Governor Varlance
SupportingGovernor Varlance presents as a distinguished official with ghostly pale skin created by applied white face powder. He wears a cravat and arranges medals on his desk, embodying formal authority. As the day progresses, patches of the makeup may linger on his cheeks while he uses a handkerchief to wipe his brow.
Governor Varlance emerges in The Lost Metal as a formal, powder-pale figure of civic authority whose polished exterior begins to crack under the weight of existential crisis. Initially defined by medals and etiquette, he is forced into pragmatic partnership with Steris Ladrian, revealing a willingness to set aside ceremony when Elendel’s survival is at stake. Across the single volume in which he appears, Varlance’s arc is less about personal transformation than about the sudden exposure of a bureaucrat compelled to act decisively when centuries-old civic structures are threatened by forces beyond his comprehension.
Physical Description
Governor Varlance presents as a distinguished official with ghostly pale skin created by applied white face powder. He wears a cravat and arranges medals on his desk, embodying formal authority. As the day progresses, patches of the makeup may linger on his cheeks while he uses a handkerchief to wipe his brow.
Evolution
The Lost Metal (The Mistborn Saga)
Governor Varlance presents as a distinguished official with ghostly pale skin created by applied white face powder. He wears a cravat and arranges medals on his desk, embodying formal authority. As the day progresses, patches of the makeup may linger on his cheeks while he uses a handkerchief to wipe his brow.
- Appears in full ceremonial regalia, face powdered white, medals arrayed on his desk as he presides over Elendel’s government.
- Coordinates with Steris Ladrian to orchestrate the mass evacuation of the city ahead of the looming cataclysm.
- Uses a handkerchief to blot away melting makeup while still issuing orders, symbolizing the erosion of formality under pressure.
- Authorizes emergency measures that bypass traditional legislative channels, marking his shift from ceremonial figurehead to crisis leader.
Relationships
Begins as a wary political partnership during the evacuation; evolves into a pragmatic alliance in which Varlance defers to Steris’s logistical acumen, ultimately trusting her judgment over protocol.
Key Events
Book Appearances
The Lost Metal (The Mistborn Saga)
First appears Ch 2