A tale of sorrow and rebirth part 1

[Maylix]

Hi all,

This is the pre game history of my character Isolade Jenkins, I tried very hard to make sure it fits with the world, but please for give any minor discrpencies


Thanks let me know what yall think

Isolade was born 1352 into a Bardic family, her mother and father traveled the world with her in tow. She was brought up to continue the family traditon. She was taught to sing, play instruments, and perform feats of entertainment to pay her way in this world. She truly loved those days of carefree life on the road with her family. Every day brought a new town and a new adventure.

But not all adventure was fun and exiciting, when the thunder would crash or a storm would hit them while at sea her father would tell her not to be afraid he would say "Iso do not fear for our family is the blood of dragons *he would then point to the stylized dragon on the side of their little cart* see there, dragons, and what do dragons fear? Nothing!" Isolade would giggle then and ask how could he know that. He would reply"How else would we have such loud and wonderful voices if not from dragons HAHA!!". Isolade would roll her eyes but the smile would stay and somehow she wouldnt be afraid any more.

There wasnt a day that would go by where she couldnt be found smiling and signing while she ran and played. She would always get into fights with bullies, telling them not to pick on those weaker than them. When her mother would hear of these fights she would chuckle and say "There is a fire in your belly Iso, a fire that burns for the weak, never let that fire be extingushed." Isolade would get a very serious look on her face and ask "Like dragon fire mama?" her mother would return the look and in her best immation of her fathers voice say "Yes along with these loud and wonderful voices!" They would both giggle at that.

Life continude like that until one cold night in the winter of 1360. Isolade and her family had taken shelter in a small cave along the main road to Eltabbar in southern Pyrados, a small tharch of Thay, from an oncomming blizzard. This was the storm of the century. The gods themselves shivered at the sight of all the snow. While Isolade was tumbled up warmly in several furs sleeping she was awoken by the sound of shouting, it was her father yelling at some strange men. Isolade did not like the looks on these men's faces, they were smilling, but there was an evil gleam to their eye. As they yelling grew louder she saw the quick flash of steel from the hand of one of the men, then the sound of her mothers screams as a throwing knife sprouted from between her fathers eyes.

The thing Isolade remembers most from that night is the look of confusion and surprise on her fathers face as she watched the life fade from his eyes. Other things happened that night and for the next week as the storm ragged on, terrible terrible things that no 8 year should have to see or experiance for herself. Most of that time was a blur, wether it was her mother weeping telling her to be strong or just her own weeping, it was the tears she remembered. The night after the storm ended the men decided it was time to move on. They left Isolade and her mother a kiss of steal to the stomach as a farewell gift. As her vision began to go dark she heard her mother whisper " Do not let your fire go out............ dont....give up on your life...... never give up....."

Days later, or maybe hours later, she could not tell, time had melded into one ambigous existance for Isolade, she remembers waking up from that deep, black sleep she had slipped into, her mothers words still echoing in her heart. she was on a wagon, bandaged and being cared for by a woman with long unkempt hair and they were riding down the road. Each time the wagon hit a bump she cried out. she tried to ask the lady with the long hair about her mother, but she was hushed and toldin a low tone "you died back there, this is a new life now, a life of servitude". In the distance she saw two cairns of stone with her mothers locket hanging from one, and her fathers lute upon the other.

Thus began Isolade's new life, as a slave.

[Maylix]

Part 2

She was taken and sold in Priador. her wound had healed on the road and wass a prime specimine for those looking for slave to use in the entertainment district. over the next few years she passed from one owner to another, either being bought out right or used as currency to pay off bad debt. Durring this time she walled her self off in her mind, her mothers words echoing every day in her head....live. Durring the few times she would have to herself she would sing her families old songs. she would pour all her grief, saddness, and despair into them. Some times it would let her remember what happiness felt like. It was all she had left of her family, all that kept her going. Her bardic talents would flow into her songs and energise them with emotion and something close to magic.

One day her owner, Altor Noraz (the local "party planner" for the rich and powerful) walked by whileshe was singing. He was a fat and handsy thing, never missing an opportunity to "inspect" his property. But as she sang, not noticing his presence, he stood enthralled by her haunting song. When she finished she looked up and was startled when she saw him standing there with an all togather unpleanst smile on his face. As it turned out there was two things Altor loved more than sampling his "goods", those were money and political power. Those things would lead Isolade to a fate worse than death or slavery.

Isolade was now Altor's main attraction at his parties. He now called her his little song bird and he had a large gold gilded cage made as a show piece and Isolade would be placed upon the perch on the inside and made to sing and perform for the parties patrons. News of Altor's attraction spread through out the major cities of Priador, Altor became fabously wealthy upon isolades natural talents, but became increasingly upset that she never sang happy songs, that all she did was sing of depressing things, however beautiful the song itself maybe. Isolade dare not speak out and tell him she could not because pain and sadness was all that remained in her heart, that she would need to be happy to sing a joyful song that would contain the same effect as her sad songs.

One day Altor announced that they had been commisioned to throw the party for the tharchion of Priador in celebration of the conclusion of the Salamander war. They journyed to the massive estate and prepared for the party. Isolade was kept in the bird cage, locked away from the world. She was Altor's ticket to Thaymount and he was going to make sure nothing got in the way.
When the curtain went up on her cage Isolade began with her normal line up of songs. all of them about lost love, or the sadness of life, and so on. The audiance hung on every word of her song, all but the Tharchion. He said "This is a clebration, not a funeral, let us hear a song of victory! Altor make your bird sing a happier song." Altor looked like a deer surrounded by wolves. After he snapped out of his fear his face took on a tone of menace and whispered to Isolade " I have pampered you long enough, it is time for you to earn your real keep. Sing a happy song of victory or i .will. kill. you." and she belived him.

Knowing that she could not sing such a song Isolade accepted her fate. She knew this was to be the end of her, there was nothing left to lose, so she sang the saddest song of her life, the song of her life. She poured all that she ever was and would never be into her voice. As she sang with her very essance pouring out of her not only did it hold everyones attention, including Altor's, but it seemed like the will to live began to leech out of the listeners. Isolade was commited to the song and nothing else, so she did not see or hear when the first guest fell to the floor dead. as the song went on more and more fell to the song. When Isolade had finished she looked around and saw half of the party dead on the floor or in their seats. Isolade was horrified, Altor on the cusp of murder, and the Tharchion was laughing and clapping. "Good show, bravo, bravo, encore!" both of them were stunned. Altor began to grovel "good Aznar Thrul, i had no idea this creature had such powers forgive me i will slay her now" Altor brough his knife around, but before he could touch Isolade with it he was frozen in place.

Aznar brushed is hannds of the residual frost of his spell and walked over to Isolade. " well well, it looks like someones blood began to stir, tell me little bird, tell me about your parents, and your parents parents, tell me of you whole family line." Isolade looked at him with fearful eyes "im sorry... i never meant to.... i didnt..... i never knew i could.." Aznar just put a finger to her lips "hush little one, you will be my guest now, and we will have all the time in the world..." he turned and picked up a candle stick from the table and bashed frozen Altor till he shattared. "See little one, all the time in the world........" his voice was heavy with the promiss of things that could never be spoken aloud, at least in public. Isolade shudder but could never comprehend the hell she was about to enter.

The next 2 years of isolades life were tourture, litteraly. Aznar experimented on her daily with all different methods to "wake the dragon in her blood" as he put it. Most of this will not be detailed, but the scars it left on her body were nothing compared to the scars left on her mind and soul.

We now skip to the last night Isolade was a "guest" of Aznar.

Isolade lay strapped to the table, probes and needles and other appliances sticking out of her, her blood liberally flow and she ws contantly feed healing potions from Aznar's clever little funnel device. Her body wracked with pain asher eyes began to change, they turned gold, the pupils taking on a lizard liek slit quality. "YES!" said Aznar "Finally after two years of work you bear fruit! let it happen, let the change course through you!" He looked at here eyes "yes, the left one is complete, now is the time to harvest." He produced a wicked looking curved blade and proceded to remove her eye then immediatly encase it in a crystal. "yes with these half blood parts i will be able to challange Szass." Aznar casts another spell and fire begins to cover her. "The fire will bring the rest of it out."

Isolade screamed.

Her scream did not end, it just kept comming and comming, her vocal cords began to bleed, then rupture, she screamed till she had no voice left, but still continued to try till the sweet mercy of oblivion began to over take her
As Isolade lay there burning she began to let herself go, to let this be the end and give up. The darkness washed over her in a wave, it was funny how death could seem so welcoming. In that darkness she heard a voice, it was familiar, as if from the distant past. "...live...." it said "...dont give up on your life..." was it her mother? was she dead or in between life and death. "the fire" she said "never let it go out, embrace it and flames will neer hurt you again. Live and become strong, kindle the flame in your belly and protect those who cannot portect themselves.....". Isolade looked into herself and found it there, that small flame that had always been apart of her. She reached out and embraced that flame, let it cover her, comfort her.

In the concious world Isolade let out a yell, no, a roar that could come from no human throat, as she ripped out of her restraints. Her skin shone like enamled steel in the fire, but dod not burn, she was possesed of a strength that was inhuman. She hurled the burning table at Aznar who put up a sheild to protect himself. while he was distracted Isolade jumped from the tower window to the sea below. Such a jump would have killed a normal person in her conditon but she had to take the risk. When she hit the water her world went black.

Isolade awoke on the beach in another land not ruled by the Thay. She had been pulled out of the ocean by a sell sword who called himself Jenkins. Isolade could no longer talk and Jenkins could not read. So communication was an issue. He still took her in, telling her how she reminded him of his daughter who had died of plauge. They came accross a cleric who out of kindness tried to heal her vocal cords. it was partialy successfull, but instead of a silver bell her voice sounded of stones rolling in a metal barrel.

Isolade told Jenkins part of her story, the parts she could bear to tell anyways. She had lost her family, her eye, and now her songs. Aznar had taken the only thing she had left. It was then that Isolade decided to forge herself from the little song bird into a blade. Jenkins surprised her by undertanding and teaching her to fight. "whats life if you cannot avenge yourself" he would say. Isolade trained every say with a sword, and every night she dreamed of that fire in her belly, that power that let her face Aznar and escape. She would find a way to embrace that power once again and used it to kil Aznar or any other Thay or Slaver that got in her way. Her dreams were filled with dragons. Most of the time they were eating Aznar.

When Isolade was 20 Jenkins died of a flux. His last words were "Take my sword, make sure you cover it to the hilt in thay blood....." Isolade took his name as her surname, and set off down the road. Behind her was a cairn of stone, with Jenkins flopppy have resting on top.....