------------- Tales of the Raptors – Glory Be

Glory Stewart was born with a blessing and a curse. Her mind was different, more acute than others, sharper than even the most brilliant sorcerer by the age of twelve. It was soon obvious that she could manipulate both the forces of magic, and the powers of the mind. By the age of fifteen she was a popular healer in her little farming community outside of Plains Station in Carellon. When her parents died, however, she was left with nothing but her meager talents. Then she met a man. He was strong and rugged, not overly handsome, but imminently kind and understanding. He was a widower who had recently lost his own wife. In time, the two grew close, and Glory soon began to think of the man’s two children as her own. But tragedy followed her like an evil cloud.

In a dark night of horror that etched itself forever into her mind, a thing attacked the farmhouse. What it was, she wouldn’t know for a long time. It was as if she died herself that night. The man and the children were slaughtered, completely destroyed by the blackest of magic. Then it came for her.

Several months later, she awoke next to a camp fire. The band that had rescued her, nursed her back to health. Then the memories came flooding back. The thing that had killed her lover and his kids was the disembodied spirit of a Liche Lord of Damia. It had possessed her for months, using her body as its vessel. Trapped within her own skin, she watched as she committed one horrid atrocity after another, unable to break free, unable to stop herself. Then adventurers found her. Their cleric had the wisdom to drive the spirit out rather than let her companions kill her. But something happened that neither the adventurers nor the Liche could have predicted,… much of the knowledge and power of the Liche stayed, permanently imprinted on her mutant brain cells.

With no home, no family and future, she took what part of the treasure the adventurers shared with her and headed south. She had heard of a place of learning, and that there were others there like herself, mutants with the ability to wield both magic and psionics. She graduated with letters in Medicine and Genetics. A new drive had taken her. Though she had no use for religion, she couldn’t help but appreciate the aid of a Cleric. But she wanted to know what it was that made undead work, and thus, how to unmake them without the need of priests.

She joined a band of adventurers after graduation and headed into the mountains. Her newfound magical powers, part Healer, part Necromancer, as well as her psionic talents proved ever so useful, but they would not save her band from being slaughtered. That’s when she discovered the other thing her possession had left her with, immortality. When the goblin raiders discovered she was still alive, they took her and sold her to the Drow, Evelys Wyrvarg. She was rescued by the Night Raptors, and joined them in repayment. In their final battles against Palladrak and The Three, she was slain again,… and again, rose of her own accord.

Now, knowing something of her unique talents and strange curse, the Night Raptors keep her, but keep her at arm’s length. When Kami and Gwenvael returned from their overseas archeological dig, they brought with them genetic samples of the first true vampires. Now, Glory has set herself to the task of developing a retrovirus that will wipe away the scourge of the vampire clans once and for all. Glory be.

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