Madame Maladie

BACKSTORY

Datura was born into the Maladie family- a house of nobles within Wrath with an ancestry riddled with great warriors that could be traced all the way back to the war. Unusually born whilst her preceding sibling was still maturing themselves, Datura was not given the attention and careful upbringing shared by others in her bloodline that would set her on the path of warfare from a very young age. As such, she was somewhat left to her own devices in terms of education- though she was supplied with the standard military and magical training set by her family, there were few repercussions for lack of attendance or poor performance. Instead, Datura found herself becoming enraptured by music; being so close to Pride theater or concert trips with the family were common, and musicians would often pass through the area for one reason or another. 

As he grew older and smarter, Datura would often seek out these travelling musicians and ask them to give her lessons, often supplementing her own eagerness with the ample allowance provided by her family. As often the artists she confronted were desperate for work and money, they were often happy to pass on their knowledge despite the absurdity of being confronted by a child. Over time, Datura became particularly talented in multiple instruments, primarily piano and lute as well as a decent amount of vocal training. As her talents and passion for music grew, however, her dedication to her military training fell further to the point where it was difficult to hide her incompetence. 

Eventually Datura’s parents discovered her secret passion and, afraid of tainting the family’s long-stemming history with warfare, attempted to set her back on course by sending her to Wrath’s finest military academy where she would be more closely monitored and restricted in her hobbies. Originally Datura was distraught by this, and would do all she could to get out of classes in order to pursue her true passion. Eventually, however, she was won over by the school and its teachings, finding a family amongst the other pupils and enjoying the stability and security the academy’s strict discipline provided. Still furious with her family, she refused to contact or otherwise indicate the change in her perspective to them, instead burying herself in her training whilst her interest in music slowly became little more than a memory.

Graduating from the academy as an adult with impressive grades, Datura immediately drafted herself into Hell’s Army- her talents and family name meaning that she rose quickly through the ranks. Not content to merely sit around and act as a formality, she was the first to volunteer for any work that indicated even a hint of danger, amassing herself a long list of military achievements over decades of service. She was often commended not just for her confident control of powerful fire magic, but also her intelligence and tactical prowess that set her apart from her more meat-headed fellow soldiers. It was for all these reasons that when the position became available, Datura was chosen to be promoted to the rank of General- the highest she would achieve in her career with the Army. 

For a long time she was comfortable in this position, taking pride in her divisions and treating them strictly but almost as if they were her own children. It was perhaps for this reason that she sustained a serious injury that completely altered the course of her life and career.

Datura, or General Maladie as she was known then, sent a group of privates on a routine mission to eliminate a monster that had strayed from its homeland into the borders of Wrath. Though incredibly dangerous to an untrained civilian, under Datura’s tutelage and with a group of ten to twelve soldiers there was presumably little that could go wrong. Unfortunately, a particularly plucky private rushed ahead to chase the monster, ignoring the careful tactics that had been set out in order to get the kill and make an impression. Datura took the initiative to follow, separating the two of them from the rest of the group. By the time she found the over-confident private the monster had already slain them, and her distress over allowing one of her own to be killed gave the creature the opportunity to attack and badly wound her. 

Though Datura survived the encounter and took down the beast alone, its damage had already been done. The wounds inflicted upon her had not only left physical marks on her body but had also significantly weakened her magical ability that she relied so heavily upon during her career. Though she was given the opportunity to continue in her role, as her physical fighting and tactical abilities were apparently unmarred, personal pride and shame had her turning down the offer as soon as she had recovered from her not-insignificant healing process. Not only did her new-found weakness humiliate her, but Datura also took the personal responsibility for the death of her private, believing that they would not have died if she had better disciplined them. It was for these reasons that she chose to accept an honourable discharge from the army instead, retaining her title as General although only as an honorary status. 

Lost without her found family, Datura initially turned to reconnecting with her original blood family, only to find that during her countless years of service her noble household had crumbled under the pressure of maintaining their importance. Her relatives had become spread across Wrath and further, giving her little hope nor motivation to seek them out. It was then that she returned to her lost passion for music, though she no longer had the childlike determination to seek out training nor beg and grovel for success in Pride. For a while Datura simply existed as a musician, playing and composing only for her own passion and living a relatively lavish lifestyle thanks to the estate and funds her rank afforded her. Eventually, though, she began to miss her role as a mentor to others and chose to branch out and offer her services as a tutor to wannabe musicians.

Business was slow at first. Datura, or Madame Maladie as she liked to be called, had a quite literal military regime of training and strictness that many couldn’t quite swallow. Those that endured, however, often went on to become incredibly talented musicians and eventually aspiring artists began to make the connection and seek her out. 

CURRENT LIFE

Though not popular in the mainstream sense, Madame Maladie is now known as one of the best and most intimidating musical tutors perhaps in all of Hell. While she charges a rather modest fee, particularly in comparison to alternatives, her near-perfectionist attitude and terrifying temper often scare away all but the most determined, bravest, or naivest of students. Beyond that, Madame Maladie also only teaches those that impress her, or give her an indication that they have the potential to become great artists. All of her lessons take place from her estate in Wrath, and occasionally she will provide room and board for her particularly favoured students. In exchange, they are required to help with the cleaning and maintenance of the mansion and grounds, on top of the usual fee for tutoring.

Beyond this main occupation of her time, Madame Maladie does still affiliate with the military now and then, though again largely from an educational perspective. Her long and industrious career as a General means she is occasionally a guest speaker in military schools and academies, and it is only during this time that she even allows anyone to refer to her outright as ‘General’. She also makes it her responsibility to hunt any monsters that wander over the border into Hell.

It is also rumored, however, that for the right person Madame Maladie will set music aside and offer training in combat and magic. In particular, she sympathises with ex-humans and others with hindered magic like herself, though her pickiness is still tenfold compared to that of her musical tutelage and publically she will insist she never has- and never would- consider offering such training. If the right student were to ever find their way to Madame Maladie, however, they should expect to undergo extremely rigorous training and trials.