The Countess Heidra va Rastenbruck held her head high as she limped into the camp, trying her best to avoid being incident after escaping from the morgue. Her body was quickly crumbling and her flesh had already entered an advanced state of decay: she needed a healer, one skilled in dragon lore, before her body decomposes to the point of uselessness. She felt the pull of the dragon tug her toward Crim's tent, which she silently entered.
"You are a...dragon priestess, I presume?" Heidra croaked in a grating voice. She was not used to speaking. "I need your assistance. I am...wounded, and in need of a healer. Only you will do."
Heidra looked fixedly at the events unfolding in front of her. Clearly escape was out of the question, and in this case not even desirable. She knew she had to stitch herself together and she doubted she would receive any assistance from the villagers. The lower classes did not tend to behave amiably toward the undead. In any case, if this half-elf had encountered a dragon, then it was possible she could get both the artifact for the cultists and a potential ally. Events outpaced her, however, as she was eventually slung on top of a horse and carried along toward the Goldenblade camp.
"You fight well," she croaked to the wounded Alexander, as she coughed out some dirt from the road. "Now I would be obliged if you would help me up, sir, and unloosed my bonds. Some of my property is in that caravan, and I would be grateful if it is returned to me."
Heidra instinctively pulled away--after being captured once she certainly wasn't going to get captured again. Then her eyes widened, as something in her body seemed to tug toward him: this man was covered with dragon scent.
How could some common Goldenblade grunt get anywhere near a dragon? Heidra thought in amazement.
She motioned her head toward the Ironbane heading toward them both.
"I believe something more pressing calls for your attention."
She turned her hands flat down on the ground, preparing at any moment to propel herself in another direction.
Soldiers were everywhere--either a bandit or a Goldenblade ambush, though given the discipline of the attack Heidra knew these could be no paltry robbers. She darted a glance across her surroundings, finding a narrow alleyway between an inn and an adjoining house for a potential escape route. With a jump she dashed forward...and fell flat on her face in the dirt. Biting back a curse, she struggled to rise, turning her head back. She hadn't noticed that one of her feet had fallen off. Now she really cursed: she still wasn't used to her decomposing body and the absence of pain to notify her of the state of her body parts.
She also saw that one of the Ironbanes had noticed her escape and was running toward her with sword drawn. With a grunt she rolled her body as fast as she could in the opposite direction, noticing before it was too late she was hurtling toward Leo...
Name: Countess Heidra va Rastenbruck Gender: Woman Age: 23 Race: Undead Side in War: Dragon Cultist
Appearance/Description:
This portrait was made of Heidra some time before her execution. Since then, she was decapitated by the royal headsman after the civil war, so that her head needed to be stitched on by the Dragon Cultists to function properly. The job was servicable, although her head is a bit lopsided as a result. A good deal of hair has fallen out, as well. The general decomposition of her flesh after lying in a mass grave for a week or so also took its toll throughout her body, with a great deal of flesh having fallen out or eaten by insects. She is able to disguise it as best she can, sometimes wearing a mask or applying makeup to hide the signs of decay on her face to avoid detection. She also perfumes herself to hide the stench of the undead.
Backstory/Bio: Heidra belongs to the Rastenbruck dynasty, one of the many noble dynasties vying for dominance in North Vedrus, with the Rastenbrucks controlling an ancestral mountain keep to the north of Astal named Orrinnfell. She and her father became the last surviving members of their family after several cousins either died from a deadly plague that swept through the north or were executed by the King of Astal for plotting against him, making Heidra the sole surviving heir to the Rastenbruck dynasty and Orrinnfell Keep. Her father avoided the fate of his cousins by taking the side of the king, becoming a general in the Imperial Legion, and by sending his sole heir Heidra to Astal as a hostage. In Astal, Heidra was given a court education in the liberal arts and even extensive training in espionage, a popular profession among the nobility in the paranoid atmosphere of the tyrannical king's court.
When the king was murdered, however, the Ironbanes suspected Heidra's father of complicity, and so executed Heidra as punishment before moving to attack Orrinnfell. Fearing the prospect of his dynasty's destruction and his ancestral keep falling forever into the hands of the government, and mad with grief over his daughter's death, Heidra's father the Count made a deal with the Dragon Cultists to resurrect his daughter in exchange for his life. The cultists agreed, but further stated that the resurrected Heidra must serve the will of the Dragon Cult as the civil war goes forward. Heidra's father made the bargain, and signed his will declaring the County of Orrinnfell to be inherited by "the body of Heidra va Rastenbruck." The life force was then drained from him. Soon afterward, Heidra's body was exhumed from a mass grave outside the walls of Astal, and her father's life force was infused into her body, reviving her. The Dragon Cultists then bestowed her with her rightful title of Countess of Orrinnfell, although by then the Ironbanes had taken control of the keep.
Ever since then Heidra has been determined to one day come back to Orrinnfell and regain her birthright, to become more than a Countess-in-absentia. In the meantime, she must act as an agent for the Dragon Cultists, playing both the Ironbanes and Goldenblades off of each other, using espionage to defend the interests of the Dragon Cult. At court she was a proficient fencer, but whenever honest one-to-one combat fails she is often the first to fight dirty. Besides that, she is extremely obsessed with learning, books, and spellcraft, though try as she might she never had a talent for magic.
Choice of Weaponry: Rapier and carving knife.
Garb: Light, rough-hewn garments given to her by the Dragon Cultists-not exactly fit for a Countess, but on top of these garments she wears a long black cloak for keeping out the elements. She also has a bauta mask that covers her entire face, and together with the cloak she disguises herself from being revealed as undead.
Personality: Heidra grew up in an atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and dread, so she is naturally paranoid and suspicious of people's motives and finds it hard to trust people. She is very conscious of her class and education, often looking down on lower class characters. She is extremely determined at getting what she wants, to the point that she often becomes obsessed with completing her goals. Her caustic wit has a tendency to get on people's nerves. Despite everything, however, she knows an ally when she sees one and will not throw one away lightly, being extremely loyal to them as long as it serves her purposes. She has learned to be deceptive and manipulative, and most of the time she wonders if even she knows who she really is anymore beneath the lies. Her great ideal is taking back her birthright and avenging her family, and she will use whatever pragmatic means to do it.
The Countess Heidra va Rastenbruck tugged at the bonds tying her hands behind her back as the caravan lurched forward. She had been careless: stealing an artifact from a mere trade caravan under the noses of a few degenerate Ironbanes seemed an open and shut job. Things didn't go as planned: one panicked shout had an entire squadron of heavily armored guards breathing down her neck. Air blew into the holes and scars that the Ironbane swords had torn into her body before they realized she was an undead. Why they decided to capture her she could not yet guess--but it wasn't her intention to find out.
They had taken away her mask and cloak, leaving the flies to buzz at her skin. All of a sudden, as the caravan approached a village a war cry came up and an arrow flew into the cart driver's brain. Taking advantage of the distraction, she burst out from under the boxes heaped on top of her, dashing desperately for cover.
Name: Countess Heidra va Rastenbruck Gender: Woman Age: 23 Race: Undead Side in War: Dragon Cultist
Appearance/Description:
This portrait was made of Heidra some time before her execution. Since then, she was decapitated by the royal headsman after the civil war, so that her head needed to be stitched on by the Dragon Cultists to function properly. The job was servicable, although her head is a bit lopsided as a result. A good deal of hair has fallen out, as well. The general decomposition of her flesh after lying in a mass grave for a week or so also took its toll throughout her body, with a great deal of flesh having fallen out or eaten by insects. She is able to disguise it as best she can, sometimes wearing a mask or applying makeup to hide the signs of decay on her face to avoid detection. She also perfumes herself to hide the stench of the undead.
Backstory/Bio: Heidra belongs to the Rastenbruck dynasty, one of the many noble dynasties vying for dominance in North Vedrus, with the Rastenbrucks controlling an ancestral mountain keep to the north of Astal named Orrinnfell. She and her father became the last surviving members of their family after several cousins either died from a deadly plague that swept through the north or were executed by the King of Astal for plotting against him, making Heidra the sole surviving heir to the Rastenbruck dynasty and Orrinnfell Keep. Her father avoided the fate of his cousins by taking the side of the king, becoming a general in the Imperial Legion, and by sending his sole heir Heidra to Astal as a hostage. In Astal, Heidra was given a court education in the liberal arts and even extensive training in espionage, a popular profession among the nobility in the paranoid atmosphere of the tyrannical king's court.
When the king was murdered, however, the Ironbanes suspected Heidra's father of complicity, and so executed Heidra as punishment before moving to attack Orrinnfell. Fearing the prospect of his dynasty's destruction and his ancestral keep falling forever into the hands of the government, and mad with grief over his daughter's death, Heidra's father the Count made a deal with the Dragon Cultists to resurrect his daughter in exchange for his life. The cultists agreed, but further stated that the resurrected Heidra must serve the will of the Dragon Cult as the civil war goes forward. Heidra's father made the bargain, and signed his will declaring the County of Orrinnfell to be inherited by "the body of Heidra va Rastenbruck." The life force was then drained from him. Soon afterward, Heidra's body was exhumed from a mass grave outside the walls of Astal, and her father's life force was infused into her body, reviving her. The Dragon Cultists then bestowed her with her rightful title of Countess of Orrinnfell, although by then the Ironbanes had taken control of the keep.
Ever since then Heidra has been determined to one day come back to Orrinnfell and regain her birthright, to become more than a Countess-in-absentia. In the meantime, she must act as an agent for the Dragon Cultists, playing both the Ironbanes and Goldenblades off of each other, using espionage to defend the interests of the Dragon Cult. At court she was a proficient fencer, but whenever honest one-to-one combat fails she is often the first to fight dirty. Besides that, she is extremely obsessed with learning, books, and spellcraft, though try as she might she never had a talent for magic.
Choice of Weaponry: Rapier and carving knife.
Garb: Light, rough-hewn garments given to her by the Dragon Cultists-not exactly fit for a Countess, but on top of these garments she wears a long black cloak for keeping out the elements. She also has a bauta mask that covers her entire face, and together with the cloak she disguises herself from being revealed as undead.
Personality: Heidra grew up in an atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and dread, so she is naturally paranoid and suspicious of people's motives and finds it hard to trust people. She is very conscious of her class and education, often looking down on lower class characters. She is extremely determined at getting what she wants, to the point that she often becomes obsessed with completing her goals. Her caustic wit has a tendency to get on people's nerves. Despite everything, however, she knows an ally when she sees one and will not throw one away lightly, being extremely loyal to them as long as it serves her purposes. She has learned to be deceptive and manipulative, and most of the time she wonders if even she knows who she really is anymore beneath the lies. Her great ideal is taking back her birthright and avenging her family, and she will use whatever pragmatic means to do it.
