Full Name: Mahamari Kress
Nicknames: Maha

Biographical:

Level: 80
Class: Shadowknight
RP Power: Physically formidable: has been extensively trained in the arts of single combat, small-scale and mass tactics, siegecraft -- and, more recently, magics of corruption, corrosion and flame. Defense against spellcraft is her Achilles' heel.

Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Hair: Auburn
Skin: Light-complexioned
Eyes: Green

Place of Residence: South Freeport
Place of Birth: A small farm in Antonica
Relatives: Her parents, still residing in Antonica.

Occupation: Knight and Lady of House Aluviel.
Crafting: A skilled cook, a talent gained from her early years in Antonica.

Apperance: A young human with a long, hairline scar along the right side of her jaw. Her bearing is precise, her movements economical. She tends to eschew jewelery and has never been seen wearing makeup: her only ornamentation is her Sigil ring and, on some days, a tiny purple hate-blossom from Nektulos forest nestled in her curly mop of hair.

Fashion of Choice: On the rare occasions she's out of her armor, she favors very conservative fashions, often wearing mannish tunics and leggings cut for freedom of movement. Her favored color is green.
Armor of Choice: On "business," she wears a suit of flame-seared, battered platemail the color of scorched charcoal; it appears to have some ritual significance for her. When stakes are at their highest or in times of great need, she dons her aunt's campaign armor: a skull-helmed suit of plate, barbed and engraved with softly glowing runes of Hate, dyed Nerian purple.
Weapons of Choice: The Love's Mercy, a baroque but relatively plain-looking longsword. She carries a survival blade in her boot, and a tiny holdout dagger in a secret compartment of one bracer.

Special Abilities: Thanks to a combination of tutelage and having been experimented upon, she has a pair of complimentary powers. She can harness Ro's fire to purify and purge toxins, though healing in such a manner is an often violent and unpleasant process for those in need, and conjure small flames. Conversely, her spirit continually generates raw corruption, to the extent that her blood and tears are tainted by it; she can subtly "infect" food, drinks and even people with this energy, for a variety of (generally narcotic) effects. When properly focused, she can release her stored-up energy in one sharp blast: any magic-wielder in the vicinity capable of harnessing corruptive energy can draw upon it for an instant boost, basically using Maha as a living mana stone.

Personality:

Alignment: Neutral, with both good and evil tendencies.
Motivations: Honor, power, and the service of her Lieges.
Disposition: Fiery, a tempest raging behind an iron shield.
Outlook: Determined.

Religion/Philosophy: Devout follower of Ro (publicly) and Ulkorruuk (secretly, only a few people know). Openly respectful of Innorruuk.

Sexuality: Not in front of the carnivorous plant, please.

Positive Personality Traits: Courageous, inquisitive, and a strong believer in the traditions of chivalry.
Negative Personality Traits: Emotionally conflicted. Headstrong. Has a hair-trigger temper and a deep-rooted streak of viciousness.
Misc. Quirks: In public, often ridiculously prudish. Has a habit of specifying how she wants her ice water prepared with exacting detail. Unusually enamored of Tier'dal culture, for a Human.

Affiliations:

Guild: Sigils.
Guild Rank: Grand Sigil of the Mighty.
Faction: House Aluviel -- Lady.
Faction: Spires of Hate -- indebted to the Seraph for a past favor granted.

Interests:

Likes: Brass and iron. Incense and ritual. The smell of wet grass in the morning and the thunder of the battlefield.
Dislikes: Abuse of authority. Those who prey upon the weak and helpless. Evil without motive or a greater goal. Despises Thulians.

Favorite Foods: Fresh-baked bread, a good rare steak, chocolate.
Favorite Drinks: Ice water, hot chocolate, whiskey.
Favorite Colors: Green and purple.

Hobbies: An ardent bibliophile, Maha has been known to travel absurd lengths to acquire a new book or an older, more pristine edition of one she already has. She also collects exotic recipes and enjoys learning about foreign cultures and beliefs.

Details:

Played by What Famous Person: Jodie Foster, circa Silence of the Lambs.

Theme Songs: See Below.

History: (Decided to try something a little fun and different here, and write up the high points of Maha's history in the style of a musical synopsis, with appropriate songs noted at each point. Hope you like it!)

Growing up as a young girl on the outskirts of Antonica, her head filled with heroic stories of myth and legend, Mahamari only wanted one thing in life: to become a knight and a paladin, just like the heroes of her favorite books ("Sophia" - The Cruxshadows). Reality splashed cold water on her dreams when she was apprenticed off as a cook and barmaid in an inn near the Thundering Steppes. Nobody but Mahamari herself knows exactly what happened one windy autumn night there, but it ended with her master dead at her hands, the inn burning to the ground, and four of Bayle's paladins left to die in a roaring inferno ("A Murderer?" - Queensryche), a crime for which she is still wanted in Qeynos. The Mahamari who left that ruin and made her way to Freeport was... different. A seed of something dark had sprouted deep inside of her.

After a chance encounter at the Lectern, she entered the household of Erithe Endiredre and Duvessa El'lar as their knight. Her early days in Freeport were restless and troubled ("The Boxer" - Simon and Garfunkel), and her sojourn in an evil religious cult opened her eyes to the true nature of the world, shattering her beliefs and miring her in depravity ("House of 1000 Corpses" - Rob Zombie). While part of her wanted nothing more than to flee, to hide her eyes and forget, a deeper, hungrier part of her heart rose up to embrace this strange new world ("My Dark Life" - Elvis Costello and Brian Eno).

She fell deeply in love, an affair that ended when her lover was brutally murdered. Confronting the assassin on the Soulfire Club's front steps, Maha embraced, rather than fought, her furious anger and was able to tap into the first glimmer of her true power ("Demolition Man" - Police). After that day, she no longer called herself a paladin, save in jest.

Her fascination with Tier'dal culture led to a string of uncannily-timed coincidences, ultimately guiding her to discover a nearly forgotten demi-goddess: Ulkorruuk. It was love at first sight. While Mahamari had been loath to give in to her urges and embrace the pantheon of Hate, she went to sleep every night with Ulkorruuk's song whispering in her ears ("The Hand that Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails). An encounter with her future self ("We've been Waiting So Long" - Cirque du Soleil) and falling head over heels for a feral priestess of Innorruuk ("Nemesis" - Shriekback) sealed the deal. She knelt before the crumbling altar in Nektropos Castle and embraced her calling as a knight of fire and hate -- a Knight Infernal ("Wasteland" - Mission U.K.).

As the Sigil of the Scorched Aegis, she works to defend her household and her family of Sigils, and strives to keep learning, training, and improving herself and her world. Teetering between good and evil, she is ever aware of her own contradictions ("My Eyes" - Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), but is gradually learning to use them as a source of strength rather than a weakness. The future is going to be bright: after all, everything burns. ("Detonation Boulevard" - Sisters of Mercy)

A most impressive young woman with a great deal of curiosity. It was the expression in her eyes that caught me first, and, I think, her will and dedication that have kept me curious. I am proud to say that, now she is in service to my house, I will be able to get to know her better, day by day. A woman of passion and strength, one who can only but grow stronger.

A chance meeting during my lecture at The Lectern lead me to discover Mahamari. Her questions to me caught my interest, and I knew immediatly I wanted to learn more of her. From the chance meeting between herself, myself, and Erithe, she has come into my service, and the service of Erithe.Primarily, she acts as Erithe's bodyguard, as the guard of our house, and she will learn and train under us. She is ideal, responsive to us, and eager to serve and learn. I am coming to realize that she may well be a true knight in every ideal sense of the word. She looks at Erithe and I, and sees a greatness that she feels she is not worthy of. I look at her, and see an eagerness and expectation I can only hope to live up to. I'm thankful that I have Erithe by my side, and the help and aid of Pyxie as well, to guide, shape, and protect this girl. I think only together can we provide an environment worthy of her stalwart devotion.

She's very intense, isn't she? She has a blinding drive for right that sometimes quite takes over, no matter her current circumstances. I'd imagine, unharnessed, that will lead her to grave danger. I hope Duvessa keeps her on a short leash; her days will be numbered, else.

I find it interesting how she responded to my habit of speaking in my native language with an apology that her grasp of Thexian was not the best. Her manners are astonishing, and it is a delight to find those in Freeport who prefer to do things properly rather than expecting their rank or alliances to carry the day for them.She is not the most talkative of the Soulfire's guests, but her visits in the company of Erithe and Duvessa are becoming as welcome as any other of our regular patrons.

Mahamari ~ she thought me some sort of monster. I am looking forward to our conversations now, she shows both curiosity and respect for something which she claims to hold so much contempt for. I wonder if under those layers metal there lies a woman who might be more curious about the faith than she wishes to admit.

I met this woman the other night at the Soulfire and spoke to her at the insistence of Urdis. I found her cordial, but a bit naive. She had the audacity to question me on how one could simultaneously serve Hate and consider him or herself a Knight. After speaking with her, I am of the mind that she is confused on what Knighthood truly means for those who serve the dark gods. I spent a few moments attempting to educate her and left undecided as to whether she was being purposefully obtuse or is just woefully misguided.

The expression on her face when her duty as a guardian forced her to stand protectively over Shintou in the Raven the other evening was priceless. Exactly what the old knight was talking about when he preached about how "honor" is nothing more than a hinderance to one's true success in life. I cannot understand why on Norrath one would wish to do something that goes against their very beliefs, just because they feel it is the "right" thing to do. She is an interesting study in how one becomes a slave to worthless values.More's the pity, she does seem strong enough. If only she were to direct it into the proper avenues.

Mahamari is a paladin in Shadow Knight's clothing. That that is changing. She hates me, she wants my company, and this is just as I would like it. Now that her training with Revenent has begun, she will also be trained by me. I'll show her much, and she will come out the better for it. Maybe not as she would like to come out from it, but better nonetheless. The hate she feels for me, the terror I inspire in her... nothing attracts me back to her more than that. It's a delight, a tresure, to see such reflected in her eyes, and I will do all that I can to keep her hate and fear a constant in her life.

She was disciplined for hurting me, to me that makes little sense. I could have attacked her, I wanted to, and on more than one occasion I have treated her to harsh words. She has born all my frustrations and anger, that I could not bring myself to show to those that caused it, and she has just taken it.There are very few that have not reacted to my moods badly at these times, one of them is my sister, and thats not a comparison I make lightly. I admit I'm fascinated with her, I must find out more...

I like Miss Mahamari. She serves Ms Duvessa and Miss Erithe and I can see that her heart is really really into it. That endears me to her and eases my worries knowing that the two women I love most have such a devoted servant. As Mahamari can attest it takes a lot to look out for the well being of two such wizards!Her greatest strengths are in her willpower and courage to do what must be done. Her weakness is that what she thinks must be done excuses 'er from using any means to get it done. Sometimes the hardest thing we can do is deny ourselves the easy way out. Of course I'm not one to talk about that particular route, hee. Between Garridan and I, it's my hope we can keep her a little bit grounded from complete darkness.In a way we're so much alike and so opposite each other that we don't know where to stand. We're both servants but where she's stone, I'm water. We circle Miss Erithe and Ms Duvessa in a complicated orbit maintained by mutual admiration. We're still trying to figure out what happens when our orbits intercede. I hope to get to spend more time with her figuring that out in the future. Those moments of mutual eclipse have been enjoyable.

In a fight theres no woman I've felt so...safe with. She by far strong of body and heart. However thats the extent of my liking. I didn't give her enough notice at first meeting. I wrote her off simply as another brute swinging her big toy sword...I was wrong. Not something I often admit. Now however..she has rubbed me the wrong way. How DARE she think she can order me around? As if she was -my- commanding officer or some nonsense. And she nearly blew my cover..oh ho ho part of me was hoping she would be so foolish. It would bring me great pleasure to see the Lord Confessor or the Lady punish her for such insolence and stupidity. Better yet...I'd request they leave her in my -tender- care. Oh I will most definatly be keeping an eye on this one. I care not her intentions to protect that weakling servant girl, no matter how "noble" they were. She will pay soon enough.

Mahamari seems like a big bundle of devotion, brooding, and convictions. I confess I generally find Knights rather boring...they're so STAUNCH and RESOLUTE and you can hardly bait them at all. But Mahamari..she shares more in common with Mari of Erolissi than just a similar name.I find Mahamari gently funny, at times, and I respect her immensely. If she's ever afraid, she doesn't show it, and I have to adore her somewhat for demonstrating so completely how honor and duty are not mutually exclusive of...well, evil. And you know how I hesitate to use blanket terms like that!

It seems that the well-being and protection of others, along with being as proper and polite as possible are self-imposed requirements of Mahamari. Even when relaxing, she is always on guard for something to happen to those around her, and she does what she can to care for them if others she finds more capable are naut able to.At first I believed this girl to be emotionally dead, and greatly introverted to a point of becoming slow, however I have seen this child's passion surface and an inner fire that is commendable. If that passion could be properly tapped, she'd be a fierce opponant to anyone - on or off the fields of combat.

Mahamari and I got off to a rough start, but I am happy now to say that I can count her as an ally, which is something I have a short supply of in Bloodthorn. She is very loyal to her lieges, Duvessa and Erithe, so much that she remains here in Bloodthorn even though it is obvious that she is far more lawful oriented than anyone else in the guild. She isn't loyal to Bloodthorn I don't think, just her Lieges. Not that this is a bad thing really. I don't know if half the people in Bloodthorn are truely loyal to the Lady Shadow. Mahamari is an excellent fighter, and has the capability of making those split second decisions during the heat of combat that one would expect of a knight. Over all, I am quite happy to be on her good side.

The strongest blade starts off as ore, from these mundane sorces skilled weapons may be made. This is but one part of the warrior, for a ill used weapon may do more harm than good. I have so many questions I wish to ask her, I do wonder if she will survive to answer them, I would very much like to hear the answers.I do wonder if this wolfhound has a mind of her own, for all her talk of loyalty, there is much she wishes to do.

Mahamari... another that I worked with in the final battle of Carcosa. I can't say I know much past her name, but she deserves mention here. We all faced much that day, and like all of us Mahamari faced it all with the strength of her blade and the quick of her wits. An ally to me, at the very least.

Somehow, I remain as yet unconvinced of her loyalty to Bloodthorn, Freeport, or anyone whose name is not 'Duvessa' or 'Erithe'.Does that mean I dislike her? Goodness no. Quite a charming young lady, and very apt knight.

I'm disappointed that I had not met Mahamari until last night at the Raven. If I've had any misgivings with regard to this young woman, I was aware they are based upon incomplete knowledge. Her name and influence over our beloved Cerinth was profound for a time. OF that, I was sure. Like a lot of people, I find myself pondering the what if and the if only. What if Cerinth had continued to live? Might she and this striking, human woman have become more? Might Mahamari have become, as Cerinth had, part of my extended family? I will never know now. If only Cerinth had not felt so protective of everyone but herself, she might not have felt the need to place herself so directly in harms way.In our overdue introduction of ourselves to each other, I felt Mahamari's loss. This is what we have in common. Will that be enough? I remind myself to get to know her before drawing any real conclusions. I owe it to Cerinth's memory as well as myself. Might Mahamari help me find he? she? or is it they? who killed our beloved Cerinth?

I don't know much about the human, she looks calm, concerned and focused on duty. She works for Duvessa, as far as I understood. Sometimes I wonder if she doesn't wish she were Erithe.

A truer contradiction could not exsit beyond this petite Knight known to me as Erithe's bodyguard, Duvessa's pupil, Serinth's lover, and Guardian to the Order. She possesses the temperment of a Paladin, and yet she uses the ruthlessness of a Shadowknight. Her very existance must torment her to exhaustion, so perhaps that is why I see such a dulled-down version of what I think she really is underneath all that emotional weight. She's one of the few people I've seen attempt to walk both paths, torturously teetering between the two in an indecisive sense of masochism, unable to accept what they are capable of, and recognizing that there is not other way to be. In many ways, we're very nearly sisters. She is one that has yet to give into her darker side, while I all but wallow in it.

I have watched her as much as I can watch anyone, and seen her mature somewhat over that time. It seems sometimes that she takes a great stride forward, then just as quickly regresses to the awkward, shy girl the Sentinel dragged to the Soulfire that first evening. For every imagined fault she scrutinizes, I could slap her. Then again, there are doubtless countless others who would cheerfully do me the same service and I would deserve every blow.I wonder which of us would score the first blow...I do not think she is quite willing to accept the fact that I was aware of my surroundings, but I remember a rather one-sided conversation with her at the critical moment of the...troubles. She likely thinks it was one-sided because I did not respond in a way she could hear. I regret distressing her -and many others- with my silence at a time I should have been most outspoken, but I needed every scrap of energy to keep myself together. The point, however, is that while she was trying to convince me to look outward, to lead the motley assortment of defenders against this otherworldy foe, she was actually convincing herself to step up and assume command if necessary. Part of her knew it would be necessary, I think.I am very glad I chose my pieces carefully. Without this little knight, the game might have been lost.

Though I have many times fought against enemies who outnumbered me, I have never seen such a large and varied number to come to the defensive of one so unworthy. Had she simply allowed me to myself rather than insisting on my elaboration, she would not have needed take offense to my words, though by her very presence she offended me. I would neither be surprised nor troubled if her insistence at pressing an issue brought her to harm.If I happen upon her again I shall have to disregard her. She may well be capable of doing me harm, but from her actions of the other evening, I think it unlikely. And I will be sure to be silent, lest her hounds bay again.

How things change when one takes time and wanders. I left, and come back to find this knight overseeing security in the Raven. Although we don't know each other, we have common cause in the protection of the Raven and its staff, and have agreed to work together. It is agreeable to me, she seems very capable and I have no doubt she would lay down her life for her duty.

But I wish she could relax a little. She just seemed so....serious. There is a time to chain our spirit, and a time to set it free. I hope she learns to do both successfully, and doesn't suffer the self doubts and self flagellation I have in learning that lesson.

And I hope I'm there when Telfin manages to find out if she is indeed ticklish.

She is my friend, my ally. We both lead very busy lives. We both get dragged and ordered from here to there, then back to here. We both have very little time for personal things. But I know despite of how busy we might get, we will answer the call for help in a heartbeat.