Name: Asteria
Age: 20
Description: Asteria is short and fairly lean, though far from frail. Her hair is long and a rich blonde -- some might compare it to buttercups, but it's not really the same shade. While when undone it reaches her mid-back, she generally wears it in a bun, fixed in place with two ivory needles. (Those needles serve both as hairstyling accessories and as tools and last-ditch weapons.) Her eyes are a light green, and very intense -- she is used to searching every situation for hidden clues or concealed items. Her facial features are thin and sharp, but not so much so as to seem harsh, and when she smiles, she can light up a room.
Her body is attractive but not ample. Her breasts are roughly A-cup, verging on B, and she's proud of it. (She claims to have seen larger chests interfere with the delicate work and exertion necessary for treasure hunting, and doesn't think the leers more endowed woman get would be something to cherish.) There is very little fat on her body, and a certain amount of muscle, built from years of climbing cliffs, lifting stone blocks, and pushing open stubborn secret doors. Her legs and posterior are similarly in finely-toned shape. She does not generally shave her body hair, but as such it remains soft and downy (and in any case, her owner can easily order her to start). She wears no makeup as a general rule.
Her usual exploring outfit is a dark blue tunic, loose brown trousers, hard-soled leather boots, and a thick grey hooded cloak, which protects her from the elements and can be used as a blanket or pillow when sleeping in the wild. Her undergarments, too, are simple, and characteristic of the time period -- a white cloth loinpiece wrapped around her several times, and loose breast bindings, for support.
She carries a small backpack over one shoulder, which holds her necessary provisions. Foremost among those are her preserved rations and a brass oil lantern, with a large but finite oil reservoir. (This last is one of her most treasured possessions.) She wears a tan leather belt that holds a good, sharp knife of fine kobold steel, used for self-defense and for other utility purposes.
She carries herself lightly, but with quiet confidence. She knows she's one of the best there is at what she does, but she also knows that being the best entails watching out for unexpected circumstances at every turn. She rarely opens up fully to someone, and so will generally remain guarded but nonchalant when talking with someone. When nervous, she habitually drifts towards the exits of whatever room she's in, and when upset, tends to clutch at her knife or look for something to throw.
She now wears a snug golden choker, made of links tooled into the shape of intertwined buttercups. This cannot be removed (and heavens know she's tried). If it were to somehow be removed, her slavery would be at an end (or at least the mentally-controlled portion of it).
Background: Long ago, there was an empire, a vast nation where engineering and magic reached peaks they have never yet returned to. Massive magical construction projects created huge networks of roads, tunnels, and caverns, linking the vast imperial cities across thousands of miles. Civilization extended far into the ocean, deep underground, and occasionally even into the skies. And life was generally good, for most of the people most of the time. The ruling imperial family was sometimes selfish, always ludicrously extravagant, and sometimes involved in in-fighting, but they also genuinely cared about making the world a better place. They made their home in Worldspire, a mountain keep the size of a small city, and from there ruled, if not always wisely, then generally well.
One day, though, a strange magical threat arose -- humans across the lands were turning into monsters, and mysterious beings from the shadows seemed to control them. Heroes across the land tried to find the cause and failed, paying with their lives. Finally, the imperial family themselves took up the quest, putting their well-being aside for the sake of their people. Brave knight Therengin, wise tinkerer Alboz, crafty plotter Lucrezia, High Emperor Duncan himself... they and their many relatives set out into the shadows. In an epic fight lasting many weeks, they saved the world. But none of them ever returned.
Without the guiding hand of the imperial family, the empire splintered and collapsed over the next century. Many of the cities were abandoned, and certain important locations were hidden and sealed off by their remaining loyal defenders. The location of Worldspire, in particular, was concealed so well as to make some future generations consider it a myth. The remaining sites of the empire were frequently looted and left to go to seed, and many that weren't collapsed as time and the failure of their magic took their toll.
Time passed. Various kingdoms, republics, and other states grew up where
the empire had stood, some fine and pleasant places to live, some less
so. A new class of treasure hunters arose -- not heroes or adventurers,
who went out to slay dragons or fight off droves of rat-ants, but cunning
explorers who searched through the ruins of the empire, defeated the tricks
and traps and puzzles they found, and collected individual treasures of
great value that had been left behind when the
empire fell. Asteria is one of them.
She was born a farmer's daughter in a small, out of the way kingdom,
but the usual diversions for one of her position -- farming, milking cows,
teasing the farm boys, and preparing for marriage -- never appealed to
her in the slightest. The moment she was able, she set out for a new life
as a
treasure hunter, relying on her wits for survival and never looking
back.
Five years later, she is now among the top tier of treasure hunters,
having among her conquests such sites as the Tomb of the Ur-King, the Tower
of the Sorceress Raven-Star, and the Last Vault of the Imperial Taxation
Agency. She has accumulated enough treasures that she could have retired
as a wealthy woman several times over -- but to her, having each unique
treasure and remembering the things she went through to get it is more
valuable than any money could ever be. So, not long ago, she set off again,
having finally deciphered a scroll that she thought might contain a hint
at the
location of Worldspire Castle itself.
She was right. After traveling through a lengthy underground passage
and numerous mazes, she emerged into the dungeons of Worldspire, high in
the mountains. A cave in collapsed her entry tunnel shortly afterwards,
but she didn't mind much -- Worldspire would take a long time to explore,
and there were almost certainly other exits.
Her explorations went well for several days, as she came across many secret passages and a few treasures within them. Eventually, she came across a bedroom with a treasure sitting out in plain sight: a beautifully worked golden necklace, with the links in the shape of buttercups twined together. Momentarily heedless of possible danger, she put it on, to see how it looked.
It immediately contracted to the size of a choker, fitting snugly against
her neck. And at that moment, a wave of sensation rushed through her body,
and she somehow knew, down to the depths of her soul, that she was now
somebody's property. She didn't know how she knew it, but it was
indelibly inscribed on her brain. And the prospect utterly terrified
her. It's been several days since her 'enslavement,' and she has struggled
to get on with life as normal (such as it is). She's explored a few more
sections of the castle, and found a new treasure or two. But she's found
herself becoming more and more uncomfortable when she's out of 'her' bedroom,
and sometimes verges on panic if she has to sleep somewhere else. Her mind
constantly dwells on just who or what her new 'master' might be, and how
she's going to react to him... or her, or it. She hears moaning winds in
the night and wonders about ghosts, and sees flickers in the corner of
her eye and thinks about the Shades her mother terrified her with tales
of as a child, or the shadow-beings who caused the fall of the empire so
long ago. She thinks about wizards and witches and evil kings. And she
realizes she has absolutely no idea what will happen next.
She's yet to find a way out of the castle. In fact, she can't -- the
necklace won't let her. Any time she's near a way out, she'll coincidentally
take a different path. But she keeps on searching, because
she knows she doesn't have much time before her owner shows up, and
she's afraid of what might happen to her when he does. And, deeper down,
a part of her is terrified that she might enjoy what happens when
he does.
Personality: Asteria is very much an independent-minded woman. She's never cared much for having other people tell her what to do, but also never cared much for telling other people what to o. Ideally, she prefers to be in a complicated situation where her own wits carry her to victory. She dislikes getting close enough to someone else that she starts feeling dependent on them, or that they feel dependent on her. She loves puzzles, and sees most of the security measures of the old empire as just complicated puzzles waiting for her to solve them. It's an attitude that has served her in good stead for all of her career to date. She has vast amounts of self-confidence in all situations except social ones, where she feels a bit out of her element. She's also quite the pack rat, keeping memorabilia from all of her adventures to remind her of the times she's had. At her distant home, she has an entire trophy room filled with the treasures she's gathered, each one with its own story.
Sexually, she is almost completely inexperienced. She has an almost pathological fear of intimacy -- not uncommon among those who choose a life exploring underground tunnels on their own. She dated a little before taking up her career, but never allowed herself to become too close to any of the boys. Her only major sexual experience to date came when she allowed herself to get carried away on a date, and performed fellatio on her boyfriend, then got eaten out. She found both sensations extremely enjoyable -- she loved the feel of her mouth being so filled, and his tongue was extremely skilled at hitting just the right spots in just the right way -- but the fact that she loved it so much unnerved her. She didn't want to get close on him, grow dependent on him, and maybe spend the rest of her life as a traditional blushing bride. And so the very next day, without even talking to him, she set out on her first treasure quest. Six months later, when she returned, he'd taken up with another girlfriend, and that was the end of that. Since then, her only sexual experiences have been with herself. She thinks of herself as heterosexual, but given the influence of the chain, that may mean nothing in the long run.
She has her strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. When it comes to mechanical traps, logic puzzles, or anything she could possibly solve with her mind alone, she will never admit defeat, and usually triumphs after a suitable period of thought and experimentation. She is quite the pack rat, and when on treasure hunts, will hold onto even the most mundane of items, sure they can be put to use elsewhere. (She is fond of regaling anyone who'll listen with a tale of the time she opened a safe with only a screwdriver, a block of putty, and a small piece of tin, or other similar stories.) She gets uncomfortable when she's the center of attention, and slightly prefers the company of animals to people, especially intelligent, independent animals. Her greatest fear is something she considers lightly silly, but potent nevertheless. Ruin explorers often talk of the Shades -- spiritual creatures that lurk in absolute darkness. Supposedly, they are repelled by the slightest bit of light, but if a traveler spends time in total darkness, they will invade his brain and turn his thoughts to psychotic evil, or enter his body and cause it to slowly rot. Her mother scared her with stories of the Shades as a child, and they've stuck with her ever since. Realistically, nobody has any proof the Shades even exist, and Asteria knows this. However, she still is careful to have her lantern with her everywhere she goes, and never goes to sleep at night without leaving it burning softly -- no more than an ember at the end of the wick, to conserve fuel.
She knows the choker is somehow affecting her mind, but she has no idea how deeply. She knows that when her owner appears, she will somehow be compelled to serve him (or her, or it), but has no idea how. Being in a situation she can't control has always made her skittish, and this is even worse. She has resolved to fight or flee the control however she can, but she doesn't know if she'll be able to -- or even, when the time comes, if she'll want to.
Setting: The castle of Worldspire is set against the side of a forested mountain, high above and far away from any other settlements that exist today. It is bounded by walls far too high to scale, and divided into numerous sections within. It is, in fact, the size of a small city, and while it has numerous outbuildings, gardens, and grassy fields, most of it is one large building of immeasurable complexity. Numerous styles are represented within, ranging from unfinished stonework to wood-paneled 'mansion' decor to gilded Eastern opulence. Rooms can be as small as a broom closet or as large as the five-story library, which, counting its balconies and mezzanines, would be large enough to build a good-sized town in, and which once, according to ancient legend or humor, sported its own weather patterns. There is something new around every corner, whether it is a rooftop garden (with fountain and gazebo), a hidden trophy room, or a giant aquarium with magically-replenished fish food. The kitchens and larders of the palace are large enough to feed a nation, and enough food survives in the icehouses to feed two or more people for at least a year. (Asteria makes regular trips there.) It is a wonder to explore, with something amazingly beautiful or unexpected showing up in the most surprising of places.
The palace is, however, entirely deserted, and has been for roughly a thousand years. Magic and sound engineering have kept it from falling into ruins, and preserved many objects left within, but the floors are still thick with dust, and the slightest sound echoes through the long, disused passageways. Often the sensations of being in a place that was once full of life, but is now dead, grow a touch overwhelming. Asteria is used to them, but still finds herself a bit creeped out at times.
Legend has many things to say about Worldspire, most of them untrue. Some talk of the ancient magical artifacts to be found there, hidden in undetectable vaults, which could single-handedly rule or destroy the world, or do even more exotic things. Others say the ghosts of the imperial family haunt its halls, searching for intruders to do unspecified but hideously nasty things to them. Still others say degenerate tribes of humans, or mutated species of rats, or other dark creatures lurk in hiding there, ready to defend their territories. If any of the legends are true, Asteria's found no hints of it yet.
Asteria has taken a royal bedchamber as her base while she explores the castle. It is set into a tower, with a grand view of the grassy grounds and the endless evergreen forests and mountains beyond. The canopied bed, with typical imperial extravagance, is large enough to sleep a polo team comfortably. (Though the ponies would have to scrunch up a bit.) It is fitted with sheets, curtains and comforters made of royal blue silk and trimmed with gold thread, and enough pillows are scattered across it to make a comfortable double bed in and of themselves. A mahogany roll-top writing desk sits against one wall, with a supply of pens, paper, and candles, and is usually covered by Asteria's half-complete maps of various parts of the castle and speculative scribblings on where secret rooms and passages might be. A giant wardrobe beside it holds a wide array of women's clothing -- old and musty now, but still of staggering variety and extremely high quality, from ball gowns to lingerie.
Her treasure collection -- the ones she has found in the palace and on the way to it -- is currently stored in a glass-fronted case set against one wall. Her current collection includes a gold ring set with an emerald the size of a plover's egg, a music box constructed of brass and crystal, a beautifully illuminated scroll detailing various myths and legends, a functional padlock made entirely of platinum, and an ivory cameo depicting Empress Alexis in court garb. (One might also consider her golden choker part of her treasures, but she considers it more of a curse, and in any case she's permanently wearing it. The case is, however, where she found it to begin with.)
The room also includes a full-length mirror in a golden frame, set against a side wall, and a large, intricately patterned carpet. Other cupboards and cabinets are largely empty, but she has appropriated a section of the floor to keep all the miscellaneous tools and items she finds too bulky to carry with her on a daily basis. The tower is fairly central to the castle, and so she finds it a more or less convenient place to return to when she needs another tool.
Technically, there is nothing keeping her in this room. She can and often does explore the entirety of the castle to her heart's content. However, ever since she donned the necklace, something inside her considers this room her proper place, a location that's comfortable for her, and she grows anxious when separated from it for too long. She realizes this is the chain's work, and sometimes deliberately defies it, forcing down her panic to force herself to remain away for quite some time, but she always returns in the end.