DarkClaw

DarkClaw
Retired	October 16, 2000
Classes	Cleric Warrior Ordained
Spouse	Volos Garland
Partner	Nameless
Following	Keepers of the Elements

Current Description:

Hum [   Goth Princess   ] DarkClaw, Chylde of Fate, Lexie's Pet.  -= Garland =-  (at her wedding to Garland)

Hum [ Cl:25. .. .. .. . ] DarkClaw getting MARRIED??? ACK!! {-Volos-} >> CoY <<   (June 8, 1997)
Hum [ Cl:29 Wa:11. .. . ] Volos Yeah I Guess She Is!<DarkClaw> Lord of Fire       (June 8, 1997)

Mortal, Circa December 2001:

At first glance, you see nothing but inky darkness, then a faint crimson 
glow can be seen outlining a woman a short distance away. Drawn closer, 
you are entranced.  Her fiery red eyes flicker over you, assessing and 
weighing your being.  Their soft glow holds a hunger and passion that 
sends chills up your spine.  A cloak of long, raven-colored hair falls 
loosely about her shoulders, cascading down to her narrow waist, and 
giving her an element of sensual mystery. Her body is curvaceous, ripe 
almost irresistible. She flashes you an audacious wink and a quick grin,
her sharp ivory fangs catching the light.

The curve of her lips is sweet, almost innocent, and denies your prior
impression of evil. The wicked promises in her eyes have faded as well,
now more playful and warm than seducing. She toys with one lock of her 
hair, gazing at you from beneath her lashes. "First impressions, dear,
are terribly important... but the full story is never grasped by merely
reading the first page." Raising the hood of her cloak up, she shrouds 
her face and gives you a small, secretive smile.

Character History:

A Queen is Born

The people of Ryche were accustomed to their ways. They loyally served under a King and Queen chosen by the people, a team that would hopefully lead them well and keep their kingdom strong and healthy. They had but one fear…the evil darklord named Leareth. His magic was more powerful than any other in the realm, and his wrath was more deadly than anyone could fathom.

K’chana Nyara was a woman good of heart, strong of will. Even at this time, about to give birth to a child conceived by the darklord himself, she refused to show any signs of weakness or fear. Leareth had taken her against her will and planted his seed, merely for simple self-pleasure.

Rychers were a unique race, able to transform between human and leopard form at will. When Aurora was born, she wasn’t like the others of her kind. Instead of the normal leopard color, her fur was black, her blood tainted by her father’s genes. Having never been told who Aurora’s father was, her people believed her “difference” to be a blessing and chose her to be named the next Queen of Ryche upon the appropriate age… Little did they know they had made a terrible decision.

The day came when Aurora was to be wed to the Prince of Ryche and he would then be dubbed the new King, thus making her the Queen. The night following their wedding, Aurora killed her husband and took over the throne alone. Her father hounded her constantly, wanting her to serve alongside him and rule the realm, but she refused, knowing what he did to her mother. Taking them for everything they had, she quickly became bored with her people and left the realm in search of new and exciting things.

Leareth Returns

Her travels led her to the land of RhyDin, where she soon met up with a man by the name of Firewind k’Treva. Not only was he amazing as a man alone, but he was also the most powerful mage in RhyDin…the only adversary capable of going up against Aurora’s father, Leareth. Firewind’s heart was good, and he weakened Aurora’s evil side, which disturbed her immensely. After a time, she left him, unable to cope with being weak any longer. Having been with child when she left, she gave birth to Firewind’s daughter, Star k’Treva, soon after.

Aurora and the child were in danger of Leareth now, no longer having Firewind’s protection. The darklord took a fond liking to Star…so much of one that it made her mother uneasy. The child possessed her father’s magic and, combined with Leareth’s, he would be unstoppable should she fall into his hands.

Aurora found herself in Arangoth next, where she soon became acquainted with a man by the name of Panthar. He was more of a neutral man, and she didn’t feel threatened or weakened by him in any way. The night of their wedding, Leareth made his grand entrance, and swiped Star from her mother’s arms. He swore that, if Aurora would not serve him, his granddaughter would.

Years went by of being locked up in that cage, having been given only the bare necessities to live on. Day in and day out Leareth came, awaiting her answer. Day after day her answer was the same…no. Infuriated, the darklord would order the guard to refuse her the next meal each time. It mattered not to Star anymore. She was numb to his punishments now. After nineteen grueling years, nothing mattered to her but escape from his clutches.

That time came. Orgon sat against the cold cave wall, staring at her as if he had never seen a woman before. Star would look over at him occasionally, feeling his eyes on her, holding back the shiver from the chill of his gaze. He was gruesome. His beard was long and scraggly, full of leftovers from countless days before. His hair was a dirty blonde mass of tangles that hung down to his lower back, and his teeth were a dingy shade of brown and uneven. Even those eyes were cruel and uncaring.

Star convinced Orgon to let her out one day, leading him to believe that he would get to have his way with her if he did. He wasn’t a terribly brilliant fellow, lucky for her. She toyed with him for a bit, then her chance came. He let his guard down enough for her to grab his weapon and knock him out cold with it, serving him a serious blow to the head. Oddly enough, there were no other guards around. She ran, as fast as she could, never looking back.

First Love

The streets of Kayrron were busy, some people bustling along, making their way to and from the market in the center of town, others merely out having a leisurely stroll. Stealing some bread from one of the unsuspecting merchants, Star ducked around behind an abandoned building, collapsing to the ground. She was exhausted and weak from the lack of food as well.

Days went by, bread and water being her only nourishment. A hand shook her, waking her from her sleep one morning. She jumped, startled by the stranger, cowering against the wall behind her, unarmed for defense.

Draven was a handsome man, barely twenty, well-dressed, well-built, and clean kept. Long, honey-blonde hair fell loosely down to his mid-back, his eyes a striking emerald in color. He was beautiful, but that didn’t seem to matter to Star. He was a stranger and she was still in danger of Leareth finding her. He smiled warmly, removing hid hand from her shoulder. “M’lady, you cannot sleep here. There are dangerous people about these streets.”

It wasn’t until then that Star realized he was one of the cityguards. He bore the mark of the Kayrron falcon upon his left shoulder and on the hilt of his sword. “I…I’m sorry.” She stammered, fumbling to her feet.

Draven looked her over fully, frowning at the tattered and dirty clothes that she wore and the lack of cleanliness, concluding that she had only been sleeping there for lack of a better place. Reaching in his beltpouch, he took out some coins and held them out to her. “Take these…find yourself a room and a good meal, m’lady…perhaps even a hot bath to soothe you.” She hesitantly took the coins, then ran from him.

It didn’t take Draven long to find her again. He knew the city like the back of his hand. He had been questioning the Innkeepers around town to find out her whereabouts, curious of her well-being, and found that she had taken up residence in the Silver Arrow Inn for the time-being. For weeks Draven brought her food, coins, and the occasional piece of clothing to wear. He eventually won her trust and took her in under his wing, moving her into his home. He was completely taken by her, even moreso after hearing her story.

Months went by and they found themselves in love. Not long before their wedding, Draven asked Star to join him on his rounds throughout the city. While walking through the crowded market, Draven spotted a thief stealing a chalice from a nearby vendor and taking off. He ordered Star to stay put while he ran after the culprit. Returning a short while later, he gave the chalice back to its rightful seller, but the thief was nowhere around. The merchant, enraged and not having seen the thief take the object, accused Draven of stealing it. The city of Kayrron held very strict laws. Draven was sentenced to execution the following day.

The Embrace

Unable to cope with losing the only good thing she had known in her life, Star went off the deep end. She panicked, all clear thought and rationality out of reach. She fled from Kayrron, wandering through the outer forests and on to smaller towns. Hearing tales of a vampire that existed in the gloomy Varinesa Keep, she found her way across the plains and over the deadly mountain pass that led to his home. She had been told stories of him doing “favors” for the less fortunate, and she vowed that she would suffer an eternity for Draven’s death.

Dalamar was intrigued by this woman, how she so willingly walked into the arms of death without even a second thought. Having heard her entire tale upon her visit, the Gangrel vampire agreed to embrace her, being a creature of compassion and understanding himself, and not quite a stranger to love. Star was buried that night, along with her past. Taking on a new life…or undeath, as it were…she now was known as DarkClaw, Dalamar’s childer, the name fitting to her animal form. All Gangrel’s choose one…hers was the black tiger.

A couple days passed and DarkClaw, confused and hopelessly lost, found herself wandering the opposite way across the pass late at night. She was weak, having not learned what she needed to know to survive before leaving her “father”. Her hunger pained her, her senses more keen and aware of the smells and sounds around her. She had no desire for the nourishment she was so accustomed to, nor did it soothe her suffering.

The Kindred

The cave was dark and cold but, somehow, the chill and dampness of its vast blackness made her feel at home. The mist covering the floor caressed her form as she slept, covering her like a blanket of protection. Eyes watched her from above, hundreds of tiny guardians, hanging from the ledges around the ceiling above. She had been too dazed and weak to notice their presence before she fell into a deep sleep.

She awoke to the sound of wings fluttering above her. She opened her eyes barely, her vision blurred, and groaned, unable to move. A shadow, much like that of a man, stood over her. She felt herself being lifted off of the cave floor and carried away, everything once again going black.

Khore, Lord of the Kindred, had found her on the floor of his temple, obviously weak from the lack of feeding. He nourished her back to health and, along with his mortal followers, took her in and taught her the ways of a vampire. She was home…where she would remain for hundreds of years.

His Return

Draven returned to her, five hundred years later. He found her in the cave of the Kindred, alone. His execution had obviously never taken place. After Star had left Kayrron, the same thief had been found stealing again from another merchant, and had oddly enough confessed to taking the chalice that Draven had returned once he was caught. Draven had heard of Star’s travels to seek out Dalamar. He had a way of finding out information that he needed to know. He, in turn, sought out Dalamar, asking as well to be embraced, so that he might once again find his only love.

Dalamar laid a stipulation to their agreement. He insisted that, if the girl now known as DarkClaw did not return and accept his love when he found her, Draven would then die by the sunlight. He agreed, becoming one with the night and setting out to find her.

She was not the same when he found her. She had spent hundreds of years despising men, using them for everything she could, much like her mother, but with not quite such evil intent. They were more like toys to DarkClaw, mere companions to shower her with attention. Her change was so drastic that she refused to take Draven back upon his return. She was no longer Star. How could she take him back? Shattered, Draven left Midgaard, never to be seen again.

It was not until some time after that that DarkClaw realized what she had done. Confusion and unbearable pain set in…and she found herself leaving the security of the Kindred. Years later, after entering into Foolkiller’s following, DarkClaw was shown the vision of Draven chained to a stone, burning by sunlight, facing the death that was part of his agreement. She was devastated. She realized then that it was time for Star to be reborn. From that point on, she never felt like she belonged anywhere, and it was too late to return to her place among the Kindred. They no longer were.

A New Home

It seemed like an eternity went by, Star roaming from path to path, trying to find a place to belong once more. Every belief she tried was untrue to her. Every “family” she became a part of never really seemed like a family to her at all. She had almost given up on finding a purpose in life…or finding ones she could once again call brothers and sisters. Star felt like noone would ever truly understand her…but Cordir did. Their friendship had started eons past, shortly after Star had become one of the Kindred. And now?…Cordir having a following of her own, Star knew where she belonged. The Chosen would be the only place where she would fit in again, where she could find her Fate and grow as the woman she is meant to be. With the help of her loving fiancé, Garland, she relearned enough of the realm to complete the entrance quest to start her journey down the long-awaited path of purpose.

Trivia:

• DarkClaw requested a Trial of Triat Mastery, but was not successful in its completion: DarkClaw's Triat Mastery Quest