Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Aku Warashi

In truth, the woman had been a foul green hag, and had seduced him under a guise, born his child, and then left for reasons of her own. Whether she has had any further influence on the lives of her temporary mate and their spawn is uncertain: at the very least, she has never done so openly.

Consequently, the only family Sozia has ever known is that of her father, the ancient though long declining noble line of Voralis. Though a relatively minor noble house, House Voralis could trace its lineage back for several centuries, predating the rise of House Darius and the Church of Mitra to dominance over Talingarde, and carrying with it many traditions that are no longer considered socially acceptable: most notably a form of pantheistic worship that venerated aspects of many different gods, including Asmodeus. Those members of the Voralis family that followed this faith were, on the whole, no more evil than anyone else; they strove to draw inspiration from Asmodeus' ambition and political acumen, rather than his cruelty, though of course there were occasional outliers over the course of the centuries. Yet despite its less than dogmatic – perhaps even heretical – approach to the worship of the Prince of Hell, House Voralis chose to hide its faith from the public eye, especially once the Church of Mitra began its efforts to drive the followers of Asmodeus out entirely.

Alexei was born to this faith and raised to be a politician – using his family's connections to join the court of a more prominent lord and slowly but surely work his way into the confidence of one of King Markadian V's most trusted advisors – yet in spite of the allure of power and wealth that one so brilliant and charismatic as he might accumulate in such a position, he always considered his work to be in service to the kingdom and its people above all else. It was a game most thrilling, a business most lucrative, yet also a purpose he respected far and above his own well-being – which was why his arrest for high treason was very much unexpected. Sozia was roughly seven years old at the time.

The details of Alexei Voralis's alleged crimes have been kept a secret to this day – considered too sensitive or embarrassing a subject, perhaps, for the public eye. He was quickly convicted, then just as quickly executed; the vast majority of his assets seized either by the crown or by a number of all-too-eager creditors. His elderly parents had passed away shortly after the birth of their granddaughter and his only sibling – a younger brother that served in Talingarde's military – had been killed in action in the north a few years later, leaving naught but a far-flung smattering of distant relatives to quietly snatch up what little remained of the family holdings. Within the course of a few months, Sozia found herself utterly penniless and alone, handed off by a cousin that had briefly taken custody of her to a local orphanage.

The orphanage in question, as it would turn out, was a thoroughly illegal operation: their wards were malnourished, frequently abused, and used primarily as a source of free labor for the petty criminal dealings that provided the place's true income. Sozia suffered greatly here, quickly learned to smile and to lie with ease – for crying and pleading always resulted in harsh punishments – and burying her truest thoughts and emotions deep inside, hidden beneath the impassive mask she wore upon her face. However, when a small group of bullies coalesced amongst the other children and began picking on her, alongside others, despite her efforts to remain in the background, Sozia started trying on different “masks” – friendliness; compassion; innocence; malice, where necessary – in an effort to neutralize the “power” the gang had begun to acquire. Within a couple of weeks, a fight broke out between one of the bullies and a few of the children that he had been tormenting, its flames stoked at least in part by Sozia's words. When it was over, the boy was badly beaten and the resolve of his gang abruptly shattered.

As she grew more confident in her acting ability over the next year, Sozia began experimenting to see what else she could accomplish with this newfound talent: small things at first, such as convincing one of the more mild-mannered thugs to sneak her a treat from time to time; but gradually escalating until she was routinely given less demanding work by the taskmaster and an ever-increasing degree of personal freedom. One day, shortly after she turned nine years old, she was sent alone out into the city proper on a errand. Despite her much improved position compared to her fellow orphans, Sozia knew she was still little more than a slave and hated the place with a fiery passion, so she promptly reported the orphanage's operations to a passing guardsman – who, in a true display of Talirean benevolence and valor, quickly brought the full weight of the nation's justice system down on the thugs that ran the sham institution. Within a couple of days, the orphanage was no more.

Sozia lost track of the other children in the ensuing chaos as the various pieces of the Talisgarde government worked to disentangle the thugs' schemes and decide what to do with the dozens of orphans left behind. She was interviewed at length by a kindly civil servant, who inadvertently let slip that the false orphanage had not kept any records regarding the children in its “care”. Having not yet given her name to anyone in a position to keep track of it, Sozia lied – despite its aid in freeing her, she remembered that if the monarchy had not taken her father, she would never have ended up there in the first place. As far as the public record was concerned, she was now Lysa Alexandros.

In truth, the woman had been a foul green hag, and had seduced him under a guise, born his child, and then left for reasons of her own. Whether she has had any further influence on the lives of her temporary mate and their spawn is uncertain: at the very least, she has never done so openly.

Consequently, the only family Sozia has ever known is that of her father, the ancient though long declining noble line of Voralis. Though a relatively minor noble house, House Voralis could trace its lineage back for several centuries, predating the rise of House Darius and the Church of Mitra to dominance over Talingarde, and carrying with it many traditions that are no longer considered socially acceptable: most notably a form of pantheistic worship that venerated aspects of many different gods, including Asmodeus. Those members of the Voralis family that followed this faith were, on the whole, no more evil than anyone else; they strove to draw inspiration from Asmodeus' ambition and political acumen, rather than his cruelty, though of course there were occasional outliers over the course of the centuries. Yet despite its less than dogmatic – perhaps even heretical – approach to the worship of the Prince of Hell, House Voralis chose to hide its faith from the public eye, especially once the Church of Mitra began its efforts to drive the followers of Asmodeus out entirely.

Alexei was born to this faith and raised to be a politician – using his family's connections to join the court of a more prominent lord and slowly but surely work his way into the confidence of one of King Markadian V's most trusted advisors – yet in spite of the allure of power and wealth that one so brilliant and charismatic as he might accumulate in such a position, he always considered his work to be in service to the kingdom and its people above all else. It was a game most thrilling, a business most lucrative, yet also a purpose he respected far and above his own well-being – which was why his arrest for high treason was very much unexpected. Sozia was roughly seven years old at the time.

The details of Alexei Voralis's alleged crimes have been kept a secret to this day – considered too sensitive or embarrassing a subject, perhaps, for the public eye. He was quickly convicted, then just as quickly executed; the vast majority of his assets seized either by the crown or by a number of all-too-eager creditors. His elderly parents had passed away shortly after the birth of their granddaughter and his only sibling – a younger brother that served in Talingarde's military – had been killed in action in the north a few years later, leaving naught but a far-flung smattering of distant relatives to quietly snatch up what little remained of the family holdings. Within the course of a few months, Sozia found herself utterly penniless and alone, handed off by a cousin that had briefly taken custody of her to a local orphanage.

The orphanage in question, as it would turn out, was a thoroughly illegal operation: their wards were malnourished, frequently abused, and used primarily as a source of free labor for the petty criminal dealings that provided the place's true income. Sozia suffered greatly here, quickly learned to smile and to lie with ease – for crying and pleading always resulted in harsh punishments – and burying her truest thoughts and emotions deep inside, hidden beneath the impassive mask she wore upon her face. However, when a small group of bullies coalesced amongst the other children and began picking on her, alongside others, despite her efforts to remain in the background, Sozia started trying on different “masks” – friendliness; compassion; innocence; malice, where necessary – in an effort to neutralize the “power” the gang had begun to acquire. Within a couple of weeks, a fight broke out between one of the bullies and a few of the children that he had been tormenting, its flames stoked at least in part by Sozia's words. When it was over, the boy was badly beaten and the resolve of his gang abruptly shattered.

As she grew more confident in her acting ability over the next year, Sozia began experimenting to see what else she could accomplish with this newfound talent: small things at first, such as convincing one of the more mild-mannered thugs to sneak her a treat from time to time; but gradually escalating until she was routinely given less demanding work by the taskmaster and an ever-increasing degree of personal freedom. One day, shortly after she turned nine years old, she was sent alone out into the city proper on a errand. Despite her much improved position compared to her fellow orphans, Sozia knew she was still little more than a slave and hated the place with a fiery passion, so she promptly reported the orphanage's operations to a passing guardsman – who, in a true display of Talirean benevolence and valor, quickly brought the full weight of the nation's justice system down on the thugs that ran the sham institution. Within a couple of days, the orphanage was no more.

Sozia lost track of the other children in the ensuing chaos as the various pieces of the Talingarde government worked to disentangle the thugs' schemes and decide what to do with the dozens of orphans left behind. She was interviewed at length by a kindly civil servant, who inadvertently let slip that the false orphanage had not kept any records regarding the children in its “care”. Having not yet given her name to anyone in a position to keep track of it, Sozia lied – despite its aid in freeing her, she was keenly aware that if the monarchy had not taken her father, she would never have ended up there in the first place. As far as the public record was concerned, she was now Lysa Alexandre.

She ended up in another orphanage for a brief time, this one fully legitimate with ties to the Church of Mitra, but was soon adopted by a middle-aged statesman – one Rikard Marcello – that worked closely with the institution and was impressed by the clever child during one of his visits. Over the next eight years, Marcello worked tirelessly to ensure his new daughter received a proper schooling, giving her personal lessons in rhetoric, public policy, and other subjects deemed useful to a young woman who would surely have a bright career amongst the Talingarde nobility. Yet he was unable to see the growing darkness already present in the girl's heart.

Despite his obvious devotion to her, “Lysa Marcello” never allowed herself to get attached to her adopted father – the loss of her true father and the suffering she'd endured as a result had ensured she would never love again. Instead, she used him to mature her talents in deceit and manipulation, even as she began to plot against those who had wronged her so long ago.

At the age of sixteen, she began writing essays and propaganda criticizing and defaming the Talirean monarchy and its Mitran allies, signing them under the pen name “The Scarlet Queen” – often changed to “The Harlot Queen” by her more vehement detractors – and sending them anonymously to all corners of the kingdom. Over the course of the next two years, her writings took on a more blasphemous and seditious tone, calling for the overthrow of House Darius and those who support it. How seriously her words were taken by the general public is open to debate, but it rapidly became clear through her adopted father's contacts that the monarchy was considerably interested in finding and silencing her. This only emboldened the girl further.

Late in her eighteenth year, Sozia's luck ran out. Rikard, having read several of the Scarlet Queen's missives and noting a subtle stylistic similarity to his daughter's writing, became concerned and searched her belongings while she was out one day. He found a number of rough drafts of her essays and, torn between his loyalty to his daughter and to his king, opted to confront “Lysa” before going to the authorities.

When Rikard Marcello was neither seen nor heard from for more than a few days, one of his colleagues paid a visit to his home, only to find the door unlocked and the man lying dead in a pool of his own blood, a bloody dagger still lodged in his neck. Though initially viewed as a robbery, the investigation quickly found some of the Scarlet Queen's work – having never killed before, Sozia had panicked and fled the scene before disposing of evidence – and enough of Lysa Marcello's writing to compare the two. They soon tracked down the young woman at a small inn on the edge of the city, and took her into custody. Confronted with the truth of her writing, she saw little reason to deny murdering her adopted father as well – they could not kill her twice.

Lysa Marcello was thus convicted for murder and sedition. She was sent to Branderscar Prison to await her execution, curiously scheduled on the day of her nineteenth birthday.