Scritch.'s page

About Scritch.

Scritch has no memory of her family. Her earliest recollections are of fighting over food and shelter with the other street urchins of Korvosa. She quickly learned to be tough, fast and cagey to secure the necessities of survival and to dodge the law while doing so. Over time, she also developed a knack for charming coins out of passersby with a sad tale, smile or pathetic shiver such that it became a rarity for her to return to her sparse and carefully hidden hovel empty handed at the end of a day. Although not possessed of any particular malice, Scritch never learned the difference between "right" and "wrong" so she had no compunctions about doing whatever it takes to secure a pair of boots that are more sole than holes.

As she grew into adulthood, Scritch seemed blessed with an uncanny luck that saved her from the narrow scrapes where her skills and charm had deserted her. That is until she was approached by a pair of men, representing themselves as recruiters for one of the local "security" organizations, and accepted their commission to recover a treasure for them on the promise of considering her for membership in their ranks. Although she had dealt handily with the mundane traps, she had been unprepared for any magical obstacles and found herself standing paralyzed, completely at the mercy of the man whose inner sanctum she was attempting to burglarize. The man, Loxiv Veseche, was a diabolist of some renown in Korvosa, well known for his traffic with devils and his skill in the arcane arts; a man that wiser, more experienced sneak thieves knew better than to steal from.

Scritch is not certain why Loxiv elected to spare her rather than flay her and create a half orc costume of her skin to wear to the next masquerade ball or chop her into tiny bits to feed to his devilish thralls as he had threatened, but, for whatever reason, he did not. Instead he cast a powerful compulsion spell upon her. The curse he placed upon her prevented her from stealing from him, harming him or allowing any harm to come to him through her inaction. He did not need to guard her or protect his possessions from her; if she attempted to violate the conditions placed upon her, her body and mind were wracked with a terrible illness that left her crippled and weakened her more each passing day she did not comply so she was left to freely roam his estate.

Loxiv turned Scritch into his agent about town, having her perform the subtle deeds that his extraplanar minions were ill equipped for. At the same time, he provided her with a small but, in comparison to anything she had ever known, luxuriously appointed cell and allowed her free access to the kitchen where she enjoyed meals in a frequency and of a size that astonished her. She was also allowed access to his vast library. Overs the years, Scritch taught herself to read and her previously dormant thirst for learning was awakened such that, whenever she was not pursuing a task at Loxiv's direction, she could be found with her stubby nose buried in one of his ancient tomes.

During her most recent excursion on his behalf, Loxiv mysteriously vanished from the estate and has not returned in the weeks that have ensued. She convinced he is still alive out there somewhere and, in truth, she feels a loyalty to him despite the curse he has placed upon her. He's treated her better and with more regard than any other person in her life. He's given her opportunities and provided for her in a way that no one else ever has. It's easy to convince herself that the curse is making her look for him but she thinks that she might be searching for him without being magically compelled to do so.