Nessa Tassou
Countess Nessa Tassou
Nessa Tassou is a Countess of the Kingdom of Alsona, ruling over a large swathe of The Patridaxos including two major settlements. Despite her success as a leader, her entire life she has had to cover up a shameful secret: that she is not a human as she pretends, but actually has elven ancestry. Born in secret with the former countess, a human, and a half-elf father, her elven features were not as prominent as they would be on others of her kind. As her mother's only heir, there was little choice but to hide the circumstances of Nessa's birth.
Through her childhood, Nessa was taught to conceal her ears and other features that could indicate her origins, along with a plethora of other lessons and knowledge to aid her in her ascent to nobility. Surprisingly, it was within the levies of her mother that she truly found her niche. She enjoyed training with the guards and warriors in the field, exercising and engaging in mock combats. She proved talented in the phalanxes, both as a cooperative combatant, but also as a duelist. Sadly, she never had a chance to practice at war herself, as the death of her mother led her to become countess in 1019 AF.
As countess, Nessa continued to train with the levies and militia of Makriathea, demonstrating her talents and building camaraderie with the lower classes of Alsonan society. Preferring the taverns and inns to soirees with the aristocracy, she became highly popular among the workers and warriors. When the Wingo War broke out, she immediately rallied her levies and prepared to defend the kingdom against elf and dwarf invaders. Unfortunately her levies performed no better than those of any other noble, and many were slaughtered by the skilled dwarven and elf fighters, but she at least was able to withdraw those who survived in good order.
Rather than maintaining the pretense that the nobility could win this war on their own, Nessa was one of the first to sign up her support for the formation of the Royal Army of Alsona, and was even granted a commission as a Colonel within the new military. Although she was never placed upon the front lines, she was officially considered the garrison commander of Makriathea. She led multiple defenses of the town against dwarf and elf raids, focusing on protecting homes over the estates of the nobility. She remained popular with the workers for this attitude, and fully supported the Queen in the continuation of the war to its final conclusion.
After the war ended, Nessa resigned her commission in the military and returned to focus upon Makriathea and her other holdings. She has continued to advocate for the better treatment and rights of the working woman, and her actions in this field and in the battlefield have led to many local nobles viewing her as an enemy or traitor to the class. Thus, the lack of a spouse and her overall secrecy has led to many suspecting what Nessa knows is true: that she is a half-elf. Her enemies have begun spreading this news through her holdings, in the hopes of turning the people against her.
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Countess of Makriathea and Etheridge
Date of Birth
Newfeast 15, 997
Year of Birth
997 AF
44 Years old
Family
Children
Current Residence
Gender
female
Belief/Deity
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
Comments