"The Tale of Moriganna" - Stories from the B-Team, Part 4

by Trevor Hanson

Sylvia was a dancing girl from Eusebea, stunningly beautiful and skilled at her art. She was sought out by nobles, warlords, and bandit kings alike. She lived the high life of a courtesan for many years until, as she aged, her popularity slipped in favor of younger and newer women. Eventually circumstance dictated that Sylvia marry to secure her future. A dashing ship's captain swept her off her feet and within several fortnights she was wed and pregnant. As it happened she soon discovered that her new husband turned was an otherworldly spirit known as a marid with no plans to loiter within the realm of mortals. Not wanting to live out her days trapped in the watery realm of Hydros, one of an immortal's many hundreds of captive wives, Sylvia fled. Thus a once coveted dancer and ship-setter ended up working as a scullery maid for Machimosian Mercenaries.

Sylvia’s offspring, Moriganna, was tainted by her father’s heritage. She possessed green skin, she could breathe underwater, and she speak with and mentally control fish. This made the life for the pair easier as they could reliably harvest excellent seafood for their hosts.

Sylvia did not want her daughter to become a dancing girl like herself. Even though an exotic green dancing girl would be highly prized she knew where that road ended. She refused to teach Moriganna her arts so the young girl started to glean skills from those around her: the Mercenaries.

MORIGANNA
Moriganna lacked the physical strength that many warriors possess but she was quick enough and her constant swimming provided her with great stamina. She gained skill in the use of the crossbow and began selling her martial services to ship captains that were dealing with pirates, though she was not beyond helping those same pirates escape justice if the price was right. Being able to approach a ship underwater proved a useful talent in her new profession.

Eventually Moriganna's mother, Sylvia, became sick. She sought the services of healers but none could treat the malady. Eventually a wrinkled old bog witch told Moriganna that not only could she cure her mother of the illness, but that her mother would live for many more decades - for a price. All she asked in return was Sylvia's wedding amulet.

Moriganna had long known of her mother’s wedding amulet, an exquisite blue diamond on a silver chain that was an engagement gift from her supernatural father. Moriganna gave it to the witch.

The bog witch performed her magic. Sylvia's body was rid of the disease overnight. However, Sylvia's personality was gone. Sylvia had become a mindless drone. The bog witch had trapped Moriganna's mother within the blue diamond.

Enraged, Moriganna killed the bog witch and retrieved the diamond containing her mother's soul. She delivered her mother's living body to a convent so that nuns could care for and look after it.

Moriganna now had a mission. Moriganna needed to find a high priest capable of releasing her mother's soul. Such a miracle would require sacrificial offerings worth 3000 gold coins as well as the sacrifice of a diamond worth at least 1000 gold coins. The diamond containing the soul of her mother had darkened and internal facets could be seen, thus rendering it valueless other than a few gold coins, not that she would ever sell it, so it was worthless for the purposes of the ritual of resurrection.

A LIFE OF CRIME
Resurrecting her mother would be expensive and her work as a Machimesian mercenary would never raise sufficient funds. Because working for the pirates and smugglers paid more than mercenary work and pirate hunting, Moriganna started down a darker path. Her illicit work led to interactions with people, beings, and cults that she would rather not have known existed. Still, she had the solace and solitude of the ocean when she needed to remove herself from present company.

One fateful day, Moriganna was working as a member of a pirate crew operating out of a hidden base somewhere on the west cost of Chult. The pirates had collected several artifacts gathered from locations across Antara - a live unicorn from Aeon, a crystal lens from Bres, meteoric jade from Plaksha, Residuum from Agartta, and other items. Mysterious robed strangers wearing jade masks had come in a small boat to take possession of them.

She accidentally overheard one of the strangers whisper to another about the “Soul Monger”. Something resonated badly within her at that utterance. Moriganna ignored any lingering concerns she had and instead focused on the potentially valuable objects and artifacts that belonged to the robed strangers and how she might be able to sell them in Fort Belaurian.

She abandoned her crew and followed the masked strangers who had left the Jahaka Anchorange with with their valuable collection. The strangers traveled by small boat and followed the coast of Jahaka Bay east, towards the River Tath. Moriganna did her best to stay far enough away to avoid notice without losing track of the strangers in the perpetual fog of Jahaka Bay. They left their boat at an ancient quay near the waterfall where the River Tath pours into the bay. They climbed an ancient track that led up the river and into the Ataaz Kahakla, the "Gorge of Screaming Death". It was there that she encountered three days of torrential rain and lost the trail.

She consoled herself with the knowledge that many valuable treasures could be found somewhere in the jungles of the Chultan interior. If she could steal one she could easily make the funds required to restore her mother. She made her way back to Jahaka Anchorage. Her plan was to join the crew of one of the smuggler's ships that transported stolen goods to Fort Belaurian to sell. She would make her way from there to Port Nyanzaru, find a guide, hire a team, and find those relics.

Still, something about Soul Monger echoed in the back of her mind.

Character Sheet