DelverLorelei
Lorelei is the daughter of Lord Adriatic, leader of the Merfolk. The youngest and most beautiful of his daughters, he carefully guarded her and that protection meant she lived a secluded life. What her father did not know was that she was fascinated with the land and its people. The merfolk fiercely guard their independence to the point of seclusion and to speak with an outsider, even a fellow denizen of the sea (most especially a land dweller) could result in severe punishment, including death. Only the most trusted sages and warriors were allowed to know anything of the surface. To satisfy her curiosity she kept a small trove of scrounged up artifacts hidden away in a coral reef; anything that might survive in the sea.
As a type of royalty, Lorelei received schooling to cultivate all her talents. The best of which was noticed at a very young age, her talent for music and magic. She was instructed on singing and of the musica universalis: The Harmony of the Spheres. A natural power of music that exists throughout all and into the heavens. As she grew into a young woman, Lorelei was granted a rare gift (with much prodding and pleading to her father) the permission to learn and play the coral flute. Once, long ago she was told, the merfolk often met with the land dwellers and the flute would be used to entertain and even given as gifts! In the very rare occurrences where her kind would have to act with a surface dweller, these flutes were still used. It was quite an honor for her; occasionally many merfolk would float to the surface where she could play for her brethren. She hoped dearly that perhaps her father would one day give her the chance to be at a meeting with the land dwellers.
As she aged, along with her burgeoning talents Lorelei became bolder. Traveling ever closer to the shores, even allowing herself to be seen by those sailing on the seas. Until one day she dared to approach a solitary man on the beach, surfacing in the night as he lay by his camp. Tradak was his name and it turned out he was a scholar, older, well-travelled and well learned. Hence became their “affair of knowledge” as he liked to tease her. She would perch on the rocks and he would show her literature, art and they would talk and talk… and talk. He kept her secret, smitten by beauty and curiousness. Over time, Lorelei just became too excited. She had to explore the surface world, hatching a dangerous plan.
Lorelei gathered what she could in haste, a fine rapier with a hilt carved from red porphyry, glistening with feldspar crystals embedded within, along with her mother’s superbly crafted ceremonial dress (oven with sea silk and embroidered with gold) and the shell flute she had learned to first play music on. W. To escape Lorelei sought out the sorcerer, Skrathial. He was no ordinary sorcerer, in fact he was more of an “it” an ancient and powerful Aboleth, vile and wicked. Her father and the creature had a mutual understanding, a pact wherein her people would not bother it as long as it helped to keep others at bay. Skrathial could help her, oh yes it could. Its price was steep though: her body. She hesitantly agreed and the monster seized her in an instant. The act was too much for her, Lorelei passed out as it finished. She floated to the surface in a cloud of its “mucus”, washing up on shore along with the slick. She groaned and rose to her feet…
Her feet! She had feet! And legs! She turned back to the sea and felt an odd prick on her finger. On her left hand, where her mother’s ring was on the right, was a ring of dark red, orange and black coral. It contrasted her natural, lustrous beauty and as she lifted her hand to look closer, thin needles of coral were embedded into her finger! The ring will not come off, attempting to do so became painful and she had a strange understanding the ring’s power was what allowed her to walk on land. This artifact from Skrathial was coming with her. Undaunted she pushed forward. At first seeking out Tradak, who was aghast to learn what she did at first, and sent her fleeing as she sobbed. But she had nowhere to go, nowhere else to turn! Fortunately the old man took pity, after his initial disapproval she made him swear not to tell anyone.
She travelled with him, dressing in plain robes to cover her garments and passing herself off as his daughter. Considering the varied difference in statue and shape, as she stood a head taller than he, they did well relying on Lorelei’s talents to help her way. The first few months she learned much, listening with wide eyed enthusiasm on the tales he told and devoured the books he offered. In less than a year though, he took very ill. They travelled to his ancestral home where Lorelei cared for him over months. Although Tradak was weak, could not stay. Nor would the old man let her. First of all, his sons would be arriving any day and no matter her skills they would not be fooled into thinking she was a sister they never had! Secondly, he knew that she had more to learn and being cooped up in his library offered only one type of knowledge. It was the experience of being out in the world was the appropriate teacher and a teacher he insisted she would learn under. She said her teary goodbyes, promising to return one day.
Out in the world, Lorelei does her best to hide her true nature. She wasn’t sure what might happen should the people of the land find out about her. Lorelei knew that travelers on the Seas told tales that pirates were not the worst things to fear there. And there was another problem, the ring had a strong effect on her desires. Lorelei tried to fight it but occasionally she could feel the influence of the ring move through her body, unable to fight off sexual urges or completely succumbing to another’s advance. Even when she didn’t want to, she could sense her body’s betrayal just waiting under the surface. She was a fool to even consider that Skrathial could be trusted! And if her people… her father came to it, would it protect her secret or gloat? Lorelei knew the answer. As she looked at these things she “borrowed”, they would be looking for them. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she arrived at the city; traveling with a caravan as entertainer and selling the fine jewelry she had learned to make.
