Loranala Iathrana's Backstory

I was found as a babe in the deep wood by a river’s edge. Frail and cold, I was taken in by a widow named Alessandra Iathrana. Out of the goodness of her heart, Alessandra raised me on a small farm just miles from the river where I was quite fortunately discovered—the wood through which the river ran was said to be the home of ferocious monsters and vicious creatures of the deep. Alessandra was careful to keep me hidden from such a mysterious place as I grew, despite my begging her to let me explore its wonders.

You see, even as a child, I was quite the adventurer. I might have been raised on a quiet farm, but I knew of many places that lay nearby just waiting to be explored, including the wood. Merely a hop skip and a wagon ride away sat a busy village filled with bustling, noisy commoners who I found delightfully fascinating. The people of the town were decent folk, friendly and courteous when out and about, patient with children like me who’d helplessly bump into them while dragged from store to store. When Alessandra and I were out together, should she ever let go of my hand or turn her back for an instant, I would disappear into the crowd. I did not pick-pocket or play any tricks, but I loved to mingle with the village-goers, keeping my mouth shut, and simply listening in on their conversations. When I grew bored, I’d climb lamp posts and drain pipes to get a better view of all the pleasant chaos and absent-minded village goers as they went about their day-to-day rituals as Alessandra searched for me.

Such was my childhood for many years—weekly village visits with Alessandra for goods, farmwork out in the wheat fields or in the stables with the pigs and goats for my chores, and busying myself with old literature of the township for my studies. Alessandra was very good to me and was so like a mother that I did not understand what she meant when she finally explained the origins of my unfortunate past. She called to me while I was out in the garden—I remember I was picking herbs and snap peas for supper. I was fifteen at the time. She beckoned me inside and together we sat at the kitchen table. She gave me a sad, almost pained sort of look that sent shivers down my spine. I braced myself for the worst.

“I am not your real mother, sweet girl,” she whispered, her jaw set firmly. “I found you by the river when you were very young, deep in the wood down the old path you know not to follow. You were so small, so delicate, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you there. I took you in as my own, fed you, bathed you, loved you as I still do. You are the daughter I never had.”

She looked away from me for a moment to clear her throat and stifle her sobs. I could feel tears forming in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I could not cry, not until she finished at least. Alessandra turned to face me once more, and continued.

“When I found you, you were wrapped in a tattered leather cloth caked in blood, raked with odd, jagged claw marks. Of all the creatures I know to exist in the shadows of that forest, I know not of any that could leave such marks. Where I found you on the ground I could see clear hoof prints nearby, and along the tree line, paw prints . . . ” Alessandra shook her head, gasping as she wiped away tears.

“Men on horseback and their hounds. I don’t know how you ended up next to that river, Lora, but I do know it was no accident. You were left there, abandoned as an infant. I was so horrified that I almost missed the glint of something silver in the cloth wrapped around you. I’ve kept it hidden all these years, but this was what I found around your neck that frightful day.”

She paused to reach into her pocket, then carefully unfolded a small piece of cloth revealing a silver rosary. The cross was well-polished, clipped onto a small band of blood-red beads. There was an odd kind of inscription around the edge of the cross itself that was written in a language that looked familiar, yet I found I could not make out every word. Alessandra sensed my dismay.

“It says ‘May the Gods Protect Our Gift and Honor Her,’ in Elvish.” She paused to see if there was any hint of recognition in my eyes, any indication that I understood. I simply nodded, glancing down at the table. Alessandra sighed deeply, and continued.

“I also found this,” she said, as she slipped a dark steel ring off of her finger. I had never paid much attention to it before, that ring. Alessandra always wore many rings and random pieces of jewelry for superstitious reasons. I always assumed the ring was just one of the many she wore that she believed would ward off mischievous demons and goons of the night. Alessandra examined the ring for a moment, then handed it to me.

“It’s a signet ring, a symbol of nobility. There is an insignia you see there, of an elk with antlers made of rose thorn. I recognized it the second I saw it, a noble family of the east with Elvish blood in their veins. My dear Lora, you are of noble birth, but your family . . . ” She trailed off, taking my hands in hers.

“I believe for reasons unknown, something terrible happened to them. You were left by that river, left for dead.”

I stared at the ring, unable to look up at her face. My mind raced, beads of sweat dripped down my forehead, and try as I might, I couldn’t form words. Alessandra stared at my perplexed face, the silence that now blanketed the room cutting into her heart like a knife.

“Lora,” she whispered, cautiously, “I know I have lied to you, and I am sorry for that. But you must understand, I kept you all these years to protect you. To this day, all I have done is try to protect my little girl.”

She waited for some sort of response from me, but I just continued to stare down at the ring. I couldn’t let her see my face, see my eyes and the hurt in them. I understood her pained words, could feel how difficult it was for her to explain all of this to me, but Alessandra was all I had ever had. She was the only mother I had ever known, and yet, her blood was not my own. I had had a family, a real family, and a noble one at that. Had they abandoned me? What happened to them? I turned the ring over and over in my hands, thinking hard. I could feel Alessandra’s gaze on my face, waiting for me to say something to assure her that my mind had not come undone by her story. I kept silent for another moment or two, then spoke quietly, choosing my words very carefully.

“I understand,” I began, my voice quivering, “I understand everything you’ve done for me. I have questions, so many questions that I know you cannot answer.”

I looked up at Alessandra who now was sitting back in her chair, taking in my every word. Her face was pale, but she said nothing. I continued.

“I have always felt out of place here, ever since I was small. I knew there was something I was missing, some part of me that needed piecing together, but I didn’t know where to start. Those woods,” I said, as I glanced out the window, “ they have always called to me. Always.”

Alessandra nodded slowly, swallowing hard. She cleared her throat once more, as if about to speak, but she couldn’t muster a sound.

“I have to find the truth of my past. If something happened to my family, if I was taken away from them and left in those woods, I have to know why. I have to know.”

I pushed my chair away from the table and stood up. It had been my intention to look Alessandra in the eye, but I couldn’t, so instead I balled my hands into fists and set them down on the table as I leaned by weight over it.

“I love you, and I always will, but I have to leave you.”

Alessandra glanced up at me, tears forming in her eyes. A mixture of pain and sadness flickered across her face as she tried to control her emotions. I could only stare at the table.

“Whatever happens, I will never forget you. You have always been, and will always be my mother.”

Without another word, I walked over to her, took her hands in mine and kissed her forehead. She sighed, squeezing my hands in her hers before letting them go.

“Take this,” she exclaimed firmly, as she stood up and left the room. Upon her return, from within the folds of an amber sheet she revealed a silver dagger with a sapphire set in its hilt that shimmered in the weak candlelight. She handed it to me, brushing her fingers over the weapon’s smooth edge as she let it go. As the cool surface of the weapon touched the palms of my hand, I felt a jolt of electricity run through me that seemed to leap up into the weapon. I glanced frightfully at Alessandra, who only stared at me.

“Let the magic finish its work,” she said in a hushed whisper. “That is no ordinary dagger.”

I nodded, turning my attention back to the dagger that now glowed in my trembling hands. As I watched, to my amazement, in a burst of light, the blade began to warp and extend outwards, its edge sharpening, and the vine-like patterns engraved into the steel starting to curl out along the grooves up and away from the hilt. In a matter of seconds, the beautiful dagger had grown into some kind of sword, so elegant yet deadly in appearance I was certain any man would tremble in fear at the sight of it. Alessandra smiled, examining the weapon with a mixture of relief and pride on her face.

“Carry this with you always, and no harm will come to you.” She smiled weakly, wiping the salty tears from her cheeks. “This great sword will answer to no one else but you. Protect it, and it will protect you.”

I nodded, smiling grimly, frightened yet exhilarated by the sword’s lethal craftsmanship. As I turned to leave the room, I felt an odd sensation at my hip. When I glanced down, I noticed a sheath and belt had appeared on my person. Confused at the convenience of their sudden existence, I chuckled, taking the massive sword in both hands and firmly sheathing it at my side. Satisfied, I took a deep breath and glanced back over my shoulder, allowing Alessandra’s eyes to finally meet mine. An understanding passed between our gaze in an instant. We smiled at each other, reassuring each other that despite whatever used to be, we were mother and daughter, and would always come back to each other. I smiled, turned away from her, and set off on a journey that would change my life forever.

***

(Fast forward ten years: Lora is now age 25)

Upon returning to the clearing where Alessandra had found me as an infant, hoof prints, claw marks, any indication of a struggle had been thoroughly erased by the passage of time. The river ran black with mud and debris, and the skeletal trees blotted out the sunlight giving way to shadows of all shapes and sizes. Being so young, I was terrified of the thought of leaving the trail to follow the river, but it was all I could think of to somehow find my way back to my family. With no intention of backing away, with hatred in my heart for whatever evil awaited me in the world, I left the trail, and followed the river of dead water.

Throughout my many years of searching, I came across many bizarre things in my travels. I encountered beasts of all kinds in the forest, always keeping my eye out for the merciless species that Alessandra had spoken of, however, no claws ever seemed to quite fit the story. Some of the beasts left me alone to my wanderings, while others were not as tolerant of my presence in the forest—I collected many battle scars to prove it.

I made several allies and friends in my journey as well, though none quite as cunning or as fearless as good old Argus. A human man of adventure and heart, I found him wounded and unconscious in a field outside a large town. When he finally came to, he described his recent quarrel with a cloaked man he had encountered in a pub. The man had gone into a fit of uncontrollable rage after losing his entire satchel of gold to Argus in a lucky game of poker. In his anger, Argus described how the man had transformed into a dark humanoid creature of some kind, and demanded that Argus return its gold to it in addition to handing over whatever amount Argus carried with him in his own earnings. When Argus refused, the sinister creature attacked him, leaving Argus unconscious with broken ribs and a gruesome gash in his arm.

After helping him regain his strength, I realized the look of the gash in his arm reminded me all too well of the claw marks Alessandra had spoken of when she had found me as a babe. Hoping to finally come face-to-face with the assailant who had potentially murdered my family and attempted to murder me, I decided to join Argus in hunting down his attacker. To our excitement, it only took a single week. The creature hadn’t made it far; Argus hadn’t let it escape its assault on him completely unharmed. To return the favor for breaking his ribs, Argus had taken his sword and slashed the creature in its stomach. However minor the wound, the creature had left a blood trail in its wake which had led the two of us straight to it.

Just miles from where I had found poor Argus, we found the creature bloody and weak in a bog hidden in the forest. It was in a terrible state, tar-like blood running down its front from the wound in its stomach. It did appear human-like, but it was almost pitch-black in color, covered from head to toe in tattered wind-blown garments and armor that hid its face and human features. Its eyes shown red as it spotted us from the tree line.

“Leave me!” It shrieked, its voice raspy, as if filled with gravel and dirt. “Go away! Go!”

Before either of us could move any closer, a strange sound filled the air. It was a deep hum that seemed to echo throughout the swamp, sending chills down my spine. In the same instant the humming began, Argus grabbed my arm, and told me to be quiet. We glanced around, realizing we were being completely surrounded by an odd, dense fog. It seeped its way through the gnarled trees and roots of the swamp, more of a liquid than any billowy mist we had ever seen before. It moved passed us slowly, making its way towards the creature. We watched in horror as the mist formed a circle around the it, as if shielding the beast from us.

“We should go,” Argus grunted, squeezing my arm. “We should go now.”

I couldn’t take my eyes away from the creature as it sat in the center of the fog. It showed no fear, as if the mist was an old friend that had arrived to sooth its wounds and comfort it in the face of danger. The creature stared back at me, its eyes glowing with blood-red hatred. I realized I knew that look, I knew those eyes. It was all so familiar, but I couldn't seem to piece anything together. Mustering up whatever courage was left in my frozen, terrified heart, I spoke to the creature through choked breaths and gritted teeth.

“I know you, and you know me. Who are you? What do you want with us, with me?”

The creature just smiled, chuckling to itself as the fog grew thicker, forming a perfect sphere around it.

“I am what I am. You know nothing of terror, know nothing of pain. But you will, sweet Loranala.”

I gasped in terror, and the creature laughed, a thunderous hacking sound that shook the trees. He continued, encouraged by my fear.

“You will know soon enough, the fear your family felt when we descended upon them, when we tore their flesh from their bones. You will know, Loranala Iathrana. The gods themselves will not be able to save you. Until then.”

With that, the fog shot up in a spiral around the dark, fiery-eyed form of the creature. The forest seemed to light up around us, fueled by some ancient fire that had remained dormant in the roots of the trees for centuries until now. Once the light faded, the mist seemed to dissipate, retreating back into the crevices of the swamp as fast as it had seeped through them. Once the last of the fog had disappeared, Argus and I glanced around, searching for the creature, but it had vanished. We were left completely and utterly alone.

“Argus, I have a confession,” I exclaimed, turning to face him. “That wasn’t just some man you met in a pub. I have no name for him, but I know we must find him. We cannot rest until we do so. Promise me, no matter how long it takes, you will help me track him down.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to respond. Argus ran one hand through his tangled hair, placing the other on the hilt of his sword. He grunted, clearing his throat.

“I have never come across anything quite like him. This could be extremely dangerous, Lora, do you realize that? I mean, he knew who you were, forget about me! He knew your name, he recognized you, what will you get out of chasing after him?”

I shook my head, trying to stay calm. “You don’t understand, and you don’t have to. This isn’t about just me or you, this is something far greater than any two people, or any one thing. We have to find him, Argus. There is something very powerful at work here. And . . . ” I paused for a moment, taking a breath. “He knows what happened to my family. No matter how dangerous this is, no matter what magic we are toying with, I know he’s the key. Please help me.”

Argus closed his eyes firmly, sighing deeply. After giving one last affirmative grunt, he opened his eyes and turned to me.

“I cannot go with you, Lora. There are things I have to do, mistakes I have made in this world that I need to fix. While I cannot go with you, I promise you, should I ever find this man again, I will kill him for you. I will drive my sword through his miserable heart. You have my word.”

I smiled meekly, disappointed at his unwillingness to come along, but reassured by his promise. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, my friend. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday. Until that time comes, farewell, Argus.”

Argus smiled, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. “Farewell, Lora. Good luck.”