Mariana
Mariana de la Vega
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Portrayed By: Bella Bruning
Status: Fine Living
Age: 20
Calling: Heiress and Torture Artist
Pantheon: Atzlánti
Divine Parent: Miclantecuhtli
Significant Other(s): None

Background

Born into the wealth of the de la Vega family, Mariana was the youngest child and only daughter of the rich and eccentric Miguel Eduardo de la Vega. In her youth, she spent most of her days at their lavish estate in Sao Paulo with her mother and servants. There were two other children in the family — half-brothers — both being born from different women, all whom were married to Miguel Eduardo at one time or another and each having their lives cut far too short. By the time Mariana was born, hardly any mention of these other wives of her father were made. In fact, it was these youngest years that she remembered her brothers the most. Both boys, just several years older than Mariana, held a deep resentment towards the newest additions to the family. While there was and always will be a feud between the brothers, there was just something about having to live with not only a new mother but also a baby sister that really made them bitter about their own positions within the family.

The de la Vega family was never close knit. Miguel Eduardo was constantly missing, away on business, he would say. Usually internationally, so it was rare that the family got to see him at all. When the patriarch did return, he would gather his children up and take them on what he called excursions. Miguel Eduardo can be considered a benevolent benefactor to causes which he believes are important. Most of these tend to lean towards hospices and other end of life facilities. Hefty donations also go out towards clinics and hospitals that dealing with patients stricken with cancer or AIDS. These are the places which he would bring his children to, telling them that it was a life lesson to view these people in need and suffering from their pains. Mariana remembers these times well. Cherishing the sweet moments that she got to spend with her father.

Though her father was always away, neither Mariana nor her brothers were ever home as well. While the boys were sent to two separate military schools out of country, Mariana, too, spent most of her years in one boarding school after another. First it's Paris, then Germany, then Switzerland. The constant moving left her with very few friends, though as her peers have mostly come from wealthy backgrounds too, it was never difficult for them to look her up as no matter where they lived, they all considered themselves to be in the same pampered inner circle. Her friends consisted of sons or daughters of oil tycoons or shipping magnates and were heirs to their own fortunes.

In the beginning, during her youth, holidays were spent at their Sao Paulo mansion where she would comfort her mother, who since her marriage, had fallen into a deep depression. Miguel Eduardo wasn't the handsomest of men, in fact, Mariana's mother found him repulsive. While she was young and beautiful, she was forced to marry a man who turned her stomach just by setting eyes upon him. Then one day, when she was 10 and studying in her dormitory at her boarding school in Germany, Mariana received a letter from her father. In it, he stated that her mother had died. Suicide, was what he said. All alone and far from her family, this has been the darkest period in her life. Within the week, she returned home for the funeral.

Even with his distance, Miguel Eduardo had complete control over each of his children. While he may not visit or call or even write often, when he did, it was usually the highlight or low point in his children's day. Sometimes he would offer praise or make broken promises about going to visit them soon. Usually, however, his messages were more formal and just as business-like as Miguel Eduardo was. Mariana received many such contacts from the man — telling her which courses he wished for her to take or that one of her brothers did something extraordinary which would fuel her competitive side and more than likely did the same with her brothers. Looking back at her years growing up, Mariana only later realized what her father really had in store for her and the reason why he was guiding her and her brothers along a path which he had set forward.

Miguel Eduardo may not have been there for Mariana at her graduation ceremony, but a few days following the ceremony her father finally revealed himself to her. Mariana didn't know what to think. On one hand, she was angry that this secret was kept from her all this time. On the other hand, though, she always knew she was special and has come to accept these reasons for her father's absence in her life, something which had made her slightly bitter in her youth. All of the lessons which he wanted her to take. The classes he wanted her to excel in. All of this had a purpose and at the time, Mariana only complied to make her father happy. Now she does what she can to hone her skills to ensure her own survival.

Personality

Many see Mariana de la Vega as a gracious socilatie, the spoiled heiress of a wealthy family or even an unapologetic snob who can be seen exchanging air kisses to the cheek with the rest of the rich and beautiful. In a sense, these people would be right. Mariana is beautiful and she knows it and while she may not go about flaunting this very fact, she does little to hide her natural allure. However, in no way does she stoop down low and dress provacatively and indecently to gain people's attention. In fact, she is always dressed with elegance and refinement to go along with her sense of what is proper, rarely straying from her own ideals. Modesty in attire and action is one thing, however, she does hold great pride in herself which many would call vain. In fact, she loves to surround herself with all things beautiful, even if her sense of beauty can sometimes be skewed due to her own inner demons. While she may enjoy surrounding herself with the raptured attention of like-minded individuals to discuss anything from politics to fashion, Mariana always has some sort of barrier up that keeps people at bay; which may give her an almost untouchable aura and keeps some sort of distance between herself and everyone else.

Her love of the arts goes beyond merely the beauty of a piece of painting or sculpture and though she is an artist herself, she is more fascinated in the works of other artists and can spend an entire day in a museum just staring at one particular painting or other as if trying to take in everything that the artist who created it was trying to convey. The same goes for literature and poetry, just another aspect of the arts that consumes much of Mariana's time. Light-hearted stories and even romance novels tend to be her favorite texts of choice. Unlike her preferences in books, music and the arts, Mariana's own artwork tends to lean more towards the darker aspect of beauty and sometimes even the morbid. In most of her paintings, some of which are still life or portraits of fictional people, Mariana must always add some element of the grotesqure or horror. At times, these can be subtle — a landscape painting of an ocean might have the tensed up clawed hand of a figure drowning, jutting up and out of the water in the distance that only the most obervant may notice or sculptures which though they possess beautiful lines strike some underlying terror into the hearts of its viewers. Whlie at other time, the very painting may take on a mood of tension or fear or mania.

Like with all of her father's children, Mariana enjoys quiet moments of schadenfreude and delights when she sees others in disgrace or even pain, especially those who she believes deserves it. Unfortunately, to many, most people fall into this category.

Relationships

Events Thus Far

I'm on a Boat - Starring Wesley and Mariana.

Character Sheet

Strength 2 Charisma 3 Perception 3
Epic Strength 0 Epic Charisma 1 Epic Perception 0
Dexterity 3 Manipulation 3 Intelligence 4
Epic Dexterity 3 Epic Manipulation 1 Epic Intelligence 2
Stamina 3 Appearance 5 Wits 2
Epic Stamina 2 Epic Appearance 3 Epic Wits 0

Combat Stats

  • Init (Wits 2 + Aware 2) = 4 Dice
  • Dagger Attack: (Dex 3 + Melee 3 + Acc 3 + Legend 4) = 13 Dice + 3 Succ (Epic Dex) Speed 3
    • Dagger Damage (Weapon Dmg 4L + 1 + Strength 2) = 7L + Threshold Successes
  • Garotte Attack: (Dex 3 + Melee 3 + Legend 4) = 10 Dice + 3 Succ (Epic Dex) Speed 3
    • Damage: (Weapon Dmg 2L + 1 + Strength 2) = 5L + Threshold Successes
  • Dodge DV ((Dex 3 + Athletics 3 + Legend 4) / 2) + 3 (Epic Dex): 8
    • Dodge DV + UO: (Dodge DV 8 + 3 UO (Doubles Epic Dex Dice): 11
  • Soak (Stamina 3, Epic Stamina 2): Bashing 5 / Lethal 4 / Agg 4
  • Soak (Body Armor): Bashing 9 / Lethal 8 / Agg 8
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