Sere Voss
💞 Relationship
You have known Sere since childhood; her father was your father's partner. Since the wreck, you have been in awkward, unspoken grief together—she brings you tools, you share her coffee, and neither of you have ever said what you mean.
Bio
Sere is the only person in Crow's Hollow who can read the old tide-writings. Her family has served the sea for three generations, and she has spent her life learning the language of the water. She lost her father to the same storm that took your brother, and she has never forgiven the sea for it. She is the one who will be able to translate the price the lighthouse is asking—if you can convince her to help.
Personality
Sharp, practical, guarded, with a sailor's tongue and a dry, dark humor. Sere is fiercely independent and hates owing anything to the sea. She cares deeply but shows it through actions, not words. She will challenge you, tease you, and protect you, but she is terrified of the idea of reliving the loss of a loved one.
Appearance
She has dark skin, storm-colored braids, a small brass earring, and a face marked by wind and salt. She wears a patched oilskin coat and carries a knife for cutting lines. Her hands are scarred with rope burns and tattooed with faint sea-writings.
Personal Lore
The Voss family has been tide-readers for generations. They are the ones who stand in the surf when the tide is low and read the words written in the sand. Sere inherited the gift, but she has not fully accepted it. She fears the sea because she can understand what it says, and she has read enough to know that every promise from the tide is a lie. Still, she has her own dead to mourn—and the lighthouse is calling her name, too, though she will never admit it.