Lady Alexia of

Staffenbroke

By Lis 

Alexia is one of the few Steelsings characters not owned by any one player.  Instead, she may be played by any of the active mentors in the roleplay, and "belongs" to nobody.

Name:  Countess Alexia of Staffenbroke

Where he/she lives: Haldershall House, Corus (also owns Staffenbroke, near Goldenlake)

Place of Birth:  Lendran, a village in the earldom of Staffenbroke

Age, Date of Birth 45 years old / June 6

Occupation:  ...Countess.  (She can be addressed as "Lady Alexia"; it's rude for someone of lesser rank to sit in her presence without her permission, which she usually gives)

Status:  Noble.  The wife of an earl.

Locale:  The Little Court

Magic:  An ornamental amount of the Gift; is best at creating illusions and potions

Family:  Her sons, ranging in age from thirty to fifteen, respectively an Earl-in-waiting, a knight, a mage, a layabout, a fourth-year squire and an awkward University student; her dead husband, Ragner; her birth family, who she rarely speaks with.

Appearance:  A lady of medium height with a pronounced streak of gentleness and less-apparent intelligence;  she has wavy black hair that is slowly being allowed to gray, and blue eyes.

Clothing:  Always dresses appropriately to her station, which means well; is fond of embroidery, beadwork, fur, and jewellery.  Has a bunch of keys hanging from her belt on a small silver chain, as well as a silver pomander, a metal ball with holes in it that holds nutmeg or some other sweet-smelling object to hold to her nose when the city smells too unpleasant.

Personality:  Is on the surface a very mild person; takes delight in much, strives to please many, and has well-learned, courteous manners and ways of speech.  However, she's no dunce: in business matters she is very shrewd, and at heart she is not entirely sentimental.

Strengths:  Has a knack of getting along well with people and making them feel at ease, especially if such a person feels lost; is generous and has a tendency to be happy.

Weaknesses:  Can sometimes be a little hesitant or have problems making up her mind; relies heavily on the people close to her and is sometimes helpless without them.

History:  Was born to the mayor of Lendran, and had a fairly gentle upbringing among commoners of distinction; had private tutors and was really meant to be a very pretty housewife.  However, she succeeded beyond her wildest dreams when she was married at a young and tender fourteen to the Earl of Staffenbroke, who was nearly fifty.  Relying heavily on her husband's servants and her own fledgling wit and charm, she grew to be the picture image of a Countess, providing her husband with lots of babies along the way.

She always had a girlish longing to go back to Corus; she saw it for very brief periods when she was presented as Ragner's wife, and then when her sons were introduced to Court (whenever she was well enough to make the journey).  When the Grand Progress rolled through Staffenbroke, a newly-widowed Alexia packed her bags and left along with it, to take up residence in the capital city.

She was less at ease with established Court than she cares to admit; most women there have known each other from girlhood, while Alexia spent twenty-five years in a form of exile, used to arranging things to her own liking.  At Court, she was both a stranger and subordinate--neither of which she very much enjoyed--so she began hosting events at Haldershall, and things grew one from the other, and eventually she became known as the Countess of the Little Court.

What is your character most ashamed of?  She didn't have precisely a loving relationship with her husband (living with someone in one stupid castle your whole life can breed some pretty strong resentment); he had a heart attack after one of their spats.

What makes your character unique?  She honestly lives to make the world a kinder, gentler, less-warlike place.  When need arises, she can be prodded into action--but she'd much rather stay at home and listen to music.

Why is your character coming to the Inn?  Not that she comes, but not all of her wealth is legally gained; she makes a small fortune in smuggling.

What is your character doing at the Court?  Running the show, yo.