Itassis the Fighter

Itassis is a tabaxi fighter and friend of Villamax, who somewhat dragged her along with him on the Thaig brothers' Underdark expedition. Though she has little interest in the expedition on a personal level, her ability as a martial fighter and skills as a scout are invaluable to the expedition's success and survival. She is a cautious individual who rarely, if ever, underestimates her adversaries and only gives her respect to allies she feels have earned it.
She is a hard woman who only gives respect to those she feels deserve it, and only to the level she believes any particular person has earned it. Despite her outward gruffness, she is fiercely loyal to those she considers allies and will take the time, often indirectly, to assist them as she sees fit.
Table of Contents

Welcome to Haven City Arc

Preparing for the Expedition

Itassis was first seen outside the office Bertrand Thaig rented to interview applicants for his Underdark expedition. She noticed an urchin child pickpocketing Elycia Mirais, which Elycia failed to noticed, and pointed it out to her as the kid began to make their escape. Itassis was not aware that this was part of a greater plot by Ernest Thaig to test potential hired hands for the expedition, inadvertently helping the adventurers who otherwise would have failed Ernest's test.
She was next seen in the Thaig brothers' warehouse alongside Villamax, where she scolded the dwarf brothers for continuing their argument with each other when the injured adventurers before them were the more pressing matter. Itassis did not speak much after this, but seemed at least slightly concerned for fellow adventurers. She proved to be the more moral and selfless of the pair by pressuring Villamax into helping the adventurers when he made no move to do so on his own. When Elycia mentioned her group may be hunting a wererat, Itassis questioned her on her motivation and intended methods. Seeing the adventurers were underequipped for such a task, she gave Elycia a Tsuba of the Crane so at least one member of their group would have the benefit of a magic weapon.

Flight from Haven City

The evening before the expedition was due to leave, something put the city on alert. Itassis and Villamax decided to stay bunkered down in the Thaig brothers warehouse rather than get involved with whatever that was, though they stayed on alert. When Leh'ct tried to creep into the warehouse and stuck his head in, Itassis threw a dagger at the "intruder" and was scarcely able to adjust her aim to hit above his head rather than in it when she recognized him.
The injured adventurers came in and Leh'ct told the story of how he'd angered Marchioness Eve and brought the full fury of the Crows down on them. While the men stared at the young drow open mouthed, Itassis merely commented, "Wow." She then pulled a flask out from underneath her cloak and took a very long draw from it. Though she had concerns about the adventurers penchant (from what she'd seen) to pick fights with people they couldn't win against, she respected Bertrand's opinion that he needed to honor the contract already made with them. She would keep her opinions to herself, for now, but had little faith in the seemingly lackluster abilities of these individuals.

Journey Into the Underdark Arc

Entering the Underdark

An Unimpressed Adventurer

Shortly after the group fled Haven City, Itassis took it upon herself to watch their campsite's perimeter and did a bit of foraging to keep people fed without dipping into their preserved food. Despite her aloofness, Leh'ct approached Itassis and tried to strike up a conversation. She very bluntly informed the young druid that she considered him and his friends incompetent after observing the results of their failures against both Pompolius the Powerful and the Crows. As far as she could tell, their group was a magnet for danger and poor decision makers. Itassis believed they were more likely to put the expedition in danger than keep the expedition out of it.
Despite her coldness towards him, Leh'ct did manage to learn a few things about Itassis. She was an adventurer with decades of experience, having known other adventurers in her time that she considered "world class". She also made a point of telling Leh'ct he and his friends were a far cry from what she considered average, or even basically competent. He also learned that she'd been to the Underdark before, though she'd only interacted with svirfneblin and duergar in non-violent fashion, not any drow like Leh'ct had hoped. As she stalked away, Leh'ct also noted that she seemed just as stealthy without the aid of magic as he was with the aid of his own potent pass without trace spell.

Way Down Under the Ground

Itassis continued keeping to herself as the group moved out towards the cave leading into the Underdark the next morning, though she also kept her eyes open for potential danger. She observed nothing of note on the way there, nor once they entered the Underdark proper. She stayed behind to assist with Villamax's plan to collapse the tunnel they entered through in case the Crows were in pursuit while the advance party scouted ahead. When the adventurers returned, Itassis dryly commented that they'd all managed to make it back in one piece if yet again banged up, noting Jake's injuries in particular.
After the advance party took time to patch themselves up, they continued while still looking over their shoulders for the Crows. Hours later, they came to a nook in the tunnel wall where they could set camp and take a proper rest. Itassis volunteered for first watch, giving Leh'ct the cold shoulder as the boy continued trying to break her icy exterior. Throughout this (and the rest of their break), she noticed Sunny staring at her on several occasions but wasn't sure why the warforged seemed so interested in her.

The Silken Paths

The group moved forward towards the Silken Paths, a massive canyon only traversable via the ever-changing roads of crumbling spider webs that ran across its miles long expanse. Itassis spent much of this time with the rear party while the adventurers scouted ahead, though they did meet back up to enter the Silken Paths before splitting up again. The rear party (moving slower on the webs than those guided by Jake's ranger skills) was attacked by a dozen giant spiders and two dozen darkmantles as they traveled. Itassis focused on the giant spiders, using her great speed to run between them and around her comrades, slashing at the spiders with her magic scimitar to keep them away from Villamax and Ernest while the two men attacked from range.
When Jake arrived at Bertrand's request, Itassis implied that him and the others distubing the webs more than necessary might've been what attracted the monsters that swarmed the rear group. Despite her icy reception of him, she was more than ready to defend the Thaig brothers alongside Jake when he spotted a figure watching the group from afar, and put herself between them and this new potential threat.

Headings Towards the Black Loch

A Word with Jake

As the Thaig Expedition kept moving towards Glogdolp, Itassis approached Jake while the group was walking. She wanted to speak with him and asked what his opinions were regarding the capabilities and competency of the rest of the advance party. Jake believed Sunny and K could handle themselves fine but that Leh'ct's lack of experience and Elycia's tendency towards pacifism (and lack of darkvision) left them at a disadvantage. Itassis then asked at their odds of suriving down here and Jake stated he wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them didn't make it out alive.
However, he did hope that they would be able to learn from their experiences down here gradually enough to keep them all alive. While Villamax had demonstrated he could restore the dead to life, Jake did not wish for himself or his companions to partake in the wizard's services. Itassis took this as meaning death being an unpleasant experience even when someone if revived before noting she had concerns about the group due to the tendency to make powerful enemies they'd demonstrated back in Haven City. She outright said her expectations for the group were a low bar and Jake pointed out several of the group's accomplishments as a counterargument.
While Itassis did acknowledge those accomplishments, she described them as those of "lucky fledgling adventurers" while noting that Jake, at least, didn't seem personally responsible for any of his group's major screw-ups up to this point. Jake asked why she was asking any of this now, many days after it was too late for them to not be here. Itassis bluntly stated she didn't think they should've been allowed to come on the expedition after the trouble they'd brought to the door with them, but it wasn't her decision so here they were. Jake told her that despite what she thought, he wasn't here to impress her and would let the results of the expedition do the talking regardless. Itassis merely replied, "We'll see."

Discussion with Elycia

While the Thaig Expedition was waiting for the Grinning Widow to be prepared for their use in Glogdolp, Itassis approached Elycia. The tabaxi asked for confirmation that she was a surface elf (despite her rabbit ears) and Elycia informed Itassis that she was indeed an elf despite the Visage of the Wolfslayer curse upon her. Itassis wanted to know if the group heading to the Deep Spire, a settlement half-controlled by drow, was going to be an issue for her. Elycia believed she may not be recognized as an elf due to her rabbit ears, and even if she was, she had no intention of starting any trouble.
While this relieved Itassis' initial concerns, she developed whole new concerns when Elycia stated she was certain Leh'ct would get into some form of trouble with the Sword Dancers. She believed that Silinrul, despite Leh'ct's plans to leave his pet safely in Glogdolp, would try to follow them rather than be separated from Leh'ct. Itassis stated she hadn't thought of that and said she'd be sure to think on these concerns, before teasing Elycia that the bard was apparently better at planning things than spotting pickpockets.

Time at the Deep Spire

Heckling Villamax

Itassis was with Villamax when Leh'ct came to tell the wizard he'd gotten Ysri Vaerixas to agree to meet with him. Villamax teased Itassis about not getting into any trouble during his absence, and she said she wouldn't beat up any Sword Dancers in sparring matches until his research was concluded. Leh'ct said he didn't think Itassis was one to get into trouble and Villamax stated she sometimes went looking for it. Itassis responded, "Pot, kettle."
Leh'ct openly wondered about Itassis' motivation for fighting a Sword Dancer and she advised him to never stop training. He mentioned his duel against Yorlorn and how learning about the way surfacers fought was part of Ysri's motivation for setting up the duel. Itassis made a mental note of this and thanked Leh'ct for the tip, marking the first positive interaction between the pair.
Hoping to tag along, Leh'ct tried to coax Villamax into heading for House Vaerixas straight away. As much as the wizard wanted to, Villamax told Leh'ct he must first ensure he's stocked up on blank parchment, quills, and ink. Itassis asked if she was going to have to drag Villamax out of that library when it was time to leave the Deep Spire and scrutinized him closely as the wizard tried to respond while looking as innocent as possible. She eventually let him off the hook but pointed out his overenthusiasm for such matters.

Duel with the Sword Dancers

While the advance party was heading back to the Deep Spire from Ollin's Borehole, Itassis went to Matron Mother Ysri Vaerixas to request a duel against the Sword Dancers. Ysri gave Itassis permission to fight one volunteer, then laughed when she mistook Itassis statement to fight three instead as a jest. The Matron Mother joked she'd grant Itassis a boon if she could pull off such a feat before realizing Itassis was completely serious.
The duel that followed took place on the balcony in front of House Vaerixas (the same place Leh'ct had dueled Yorlorn Vaerixas). Itassis made the opening move, attacking swiftly with both her scimitar and psionic abilities to knock one opponent out right away. She also proved to have a number of magic items in her possession, using a Gem of Brightness to blind another opponent. When her remaining opponents began to bolster themselves with magic, she used a Dispelling Stone to counteract their efforts. It wasn't long before she knocked out another opponent, changing the duel into a one on one match. Her injuries began to pile up as she tried to use Seeker Dart after Seeker Dart to little effect before switching tactics. Though her final opponent managed to push Itassis off the balcony, she recovered using a packet of Pixie Dust and flew forward to knock her last opponent out just as Leh'ct (having noticed her falling & flying back up) arrived to witness the very end of the battle.
Ysri ordered some of the spectators to take the injured Sword Dancers to the infirmary while Leh'ct complimented Itassis. Itassis praised the skills of the Sword Dancers, which seemed to mollify Ysri's mood somewhat. Nonetheless, the Matron Mother only briefly acknowledged Itassis before turning her attention to Leh'ct. Though Itassis was invited into House Vaerixas' parlor to recover (Leh'ct noting her injuries were already closing themselves up), the Matron Mother's attention was near fully on Leh'ct due to her discovery of his pet spider, Silinrul.

Assisting Leh'ct

Itassis played the part of observer in the conversation that followed between the Matron Mother and young druid. Leh'ct adamantly defended his pet, and spiders in general, by stating that the Bitch Queen didn't deserve them and that he was trying to find out whether Eilistraee could protect his pet the same way the goddess protected him. Though passionate, his speech was not enough to convince Ysri that it was worth the risk of allowing an instrument of Lolth to live. As the Matron Mother was opening her mouth to chastise Leh'ct further, Itassis interrupted.
She reminded the Matron Mother that, though joking, Ysri had offered Itassis a boon if she could best three Sword Dancers in combat. Which she had. Itassis asked that Ysri give Leh'ct three weeks, one for each Sword Dancer she had defeated, to find and present a solution for protecting his pet. Though still clearly displeased, Ysri honored the word of her offer before quickly dismissing the two adventurers in anger.
Outside, Leh'ct (still stunned by Itassis' actions given their relationship up until that point) thanked Itassis and began to ponder how he could find a solution in time. Itassis informed him that Villamax had a short-term solution five days from completion while she'd been working on a long-term one, much to Leh'ct's shock. At his sputtering prompting, she explained she was doing this because one, Villamax had asked her to and was her friend, and two, she had noticed Leh'ct had taken her criticism to heart and was actively working to improve himself. And not just for his own sake, but the the sakes of those around him. Itassis commented that such a level of loyalty was a rare thing that she found lacking in most people.
She went on to explain the topic of the Animal Lords, the gods of animals. Particularly, she went into detail about Mother Moth, who rules over silk-producing insects. Or used to, at least. Thousands of years beforehand, Lolth seized control of most spiders from Mother Moth when she rose to power. Furthermore, in more recent years Mother Moth had been deposed by a rival in the fey courts and lost much of her titles and power. She was now in hiding, and Itassis informed Leh'ct that her physical touch would be required to provide Silinrul with the protection Leh'ct was seeking.
Itassis mentioned she'd gotten this information from the Animal Lord that she worshipped, Khastiri, the Queen of Cats. Leh'ct inquired whether she was a cleric, though Itassis stated she was not. While he openly started pondering about finding non-spider silk spinning insects to question, Itassis also mentioned that she believed K could assist him on this matter (though she didn't mention why, nor did Leh'ct ask). Leh'ct asked if he could do anything for her as thanks for all this help; though Itassis replied no, she said she'd keep his offer in mind if that ever changed. Done explaining, Itassis sent Leh'ct on his way and went to find Villamax so she could replenish the magic items she'd used up in her duel.

Wrapping up Business in the Black Loch

Sometime later, Itassis left the Deep Spire with Villamax to help the wizard look for tomes on demonology in Spyr-Anaisz. Seeing as Lolth worshiping drow were technically demon worshipers and semi-regularly summoned denizens of the Abyss, they were likely to have records on the subject. Records that could potentially contain information that could be used against Villamax's enemy Orcus, seeing as Lolth got along with him as well as any other demon lord.
The pair returned to the Grinning Widow days later, getting there via a teleportation circle Villamax had painted in the hold. Their trip was evidentially successful, though Itassis dryly commented Villamax's stealth skills left something to be desired when Leh'ct asked about their trip. The young druid caught them up on what they'd missed (which Itassis followed about 20% of during his rambling) before dragging them to find Ban and see if Villamax could glean some information on a magic crown they'd found.
While Villamax was casting his spells, Leh'ct informed Itassis about the letter he'd received from Mother Moth. Itassis commented he apparently had the Animal Lord's attention as she continued to file her claws (having gotten bored waiting for Villamax to finish working his magic). Shortly thereafter, when Jake was restored to life, Itassis pinned the confused bugbear down when he punched Leh'ct and kept him restrained until he got back to his senses. Though she tried to get Elycia slap some sense into him, Jake stated he was fine and Itassis made him swear he was being truthful before she let him up.

The City of Brazenthrone

Preparing for Departure

Weeks later, the advance party sat down with Itassis and the rest of the expedition to go over what they'd been up to while caught up in local events. Among other things, they'd discovered (or rather, been led to by Mother Moth) the Lost Catacombs of Auldbaern and found stone tablets detailing the Thaig family history. Bertrand was able to translate the ancient dwarven text; though it appeared to confirm what he wanted to know, he was disappointed to find the document was not notarized. However, he seemed to think that if this document survived for so long that a notarized version may have as well.
To continue their quest, the expedition would need to pass through Brazenthrone. While willing to go, the Thaig brothers were uncertain how the duergar there would welcome a pair of surface dwarves like themselves. This was apparently something that Villamax had been mulling over as well and he stepped over by the brothers and plopped a Hat of Disguise on each of them to make them look like duergar. Though he did also warn them that these disguises would only take them so far, as the illusion would do nothing to hide their accents or let them copy local mannerisms.

Training on the Road

After crossing the Black Loch on the Grinning Widow and bidding farewell to Mott and the rest of the crew, Itassis and the rest of the Thaig Expedition moved onwards towards Brazenthrone. Along the way, they came to a large open chamber with stairs and stone signposts that pointed the way towards Brazenthrone. The other expeditioners almost failed to notice when Itassis and Villamax stopped walking to talk in hushed tones. Elycia’s keen hearing picked up on this and the other stopped when she turned around to ask them what was up. Villamax stated that since the party had encountered numerous powerful foes recently (to say nothing of those still out there like "Black Hand" Kelly and Santaura) and struggled in many of the fights, he thought a bit of training might be in order. Particularly because of the recent addition of Bogo to the group; better the adventurers get used to working with him in a controlled environment vs. a life or death situation.
The adventurers agreed that it couldn't hurt and Villamax allowed them to position themselves before summoning a smoke elemental for them to battle, backed up by Itassis to ensure the adventurers couldn't just gang up on it and defeat it too easily. Though they won, their performance and teamwork had enough holes in it that they declined Villamax's offer to keep going for a round two. This prompted the adventurers to begin discussing tactics amongst themselves so they could iron out a few issues before their next true battle. The training match also gave them the opportunity to analyze a few of the magic items in Itassis' possession. When Jake later asked her where she'd acquired so many magic items, she merely pointed at Villamax.

Magic Items
Boots of ???
Dispelling Stone
Gem of Brightness
Pixie Dust (x?)
Seeker Dart (x12)
Weapon of Warning (scimitar)