Mishap's Biography

I was born to the Penstance family in the city of Kelethin. Father was a mercenary who had fought in several wars and many minor conflicts. My mother was a very capable fletcher and archer. Father had always wanted a son but was non the less filled with pride at the thought of his daughter following in his footsteps.

From the time I could hold a wooden practice sword in my hand Father taught and drilled me in the art of war. He even mentioned that a woman has an advantage in battle. The man facing her will always believe himself better than the woman, until her blade runs him through.

I was enrolled in the Emerald Warriors at the tender age of five and scrubbed floors and did menial tasks for the guild masters. When they allowed me to watch trainings I memorized every move, every nuance to the dance of battle. Each night Father trained me with the sword or Mother instructed me in archery.

At the age of nine my parents gave me my first true sword. I had never seen Father look so proud as I wielded it for the first time.

During this same year my Mother was given a very handsome contract to furnish the city of Oggok with her hand-crafted bows. I still curse that day.

Opon completion of the bows we packed the wagon and headed off to Ogguk. The trip was pleasant and I was in awe at the vastness of Norrath. I thought the world was beautiful and full of wondrous creatures and people. How wrong and foolish I was as a little girl of nine winters.

We were half way across the Innothule Swamp when a tribe of bandit Trolls fell upon us. Father slew many and the corpses mounted in front of him until he was pummeled to the ground by shear number alone. Many a Troll died that day with an amazed look on their face as Mother's arrows found their heart or throat. She too was overwhelmed and dragged off bound in chains.

I found myself alone, trembling with my sword in hand. A huge troll warrior stood before me laughing at the sight of a tiny, female Wood Elf brandishing a weapon at him. I remembered Father's words "If you can't reach their heart, hit them where they live". I will never forget the stunned and stupid look on that Troll's face as I plunged my sword into his groin and twisted it. He crumpled to the dirt while his comrades let loose with booming laughter and curses at his ungainly death. I was struck from behind then and welcomed the comfort of the darkness.

When I regained consciousness I found myself chained to a wall with my parents in a Troll hut. We where told that we would be sacrificed to Rallos Zek that eve. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked over at my beloved parents. Both looked back at me with love and with pride. "No tears, child", Father whispered to me, "You are a warrior as are we. We will die with dignity and strength, not tears and wails. Don't give these bastards the satisfaction".

As the moon rose high that eve we where taken in chains out of the hut and into the village center. A bloody and worn chopping block was our destination. The Trolls cheered and praised Rallos Zek as they offered us up to him as a blood sacrifice.

Mother was first. She tugged her arm away from her Troll guard. Holding her head high she gracefully walked to the block and knelt down. She smiled at Father and me and then the axe fell opon her. The Trolls screamed and cheered mightily and then quieted as they saw Father and me standing firm and proud. It seemed they were wanting... nay, expecting us to collapse in grief and dispair.

There were taunts and curses when they didn't get the reaction that they craved. The Chieftain of the Trolls snorted and pointed at Father and then pointed at the block. Father looked down at me. "I love thee my child, make our family proud". He walked calmly to the block and knelt.

All the Trolls watched me as I stood, alone once again. Father's firm, strong gaze never left my eyes as the axe was swung once more. I never flinched.

Some of the Trolls cheered while others grumbled and pointed to me. Several of the elder Trolls approached the Chieftain and spoke in low growls.

They decided to spare me for the time being because of my courage. I was to be trained in the ways of Rallos Zek so that I could become a very special and worthy sacrifice to the warrior god. The moon and certain stars aligned once every 24 moons for the Trolls, they had 18 moons left to prepare me.

During that time they trained me in swordsmanship and battle incessantly, my only rest being sparse meals and sleep when I was chained for the night. I obeyed and learned all I could. Every day I became stronger and knew that the more they taught the better my chance of escape and survival.

I was fed and looked after by a female Troll named Grisell, who I discovered hated the Chieftain for having killed her husband during a challenge for leadership. Hate for a common enemy has a certain equality to friendship. Her hate and my passion for revenge bound us in a sick and tormented kinship. Grisell always had extra food for me and protected me from the tribe males who drooled and made advances at me. She fiercely fought them off and brought them before the Chieftain for punishment. Afterall, they must not taint the sacrifice they had worked so hard to nurture.

For 18 moons she did this and during private moments told me of how she planned to release me on the night before my sacrifice. Without a fitting sacrifice on the holiest of their days the Chieftain would be disgraced and Grisell hoped she could rally others who wished to see him overthrown.

As the day of sacrifice drew near Grisell told me of a cave near the village where she had left me supplies, some armor and what money she had saved. I agreed to her plan and waited.

On the night before I was to die the Trolls held a huge and frenzied celebration of food and drink. All participated and strong drink took its toll on the entire tribe. Grisell staggered into my hut after the last Troll had passed unconscious. She too had imbibed mightily so as to look normal to the others. My heart pounded as she fumbled with my shackles, but her determination countermanded the alcohol.

We crept out into the cold night and at the edge of the village she stopped. She looked down at me and handed me the practice sword I had wielded for the last 18 moons. "Stay safe to the cave and never look back" With tears streaming from her warm and drunken eyes she hugged me long and hard. And from her mouth she spoke my parents words, "I love thee child, make me proud".

I did her bidding and slipped into the swamp and away from the camp. Only when the campfires faded from my view did I circle back. Grisell had accomplished her plan, now I would carry out mine. I reentered the camp and eased through the shadows past comatose guards to my goals.

Come the morning the Trolls found the Chieftain dead in his sleeping furs. Protruding from his heart was my practice sword plunged into his chest to the hilt. They also found three of their elders with their throats slit. If they could have checked they would have found that the elders were killed with the Chieftains bastard sword. My sword now. Grisell and her followers would be assured to lead the tribe and I had extracted my revenge.

I found the cave and Grisell's supplies and collapsed to the dirt. Fear, exhaustion and the shock of freedom and my own cold, calculated deeds overwhelmed me. Sleep cloaked me to my soul and from it produced the nightmare that rules my life.

I found myself in a vast hall of marble. Pillars towered above me into the darkness. The marble floor below was cold and lit by numerous braziers from around the hall. As I lifted my head I saw a throne before me. Huge and bloody it was. The throne was crafted from the skulls of many races and opon that horror sat Rallos Zek. His massive hands grasped the arms of the throne and I heard skulls grind and crush under his force.

"You have cheated me girl", his voice boomed across the hall and back. And if any soul had ever known dispair, it was mine at that moment. For the living should never have to hear that deep and evil rage from a god.

"If you had not killed my Chieftain and elders they would have recovered you and you would still have become my most pure and delectable sacrifice. It would have been a joy, girl, to have your soul offered to me in such a manner", Rallos Zek punctuated this statement by striking a fist onto the armrest. Skulls and shards of bone shattered and flew past me, the hall literally shaking with his anger.

He calmed and smiled at me then. It was a smile that thinly covered his venom and hate. "But you may be more useful to me in other ways", he laughed then, if you could call it a laugh. It turned my blood cold and reduced my breathing to a labored gasp.

"You are mine now, girl", his voice rumbled. "I will accept the souls of my own Chieftain and elders as a downpayment to the debt you owe me". He leaned forward and motioned for me to stand. I felt my body rise from the floor although I knew my muscles were beyond my control.

"From this day on", he growled, "ye shall owe a debt huge to me. Each kill you make shall be in my name and shall slowly pay for the loss of your soul to me. No man shall take thee while you are in my debt else his soul become forfeited also. Pure thee are now and pure thee shall be when you fail and become my very own." He laughed again and this time I heard other laughs and guffaws from around the hall. His minions also thought this a fitting punishment to me.

He reached his hand out and I could do nothing except place my hand on his. "Go forth and either succeed at paying my debt or fail and join me forever", he smiled once again and I felt his hot breath opon me. My hand was struck then, with a jolt of pain more excruciating than can be described and I fell back into the darkness of the nightmare.

I awoke in the cave. Sweat soaked the dirt and my clothes of rags. My breath ragged and heart racing I held my knees to my chest and whimpered in the darkness. I could still smell and hear the warrior god. I still trembled at his dream presence. It was only when I opened my clenched fists that the true horror struck me. There in my hand that Rallos Zek had held where his initials "RZ" carved deep and wickedly into the flesh of my palm.

Since that night I have wandered across Norrath. I have killed whatever evil I find and I check the scars after each battle. Over the long years the scars of his initials have softened, but still have not disappeared. I have found love also over these years, only to run from them, for fear of losing my soul and the soul of my beloved. For a long time I gave into the fact that I would be forever alone.

I guess that only at the brink of dispair can one find salvation. My salvation was Lace and Jareth's commradery and Weras's friendship. They have become my family, a glimpse of hope and light in the darkness I must face. The Ring of Truth is more than a guild, it is my home, filled with friends and family that will see me through my plight. To them and to my parents, I love them all.... and I will make them proud.