Name: Tokaxochitl (Spider Flower)
Age: 24
Race: Human
Culture: Subaruum
Physical Description: A young woman who stands around 5'6 with a slender but muscular build. Her skin is dark brown, her long braided hair a darker shade of charcoal while her eyes almost glow yellow.
Notably, half her body has been burned.
She wears the clothes in the style suited to the hot and humid jungle but the material is soft and almost silky, a specialty of her people.
-----
Pre-Backstory
Subaruum is not a land that forgives weakness. Those who stumble fall into the mire of its swamps, those who are blind to their surroundings are victims of its myriad creatures, those who are complacent risk being taken whole by the jungle and never make their way back out.
But to those who are not weak, who keep their eyes and ears open, those who work, Subaruum is a land of bounty.
Dangerous bounty, but bounty still.
Little wonder then that the Conqueror herself could not subjugate the Land of the Serpent and the Spider until her armies had been bloodied in the field, her generals grew experienced (and became ruthless enough) and enough of the locals converted to her cause.
But the swamps and jungles and the dark depths that make up Subaruum can hide many things, including refuges for those who did not agree with the subjugation. These include the die-hard rebels who think dictats from Ashur are more poisonous than the Giant Tarantulas, the free-spirited tribes who wish to live by their means and their own ends (and who never listened to authority any higher than their own village chieftains anyhow) and of course not to mention the cults and covens and all manner of occultists who want to hide from prying eyes.
One such group was the Bharan-Uttu, an uncommon union of Uuman and Human who had been separate entities with their own customs. They came about as a result of the general turmoil caused by the Ashurite invasion.
Tribe of Bharan
The invasion and the struggle against the Empire led to great displacement across Subaruum and the once independent Uuman tribe of Bharan, who's warriors had contributed to the coalition that humbled the Empire's first invasion, were later bested by the Tithe-Taker and his troops. The Bharan in particular were vulnerable to Imperial incursion, their home being on the mouth of a tributary of the Great River. This gave them access to both the coast and points further inland, however it also left them vulnerable to attacks from the sea. They were especially vulnerable after the coalition that defeated the first incursion split apart and the Bharan were left isolated.
The Bharani were a tribal people and consummate raiders, their location on the coast allowing them access to goods from across Subaruum and even outside of it. Most valued were metals, bronze and iron which their smiths turned into weapons. Bharani smiths were renowned for this skill and Bharani warriors were well-equipped, more than able to take on more numerous but less wealthy enemies. Such enemies were often found inland upriver, Bharani raiding parties mounting war-canoes to travel far and quick, but they also warred frequently with closer neighbours as well and their reputation was one of predacious ferocity. In fact, it is said that they only joined the First Coalition and not the Ashurites because they knew they could make away with much of the loot afterwards.
Such greed however was not conducive to diplomacy and when Kuurash unleashed the Tithe-Taker, he took the wise step of offering protection against the Bharani. Though highly suspicious of the outsiders, many found the Bharani to be the far greater threat and were only too eager to point Ashurite spears towards Bharan.
With their near neighbours turning against them and their far ones rejoicing in their impending conflict with Ashur, the tribe of Bharan was left isolated and alone. They were fierce warriors though, giving a bloody nose to Ashurite troops but with aid from local allies, the Tithe-Taker led a daring outflanking manoeuvre and crushed Bharani forces sending them fleeing to their stronghold.
Though large by the standards of the tribes (mostly to accommodate trading facilities and blacksmiths) the Bharani Stronghold was not actually a place built for defence. The Bharani fought their battles either on or beyond their borders and thus it was relatively 'open' in terms of design. Showcasing his cruel cunning which he would soon earn a name for though, the Tithe-Taker chose to besiege the Stronghold rather than take it by storm. Costly in terms of manpower and material, a siege would have been impossible without the eager help of local allies who supplied much of both.
Upon hearing of the siege, more of Bharan's neighbours joined against her and sent supplies and their warriors willingly to the Tithe-Taker. Thus in one stroke the Tithe-Taker had won popularity in the key coastal region, while also eliminating one of his greatest threats.
The siege was gruelling, the Bharani had no experience of such "civilised" warfare and were soon facing starvation and disease. Desperate, the leaders of the tribe made the fateful decision to attempt a breakout and escape deeper into the jungle. This way, at least, they could preserve their people if not their land.
The Tithe-Taker let them.
Spotting the preparations, the Tithe-Taker relaxed the hold around the Stronghold and feigned illness for a period of two weeks.
The Bharani took the bait and broke out.
Though greatly enraged, the Tithe-Taker's local allies were largely mollified by profuse apologies, key 'gifts' and the chance to raid the Bharni Stronghold. After the place had been burned to the ground though the Tithe-Taker was quick to remind his allies that the Bharani were still out there and no doubt gnashing their teeth at the chance for vengeance.
Cult of Uttu
In contrast to the dramatic happenings on the coastland, the Cult of Uttu was living a largely isolated existence much further inland in the region known as Tzitzimime, Land of the Fallen Star. A 'human' group, they were worshippers of the Spider Goddess Uttu, one of the many minor deities worshipped in Subaruum. Her realm was that of the cycle of creation, life and death represented by the spinning of a web. These particular cultists were not the first, nor the only worshippers of Uttu, but they were the only one to worship her in such a dedicated and all-encompassing manner. Where others who sought Uttu's power and blessing might only appeal to her separate aspects, the Cultists worshipped her as the full representation of the Cycle and lived their lives according to her tenets:
- Light is blinding and darkness reveals the truth
- Your form is ephemeral, but your mind is a root. Remember your brood and the strength of your web.
- The cycle is inevitable, accept it and rejoice in it.
The cult had made an old temple their home, dedicating it to their patron goddess. It was surrounded by marshland and mangrove trees and they built their homes above the water. Life was relatively simple as the cult followed its rites, drew power from the temple and from sacrifices to their goddess and existed like many other cults in the land of Subaruum, much to the chagrin of its victims.
However, in the tumultuous times they suddenly found themselves in the small cult began seeing raids from beastmen tribes coming from the jungle all around and were soon feeling the pressure. Though their traps and ambushes delayed the growing warparties, the cult's numbers began to tell and they faced the real prospect of annihilation as the beastmen approached ever closer to their sanctum.
Not that the beastmen were blindly aggressive against a weak and vulnerable target. They had often been the first victims of Cultist kidnappers and they dreaded the dark marshlands which the Cult made their home.
In a desperate move, a band of cultists were sent to find help. In an adventure worthy of song they braved the jungle, the marshes, the beastmen and other cults to eventually come across a roving tribe of Uuman who were facing their own trials.
The Union
The journey of the Bharan was not an easy one, for while they were experienced in the coastal areas and riverways where they originated, the deeper jungle was far more difficult for the whole tribe to navigate. Already they had lost a quarter of their number, mostly to the various beast and beast-men with the occasional rival tribe, and their spirits were running low. Conversely, tempers were high as hard questions were being asked of the tribe's leadership.
It was in such a situation that the Uttu cultist's led by Kiauixochitl (Rain Flower) and Chichiltitetl (Red Stone) walked into the tribe's camp, after they had spent a few days stalking them.
After a tense reception, they spoke with Chieftain and other members of the tribe's leadership, making them the offer that would cement the future union of Bharan-Uttu.
The cultists would share their knowledge, the tribe their muscle.
It was not an easy agreement to broker but desperation on both sides put pragmatism above mutual suspicion and it was agreed that Bharan would join forces and put an end to the rising beastman threat in the Land of the Fallen Star. In turn the Cult would offer them sanctuary in the lands around the temple and teach them the ways of living in the deeper jungles. This included the Cult's extensive knowledge of local plants, animals and other creatures and how to extract the most potent of poisons, potions, elixirs and materials from them. Valuable at the time, for the Bharani were cut off from their usual supply of materials on which their own skilled crafters traditionally relied.
The subsequent war, if it could be called such, was little more than a particularly large skirmish. However, it was made not only possible for Bharanites who knew little of the land but easier as well, for the Cultists of Uttu knew their land very well. Their 'Chosen' in particular were key, Cultists whose minds and bodies were so attuned to the chosen creature of their deity that the least skilled amongst them could speak to the myriad spiders of the jungle. Those possessing more zeal and power were spider-human hybrids, leading the way for Bharan war parties and offering strength of their own.
After the end of the conflict, when the last Beastman tribe was displaced, the agreement made during that fateful first meeting evolved into something of a union between Tribesman and Cultist. Both sides would offer each other knowledge, protection, mutual respect (and fear) and a chance for stability in an increasingly unstable land.
Thus it was agreed, despite the still considerable doubts each side had of the other.
----
Character Backstory
Childhood
For the next forty years the Bharan-Uttu co-existed, though not quite in harmony, for the Bharani found the cult to be insular and their practices unnerving while the cultists found the Bharani to be uncouth war mongers. Pragmatic cooperation however always won out and there were moments of genuine friendship between the two groups as the world around them became increasingly more hostile.
The significant event over the years was the rise of the Poison King and the increasingly successful Ashurite incursions. The Bharani naturally wished to retake their ancestral lands but were once more hobbled by their reputation with other tribes and now even their alliance with the Cultists, the latter not having a fantastic reputation in the first place and not exactly the most diplomatic of people.
Still, the Bharani were warriors first of all and the cult found conflict was a way to attain the sacrifices needed to feed their Goddess and ascend into their desired Chosen forms. So, raiding parties were sent. Though the ultimate aim was to fight back against the Tihe-Taker and Ashur in general, most of the fighting was against other tribes who either sided with the Empire or were simply hostile to the Bharan-Uttu. Occasionally, the Beastmen would return and had to be dealt with too.
It was during this increasingly violent time that a young Tokaxochitl (Spider Flower) was born, the youngest daughter of Kiauixochitl and Chichiltitetl, the very people who first met the Bharani. Already a brood of five, the largest family unit in the Cult, Tokaxochitl was a child that was at once the centre of attention and easily neglected. She was taught like the other Cult's children; inducted into their beliefs and practices and on the whole took to the teachings quite well, especially lessons on alchemy and concocting potions and poisons taught by her aunt. However, she also showed a spirit for adventure and wandering, annoying her older siblings (two brothers and two sisters) who were often the ones sent out to find her.
Her relationship with her family was relatively close, though filled with the natural competition that arose among family, competition that the Cult as a whole encouraged in its younger brood.
Not everyone could become a Chosen after all.
Her relationship with other Human children was more mixed, some shared her sense of adventure and young Spider Flower could often be found at the centre of mischief. Others found her intrusive, pushy and an annoying bully. Among the Cult as a whole Spider Flower was considered rather outgoing, even spending considerable time with the Bharani. A notable attitude, considering the two sides didn't tend to raise each other's children.
She established a friendship with some Bharani youths during her teenage years, the Uuman finding her adventurous nature appealing, especially when compared to the rest of her people. Chief among them was Bailshar, the son of a Bharani Champion and an aspiring one himself.
Young Adulthood
As the children grew into young adults the world around them became ever more dangerous. The Poison King, the Tithe-Taker and every tribe that hadn't found a place to hide away were all involved in the tangled web of shifting alliances, raids, ambushes and slaughter that was the Ashutire Empire's subjugation of Subaruum.
Bharan-Uttu were no different, their war-parties clashing with every rival under the sun (and occasionally the ones under the moon) with the aim of either defending their territory or raiding others, targeting the Ashurite troops if they could and Asurite-aligned tribes if they could not. In this environment of conflict it was inevitable that those growing into adulthood would be expected to take part, with most doing so eagerly.
Such was the fate for Tokaxochitl and her cohort, who were soon joining in the raids and patrols. Spider Flower proved herself an able, if not remarkable, frontline fighter but her true talents soon shined in her ability to create potions, elixirs, poisons and even bombs. She filled what had become a crucial role in any raiding force, a role that the Cultists in general had mastered in the period of cooperation with the Bharani. Together with Bailshar, who she was increasingly becoming close to, Spider Flower was becoming a rising star.
After a few successful engagements with the Bharan-Uttu's enemies however, Spider Flower's attitude started becoming a problem. She was growing overconfident and arrogant, pushing for deeper raids and to not only repel attacks but to pursue and destroy the attackers utterly. It was an attitude that gained her success and often made her a valued voice in the Raidmaster's tent, however as the Bharan-Uttu's list of enemies only grew, it increasingly led to more and more casualties.
For while Spider Flower was finding her feet in battle, Subaruum was becoming more hostile to the Bharan-Uttu.
They had made few attempts to make friends, neither side of the union having much interest or ability to tie others towards their cause. Instead they attacked and they attacked and they attacked, repelling near neighbours and raiding far ones. They attacked especially when the target was weak and all of this was done to gain the resources and experience needed to fight the seemingly growing Ashurite presence.
A presence that the Bharan-Uttu failed to really make a full account of. The Bharani were fierce warriors and renowned smiths, even cunning traders at times, but they were not particularly clever in seeing the greater whole for their success had always been rooted in their ability to raid and subjugate their weaker neighbours. They were opportunists at heart, quick on the pounce but never ones to plan long term.
The Cultists might have been expected to do that for them, they had the skills after all and the experience in spycraft, but the union with the Bharani upturned their world in ways they did not truly perceive, for all their many eyes. Each successful raid brought captives and with each sacrifice more Cultists than ever were receiving the full benefits of Uttu's Gifts, so these empowered cultists now sought more captives to continue the cycle. Never in the Cult's history had so many of its members become Chosen, or had the potential to.
In short, the Cultits were blinded by the perceived successes and lost sight of the overall picture.
A picture which, for those who wished for an independent Subaruum, was increasingly becoming uglier.
The Poison King may have been the most formidable of the Tithe-Taker's opponents, certainly drawing a long and vicious wound, but the world beyond Subaruum was growing and it was coming to the once isolated jungles. Ships, troops and supplies from the wider empire brought their knowledge and inventions and soon enough the jungles were alight with Ptolean fire, villages were being raided by Uurartu shock troops and the dreaded poisons of Subaruum were finding their match in Narum-Sin's Priests and Monks.
By the time the Bharan-Uttu came to realise this, it was already too late.
Adulthood
By the time she was twenty three Tokaxochitl, through her genuine skills in fighting and alchemy as well as a considerable stubbornness and sheer arrogance, made herself one of the loudest voices to be heard in the united tribe of Bharan-Uttu. On her side was the warrior Bailshar, now touting the rank of Champion of the Tribe, and together they gathered around them like-minded people, with many coming from the age group who were born post-union. Their whole world had been one of conflict, of year-round raids and perceived predation by their enemies and they were the weapons in which the united tribe's leadership would use to pursue their goals.
A raid was to be conducted, the largest ever mounted by the tribe, for in the sweltering summer of the Fifteenth Year of the Snake the scouts of Bharan-Uttu found their goal: the Tithe-Taker was in the area.
News had reached the tribe about a significant concentration of Ahurite troops, the largest yet seen this deep into the marshlands and it seemed that the opportunity of a lifetime was in reach.
Smelling blood, the warriors and cultists were gathered and a hasty plan conducted: a pincer attack, two wings coming on the flanks of the Ashurite camp which was located in a fork of the Great River. Together they would converge and press the Ashruties into the murky waters from which there would be no escape.
Though the plan was announced by the Tribe's Elders and High Speakers (Bharan and Uttu leadership respectively), they had merely approved it. The actual planning came from the excitable younger generation whose attitudes influenced the rest of the tribe. Even veteran Bharani warriors and the cult's older Chosen were swept up in the energy.
Everyone was of one mind: Now was the time.
Of course, in their excitement, no one thought about what the enemy was actually doing so far inland, nor how they got there.
The Tithe-Taker had learned from Subaruum. Bloody lessons, but those were often the best teachers. One of these lessons was how to catch a spider:
You draw it out from its lair.
So the greatest force the tribe had ever assembled gathered and were dispatched, high in spirit and already assuming victory. After all, were not the Bharan-Uttu the strongest in the Land of the Fallen Star? Their rivals were weak, their stockpiles were full and their Champions and Chosen were feared.
It was with such hubris that the Bharan-Uttu committed to the unfolding disaster.
In the night they attacked, bands of warriors led by Champions, guided by Chosen and supported by Cultists. It was a potent combination that brought many enemies to their knees and sure enough upon contact with the enemy the Bharan-Uttu found steady success. They crossed the river on either side of the Ashurite camp and followed their plan, pressing the Ashurite defenders further and further into a corner.
By which point, the trap was reversed.
Previously unseen small Ptolean ships launched from hidden places and cut off the great web bridges the Bharan-Uttu used to cross and from their decks they spit the dreaded Ptolean Fire, burning many in the tightly packed warbands. In conjunction support units from behind the Ashurite wall of spear and shield hurled glimmering glass which exploded in sudden, harsh bright light.
Still, despite the reversal the fighting was fierce as the united tribe pushed forward, now pressed on their flanks and acting more on instinct than strategy. It was hoped that those left behind on the other side of the rivers would be able to reinforce and to be sure they adapted and were fighting the Ptolean vessels. However the death knell would sound with the appearance of the Tithe-Taker's native allies, among them those from the coast who heard tales or even remember the ancient rivalry with the Bharani. They attacked from the rear, their presence entirely missed due to the hasty nature of the venture and the sheer overconfidence of the Bharan-Uttu.
For Spider Flower, the battle was a deadly mire. She had been one of the first to cross the river in the warband led by Bailshar, followed close behind by warbands that included her siblings. In the midst of the first real pitched battle she fought, Spider Flower found it increasingly difficult to keep track of events. She tried not to show it though, concentrating instead on fulfilling her role of enhancing the warriors of her warband and assisting them where needed. They hammered against the disciplined line of Ashurite Legionaries, sheer ferocity propelling them forward to steadily push the spear-wall back.
As they fought on however, the discipline of the Ashurite's held and they maintained a steady withdrawal and made blood the price of each step gained. There was reason for confidence though, Spider Flower catching glimpses of her eldest Sister and older brother in their full Chosen forms while she managed to gather other cultists and had them concentrate launching their projectiles at one spot, bombs of acid literally melting holes in the Ashurite line.
But it was not enough.
The first time Spider Flower knew the battle had gone awry was when she felt the heat, then saw white.
Blinded, unable to hear her own screams among the chorus of agony, Spider Flower was thrown to the ground and nearly trampled in the chaos. When she blinked her bleary eyes and saw blurred shapes again, she realised someone had picked her up and was carrying her away.
She also realised she could not feel half of her body, but beyond that there was little else her mind could comprehend.
By the time she was dragged to the other side of the river her senses had returned ever so slightly, at which point she saw the many-eyed face of her older sister, Storm Flower.
And how most of those eyes were burned out.
She was ordered to run, an order which she initially refused, stubbornness rushing to the fore to cover up the dread and fear. However Storm Flower was in no mood to argue and wove her spellcraft, compelling Spider Flower to flee as fast as she was able.
Flee she did, running pell-mell through the jungle unable to resist the compulsion put upon her. Run and run and run until her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, exhausted.
When she awoke, Spider Flower mustered her energy, turned around and ran back into the battle.
She did not get far before running into stragglers, those who were left behind when the bridges were cut. They told her the story of the disaster, of the slaughter of their warriors and the cultists trapped between two rivers and two armies.
Spider Flower refused to believe it, but any investigation was prevented by Ashur's Subaruuman allies who were set to pursue the remnants of the once mighty host.
Once she had escaped the pursuers however, Spider Flower did not return home to the marshlands. Instead, stubborn, angry and with burns covering half her body, she made for the one force that had a hope of reversing this terrible misfortune:
The Poison King.
Comments