Back when I worked for the state of Tennessee, I had to train for about three months on policy, the system, state and federal laws, etc., and to do this, there was a training program that had fake people and their situations. Boy howdy, was that super fun. But one good thing about going through all of that was I found awesome names to use for my characters. And Viji was one of them. I can talk a bit more about Viji than I could about Calder or Hara, so be prepared for a bit longer of a post today. Hurrah? I'm going with hurrah.
Anyway, Viji has been the exact same since I created him: he's an elderly Vision* who runs a shop with his wife Prama in his home city-state of Torch and is a father figure to Ren. In earlier versions, he was definitely a calming influence on her, but as I've matured, so has Ren, and her need for someone to keep her from flying off the handle has tempered somewhat. You don't survive as long as she has on simple luck or sheer willpower; there's a certain finesse you have to possess. If you don't, you die. But Viji is definitely still a mentor to her, providing her a safe space whenever she might need it.
As I've expanded on his character, he's become fascinating to me, and honestly, I'd love to write a novel about his life prior to meeting Ren sometime in the future. His entire life has been dedicated to service, but it's not incredibly well-known. To most who are familiar with him, Viji is simply a successful shop owner, happily married for what seems like ages, and although he did travel quite often in his youth - presumably as a trader - he stays put in Torch, kind of like a hobbit, I suppose. He's good natured and clever, lending out aged wisdom whenever asked, and he has a soft spot for refugees from further south**. But he is so much more. Yes, he was a traveling salesman essentially for decades, but he's also a magick user that crossed into the territory of the notoriously reclusive, anti-foreigner Amir'Chavi and not only survived but established a good, long-term commercial relationship with them. He's lived for over one hundred years, and he's seen Some Shit. He's visited the exiled Fortulans; he's witnessed war after war, even fighting in a few himself in his younger years. He tamed, rode, and then released a fucking dragon. I could probably write an entire series dedicated to just his life. And maybe I will. Who knows?
His relationship with Prama goes back to his childhood, although they didn't marry until they were in their 60s. Prama has a complex past, as well, with twists and turns that had her go from working in her father's butcher shop to living in the Spiral (an archipelago in the far south, known for its lawlessness) as a guide to studying magick*** in Chenzira. They are equals in every single way, and I absolutely love writing scenes with them together. Viji is much more personable than Prama, who would prefer it if people would just not bother her, but Prama balances out Viji's less than sensible proclivities (he once was about to pay more than necessary for a shipment because he was just so excited about having it available, and Prama was like, "Dude, haggle a bit here."). They are an incredible team, and honestly, I kind of aspire to that kind of relationship.
Even though Viji is a supporting character, he plays such a major role in Ren's life that I considered making him a part of the main cast, but I realized that he was much better stationary. I mean, he could totally throw down - I really don't see him slowing down until he's like 300 - and back her up, but with the other main characters, not only would he seem superfluous, it would detract from his own strength and importance. I didn't want him to become a deus ex machina, either, so it was a weird balancing act trying to figure out when or even if he should show up. He's more active in the first arc than he is in later ones, but he's definitely present in all of the arcs (there are five) with varying levels of involvement.
The more of these I write, the more excited I get about introducing The Legion into the world. Like, these characters are so damn vivid for me that they feel like real people (in some ways, they are?), and their stories just pump me up. For some of the characters, I go fairly dark - poor Ren - but with Viji, it almost always seems like there's a giant glowing ball of hope at the end of whatever tunnel you might be in. That's the kind of person that I want to be, so I think Viji is actually kind of a Mary Sue for me: he's not perfect by any means, but he does represent my passionate belief that there is always something good to look forward to; you just have to fight for it.
* A Vision is kind of a combination of a Watcher from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and a sorcerer from D&D, but it really depends on who the character is. Astrid, one Vision I created for later in the series, is very druidic and not super into being involved with the bigger picture, and another is basically a mad wizard, so ... the definition is kind of nebulous, as far as I'm concerned.
** This is also a major story thread in the series, so I can't expand any further on this just yet.
*** Prama is actually more powerful than Viji here, but she doesn't like to use it very often, seeing the use of magick as a last resort.
** This is also a major story thread in the series, so I can't expand any further on this just yet.
*** Prama is actually more powerful than Viji here, but she doesn't like to use it very often, seeing the use of magick as a last resort.
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