Havana Shadowslayer
Pronunciation: hah-VAHN-ah SHAD-oh-SLAY-er
|
| Age | 39 |
| Birth Year | NRC 491 |
| Gender | Female |
| Race | Human |
| Homeland | Marmo |
Physical Description
A handsome woman with strong features, though much of her beauty has been lost to age and hard times. Her violet eyes are just as sharp as they were in her youth though, framed by strong, arched black brows and thin, long black lashes. There are some lines on her face, but all one can expect for a woman of nearly forty years. Her black hair is long, falling to mid-back, and usually kept back in a braid, but most notably is a white streak on the right side she’s had since her youth. She has an average hourglass shape, not too curvaceous, nor too thin, and her muscular is well-toned. Her hips are full, evidence of having given birth. Slightly taller than the average woman, this has been helpful to her in her years as a knight, allowing her to meet her male peers eye to eye.
| Height | 5’9” | Hair Color | Black, White Forelock |
| Weight | 145lbs | Eye Color | Violet |
| Build | Athletic | Skin Color | Fair |
Clothing and Armor
Havana wears the steel armor of a Marmo knight, though the chest plate is designed specifically to hug her figure. The armor consists of a breastplate with the golden emblem of Marmo across the top and down the front, a pair of large pauldrons with a pair of spines at the outer ends, and tassets. Under the armor, she wears a high collared black tunic over maroon pants and a long sleeved shirt. She has a pair of gray-dyed leather gauntlets and matching boots. She occasionally wears long, plain dresses suitable for any common woman when she is relaxing at home.
Weapon DescriptionHavana wields a longsword with the Marmo eye emblem set in the crossguard. The grip is wrapped in black leather.
| Class | Knight |
| Occupation | Knight of Marmo of the Order of the Gargoyle |
| Weapons | Longsword, Dagger |
| Armor | Marmo Full Plate |
| Equipment | Clothing, weapon & armor care supplies |
| Horse | No |
|
Abilities
As a knight, Havana fights in armor, and thus, she must be strong. Her endurance is high, and agility low, focusing herself on brute strength in battle.
PersonalityHavana is a strong, resilient, and independent woman who has made her own path in life. Her first concern in life is her son, her second is her nation, and the third is herself. Though she led a rough life on Marmo, it was the ideals of Beld and Ashram that inspired her to care for her people and fight for them. Like many native Marmo, Havana despises the Flaim, and is eager to help Thrash take back their land for themselves. She looks forward to a better life for her son in her homeland, and hopes that he will become a knight.
Alignment: Neutral Good
Quotes: “...”
HistoryBorn a bastard child to a thief in Persei, Havana’s life started out rough. However, like her mother, she was tough, and learned how to be an opportunist. Her mother was a member of the Thieves’ Guild out of necessity, though she preferred to handle her own affairs. When Havana was ten, she made the mistake of pickpocketing in an area patrolled by another thief. When he saw her, she ran back to her mother for protection. Her mother ordered her to run and hide while she attempted to talk down the other thief, but he took his anger out on her and attacked. Havana watched from a hiding place nearby as her mother fought to defend herself. Unfortunately, she lost the fight when the other thief landed a killing blow. However, he seemed to have lost interest in finding Havana, and the girl was left to fend for herself.
Havana, though heartbroken by her mother’s death, like a true Marmo moved on and continued her every day struggle to survive. She crossed town, avoided the guild, and found new people to pickpocket. Always looking for a new opportunity to support herself, when she was thirteen, she heard rumors of a gang of teenagers causing problems for the Thieves’ Guild and decided to investigate. She found this gang was led by a charismatic and handsome young man named Ashram, and believed this to be a good opportunity for her survival. The girl was able to speak to another gang member and sought entrance into the group, and soon was rewarded.
Over the next few years, Havana became a fierce fighter in the gang. She actively participated in the wars against the Thieves’ Guild—which would one day lead her to slaying the man who killed her mother, she butchered beggars and prostitutes and anyone who opposed the gang. She used her sexuality as a tool, in the same way she used her weapons. It was all fun and games to the twisted mind of a Marmo youth. It was in these days that she came to know Thrash and other men who would one day serve the Marmo empire alongside her.
She was in her late teens when it was requested of Ashram by the city council to kill Beld. The gang had kidnapped the barbarian girl who was Beld’s lover, and Havana, like the other gang members, was watching from the shadows as the deal went down. She witnessed Owen’s betrayal of Ashram, and since she had always had a crush on her leader, was inevitably drawn to his side of the conflict. Ashram left with Beld, and Owen ran off into the city, leaving the gang in disarray. Havana, Thrash, and some of the others who were loyal to Ashram decided to enter the Dark Forest to find their leader. When they found Beld’s camp, Ashram knew of their loyalty to him and convinced Beld to accept them. For the next few years, Havana and the other gang members trained to become soldiers. They helped Beld overthrow the council and take Persei,then Salbad. After the new Marmo nation was formed, Havana, Thrash, and many of the others became Knights of Marmo.
Havana served Beld loyally, partially because she wanted to see the better Marmo he promised, and a part of her was ever determined to impress Ashram, who never had eyes for her. When Beld took Kanon, Havana charged into the land and led soldiers to conquer in the name of her emperor. She fought in the War of Heroes and witnessed the death of her emperor, and the rise to power of Ashram. She gained her name, Shadowslayer, from her comrades once she proved herself in real battle. For the next twelve years, she concerned herself with keeping the peace for the lords in charge, and defending against rebellion. She caught wind of the rumors of Ashram’s death when he attempted to retrieve the Scepter of Domination, and it broke her heart, but nothing in her life changed. The politics of the Marmo, did, however. A new council found itself in power, and Havana found herself increasingly unhappy with their laws.
In NRC 522, she found herself pregnant. Havana had numerous lovers off and on, and could not be sure of the father, but she had no qualms with becoming a mother. Her only concern was maintaining her life as a knight in a war. So, Havana decided to abandon her duties. She disappeared from her post, packed up her armor and swords, and made a life for herself in a Kanon village. To fit in and and avoid the stigma of being a Marmo citizen, Havana lied to her neighbors, telling them that she was a native Kanonian, and that her husband had been killed by the Marmo. Her story was convincing enough, and she was accepted into the community. Her son was born that winter, a healthy little boy she named Ashril, partially in honor of the man she followed. Like any true Marmo, Ashril grew strong even in the leanest of times.
Three years later, the Kanon Free Army ‘liberated’ the village Havana lived in, forcing her to leave their home. She was able to take the trunk that hid her Marmo armor and sword, items which were nearly as precious to her as her own child. Due to this evacuation, Havana was not able to escape to sea with her people. She later learned of Ashram’s reappearance, and the exodus he led their people on. It was regretful, but a part of her realized that her son, even for all his tenacity, might not have survived the travel by sea to some unknown land.
After Flaim took Marmo as its duchy, much to Havana’s dismay, the knightess decided to return to her homeland, despite the disdain she felt for the Flaim nation and its king, the man who so cowardly slayed her emperor. Upon her return to Marmo, she found a small home in Persei. For all her years living in Kanon, she had kept her sword skills sharp, and she intended to pass her knowledge onto her son. As he reached his fifth year, she began to teach him basic defensive skills with a stick, and thus began Ashril’s squiredom under his mother.
Nearly five years after her return to Marmo, a familiar Marmo soldier crossed Havana’s place in the market. He seemed to be searching for people, and Havana was one of them. He told her that he had news of a Marmo uprising, so she brought him to her home so she could learn of this uprising. The ex-soldier explained that a Marmo knight, Thrash, had plans for taking back Marmo. When he spoke Thrash’s name, Havana immediately trusted the soldier’s word. He told her where to find the knight, and so Havana packed up her important belongings and took her son into the Forest of Darkness where they found Thrash’s camp in the dark elven village. Havana finally, after seven years, found her place amongst her people.
