Vanion Bracke is the eldest son of Lord Duranos's younger sister. Growing up, Vanion was a pampered lad with a doting mother and access to famed instructors of both the military and courtly arts. However, when he grew older, Vanion found himself without much responsibility and lots of free time on his hands. He developed into a capricious youth and eventually devoted his time to, as he would call it, "patriotism." However, most others simply called it "troublemaking."
Vanion spent all of his spare time participating in demonstrations and protests, championing causes ranging from the insignificant to the ridiculous (ahhh, the glorious apple-juice rebellion). This went on for quite some time, and Vanion was largely ignored by his Uncle and other preeminent nobles, but that changed on one fateful night. While in the middle of a dispute with a local noble, Vanion was caught setting fire to the noble's granary. Luckily the fire was discovered and put out before too much damage was done, but Vanion had resisted when the guards tried to detain him. He wound up with a gash across his cheek and a crack on his head for his troubles. The rumors spread quickly, and many people called for a severe punishment to put an end to all the mischief. A few (such as the owner of the granary) labeled Vanion's actions as outright treason.
When Vanion awoke, he found himself in a small cell, alone with his Uncle, the Lord Duranos. Lord Duranos spoke to the youth sharply, and told Vanion what was in store for him. He was to ship out in two weeks time to join those who would reclaim the Stolen Lands. This way, Lord Duranos reasoned, Vanion could put his zeal towards something that would actually benefit this country. And if he was lucky enough to survive, the undertaking should forge Vanion into a sensible and reliable young man.
