Asalah, Invoker of Castigation

Lore
Asalah was born on a frontier border within a stone’s throw of a garrison of Falcon Crusader Knights. Her childhood was very pleasant; her parents were duty inspectors and earned a quite handsome living. She loved crossing the border to visit the strange Priests and Knights of the Holy Empire, and drank up the stories from the travelling merchants and diplomats who went through her parent’s outpost. Extremely beautiful and gifted with natural charm and charisma, she would pull the air out of a room whenever she entered it. She was a favorite of the travellers who all remembered her name.

In her early teens, a tragic event would mark her life. She was raped by two cruel and devious Crusaders who had made a deal with a local Witch living in nearby Shantiri ruins. Using forbidden magic, the witch could turn lies into truth.

Torn and bruised, Asalah ran to her parents to announce the disgraceful attack. But when the Crusaders were confronted, they claimed that it was not them, but that it didn’t surprise them one bit what had happened. Asalah had been flirting with all the Knights and Squires of the garrison, and certainly must have had too much drink and one too many flirtations. The Crusaders’ testimony was supported by the Priests of Elrath who had used the magic of the Light to test their innocence.

Appalled and dishonored, Asalah’s father died in a duel against the first of the two culprits. Asalah’s mother took her plight to the Council of Nine who called upon the Sheriff of Al-Safir to look into the matter. The Sheriff was able to call upon the memory of the winds and a vision of what had really transpired that horrifying night, over a week earlier, was brought into view. Even the Crusaders’ laughter was witnessed as the Witch wielded an ancient Shantiri artifact over their faces, reciting words of power that would wipe them of the apparent guilt of their crime. One had gone so far as to shout at Asalah, “Run little beauty. No one will believe you!”

The Witch could not be found, but the Crusaders were delivered for execution to the Sheriff. Asalah was permitted to cast the first stone and make the first cut on each of their bodies. She chose to slice off their manhood.

All was not easily forgotten nor healed by Asalah, and she bore a son from the forced union that she raised alone with her mother as if he had been brought into this world through love. She named him after her father who had died protecting her honor. When the child was seven and she barely twenty-one, she requested to follow training to become herself a hunter of criminals and practitioners of Forbidden magic. The Sheriff who had helped her agreed to sponsor her training and education. She proved relentless and piercing in her quest to protect those of the Seven Cities from injustice and false accusation.

“The only thing worse than a criminal going free is an innocent being punished for his crimes.”