Serena Godspeak

Apostle Serena Godspeak (a.k.a. The Old Maid of Gods' Peak)

Serena Godspeak is the only child of Apostle Simeon Godspeak, and niece to the former king, Silas Godspeak. Taking up the role of the first female apostle of Godspeak, she met her responsibilities by admittedly ducking a major portion of it to focus on her strengths; uniting and motivating her people.
She was a somewhat spoilt girl, as she was doted upon by her parents while she was an only child. She was thought to be mere marriage currency at the time, as her parents, Simeon and Sophia, hoped to have a boy after her. However, each subsequent attempt at a child following Serena was rife with complications, ultimately leading to the pair realising that Serena was going to be the next apostle, and that they needed to prepare accordingly.
Hence, when Serena was ten, they had a sincere talk with her about how she was set to become the Apostle of the Freshwater Temple, and that many would doubt her for being a woman. They would doubt her holiness, her sincerity, every possible angle, and that they wouldn't be as kind to her as her parents would be. Serena developed a fear of the outside world following this, becoming overly vigilant for the amorphous crowds of people eagerly waiting for her to fail, studying the Holy Hexacron diligently with her father while not bothering to meet worshipers face-to-face.
Eventually, the day came for her to make her first public address as a woman grown. She was sixteen, had practiced her speech from dawn until dusk, yet when faced with the people of Godspeak, seemingly warm-faced, kind peasants, but 'knowing' the malice and anticipation for failure they supposedly held in their hearts, she began to falter, and once the people started to murmur, she stopped entirely.
It was at this point the firstborn son of Solomon Adderwood, Kiran, a young man of nineteen, spoke up, telling her that the words were there in the Hexacron, that she could read them and the Gods themselves would be on her side, giving her the voice she lacked. As a result of this encouragement, she found her voice, and continued on with the speech to great applause. The religious among the people of Gods' Peak considered it a modern day miracle, proof of the Gods' ability to casually bless their representatives.
Serena privately approached Kiran Adderwood to thank him, and was amazed that he knew with such certainty that the Gods would bless her. He then ensured nobody else was listening and told her a secret; he didn't believe in the Gods at all. Serena, horrified, asked why he told her what he did, and he said it was to give her the hope she needed. He explained that deep down, she had the power to encourage the people within her; gods had nothing to do with it. He then left her with words that would stick with her: 'Don't give the Gods credit for your own strength'.
This simultaneously encouraged and deeply unsettled Serena. The holy books within the Hexacron were often vague and contradictory, even she could acknowledge this, yet letting go of the idea of the Gods altogether felt like a drastic stance for the young Adderwood to take, especially given he was the heir apparent of his secondary apostle father. Still, it wasn't wrong to at least view Arkheran Pantheism pragmatically, especially with the growing fundamentalism in Godswater.
Serena would remain shy for most of her young adulthood, proving herself to be a fine orator despite this, and an exceptional listener to people's confessions. Her skills were geared towards giving people the gift of hope, however, whenever Simeon Godspeak attempted to include his heir in harsh political discussions with the steadily growing-in-influence Gatleys or the Kanmaraki, she would become flustered and overwhelmed, often leaning on, once again, the Adderwood heir, Kiran.
Seeing the bond the two had, Simeon Godspeak hoped to unite the houses of Adderwood and Godspeak, hopefully providing Gods' Peak with the best of both of them, but unfortunately, he struck too late, as Solomon Adderwood had already brokered a betrothal between Kiran and the only daughter of the Whiterocks, Juniper. Simeon expressed his disappointment to Serena, and apologised for failing her, only for Serena to assure him that she fully intended to work with Kiran, and that she never saw him as a lover, more as a protective big brother.
Simeon would grow saddened by this acceptance of her fate, as in his mind, she was too shy to approach any other men besides the one she trusted more than anyone, and as both Solomon Adderwood and Simeon Godspeak alike died, this assessment would prove correct. Serena would cede the majority of political influence to Kiran Adderwood, while largely acting as a beloved unifier of the people, and though her sect of faith allowed (and encouraged) her to be married, she simply never found a man that was right for her.
Even as Kiran became colder and his idealistic, encouraging side waned, Serena Godspeak would steadily warm to her role, becoming gregarious and even outgoing. She would develop her own shy, self-effacing sense of humour and become generally a woman so kind-hearted and loved even by her political rivals that none in good conscience would attempt to trick her or swindle her people, even as Kiran would play the hard negotiator.
Now she's aware of her advancing age, and while she's technically not too old to have children, she's considering her options carefully regarding if she chooses an adoptive heir to the Godspeak name, or if she simply cedes Gods' Peak in its entirety to the Adderwood family; after all, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm for Juniper Whiterock, Kiran Adderwood has three children, all of them fine young people in their own rights.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Serena Godsvale is beautiful for her age, being clear-faced save for light laughter lines, with long blonde hair with only the barest hints of grey. She has a button nose, a warm smile, and a diminutive, almost waifish build. She makes up for this by wearing a wide, flowing robe when on duty as an apostle in the Freshwater Temple, coloured in the blue and green of her house colours.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Apostle Kiran Adderwood (coworker, de facto overlord of the Vale)
Lady Juniper Whiterock (friend)
Dame Selah Godsvale (holy student)
Kanmarak XVII (vassal)
Lady Natt Gatley (vassal)
Count Gad Burdock (vassal)

Family Ties

Religious Views

Serena is an apostle of Arkheran Pantheism, but isn't strictly convinced of the Gods' existence. She believes that adhering to the best tenets of the Hexacron is beneficial to society, and thus uses the Hexacron in analogue and homily, but doesn't try to use them as threats or for excessive moralising. To her, they're teaching tools which she hopes she can use to bring out the best in everyone, holding true to her self-assigned role as the heart of the Great Vale.

Alignment

Lawful Good

Current Location

Gods' Peak

Species

Human

Ethnicity

Arkheran

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Apostle of the Holy City of Gods' Peak
Overlady of the Great Vale

Year of Birth

508 AGA 43 Years old

Circumstances of Birth

Apostolic

Birthplace

Gods' Peak

Parents

Simeon Godspeak

Sophia Adderwood (mother of Serena Godspeak)

Current Residence

Gods' Peak

Gender

Female

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Blonde

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White

Height

5'2''

Aligned Organization

House of Godspeak

Other Affiliations

• Arkheran Pantheism
• Great Vale
• House of Adderwood

Known Languages

Common Tongue
Jaranese
Old Galdusian (Basic)