ Book 3 - Chapter 20: Skew
7. ↑ Deadhand
8. ↑ Book 7 - Chapter 4: Stock