Zarbaste Baenmtor

Zarbaste was born and raised in a deeply isolated pocket in the ruins of Gelmorra that eventually grew into a fanatical, matriarchal cult.When Gelmorra had first been abandoned by the Hyur and Wildwood, her ancestral family was one of many who opted to stay and attempt to run the city on their own, only for it to eventually fall into ruin without the assistance of the other races to help keep it afloat. As time passed, others gave up and went above ground to try their luck, and steadily the city became ever more abandoned.As others left, her family rallied and insisted upon continuing to preserve their way of life to those who remained, and they filed into the depths of the city to a pocket that was easier for them to defend and maintain. Over the years, the rest of the city continued to crumble, passages collapsed, and further isolated them from the surface until there was only one way in and out that was fraught with peril.Also during this time, with increased isolation and a gradual squeeze of resources from famine, their beliefs began to drastically shift. The matriarch of the Baenmtor family and the leader of the group claimed one night that she had been visited by a divine being who held all the answers to their problems, if only her people submitted to their will. With their resolve shaken and threat of starvation, they turned to this new 'deity' with open arms and exalted the matriarch as their mouthpiece and high priestess. As more years passed and new priestesses took the place of others, their views and beliefs grew more skewed. When times were hard, they resorted to drastic and desperate measures to survive, and the priestess's word was law; those who faltered or disobeyed became fodder for the rest, and times were often very trying indeed.So it continued until Zarbaste was born. The mantle of 'High Priestess' had been passed between several notable bloodlines that produced girls with dense aether and casting ability, though hers was the most powerful, and she the last of her line. She was raised to become the next High Priestess after her predecessor, taking the mantle when she was just eight summers old and leading her people dutifully for the next thirty-eight, until her deity bid her to leave.By this point, it was not uncommon for the women to make the treacherous journey out of the ruins and into the world above, but they only did so for a single reason: to find new blood with which to bear children and bring them back. Years of inbreeding had made the magic weak and produced more males than women, who were seen more as a labor force than suitable for breeding. And so, with her successor in line, Zarbaste heeded the call of her deity to go above ground and search for a suitable father.Life above ground hadn't been anything she'd expected it to be. It was loud and bright, which ensured she kept her horned, ruby red mask firmly on her head, for to be seen without it, even underground, was taboo unless it was in deeply trusted company. The culture of those above was very different than what she'd been raised with, though the dislike of Duskwights was not surprising to her; the feeling was mutual. And yet, the longer she was above ground, the more fascinated she became, and the more fascinated she became, the less inclined she felt to return home.Zarbaste lingered a while, wandering through the Shroud and Thanalan and joining the Moonflower Estate after being scouted, putting her talents to use for the Company for the duration of what was supposed to be a short jaunt above ground to find a suitable donor that was slowly turning into an extended stay. While there, a powerful aetheric signature drew her to the arms of another Duskwight within the Company - mage of similar competence-, and found herself enraptured with him. This would be the man who would sire her offspring, she was certain of it.It was ultimately not to be. Failed attempt after failed attempt to carry left her brokenhearted, eventually being told by her deity that she would never conceive; Zarbaste truly would be the last of her bloodline. Returning home without a child meant certain death, and she was getting old enough anyway that her successor would be taking her place within the next couple moons. Rather than go home and die, she chose to stay and offer her talents to the Estate so that she still had a purpose, and in turn devoted herself to her lover, both in body and in spirit.She never could cast off her fanatical ways, not entirely. Even as Zarbaste adjusted to life above, she still refused to remove her mask, performed her daily rituals, retained her stoic, proud and intimidating demeanor, though gradually left her old deity behind, instead shifting her focus and worship to her beloved. She still thought most men beneath her, but this man, this mage, was altogether different than most she had known or encountered. A reverence and respect that was doubly rewarded when he defied her previous deity's declaration of her infertility by bestowing upon her a child, a son that she fiercely protects and dotes upon, who was also gifted with the magical and mental prowess of his parents, and later became the heir to her legacy, formerly something only reserved for the women of her cult.

I ask that you be at least 21 if you wish to RP with her due to the nature of her character. You may send me a /tell first if you like.Heavy Voidal Signature - those with sensitivity to the Void or aethersight will notice thisKnowledgeable - if one has questions about the occult or the Void, Zarbaste is rather willing to help. She knows a few other things aside from this, but it's mostly related to Gelmorra and what she's read from ancient tomes that survived the collapse.Cultist - Zarbaste has some strange views of the world and the people in it (among other things) due to being raised in an insular cult, and can come off as callous, rude, or thinking herself above others because of her previous status. She will discuss it, but this one comes with a warning attached since some of the things she may have to say on this topic are 'out there'. Ask at your own risk.Hedge/Void Mage - Informally trained, but that does not mean that her skill is inferior. Zarbaste knows 'unorthodox' magic as a result, skillfully weaving Summoner and Black Mage-styles of magic together. She does not summon the typical egis, and instead summons Voidsent to do her bidding if required, but usually only in specific circumstances. One might liken her to a bog or swamp witch in some regards.Might Respects Might - She believes herself above most people, but if one proves themselves to be capable, she will come to respect them for it. She has little time for those who attempt to stroke her ego or wheedle their way into her good graces without earning it.Hidden Kindness - Once once manages to get through her intimidating, cold and untamed exterior, a much more subdued, matronly woman emerges. It's typically only seen by those she has come to care for, and children, of which she possesses a deep affection.