Covenant of Vengeance

Ritva is 20 years old. A half Aquilonian, Vanir Dark Templar. ((OOC: Ritva is James from upstate New York. "Sorry bro I'm a dude." An enthusiastic role player who loves to write fiction for his characters.))

Ritva’s mother was the wife of an Aquilonian merchant who made his wealth trading with the barbarian tribes of Cimmeria. While accompanying her husband on a journey to northern reaches of Cimmeria in search of trade, the village they had been staying at was attacked by the Vanir in one of their many raids. Brutally slaughtering all except toughs they took as slaves, and burning what they couldn’t take with them.

Ritva’s Mother was taken to Vanaheim. Ritva was born in one of the many villages clinging to life on the rugged cliff lined western coast of Vanaheim. It does not matter who her father was, for Ritva was the daughter of a woman not of Vanir blood, and could not claim an inheritance. Her father a cruel man of little standing married her off at a young age to the chieftain’s brother's son in an attempt to improve his standing, for the dowry he offered was considerable because of Ritva’s beauty. The chieftain's nephew was a warrior of ill temper. Famous for his violent rage on and off the battlefield, many times he would return home, and brutally beat her for any reason he could find.

Bloody and beaten Ritva ran screaming and crying from her husband's house for the last time. She fled along the rocky boulder strewn shore at the base of the cliffs under which the village nestled. Eventually becoming trapped by the approaching tide Ritva looked about desperately for place where she could hide from the frigid water which has rapidly risen to her waist. Spotting an inky black hole which formed the mouth of a cave in the cliff face above her she quickly began to pull her self up towards the desperately needed sanctuary. Hand over hand she pulled herself up the jagged rock face. As she forced her now stiff and cold body up the cliff face her hands, arms, and legs became marred, and bloody. Barely an inch of flesh was left that was not covered in bloody scrapes, and cuts. As she climbed she screamed in agony, and despair. Her screams matched by the winds of the tempest now brewing in the heavens above. Now only a few yards from the mouth of the cave her hands slipped on the rocks now slick with her own blood. Losing her footing she hung there helplessly. She thought “I should let go. I will not go back to him. I will die here in the manner of my own choosing!” As her fingers began to slip, and her will for life waned in the evening light is thunder boomed overhead, a long black arm as dark as the night sky extended down out of the mouth of the cave. A cold black hand not unlike that of the humans wrapped about her wrist. In stunned silence she was reeled into the cave, where whatever it was, released her. Lying on her side she pushed herself up onto her hands and arms. Peering into the darkness she could see nothing of the cave. She quickly noticed the figure standing only a few yards back in the inky blackness. Only noticing it for the way in which it stood out against the dark like oil bubbling to the surface in swamp water. Whew Before she had time to think or react, the creature spoke in a voice that seemed to come from inside her own head. “I can hear your cries for vengeance. It screams at me from your ruined flesh. I can give you the power to avenge your self, and all I ask in return is to feast upon your enemies.” Ritva sat in silence for a while then nodded. Light exploded behind her eyes as she crumpled to the floor. The voice of the demon whispered “I am Carrion”