Vey
| Vey | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Títulos | Lord Merchant[2] | ||||
| Grupo | Taishin | ||||
| Etnia | de Kerzta | ||||
| Nacionalidad | de Lossand | ||||
| Mundo natal | Taldain | ||||
| Universo | Cosmere | ||||
Vey is the Lord Merchant of the Guild. He is in charge of the banking industry of Lossand. He resides at the Golden Market of the Guild. He has a vote on the council of Taishin.
Appearance and Personality
He has tan Kerztian skin and long brown hair.[3] He wears the colors of the Guild, purple and white.
History
In the first vote of the Taishin Vey votes for the dissolution of the Diem.[4] His Profession, the Guild, is the only Profession which continues to pay tribute to the Diem.
Kenton visits Vey with Ais and Aarik to try and change his mind. After waiting for two hours in Vey's waiting room Kenton, bored, decides to play with his sand while waiting. Immediately Vey, infuriated, comes out of his office and yells at Kenton for practicing his "unholy art" in his office. Vey then invites Kenton into speak with him in order that he should stop using his sand in his office. Kenton bluntly asks Vey to vote for the Diem. Vey says that sand mastery is unholy and it would be unethical for him to allow it to exist. He then goes on to taunt Ais for guarding Kenton, calling her a traitor to her people. Kenton interrupts his rant with his sand. HE and Vey have a shouting match and they leave the office without any success.[2]
Later, Kenton tries again with a different tactic. He goes back to Vey's office and tells Grelin that he wants to make amends with Vey after their last meeting. After another long wait Kenton gets up and loudly implies that he knows the reason why Vey has kept paying the tribute to the Duem. Vey calls Kenton's bluff and he is forced to admit that he doesn't know the secret. He then makes an attempt at blackmail which fails.
Four days before the final vote, Vey leaves town to stay out of Kenton's reach. Kenton tries forcing Gennel to tell him where Vey went, but Gennel won't tell him. Khriss asks Nilto to find him and they find that he went to Lraezare. Vey instructs his nephew NaiMeer to stop Kenton from following him but Delius arrives and uses his rank as Lord Admiral to commandeer a ship to Lraezare on which he invites Kenton to join him.
They find out that Vey is staying in the house of Lokkall, head of the Shipowners' Circle. when they get the house Lokkall claims not to know where Vey is. Kenton, frustrated, yells out that if Vey doesn't speak with him he will turn over the Diem's ledger, with the 700,000 lak, over to the Lady Judge. Vey appears from a room upstairs and tells Kenton that they can speak privately. Kenton goes up to join him, taking Ais with him as a witness. Kenton guesses, correctly, that Vey owes the 700,000 lak to the Diem, not the reverse. Vey groans and tells Kenton the story of Hennin.
Hennin became Lord Merchant when two of his relatives died leaving him two separate fortunes. The Lord Mastrell of his time started a personal account with Hennin, and Hennin would put the Diem's tribute money into the account. Hennin lost his fortune causing his rule to end. When the next Lord Merchant took over he discovered that a vast sum was now owed to the Diem, the original tributes and a large amount of interest, and since a new Lord Merchant inherits all of the incumbent's debts as well as his fortune, the debt has increased to the point where it is impossible to pay back. The Lord Mastrell was willing to keep the debt secret so long as the Lord Merchant kept paying the tribute. The Lady Judge's predecessor knew about the debt and ruled that the Lord Merchant must pay the debt in full when the Lord Mastrell asks for it.[1]
Instead of demanding that Vey pay the debt, Kenton forgives the debt, earning Vey's respect and causing him to vote for the Diem.[1]
Relationships
- Delius: Due to their history, Delius hates Vey with a passion and considers him to be the representation of all that is evil in the world.[5]
- Kenton: While initially Vey was openly hostile to Kenton,[2] after Kenton forgave his 700,000 lak debt, they seem to become friends.[1]
- Gennel: Gennel is terrified of Vey, and does whatever Vey tells him to do.[1] It is not known why this is the case.
Quotes
“His name was Hennin. An idiot of a Lord Merchant who acquired the position unearned after two relatives died and left him separate fortunes. ”
—Vey[1]
“Thus each Quarter the Lord Merchant sends two thousand lak of his personal fortune to the Diem which the Lord Mastrell returns with instructions that it be deposited in the private account, adding to the blasted debt. ”
—Vey[1]