Ryxa Hunneld

Ryxa was a Drowish warrior, a Myrmidon, and a member of the 101 blades. She is famed for her part in the death of the demon Vaydesh, which also resulted in her death. She was also a channel, although unaware of this fact.

Early Life
Ryxa Hunneld was born Jhulae Kramyr, in the maze-like warrens of the Drowish metropolis of Splinterseam-a place notorious for crime and poverty. The Kramyr family fashioned themselves fallen nobility, though only her mothers side-Tyea Kramyr-was actually so. She had, in her youth, eloped with one Kalom Gyuls-forsaking most of her birthright for the sake of an illicit love. Things didn't quite work out, however...

Kalom and Tyea were a couple born to diasaster-madly in love, but unable to control their self destructive behaivors. This would lead to them actually selling their own daughter on the black market when she was merely five years old, to cover some viciously kept debts-to the Slaver Guild, ever prudent,. She would spend most her youth in a matron house-learning to cook, clean, sew and other duties. Jhulae Kramyr was no more-her parents, ashamed and heartbroken, left her no name to track them down one day.

In five years time, the couple was gone as well-another victim of a Darkplume, where thick ashes from collapsed mine shafts choke out and kill entire sections of Splinterseam. They would be found, frozen dead, in each others arms.

...

At 12, Ryxa was transferred to a popular club in one of Splinterseams more prosperous districts-the club was named the Painted Ear, after it's founder. Five years would pass for her in toil to Splinterseams worst-first cleaning floors, then serving drinks, then dancing. It was here she would fashion herself a name, for lack of one-Ryxa, after the Ryxanthella gardneri flower, an orchid from Drowish lands, that hides under the soil for many years-until blooming, for one glorious month, then dying.

It was on her fifth year, however, she was given a pair of show blades by a travelling man-with an odd feel about him. The man taught her some basic moves, under the guise of a new act to entertain the patrons...and though Ryxa never learned his name, she came to believe he had given her all the tools she needed to escape.

And escape she did. In what would become a local legend in the grimy streets of Splinterseam, Ryxa viciously cut her way through the throng (with two very real swords) during the culmination of what was supposed to have been her final performance-before she began work in a local bosses personal harem. Witnesses said she seemed to go for this man first and formost-and despite a vicious pursuit into the streets and alleys, she managed to escape by taking a ride on a well placed ore barge she had timed for this very reason.

The 101 blades
Marked for death and with no allies, Ryxa spent many the next year running-hiding-and fighting. She eventually fled her homeland entirely, fearing capture. Her legend grew with every hunter she dispatched or evaded, and in time she attracted the attention of many other groups...it was one man in particular, one Malcolm Hunneld of the 101 Blades, who would finally track her down-and offer her the home she had been searching for, for so many years.

By 20, she had accomplished most of her primary training-and celebrated it by dispatching nineteen of her classmates and earning the revered 101st.spot-and she crafted the blade she would call Mru'shkane, using her own blood as a magical foci in the hilt. She was said to have offered quarter to everyone who would take it, though her means were no less lethal than the situation required.

The next five years were spent travelling the world-seeking out other members, dueling them for position and living to the fullest. She rose more quickly than most, only pausing to investigate the disappearance of her mentor Malcolm, whom she had come to see as her true father-and he, his own daughter. She had even taken his second name as her own with his blessing. She found no trace of Malcolm Hunneld, though...the joke around the blades was that he had gone to 'fight a dragon', and vanished-but in truth, no one had any idea where he went or even if he was still alive. To this day, he remains a mystery-and he maintains the 17th spot on the 101st, which suggests he may live...

...

During this time, Ryxa happened to meet and best a young blade named Daniel Hunneld (Malcolms birth-son). She spared him, though he had been seeking death at her hands out of grief of his fathers loss. A bond was formed, likely out of how they had both been trained and grown up in the care of the same man. It bloomed into love. The pair spared a few months away from the chase for glory to tend to one another...a child was born, of two worlds-a Drow on the surface, but with human running underneath. But the call of the sword did not diminish in either of them. While they were never truly estranged, they agreed that their life was no life for a young child. Whats more, they had neared one another on the rankings. One would rise and the other would fall-there was no way for either of them to back away without losing all they had fought for. The couple agreed in five years time, once their daughter was of age, they would decide what to do-until then, they chased one another around the world...unfortunately, Ryxa would never see it.

Slaying of Vaydesh
Ryxa was in fact pursuing Daniel to duel him as she found the Tiered City -and fell in with a small group of adventurers travelling to the Dwarf Capital.

It was not far from there, in the ruined temple to Ranog, that she played her part in the death of the demon Vaydesh. She incapacitated the demon's wings mid-flight, allowing her fellows (Kyle Johnson and Krom the Wise) to slay the beast. However, she herself was fataly crushed beneath the fallen beast.

Daniel was in the shadows of the crowd, watching as she was laid to rest in stone. He decided to hang up his blade-for awhile, at least-and tend to their daughter-Taya Hunneld. Who would grow with her mothers reflexes, her father hard-won wisdom, and a fervent desire to overshadow both of them.