Astrid

Born with an insatiable curiosity about how the world worked, Astrid lived a rather charmed life. The orphan girl devoured books far more easily than food or drink, with her nights spent huddled by a lamp as she read about princesses and adventures in far-away lands. It took her mind off the war that reduced the once-proud city she called home with her royal family into a hellhole for those who had no choice but to stay there. As she grew up, she began to explore the city in earnest on her own. To her surprise, she found a secret passage to a long-abandoned library deep under the surface, filled with decaying tomes and mysterious magical trinkets. It was here that she felt a mysterious call drawing her to a box that contained a grimoire of spells and a deck of divining cards. But the artifacts, long masterless, battled her in a contest of wills. At last, their resistance was broken as they swore loyalty towards the young mage. Astrid returned to the city above, only to find it set ablaze as the demonic horde finally pushed past its exhausted defenders. In a panic, she called upon her spells, but the power she wielded was too much for her to handle, and she drowned in its embrace. She woke up in an abandoned cavern, a burning genii and a pale vampire by her side as the Fuinsignum revealed itself on her body. Frustrated at her lack of mastery, Astrid began her long journey towards mastering the magical power that she had attained. Life on the run from demons of all shapes and sizes wasn't easy, but she managed to cope. Under the genii's tutelage, she summoned a potent spirit that would aid them in their battle against evil, although its wounds upon its arrival disturbed her greatly. It was with the spirit's help that they located a vault of forgotten weapons--or so they thought. What they found was even more disturbing: a half-demonic berserker, somehow abandoned by its Raug masters. After calming it down and laying several binding spells on its soul, they found out that while the warrior was a potent fighter, he also had the more than his share of reckless youth. Despite her misgivings, her care for him soon led to unsaid attraction--a matter that she refused to give voice to. Their adventures together would lead them first to the accursed island of Fuindor, where they found several surprises awaiting them, before leading them back to the mainland in search of answers. But she would soon wake up upon their return with several members of their company missing, and the stink of betrayal leading her pained heart to the heavens she no longer dreamed of...