Adrasteia

Name	Adrasteia
Race	Elf
Type	Dökkálfar/Dark Elf
Faction	Independent
Premiere	Desideratum: Blood Bonds
Relative(s)	None Applicable

Adrasteia

"I am here guarding an artifact, and I am magically bound to continue doing it."

Biography

Adrasteia, like her dark elven kin, comes from the dimension called Niflheim. A place of eternal fog and freezing snow, she lived an ordinary life for a Dökkálfar. Taught in the ways of magic, she became adept at spells pertaining to the elements of her realm, that of ice and snow. In Portland, more than a century ago, an unnamed mage found himself in a precarious situation. He had been chased around the world by his enemies. They sought to steal the artifact known as Dyrnwyn, a powerful sword originally belonging to Rhydderch Hael, one of the Three Generous Men of Britain mentioned in the Welsh Triads.

After disembarking his ship in Portland, the mage quickly trekked to Mount Hood, climbing to the snowy summit. There, he magically carved a cave into the rock and within hid the sword. Assuming that his enemies would continue following him, not knowing that he had hid the artifact, he continued on his way, but not before using his magic to conjure a spirit. He sought out an elemental spirit of the Inner Light, and being in such a cold place, conjured a dark elf. Adrasteia arrived in the cavern and the mage quickly bid her to remain and guard the sword at all costs.

For decades, the cavern and the dark elf within it remained sealed from the outside world. Until, after more than a century, boredom finally tugged on the mind of the elf. She began to see the futility of the task to which she had been bound. She also found that the constant mortal hikers were reckless and cared nothing for the land, and finally reaching a breaking point, she conjured a massive storm. Over the next few months, whenever people tried to climb up the mountain, she summoned tumultuous blizzards. This led to fewer humans, which meant more monsters. With the arrival of the monsters, the barbegazi, kind creatures of the mountains, sought aid. Jacques Lombar, a friend to barbegazi everywhere, accepted their challenge. He tried many times to assail the summit, but the weather forced him down.

Finally, some barbegazi were killed by evil monsters now haunting the deserted mountain, so Jacques could no longer accept defeat. He climbed to the top and the barbegazi forged an ice bridge for him, allowing him to enter the cavern. However, when he faced Adrasteia, she used her magic. Though a massive, muscular man, he had no experience fighting mages or elves, and within minutes stood encased within enchanted ice. Absinthe Van Gothen, however, was not far behind him, and she managed to enter the cave as well.

Jacques had given Adrasteia some entertainment, and she saw Absinthe as the same. The two sparred, but her Van Gothen power, the Blood Suit, and items procured at the House of Haggle gave Absinthe the upper hand and the fledgling monster hunter managed to kill Adrasteia. As death grew near, in anger and disbelief, she sought to collapse the entire cave to kill everyone present, but no more power remained in her corporeal form. Upon her demise, she rematerialized within Niflheim, yet would forever remember the human that had soundly beaten her.

Abilities

• Ice Magic