Acantha/MaidenInShadows

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The Maiden in Shadows on the Edge of Twilight

I'm too goddamn derivative for my own good.

Description

The Maiden appears to be a young woman, quite beautiful in a dusky sort of way.

History

Once upon a time, there was a young princess who loved the darkness. This princess was neither beautiful nor strong, and her heart was small and selfish despite her nurses' best efforts. As she grew, she heard stories of how her hand would shape the kingdom in years to come, and she grew to covet this power.

Yet, on the eve of her coronation, disaster struck. A great dark creature appeared in her throne room, and demanded her kingdom for her people's life. The princess, proud and arrogant, refused.

The creature simply smiled, and gestured to his minions. And that was that. Her kingdom was taken from her in a vicious coup that left her family and her court in pools of blood, and her mind firmly set on revenge against the creature that took her birthright and her wellbeing from her. To this end she traveled Creation, seeking greater and greater power in an attempt to take back the throne and the life that was rightfully hers.

After a long and fruitful journey, she found her way to the creature's dark palace and challenged it to a duel for their lives. At first they were closely matched, but then the creature took his true form and she found herself bleeding and cursing at her torn, weak body that could not stand against this thing that was so powerful.

With her dying breath, she asked for power.

A voice spoke to her, and a figure wreathed in blue flames appeared, offering her limitless power in exchange for her service. At first, the princess denied the mysterious benefactor -- only a fool would sell herself into thralldom for a taste of power. But as the life ebbed from her and her vision grew dark with the shadows she so loved, she relented. Tendrils of shadow flowed into her wounds and made her into something darkly beautiful, something she had never thought she could be.

Her hardened body rose from its death-throes and lashed against the creature, and the creature could not stand against her new-found magic. As it spasmed and screamed before her and threw its blood in hot arcs across her skin, she laughed and laughed and laughed.

Thus was born the Maiden in Shadows on the Edge of Twilight.

The Maiden came to her master's home, and had her former name (a small and unlucky word) burned from her soul. She learned dark sorcery and powerful charms to protect and expand her power, and at last, she found herself in a place that seemed to fit her, all deep darkness and thin-edged shadow. She was content to torment the minor ghosts and bend unsuspecting mortal slaves to her will, until he appeared.

He was a servant of her master, much as she was, though with far more martial ability and only a few minor spells to protect him. He was so different from herself -- light where she was dark, dark where she was light, as mute as a stone while she could talk a man out of his first-born child within five minutes of meeting him. He intrigued her, and as she learned his habits and his blasphemies, he captivated her. She had never loved before, and it terrifies her. Yet, she cannot stop.

And the Jester sees all and smiles.