Viralane Barvisai

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Viralane Barvisai

(Person)

Alignment

Chaotic neutral

Ancestry/Species

Human (Varisian)

Class

Expert 2 / Mesmerist 5

Gender

Female

Homeland

Whistledown, Varisia

Deity

Xanderghul

Source: It Came from Hollow Mountain, pg(s). 66

Viralane Barvisai is a Varisian actress and opera singer subject to a curse that causes all of her performances to be derided, as well as an unwitting pawn of the cult of the Peacock Spirit.

History

Viralane Barvisai was born to a cobbler in the town of Whistledown, Varisia. She took to performing at an early age and soon earned more money than her father; she was paid by shopkeepers who employed her to attract customers with her performances. Her father, resentful of her fame, became abusive to her, even as he spent the money she earnt, and Auliska Bowden, head of a travelling troupe, found it easy to persuade her to leave Whistledown.

Viralane worked for Bowden until a performance at the Kendall Amphitheater in Korvosa, where Sirthis Vosi offered to introduce her to 'the more discerning audiences of Egorian, Absalom, and Oppara'. Vosi kept his word, and Viralane's fame grew. With fame came pride: Viralane forgot the lessons of her childhood, when envy made her life unbearable, and became disdainful towards other performers and demanding towards directors. She went from lover and lover, leaving devastation in her wake. Despite this scandalous behaviour, she continued to be showered with gifts from admirers, most notably Corla, a halfling slave whom she theatrically emancipated before a crowd mere minutes after Corla was given to her.

During a performance in Egorian, Viralane caught the eye of Regemus Thrune, a minor cousin of Queen Abrogail Thrune II. Their love affair was eventually discovered by Regemus' wife Chara, who killed her husband and cursed Viralane: every one of her performances on stage thereafter would be ridiculed and not applauded.

Viralane never managed to find a way to remove the curse, but continued to waste money, and was eventually forced to perform in infamous gatherings which the curse did not affect. After a year, she was contacted by Hira Doss, leader of the Magnimarian cell of the Peacock Spirit's cult, who saw her wounded pride and offered to cleanse her curse in exchange for service to the Peacock Spirit. Viralane dedicated herself to the cult, in the hope that her audiences will love her again.