Velena of the Rashemi Nar Raider Tribe

[Azura]

(Character name: Velena. Player name: JoannaKitten)

Velena was born in the barren north Rashemen lands as a tribe member of a clan of segregated Nar barbarian raiders whom followed the god of slaughter, as well as sharing the portfolio of God of War with Tempus. A brutal, violent of merciless raiders consisting of shamans, warriors, and even a small handful of sorcerers, they numbered in the low hundreds. While the tribe in the immediate area was small, they were very fast, brutal, and effective in their methods.

Velena grew up the daughter of one of the sorcerer's children. Small and weak, normally they would discard the children and leave them for dead, but due to the need of magic blooded individuals to help raid caravans protected by powerful magic users.

A very male-dominant barbaric society, as she grew up, the other barbarians took notice as the small child born seemed to have miraculously recovered from the premature birth and sickness and over years grew to become very strong, both of body, and of mind. Growing up with virtually no affection since weened off her mother, she was trained to become a den mother and forced to do strenuous chores since she could walk, help to make tents, carry water, cook, and clean; whatever was necessary.

There was no mistake about it, the women of the tribe, lest they were a shaman or sorceress, were denied the honor of becoming a raider, at most staying a somewhat healthy distance away from the targets to heal the wounded brought back. As Velena grew up, she had become one of them at the age of twelve, her skills in suturing wounds and first aid much better than the average child her age.

Doing it for three years, the young den maiden had also picked up skills in basic martial combat as well as learned to read Rashimi and common, usually frowned upon but often a necessity to do the work of separating spoils found from raided caravans and camps. This turned out, however into becoming the spark which elevated the keen raven black-haired woman from living in ignorance into becoming much more aware of the world around her.

Upon her 16th year since her birth, tall, strong, and intelligent, she had been forced into the duty of becoming a den mother. A title of honor designated to women who would breed with the strongest warriors of the tribe, and bare children in which they would be raised by the whole community like she had been, as the bond between parent and child, lest children of the chief themselves, was seen as a weakness.

Forced to one day with a warrior who had brought home the heads of a caravan of both human and gnomish wizards who had literally devastated more than half of the two dozen raiders that went to raid the caravan (her birth mother being one of them), she had little taste or desire for it. Once conception had been confirmed, one of the few graces provided by the harsh and brutal tribe, Velena had her wiork load lightened and was allowed much more time to rest.

Little did the other raiders know though, that in her off time she was collecting a large stock pile of stolen literature, reading it when she had the chance, gaining much interest in geography, cooking recipies, and, to her fortune, an illusionists instruction guide to basic wizardry.

Over time, Velena practiced magic, learned to memorize basic cantrips and spells. Suspicion was a trait though that ran deep within the tribe, so in the last couple of months before child birth, she had hidden what she had learned from others.

To Velena's dismay, she was unaware she had been caught breaking rules forbidden to the tribe. Speaking with the chief and tribe leaders, they had come to a brutal conclusion.

On the day of her child's birth, she held her daughter who would go unnamed for now, until the first time probably ever in her life she felt a sense of warmth, love, and empathy really for anyone. After given some time with her little girl, the chief had walked into the tent, and before Velena's very eyes, drew a dagger, and right then and there ended the child's life, unceremoniously dropping the corpse to what was now a grief stricken mother who went into a rage, despite her weakness, and tried to attack the chief.

Easily put into her place with a hard hit to the head with the blade's handle, Velena was informed that they had found out of her forbidden practice. She had been told that she was fortunate not to be sllaughtered herself should she have borne a strong male instead.

Beaten, bound, broken, she was not allowed to leave the tent and would have been forced to conceive another child when the warm season came. Unbeknown to her though, during one night, one of the den maidens who took care of her while in the tent who had also felt the pain of loss, losing a child due to weakness, freed the woman and handed her an iron-bound spell book which she had thought was destroyed. Inside the book, there were many different loose scrolls inside. With much hesitation, urged on by the other den mother, Velena used one of the scrolls to turn herself invisible and sneaked out of the tent. Both of them carefully exiting the tent at the same time, Velena ran off with it, running as far as she could away from the tribe. As she made distance then, she had heard the familiar sound of one screaming in their death throes coming from the village. Having a good feeling of what happened, as much as she wanted to turn back and fight, reason overcame rage. Venturing forth, using survival skills she learned to keep her alive, she stumbled upon a caravan which seemed to be heading east.

Upon the sight of Velena who seemed weak, but could still stand tall, she humbled herself before them, and fell to her knees, from the weight of fatigue, lack of proper nourishment, and the pain of loss she suffered at the hands of her own tribe. Based on her markings and tattoos, they knew she was a raider, and demanded why she shouldn't have been slain on the spot. As brief as she could possibly put it, she let them know of what had happened, even proving to them by opening the heavy tome up and casting a minor incantation. Seeming to be in shock as they saw the barbarian cast the spell, a wizard had stepped out of a coach who had observed it as well. Just over half her height and a fraction of her size, the female gnome stared up at her for a moment before telling Velena that she would like the woman to spend some time with her, and hone her basic skills before sending her off. Introducing herself as Marega Gwonemfen, the broken hearted barbarian agreed.

Taken to a mage tower near the Rashemen/Narfell border, the patient gnome, young, and seemingly very powerful as Velena observed spells she could barely even comprehend just by seeing them, the patient young gnome taught the barbarian some of the more intricate parts of not only magic, but dealing with others in more civil societies. Learning patience, how to communicate better in common, reading draconic (though not speaking it), and even some of the gnome language over the course of two years, Marega felt Velena was ready to develop herself further. Alleviating Velena of the guilt she felt feeling that her daughter's death was on her devices, she now uses that memory to fuel her desire for vengeance against her old clan, and slaughter every last male, as well as females that would resist in the tribe by whatever means necessary, and spare the children in hope that there would be a brighter future for them, someday.

Being recommended to head to a town named Norwick, the wise gnomish wizard felt she would thrive best there as the town has both barbaric origins, as well as with the spell weaver's presence, it would prove to be a great boon for the young human woman.

[Black Rider]

Reviewed, XP Pending!