Leena Tijlen
Mistress of Baron Pieter Vandehaar of Oxhill
Mother and Nursemaid of Pieter-Eeuwke Vandehaar
Member of the Fellowship of the Pouch
AC 1014
"I arranged for what you ordered, mijnlord. Shall I retire myself, now?"
Appearance
Leena is very small for human standard being only 5' tall, and she looks 10 years younger than she actually is. Her eyes are brown, her hair reddish, while her skin is light copper. Her ears are very small and she has a little snub nose.
When in Oxhill Tower she usually wears long elegant dresses and she keeps her hair gathered under a mobcap. Lord Pieter Vandehaar has all her traditional Flaemish dresses custom-made for her by a famous and expensive Bergdhovese tailor in Kopstar, Vanserie Krjilens (M4, CN).
As head of Lord Pieter's secret service, she is known as "The Eyes Without A Face" and appears as a mujina with eyes only. Her voice is altered so that it cannot be determined if "The Eyes Without A Face" is a man or a woman. When on a secret mission, she wears what is more appropriate to the situation and varies her appearance depending on her needs.
Personality & Quirks
Leena Tijlen is a pragmatic and cold calculating woman, having lost her brashness long ago. Having lived a hard youth, she has learnt to accept what life gives her without pondering too much about it. She rarely smiles and she rarely speaks and is very good at hiding her feelings.
When in Oxhill, she perfectly plays the loyal servant of the Baron, appearing reserved and obedient. Towards her charge, Pieter-Eeuwke she is always kind, and she is more talkative than usual. As "The Eyes Without A Face" she is very hard with her subordinates, showing no mercy for the fools or the incapable, but rewarding those loyal and successful on their missions.
Background
Born in AC 950 in Cajoli, a village near the Viscounty of Verazzano, Leena was the daughter of a Flaemish caravan guard and a Caurenzan member of the Fellowship of the Pouch, the local thieves Guild. She lost her father very young, and followed her mother in her career in the guild. At the age of 13, her mother died, said to be connected to the mysterious death of Signor Lamberto Fulvina, Viscount of Verazzano, but no one ever found any evidence about this. Despite this, Leena blamed the Fulvinas for her mother's death and decided to take her revenge.
Leena entered into the service of the new Viscount, Signor Vittorio Fulvina, as a spy. After a period of apprenticeship, she undertook some missions traveling the Principalities in disguise. Always successful, she quickly became one of Signor Fulvina's more valiant and trusted spies.
In AC 970, during a mission to Kopstar, she met Pieter Vandehaar (that time, not yet the Baron of Oxhill), and fell in love with him. In a few months' time, Leena anticipated her return to Verazzano, and decided it was time for her revenge. From Verazzano, Leena stole many important treasures (including the medallion of metamorphosis) and incriminating documents from the Fulvinas then fled to Kopstar.
However, Leena fell ill and could not make the journey. She sought refuge in the Caurenzan town of Oreggiano, in a brothel run by one of her mother's friends from the Sisters of the Private Houses. There, Leena discovered she was pregnant. She stayed there until she had given birth to a son she named Eeuwke, a Flaemish name for her child's most probable father. Meanwhile, the Fulvinas were searching for her high and low, but could not find her. By the time, the Fulvinas were able to trace Leena (through mundane methods), she had long fled Oreggiano with her child.
In AC 974, Leena presented herself to Pieter Vandehaar in Oxhill Tower. Using all her charms and emotional manipulation, Leena begged Pieter to take care of their child. Much to her surprise, Pieter not only declared his love to her (although he was already married to Rhonda Vandeeker), but he promised to recognize the child as his own—after some arrangements were to be made.
Pieter hid mother and child in Oxhill Tower, where they were seen by no one but him. In a few months time, Leena was summoned. The child, now named Pieter-Eeuwke, was declared the son of Pieter Vandehaar and his recently deceased wife, Rhonda Vandeeker, who was said to have died giving birth to the boy. Leena was also presented as the boy's wet-nurse, who should never ever leave the boy's side.
Leena understood the arrangements and was very pleased.
A few years later, when Pieter-Eeuwke entered the Great School of Magic (at a prodigious age of 3, according to the public account!), Leena began working with Pieter as a spy. She developed an efficient network of agents for Pieter, but personally undertook delicate and dangerous missions on occasion. Her services were essential to Pieter in establishing the Barony of Oxhill.
In recent years, Baron Pieter had assigned her to gather information about Klantyre and the Followers of the Claymore, whose actions may prove useful in undermining Lord Pieter's rival, Prince Harald Haaskinz of Sablestone, and whose cooperation may be needed in earning Baron Pieter a larger dominion.
Web of Intrigue
Leena is completely loyal to Pieter and agrees with him on everything. Pieter's feelings towards her are what a normal person should define as love—although love is such a strong word for the Baron. He knows Leena is very efficient in organizing his network, therefore they only discuss the overall goals then Pieter lets her stage the details on how specifically achieve them. Leena's vast knowledge of the Glantrian underground is also essential in the plots of the Baron of Oxhill.
Leena managed to collect information about Trillo d'Ascioti, the Mayor of Estin, who plays a vital role in the politics of the area of Blackhill, where Lord Pieter planned to have his own principality. Leena blackmails Trillo in order to gain some political leverage in the region.
Pieter-Eeuwke is Leena's most prized treasure, and despite the fact he knows himself to be Rhonda Vandeeker's child, he loves her as she was her real mother. To Leena nothing is worth more than this. She tries to help Pieter-Eeuwke in the rare occasions they talk and sadly agrees with Pieter's projects for their son.
Statistics & Skills
Statistics: 17th-level thief; Str 7, Dex 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Con 6, Cha 14; AL C (D&D), NE (AD&D).
Languages: Flaemish, Thyatian (Glantrian and Caurenzan dialects), Elvish (Belcadiz dialect), Kaelic.
Skills: disguise, etiquette, forgery, geography (Glantrian), heraldry, knowledge (Glantrian underground society), leadership, local history (Glantri, Sablestone zone).
Weapon Proficiencies: dagger, light crossbow, cudgel.
Thief Skills: CW 85%; DN 50%; FRT 85%; HS 95%; MS 90%; OL 80%; PP 95%; RL 80%; backstab x5.
Leena Tijlen has a ring of spell storing, given to her by Pieter-Eeuwke. It is made from silver and obsidian engraved with the dedication: "From Pieter-Eeuwke to Leena. Thanks." The ring usually has haste, teleport, and passwall stored, but Leena can go to Pieter-Eeuwke any time to have new spells stored in them.
Leena also has in her possession the Medallion of Metamorphosis, a unique magical treasure which she stole of the Fulvinas, when she was working for them.
"Cold as ice... loyal as a familiar... efficient as a magical construct... Have you ever thought she might have been something better than a mere wet nurse, Baron Vandehaar?"
(Wilhelmine Vlaardoen, showing Pieter Vandehaar that few things slip by the Princess of the Flaems)
References:
The Death of Lamberto Fulvina, a murder mystery in House Fulvina
Author: Giovanni Porpora