Raven Blackmore

"You have nothing to give? Oh trust me dear, even the lowest of the low ALWAYS have something they can trade." ~ Raven Blackmore

Raven Blackmore
Witch and Voidcaller of the Eastern Desert
Gender	Female
Race	Highlander
Clan	Unknown
Citizenship	Ul'dah (unrecognized)
Age	(92)26
Height	6'1"
Weight	158lbs.
Hair Color	Dark Black with Teal Highlights
Eye Color	Teal
Alignment	Lawful Evil (Neutral)

History

Raven Blackmore, the original Raven that is, was born over 92 years ago to a small nomadic clan of highlanders originally hailing from the black moor area of Xelphatol, and who crossed the Pearl into Thanalan long before the fall of Ala Mhigo. She was born the daughter of the clan leader and was raised with all of the privilege afforded to her because of that birth. Although the clan was small they had a talent for two things that always guaranteed their survival, the deal and their women were particularly skilled in thaumaturgy. The clan matriarch was entrusted a rare gem that held within it the knowledge and power of those who held it before her, thus each generation managed to grow in power over those who came before them. The gem was referred to as the Black Heart It was named this way because once you bonded with the gem, it darkened the wielder's outlook until they fell into darkness. And it was that very darkness that eventually led to the ruin and destruction of the clan but also the rise and power of the witch of the eastern desert.

Spurred on by the gem and a desire for revenge Raven led her clan into a terrible battle with the Scorched Claw tribe of the Amalj'aa. Still young and not quite master of her powers, Raven suffered a terrible loss and managed to barely flee the battlefield with her life. Broken and beaten she wandered the desert for some time before stumbling across the camp of two desert magi. These magi consisted of a summoner, Aston Longcaller and Annalese Whiterose, a conjurer trained in alchemy, who used their powers to help a small but budding mining town a short distance away.

The magi took Raven in and slowly helped her regain her strength and for a very short time they lived in peace accepting her power and added her power to their own. The three magi all grew in power and became deep friends as time went on. Raven became known and respected among the people of the mining community but slowly the young summoner, Aston Longcaller, who had led the magi and the town became concerned over his position. As she began to rise in favor slowly the bonds of friendship between the two magi broke down and was replaced with a bitter rivalry. Annalese, seeking to salvage the friendship that once bound the magi, attempted to negotiate a truce between Aston and Raven. A deal was struck and all three magi were to meet under a banner of truce and discuss the rift that now threatened all of them as well as the town to which they claimed dominion.

Aston and Raven met at Annalese's home as a neutral location. Raven arrived in good faith and sought not only to bring an end to the conflict but to also to inform Aston he was to be a father. She had hid her pregnancy from him during their estrangement but now it was obvious to all. But Aston did not see the glory of a child to be,instead so concerned with his own power, he saw only his rival in a weakened state. In his betrayal he awoken something deep within the Black Heart and Raven lashed out without care or concern for what lay before her. Annalese tried to dissuade them but she only succeeded in drawing the rage and attention of the Black Heart. In the end both Aston and Annalese had perished and from the wreckage of the conjurer's home walked a new Raven, driven by the darkest feelings of her heart.

In short time she collected all the magic and lore previously held by the now fallen summoner and the few books that survived Annalese's destruction, and used it to subjugate the people of town. By day she forced them to erect a mighty tower to her glory and by night she poured over the new magic at her disposal. She learned the darkest arts of summoning and began to call forth creatures from the void, binding them to her will and mastered the rare alchemical formulas used to heal and harm, trasmutate and poison. Word began to spread throughout the eastern desert of a dark and powerful witch who called demons and brewed foul potions for those who could pay her price. As the mine began to show fruit in the form of great caches of gems, so did the people come to be bound to those tunnels. Guarded day and night by creatures from the darkest pits and forced to scrape wealth from the earth for their mistress, the Witch and Voidcaller of the Eastern Desert, Raven Blackmore.

Thus was life Raven was born into, a life inherited by her mother before her. Each was given the name and when the time came, the Black Heart, raising their daughters in secret. As each woman assumed the role of her mother and the mantle that came with it, word began to spread throughout the desert that the witch was immortal, stealing the youth from those who went back on their deals with her. It was with this reputation that members of the Syndicate contacted her mother just before the Calamity. They wished to make a deal for her services believing an immortal witch could certainly provide an edge in the growing conflict. The deal was struck and Raven's mother left for the front, knowing that her daughter was safely tucked away in the tower and her legacy secured. That was the last Raven saw of her mother.

When news of the true level of destruction of the Calamity became known Raven left the security of the tower and made her way to Cartenau. For four moons she searched for sight or sign of her mother's fate, aided by her familiar Bedu. Finally she felt a pull guiding her out to the sight of the battlefield. Eventually she came to a spot where the ground pulsed with a black and purple energy. She blasted and tore at the earth until finally she found the Black Heart. Understanding that finding the gem meant surely that her mother had perished in the battle, she returned to the tower with Bedu. Over the next four years Raven has worked to both master her powers in preparation of binding with the Black Heart and spreading word that the Witch and Voidcaller of the Eastern Desert survived Cartenau.

Recently, Raven has completed the rite needed to bind the Black Heartto herself and gained access to the powers and knowledge of those that came before her, particularly her mother and grandmother. Now secure in her power and birthright she has chosen to spreading the name and reputation beyond her domain in the eastern desert from atop her bound ahriman, Shedar.

Personality

Raven is a woman burdened by glorious purpose. Every day and with every interaction she is reminded of the great weight of her legacy. She is still unsure how to play the role of the ancient and powerful witch, but is often guided by Black Heart now safely bound to her being. She quite enjoys being mistress of her domain in the desert and the looks on the faces of those she passes on street, road, or path when they see her astride Shedar or accompanied by Bedu. She is often amused by the macabre and thinks nothing about making off color comments about what others would see as disturbing.* She is most comfortable when discussing things in terms of a deal, to which she takes very seriously. She also does not like to be beholden to others in any way shape or form, so if she is aided in any way she is quick to either get an official declaration that she owes nothing or opens immediate negotiations as to how the aid can be repaid. Wealth matters little to her but she respects and understands the weight of formal titles and prefers to use those to refer to people of importance rather than use their names. When meeting most people she takes a very neutral approach and offers them respect unless they prove unworthy of such. She believes in harsh penalties for failure, usually death, torture or a curse of some sort, and once offended does not accept apology easily. Few things earn her respect more than those who hold true to their word and honor their deals and oaths. Even if someone swore to end her existence she would still hold them in high regard if they made effort to hold true to their word.

• *much in the way of Wednesday Adams.

"She's like fire and ice and rage. She's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun. She's ancient and forever. She burns at the center of time and can see the turn of the universe."*

• • Altered Quote from Dr.Who, "The Family of Blood" that I found completely fitting for Raven.

Affiliations

Currently Raven is not officially affiliated with any group or organization. As such she is willing to make deals and work with just about anyone as long as they can uphold their end of the bargain then they will hold her respect. This may seem to make her a fickle ally at best, but she ALWAYS holds true to her end of a deal and never betrays or sullies her reputation by double-crossing a client.

Other Notes

Likes

• Those who prove themselves capable and dependable.

• Formal titles of address.

• Sitting in the rain.

• Dark and foreboding places.

• Making deals.

Dislikes

• Flippant tongues, unless they are on a serpent.

• Those who fail to live up to their end of a deal.

• Oathbreakers, regardless of circumstances.

• Those too dull-witted to get out of their own way.

• Failure, by herself or others.

Relationships

Disclaimer: The following is merely a list of those beings that have made an impression on Raven IC. This is has nothing to do with any OOC friendships I may have made.

• Bedu - Bedu is a "beady eye" voidsent that Raven has bound to her service. He is her constant companion and familiar, serving as her eyes and ears across Thanalan. He also represents one of her most early accomplishments. At the young age of 8, she managed to summon and bind him under the watchful eye of her mother. Although she'd likely never admit it, Bedu means a great deal to her and she would surely seek to destroy any and all who would bring him harm.

• Shedar - Shedar is a "ahriman" voidsent whom Raven uses as a mount and guard. Bound to service shortly after the Calamity, Shedar has served faithfully for years and next to Bedu is the being most close to Raven.

• Seamus O'toole - Raven met Seamus after a particularly sour deal. He agreed to provide her with a certain cargo she required and completed the task with his crew to perfection. So impressed with his capabilities she has turned to his services many more times in regards to procuring reagents she needs for either her magic or alchemy. Although she is very slow to trust anyone she has come to see him as someone who can get the job done regardless of the details. She simply refers to him as, "Captain."

Other Connections

You may know, or know of, Raven if one of the following is true:

• Your character frequents or is from Thanalan, particularly Eastern Thanalan.

• Your character is a witch or other dark practitioner.

• Your character is searching for ways one becomes immortal or recove lost youth.

• Your character is one of her former clients whom she has performed some spell, curse, service, or brewed some potion/poison for.

Rumors

Common Rumors

• "She is over a century old and steals the youth from those who fail to uphold their end of a deal." --Old Maid from Camp Drybone

• "She lives in a large black tower somewhere in the desert where all manner of horrible and unnatural ritual takes place." --Alcolyte of Nophica

Moderate Rumors

• "She travels the desert atop some demon with a unholy host at her back!" --Random caravan driver from Ul'dah

• "I made a deal with her once, best decision I ever made." --Recently widowed heiress.

Rare Rumors

• "Once I heard she cursed a whole ship full of men with a fatal plague for failing her and now it sails as a ghost ship under her sway!." --Dockworker from the Silver Bazaar

• "That tower of hers sits on top of vast mine of riches! Just ripe for plunder, if you can get past all the demons." -- Bandit from Black Brush

• "My brother once told me he saw her crying at the side of some river where he had been fishing, but the next day my brother disappeared and that is when this stray dog showed up at the bridge. Creeps me out just thinking about it." --Guard from Highbridge.

PC Rumors

((Feel free to add!))

Trivia

• Moogles avoid her tower and so doesn't receive any correspondence sent by them.
• Doesn't make deals with children as the target. She tells the client to seek her out in a couple more years.
• She has a very limited understanding of what a friend is. Having been raised in seclusion and almost all interactions in her adult life revolve around someone needing or wanting something from her, the closest she comes is to friendship is repeat business.
• Can be possessed by a childlike excitement when she is in pursuit of endeavors that add to her power, even if it means the deaths of innocents.

Annotations

This Template was an edited version created by Ciel Wulfe

Writings

This section contains any stories related to this character, and anything written ICly.