Maurianna’s son, just five years old, had become gravely ill. Her husband had died in an accident just the season before and she was determined that she would not also lose her only child as well. Maurianna did all that she could, the healer did all she could, but it was of no use, the boy’s condition worsened – he grew fitful with fever and moaned in pain and tears. Maurianna prayed day and night to her god to intervene on her innocent son’s behalf. Her god was a god of Benevolence, but somewhat strict and distant, aloof. There was no answer. The gods of Malice heard Maurianna’s cries and sent an agent to make a deal – her soul to heal her son. But Maurianna would have none of it. She did not want the gods of Malice to someday send one of their agents to her son and say, “Your mother made a deal with us, why not you as well?”
“They will not get their claws in my son. Not now nor ever.” Maurianna continued to tend to her son as best she could but he drifted away and she buried him beneath the mulberry tree next to his father. That night before their graves Maurianna forsook both the gods of Benevolence and the gods of Malice – the gods of Benevolence for her god not sparing her innocent child and the other gods of Benevolence for failing to intervene; the gods of Malice for only offering to intervene for a price. “Let them and all their kind be made naught, and shall I live to see it so.”
Maurianna was determined she would see her vow come true, although she did not know exactly how. Perhaps it was this traumatic event, or her own force of will, but soon after her son died Maurianna became able to cause minor magical effects. She had the Gift but never knew. Now with the how in mind, Maurianna traveled the lands, learning all she could of magic – studying with tribal medicine men and women, with wizards in great halls of learning, and seeking out hermetic mages in remote and unyielding environs. Maurianna became a powerful wielder of magic, so powerful in fact that she gained the long life that some great mages attain as they become ever more in tune with the arcane energies that flow thru the universe. But even the most powerful of mages must grow old and die and so was the way with Maurianna. In the course of her early studies Maurianna knew of this truth and that it would not do if she wanted to fulfill her vow. So, like many powerful mages, she had also studied the idea of lichdom – a way to cheat death, at least for a while. However, as Maurianna had studied, Lichdom had its failings. One, as some of the gods hated the idea of lichdom, liches it seemed had to hide away in some crypt or tomb down in the bowels of the earth and hope that the mortal agents of said displeased gods did not find them and try to vanquish the poor lich. Second, if it wasn’t the mortal agents of the gods a lich had to worry about then it was a cave-in, a flood, or some other simple act of time and nature ruining their hiding place and exposing them, and their treasures, to mortals – mortals that might not be comfortable with the idea of a lich in their region. The third problem was the physical and/or aesthetic changes the lich had to endure, but that was only a minor inconvenience, as long as one was where magic could be cast. Lastly, and most importantly, liches always had to worry about their phylacteries being uncovered and then their soul could be sent to the afterlife, or the soul could be held captive and used to control or extort the lich. Maurianna thought about these problems intensely and after centuries of contemplation on the matter came to an ingenious solution.
Rather than put her soul in one place, or split her soul into multiple pieces and hide the pieces in separate and distant locations, Maurianna took her soul and bound it to the wind. “The wind is in all places, at all times, ever moving. High, high in the sky. Higher than birds and dragons fly. And low, low in the depths even where light and sound won’t go. I bind my soul to thee wind. Let them chase you round this world ‘til all the stars fall out of the sky and the heavens turn to dust.”
As for hiding in some cave deep down in the bowels of the earth, Maurianna would have none of that. She had crafted a veil, a Veil of Fine Countenance, that would not just cast an illusion of a different visage, but actually transform her entirely into whatever she wanted, for as long as she wanted. Maurianna did not have to hide herself away. Able to walk thru the world as she did when she was still mortal, Maurianna confidently strode out of her abode, snapped her fingers destroying any sign out what had transpired, and drifted away quietly into the mortal world once more.
Thousands of years have passed and Maurianna has traveled the world over many times, many times deftly navigating thru the Demi Plane – and none have been the wiser. She has lived long enough to see some of the gods fade away and may yet exist to see them all expire. Until then, Maurianna travels here and there, having taken all forms – all races, all ages, male and female, all occupations. She has her favorite places and enjoys sipping fine wine outside quiet seaside taverns and inns, content with the knowledge gods have died and still she exists. Perhaps you’ve seen her in some form, the person with the most unnaturally peaceful and pleased look on their face. If you haven’t seen her yet, you might. Of course, maybe it’s not her, maybe it’s just someone who’s having an unnaturally good day, or week, or year. Perhaps.
Ideas for incorporating the story into gameplay.
Maurianna is an invaluable source of knowledge on just about everything – magic, healing, longevity, travel, locations, language, the Demi Plane, etc, etc, etc.
The gods charge one of their mortal agents – paladin, cleric, and/or warlock, to hunt Maurianna down and/or her soul. Maurianna has slipped up/gotten on the bad side of some god or gods and somehow the gods have found out where she is or where her soul is and charge their mortal agents to deal with her.
Maurianna has caches of magical items, treasure, etc spread throughout the Mortal and Demi Planes. Maurianna, under escort/capture by the players makes a deal with them to take them to one of the caches if the players let her go – she may betray them as the caches are trapped.
One of Maurianna’s caches is uncovered and the players must investigate it. This may lead Maurianna to hunt down the players as they may have taken for themselves one or more of her prized possessions.
Depending on their level and deeds, Maurianna hunts down one or more of the players as they are a mortal agent of the benevolent god she prayed to that did not answer her prayers, or is a mortal agent of one of the gods of Malice that tried to make a deal with her.
Maurianna occasionally hunts down and kills the mortal agents of the god of Benevolence that ignored her. The players are to investigate the murder and this puts them on Maurianna’s trail.
Without her Veil of Fine Countenance Maurianna appears to be a woman in her mid to late nineties. She stands five foot, four inches tall, has the pale skin that comes with advanced age. Her hair is silver and white, straight and shoulder length, a bit thinned here and there, and she wears it to gently frame her face. Maurianna is quite thin. Her hands appear arthritic. Her ears and nose a bit longer than in her youth and her nose a bit sharper/more pointed. She wears fine worry lines upon her face. Her eyes, that still sparkle a light blue, are a bit more pronounced as her skin has become a bit more thin with age and the areas of fat that act to pad have gone. And even with her advanced age one can see traces of the pretty, young woman she once was. Maurianna is dressed in a fine silver and white gown. She stands tall with great poise and walks and moves slowly and purposefully with ease and grace. One would not be afraid to look upon her in her natural form.
