New Character Submission - Mai

[Eorendil]

Character: Mai
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Classes: Rogue/Fighter
Race: Human
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Deity: Xeen


Biography:

Mai was the product of a well-to-do daughter and a traveling gypsy. It was a time of indulgence and impropriety. Her birth would signify a mark of shame upon her mother's family and her father was long gone by the time her mother realized that she had conceived. Of course, this does not mean that he would have considered taking the child. He was the most free of spirits and such a burden would only serve to confine him.

Attempts were made by the girl's parents to end the pregnancy without success and this nearly caused irreparable harm to the girl. Luckily, they valued the daughter's life but could not allow others to find out so they kept her hidden inside their home, her visitors limited to key servants and certain family members. Outside that ring of confidence a web of deception was woven and compliance in the lie was purchased or coerced when not freely given. She was deathly ill, contagious, suffering from aches, fever, delirium and a strange discoloration of the skin; so it was told.

When it was time for the birth a plan was hatched to be rid of their dark little secret forever. Unwilling to dirty their hands the family, by way of a loyal servant, enlisted the aid of sinister man.

It was said he'd do anything if the price was right. The problem with this was that he wouldn't tell you what the right price was or even if what he accepted was sufficient. He was manipulative and shrewd, with a dreadful sort of intelligence that meant he always got what he wanted even if he had to bend the rules a bit. But for him, there truly were no rules per se. It was about the risk.. and the coin. He was an obsessive gambler that knew when to quit but could not turn down a sizable return even if it meant he had to lose to get it. But enough of this.

Its fair to say that appearances were deceiving. His mouth was filled with gaps and broken or black teeth. His clothes were threadbare and filled with holes and he even smelled of festering curd and moldering meats but he could talk a fox out of its own skin, flay you before you knew it and dispose of all the evidence in such a way that it'd make the fox look guilty if anyone ever found it. The crazy part is he might pull that all off on a bet. I am, of course, exaggerating. But you get the idea. Chance and risk were his allies and the True.. well it was an incredible motivator.

This man was paid and paid handsomely to take the child, kill it and bury it in a paupers grave. You might think, perhaps the servant had a change of heart. Maybe she could not bring herself to deliver an innocent soul to such a quick and tragic fate. You would, of course, be wrong. Oh how terribly wrong you would be. For, on the eve of her birth that very servant took that beautiful child, born only minutes before, wrapped her in paper, placed her in a leather satchel, threw on a dark cloak and ran her half way across town to a place so dark and rife with malcontents that the watch did not even dare set foot there after twilight. There she met the man and was quick to be about her business, leaving both the true and the package in his capable hands.

Now, the story could very well have ended right there. Fineous could have taken the child and done just as the family had asked but that wouldn't be like Fineous. He did, however, agree to dispose of the child; to get rid of her. The servant was the only one that mentioned killing and the only one that suggested any immediacy. The interchange had gone something like this.

Servant: Here, the package, as agreed. *shoves the satchel into Fineous' arms along with a pouch of True*
Servant: You know what to do.
Fineous: Of course. *a wicked smile spread over his face*
Servant: The family's honor must be guarded. We can't have this dirty thing found.
Fineous: Oh... no no no. Your secret is safe. I guarantee it. *chuckles in a deep and gravely tone, his repulsive smile giving the woman pause before she turns and moves quickly for home*

Knowing the opportunity to increase his haul Fineous kept that child, foisting its care and wellbeing onto an old hag that owed him more than a few favors and in the coming years the child was both used for and taught the art of fraud and filching.

From a very young age her beauty was apparent. And under Fineous' tutelage she grew to treasure the sweet little misdirections and indulgences that often came from a job well done. She also grew to understand and care for the asset that was her natural beauty, a blessing that stemmed from her mother and father. When used properly with wit and cunning it could earn her considerable delight. But Fineous wasn't exactly a model foster parent and when she failed she knew his rewards would be equally fitting. Early on she focused on something positive but over time that transformed into a somewhat unhealthy attraction to pain.

When it was apparent that he could no longer mold her with reward and punishment and she began to cheat and use her skills to withhold things from her mentor, despite the pain, he decided it was time to be rid of her, as he agreed. She'd done well for him over the years. Would he kill her? No. She was as beautiful to behold as Fineous was hideous and worth a great deal more to him alive. So, one day after a job well done, as she sat indulging herself in a bit of grooming he incapacitated her with a sleeping dart and sold her to one of his slaver contacts who paid the wretched creature well and agreed to take her far far away.

Oh, but this is far from the end of her story and it would have been oh so much simpler if they'd kept her for their own misguided desires. Trust me, they thought about it. Some thought about it harder than others.

Needless to say she was none too happy in her current position but she fell back on what she'd learned. Well, after her initial outrage and attempted escape which landed her in a ship's hold with half a dozen rats. Her nubile beauty was as much an asset and as deceptive as Fineous' supposed lame leg, fake cough and bedraggled clothes but it wouldn't do any good against this adversary. Fortunately, she had been spoken for before the crew ever set sail. The buyer needed her transported, though, and in mint condition when she was delivered. She never knew who this person was or what price they agreed to pay but it was sufficient to earn her a stay in a locked and windowless room with a cot which was, by far, more comfortable than the floor of the hold.

When they arrived in port she was rounded up with those to be auctioned off and taken into town. It happened that there was a festival being held at this time. The city streets were full of people wearing masks and performing outrageous tricks. Drunken patrons of the local bar danced in the streets and showered the parading captives with flower petals and beads. One particularly overzealous patron, spying the line and Mai in particular, got a little too eager to put the first bid in. The crowds masked his clumsy approach and his state of inebriation it resulted in quite a calamity. As he neared Mai and the group he stumbled into a man on stilts who fell over onto a cart filled with bags of beads which spilled out over the street. This in turn caused a great flailing of limbs and loss of purchase in those gathered on the street and an amazing pile of bodies.

Now, up and until this point Mai had succeeded in convincing one of her captors that her shackles were too tight by making her wrists bleed. They were under orders to keep her uninjured as it could be deducted from their payment and so he fitted her with a larger set that she knew she could wriggle free from if needed. But, I digress. The current catastrophe provided a more than sufficient opportunity for escape. She slipped her wrists free from the restraints that held her to the rest of the group and crawled free of the pile-up, escaping into the massive, gawking crowd.

As luck would have it the leader of a traveling troupe of performers had seen her escape. He was impressed with what he saw, potential and beauty. He followed her and offered to take her in if she'd work in his show. In return she'd live well, live free, travel and learn things she'd never be exposed to here or back in the slavers' hands.

It wasn't a hard decision and the man was quite convincing. So, she joined the troupe and used her natural abilities, in conjuction with what she learned, to perform for audiences. She was a natural on the tight rope, learned to ride fairly easily, picked up the use of a number of thrown weapons in her own act and generally, had a ton of fun doing it. She even participated in some of the weapons demonstrations, learning some of the more brutal and unwieldy instruments. The hard work kept her lithe little figure appealing and her skills honed. Her share of the true allowed her personal and sometimes extravagant indulgences, not to mention the occasional scam or slight of hand that might earn her a new jeweled collar or delicate earring.

In her time with them her affections came and went among some of the more handsome performers but she never forged any strong and lasting bonds. Some hearts were broken and others turned terribly jealous.

Strangely enough that troupe ended up in Katherien one spring. Mai had just turned seventeen and in her search for a little personal reward happened upon the temple of Xeen. Seeing the way these people lived and listening to the litanies of the priests and priestesses she was instantly intoxicated. In fact, she almost missed her performance the next day and would have if her current interest and performing partner hadn't shown up in a rage. Finding her in the temple of Xeen the jealousy in him inflated and he blew up at her on the way to the clearing.

Well, she'd had quite enough of that. He had a history of this behavior but until now she had enjoyed his aggressive tendencies. However, she wasn't going to be his dog and maybe he needed a little deterrent. She stewed for some time as he drug her behind him across the city. While not as strong as her, he was in a fervor and left a considerable bruise on her wrist though she gave no sign of protest.

During that particular performance she was very hard on him. First they fought with swords. It was mostly show, a dance, carefully choreographed and practiced. She pressed her strikes quite hard with the scimitar. He tried to fight back but she was the stronger of the two even though he must have towered a foot and a half above her. When they finished it was time for the throwing knives and shurikens. She was first on the board.

He threw each knife with care and precision, all but the last which nicked her bare leg. There was a sharp intake of breath from her and a smile. The audience gasped at the sight of blood and a couple other performers ran to see if she was alright but she waved them off and gingerly tied a bit of scarlet cloth around her leg. It was appealing and effective. All she did was smile at her partner but you could see his hesitance in taking his place against the board. The next few moments went by quickly. The shuirkens flew from her nimble little hands and more than a few of them nicked him just enough to cause a short trickle of blood and a yelp of pain. The other performers couldn't get out to stop her before she'd emptied her hands of them.

In truth he wouldn't even scar from the wounds she'd inflicted but it was an outrage and she was instantly cast out of troupe. They even kept some of her baubles she'd liberated from patrons. So, being in Katherien and having been so rudely interrupted, she returned to the temple where she spent the next four years of her life, learning from them and reveling in their indulgences in between her scams, capers, performances and her almost obsessive drive to keep in shape.

During her time at the temple she became very familiar with a particular Xeenite cleric named Ember and another she refers to only as Bree. When Ember left to spread Xeen's words and gift she was surprised by how dramatic an effect it had on her and resolved to leave as well, to travel just as she had and hopefully find her again.

Mai stands just over five feet tall. Her exotic almond eyes are a pale golden brown. Showing just a hint of plum her dark, bobbed hair frames her slender, rounded face. Her thin, red lips give way to supple tan skin, a long neck and a shapely, firm form. She does little to hide it and her clothes suggest a possible vain pride. Over her left shoulder blade is a tattoo depicting a personification of the moon and sun rolled into one. The sun appears smiling and cheerful while the moon seems possessed of a stony and cold disposition. Following the curve of her hips you notice, on her right side, just below her navel, distinct dark lines flowing in soft curves and gentle designs but they disappear quickly below whatever cloth or leather that clings and hangs from her hips.

////////////

Disposition: Mai comes off initially reserved and dark or cold. Her moods show more in her actions than than her reactions. She hates small enclosed spaces and can't stand feeling trapped or cornered.

She is easily bored and may become somewhat antagonistic or escape into her vices.

Generally, she wears supple leathers and form fitting clothing.

Level split: fighter5/rogue15 to reflect her hardier physical nature and the short training she received with the troupe.

[Rowana]

Just a quick note that I support the usage of Ember in this application.
~row

[jrizz]

Hmm seems there is a little Xeenite force forming. Pubs everywhere beware!!

Approved.