Léon Bisset du Verre

Léon Bisset du Verre is a character in 7th Sea: The Search for Salvation, played by Chris.

Aliases

• Léon Corbeau du Paix

Physical Description

Léon is a young man in his late teens with shoulder-length blond hair (usually tied back into a single ponytail), blue eyes, a well-trimmed mustache with pointed soul patch, and handsome features. He sports a light tan and has calloused hands, and though he is fit, he has yet to fill out, and is a bit skinny. His clothes are fine and well kept but not gaudy, and he only pays lip service to the latest fashion trends, eschewing the most impractical fads. When travelling, he favors swordsman's attire, and when outdoors, he wears a blue gentleman’s coat with gold trim and buttons and a black tricorn hat.

Biography

Léon was born to parents Bernard and Pascal Bisset du Verre, the Marquis and Marquess of Champ Corbeau, one of the more rural parts of the duchy of Verre. Pascal, a young beauty of 17 years, formerly of the Praisse family, had been successfully wooed by Bernard after he invited her to stay at Corbeau Manor during the spring bloom, when the fields are full of lilies. It was so picturesque that Pascal couldn’t consider leaving, and the two were married in the summer of 1648. Just over a year later, their first and only son was born.

As a member of the nobility, Léon had a childhood free of care or want, though his parents did begin to prepare him for his adult life as soon as he could talk. Unlike most Montaigne nobility, his parents were very hands-on in his upbringing, rather than leaving the job to the servants. He was taught sorcery, fencing and chivalry by Bernard, and the two grew very close. They spent many afternoons sparring, talking, and playing ‘catch’ with sticks and stones down by the creek that ran through their lands. Pascal taught Léon about courtly etiquette, how to read and write, and a certain pragmatism that her husband, a hopeless romantic, lacked. It was a very happy time for Léon.

In the summer of 1657, when Léon was just 8 years old, disaster struck. While Bernard was away in Charouse, Pascal received a hastily-scrawled letter from him via Porté. In it, he revealed that his life was forfeit, and he urged Pascal to leave the country immediately, lest she and Léon suffer the same fate. Pascal gathered a few belongings and left Champ Corbeau at once, taking Léon and a handful of their most trusted servants. They traveled by a circuitous route to Arrisent, where they secured passage on a merchant ship bound for Castille.

Unfortunately, they were followed to Arrisent by a zealous musketeer, who attempted to arrest them, but after a short fight they were able to escape. It was during this fight that young Léon showed an inkling of his quality; when it seemed his mother’s bodyguard Claude would be shot by the musketeer, Léon interposed himself, and took the bullet meant for Claude. Of course, Léon caught the bullet in a portal and was unharmed, but Claude never forgot his courage and kindness, and over time Claude became something of an older brother figure to Léon.

After the narrow escape from Arrisent, they spent a few months aboard the merchantman, hoping to elude their would-be captors. Its captain was a kindly old Montaigne by the name of Beldeux, who sympathized with their plight and let them stay on for a while. The servants had to work as part of the crew, however, and Léon insisted that he be given some shipboard duties as well, to alleviate his boredom if nothing else. He served as lookout, and assisted with the hoisting of sails and other less tedious tasks (swabbing the poop deck was right out). By the time they finally left the ship in the port of San Gustavo, Léon had become an able sea-hand.

In Castille, Pascal Corbeau du Paix (as she now called herself) supported the family by traveling from house to house, relying on the generosity of Castille noblemen, or so Léon believed. In fact, Pascal managed to keep them afloat with a combination of flattery, blackmail and the insinuation that she might be willing to marry the noblemen in whose houses they stayed. Meanwhile, Léon stayed with his cousin Marisol, who was married to a Soldano. There he met [Shade’s Guy], and underwent tutoring in scholarly matters. It was a relatively happy seven years, during which Léon gained a respect for the people of Castille and their way of life.

In 1664, the King of Montaigne declared himself L’Empereur, and began openly practicing sorcery. Pascal was troubled by this news, and decided to move the family out of Castille. She had always taught Léon to keep his Porté a secret, and she correctly surmised that with L’Empereur’s revelation, they might become targets of the Vaticine church, whose influence in Castille was great. They took a river boat to Barcino, and from there booked passage on a ship bound at length for Vodacce. Léon was now 15 years old, and again he insisted that he be given shipboard duties. He was glad to be at sea again, though this time it was only for a few weeks, after which the ‘Corbeaus’ found themselves on Villanova Island.

This time they were staying with one of Pascal’s cousins, who was the wife of a minor Villanova noble. Again, Pascal took to the courts with practiced ease, and she soon had several proposals for marriage despite her dwindling youth. After a year or so of leading them on, she finally gave up hope of ever returning to Montaigne and agreed to marry a Villanova, taking his name. This displeased Léon, as did Vodacce in general. He found most of the men to be villainous, though his stepfather was an exception. Still, he was no match for Bernard to Léon’s mind.

Léon stayed with his mother and stepfather for another few years, but soon it became clear that he needed to leave the manor if he was to keep peace with his stepfather. So, he set out to seek his fortune with his old friend [Shade’s Guy], along with several new friends he had recently been introduced to. Pascal insisted that Claude go with him, and Léon was happy to have him along, for he was a gifted swordsman and a good friend besides. The desire to return to Montaigne and find out at last what became of his father now smolders in the back of his mind.

Known Associates

• Pascal Bisset de Villanova, formerly Bisset du Verre, formerly Praisse du Rachetisse (his mother)
• Claude Duchamps (his bodyguard)

Character Sheet

Brawn	Finesse	Resolve	Wits	Panache
2	2	2	2	2

Nationality: Montaigne
Drama: 2	Wounds: 0
Arcana: Loyal	Reputation: 0	Dice: 0

Sorcery

Full Blooded

• Porté
  • Attunement 1
  • Blooding 1
  • Bring 1
  • Catch 3
  • Pocket 1

Advantages

• Nobility
• Legendary Panache
• West Montaigne Accent
• Able Drinker
• Close Relative - Porté Sorcerer (his mother Pascal)
• Appearance (Above Average)
• Montaigne Servant (Extremely Loyal Bodyguard)

Skills

Civilian Skills

• Courtier
  • Dancing 1
  • Etiquette 1
  • Fashion 1
  • Oratory 1
• Sailor
  • Balance 1
  • Climbing 2
  • Knotwork 1
  • Rigging 1
• Scholar
  • History 1
  • Mathematics 1
  • Philosophy 1
  • Research 1

Martial Skills

• Athlete
  • Climbing 2
  • Footwork 2
  • Sprinting 1
  • Throwing 1
• Pugilism
  • Attack 1
  • Footwork 2
  • Jab 1
• Knife
  • Attack 1
  • Parry 1
• Fencing
  • Attack 2
  • Parry 1

Languages

• Montaigne S/R/W
• Vodacce S
• Castille S