User:Leigh

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This page describes a character who is dead or retired from Hollow.

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Basic Information

Full Name: Leigh Sinclair
Race: Born Lycan - Human afflicted with Lycanthropy passed from mother
Class: Hunter
Job: Most often a mere Hunter, but has her hand in a few things here and there
Title: Empress of Archmosia
Nickname: In her homeland she is known only as Kinslayer
Alignment: Whatever benefits her or pleases Vuryal

Immediate Family

They've disowned her, but she has a Mother, Father, Brother, and Sister.

Maude

Frederick

Elliot (Deceased)

Corinne

{Though her family refuses to claim her as one of their own, Leigh still considers them kin and should one manage to get her to speak of them, she would still use the family terms in reference to them. Of course, she's just as eager to see them dead as they are to execute her.}

Spouse: Emperor Vuryal of Archmosia

Homelands: Du'atis is a large marshland located several miles away from all major cities of Hollow. Nestled in the center of the massive swamp is the quaint little village of Lynwood. This is Leigh's birthplace.

Appearance

Age: 26
Height: 5'10"
Build: Sylphlike
Hair/Wolf Form Fur: Tawny
Eyes: Deep Sapphire
Skin: Well Tanned
Distinguishing Marks/Tattoos: On the underside of her right forearm is a long, wide scar which seems to imply the bone had once been broken and exited the skin. An apparently self inked tattoo of ancient symbols line the topside of the same arm from the elbow to the wrist. A golden ring pierces her left nostril.
Clothing: Leigh prefers to wear items of leather and fur, many of which are that of other Lycans. Rarely is any skin other than that of the woman's face exposed due to the vulnerability she feels wearing anything less covering. On scarce special occasions, the Huntress can be seen in a dress and looking all too elegant compared to her usual appearance.

Wolf Form: A large, tawny wolf with human-like eyes that resemble Leigh's while in human form. With that dark yellowish-brown fur, the wolf could be mistaken for a lion for she is roughly the same size as a large male. This is the extent of Leigh's transformations. She has no in between form and the only giveaway that she is something more than a mere wolf while taking on her alternate form is the abnormal size.

Skills

Hunting

Leigh has been hunting game both big and small since she was ten years old. There was no need for a tutor to guide her for stalking prey came naturally to the born Lycanthrope. Of course, mistakes were made and injuries were sustained, but each experience left the young hunter wiser. She knows when to be quiet, when to be still, and when she moves during a hunt each step is a careful calculation all of its own. No twigs are snapped and no unecessary breaths are taken until the unsuspecting prey is struck.

Tracking

Done mostly in wolf form, tracking is a skill that goes hand in hand with hunting for Leigh. She is well aware of any subtle changes on both well trodden roads and overgrown paths. Lycanthropy lends the woman enhanced senses without which Leigh would not be half as successful in tracking. Even in her humanoid form, the Huntress easily takes note of things that are out of the ordinary for any area she is familiar with. Something as slight as a broken limb at eye level gives away the fact that something large is moving about.

Skinning/Tanning

Hunting would be nothing but a pastime if Leigh was not able to make use of her quarry. Not all prey can be used for food, but most yield something of value. Pelts are most commonly sought after by Leigh, but depending on the animal anything from bones, scales, or various organs can be made use of or sold for profit. Skilled in the removal of hides, this Huntress is also an expert tanning them.

Belongings

Weapon(s)

Spear-of the-Kinslayer

-Used for hunting large game and preferred weapon for person to person combat. Kinslayer is a spear Leigh had created for her by Hepti. It was crafted specifically for killing Lycans even though Leigh no longer hunts them for profit. Perhaps more of a precautionary measure.

Crossbow

-Used for hunting only for Leigh is not skilled enough to hit a moving target

Flaying Knife

-Used for skinning hides from quarry and if necessary close quarter combat

Items/Equipment

Spear Sheath

-A wedding gift from Cerinii of the Service guild. The sheath is made up of strong bark laced with quicksilver and lined with winter wolf pelts. A mechanism has been installed that allows the spear to be ejected from the sheath with a mere pull of a chain. This allows Leigh to quickly free her spear for impromptu battles or hunts.

Sentimental Items

Ring of the Empress

-Leigh's wedding ring. Given to her by Lord Vuryal on the day of their wedding and has not left her finger since he placed it there himself. A very precious item to the huntress.

Pet(s)

Gahiji the Griffon

-Gahiji started out at roughly the size of a house cat and was covered in only a thin layer of fuzz. Still a fledgling, her flight feathers having just come in, she is now equal in size to Leigh's wolf form. Has learned to fly, leading to many crashes and awkward landings.

Autobiography

"He who makes a beast of himself, Gets rid of the pain of being a man." --Dr. Johnson

EARLY YEARS

I am the Lycan huntress, Leigh Sinclair. I was the first of three born to the Lycanthrope, Maude, and the human, Frederick. Both were distinguished officials in my home village which happened to be a generally Lycan society. My early years were fraught with lessons on how to control my mind while in wolf form and how to remain civil whenever possible. The key to controlling the beast within is controlling the amount of anger one allows ones self to feel, after all. Still, in all my twenty-four years, I have yet to fully control my anger and thus the beast remains hungry for carnage. Despite this, the fact that I was born a Lycanthrope, thanks to my mother, allows me a slightly better handle on it than my fellow wolves who obtained the curse through bites or scratches.

Aside from learning the ways of my people, I was also taught to be diplomatic. It was my mother and father's wish that I would one day aid in my village's attempts to form social relations with surrounding areas. Being a largely Lycanthrope community, we found it difficult to negotiate trade and alliances with others due to our sometimes unpredictable nature. Of course, most people do not realize how civilized Lycans can be if brought up under the right circumstances.

Despite all of the efforts made by my teachers, however, I realized early on that I did not particularly enjoy being close to others and I simply was not a people person. I hated being touched and the mere thought of it caused an uncontrollable urge to wash my hands. There was no way someone like me could be a diplomat and for that reason I would be of little use to my family. My siblings would later fill the position my parents had always envisioned as mine and I took up other hobbies such as the crossbow and spear training.

Upon reaching my tenth birthday I was allowed to transform into my other self for the first time. Needless to say that even with the early training I failed to keep my mind and quickly shied away from my teachers and hid beneath a wagon for hours, snarling and snapping at everyone who tried to coax me out. Eventually I was prodded out by use of a broom handle and I fled the village entirely, traveling deep into the surrounding swamps. There, I remained in my wolf state for several days and had to learn to hunt if I wanted to survive. After acquiring a full belly one day I was able to remember who I was and thus my body painfully reverted back to that of a humanoid child.

With some difficulty I was able to find my way home and my return was cause for much elation for I had been believed to be dead. After a day of living amongst others again, however, I realized I much preferred the solitary life I lead out in the wood and the feeling of complete joy I got out of hunting and killing my meals. From that moment I knew what I wanted to do with my life. It had nothing to do with diplomacy and little to do with associating with others. I wanted to hunt. Little did I know at the time that my lust for the hunt would one day lead me to do something unforgivable.

LATER YEARS

As time went on, I grew more accustomed to the shift between wolf and woman which allowed me to use my other self to do most of my hunting. My canine senses were far more useful than that of my bipedal form and it often made my task much simpler. Also, I wasn't as fearful of germs and bacteria whilst transformed, allowing my mind to remain focused on the hunt. Still, I had to revert to humanoid form to carry my quarry home or to skin the hides from their bodies. It wasn't something I enjoyed, but the hunt was worth it.

Eventually, I grew into one of the best hunters my homelands had ever seen at a relatively early age. By age twenty I had acquired my own wealth and I had mostly separated myself from my family. Much to my parent's surprise, I actually had been responsible for establishing trade with other villages for they heard rumors of the great Lycan tracker and my services were called upon often. Whether it was tracking down runaway slaves, acquiring the pelts of rare animals, catching criminals, or even hunting people for sport I was willing to use my skills for a price.

Unfortunately, the trails inevitably became so obvious that I grew jaded. Only when a stranger from a neighboring village came to me with a rather unorthodox proposition did I begin to feel that old rush I once knew. It was very exhilarating at first. The tracking, the hunting, the pure cold-bloodedness of it all. I showed no emotion aside from the occasional bloodthirsty grin as I hunted and murdered my own kind. I had never realized before just how valuable the hide of a Lycan was, but the stranger who put the idea into my head paid extremely well for each pelt. I even cursed myself for not thinking of this sooner. After all, what better way is there to put my skills to the test other than to track and hunt one of the most vicious, dangerous and intelligent animals in the world?

Despite all of this, there should be no mistake. I hold no grudges against my people and I have only the highest respect for them, just as any good hunter would for their prey. I am proud of my Lycan heritage and was it not for those precious bloodlines I would not be the great hunter I am now, but profit is profit and I have more love for a single piece of gold than I do for any of my fellow Lycans, or anyone else for that matter.

Of course, my newfound thrill came to an abrupt end when my diplomat siblings returned to our village with terrible news. They had seen shops in another village advertising the hides I had so apathetically skinned from my people and word spread. The Lycan populace of my homeland was not pleased to say the least and after some investigating they discovered that only I could have done this terrible deed. My own life was now in danger and I was quickly disowned by my family. I wasn't given any sort of trial. My crimes were deemed so heinous that I was undeserving of a chance to defend myself and thus I was sentenced to death by public execution. Still, they would have to catch me before they could carry out that verdict.

And so, I was forced to flee my homelands and without their prized hunter they have little chance of finding me. Even I would have a hard time following the trail I left through various cities and forests. Still, the fear has set in now and I have grown paranoid. Should they discover my whereabouts my luck will have ran out and I will be publicly executed for my crimes.

Now that I have carved out a nice little niche for myself in the land of Hollow, I will try to regain the wealth I had before being forced to leave it all behind. I'll keep a close eye on those around me, though. My subconscious constantly reminds me to trust no one and remain ever alert for the treachery I inflicted upon my own shall eventually return ten-fold. That is the warning I hear each night as I lie down and attempt an uneasy sleep. This is my life now and I must get used to it or allow myself to slip slowly into madness.

HOLLOW YEARS

Huntress and agent of espionage to Empress of Archmosia

After a few months of being on my own in these new lands, I could no longer stand the paranoia. I had to find a solution to this fear and the only one I could consider at the time was joining a clan. As I was reading the public board in Kelay Tavern one day, I noticed a recruitment post for the clan called Dark Brethren. It was a good opportunity for me to become a part of something greater than myself. I was sure that joining that clan would benefit me greatly should I ever be found out by my family. With a clan on my side, I would at least have allies.

It seemed to work out for the longest time, but I was still not satisfied with the level of protection the clan might offer if I ever found myself in need of their help. The first time I heard of the Archmosian Empire, I knew it would be in my best interest to try and become a part of it. The Dark Brethren was a great clan, but they were small compared to an Empire. I sent a few letters via imperial loyalist, hoping at least one would reach the Emperor.

The moment he stepped into the tavern and called my name, I knew my life would change. The Chronomancer, the Emperor himself, had sought me out after having received my request to join his kingdom. His name was Vuryal, but I dared not be so bold as to address him with anything but my Lord. He was magnificent in every way. Attaching myself to him was no longer just an idea, but a must.

From that day forward, I devoted myself to the Time Lord and he accepted me as his personal spy. As I stepped into my new role, I also stepped into a life of secrecy the likes of which I had never known. My every move had to be calculated carefully and it was important to be more guarded than ever. No one could ever find out that I was loyal to the Empire. I could not even acknowledge that I knew such a thing existed.

So, I remained in the Dark Brethren, content with the knowledge that even though it was a huge secret, I was part of a glorious empire. Looking back now, I realize that I wasted many of my days in that clan as I focused mainly on serving my master, but one day will always be remembered. The day the Dark Brethren stormed Venturil to restore King Rheven to his throne. It was a fine battle and a glorious victory. It was also a day that would serve a purpose for me over a year later, oddly enough.

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It was also during my time in the Dark Brethren that I met a rune-covered lycan named Isen. He annoyed me from the start, but for unknown reasons, I could not simply forget about him. No matter how cruel I was to him or how rude, he held fast to the idea that I would one day call him friend. We spent a lot of time together, but I never considered him to be anything more than an acquaintance. Looking back now, I realize that I did like the companionship and I would never say my time with him was wasted.

Also during the time I knew Isen, I raided a griffon's den in hopes of a little excitement as well as profit. The beast put up a great fight, but she was more interested in defending her nest than the two eggs at her feet for she ended up trampling one. How the other escaped harm during the fray is beyond me, but when the griffon was taking its final breaths I was already inspecting the surviving egg. By the look of the squashed baby nearby, these chicks had been very close to hatching. I considered several options at that moment, but only one seemed honorable. I kept the egg and when it hatched, I had a constant companion from that day forth. Gahiji.

Eventually, the Dark Brethren joined with Vuryal under one banner. That banner was the Forsaken Knights. I knew my master was scheming, but I never asked for details. When he asked me to spread word that the Empire had dissolved, I knew he was biding his time for something greater. Even when my lord decided to fake his death, I did not question his reasons. I simply posted the news of his defeat at the hands of rebels upon all the public boards, per his orders.

When he was gone, I felt empty. I still had my superiors in the Forsaken Knights, but how could I devote myself to anything less than his perfection? It was a hard time for me, but I soon found someone to fill the void. Queen Ciadra was vicious and wise. I could not compare her to my lord, but she was a worthy substitute while he was away. The Queen was wonderfully sadistic and I enjoyed serving her until she too vanished.

Time went on and I remained unaffiliated for there was no one else in all of Hollow that I believed worth following. It came as a shock when I received a letter from my brother, Elliot. It seems he was more determined to find and kill me than anyone else from my homeland. He had searched for me without rest for three years and his dedication paid off.

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It was a mere stroke of luck that Elliot decided to keep his findings to himself, hoping to be the one to bring me to justice. In his letter, he threatened to reveal my whereabouts to the rest of the family if I did not show up to face him. I had no other choice. I did not want that bastard to tell 'mommy' on me and come storming into my new home with a horde of angry lycans. So, I made my way back to the swamps of my homeland to silence my brother.

For over a year, I avoided going back to Hollow. Even after I had left my brother to rot in the bog, I hesitated returning out of fear that it would be crawling with members of my family. I had no way of knowing at the time that Elliot had kept his word and did not relay my new location to anyone else. In time, however, I could not stay away any longer and returned to Kelay. Perhaps I was being pulled by an unknown force for little did I know that his return was drawing near.

Upon my return, I learned of a new clan that just might benefit me the way being part of the Empire used to. The Syndicate's leaders were the rulers of the major cities, Enchantment, Venturil, Trist'oth, Vailkrin, and Larket. Luckily, during my time in the Dark Brethren, I met King Rheven of Venturil, if only briefly, which gave me a good chance of joining The Syndicate. Shortly after I joined, however, King Rheven left the clan for reasons I never bothered to learn. Without the king to represent Venturil in the clan, I was given the position of Governor for that purpose.

Despite my new clan and my new position, I still felt anxious as if something was about to happen. I did not know it was something good until the day he returned. The Emperor of Archmosia appeared to me as I was traveling along the Kelay road. He had changed a great deal, but the presence was the same and I knew him instantly. He needed my services again and I eagerly devoted myself solely to him once more. My master had returned and I finally felt whole again.

Soon, the clan known as The Fold began waging war against The Resurrected, my lord's new clan. On several occasions, I spied on the enemy and relayed all the information I could to my master. Again I was forced into a life of secrecy so that my connection to the Empire would never be known.

I was overjoyed to be serving the Emperor again, but at the same time I became disturbed over my obsession with him. The fact that in my heart of hearts, I knew without a doubt that I would die for him was troubling. He was more than a mere man and beyond being a simple emperor, but I could find nothing to justify the feelings I was experiencing. Being unable to defend him publicly when his enemies spoke ill of him was maddening and I knew this was no longer just a job or a means to protect myself. It was true devotion to someone greater than myself. Seeking to stay busier than ever so that my disturbing obsession might be kept at bay, I joined the Service Guild. My work load increased and I was happy to have my mind on other things. Of course, I kept a close eye on the war and longed to see my lord emerge victorious. My wishes were granted and the Rynvalian War ended. The Archmosian Empire had won and I was eager to see what my master's plans would be. Surely, he would have new missions for me and I would be able to stay busy.

Little did I know that the Emperor's plans involved me so directly.

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I was called to the grand Castle Archmosia where I thought I would finally receive those long awaited new orders from my emperor. Up until he revealed the ring, I still believed I was there on business despite all signs that suggested otherwise. When it sank in, I accepted his proposal. How could I refuse? It was a hard concept to swallow, of course. The Time Lord, in all his god-like glory, asked me to be his bride. In my wildest dreams I had never entertained the thought of marriage and now I was engaged to an emperor.

Finally, my devotion to Lord Vuryal could be revealed to the world. My loyalty never had to be a secret again and I could proudly display the ring that labeled me as a part of the Empire. And now I had a new ring to show off. This ring would be a symbol not only of my imperial loyalties, but also as proof that I belonged to him. The future was finally looking bright, but I wasn't without my doubts.

There were days when I felt like calling it off because I did not feel that I deserved him. There were other days when I selfishly believed I did. Whatever I felt when I was alone, I desired only to stay by his side when I was in his presence. Deserving or not, I would be his wife. No one has ever had such a hold on me and no one ever will again. I was in love. Even now, that seems strange to admit.

Having never known this feeling before, it took a while before I realized that it was indeed love. I love him and I have loved him for a long time. I had tried to understand love in the past when I saw happy couples together in taverns and the like, but I could never make sense of it. Only now that I was experiencing it myself did I realize that it was impossible to make sense of such a thing. There is no logic or purpose behind love. It just exists and if you're lucky, you find it.

During our engagement, I was dismissed as Venturil's governor. King Rheven had his reasons and they were valid. I didn't miss the position too much, considering what I traded it for, but I enjoyed my time as Governor. I then began to wonder what other doors were going to close now that everyone knew I had been serving Vuryal all along. I had lost count of the people I had spied on, lied to, or deceived, but I knew they were many. Of course, I didn't care if everyone I had ever come into contact with during my time in Hollow suddenly turned their backs on me. I was with the only one who had ever mattered.

The engagement flew by and before I knew it, the big day had arrived. It had all been planned by Lord Vuryal. I, unfortunately, had never attended such an event before, or even had dreams as a girl of what type of wedding I would want. As mentioned earlier, I had never entertained the thought of marriage. I didn't even have a list of guests I wanted to invite. I did, however, consider sending a few mocking invitations to my family. What a shock it would be to them if they knew Kinslayer was marrying an emperor. They wouldn't have dared show up and they might have given up trying to execute me altogether, but I didn't want to risk it. My wedding day would be special enough without the satisfaction of them showing up to be slaughtered by my Lord's security measures. I planned to wipe them out soon enough.

When we both repeated the words that would bind us and the inevitable kiss came that would seal the deal, I had never known such happiness. It outshined even the day my Lord took a knee and asked me to be his bride. We were wed at last. "Finally together, never to part." Everything would be different from then on and for the first time in my life, I looked forward to the future.

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POST INVASION OF RYNVALE There are no happy endings.

'Together forever, never to part.' What a foolish notion that turned out to be. The foolish notion of a foolish person. So many things have happened since that day and the longer I live, the easier it is to forget that I was ever that naive. Yet I cannot stop searching the skies, expecting to see him there. A flock of birds, startled by my mistake, trick my mind and I find myself unable to continue the hunt - burdened by the deceit. A winged shadow glides across my path and for a split second, I feel the warmth of anticipation. That warmth fades soon enough; the building excitement shatters. He is not coming back; I will never see him again. To that I must adjust.

I had never known such bloody conflict in all my life. The chaos of war is maddening and I hope to never be involved in another for as long as I live. In the end, I proved to be an unreliable ruler. I lost what my master had won in the blink of an eye and failed those who turned to me for guidance. It was inevitable and I knew it from the start. I am not a leader, nor am I equipped with any of the necessary influence a true royal possesses. We were doomed the moment he left. I tried, though that was all I could do. The Archmosian Empire is falling - soon to crumble and be forgotten. The ring on my finger shall be a constant reminder for me. But, it is only for him that I burden myself with something I would rather forget. That ring, a beautiful and delicate circle that was once a symbol of our undying love, seems to grow heavier with each passing day. It is a heaviness I will bear until my dying day.

Rynvale will flourish as the memory of the Emperor wanes and my life will slowly return to the way it was before. While the future brightens for the people of that damned island, I will simply ease into my old habits. The person I became for him, the Empress, is slipping away as the huntress shoulders her way back into my being. Times will turn again to precarious survival and nothing will be certain or expected. No one will depend on me; no one will have my allegiance. And as that normalcy returns to my life, perhaps the pain of loving him will begin to wane as well. Perhaps, with time, I can remember how I lived without him and forget the warmth and safety of his embrace. Perhaps.

Sometimes as I wander, I find that I have been inexplicably drawn back to the places where we once stood together. The crumbling remains of the castle and the courtyard in Rynvale where we were wed are particularly attractive. Alone with my thoughts in those now empty spaces, I ask myself if it was worth it to give myself so completely to one person. Did he really deserve that kind of love and devotion – did I? Perhaps the only question that I know the answer to is whether or not I would do it again, fully aware of how things would turn out.

Definitely. Gods help me. I would relive every moment.

OOC Stuff

JUDGING A DUEL

If you want me to judge a duel, here is a list of the things I use to judge. I'm not claiming to be a great duelist myself, but these are some things I look for or frown upon when I judge. Also, if you are someone who gets upset when they lose and will take it out on me for voting against you, don't ask me to vote or agree to let me vote. I don't need your drama. :D

Number One: First and foremost is class. Gotta have class, babeh. No, really. RP your class and not four different ones. I will likely not vote for a warrior who is an expert in ten different weapons whilst also using high level magic and summoning minions to do their bidding. Also, it is rather annoying for me if I have no idea what class you are supposed to be because you keep using techniques from so many other classes that it is too hard to keep up. If I can clearly determine what class you are simply from the techniques you use, great!

Number Two: Acknowledging things that have happened! Seems obvious, but I see things ignored or forgotten plenty of times. It is very important to me when judging a duel that attacks are acknowledged and countered believably, taking into consideration the class of both duelist, or damage received by the attack is not forgotten in the next post. I’ve seen it happen where someone did the right thing by describing the damage an attack they couldn’t counter did to them, but the injury was not acknowledged in any of their following posts. Even when it was something that would obviously hinder them for the rest of the duel. If you hurt your leg badly in one post and jump forty feet in the next, get ready to lose or have it count against you significantly.

Number Three: Mix it up! Unfortunately, I have been guilty of this in the past, but that is why I use it as a judging tool. Try to make each attack unique. Not unique from anything you’ve ever done before, but unique to your current duel. Don’t let your second or third post be too similar to your first, etc. It’s not very original to have your character use the exact same attack twice in the same duel. This isn’t a huge deal, but it can count against you. It cost me a duel, after all.

Number Four: Take damage every now and again. It’s pretty obvious that any type of duel is a serious matter and unless you are god-like, you aren’t going to escape without a scratch. Every attack can be countered if you know what you’re doing, but it is pretty boring to see someone avoid everything their opponent throws at them.

Number Five: If you agree to a time limit, stick to it. Agreeing to it means you are sure you can do it. No one is going to count against you for 2 or 3 minutes, but if you can’t keep it close and you know it, try to ask for a bigger limit. If they say 15 and you don’t feel like you can make a post in that time, ask for 20. That should be plenty of time unless you are someone who likes to write a novel every post. That leads me to…

Number Six: Long posts! I’m not against them if they are an actual attack/defense/both, but if you write a paragraph about the way your hair billows in the wind and the actual attack is more like an after thought tacked at the end, I’m not a happy camper. Sure, add in some description of your character, what they are thinking, or the surroundings, but don’t over do it.

Number Seven: This is unimportant to some people and it isn’t a biggie to me, but it is nice to see properly spelled words and proper punctuation. Punctuation is more important than spelling to me, actually. A lot of run on sentences can make things look messy. I, as well as many others, know that not everyone is perfect when it comes to spelling and punctuation. At the end of the day, it won’t count against you all that much so just do your best and no one will say a thing.

Number Eight: Duels are not won with big words so don’t think using a thesaurus will help you win. Most people get annoyed if they have to use a dictionary just to understand your post, so keep that in mind when you decide to use a word that isn’t really common, but makes your post look fancy. I’m not saying dumb yourself down for the benefit of others, but don’t try to win by making yourself look more intelligent with uncommon and fancy words. You’re being judged mainly on your creativity and believability, after all.