Vantessa was born in a village too small to have a name, near Waterdeep. Her
mother used her home as a healing house, where she would tend the sick and
the wounded of the village and outlaying farms. She had no divine healing and
relied on mundane means to tend her patients. Vantessa's father was a
wandering cleric that her mother only met a few times. Vantessa was told only
a few details about her father, which lead her to believe he was a follower
of Kelemvor.
She was raised with little affection, as she was a child her mother hadn't
planned on, and didn't want. She helped out tending the ill and wounded as
soon as she was able, which gave her a deeply rooted sense of responsibility.
As she helped her mother, she learned about healing and how the body works,
as well as seeing how death brought peace to those who were suffering in
their last days.
These events brought her to seek out the Kelemvorite faith as soon as she
was old enough to go out on her own. She had a wish to serve as a priestess
for as long as she could remember, to be able to heal those who needed it, to
be able to perform her tasks more skillfully. Her heart fit within the
Kelemvorite faith perhaps before she was even aware of it. She came to
Waterdeep and met, among others, Gwain Rambash, the then-Deathlord, who
oversaw her entry into the faith. This remains one of the most significant
moments in her life. Such moments include seeing Kelemvor in person,
receiving an item of His favor (a crook which she often carries), and the
moment she was asked to become Deathlord alongside Rynn Irsei.
She has met many, and made friends within Waterdeep where she makes her home.
One of those to become most significant was Jarris Taril, a man she
befriended. They found a lot of common ground, from their upbringings,
outlooks on various points, and also including their devotion to their own
faiths. They eventually evolved into more than friends, and later were
married at the Abbey of the Tombstone Bell, by Selveem. Their dedication to
their faiths lead to their vowing to always have faith come first during the
ceremony, when there was a choice between the two. They have since had two
daughters together, Varissa and Kailana. Vantessa enjoys spending time with
her family and friends, maintaining that a full life is required to truly
rest peacefully when the time comes. She also enjoys moments of quiet
meditation, and thoughtful contemplation, when time allows.