Melissa D'Deneith
Melissa D’Deneith
CE Female Human
Fighter 3/Hexblade 9
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The niece of Baron Breven D'Deneith, this young red-head is skilled beyond her years. As a child, she loathed the extra expectations that were placed on her due to being so close to the Patriarch, expectations that became all the greater when she manifested a Least Mark of Sentinal on her wrist.
By the time she was beginning puberty, she was a horrible brat and refused to do anything asked of her she didn't want to without severe coersion. In an attempt to change her attitude, her uncle took her with him to review House functions. During the trip, she encountered a mysterious young woman with a frightening presense. With a few well placed words of both taunting and suggestion, she sent Melissa on a new course. After that, Melissa's sole goal was to grow powerful enough in both physical prowess and personal influence that she would be able to carve her own fate.
In the intervening years, she made her way quickly up the ranks in her House, earning passage into the Blademarks. There she encountered the Deadly Gods, an unofficial group of the best warriors House Deneith had ever produced. After meeting them and realizing just how outclassed she was, she redoubled her efforts. During the last years of the war, just as she began catching up to them, the Deadly Gods left the House, frustrated by Baron Breven's lack of political ambition.
She truly began to shine once she began participating in campaigns in the Last War. She eventually found herself in the employ of the Brelish Army, and in the last days of the war was granted command of an entire brigade. It was with these soldiers, many of whom she considered friends, that she encountered Genai, a legendary Swordsage and mercenary beholden only to his whims. Along with the Deadly Gods, whom he had employed, he impeded Melissa's mission. Knowing that, company to company, they were outmatched but unsure of who Genai was, she challenged him to a duel for their fate. Needless to say, she lost horribly. Near-mortally wounded and missing her left arm, she could only watch as the rest of her company was massacred. In the end, only three others were allowed to live, and they took her back, saving her life.
After being given a new arm, she fell into a pit of self loathing and depression, drinking heavily to escape the pain. During one of her many bar room brawls, she was summarily trounced by Jaina, a Hexblade. Jaina took Melissa under her wing, teaching her and directing her anger into her sword. Melissa has only begun to unlock the secrets of the arcane, but her ambition has flared to life once again.
Melissa believed Genai and the Deadly Gods lost in the Mourning, but that proved wrong when she was contacted for a job involving hunting Genai down and killing him. Though the poster for the job was unknown, she took it immediately. In her search, she was contacted by Kazandra. In exchange for information that Genai had been seen consistently moving into and out of the Mournland (as well as a hefty payment), Melissa was to contact and grow "close" to Cassius, keeping tabs on him for Kazandra. This part of the deal has proceeded quite well, and they are widely known to be lovers. Melissa may have gotten into the relationship for other reasons, but she really is in love with Cassius now.
At Rose Quarry and Lycanaton, she encountered several of the Deadly Gods, killing Kaela in the process. During the battle, she was given reason to believe she was not her parent's blood child, but Kaela's half-sister and thus Genai's daughter. She so far refuses to believe this, but many signs point to it being at least mostly true.
She received Devil's Bane, one of the Swords of Eberron, from Jaina. A sentient blade, it has aided her against Khyber Spawn for some time now, but recent events have separated the two. Emperor Zhengyi of The Dreaming Dark sent one of his Quori to kill her through invading her dreams, but the would be assassin, Kr'yrull, instead decided to enjoy having a body for a while. Before he could kill her, the Grand Confessor helped to break the monster's hold on her.
The consequences of this possession are stark. She seems to have absorbed the monster's essence, though not his conciousness. While she was once an obsessed but fairly honorable woman with issues, she is now bloodthirstly and willing to do pretty much whatever she deems necessary to achieve her goals. Even joining the very Twelve Deadly Gods she has sworn to destroy.
Hints for role playing: Melissa is a bit of a chamelion in personality. She normally adapts to the best one to use at the time. She is vicious on the battlefield, can drink and party with the best of them afterwards, makes you feel perfectly comfortable sharing your concerns in private, knows how to..."manage intimate encounters", and, perhaps strangest of all, can be a perfect lady at official gatherings.
Her recent change has put a new spin on this ability. She's gained a Dissonant Serenity that can be quite creepy at times. No longer burdened by such silly notions as "honor", she's fairly terrifying in her demeanor.
