Vernal

"You know... I never thought I’d see a Schnee in this camp."

- Vernal to Weiss Schnee. Vernal is a character introduced in Volume 4 of RWBY. She is the current host of the power of the Spring Maiden and a bandit in the Branwen Tribe. She serves as a supporting antagonist in Volume 4.

Background
Approximately ten years prior to the events of RWBY, Vernal inherited the power of the Spring Maiden. However, her initial determination quickly waned into ineptitude to handle the responsibility, running away and going missing ever since. At some point afterward, she encounters and joins Raven Branwen's bandit tribe.

Volume 4
Weiss Schnee wakes up in a cage in the Branwen Tribe's camp, where a woman named Vernal tells her that the bandits plan to ransom her back to Atlas. Weiss rebuffs that her older sister Winter Schnee will come to her rescue, but Vernal says that she is not in Mistral anymore as per Ironwood's orders to return to Atlas as the kingdom closes its borders

Later on, she joins the rest of the tribe as Yang Xiao Long enters the camp to confront her mother Raven. She uses her powers to create a lightning strike to prevent a fight breaking out between the bandits, Yang and a freed Weiss. She follows Raven's instruction to return Weiss' weapon.

Appearance
Vernal appears to be a young woman with peach-colored skin and short brown hair. She has a tattoo of a bird rising from flowers on her left arm. She wears a brown vest over a torn white shirt, with a collar that appears to spike up behind her neck. Vernal wears maroon-colored pants with the right side rolled up halfway. She also wears dark brown knee guards that go down to her brown boots.

Personality
From what little has been seen of Vernal, she seems to be highly confident and takes pride in being a member of a bandit tribe. She was also visibly irritated by Weiss Schnee's comments about her and her fellow bandits. She also enjoys teasing her hostages, indicating she possesses a substantial mean streak.

Trivia

 * Like many people in the world of Remnant, her name follows the Color Naming Rule. Vernal is something that is occurring in or relating to the springtime.