Blog

The history of a noble’s line is as important as the history of the person. With her family line established, next I needed to share with the Dungeon Master the history of the character. How did she become an adventurer and get the skills needed to be a D&D character? (Yes, I think all my characters through this thoroughly. No doubt part of why I am a writer.)

But first a side story from her childhood, which shaped her.

*** Rafella de Sable (Part 2) – A Malicious Servant

This next part of the story Rafaela heard from a vindictive house servant at age six while her hair was being prepared for a local festival celebration.

“Oye, you are just the splitting image of your father, ” said the white haired servant as she put the pins into the girl’s blue-black locks.

Rafaela wrinkled her nose. Her father had brown slightly wavy hair and piercing green eyes, her hair had to be ironed to bring is even close to wavy and her eyes were an unremarkable hazel. The color never pleased her, it was neither brown nor green and could not decide to be either, leaving it looking like the puddle in the street after too long between rains. Being somewhat of a hellion, who never managed to sit still enough to get her hair iron and never left a puddle unjumped in, the six-year old argued, “I do not!”

“What?” the crafty woman muttered and then returned more strongly. “Oops, did I say that out loud?  I shouldn’t have said that out loud. ”

Not realizing that the woman was baiting her, the child wiggled in the seat. “Why not?”

“Because you are not to know who your father is. Oh, no. I shouldn’t have said that. ”

After begging and going back and forth with the bitter old woman, who had recently been cast out of the old Lord’s bed for a new amour, the story unfolded. Andre had all his survival drives killed by the fever, and his wife’s mentality was that of a very young child. Sex was messy and uncomfortable for them. The girl hated it and being pregnant and giving birth and feeding the babies even with someone else taking care of them. Her babydolls were so much more fun. Andre liked his playmate and since she didn’t want to do it anymore, he refused to do it to her. For the first time in his life he stood up to his father, because his friend needed him to. Three children were all there was going to be. All this, the old lady told the child. Rafaela knew her parents were unusual but hearing the old woman refer to them in the terms she used, gave her the first clue of just how off of norm it was.

“But I am the fourth child. ”

“Aye, your grandfather still needed an heir after your da. So he went into the droolgirl’s bedroom and did what he needed to do. Beat her when she tried to run away, held her down, and did it again and again until she got fatter then she normally is. So your granddad is actually your dad and that is who you look like. ”

“He is not, ” said the girl. She knew how her daddy treated her and all the kids and none of it is like how granddad treated her.

“He is too. And he hates you for it, ” assured the old lady. “Because he still needed a boy. So when your mom was ready again, you tore her up something awful when you came out so he had to wait a long time, he did it again and litt’ Andie was born. And he did it again after that since he wanted a spare, only it was too quick and your mom miscarried. I suspect he will start doing her again soon since he wants another son real bad. ”

(Words 576, first written for game 9/23/2005; first published 2/9/2020)