Oliviana Tate

OLIVIANA TATE
Lady Oliviana Tate is the sole surviving member of the House of Tate, a family of minor nobility from Raven Hill, Duskwood. For several generations, her family held lands near the borders of Westfall and Elwynn, though after the fall of Raven Hill, the Tates relocated to Darkshire. She is a mage who specializes in pyromancy and transmutation, although her skills are not as great as other mages of her age due to her studies being hindered by her family. They were very traditional, and wished Oliviana to remain in Duskwood, devoting herself to a husband and family of her own. Her parents were also bitter and resentful of Stormwind and the Alliance, due to the perceived abandonment of Duskwood following the curse unleashed by the discovery of the Scythe of Elune. This lead to Lord Tate forbidding his daughter to travel to any of the major instittutes of magical learning. While prone to bouts of resentment, Oliviana tries to see the bigger picture;  the Alliance has much bigger problems to deal with, and help will come to Duskwood. The people just need to stay strong and endure.

Oliviana's nobility shines through in her manner of speaking and in her attire, though on the whole, she cares little for it. She appreciates and enjoys the relative freedom her title affords her, though she despises formality, and would much rather be called Livi than Lady Oliviana. Her unofficial motto is 'nobility is an accident of birth', and she would rather be judged on her merits, rather than her bloodline. She has little respect for those nobles who seek to improve their own station at the expense of the vulnerable.

After a series of very unfortunate events, she sold what remains of her inheritance, and moved to Stormwind, where she pledged her services to The Silver Hand Chapter. She is under the guardianship of her uncle, Lord George Ruxton of Stormwind.

Description
"A burst of flame in the darkness;  blood-red and bold."

Elegant: this is the word best used to describe Oliviana. Clad in the finest attire money can buy, or her own skill create, she is always dressed impeccably, favouring robes and dresses fortified by enchantments. She is not a very tall woman, but the tilt of her chin and the way she carries herself seem to lend her a few extra inches of height. Her hair, a vibrant shade of auburn, is swept up in a bun, her fringe framing a pale, heart-shaped face. Her warm brown eyes are expressive, sparkling with warmth and, more often than not, a hint of mischief.

Personality wise, Livi is bold and vibrant, the art of pyromancy well-suited to her, although lately she has developed the habit of acting reserved around new people until she feels more comfortable around them. She can be very stubborn and defiant, although this is becoming less apparent as she grows in life experience. She was very reckless in her youth, a trait that she is only now learning to keep in check. She is playful, but can be quick to anger, although she never stays mad for long. While angry, she can say or do things she later regrets, and be can be harsh or antagonistic. Her worst fault is a tendency to focus on her own problems or situation at the expense of those suffered by the people around her. Underneath it all, however, she is basically a decent woman who tries to do the right thing, and strives to act with kindness.

History
Oliviana Elizabeth Tate is the youngest child of Lord Geoffrey and Lady Marcena Tate. She has an elder brother, Darian. She was only a small child when Raven Hill fell to the undead, forcing her family to flee to the town now called Darkshire. She can still remember what Duskwood looked like before it was cursed to perpetual twilight, and she dreams of the day the curse is lifted.

She was betrothed not long after her birth to James Penderhast, the son of one of her father's friends. Oliviana detested James as he was a dishonourable man who did little to improve the lives of anyone other than himself. James was killed by feral worgen the week before the wedding was scheduled to take place, something that Oliviana viewed as 'no great loss to anyone but his family'.

Growing up, she witnessed her family wasting gold on frivolous items while their people struggled to survive. Oliviana took it upon herself to make sure that at least some of her family's money went where it really needed to go - the poor, starving, and homeless. As she gained some knowledge of magic from her private instructors, she also ventured out to take care of some of the dangers constantly threatening Duskwood; the undead, feral worgen, and vicious wildlife. Although dangerous, she firmly believed that her people needed to see that they had someone fighting for them, that not all of the Tates were ignorant of their suffering. She was drawn to the art of pyromancy because she saw what something as simple as fire offered to her community - light, warmth, comfort. She grew up convinced that Duskwood could be reclaimed.

Oliviana desperately wanted to study at the Mage's Tower in Stormwind, but her father forbade it, forcing her to rely on private tutors and books. When Lord Geoffrey died, she saw an opportunity to leave, but her brother Darian also refused her requests. Taking a risk, she 'accidentally' set fire to Darian's study in order to demonstrate that she needed professional training. Her plan succeeded, and within weeks she was on her way to Stormwind, excited about forging a life that wasn't limited to marriage and motherhood.

She adored living in Stormwind, though she would often return home for visits. Her skill in magic improved dramatically, and she was close to the one family member she truly liked, her cousin Lady Isabel Ruxton. She made friends, had adventures, and fell in love. Sir Valemick Ceylon was a paladin, a Knight of the Silver Hand, and they were blissfully happy together, becoming engaged not long after meeting.

But the happiness was not to last. Her beloved Vale was deployed to Draenor, and Oliviana found herself in a very dangerous situation. Despite numerous warnings from Isabel and her friends, Oliviana became determined to defeat Giovoni Darkmoore, a man in the service of an Old God. He was determined to bend her to his will, in order to find a book that her father had kept hidden for years - a copy of research conducted by the necromancer Morbent Fel.

During this time, Vale returned briefly, telling her that he had been held captive, and that many of his men had been killed. Oliviana warned him about Darkmoore, and Vale returned to Draenor worried about what she had gotten involved in. She has not seen him since. She also met a night elf druid who helped her defend Raven Hill from the undead, a man who fascinated her, and on whom she developed a crush, her feelings confusing her greatly.

In order to obtain what he wanted, Darkmoore cast a spell on Oliviana, manipulating her memory so that she forgot Vale, and thought that Darkmoore was her beloved, not Vale. This spell was eventually broken, Isabel protecting Oliviana when Gio attempted to destroy her. To this day, she still has some problems with her memory. Feeling as if she had betrayed Vale, and that she was unworthy of his love, Olivana broke the engagement, driven also by a feeling that he had not been there for her when she needed him most.

What followed was the darkest period of Oliviana's life; Darkmoore used the information he had gained from her to track down Fel's research, killing her mother and brother, and half their household. She was now the head of her House, a responsibility she was unprepared for, especially when she discovered her family had been financially dependent on her uncle. She confessed her feelings to the druid, only to have them firmly rejected. She soon rebounded, far too quickly to be wise - a Light-Weaver, by the name of Adimus Thaymond grabbing her attention. Her cousin, Isabel, who had also developed feelings for Adimus, was believed to be dead after the ship she was on capsized just outside of Stormwind Harbour. Her friends, her support network, were called away to serve in Draenor, or simply disappeared.

The relationship between Oliviana and Adimus ended badly; her recent experiences causing her already bossy nature to become even more controlling, her way of trying to protect herself. She was also unable to shake the belief that Adimus was really in love with her cousin. Realizing what she was doing, Oliviana tried to end the relationship, effectively issuing Adimus an ulimatum; her love or his duty to the light. He chose her, but it was a choice he could not live with. Adimus left Oliviana with no more than a note; an act she could not forgive.

The end of that relationship was a breaking point for Oliviana. She was devastated, so overwhelmed with pain and anger that for days she could barely function. It was in this darkest hour that Oliviana saw with painful clarity all of the mistakes she had made in her life, and what she needed to do. Realizing that she was not cut out for the repsonsibility of leadership, she sold her lands and moved permanently to Stormwind. If she was to be any use to her homeland, she knew that she needed to improve her skills and become more powerful. She made attempts to repair her relationship with her cousin, even witnessing Isabel's marriage to Adimus. She began to rebuild her faith, seeking to better herself through service to others.

Oliviana felt as if she had survived a firestorm and ,like a phoenix, was reborn from the ashes...

Currently
Oliviana is based in Stormwind, where she is studying transmutation. She has discovered a talent for portal creation and teleportation, skills she hopes to put to good use alongside her pyromancy. She has also pledged her services to the Silver Hand Chapter under the leadership of Sir Tenevus Stromheart, being introduced to the Grand Master by his squire, Renaldren Telren. It is with Renaldren she has found a new source of happiness, and renewed hope for her future.

Family
Father - Lord Geoffrey Tate (dec)

Mother - Lady Marcena Tate (nee Ruxton, dec)

Brother - Lord Darian Tate (dec)

Uncle and legal guardian - Lord George Ruxton

Cousin - Lady Isabel Thaymond (nee Ruxton)