Visix the Unbowed

Entertainment is hard to come by in the Dark Elf enclaves of Durham Forest. Gambling is among the most popular of pastimes, with wagering on pit fights being the most common sort. Every Dark Elf settlement, whether canopy-town or isolated village, has its pit. Some are small, barely large enough for one unlucky prisoner and whatever monstrosity they are being fed to. Others are larger structures, able to contain many dozens of combatants, whether Elf and otherwise. While most pit fights are between desperate prisoners and monsters captured in the depths of Durham Forest, there are those who choose the life of a pit fighter. Their reasons are varied; for some, it is the money that can be won, while others simply enjoy the thrill of combat. But for some, it is akin to a religious calling. Visix the Unbowed is one such gladiator. From a young age, she dreamt of spilling the blood of her opponents, and as she grew, these dreams became an almost ungovernable desire. She sought to satisfy this need by picking fights with her peers, or stalking the dangerous beasts that roamed the forest. Worried that her behavior might lead to her being injured or killed, her parents ensured that she received the finest training the wealth of a noble family could buy. She was even given the opportunity to dispatch the occasional criminal in sanctioned executions. But it was not enough for Visix. She chafed at her parents’ insistence on such controlled conditions. Visix demanded the chance to face a worthy opponent in the pits. Her parents, fearing for the loss of their heir as well as the embarrassment that said loss would bring, denied her, but Visix was adamant in her desire to taste real combat. She snuck out, and made her way to the local pit, where her arrogant manner quickly saw her ushered into combat with a monster unlike any she’d ever seen; a thing of segmented legs, venomous pincers, and a thorny carapace that was harder than iron. But rather than cowering in fear, Visix hurled herself gleefully into combat with the monster. The battle that followed was like nothing Visix had ever experienced. The ugly creature was fast, strong, and relentless. The Dark Elf was pushed to her limits, and nearly killed, but nonetheless emerged triumphant. Her body battered and bruised, her flanged mace heavy with gore, Visix felt a deep sense of satisfaction settle on her as she stepped over the twitching carcass of her opponent. For the first time, she felt truly complete. It was a feeling she wished to experience again. Wanting a keepsake of the battle, she had a section of the creature’s chitin hollowed out and turned into a shield. So began Visix’s gladiatorial career. Her parents, though angry at first, soon saw the benefits of Visix’s interests. They wagered heavily on her, and their wealth increased with her every victory. Their good fortune would come to an end, however. For months, Visix had been rampaging through her local pits. While some of her bouts were more difficult than others, she never tasted defeat. But no matter how loudly the audience cheered, Visix felt nothing but dissatisfaction. Where was the thrill of that first great fight? Why could she not replicate it? She knew that other, greater challenges were out there waiting for her in the world. She just had to find them. Whether her parents agreed or not. They did not. In fact, they attempted to prevent her departure by force. What truly occurred next is unknown, but popular gossip has it that Visix slaughtered the majority of her family’s household guard in a riot of violence. What is known is that she departed the next morning, covered in blood, smiling. Such was Visix's fame that nobles and guild leaders alike from throughout Durham offered her exorbitant sums to patronize their fighting pits, in order to draw in wealthy gamblers from Velyzar and elsewhere with the promise of her skill. In return, Visix was promised her pick of worthy opponents, including massive monsters drawn from the depths of the forest, captured Kaerok knights, or even the occasional Demonspawn. But Visix refuses to face those she deems to be weak or unsuited to battle, and her insistence on never participating in rigged or unfair bouts has earned her many enemies. More than once, a would-be gangster has demanded that she throw a fight, only to find themselves and their guards on the receiving end of one of Visix’s rampages. Countless are the vengeance plots being made against her. For Visix, the search for a truly worthy opponent has become akin to a holy quest. She refuses to rest until she meets someone, or something, strong enough to defeat her in battle…