Harvinia
From FiranMUX
Contents |
Overview
Ranks & Offices
The Oshta's Steward
Harvinia currently serves as the Oshta Mansion's Steward.
Family Life
Parents
Savni
Harvinia's relationship with her adoptive mother's been tumultuous over the years but one thing is clear - she's always loved her and her mother's murder is something Harvinia's never truly been able to get past.
Quonasi
As a little girl Harvinia loved her father greatly and thought he was the most important man in the universe. As a grown woman now understanding that he's been exiled to Valhoria and likely never will return her feelings towards him are at best mixed and she works hard to make up to the Oshta what ever damage her father caused.
Siblings
Zinasi
It is well known that Harvinia and her younger sister Zinasi were always very close but the younger Ista Quonasi girl could not resist the call of Zin's blood in her long and while Harvinia is extremely proud of her sister's work spreading their Great Grandfather's word she misses her greatly.
Riell
With several years in age between them Harvinia's sometimes felt she was more a mother to her brother than a sister but as he's grown into a young man she's tried to stop pestering him as she did when they were younger and accept him as a friend. As they're the last two survivors of their family in the city they seem to have grown closer in recent years, both determined to make up for their father's failings.
Marriage
Okatik
With a relationship that's spanned over a decade, Harvinia and Okatik have an unusual marriage and perhaps that is why it's lasted. Harvinia fell for Okatik the very first day he and Lutika arrived in the city and even at 13 she relentlessly pursued him, chasing off older women (and in one infamous incident at spear point a whore) until after a year long courtship and she finally was able to marry him. In a most untraditional arrangement the couple live apart (which has been known to spur many a fight between them) with Harvinia at the Oshta's household and Okatik in the huts or a tent.
Children
Matti
As the story goes, Harvinia, age 12, was cleaning the Ista Quonasi nursery one day and pulled back the blankets to make one of the beds only to find a quiet little dark haired baby laying there staring up at her. Shocked she took the baby to the Oshta who left the infant in her care 'just until his family can be found' and 12 years later he's still calling Harvinia Mother. Sometimes Harvinia thinks of Matti more as a little brother then a son, their lives having been joined when she she was only a child still herself, but one thing is for certain, she adores the boy and has worked hard to insure he's been raised right and always been made to feel like a member of the Swiftpaw family.
Urania
While Harvinia was very full and pregnant with Lykaios, Urania came into her life. A delightful little happy Ticanee baby that had been abandoned at the Kamnestran orphanage with a tiny Elephant doll under her arm. As Okatik was at the time studying the Elephant totem he took it as a sign and Urania was brought to their then home the palace to be promptly adopted into the Swiftpaw family. It's no secret that Harvinia had trouble adjusting to the girl's presence in her house as she and Urania have always has a bit of a rivalry for Okatik's attention but over the years they've settled into a uneasy truce.
Lykaios
Harvinia's little protector! While Okatik fawned over infant Urania, Lykaios was (and still is) always attached to his mother. Loud and bold and always close by Lykaios even from a very young age has had no qualms about stomping on anyone who makes mommy mad! Reportedly as a toddler he once attempted to stab Okatik with a dull knife for making Harvinia scream... they were both so proud! Lykaios of all her children has probably adapted best to their ever shifting life. He thrived in the palace (and even thought he was a prince himself for a while!) and has glommed onto life at the Oshta house since they've returned there. Any where that mother lives is home for him.
Devlin
Where his brother is loud Devlin is quiet, thoughtful, observant. Harvinia's never been entirely sure what's going on in his little red head but she knows for certain that Devlin is more Okatik's son than any of the other boys. He's avidly interested in nature and the totems and often, like his Uncle Riell did at his age, wanders off to watch the world and ponder it's mysteries. Harvinia has high hopes for her little shaman.
Zane
Zane for Harvinia represents a little bit of herself she's hidden away for a long time. Her little water loving boy is one of the few of her children with an education in the Firan Gods and regularly the two slip off to the temple of Zin or the river or the pools together. While of all her children he's certainly the most Firanized he's also her little partner in crime in a way and is much adored for it.
Orrin
Had things been a little different Orrin would probably be the most marginalized member of the family - weak and whiney he is certainly the odd one out in the pack of active and assertive bobcats - but Orrin's birth came at the end of a year of trageties from Urtenia's death to Tansel and his sons' murders, to Zinasi's departure to Lilana's death and finally his birth came only a few short weeks before Savni's murder. He was nursed in a year of navy and tears and Harvinia sometimes thinks he was made of her grief which was far too much for her own little body to hold. Through out the first year of his life he was much fussed over as Harvinia was terrified he was too frail to survive despite repeated assurances that he was perfectly fine and health. Even now she fusses over him far more than any of her other children which may be why he's prefers to be inside and following quieter pursuits than his siblings. Even at his young age the littlest (so far) of the Swiftpaw boys has learned to read and is absolutely fascinated by the academic world his siblings blow by with out a thought.
Savna
During the time after Savni's death everyone told Harvinia 'it's okay it's okay' when clearly it was not and the moment that Mother Halla put this angry abandoned little baby in Harvinia's arms, Harvi was relieved to find /someone/ who understood that the world's unfair and some times you have to scream about it. While Savna's grown to be a little spoiled over the years, but after five boys and Urania, Harvinia's more than capable of handling the little imp.
Tyra
The long awaited bobcat girl! After years of herself and Lutika only having girls Harvinia was so unprepared to actually give birth to a daughter that she hadn't even thought of a girls name. Being the youngest bobcat in the pack Tyra's often dotted upon by her parents, siblings and cousins alike.
Accomplishments
Survival
Many wouldn't consider merely surviving to be a great accomplishment, those people haven't lived with Taria and the Oshtas.
Stewardship
Harvinia has been working as a servant since her youth and even before her Ceremony of Souls and Rite of Passage had embarrassed her family's tradition of service to the Oshtas as her Grandmother Urtenia and her Mother Savni. At 13, taking part in the 'Republic Servant Exchange Program' as Viceroy Taleo called it, Harvinia moved to the Republic Palace where she served in several different roles including nanny to the Princes and finally as Head Steward before returning to the Oshta's Mansion to be Steward there in the wake of Urtenia's declining health.
Nekhat Ambassador
Recently Harvinia was selected to represent the Ticanee Clan as a Herbalist with the envoy to the Nekhat homeland. While little is known of what went on in the far off land, Harvinia returned with one of the Nekhat's strange feline companions (much to, no doubt, the Oshta's 'animals are for eating not petting' chagrin).
Enemies
Tagda
At a glance you would think that the two Ticanee women should get along very well being of similar age and sharing many of the same beliefs about Ticanee culture, but they don't. Literally like fire and water the two can't seem to co exist in the same place for any period of time with out some sort of blow up.
Kalori
When they were younger Kalori, the copper-haired Firan Mes was Harvinia's number one nemisis. Rumor was it was some long standing issue regaring the Oshta's oldest son and on more than one occation Harvinia and Kalori ended up in hairpulling, punching, kicking cat fights over what ever it was. Fortunitly as they've grown the two seem to have settled down to just ignoring eachother's existances.
Allies
Taria
While Harvi's been sent away and brought back to the Oshta house a myriad of times, for what ever reason the Oshta seems to have a soft spot for her steward.
Scandals
Ibania's Riots
Before Harvinia became an adult and put a big blue tattoo on her face, she was involved in a riot in the Cockatrice district when Ibania declared then young Clarissa to be her lost sister Katriva. The Cockatrice people decided that copper haired Harvinia was more likely to be the lost heir and attempted to grab hold of Harvinia as well in the fray. At this time Jitani, a young Ticanee cobbler choose to defend Harvinia rather then the Oshtas sons, Ojitar and Judanus who were also present, for which Jitani was executed.
While those who know Harvinia well know that the savage woman's dislike of Ibania began well before these riots, it became a clear and seething hatred afterwards that Harvinia does nothing to hide.
Twin?
In October of 33 AU, the followers of Meliha kidnapped Harvinia, openly declaring her to be a twin and threatening to kill her if Meliha was not released. Meliha was not freed (and was in fact executed) but fortunately Harvinia was able to free herself from her captors before this happened.
Living Arrangements
Just like all the women in the Oshta house, Harvinia does not live with her husband, instead she and her children reside in a wing of the Oshta's house while Okatik lives in a hut near by.
Miscellany
Habits
Cooking and Cleaning
For a savage, Harvinia has embraced domestic life. She is often found scrubbing this and that or cooking but those who know her well know that her chores are more than just a dedication to keeping the Oshta's house orderly and more an impulse the Steward simply can not resist and one she throws herself at with even more zeal more when angery or frusterated. Harvinia's own children often use how much time their mother's spent in the kitchen as a measure her temper on a given day.
Likes
Cats!
Harvinia brought a fluffy little kitten named Kiya back with her from the Nekhat homeland and is often seen totting the feline around with her. Cats are clean, and quiet and playful and so much better then drooly messy dogs.
Red
Perhaps she's picked it up from the Oshta but Harvinia has a fondness for the color red particularly when it's used to appaul Firans...
Shocking Firans
While some may believe that Harvinia is one of the more domesticated and civilized of the 'savages' and she certinly is well versed in etiquette and decorum, she's still a Ticanee and has a mischievious streak that isn't above plopping a raw, still steaming heart down on a Firan noble's plate or walking around in bright red leather.
Dislikes
Mess
Of all things the one thing Harvinia absolutely can not tolerate is mess and disarray, something she's particularly neurotic about when it comes to the Oshta's Mansion. The steward's been known to lecture even nobles for tarnishing her perfectly clean floors and dining room table and it's rumored even the Oshta herself fears the wrath of Harvinia in this particular regard. Only Lady Taleena seems to have immunity as far as creating messes.
Griffons
"Everytime we make more griffons we sell a little more of our souls to Drik" Harvinia's been known to lecture her children. Ever since a falling griffon nearly killed Harvinia and Savni in the griffon raids of 24 AU, the Swiftpaw woman's had a complete and utter intolerance and hatred for them that even seems to extend to the Griffon Clan themselves, perhaps due to their tendancy towards wearing griffon themed attire.
Ibania
She hates her. It's pretty simple.
