Tiffa/TheMaiden
Contents
History
Life, for a slave, is often miserable. Such was the case for a young girl living in the Treshhold, deep in the East. Sandara had been a slave for as long as she could remember, and she hated it. She hated her life, her masters, the very house she lived in, the other servants for being treated better than her, the other slaves for being less miserable than her... she hated nearly anything she could think of.
Always taciturn, Sandara nonetheless kept quiet. She never spoke if she could help it. She did her duties as quickly as possible, doubly so as she often had the worst jobs in the household. The matron of the house seemed to enjoy torturing her, and her children were not any better. Sandara raged, but was powerless to do anything about it.
The only thing she liked in the entire household was the animals. When she was alone with the animals, she felt at peace. She was good at dealing with them and calming them down. Animals just seemed to like her in general (the hunting dogs just plain adored her). Many of her duties ended up dealing with the animals in some way... feeding them, cleaning them and the stables, whatever was needed. This was the one kind of job she didn't mind at all.
The matron's oldest son, a cruel young man with a taste for hunting, was especially miffed that his dogs weren't as vicious as they could be (Sandara could be thanked for that). In one occasion, he injured one of the dogs with his horse on purpose, on sheer petulance. The dog would have likely died has Sandara not stepped in and quietly taken care of it until he got better. However, it would never walk right again, let alone run. He became her pet of sorts, feeding him quietly and playing with him when she was alone. She was happy for a while.
It was not to last. One morning, she came out of the house and was greeted with the sight of her pet getting pierced by an arrow, shot by the young man as he tested a shiny new bow. Sandara was at first confused, then horrified, and finally enraged. Screaming louder than she ever had in her life, she charged towards the young man, and... was promptly brought down by his guards.
She was thrown into the household's dungeon for trying to attack her master. She was still screaming and swearing she would kill him as she was dragged down and thrown in, and she didn't stop for a while.
It’s possible she would have been killed the next day. However, it was apparently decided that she'd be left down there... or maybe they even just forgot. She was brought no food, water, or anything at all for days. And she refused to die.
Starvation did nothing to remove her anger. With each passing minute she cursed them all, swearing she would kill them all even if she had to come back a ghost to do so. But a body can only hold for so long... and in her dying moments, her hate had grown to such a level that it called the attention of a Deathlord. The Mask of Winters appeared before her, and offered her a chance... her name and her destiny in exchange for power and her life.
Sandara only asked if she could kill the people in the household then.
And so it was that Sandara was imbued with an Abyssal Essence. The painful process did nothing to improve her view on the world. While she possessed little skill, she was deemed to hate life enough to be a good servant... and thus her name was consumed.
Sandara emerged two years later, now named The Maiden that Devours Mankind. In those two years, she had become a fearsome Dusk. Not a warrior-poet, nor a tragic hero, The Maiden that Devours Mankind came with the single purpose of hunting every human down and killing them, before dragging their souls to Oblivion to be consumed.
She set out into Creation to fulfill the promise she had made two years earlier. While searching for the household, however, she bumped into a huge, white furred and terribly wounded wolf. Even in those two years, the Maiden hadn't quite lost the fondness she had for animals, even if it had been twisted a bit. The dire wolf, hurt and angry, lunged at her. She promptly beat it into the ground, and then got to inspect its wounds.
She recognized the shaft of the arrows piercing the wolf's body as the same kind of arrow her former young master had killed her pet all those years ago with. She knew that he must have been hunting when he met the wolf, and had wounded it severely before it had managed to escape... and he wouldn't leave such a fine beast escape. Oh no.
The Maiden sat down and cured the worst of the wolf's wounds, dragged its body behind cover, and then went up the trees, and waited. Sure enough, she soon saw the hunting party approaching. The Maiden took her bow, and the arrow her Liege had given her specifically to kill her former master, and waited.
When they got close enough, the Maiden let her charms fly. The horses panicked, knocking the men riding them to the ground and killing some of them. Her arrows did the rest. The young man, her former master, found himself pierced by several arrows in the arms and legs before he could figure out what was happening, and he too fell. Only then did the Maiden climb down from her tree, walking towards him as she had all the time in the world now. She let him see her face for long moment, and delighted in his raising panic as she tensed her bow and pointed the jet-black arrow at him.
"I am not done with you yet." She said, and then killed him. The arrow did its work, and trapped his soul within. She'd have use for it later.
When the wolf woke up, it found an offering in the form of the dead bodies of the men that had hunted it laying just in front, and the Maiden leaning on a tree close by, staring at him. Both stared at each other, before finally coming to an understanding.
Later that day, the Maiden and her new familiar killed every living human in her former household.
Personality
The Maiden that Devours Mankind is bitter, hate filled woman. Her years as a slave colored her impressions on the world at large, and now she seeks revenge on it with her own hands. The only thing that she doesn’t hate are animals, and always has dealt fairly well with them. Ever since her exaltation, she enjoys using the panic some of her charms cause on animals to cause accidents within villages and farms. She doesn't kill an animal if she doesn't -have- to, or if it's hurt to the point she actually feels pity for it.
Her hate for humans extend to such point she also hates their ghosts and would gladly drag every one of them to Oblivion with her own hands should she be allowed to. Abyssals are one of the few living beings she doesn't attempt to kill on sight, but she'll more than likely enjoy doing so if she's allowed to or if she has an excuse. Servants of death or not, Abyssals are still living humans in her eyes.
She does not care about spirits or little gods as long as they leave her alone. The same goes for monsters... she'd rather use it to terrorize a village than kill it.
About the only time she's content is when she's in a wild area where only animals and no humans live. She likes to lean against trees or climb in a branch and sleep or rest there. Those moments never last too long, as she's soon once more hunting down humans and killing them. The Maiden has begun to think of hunting people as some sort of sport. She likes seeing just how far away she can snipe at a target with her bow, and see if she can get them in one hit. She often uses lone travelers or small groups to practice such skills. If she particularly dislikes a certain human, for whatever reason, she will take her sweet time and kill him slowly.
Not particularly devout to the Mask of Winters, the Maiden that Devours Mankind nonetheless has no plans to rebel or go against his orders. For his part, he often lets her roam across creation and do as she pleases. He sometimes uses her as a courier as well... a task she doesn't like but is rather suited to, she never learned how to read or write, and only understands on language, so there's never a danger of her wanting to learn what's on the texts he makes her deliver. Of course, she delights in killing anything that would want to steal those papers.
Finally, the Maiden has developed a particular hobby... she likes to collect the skulls of those she killed with a single arrow to the head.
Appearance
Sandara was a pretty young woman, whose position as a slave had never quite let her shine, dressed in rags and often dirty as she was. Ever since she became an Abyssal, however, her beauty is more apparent.
The Maiden has long, jet black hair framing a pale, round face. Her large eyes have become red in color. She's rather tall, standing at 6 feet of height easily, and has a nice, strong frame. The Maiden favors light armor and dark clothes, the better to ambush people and to move quietly when she needs to.
However, the Maiden is not especially concerned about her appearance. The only reason she didn't choose to forego any beauty at all was because she wanted her former masters to recognize her.
Character Sheet
Name: The Maiden that Devours Mankind
Concept: "Hunter"
Nature: Monster
Caste: Dusk
Anima: Giant wolf skeleton
PHYSICAL
Strength (4)
Dexterity (4)
Stamina (3)
SOCIAL
Charisma (3)
Manipulation (1)
Appearance (3)
MENTAL
Perception (3)
Intelligence (3)
Wits (3)
DUSK
(x)Archery (5)
(x)Brawl (1)
(x)Melee (2)
MIDNIGHT
Endurance (1)
(x)Survival (5)
DAYBREAK
Medicine (2)
DAY
(x)Athletics (3)
(x)Awareness (2)
Dodge (2)
(x)Stealth (3)
MOONSHADOW
(x)Ride (5)
SPECIALTIES
Archery: From Horseback (2)
Survival: Hunt (2)
Survival: Tame (2)
ADVANTAGES
BACKGROUNDS
Artifact (4)
Familiar (5)
Liege (2)
Underworld Manse (3)
Resources (3)
Whispers (3)
CHARMS
Bloodthrisrty Arrow
Twisting Spiteful Shaft
Pulse of the Prey
Furious Blade
Ox Body Technique (-1, -2x2)
Essence Engorgement Technique
Blood-Feasting Technique
Superior Predator Style
Enduring Huntsman Method
Raiton's Nimble Perch
WILLPOWER: 6
VIRTUES: Compassion 1, Temperance 2, Conviction 3, Valor 3
Anima power: The Maiden may spend 10 motes to appear dark and terrible for the remainder of the scene (or until she chooses)
Essence: 2
Personal: 15
Peripheral: 29
Health: -0, -1(x3), -2(x4), -4, Incapacitated
Expanded Backgrounds
Artifact: 4
The Maiden has done exceedingly well in her tasks, and has been well rewarded for it. In her possession, she has:
The Maiden's Revenge (3) - A Soulsteel Long Powerbow, the Maiden had this bow crafted and had the soul of his former master get soulcrafted into it.
Soulsteel Breastplate (1)
Soulsteel Hearthstone Bracers (2)
Soulsteel Hearthstone Amulet (1)
Hide of the Loyal Steed (3) - Most likely crafted by a sorcerer familiar with Stenewald, She Who Surmounted the Omphalos, Demon of the Second Circle, this artifact looks like a cape made of horse hide. When placed on the ground, and after spending 10 motes, the hide becomes a powerful warhorse, ready to be used. This warhorse does not get tired, so it can run continuously until it vanishes once more, in 24 hours. The warhorse will attempt to throw off anybody that did not summon him (unless his owner also rides), and it cannot be frightened. If killed, it reverts back into its hide form, and it cannot be summoned again for 24 hours.
Familiar: 5
The Maiden is often seen in company of a huge white dire wolf. She has yet to name him (and chances are she won't). The wolf prefers Creation over the shadowlands and the Underworld, but it will faithfully follow her if she so wishes (she usually lets it stay out in Creation if she knows she'll be a long time in the Underworld).
The wolf is extremely intelligent (as well as dangerous). He can understand simple instructions as well as communicate with the Maiden easily. He can give her access to 5 motes of essence if she's touching him. Finally, she can share one of his senses when it is within 100 yards (and she often chooses hearing).
Liege: 2
The Maiden is only summoned to the Mask of Winter's presence rarely. She's mostly left on her own the rest of the time.
Underworld Manse: 3
The Maiden has access to several of her liege's hearthstones: She owns:
Road of Hatred Stone (1) - While the Maiden hates all humans, the stone's power activates only when there is somebody she -especially- dislikes. It gives her one die to all Willpower rolls that aid her in the pursuit of said hated person, and she also regains one extra Willpower point when she achieves a goal related to her hatred.
Gem of the Cursed Woods (2) - This stone makes the Maiden extremely difficult to track while in the wilderness. It doesn't exactly cloak her, but it makes hounds and trackers follow false leads (attempts to follow her have their difficulty raised by 2). She often uses the power of this gem to lure would-be hunters into her own traps.
Stone of Decay (3) - The Maiden enjoys using this stone's destructive power to collapse buildings where she believes people are hiding.
Resources: 3 (2)
The Maiden is moderately wealthy, but she doesn't have much care for material wealth. With this, so far, she has only bought an exceptional slashing sword (Speed +3, Accuracy +2, Damage +3L, Defense +2) (Resources lowered to 2), which she uses only when she utterly needs to.
Whispers: 3
The Maiden is deeply gone into the service of Oblivion. She tends to only listen (and pay attention) to the whispers of the Malfeans while in the underworld, however.
