Myth

**Myth** is the second-in-command of the mercenary company the Cat's Claws, sworn to the service of Prince Finnbjorn Cinderforge. She is also a druid and sailor trained on the Isle of Smoke and the daughter of the royal dowager Concubine of Cultivation, Cadence.

## Birth and Early Life

Cadence was chosen as concubine by King Glory while she was pregnant with Myth. Cadence and her husband, Wit chose to claim the right to Proof by Combat. During the fight, Cadence went into labor and was defeated. Myth was born, and Cadence became concubine to the king.

A few years later, Myth's half-sister Song was born. As a child, Myth trained with her mother in the druidic arts. However, when Myth and Song were old enough, they were both sent to apprentice with Cadence's brother Earnest aboard the Fiend's Daughter, a caravel.

## Fiend's Daughter

Aboard the Fiend's Daughter, Song and Myth were trained as sailors with the expectation that Song would one day captain the ship and Myth would be her first mate.

When Myth was fifteen, the Fiend's Daughter rescued a half-drowned human boy, Carrow Shaw, whom the sailors named "The Cat" for both his tenacity in clinging to life and his drowned-cat appearance.

The Cat served on the Fiend's Daughter for several years, during which he became very close friends with Myth and fell in love with Song. Song shared his feelings, and the two began an illicit relationship. Relationships with non-tieflings are forbidden for citizens of the Isle of Smoke, and particularly for Song, who was the daughter of the king.

When The Cat and Song's relationship was discovered, Glory had The Cat imprisoned, awaiting trial and likely execution. However, Myth and Cadence helped him to escape imprisonment and the Isle. Song could not come with them, but Myth and The Cat set out together, beginning a life as mercenaries.

## The Cat's Claws

Eventually, The Cat was able to begin his own mercenary company, with Myth as his lieutenant. A company consisting primarily of crossbowmen, the Cat's Claws has a reputation as being skilled and relatively principled in terms of the work that they take.

The Cat's principles and his relative naivete have caused difficulties for him at times. He has, on multiple occasions, been betrayed by other mercenaries, and has only narrowly escaped death several more times. Fortunately, Myth has always been around to help keep him alive, through her skill as a healer and her ability to take the form of beasts.

Myth has had less success keeping The Cat from behaving recklessly with his social life, and he has gotten married on four separate occasions. The first wife died, the second absconded with all of The Cat's gold, the third marriage was annulled, and the fourth turned out to have not actually been made good, since the "priest" who had married them was not actually a priest. These and other relationships have inevitably failed, since The Cat was still deeply in love with Song.

## Finnbjorn's Employ

In 499 AC, the Cat's Claws were hired by Finnbjorn Cinderforge to help defend the city of Westmarch during its besiegement by the Silver Inquisition. Finnbjorn had sought the aid of King Artorin, but as the Crown's forces were occupied dealing with the Malkin Rebellion, they were unable to aid Westmarch. Instead, Queen Calliandra provided Finnbjorn with gold to hire mercenaries, and the king's spymaster Luca Palos recommended the Cat's Claws.

After helping to rebuff the Silver Inquisition forces, Myth traveled to the Faewood with Finnbjorn, Grimyse, Saladin, and Holg to find the druid Mallara and resurrect Elend Tavore's wife. She and The Cat then rendezvoused with their company at Nuramek, where the Cat's Claws took part in the Siege of the Cinderforge. Myth herself aided in the defeat of Falrik Clanless, taking down the Cinderforge's magical defenses. While in Nuramek, Myth also resurrected the half orc Holg Bersk, who was reincarnated as the dwarf Astrid.

After the victory at the Cinderforge, the Cat's Claws were made permanent retainers of the Cinderforge clan. In that capacity, Myth traveled to Mordingard with Finnbjorn and his companions, helping to discover the tomb of Thadwin Bronzewright. The company then rode to war again, joining the human-dwarf coalition that opposed the Malkin Rebellion. The company, and Myth, then returned to Nuramek and the Cinderforge.

## Proof by Combat

In 500 AC, The Cat and Myth both received letters from Song indicating that Myth would soon be selected as King Honor's Concubine of Cultivation after the death by illness of the king's concubine Accord. Not long afterward, Song arrived in Nuramek, along with her guards Malice and Fearless, sent to summon Myth back to the Isle.

Myth demanded her right to a Proof by Combat, in which she and her companions would fight the king and his, with a victory releasing Myth from her obligation to become a concubine. The Cat fought by her side, as did Finnbjorn, Saladin, Thadwin, and Torvald Stonesong. King Honor was defeated, and Myth released from her obligations. She was also granted a boon, which she used to demand that The Cat and Song be permitted to resume their relationship.