Lady Katterine
Lady Katterine ni'anor (a.k.a. Katt)
Her hands dropped instinctually to her reavers, laying just inches from her as she watched the cloaked figures enter the hall. Kuragidd Underwarden lifted a hand towards the newcomers and stepped between them and the rest of the Inn's main room. The room was full of voices and music, drowning any semblance of conversation happening. The lead figure looked down upon him and reluctantly opened his cloak for a quick reveal. As expected, the hooded figures next lowered their hoods, exposing their faces. Golden locks shone brightly in the radiance of the feasting halls, five hearth, and one hundred lamps. The bronze flesh of Summer Elves glistened slightly from rain-soaked skin. The lead elf was big for his folk, standing around six feet, and the blade he bore at his hip showed to any who may have looked that he was no ordinary traveler. A messenger arriving just minutes ahead of the elves brought a warning to Katt, informing that a group of seven riders was approaching the road from Convergence and that they were from the southern elf kingdoms. Still, the report said nothing of his status as an Elliesee. After a few questions and finding no reason to exclude the strangers, Kuragidd allowed them to enter with a slight bow and welcoming gesture. His eyes met those of Katt, and he, frowning, shook his head slightly.
The elves followed their leader through the maze of chairs and tables, stopping at an occupied stand by a side entrance. A group of locals seated there, obviously intimidated by the presence of the near-legendary folk, quickly gathered their belongings, and left their seats.
Katt made eye contact with Him'ish, who had also been watching these strangers. He replied to her silent request with a Nod and rose from his seat. Esther Farrowlight, seated on his lap, climbed with him, and dangled from his neck like a beautiful string of pearls. He gave her a quick peck on the nose, smiled at his wife, and lowered her to his chair. He next drew his cloak tight around him and raised the hood to conceal his elven features, aspects that were as different from those of the guests as a wolf is different from a hound. He towered over all present at around seven feet. Him'ish was tall even for his people, who were all much taller than the other elvish ethnicities. He moved purposefully over to the outsiders. Along the way, he clutched an occupied chair from a table adjacent, pulled it out from under the occupant, who unceremoniously hit the floor with a crash and howl of surprise. Ashan Wallwadrden struggled to lift his considerable bulk, cursed, and yelled angrily until his eyes fell upon whom it was that seized his chair. Immediately Ash apologized for his anger noting the gaze of the elves watching the scene amusedly. He turned his eyes toward Katt and found her own locked on him. A wry smile and a slight nod told him all that he needed to know.
Glancing back toward the new arrivals, he noted Him'ish had resumed his progress. Swiftly, he seized his companion by the elbow and crossed to the other end of the room, dragging her with him as she wittingly reached for her half-full tankard. Him'ish had purposefully chosen that seat occupied by who was undoubtedly the most significant and meanest looking half-orc in the room. Surprisingly to the strangers, he advanced straight toward them. Peering from beneath the hood, he watched their reaction looking for the advantage. As he approached, he took note of the two females who sat together at the far end of the table from the leader. They whispered to each other, watching him advance. They even giggled slightly. Seated along the table's length, four males of the Summerlands eyed him warily, making sure to expose the weapons they brandished for ready use. Him'ish placed his chair at the corner of the table right next to the leader, who, obviously infuriated but intrigued, looked up at the hooded giant. Following a long pause and careful perusal of the bumps and creases concealed behind the stranger's cloak, the elf reluctantly gestured his consent.
Other employees and allies met further silent communication with similar nods of acknowledgment, and a ring of security slowly and inconspicuously began to form around the new arrivals.
The hall was full of Splinter Bone patrons, and the clamor was too much for even Katt's racially enhanced hearing to overcome. She signaled to the bartender whom she had been helping on this busy night and left behind the old cedar bar. Katterine crossed the room and leaned against the wall a small distance from the group.
Cloaked as he was with a hood concealing his features, Him'ish spoke in the High Elvin tongue of the Summer Elves. They exchanged glances with one another, confused by his strange accent. The quiet inquiry rapidly descended into angry jeers, as Him'ish has a way of knowing exactly how to get under a person's skin. Following a further exchange of words, the leader, now openly angry, snatched the hood from Him'ish's head, revealing what he indeed was. Anger became replaced with astonishment, and he settles back into his seat, pondering the situation. The two strangers, yet bitter foes, locked eyes for several moments. The leader rose, excused himself from the table, never once taking his eyes off The Shadow Elf, and crosses to the bar. He received a drink and moved to return. Following another silent exchange between another conspirator and Katt, Aragal Otek promptly moved to intercept the elf. Feigning tipsiness, and with a mug in hand, the young human beauty collided with him splashing her drink across her chest. Aragal dropped to her knees with an excessive apology and wiped the spill from the elf's leggings. The beautiful working girl glided her fingers across his exposed flesh with well-practiced grace. She made sure to gingerly massage high on his inner thigh with the unspoken promise of unbridled sexual ecstasy. His eyes shut to her gentle touch, and Katt smirked knowingly at how easily men of all races were at heart straightforward and simple creatures.
The discussion at the table now becoming hostile drew Katterine's attention back to the matter at hand. The methodical interrogation conducted by Him'ish continued with the next person at the table. Anger began to well up in Katt. This elf berated Him'ish for his ethnicity, who, quite used to such things, calmly withstood the verbal assault. This antagonism quickly washed away as a familiar expression floated to her ears. "Symbi Lover." This slur caught Him'ish by surprise also, and he sat back in his seat, thoughtfully tapping his chin with a finger. With that phrase, Katt noticed a slight itch burning deep within her chest, and she frowned at the unfamiliar sensation. She tried to move a little closer to the table but found the effort fruitless. Something very wrong was happening, and the burning grew.
Her fists clenched, digging nail gouges in her palms. Katt's brow furrowed, and the ordinarily well-concealed lines that marked her 50 years of personal war deepened. Emotions she did not realize she felt were welling up, threatening to erupt. It was rage building. Why though, she thought as she began to strain with a will not her own? It is not like she had not heard similar, even worst things. Why this subject? Why this jackass? With every word, she felt the rage grow. Her forearms bulged from the strain of her clenched fists. She began to shake, and adrenalin surged in her blood.
Veins swelled and began to throb as the muscles of her body rebelled against her will. Holy fuck, she thought, I am about to kill this guy, and I have no idea why. Katt's fists came unclenched just long enough for them to wrap around the pommels of her twin Blood Reavers. Her hands shaking and muscles taut from the titanic battle raging between her mind and unresponsive body. Sweat glistened in the bright light emitted by the hearth and lamp in the feast hall. Fear registered on her face as the implications dawned on her. Her mind screamed at her, and she began to panic. The ever-familiar bite pierced her already bloody hands and the dull ache that always went with the sensation coursed through her nerves. Precious fluid began siphoning into her blades. This kind of power demands a price in blood. Her frown deepened; something was wrong. Something was different. Deftly, impossibly quick, she unsheathed her blades, her truest and dearest of friends. Terror spilled from her expression. Anguished, she tried to scream, but no sound would come. The red-hot glowing edges of her blades were not there. Instead, a deep, dark, blue glow like steel fire flared free, accompanied by what to Katt sounded as an ear-splitting shriek. She sprang from the wall upon which she had been leaning.
Ten steps away, the elf stopped speaking and turned his attention to the cry of anguished hate. The hall fell silent and matched his gaze. An insane-looking woman came rushing towards him, blades drawn. The man stepped back to assume a defensive posture reaching for his Sword. Mortal terror became set in death's visage as the man became aware. Too late.
With literal lightning-fast dispatch, Katt crossed the distance in a flash of blue fire. No one present at what has become known as "The Keystone Event "can honestly say they saw the killing strike. No one, that is, except for Katt. Her blades she watched horror-stricken as they behaved of their own accord. No, it was she doing it. The reavers crossed, and they sizzled like bacon on a hot grill before scissoring shut across the man's neck. The twins cut clean through the cervical column like slicing through butter. There was no gory fount as the blue flame sealed the wound as it created it. Legend tells it the twins laughed with glee when they next plunged into the dead man's torso. The Blue glow darkened to purple, and the flesh of the body wrinkled and shrunk, and the golden skin of the Summer Elf turned ash gray.
Now the silence was palpable to Katt. With a thud, the man's head hit the ancient cedar planks. Audible to all, the noise seemed to echo every surface pulling all her senses to the sound. Katt's eyes quickly scanned the faces of every person in her sight. To a one, they stared at her, not in shock or horror but awe and wonder. Even the companions of the deceased found no will engage her. This reaction confused Katt even more. She still was unable to control her own body. Her mind felt numb, fogged. She felt as if she was watching the world from someone else's eyes. It was like her mind, and her sight was separate, and what she was seeing was not what she was looking on. It was layers more. She ripped free the Reavers from the desiccated remains. She next sheathed her blades to what sounded like a complaint, and Katt held her palms out in display to all. The blood on her hands resembled the dark purple of Autumn's grape.
The red of her blood mixed with the blue of a strange substance emanating from her wounded palms. Her terror-stricken eyes she locked with Him'ish seated, not a foot on her left. He had instinctually guided the headless corpse back to its seat. It now swayed slightly with an invisible force keeping it upright. Him'ish, becoming aware of what was happening, changed his awestruck expression to that of near panic. Katterine's knees bent and lowered her. Her hand reached to retrieve the head. Legs straightened, and Katt stood holding it by the beard. Again, she locked gazes with her friend and managed to vocalize a "croak."
Frustrated, she decided to try a different approach. Katt closed her eyes, and she allowed the force to consume her. Her arm lifted the head high above her own. Residual blood dripped in a long thin line onto her forehead. The blood flowed down her face giving her a terrifying aspect. As she relaxed her mind and muscles, she could feel the power that had engulfed her. It burned with a soft, gentle warmth like the rays of the sun on a crisp winter's morning.
Suddenly Katt felt her eyes flash open, and her world blazed with blue steel fire. Her body turns to the left, and Katt sees the faces of those around her as never before. Most glowed with a soft flickering blue, like a flame from burning alcohol. Him'ish, by comparison, radiated a black fire. It swirled and rose into a radiant heatwave, like summer haze off black flagstone.
In contrast with the blackness, his bone-white strands glowed with white-hot fire, and his eyes blazed like stars on a moonless night. The ones that caused her to arm up in the first place radiated with a blood-red fire that licked the air with black tips that flickered like torchlight only instead of light they emitted shadow. The rage began to build again. Katt finished her turn where she had started. She suddenly had no more control over her eyes or her ability to express her emotions facially. Her now enslaved eyes burned holes into a man seated across the room by the central hearth. In a voice, not her own, deep, and full of booming resonance, words spilled forth from Katterine's lips. "Torbid Heart-Render." The man's eyes grew as large as saucers in terror. He knew that voice sure enough, and a wet stain appeared through his trousers.
From outside of the Splinter bone inn, a tremendous roar exploded into the night, and the vast glass windows just recently replaced, shattered inward showering all in tiny slivers. Unwavering calm showed on Katt's face as chaos blew up around her. Torbid Heart-Render, she thought, I do indeed know that name. .
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kat is in pristine condition. She has a meditation and training garden where she spends up to 4 hours a day when at home. Whether at home or not she finds a way to get her physical conditioning in.
Identifying Characteristics
Beginning at the innermost portion of her right Eyebrow, a nasty scar runs across the bridge of her nose, skips over her left eye before continuing at the top of her left cheek, over her cheek and down a further 4" toward her jaw.
Special abilities
Shield warden is one of the 5 sorceries that could manifest in elves and is the most common of them. It is estimated that 1 in 10 elves and 1 in 50 half-elves will bare this power. A Shield Warden will have the effect of resistance to magical attack to varying degrees as well as the power to slow physical attacks. This slowing has an effect like that which water has, meaning the blow will pass through it but be dramatically reduced in its effects. Like water, a piercing thrust is most effective leaving Shield wardens especially susceptible to arrows and piercing weapons. These effects can be mitigated by the shifting of energy flow and focusing the power in whatever direction is most vulnerable. This does have a downside as the energy must be moved from another location leaving that area less protected and hence more vulnerable. While this shifting is also accomplished at the speed of thought, it can be tracked by a keen eye as it shimmers like heat rising over a black sand beach. This is visible as a wave of heat shimmer at the waves leading edge. It is a lot like the break of an ocean wave upon a shore. Less effective are slashing weapons and blunt force blows are nearly useless. This power while innate will not be active unless the Shield Warden is consciously aware of the attack leaving them susceptible to sneak attacks. While a dagger thrust from behind could be lethal if it is a killing thrust, an assailant who attempts to control a warden with an attack like covering a mouth prior to slashing a throat would be drastically diminished in its effects as the shield ward manifests at the speed of thought. The least effectual form of attack is by magic as the shield’s strength will be amplified as it absorbs the energy and uses it to strengthen its self. Other mundane attacks such as non-magical fire, water, wind, and stone have no effect on the warden at all as will become clear later in this telling. Other effects of this power manifest in heightened sensory perception as well as a near impenetrable camouflage.
This is also when her Symbiont heritage makes the first appearance but is not understood to be what it is as the horse lords are all human and none are or ever have been dragon mates (Dracosarie).
Dracosarie are bonded symbionts of the Symbring and there are many benefits that accompany this most prestigious of specious casts. (See The Symbring)
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Early Life
Tillman Kar is the name of the boy responsible for the arrow that took Katt’s mother. The Kar family is devastated by this as they are very close and strong supporters of the Steelwing Clan and love the ruling family. As recompense Tillman is given over to the custody of the lordship and is assigned to be Katterine’s servant. He is 12 years Katt’s senior, but they become fast friends and while he is a servant his duties consist of nothing more than keeping Katt happy and safe. By age 9 Katt is smitten by the burgeoning young man that has dedicated his entire life to her.
At the age of 13, Katt is sent to the Great Horse Lord as a hostage for the sins of the father. There she has a transformation from spoiled and hateful brat to that of a ferocious but critically thinking and compassionate leader of men and women. She is trained in the ways of horse lords and specializes in the shadow arts and the art of war.
At the age of 21, she has become among the most dangerous and successful assassins in the horse clans and becomes the target of many jealous “allies” and terror-stricken foes. Several assassination attempts are made against her but only one comes close. This is when her hair becomes white over time as the terror and shock of the attempt. The assassin was that of a Dreadwalker. A Dreadwalker is the reanimated corpse of a sorcerer. Dreadwalkers have a full understanding of what is happening to them, they have full use of whatever power they had in life and are fully cognizant of what they are doing but have no will of their own. They must do what they are instructed to do regardless of what they feel or think. This is horrifying and the reason most elves chose to be cremated at death. While this event was terrible and almost successful it did have some benefits. It brought to light the dormant power of Katt’s elven heritage as a Shield Warden.
Life Within the Horse Clans
After the Clans
by krystopher-decker
Home Comming
Intellectual Characteristics
Katt has a logical and analytical mind. She is thoughtful and open-minded.
Morality & Philosophy
Katterine follows the teachings of the ancient philosopher Socsoonsu and his Treatise on Virtuous Intellect. This dissertation on Intellectual virtues describe the qualities of mind and character that promote intellectual health through critical thinking, and the quest of veracity. These virtues include, rational accountability and honor, resolve in the face of adversity, tolerance in the presence of intolerance, empathic awareness, intellectual valor in opposition to socio-political expediency, poise in reason, love of fact, humility, elegance in inquisitiveness, just-mindedness, and independence of thought and liability in action. Virtuous duty regards intellectual virtues primarily as assimilated personality qualities, such as intellectual thoroughness and love of epistemics. Virtuous reliability, by contrast, think of intellectual virtues more in terms of properly attuned mental aptitudes such as insight, reminiscence, and sensitivity to the currents in the winds of change.
Social
Family Ties
Religious Views
Indifferent. She knows the gods are real but has very little respect for any. She also has little respect for the overtly religious.
Relationships
History
Him'ish's hand reached toward the boy. Long blond hair, dirty and oily splayed across his blood-smeared face as the street urchin sprang from his prone and defenseless position to his backside. His brown eyes widening as he found the hand descending towards him burst into green flame. Two green tendrils resembling snakes emerger from his forearm. they writhed their way through the ever-growing flames. As they emerged they too were ablaze. They reared back like vipers prepared to strike. The heads of the serpent-like appendages opened wide exposing rows of needle fine teeth. A jet of green flame erupted from the mows that appeared to be poised to strike his gaping brown pools. Tears welled up and spilled from the terror-stricken kid and he forced his eyes shut and turned his head in anticipation of horrific pain. Him'ish felt the hot breath on his neck before the sound of a young women's voice floated to his ear. "You really need to stop what you are doing," Katt whispered in a tone calm and ice cold. He thought briefly of his options but as if hearing his thoughts Katterine pushed her blade into the small of his back and turned it slightly. An almost imperceptible sizzling sound was audible to his acute elfin ears and the heat of firing nerves spread like fire through his back muscles. They were instantly cramped Nearly jolting him reflexively to his knees. His mind went instantly blank. The green flames died away and the tendrils retracted into his forearm. The boy scrambled to his feet and ran smack into the armor-clad form of Katt's patrol mate Esther Farrowlight. Leading with his head he nearly knocked himself out with the blow. back on his ass now the boy shook the cobwebs from his mind. " Torgill Graingrower, she said with a stern but amused resonance, "I think your mother is looking for you." Torgill grew a big grin on his face as he recognized the voice. looking up through blurry eyes. the image of Esther grew clear with time. Smiling back at the boy she offered him a hand up. And thus the four original members of the Reavers all meet for the first time.
Lady Katterine
First Cousin (Vital)Towards Anira (Ah-neer-ah) : Desareigh - Desired - She is the Eldest daughter of Amrunelen and Alastegiel and heir to the Protectorate.
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Honest
Anira (Ah-neer-ah) : Desareigh - Desired - She is the Eldest daughter of Amrunelen and Alastegiel and heir to the Protectorate.
First Cousin (Vital)Towards Lady Katterine
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Frank
History
Deasareigh and Marigha are the only family Katt sees during her time in the Clan Lands
Nicknames & Petnames
Everyone calls Katterine, Katt and this includes Desareigh. Katt, on the other hand, has from the moment they met called Desareigh, Condesa. This being due to Katt's very young age; 2, and her inability to say Cousin Desareigh. Katt is the only one permitted to call her that.
Relationship Reasoning
Katterine is the only daughter of Desareigh's only aunt.
Shared Secrets
Desareigh confides in Katt that she suspects Katt's stepmother is manipulating her father into making bad choices that open him up to political and legal liabilities. This happens 5 years into her warding in the Clan lands, she was then 17 and had 5 years to go.
Varenward of Highwarden: Arch-Lord of Clan Steel Wing The Darkstar - Elemmírë Oronar - The Asseverate
True Biological Father (Not Known but Suspected)Towards Lady Katterine
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Lady Katterine
Daughter (Not Known)Towards Varenward of Highwarden: Arch-Lord of Clan Steel Wing The Darkstar - Elemmírë Oronar - The Asseverate
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Lady Katterine
Half-SisterTowards Hismire III of House Steenwing - Eldest child of the Lord of Highwarden Hismire II and Heir to the Wardenship of Highwarden
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Hismire III of House Steenwing - Eldest child of the Lord of Highwarden Hismire II and Heir to the Wardenship of Highwarden
Half-BrotherTowards Lady Katterine
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Wealth & Financial state
Her hands shook so violently
Reaping Steel
Alignment
Lawful Neutral
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Katterine Steelwings in the common tongue, Nienor morambath Erë'rámainen in High Elvish and literally translates as "The Lady Mourning Panther of Clan On Steel Wings". Lady of the North Ride, Shield Warden of the Broken March, Supreme Commander of all Airadonian Forces North East Frontier and Lance Marshal of the Gorge Rangers...
Age
50
Circumstances of Birth
Katterine’s mother is killed on the day of her birth in a freak archery accident that devastates family. Much of the blame for this is placed, unwarranted, on Katt.
Birthplace
High Watch
Spouses
Siblings
Corrova Steelwing
(Half-sister)
Donrid Steelwing
(Half-Brother)
Addallia Steelwing
(Half-Sister)
Brutic Steelwing
(Half-Brother)
Children
Current Residence
Splinter Bone Inn
Gender
Female
Eyes
Her eyes resemble that of burnt steel, mostly cobalt blue which is a trait associated with members of the Steelwing Clan.
Hair
Her hair is like strands of platinum silk
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Katt has the Pale bluish white skin tone that is indicative of her elfin heritage
Height
5'5"
Weight
145lbs
Quotes & Catchphrases
"You think nobility is the province of the high born? No sir, true nobility is knowing the righteous path and pursuing that course in the face of indignation. It is joining just cause in spite of personal, social and economic degradation. True nobility is just, true nobility is critically discerning, true nobility is earned through noble acts and enforced through veracious rhetoric in support of the virtuous cause."
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Appears in...
Katt in the Gardens of the Horse Lord Korra-khan Shoon
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