Veronica Stromm

Veronica Stromm was a dissident writer and printer active during the reign of the Imperium Titus. Later a de-facto member of the crew of merchant frigate Philomena, she was a key figure in the Philomena Uprising.

Description
Graceful and confident, Veronica is the perfect synthesis of her professor father and artist mother. She has dark, straight hair, olive skin, and brown eyes, characteristics typical of the regions of northern Terra Alta and eastern Stella Maris.

Early Life
Veronica was born in 824 to Hector and Amelia Stromm. The city of Azimuth, the second largest city of Terra Alta, is well-known as the hometown of Cor Nova’s most prestigious schools and university. Hector Stromm was a professor of history at one such institution, and was highly respected in his field. A master of conversation, accomplished fencer, and player of games, he used all of these talents to cultivate a large social circle. Amelia Stromm was held in almost equal esteem. An artist working in oil and plaster media, her work was featured throughout Azimuth and Terra Alta, most notably a series of murals in the Palace of the Lord Grand Malik. Veronica was born to the Stromms later in life than either would have expected, and both worked hard to pour their wisdom into their daughter. Lucky for them, Veronica proved to be a precocious and talented child.

Unfortunately, Veronica’s birth and young childhood roughly coincided with the rise of the Imperium Titus. Loyal to the Sovereigns, the Stromms became involved with the Bookkeepers in their underground opposition to Titus. Certain of the moral necessity of their work, but fearful that they would be discovered and risk Veronica’s safety, Hector and Amelia sent their daughter to school in Terra Alta for long periods of time.

Active Dissident
Veronica excelled in school, but was constantly worried about her parents’ activities. Finally, a rumor reached her that her parents had been compromised. She left school and returned to Azimuth, only to find that her worst suspicions were confirmed. Her father had been killed by an Imperium Fleet task force led by Admiral Khyber Ambry, and her mother had been imprisoned.

While the Bookkeepers were originally highly resistant to the idea of taking on a fourteen-year-old girl, they were won over by Veronica’s intelligence and persistence. Finding it too painful to live and work in Terra Alta or Azimuth, Veronica joined a group of forgers and printers working in Misericordiae. She published inflammatory literature under the pen name “Lily of the Valley” and organized the printing of illegal copies of The Rule of Sylvanus. It was during one such operation, hidden in an abandoned section of Misericordiae’s River Carillon, that Veronica was cornered by Khyber Ambry himself. She narrowly avoided being captured by the admiral, but was shot and injured by his soldiers during her escape. By a twist of fate, the wounded Veronica hid in an open shipping crate in Misericordiae’s Keel Hill shipping district. This crate was destined to be loaded onto the merchant frigate Philomena, beginning Veronica’s journey as a part of the Philomena Uprising.