LaVeron Chonere

Mistress of Illusion at the Great School of Magic

AC 1016

"Don't you find my illusions pretty? Well, what about me?"

Appearance

LaVeron Chonere is a woman of many appearances. With the use of her illusions, LaVeron Chonere constantly changes her image week to week, from the stunning Sylaire seductress to the buxom Belcadizan beauty, whatever the fashion may be at the time—or whatever idea the wind my blow into her airy head. (LaVeron even went through an "exotic Ethengarian esthete" phase, but has since never repeated that style.)

In any form, LaVeron is striking and unusual. Her hair may be in attractive shades of indigo and purple. Her person may be surrounded by rainbow-colored glitters of light. Her entrance into a room may be accompanied by a swell of romantic music from the latest Glantrian opera. But no matter how LaVeron appears to be, she cannot hide her fun-loving nature, her frivolous humor, and her need to be the center of attention.

Mistress LaVeron is usually in the company of a man of varying age, ethnicity, physique, and features, but of constant good looks. This is actually a hypnos magen (given to her by Dame Geneviève de Sephora), whose appearance she changes as often as her own.

Personality & Quirks

As a wizardess, LaVeron Chonere is bright and intelligent. But she is not particularly scholarly or diligent, and relies more on her imagination and creativity to come up with new ideas. And with her magic, it is quite easy for LaVeron to bring these new ideas to reality. (Of course, many Glantrians would argue about the illusionist's concept of reality—but then again, the Mistress of Illusion could hardly be bothered by such things as authenticity.)

As a person, LaVeron is blithe and light-hearted. Her whimsical and joking manner makes for amusing and entertaining company—but she is too fickle and flighty to settle down and get serious with most matters. At the mention of a party, LaVeron would leave the Great School with only hurried instructions for her magen to take care of the drudgery. At the glimpse of a handsome stranger, she would leave her paramour du jour in the middle of a dance—and she wonders why she has not yet found true love after all these years!

The only thing constant about LaVeron is her love for beauty, be it in the Glantrian nightlife, in her charming little coterie, or in her own eye-catching appearance. A woman of many appearances, LaVeron has also been accused to be a woman of all appearances. She has never shown her true emotions, particularly her insecurities that—other than the fact of achieving her high status at the Great School of Magic—nothing quite substantial has really happened in her life.

Background

LaVeron Chonere has been seen at the Great School of Magic and gracing the Glantrian social scene since before the turn of the millennium, but it is generally agreed that LaVeron became the Mistress of Illusion some time in AC 1001. (The official records of LaVeron's appointment could not be found in the Great School archives, as most things about illusionists.)

LaVeron Chonere never discusses her origins to maintain her mystique. At first, she let people believe she was the lovechild of a certain Glantrian noblewoman and a Prince of Glantri, borne from a secret liaison—until she got tired of being associated with the ugly Duchess of Fenswick Margaret Hillsbury, or the even uglier Viscountess of Malinbois Diane de Moriamis. For a time, rumors spread that she was the mortal daughter of the beautiful Immortal Valerias, Patroness of Love and Passion—until on one trip to Vyonnes, the fanatic Cultural Censer Sire Guillaume d'Ambreville accused her of clericism and threatened have her imprisoned! And of course, when people began to believe the gossip she was actually a century-old gnome illusionist trying to pass himself off as a belle from Nouvelle Averoigne, LaVeron decided to stop fabricating such romanticized tales of her origins and just keep quiet.

Perhaps the most interesting version of the origins of the Mistress of Illusion comes from a gondolier's tale about a poor old cobbler from Ylourgne visiting the capital to see his daughter Verona Chaussier, who though cursed with the pox, was gifted with powerful magical abilities, that allowed her to enter the Great School of Magic and become one of its Masters. LaVeron has neither denied nor recognized the truth of this tale.

It was soon after she became the Mistress of Illusion that LaVeron had a series of very vivid and passionate dreams about a handsome, exotic stranger of Ethengarian descent. LaVeron realized that although she had met quite a few Krondaharans in her time (In fact, most of them were illusionists like herself, including a number of half-brothers of the Prince of Krondahar.), she had never actually known any of them intimately. LaVeron became fascinated with Krondaharan men—and how fabulous it would be to have a Krondaharan lover. When she heard of a party to be hosted by Prince Jherek Virayana IV in Glantri City, LaVeron resolutely decided to attend.

But at that party, Mistress LaVeron was very much disappointed. Most of the good-looking Krondaharans were already married (many times over!). Those who were not, were not looking for some romantic entanglements with a non-Krondaharan lady (and a high-ranking instructor at the Great School of Magic at that!). And those that were, unfortunately, reeked of horses and yak! And although the host and his handsome brother-in-law Lord Urmahid Krinagar were very polite and very gracious, LaVeron was greatly disillusioned and decided to forever stay away from all things Ethengarian. LaVeron never had the strange dream again, and she realized that she was going through a frivolous, if not downright stupid, phase of her life.

For LaVeron, the past fifteen years have been an endless blur of glitz and glamour among the Glantrian glitterati—none of which was particularly mattered to her life. Even during the Wrath of the Immortals War, LaVeron was always partying away. The only times LaVeron would be nowhere to be found was in serious classes at the Great School of Magic (Her assistants or her magen would often substitute for her.), and at the height of all-out combat (But then, who is to say that she was not in some espionage mission?). LaVeron does manage to teach enough classes to stay out of being demoted from her position—not that the more serious illusionists would want such a public position anyway. And with any trouble with the stodgy Grand Master Harald Haaskinz, she uses her humor and her deceptive illusions to get away with it.

Most recently, after the war with Ethengar, LaVeron has been having strange thoughts, as if memories long forgotten are beginning to resurface. These thoughts focus around that night of Prince Jherek's party, and LaVeron is slowly remembering that more than just a civil conversation transpired between her and Prince Jherek. While LaVeron would like to find out what actually happened (and perhaps how it could explain her aversion of all things related to Krondahar these past years), she has no way of approaching the only possible surviving witness to the event, Prince Urmahid Krinagar. And the idea that she may have had an affair with Prince Jherek just sickens her to the bone!

Web of Intrigue

LaVeron Chonere is very much liked at the Great School of Magic, as well as in the beau monde of Glantri City. Many Glantrians find her as fun and entertaining in her classes as she is at a party; she is always invited to social events and her class in always full at enlistment period.

But being well-liked does not mean she is well-respected. Everyone at the Great School knows her class is the easiest to get high grades in—with the proper amount of good looks, wit, flattery, and an invitation to the latest affair of the Glantrian social scene. Many instructors and serious scholars find her vain, frivolous, and as insincere as the illusions and phantasms she is so adept at. The Laboratory Administrator, Master Tobol Vlarostk, is particularly put off by her ostentatious behavior.

LaVeron regards the Countess of Touraine, Dame Geneviève de Sephora, as her one true friend. Of course, Dame Geneviève is only giving LaVeron the time of day because of her position and her usefulness. As the High Mistress of the Secret Craft of Alchemy, Dame Geneviève is using LaVeron to find out about the rival Secret Crafts, particularly the Secret Craft of Witchcraft, which Dame Geneviève believes holds some potent magic for beautification and glamour. Dame Geneviève has pointed LaVeron in the direction of the Mistress of Enchantment, Inguin di Corenveni, who Geneviève believes (erroneously) to have some dealings with the Secret Craft of Witchcraft. Of course, LaVeron would more than gladly snoop around the affairs of Mistress Inguin, as LaVeron has always been jealous of Inguin's own popularity and beauty.

Prince Jherek Virayana IV, the High Master of Dream Magic, sent her the dream that enticed her to attend the Krondaharan party at Glantri City, wherein he placed a geas on her to always avoid or ignore all matters relating to Krondahar—and thus any matter relating to the Secret Craft of Dream Magic (sometimes called the Secret Craft of Illusion), which borders all too close to her own magical specialty. The geas has remained for more than a decade, until Prince Jherek's death in AC 1016. The only witness of the casting was Prince Urmahid Krinagar, who has most likely forgotten the affair, and has not warned the new High Mistress of Dream Magic, his sister Lady Lan-Syn Virayana of the potential danger LaVeron is to their Secret Craft.

Style of Magic & Combat

Statistics: 15th-level illusionist; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 16; AL C (D&D), CN (AD&D).

Languages: Sylaire, Thyatian (Glantrian dialect).

Weapon Proficiencies: knife.

Skills: dancing, etiquette, local history (Glantri City), reading/writing, spellcraft, spellflash.

Despite the flimsiness in her personal character, LaVeron is solid and stable as an illusionist. She does not see the point of spell research and crafting magical items—and she is quite right: her mastery of illusion magic comes from constant practice and refining of techniques. In her routine castings of illusions and phantasms, LaVeron has achieved a remarkable degree of control, concentration, and attention to elaborate detail—much more than she can usually muster in everything else of her life.

Besides illusions, LaVeron relies on various charms and summoning spells. LaVeron never personally engages in combat, leaving the fighting to her bodyguard hypnos magen (called Philippe, Dietrich, Paolo or Ivan, depending on her mood.) and summoned creatures—or phantasms of such. Even if she finds herself in the midst of danger, her illusions are usually enough to allow her to escape unscathed.

Despite the fact that everybody knows LaVeron is the Mistress of Illusion, her illusions never lose any of their effectiveness. After all, one can never tell if the frost salamander she just summoned is real or a very realistic illusion.

"Her greatest work is creating this fantasy where she is beautiful, loved, admired, and everything she wishes herself to be. This illusion is so real that she herself cannot disbelieve it!"

(Inguin di Corenveni, Mistress of Enchantment)

References: History of the Secret Craft of Dream Magic

Author: Kit Navarro