Vwafendal
| Vwafendal | |
|---|---|
| Descendants | Waxillium, Telsin, Maxillium, Tindwyl |
| Titles | Elder |
| Groups | Synod |
| Residence | The Village |
| Ethnicity | Terris |
| Homeworld | Scadrial |
| Universe | Cosmere |
| First Appeared | Shadows of Self |
Vwafendal is a Terriswoman who lives in the Village in Elendel in post-Catacendre Scadrial. She serves as an Elder of the Synod. She is also the maternal grandmother of Waxillium and Telsin Ladrian.[1]
Appearance and Personality[edit]
Vwafendal is "stately", with dark skin and white hair that she wears in a braid.[1][2] She wears Terris robes and she walks with a cane by choice.[2][1] She does not yell, but she commands respect; younger Terris bow in her presence[1] and it is easy to sense her disapproval.[2] She is highly observant and was able to detect Wax lurking near her office.[2] Teenagers who attempt to sneak out of the Village try to account for her location, as she is the biggest threat to catch them.[2]
She is a staunch advocate for Terris tradition, including the need for rules and order.[2] She is insistent that the Terris can police themselves and that outside law enforcement is not necessary; she has a great deal of contempt for guns.[2][1]
History[edit]
For years, Vwafendal told Wax (and presumably Telsin) that living in the Village among fellow Terris could change a person's life.[1] Wax and Telsin eventually came to live with her when they were fifteen and sixteen years old, respectively.[2] Their father had agreed to let them live there for one year, despite his brother Edwarn's protests.[1] During this time, Vwafendal was already a well-respected Elder in the Synod, and she maintained an office in the Synod Lodge. She also lived near the Tin Gate, one of the primary passages between the Village and the rest of Elendel, and she kept an eye on people passing through the gate.[2] She maintained a list of everyone in the city known to have Feruchemical blood.[1]
Death of Forch[edit]
One night, Kwashim, Forch, Idashwy, and Telsin planned to sneak out to go drinking, and Wax tagged along. Idashwy had seen Vwafendal called to her office for an emergency, and the group thought that it would be easy to sneak out through the gate near her house. However, Wax learned that the emergency involved a constable, and his curiosity was piqued. He left the group to listen at one of Vwafendal's windows. He overhead Vwafendal and the constable discussing an "anonymous tip" with evidence regarding a potential arson committed by Forch. Vwafendal verbally sparred with the constable, insisting that the Terris would handle the matter internally. The constable placed a bullet on Vwafendal's desk to remind her of a shooting in The Village fifteen years prior, which incensed her.[2]
After the constable left, Vwafendal called Wax in from his hiding place outside (having glimpsed him in a mirror) and told him that she knew he was the one who tipped off the constabulary. She counseled Wax, who was lonely and having a hard time reconciling his old life with the rules of the Village. Although Wax was studious, his pragmatism caused him to struggle with his faith in Terris traditions. He was frustrated that Forch was not being dealt with in a more severe manner. Vwafendal told him that she would speak to some of the other youths about befriending him, and that he should worry about meditation and let the Synod do its job.[2]
However, Wax soon discovered that Forch had not sneaked into the city with the other teens. He searched the area and was shocked to find Forch in a storage hall dissecting a young boy he had kidnapped. After a struggle, Wax killed Forch, and immediately knew that his grandmother and the rest of the Village would hate him for bringing violence into the Village and for being right.[2]
After Wax's Departure[edit]
Wax left The Village and ended up in the Roughs, and Vwafendal did not have contact with him for a number of years. After Wax returned to Elendel, he only grudgingly visited his grandmother a few times, knowing that they were likely to argue.[1] On one such visit, Wax was seeking information about some murders that appeared to have been committed by a Steelrunner. Vwafendal spoke to Wax inside a traditional thatched log hut where she had a firepit.[1] She and Wax expressed open contempt for each other's philosophies and lifestyles. Vwafendal claimed that she had changed in the last twenty years, but believed that Wax had not since he still did not know who he was.[1] Although she previously seemed to scoff at the idea that Twinborn should be feared,[2] she now thought of them as dangerous,[1] possibly owing to her experience with Forch (and Wax). She eventually told Wax that Idashwy, whom Wax knew in his youth, was the only Steelrunner she knows of that could have been involved in the murders. She hoped that Wax could apprehend her without killing her.[1] Wax later sent a letter to Vwafendal informing her that he had found Idashwy's corpse.[3]
Relationships[edit]
Wax[edit]
Vwafendal seemed to care for Wax in his youth, and she expressed empathy regarding his difficulty fitting in anywhere due to his mixed heritage. However, she was also steadfast in her adherence to Terris tradition, and believed that Terris people should live in a way rooted in that tradition rather than integrating into the modern society of Elendel. She told Wax to embrace his Terris side[2] and insisted on calling him by his Terris name, Asinthew.[1] Wax sometimes calls her "grandmother V".[1]
After Wax killed Forch and then went to the Roughs to become a lawman, a wedge was driven between Vwafendal and Wax that persisted for several decades.[1] She still despises guns and blames Wax for the events surrounding Forch's death. Wax is unapologetic and tells her to hate him if she must; they are barely able to be civil with one another.[1]
Wayne[edit]
Due to his dislike of the Village, Wax usually sends Wayne there whenever they are seeking information. Wayne claims that Vwafendal likes him.[1]
Wax's Father[edit]
When Wax was in Vwafendal's hut, some childhood memories come back to him, and one of the memories is of his father and grandmother arguing.[1] Wax notes that his grandmother had long wanted her grandchildren to live in the Village, and she was likely frustrated by the reluctance of Wax's father to allow them to do so.[1] She also seems to speak of him with disdain when explaining that she believes "Asinthew" to be Wax's true name, claiming that his father "did not have the right" to name him.[1]