Korvia Rashemi's page

Hundreds of years ago, night hags wandered the dark places and preyed upon mortals while they were most vulnerable. Preferring to kill their prey slowly, haunting their dreams night after night, these hags trapped the tormented souls of their victims within dark gems so they might be sold in the infernal markets of the outer planes.
These days stories of night hags are just that, stories. The kind that Korvia Rashemi has told to many ill-behaved children to scare them back in line, lest they be visited by a night hag in their sleep.
Stories like that don't tend to work on grown-ups though. If an adult breaks the law, it generally falls on the city guard to deal out justice. All too often in Westcrown though, these criminals go unpunished. That is until one night, when the stories Korvia told started to come true.

Korvia Rashemi's parents met on the bustling city streets of Westcrown, almost a year before she was born. Her mother, Lucia, was ethnically chelaxian and worked as a serving girl at a run-down old tavern. Her father, Zavar, was an aishmayer keleshite musician in a travelling troupe. After a whirlwind romance, the couple soon found themselves with a daughter to raise. When she was two years old, her parents abandoned their old life, breaking off from their obligations to their masters and running away to Westcrown.

In their new home town, Zavar took up a job working on the docks while Lucia stayed home to raise Korvia, and her twin sisters, Mana and Mali. The family grew up in the slums of Despair's Altar and Korvia spent her youth helping out the other young mothers with their children.

When she was eight years old she was kidnapped by two thieves while out buying bread. When she told them that the two copper pieces she had in the bag around her neck were all that her family had for the week they did not believe her and thought they could make more money by holding her to ransom. Her father met with the thieves that evening and begged them to return his oldest daughter but they would not listen. As he couldn't afford the price on her head, Zavar became desperate and a struggle broke out as he tried to save Korvia from the men. He managed to knock one of the kidnappers down but another one jumped at him and drove his dagger into Zavar's back and Korvia's father let out a scream that haunts her to this day.
What happened next is a blur in Korvia's memory. She sprang out from the shadows, climbed up onto the thief's back and strangled him to death with the string of her coin purse. When the city guard arrived at the scene the next morning, they reported that the bodies of the kidnappers looked as though they had been torn open by a murder of ravenous crows.

Korvia awoke three days later on the floor of her family's room. She had stumbled her way home in a daze and collapsed into a fever.

After that night, life returned to normal for Korvia for a while. When she was twelve she started to learn the healer’s craft, making poultices and elixirs and treating those in her community who needed it. The brutal killings of the thieves was never tied to her, and although some may have suspected that she was behind it, none ever spoke of it. Korvia's teacher in the healing arts was an old chelaxian noble, Siro Leroung. Although his house had long ago fallen from grace when the people of Cheliax rose up against their corrupt masters, Siro was proud of his ancient dynasty.
As well as the healing arts, Siro taught Korvia a passion for intellectand a great love of learning. He also lectured her on the importance of law and instilled a sense of pride in following the rules set out by her community that she still holds dear.

There are many layers to Korvia Rashemi's personality, but perhaps most important is that she's caring and focused. Of course she's also orderly, and cooperative as any stereotypical chelaxian. But in smaller doses than usual, and these traits are often spoiled by some bad habits of being proud, arrogant and ocasionally quick to anger as well. Her caring nature though, this is what she's loved for. There are many times when friends count on this when they're in need of support. She has a strong motivation to help her community, especially young mothers, the sick and the old.

Nobody's perfect of course and Korvia has plenty of less favorable traits as well. Her narcissistic nature and strict moral code tend to get in the way, both personally and for others. Fortunately, most of the time her caring side is there to soften the blows. Other times, the Night Hag emerges to seek vengeance and inflict swift justice.

Korvia Rashemi wouldn't stand out in a crowd. In fact, most days she doesn't. On the streets of Westcrown, in old Cheliax, she blends right in with the other ethnically Chelaxian, although her darker complexion occasionally has her mistaken for Taldane.

Her black curls are pulled back into a ponytail, revealing a thin, friendly face. Korvia didn't inherit her father's golden eyes like her sisters. Her dark brown eyes are set deep in their sockets and watch warmly over the children playing in the slums of her home. The children she has kept safe for so long. Freckles are spread delicately around her nose and cheekbones and leave the faint impression of child-like innocence. There's something about her, perhaps it's her goodwill or perhaps it's simply her unfortunate past, nonetheless, people tend to ignore her, even while commending her for her good deeds.

When The Night Hag emerges, few that see it could as easily forget. Standing at 5-1/2 feet tall and weighing 150 lbs, the creatures thick dark hair falls over its chalky white face in matted curls.
What was once a shirt, now barely a piece of clothing at all, hangs over her shoulders, blackened and blood-stained. Insects or rodents have chewed hundreds of small holes in it. She's wearing a rugged poncho over her shirt. It's too big, torn and very dirty, but at least it helps her stay warm, even if only for a little.
Her skirt doesn't look great either. Dirt stains, holes and tears are scattered all over.

The Night Hag is a stalker vigilante. The idea behind her is that she has become over-protective of the less fortunate in society and is frustrated by what she sees as the corrupt city guard not dealing with the lawlessness in society. When things get too much for Korvia to bare the Night Hag emerges and seeks vengeance on those who have done wrong. She'll be focused on perfecting her melee combat, taking talents like pull into the shadows and up close and personal. While Korvia is in control she will spend her time healing the party and members of the community, creating medicines with craft alchemy and practising her profession as a midwife.