Fiona Flannail

Fiona is an artisan baker and cook for the Watch, currently stationed at the Guardian Spire in House Jameson. She has a biological daughter: Ellie Greenwood, who she hasn't seen since she was a baby.

## Appearance

She is of average height with curly red hair usually in messy plaits or buns. She is often seen in a flour covered apron and floury hands from working with bread.

## Personality

She’s a slightly mischievous person and openly curious, always willing to experiment. Recent years have put her in a bit of rut, which she is slowly climbing out of.

## History

### Early Life

Spent the early parts of her life in House Brody with her family. Her family owned a bakery and she followed suit. She learned to cook common Duilintinn dishes, but her speciality is artisan or decorative bread.

### Adult Life

She left home when she was 20 to find interesting ingredients, and maybe learn magic, as it was another interest of hers. She wandered into Imforis, where she met Hank. She settled nearby in the Imforis bakery, and began to use the herbs he found and grew in her baking. She loved what they did to the flavours of the bread, and loved experimenting with the magic ones. As time went by, she became less of a customer, and more of a friend to Hank. Then, something a bit more.

She put off marrying him, as she wanted to explore the region a bit, even though she hadn’t left Imforis in a few years. Honestly, she was a little scared of marrying him, she didn’t want to be tied down in one place, and she also didn’t want him to feel like he had to leave home, since it was clear he was happy and content here.

In 1603 was the Overnight Defence. There was a big gathering in the Greenwood household, including Bran for once. It wasn’t until late in the night they realised that 1, Mags and Rena was missing, 2, parts of Imforis was on fire.

The family, plus Fiona, split in two, some going out to find Mags, others trying to help out in Imforis to put out the fires, although, creepily, they never found who, or what, started them. They found Mags the next morning, and neither she or Rena remembered anything. Fiona didn’t know her well, but everyone else said her green eye was a brighter green than before.

Things calmed down, one thing led to another, and she gave birth to Ellie on 6th May 1605, and she expected to be happy about it. She wasn’t.

Within two weeks something went very wrong. She began to think that everyone was watching her with Ellie, even if it was just the two of them in an otherwise empty room. Her mood began to swing violently with her thoughts racing at times. She was too restless to sleep, but didn’t want to see anyone either. She began to resent her child, sometimes convinced that this was all her fault. The rest of the time she trying so hard to be a good mother to *prove them all wrong* and also because this was her baby, she should love her! Right?

All this was driving her up the damn wall. Nora Greenwood, Hank’s mother, was incredibly helpful and patient during this time. Fiona waited until Ellie no longer physically relied on her, and then left. She couldn’t take it anymore, and she assumed that distance from her new family would make things better.

It was hell for a little bit, thoughts flipping between ‘I abandoned my baby’ and ‘I’m free’. She initially headed for House Jameson, to try and find work, but her mental state made her co-workers gently push her towards House Schneeplestein for proper help.

She got that help over a period of months and returned to House Jameson, uncertain about going back to Imforis. She settled back into baking and mostly focused on that, taking on elaborate bakes. She kept putting off going back to Imforis, worried that the whole Greenwood family hated her for leaving like that. How could she begin to explain why she had done that without sounding bonkers?

Her friends would occasionally nudge her to try. Not maliciously, but at least give her a chance to explain to them, and, see what happens next.

Fiona eventually lied to them, saying she was going try going to the Hold to be closer to the Imforis. She actually left Noefrach in the opposite direction, heading for the Spire. She began working in the kitchen there, uncertain how long she remain there. She doesn’t intend to remain in the Spire, but there’s where she is currently. One of the people she spends time with there is Scout Winnie.

She has a letter in her room for Hank which she keeps meaning to send. So far, she hasn’t brought herself to do it.

References for post partum psychosis

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/post-partum-psychosis/

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/problems-disorders/postpartum-psychosis

https://mosaicscience.com/story/post-partum-psychosis-birth-mental-health-babies/