Legends of Belariath

Caoimhe

On the coast of Belariath's main continent is a large stronghold. It is the home of one very power-hungry man and the hundreds of slaves he owns and trains. He is a merchant, you might say, dealing in flesh. The only people who frequent the stronghold who are not slaves, are raiders, bringing him fresh bounty, buyers... and one centaur girl, his daughter.

The girl's mother is the head slave of the household, overseeing the other slaves that serve there as permanent residents, cooking, cleaning, etc. And although this girl is slave born, she is an only child and therefore granted freedom, if it can be called that. She is given her own room and educated as befitting a high-born lady, taught the basic arts of music and embroidery, how to speak well and conduct oneself properly.

With such exposure to slavery from birth, one might expect a child to grow up with the assumption that slavery is natural and the right way of things. Caoimhe, for that is her name, takes the opposite path. All of her friends and playmates, teachers and mentors are slaves, for there is no one else around. She learns to love them more dearly than her cold, distant father. She sees his abuse and his cruelty and her gentle heart cries.

One drunken night, in striking a deal with an associate, Caoimhe's father promises her in marriage. Caoimhe is heartbroken, though not surprised that her father would make such an agreement without her consent. She refuses, but it does little good. Her father's mind is set and the deal has been sealed. She has only a few short months until her birthday and the day of her wedding. No matter what she says to convince her father that the marriage is a bad idea, he will not budge. Having no other course of action, she decides to escape.

Caoimhe's first night at the Inn should have been a warning as to how things would be in this new place. A Drow named Sha-Ka Selu attempted to poison and kidnap the centauress. He failed to take into consideration the stamina and resistance of centaurs an and the poison had less than the desired affect. A fellow patron came to her aid in escaping the plotting mind, but that naive trust was killed. Daily life soon began to take shape, despite the eccentricities of her newfound companions.

Things do not always run as smoothly as we would like them to. Caoimhe's father sent a dark mercenary to kidnap Caoimhe and bring her home again. He would have been successful if it had not been for the aid of her dear friend Tophet, or Story as she knew him. He slew the kidnapper and escorted her back 'home' again to the Lonely Inn, insisting that she remain lodged at the Inn for safety.

Things calmed down for a time and Caoimhe once again relaxed her guard. She continued her studies, following a druidic path. And while she was not actively looking for more in her life, she found love in a fellow druid by the name of Allanon. Their courtship was slow and shy, neither one of them willing to take any drastic moves that my destroy the growing bond between them. It was at this enraptured moment that Allanon was killed and the bond was severed permanently.

In her grief, Caoimhe was lost. She had never truly dared to love. And now, when she had taken that chance, it was taken from her. A tattered heart is a delicate thing and Caoimhe soon found herself loving again, completely without warning. The truth is she'd loved Story far longer than she realized, but only now in her mourning did she become aware of her feelings.

Story and Caoimhe gave themselves over to their passions. However, this too was ill fated and Story was taken from her. Death. Her one true enemy. Caoimhe poured her passions now into healing, supplanting the need for love with the need to battle death. With the aid of her friend and sometime lover kyrspeth and with enormous amounts of work on the part of her close friend Tyson Thriste, Caoimhe worked to have constructed a Healer's Guild and Apothecary.

In continuing with solidifying her new life here in Nanthalion, Caoimhe bought a stone cottage with five empty bedrooms and a few acres of land. The solitude of the unwed homeowner soon became overwhelming for the young centauress. The responsibilities of both the home and the running of a Guild being more than she had bargained for. In these tender years, Caoimhe should be enjoying her waning youth. Instead, she buries it, attempting to present herself as more mature and in control. She is a Guild Mistress now and a powerful Seductress. These titles come with responsibility and an image to uphold.

In an effort to aid her fellow man and to appease the loneliness that gnaws at her heart, Caoimhe decides to take a boarder in the form of a clergyman. He is hired on as the scribe of the Healer's Guild and moves in directly with Caoimhe. His name is Khristoph Maelese and a sweeter, more accommodating roommate Caoimhe could not imagine. In fact, he seems to hold some attraction to the centaur which she is at a loss to answer. He says nothing of his feelings and so she lets the matter lie. Perhaps if

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