Morghirad Astailles

Morghirad is a young half-elf currently residing within The Great Elven Union of Elderfall. Aloof and mysterious, she always seems to have an interesting book at her side. In spite of her rather reserved nature, she is always happy to lend a helping hand when needed, and to keep things neat and organized.

This seemingly idyllic existence, however, was not the norm for Morghirad.

She was born a bastard child to a human woman and elven noble; from the moment of conception, Morghirad's life was marked with hardship. Her mother was poor, and all her father was keen on doing was giving hush money to her mother in order not to let slip that he has an illegitimate child. Despite all the trials and tribulations, her mother did her best to raise the young girl, and for this Morghirad is grateful. The biggest hiccup in what would otherwise be a rather unremarkable story would be the old magic passed down in the mother's line.

#### The Old Magic

In an unbroken line stretching back several generations, the mothers of Morghirad's mother inherited dark magics stemming from an ancient pact with an eldritch being. The terms have long since been fulfilled, yet the touch of that mysterious being yet lingers. These arcane powers are passed down from mother to daughter, along with an old tome detailing various magical secrets to those who can decipher them. Each successive woman has added their own commentaries and observations to the seemingly never-ending book, making it a treasure trove of knowledge on the inner workings of dark magic. It is this along with the tome's original contents that Morghirad seeks to learn from and improve upon. And while the mothers would teach the daughters, a sudden death would bring Morg's education to a screeching halt.

#### Upheaval

At only 35 years old, Morghirad's mother passed away from an illness. The tragic part was that it was easily curable, however neither she nor her mother could afford the life-saving medicine... nor the care of local charity workers. At the time, Morg was only 15 years of age, and desperately sought answers as to *why* this happened to her, why it had to be *her* mother.

The temples offered little in the way of comfort. All they would do is offer worthless platitudes, assuring the girl that her mother surely rested with the gods, and there was no need to worry. Morghirad became fed up with the lack of real help being offered, and eventually confronted a priest who was preaching at her: "Why? Why did Mother have to die? Why could she have not simply been given the medicine she needed?

The priest shook his head and replied, "The light of the gods shines upon everyone, but especially those who work hard to earn their keep."

This enraged Morghirad then turned on her heel and stormed off from the temple for the last time, muttering curses. The way she saw it, the light had forsaken her mother. And if she could find nothing in the blinding light, she would find solace in the deep darkness. Morghirad delved deeper in to the mysteries contained in her heirloom tome, intent on divining its arcane secrets, the Light of the gods be damned. Her activities, however, began to *attract* a certain group...

#### Rendezvous with the Church

There exists an underground religious organization called *The Church of Holy Shadows* - one part church, one part activist group. They are dedicated towards what they call the Holy Shadow; the counterpart of the Light. They do not seek to replace the light, but rather show the people of the world that darkness is just as important as light, and to show that what is light is not necessarily *right.* Many of its members practice shadow magic, though distinctly towards humanitarian ends. Many still are more secular, seeking to help being equality to a world dominated by light and order.

They showed an interest in Morghirad, who they believe is a sort of prophet who was foretold to appear; a young woman with darkness suffusing her family line, who from the shadows will expose the lies of the light. Beyond prophecies, the Church was also interested in taking in and sheltering a young girl who had just lost everything, and helping her to nurture her magic. It is with them that Morghirad spent the last few years and has grown into an adult with, with the various members of the Church becoming a second family, and it was from them that she set forth into the world to discover more about herself and her abilities.

## Current Day

Morghirad has, since setting out from her brothers and sisters within the Church, managed to find kinship with other elves. This has led her to settle down within Elderfall, becoming something of an interesting character. She is sometimes seen every day, but other times will disappear for days on end before returning like nothing ever happened. What can be agreed upon about her, however, is her distinct good-will towards her fellows.

note: this page is still a wip so bear with me