Lady Catherine Du Vantes Catherine Du Devre was raised in the home of fairly minor
lord of the Alderbren Empire. Her family’s state was away from the bulk of the
fighting and instead relied on providing supplies for the Empire’s war machine.
The youngest of three children, Catherine’s childhood was a happy one. Living
in such dangerous times, Catherine even found herself learning to defend
herself with sword and shield. However, it was in the realm of magic that young
Du Devre showed promise. Most of Catherine’s features were inherited from her
mother, which also seemed to include her knack for magic.
When Catherine reached maturity, it was discovered that she possessed another
gift. Unbeknownst to her mother, a man claiming to be Catherine’s grandfather
would visit her during the full moons of her twelfth year. Her parents never
knew, since this man often flew into her room with his beautiful wings. Her grandfather
always brought her gifts and began to show her magic that even her mother was
unable to cast, magic the Catherine could feel and practiced learning. Then, on
the Feast of the Faithful, a feast night to the Gods, that her Grandfather
presented Catherine with his final gift. He awoke a pair of wings just like his that Catherine could fly upon. Catherine would later conclude that while her angelic ancestry was
manifested, her blood was not strong enough to sustain her wings for
very long. Grandfather informed Catherine that he had to go and while it may not be the last time he
saw her; it would certainly be a while. The child did not pay attention to the
kind man’s words, too busy with her newfound ability to fly. When her parents discovered this, they went into a mild panic. They did not want to see some holy group thinking of Catherine as some sort of omen and take her away. They sent her to complete her studies with a group of clerics in the nearby church of Vaun who would watch over the girl. Here she learned as much as possible about the Alderbran Empire, Lord Vaun, and other topics Catherine found interesting.
However, this would only last for a few short years as Catherine would return home betrothed and to be
married to the second son of a family better to do than her own. Shortly after her return, Catherine
found herself standing before the sight of the Gods in matrimony and her first
night as Lady Catherine Du Vantes. Despite the hesitation of marrying a man she
had never met, William Du Vantes proved to be a kind and gentle husband. After
the death of his older brother, who had no heirs, William became the new Lord
Du Vantes and took over his family’s estate. For a decade William provided
luxury and comfort for his wife and in return Catherine bore him two sons. And
despite the chaos and war plaguing the Empire, the family was happy.
The happiness would ultimately be short lived, as in the course of a single
night everything would be stolen from her. In a surprise raid, miles from the
nearest battlefield, enemies attacked the Du Vantes keep. Taken largely by
surprised, the guards were easily dispatched. Awakened by the sounds of battle,
Lord Du Vantes raced off to rally his men while Catherine went to protect the
children. However, by the time she arrived it was already too late. An Elven
warrior stood over the body of her dead boys, their warm blood still on his
hands.
It was at the point that Catherine’s angelic features twisted in rage and pain,
turning her heart to darkness. Her once beautiful wings sprouted, but laid
bare. The celestial feathers slipping off and fading away, leaving nothing but
a skeletal husk. Her Halo, once golden, was now pale and lifeless. As she
struck down the surprised Elf, black ichor began to roll down her face in place
of her tears. It was then that Catherine flew into an uncontrollable rage. He
wails echoed through the castle as she hunted down as many elves as she could.
But it didn’t matter. They’d done what they’d been sent to the Du Vantes Keep
to accomplish. As the first rays of dawn touched the ramparts, Catherine wept
beneath the corpse of her love.
With the news of the destruction of House Du Vantes, the political struggle over
the land was swift and fierce. The Lord William had served, Lord Pendleton,
seized everything. Catherine was to be left with nothing. Desperate, Catherine
was given a task if she wanted to reclaim the Du Vantes holdings. A task which would
be fulfilled in Segwyr Falls…