She/Her

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D&D Concept Character

Rasalas Destler is the only daughter of the Duke Destler, a man known for his cunning abilities and ruthless warfare. Due to this, she grew up in a large estate with nothing to worry her.

She would run about the estate, escaping the maids at every turn and exploring the labyrinth of halls to find the best areas to hide. When her best friend would come over, they would go to the gardens and fence with fallen sticks. She would always have a hard time winning, as he was the son of a Marquis and was taught how to fence by an instructor, then passed those moves onto Rasalas.

As the days passed, and they both grew older, they each learned of their duties. Regulus was now the Marquis Bainbridge, and as such needed to find a bride. The Duke Destler has immediately offered Rasalas as the solution to his searching, which he happily accepted. Regulus has never seen her in a romantic light, and knows that she hadn’t viewed him as such either. A year earlier, she had confided in him that she greatly feared being married off to someone unknown, and hated the prospect of being sold like a possession.

Regulus taught her how to fight in various ways, and treated her as an equal in the time they were together. Eventually, friendship turned to something more, and they embraced their closeness. Rasalas was taught to read, write, and govern the lands they ruled together.

It was on a stormy night that the invaders attacked the estate they shared. Regulus had given her a look she dreaded, and will be burned into her memory. The look of absolute horror and pain in that the chances of them both escaping from the estate alive were very slim. Regulus had clearly made his mind up, however, as he walked into their closet and grabbed a pair of his trousers and shirt, then a lightweight travelling cape. He shoved them into her arms, and pulled her hair back into a cap. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but he shoved the ornate silver rapier he had gotten her for their anniversary.

“We both know the chances of the two of us escaping with our life is slim. Get changed, and get out using the maid tunnels. Travel as far away as you can, on the back of the fastest steed in the stables. I will find you once I’m sure the area is safe.” He left her with a kiss, and put on his armor then ran into the hallway. The door left swinging, as she watched him run into the battle headfirst. She knew that this would be the last time that she would see him.

Rasalas put on the clothes, and the necklace he had given her on their wedding, before retreating into the corridors that the maids used. She put the hood on the cape up, and held the rapier at her side, sprinting through the halls. She noted that the trousers, while highly inappropriate for her to wear, had their desired use to make escaping easier. When at the stables, she heard the caw of a hawk. She looked into the stormy sky, and saw Regulus’ hawk, Leonis, circling above the estate. She gave a sharp whistle, and Leonis swooped down towards her and landed on her shoulder. She went to Noire, the steed Regulus had mentioned, and ran away with him.

As the estate grew further in the distance, the shock wore away. Her heart cracked with every hoofbeat, and tears fell like the rain. The smell of smoke in the distance gave her closure, as her home burned into embers, only a mere figment of memory and never to stand again.

Rasalas rode on and on, for days upon days. She encountered thieves, pirates, and others she had once thought to be the scum of the earth. Only then, did she realize how fortunate she had been, along with the sheltered life she led. Making a promise to herself, she kept wandering, and searching to see if Regulus had made it out of the Estate.