Profile

Name: Vanyel Greyjoy
Race: Imperial
Sex: Male
Age: 28 (a guess by the priestess who raised him, since was about a year old when found)
Home Province: Cyrodiil
Class/Build: Mage/Fighter - Favors one-handed weapons so that the other is free to cast spells
Weapons: Dawnbreaker, Dragonbane, Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow with various bolts, Scimitar
Armor: Ancient Falmer Cuirass, Ancient Falmer Boots, Ancient Falmer Gauntlets
Jewelry: Gauldur Amulet, Ring of Destruction, Aetherial Crown

Active Standing Stone: Mage, Lover
Thaneship: Whiterun, Falkreath
Faction: College of Winterhold (Arch-Mage), Dawnguard
House: Lakeview Manor
Spouse: None
Children: Lucia, Alesan

History:
He arrived in Anvil in 4E 174 as part of a large group of refugees - Anvil having been bypassed in the invasion, it was considered, if not totally safe, then at least safer than the alternatives (and its harbor provided the quickest and easiest means to leave Cyrodiil altogether). He was only about a year old, and with no parents to be found -none of the adults left in the group by then claimed him, nor could they remember where he and his parents might have fallen in with them- he was taken in by a priestess from the Great Chapel of Dibella.

This priestess, Thalia Greyjoy, raised him as if he were her own, gave him the best education she could (which, along with reading and writing, included the same sort of etiquette she had learned growing up in a minor noble house and anything else she could remember from her own lessons) and encouraged his interest in magic - though she also made sure to have an actual mage from the Guild sit down with him and give him a crash course in ethics before she let him near any spellbooks.

The result of this upbringing is a young man with a predilection for books and learning and the sort of manners that would fit better in the Imperial City than in Skyrim, and an ‘ethical slut’ mindset picked up from his mother and her fellow priestesses - that is, as long as everyone involved consents, anything goes.

But he does have a harder edge to him - Anvil was on the decline even before the Oblivion Crisis, and the decades of political instability and outright war that followed only sent it spiraling down faster. Out of necessity, he learned early how to beg and pick locks (and the occasional pocket), and how to fight. The streets of Anvil were where he first developed his ‘blade in one hand, spell in the other’ fighting style, and quickly became more trouble than he was worth for any would-be thugs looking for a mark.

He was sponsored for entry into the College of Whispers in Cyrodiil's capital at age 16, but within two years had left to travel the continent and learn by doing.

The College was his goal when he set out for Skyrim… but somehow he got caught up in ambush meant for the Stormcloaks, nearly executed, asked to bring word of the dragon attack to the Jarl of Whiterun, and then the Jarl needed his help with a few things yet… all in all, it took him a little longer than expected to actually get there.

Personality:
His upbringing in Anvil forced him to combine the high-minded ideals of the Chapel with a hard-edged practicality and pragmatism. He doesn’t start fights, but he absolutely will not hesitate to finish them. He learned young how to pick locks and pockets, but only steals from people who can afford to lose a few (dozen) septims.

He prefers to solve problems without violence whenever possible, and takes care to treat everyone he meets with courtesy, even if they’ve not yet earned his respect. He doesn’t trust easily, but for those who earn it he’s a steadfast and loyal friend - another thing he learned growing up was that true friendship and loyalty are rare things, to be treasured when you find them. He’s also fiercely protective of his friends and loved ones - though whether this is an effect of the above-mentioned idea about friendship and loyalty, or a dragon’s instinct to defend what’s his is anyone’s guess.

Not surprisingly for someone raised by Dibellans, he’ll take men and women both to bed with equal enthusiasm, and is quite willing to try anything once. (Or more than once, in Lydia’s case - she just keeps reading things like The Lusty Argonian Maid and coming up with such interesting ideas!)