Saga Bearclaw

Saga Bearclaw
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Age	34
Height	6 fulm 2 ilm
Weight	195 ponz
Profession	Free Paladin
Patron Deity	Rhalgr
Server	Balmung

Saga Bearclaw, born Saga Reuss, is a free paladin and retired gladiator of the Bloodsands in Ul'dah. Born to the Ala Mhigan noble house known as House Reuss, Saga was a refugee after the Garlean conquest of Ala Mhigo stripping her family of all holdings. Despite her noble heritage, Saga is a brusque woman known for her savage career on the Bloodsands in Ul'dah for much of her life.

History

Born the second daughter of the noble Jorundr Reuss and his wife Soma Reuss, Saga was given a martial education from a young child. Her father was a high-ranking military officer in the Ala Mhigan army and her mother a well-regarded advisor on matters of gil. Her father's service and loyalty to Ala Mhigo meant Saga from a young age was instilled with great amounts of pride and patriotism to Ala Mhigo. Due to her father's rigorous education, Saga gained abilities in combat very few children could compare with in her peerage. Her older brother, Serkr Reuss, was also well regarded in matters of martial prowess and was inspirational to Saga to the point she idolized his training even before she could hold a sword.

Despite the family's great amount of martial prowess, the family was unaffiliated with the Fist of Rhalgr to the point that the King's ordering of the state religion be under Nymeia changing little more than the House's banners. House Reuss' lack of devotion proved to be their initial survival, as During King Theodoric's purge of the Fist of Rhalgr, House Reuss stood loyal as Saga was hidden from her family's dealing in the purge and massacre of the monkhood.

After the purge of the monkhood, King Theodoric's sudden turn against all nobility and his purges of his own people that staked even a small claim sent House Reuss into hiding, and assisted to plot the overthrow of the King's rule. For much of the years that made up Saga's life before coming to Ul'dah, she lived in hiding, being educated by her mother or father in a remote countryside village.

After the overthrow of King Theodoric, with the invasion of Garlemald in Ala Mhigo, House Reuss soon realized their status was gone. Turning to the Resistance with what meager resources and men the family still had loyal left, after several failed attempts to reclaim Ala Mhigo the family sent a now young teenaged Saga to live with Soma's older distant brother Alfarr Thurn, a merchant in Ul'dah to keep her safe while her elder brother and parents continued the Resistance.

Saga found her Uncle to be a spiteful and callous man with a cold-blooded nature, treating Saga more as property than family. Hating her sister for marrying a relatively poor noble by his standards of wealth and having had a long bitter rivalry with her since birth, he treated Saga poorly, forcing her into underground gladiatorial fights between minors in an attempt to rid himself of her with fear of death if she disobeyed by threat of his influential wealth.

Saga quickly found her childhood martial education coming to her aid, the girl growing up fast in the arena as she fought for her survival. Due to the brutal nature of the fights the children were often not equipped with weapons or any form of protection, Saga soon gained a reputation for gouging out the eyes of her opponents with her bare hands, gaining the name "Bearclaw", a title she carries to this day out of memory of her savage past.

At the age of sixteen Saga soon found herself preferring the streets instead of living under the gaze of her Uncle, and entered the Bloodsands proper while lying about her age due to her looking far older than she actually was. Finding glory under her nickname, Bearclaw, Saga quickly rose in the ranks and amassed a small fortune. Known by her fans and enemies for her refined fighting style mixed with brutal tricks she learned as a child fighting for survival, Saga became both famous and feared.

In the middle of her career Saga, having not heard from her family in years, learned from another refugee and former Resistance fighter that her family had betrayed a great number of the Resistance for a chance at citizenship in the Garlean Empire, and were now subjects of the Emperor. Feeling betrayed by her already distant family and the mistreatment of her by her Uncle in her time of greatest need, Saga quickly turned to vices of gambling and drinking, and saw her career begin to diminish.

After learning that an arena friend and with the ever growing amount of guilt she felt for the lives she had taken in the arena, Saga learned a young ten year old girl by the name of Adalhaid Rask had both her parents die mysteriously in an exhibition match. Realizing she was without family and hoping to atone for the deaths she had caused in her past and prove herself better than her own family, Saga took the girl in and raised her as if she were flesh and blood and her own little sister. After the Calamity, Saga retired formally from the Bloodsands, taking time instead to protect Adalhaid until she was of age to take care of herself, taking up work as a bartender to pass time.

With Adalhaid's maturity in her late teenage years and her own independence inspired by her unorthodox guidance, Saga soon was approached by the Sultansworn's desperate recruiters to join as a Free Paladin. Enlisting as well in the Free Brigade of the Immortal Flames and becoming an adventurer, Saga trained and began to travel the land, attempting to do good for the people.

Personality

Saga is a brusque woman that is a functional alcoholic. Depending on her sobriety, Saga can either be stoic, contemplative, and melancholy or begin to slide into the monster she was notorious for as a gladiator. Saga will often not speak her mind on issues important to her, but is quick to say whatever comes to her mind on lighter topics despite social ettiquete. When drinking more than the usual while unhappy, she has been known sometimes to become rude, quick to anger, and shows glimpses of the monster she was notorious for being as a gladiator. Often those that know Saga only see any glimpse of happiness in times of celebration with others, and with a heavy amount of liquor inside her.

Affiliations and Known Associates

Saga currently serves as a Free Paladin and an adventurer enlisted in the Free Brigade of the Immortal Flames. She also is known for her loyalty to restoring Ala Mhigo.

Characteristics

• Nicknames: Bearclaw
• Age: 34
  • Nameday: 4th Sun of the 4th Umbral Moon
• Gender: Female
  • Sexuality: Straight
  • Marital Status: Single

Equipment

During her time adventuring, Saga has found great love of the Ironwork's technology and armor. Having invested a great amount of her wealth in the Ironworks, Saga often exclusively uses magitek gear these days for combat, enjoying the poetic justice of magitek being turned against her enemies, the Garlean Empire.