Full Name: Contessa Rafaela de Vezio (pronounced Vet-zee-oh)
Nickname: Passera (Sparrow), Rafae
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Occupation: Amateur Occult Antiquarian
Nationality: Italian (Neapolitan)
Languages: English, Italian (Neapolitan & Sicilian dialects), Spanish, Latin
Current status: Debutante
Current Residence: Felmore House, Hammersmith

Overall Appearance: Rafaela exudes an aura of mystery and intrigue. Standing at 5'8" tall, she possesses an ethereal beauty that seems to defy time. Her porcelain skin, untouched by the sun, hints at her reclusive nature, while her piercing emerald-green eyes seem to hold ancient secrets. Long, flowing blonde hair cascades down her back like moonlight, often adorned with intricate braids and mysterious charms. Rafaela's slender figure is adorned with flowing robes of deep indigo and midnight black, adding to her enigmatic allure. She moves with a grace and poise that belies her otherworldly presence, captivating all who encounter her.

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 110 lbs
Eye Color: Emerald-Green
Hair Color: Blonde
Hair Style: Pinned up
Complexion: Porcelain
Body Shape: Lithe and graceful
Distinguishing Marks: None
Clothing: Flowing robes in shades of indigo and black, adorned with mystical symbols

Basic Personality:

• Well-mannered and approachable
  
• Cultured and educated
  
• Well-spoken conversationalist in multiple languages
  
• Curious and inquisitive
  
• Resourceful and adventurous
  
• Enigmatic with a mischievous streak
  
• A touch impatient
  
• Feels out of place in unfamiliar London society, but adapting
  
• Enjoys rain and storms

Magic Percentage: ElA 19 / ElW 19 / Dru 7
Special Skills:

• Knowledgeable in occult history and philosophy, magical artifacts, literature, naval history, wine
  
• Inquisitive mind, good at solving puzzles and playing chess
  
• Skilled swimmer and horse-rider
  
• Functional knowledge of sailing and seafaring
  
• Talented violinist
  
• Uncanny knack for predicting the weather
  
• Competent (but not outstanding) at singing, dancing, piano, painting, needlework, cooking, gardening, and other skills expected of a young nobildonna

History:  Rafaela is the third and youngest child of Conte de Vezio of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies and a Lady Englishwoman.  De Vezio is a venerable noble lineage known for potent elemental genes and a tradition of naval service, having risen in the Age of Sail by lending wind and water magic to the Neapolitan fleet.  Alas, the family's power and mercantile interests have been on the decline for decades due the bloodline's diminishing magic and the coming of steamships rendering their small fleet of merchant sailing ships more obsolete by the year.  There was a spark of hope for the business when Rafaela showed promise of power over wind and water, but that spark was snuffed out when at the age of fourteen she caused a magical mishap that beached the de Vezio flagship.  Conte de Vezio altogether abandoned the use of stregoneria in the family's merchant sailing interests and forbade Rafaela from using her magic for anything more than parlor tricks.

After this incident Rafaela was eager to prove herself, and so she dedicated herself to excellence in everything required of a proper young nobildonna, and more besides.  She took a particular interest in the history of magic and its artifacts, and longed to study at the stregoneria faculty at the University of Naples Federico, where her elder brother was an alumnus.  Her enrollment applications were denied on account of being a woman, but through her brother she nonetheless was introduced to arcane professors, sat in on lectures, and gained access to the university library to further her own studies.  Rafaela's studies only deepened her resentment at being forbidden from proper magical practice when she knew she could use her talents to not only restore her family's fortunes but to achieve great things!

By the age of twenty-two Rafaela had learned much and fancied herself an amateur occult antiquarian, but her father began to fear that such distractions would lead her to become a spinster.  The decision was made to send Rafaela and her brother to mingle with the aristocracy of their late mother's homeland of England and secure advantageous marriages that would improve the de Vezio family's declining fortunes.  She resented the prospect of being married off, but was nonetheless intrigued by the opportunities presented by this voyage abroad.

Now Rafaela de Vezio has arrived in England, taken residence in Felmore House in Hammersmith, owned by her mother's family, and is soon to debut to London society as an amateur occult antiquarian and eligible bachelorette.  She is chaperoned by her elder brother Riccardo and their loyal family majordomo, Alphonso, neither of which can entirely keep Rafaela under control.  She has arrived in London social scene at the beginning of the social season with goals given by family, by her profession, as well as goals of her own.  Perhaps here Rafaela's social, intellectual, and magical talents might finally have their chance to flourish!

Family:

• Conte Armand de Vezio - Father (retired senior naval captain, in Naples)
  
• Lady Catherine Felmore - Mother (deceased from cholera 6 years)
  
• Riccardo de Vezio :- Eldest sibling (bachelor heir to Conte title, university-educated in law & political science, in London)
  
• Constanza de Carafa : Second-eldest sibling (married, in Naples)
  
• Lady Abigail Felmore : widowed English aunt (letting Felmore House, Rafaela's debut sponsor)
  
• Mister Wilbur Robinson : Abigail's husband (deceased 21 years)
  
• Lord Walter Felmore, 3rd Earl of Felmore : Grandfather on mother's side
  
• Lady Beatrice Felmore : Grandmother on mother's side

Staff:

• Alphonso de Luca : longtime family majordomo (Italian)
  
• Marie : Rafaela's lady's maid (British)
  
• Audrey : kitchen maid for Felmore House (British)
  
• Josephine : house maid for Felmore House (British)