The following is a character backstory for a Pathfinder RPG that a friend of mine was running in a custom world. The character is a half-dark-elf, half-human rogue sorcerer. Slindar'il just means dark-elf.
Trigger Warning: Attempted Abortion/Rape/Pedophilia
Tiena was born in the backroom of The Silken Rose; a brothel catering to the exotic, both in offerings and clientele. Tiena's mother, Kaneshna, was a beautiful human woman whose features had a distinctly elven cast to them, perhaps from an elven grandparent. Because of her looks, Kaneshna was one of the more popular ladies of The Rose.
Tiena's father was a Slindar'il who had left the Eastern lands for unknown reasons. While passing through Moldev, he spent a night at The Rose before continuing west. Whether through fate, forgetfulness, or poor luck, the herbs used to prevent pregnancies did not work that night and Tiena's mother became pregnant. Though she sought out apothecaries and healers in an attempt to end the pregnancy and made herself quite ill in the process, nothing seemed to work. Nine months later, Tiena was born.
Kaneshna felt little love for the child and the pregnancy had ravaged her body and former good looks. Thus, after many months of being unable to earn coin, she was now relegated to the less desirable of the Rose's offerings. Within a year, Kaneshna was forced to leave the Rose and seek employment elsewhere. Out of a sense of responsibility, Kaneshna took Tiena with her to her new home at the Willing Maiden, a lower-end brothel closer to the docks.
Kaneshna's health never entirely recovered from her pregnancy and when combined with the roughness of the clientele at the Maiden, Kaneshna died a few years later from wasting sickness. Too young to ply the trade of the Maiden, Tiena was forced to work as a serving girl for the brothel. This continued for another two years until a customer came with a very specific request, and a great deal of gold to offer. Thus, at the tender age of 8, Tiena was forced into the trade of her mother.
Terrified and cornered, Tiena fought with the man to little avail. In her desperate struggles, she managed to grab onto the man's side knife and stab at him wildly. To her surprise, the man let go of her and staggered to the floor. She had managed to cut his femoral artery, and she watched as he bled out on the floor screaming. Due to the nature of the man's request, his screams did not immediately bring anyone to the door. Tiena watched until the man died, then sat huddled in the corner for another hour as adrenaline coursed through her small body.
Eventually, something broke within Tiena and her fear washed away, taking the surge of adrenaline with it. Left in its wake was a powerful resolve never to be under anyone's power ever again. Tiena stood, grabbed the man's knife and coin purse, opened the window, and jumped into the back alley. Then she ran...
The next few years were hard on Tiena, living on the streets, stealing food where she could. Her days would be spent hiding from the stronger gutter rats that would bully her and the guards who would maim her if caught. Quickly she grew very skilled at hiding, and because of her small size was much faster and more agile than most others on the street. Slowly she became more confident in her abilities, and then she discovered the rooftops.
One day, a larger gang of boys was chasing her and had cornered her in an alley when she made a wrong turn. Her only exit was through the boys unless she could find a way to fly... and then she looked up. Cracks and protrusions in the walls around her seemed to leap into stark focus, and suddenly she saw how she could get away. Always agile, Tiena scaled the almost sheer wall as though climbing a simple ladder, stopping only when she reached the roof.
Her chest pounding with adrenaline, Tiena looked down and watched as the boys tried and failed to follow her. Fear was gone, chased away by the adrenaline of the chase and the thrill of the climb. Watching the boys fumble at the wall and fall, she laughed aloud and looked around.
The view from the rooftop was as none she had ever seen before. The city here looked entirely different, open and without walls. Here she could go anywhere and few could follow her. She felt free for the first time in her young life.
The next several years were entirely different for Tiena. She had a world unto herself (and a few select others), she began to open up a little and made a couple of friends, though she was always slightly guarded and aloof. Stealing for food and basic necessities became easier over time, and she began to branch out, always seeking the thrill of an adrenaline rush that had become like a warm cloak to her.
While poking through an alley one day, she noticed a couple of bricks had fallen in, opening a hole in one of the walls. She pushed and a few more fell in, widening the hole. Looking in, she could see an old, dusty basement that looked (and smelled) like it hadn't been opened in years. Curious, and with joy at finding something new to explore, she wiggled through the hole and dropped to the floor.
The basement room was large, dusty, and contained a few crates riddled with dry rot. Looking around, she managed to find the bricked-up entrance to what was likely the floor above (though the stairs were long since removed). As Tiena looked around, she realized that this was a secret place, that likely only she knew about. That made it hers.
She had a place of her own. She had a home.
Over time Tiena improved the hole she had made, making it just large enough for her to get in and out easily, as well as fashioning a secret doorway to conceal the entrance. She would steal small necessities and pretty things to decorate her home.
The last several years were spent comfortably for Tiena in her new home. Her skills at climbing, stealth, and acrobatics improved, and she learned to use a few small weapons, becoming quite deadly with a thrown dagger. She would take on jobs that interested her, those that provided a thrill, challenge, or some interesting prize.
Now Tiena is looking for her next thrill. The excitement of her everyday exploits has begun to fade, and it is time for something new. Something different.
Pertinent Info
- Father - Slindar'il (Dark Elf) - Name (unknown), Details (unknown).
- Mother - Human (1/4 High Elf) - Name Kaneshna (from the Russian for "Certainly"), Deceased
- Siblings - None Known
- Character - 1/8 High Elf, 3/8 Human, 1/2 Slindar'il - Name Tiena (derived the Russian for "Shadow")
