Violca Hanza
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This section contains canon info from officially published sources |
Violca is a major character and secondary protagonist in Black Crusade. One of the Vistani, she is an ally of Sir Diederic de Wyndt, and her gift of the Sight and ingenuity are invaluable in helping him on his quest.
Background
Violca Hanza is one of Clan Hanza and a Vistani seer in training.[1] Madame Tsura, the raunie of Clan Hanza, is her mentor and aunt.</ref>p. 6</ref> The family was traveling in the Mists when the domain of Malosia formed, causing a terrible crash of their caravan that cost at least one person's life, Violca's cousin Simza. Madame Tsura ordered the clan to enter the domain, both to bury Simza and to know more about the mysterious new place.[2]
In Malosia
At some point, Violca was cutoff from the rest of her family and arrested by the Redbreasts and sent to Perdition Hill. Much later, she staged an escape with two other prisoners: Leonera Talliers and Sir Diederic de Wyndt. After they escaped, Violca left them as they were sleeping in order to find her kindred, the rest of Clan Hanza. Diederic was thus denied using Violca's gift of the Sight in order to track down Lambrecht. Regardless, Diederic had more urgent issues to worry about: escaping the pursuing Redbreast soldiers.[3]
After she met up with her people again and learned more about Malosia, Violca went off on her own again and rejoined Diederic on his way to Parsimol to look for leads on the [{Laginate Grimoire]]. expressed an interest in going with him for the sake of discovering more about Malosia and thereby the Land of Mists. Violca revealed that Malosia was a unique domain in that it had no darklord at its core, that the land was simply devoid of soul that reflected a darklord's true nature. She also offered, once things were said and done, to ask her people to take him home.[4]
In Parsimol, Diederic and Violca were captured by a cult of witches led by Bellustaire, whom intended to offer the pair as sacrifice. However, Diederic and Violca defeated the cult and killed Bellustaire, ultimately claiming the Laginate Grimoire. A crow possessed by Lambrecht took over Bellustaire's body and revealed he had pushed them into finding the Grimoire. While Diederic had been busy, Lambrecht had achieved great power within the Empyrean Church as a witch hunter and advisor to the Pontiff. Lambrecht challenged Diederic to come and get him.[5]
It was a challenge Diederic could not, or would not, refuse. He heeded not Violca's warnings that the magic of the Laginate Grimoire wanted to liberate itself from the tome's bindings. Diederic refused to take responsibility for any lives lost in the ensuing chaos, for they would be Lambrecht's fault. Rather than take Violca's offer of returning home and keeping his homeworld from ever suffering the threat of a unified Laginate Grimoire ever again, Sir Diederic chose to pursue his vendetta. And so Sir Diederic de Wyndt went to Caercaelum, Malosia's so-called heavenly city[6]
Pursuit in the Heavenly City
Although the pair escaped detection at gates of Caercaelum thanks to Violca's ingenuity, chaos soon followed hot on their heels. Like in Jerusalem, the magic of Diederic's half of the Grimoire leaked out and afflicted people with madness, leaving a trail of discord and destruction in their wake. The undead minions of Lambrecht complicated things even more. Although Diederic was thankful he kept the chaos localized rather than all-out bloodbath throughout the city, Diederic dismissed any loss of lives as necessary casualties of war.
The pair was seemingly given shelter and led away from danger by a Vistani named Tobar, but be betrayed them to First Confessor Oste van Brekke, leader of the Empyrean Inquisition. Despite animosity from both sides, a truce was arranged: delivery to the Empyrean Basilica and pardon for their sins for Diederic and Violca in return for the defeat of Lambrecht, a figure the First Confessor to be a stain upon the church. As ordered by the Confessor, Tobar took them to the Basilica. But in retaliation for his earlier betrayal, Violca struck him down with her dagger.[7]
Diederic and Violca entered the church through donning armor stolen from the Redbreasts. However, they were barred entry from Pontiff Cornelis by his guards, and the imposters' charade was revealed. The intruders cut their way through the guards and confronted the Pontiff, calling for Lambrecht's location. Yet Lambrecht intervened, using dark and foul magic, with the pontiff's permission, to animate the dead remains of the fallen guards and create webs to immobilize the intruders. All manner of disgusting and unnatural vermin scurried forth to devour Diederic and Violca alive. However, First Confessor and his men interceded, calling out Lambrecht's witchcraft and the Pontiff's willful allegiance with such a damned wretch. In the ensuing battle, Lambrecht was badly injured and disarmed from the Grimoire, but he escaped through the underground passages beneath the Basilica. Violca and Diederic gave chase and discovered dark truths behind the Empyrean Church, but Lambrecht eluded them again.[8]
The End of Violca's Journey
After learning from the Pontiff that he had bestowed upon the heathen priest Lambrecht a church of his own, Diederic, Violca, and a contingent of Redbreasts marched upon the place of worship, battling and cutting down helplessly maddened lunatics and undead minions. Although nearly overwhelmed by enemy numbers and horrible magic, Diederic, Viocla, and the remaining Redbreasts persevered. The confrontation ended with a partial collapse of the church and it setting ablaze. Lambrecht was struck dead once, but the necromantic spell that animated his minions caused him to rise up and seize the Grimoire. Yet before his full faculties could return, Diederic knocked him into the burning conflagration, and both the fallen priest and his foul grimoire were consumed by the fire.[9]
With the consumption of the Laginate Grimoire, the undead returned to death. Though confused and injured, the maddened were freed of their delirium. The fire soon sputtered out. The horror was over, but not so much for Diederic. Viocla's mission of information gathering was complete, Viocla took her leave. Diederic implored for her to help him find another way of escape, but she told him that Malosia would never let him escape. The people came and acknowledged Diederic as the savior from strife and terror that afflicted their city, ignorant of the responsibility he had for it. Yet this was but ash in his mouth because he could never go home. For Malosia had found its new darklord.[10]
