Melissa de Vignolles

Melissa de Vignolles (メリッサ・ド・ヴィニョル Merissa do Vinyoru) is one of the main characters in Puella Magi Tart Magica: The Legend of "Jeanne d'Arc". Melissa was born in a small village named Prechacq-les-Bains in the Gascony region of southwest France. Her father, Etienne had taken up soldiering at an early age, and his nickname ‘’La Hire’’ came from how quickly he could be riled to anger. At the time he was dating a young woman named Milene. After arguing with Milene in regards to his dream, he left the village in approximately 1413 with Milene’s brother and his best friend Jean Poton de Xaintrailles to become mercenaries. They returned in 1418 only to discover that the village had been struck with plague in the previous year and that the majority of the villagers had fallen to the illness, including Milene and her parents. Despite this, Milene’s daughter Melissa was able to survive and had been taken in with the other orphans by the local priest. Etienne realizes that Milene’s daughter was also his own and that the reason Milene became upset with him was to drive him off and allow him to follow his dream without being burdened by her or their soon-to-be-born daughter. Etienne then takes in Melissa and brings her with him everywhere thereafter, usually having her act as a medic or perform other field work for the soldiers. After Tart’s final capture and impending death by means of being burned at the stake,