Morigana Nightbane had been raised by simple folks. Not that they were simple minded... mind you, but they never wanted for much and were happy running the local tavern and living above it. Morigana, however, wanted more than this as did her sister. They wanted more than to go to sleep with the stench of ale, the bad breath of drunks, and the odor of puke and piss from the courtyard just outside their second story window still lingering in their nostrils.
After her sister left and joined the war against the centaurs Morigana, who was too young to go to war, began picking the pockets of the "richer" looking patrons and soon it didn't matter if they were intoxicated or sober - she had become that good. She even managed to liberate a nice pair of pistols from one gentleman and a set of matching daggers from a female soldier who was becoming far too friendly with a Seraph guard and let her own "guard" down so to speak.
Soon Morigana was climbing out of her second story window, down the vines, and into the street to look for more lucrative victims. She learned acrobatics, how to handle the blades and pistols she had stolen and the art of poisons. It wasn't long before she was doing more than just stealing. She was doing things that neither her adoptive father nor her sister would be proud of - but she didn't care. She was happy and getting rich. She would soon be able to leave the drunken buffoons, rat infested allies, and groping hands of not so noble noblemen - and women behind.
Then the shocking news came. Her sister was dead. While out on patrol she had been slain by centaurs. Morigana cried for a week.
Greed left her heart and revenge filled her soul. Revenge... she couldn't get this properly by serving in the military she needed more individualized training and more independence. The training that could only come from joining the strongest band of brothers and sisters within the realm. She had heard of their victories and of the many battles they fought. They were Gaiscioch - and they were legend.
It was her first fight with them against the marauders of other realms who were invading her homelands. Most of the invaders were from the far off realm of Darkhaven. She had never envisioned all out war being so brutal and yet invigorating. She had lived above a tavern for as long as she could remember but this was the first time she was intoxicated - drunk on the explosions of cannon and guns and the glint or steal covered in wet, sticky blood. She never realized running with a pack of well trained sword wielders, archers, pistoleers, riflemen, and wielders of elements and dark arts would be so fulfilling. But it was the comfort of numbers that made it "safe", for most of the time.
Then she made a mistake that she would probably make all over again given the circumstances. A lone female warrior downed on the road was about to be overrun by an incoming patrol from Darkhaven. Morigana's comrades had already stormed the keep and were heading in to over throw the Lord. But as she turned and watched the lone warrior she could only think, "What if it was my sister?" "I can't save her, but this one - maybe." And without further thought she took off in the direction of the lone, wounded warrior.
It was only a few rapid paces into her sprint that she realized she wasn't going to make it. The downed soldier was just about to receive a death blow from a huge Darkhaven warrior. She turned to run for the keep and the safety of it's walls and her comrades when she saw another patrol converging on the road in front of her. She was cut off and alone. The bloodlust of the Darkhaven's surrounding the corpse had momentarily let Morigana go unnoticed. "High ground", she thought, "one chance, find high ground and avoid detection".
There to the north was a small plateau with but a single way up and she took it. Dwayna must have been smiling on her as that small path up lead to the opposite side of where the closest patrol to her was approaching from. She got to the top and hugged the ground as if it her sister returning from the grave. Then she watched, holding her breath, with her fingers on the triggers of her matching pistols. She gained hope as they ran right on by her - never looking up. She was safe and she sang, although in a muted voice, the praises of Dwayna.
She was just about to jump down - when Dwayna smiled once more by laying a soft hand on her shoulder - making her pause. Just before launching herself off the small plateau she noticed a lone Darkhaven invader running her way. He had been cut off also - cut off by her. She had the high ground. She had the element of surprise. She had the memory of her sister and the fallen comrade whom she had just witnessed being slaughtered. Tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. "This is not the time for blurry vision." she thought. He was Darkhaven but in her recently tearfilled eyes he might as well have been the centaur that killed her sister - the embodiment of all her unspent revenge. Though she often prayed to Dwayna, it was Grenth that now gave her the strength to clutch her firearms.
She leaped in behind him firing both pistols then switched to her daggers as he turned with a startled grimace on his face. She swooped in his direction and stole a small bomb from his belt and quickly used his own device to knock him down and create gaping wounds in his legs. She was now cut many times herself and a rather deep belly stab might prove fatal, but she changed back to her pistols and dropped caltrops to bleed and hinder him and while backing up let loose with another barrage of shots to his body. He dropped. She finished him the same way that she had seen her Sanctum of Rall companion slain. She looked quickly around to make sure she was still alone. She was. Morigana limped off; gravely wounded herself but with time she would heal.
Whether this will make her stronger or wiser or both - only time can judge. One thing Morigana did realize. She must recover her sister's body to have peace. And in this time of war - she must have that small bit of peace for her soul to be complete so future battles, and even her life, will have more meaning.
» Edited on: 2012-09-12 14:14:02