Ghanima
Info
Status: Ogre Shaman. The Priestess of Una. The Lady of Scourge
Race: Ogre
Realm: Nan Belegorn formerly Tir Asleen
Started: 2003
Unit: Horde, House Scourge
Weapon of Choice: Flourentine
History
Ghanima's story reflects the great shift to monsterdom that occurred in Nan Belegorn just as I started fighting. It is kind of a combination story of Ghanima's birth and her finding of the staff. Basically when I started fighting most everyone in the two realms I knew were humans/ good humanoids very quickly, much to my early dismay many of my friends went monster. I was fascinated by the stories and lore but felt too shy to switch myself. I tried to play the human slave of the monsters so that I could somewhat associate with them. Rudzok changed everything when around a Melcaorme campfire he told me that I was really an ogre. For some reason having someone tell me that it was ok, that I was not just usurping something made all the difference, and I did not look back. I was instantly fascinated by the ogre lore. I devoured the stories and felt called to be a shaman. .
Ghanima was born a descendent of Una, but her parents did not know this, as lineage can be forgotten over time. Her mother's name was Marna, she does not know her father's name. (she learned all this after Una touched her) Marna was the 3rd daughter of a great shaman in an as yet unnamed tribe. Marna's grand mother wielded the staff of Una. There was a falling out as Marna's mother was the second daughter of the staff wielder. Traditionally the staff had been passed from mother to oldest daughter all the way back to Una, however the true power and meaning of the staff had been lost over time. Few knew how to wield it, even powerful Una shamans could barely scratch the surface and so rather than the rare relic it was, it came to be more of a status symbol. Oldest daughters who were not even directly touched by Una, but whose elemental affinity was water, were also allowed to carry the staff. If nothing else it seemed like a good luck charm.
In a rather cruel twist of fate though, in this case it was the second daughter who was touched. The first daughter's element was actually fire. The staff wielder wanted to break tradition and give the staff to the second daughter, but the first daughter objected claiming it was her birthright to claim it. The matter remained unresolved as the mother did not want to choose between her two daughters and decided fate itself would decide who would wield the staff.upon her death as the pyre burned, the chief of the tribe decided that the two sisters should fight for the right to have the staff. The older sister won and was awarded the staff, but upon touching it, her arm froze. in rage she broke her arm off and threw the staff into the river. she laughed savagely as her sister ran to try and retrieve it, but the river was wild after making contact with the artifact and no attempt to retrieve it succeeded. With the staff lost, faith in the chieftain diminished, as did the apparent luck of the tribe.
Marna's mother, her mate, her two sisters, and a handful of other ogres broke off and dedicated their life to following the river and trying to retrieve the staff. Marna was a wee babe in arms at the time and not suited for travel. She was left in the care of a family in the larger tribe and never knew her heritage. Over time as the luck of the tribe continued to diminish a new schism occurred and marna's adopted family broke away from the old chieftain and followed a young brash bull. he held great sway and led the little tribe to decent prosperity. Even though the land did not give as it once had the tribe was well enough and Marna grew in contentment. She eventually found her mate in the no longer young bull chieftain and they produced a daughter. Ghanima's original name is lost to time, it is not a secret that Una has seen fit to reveal directly, but Naonda strikes her and indeed it was Naonda, daughter of Onna and granddaughter of Una to whom she owes he lineage. The pregnancy had been hard on Marna, she did not carry the baby the full year, the baby was born tiny and pale but spirited. Her cries would seem to darken the skies, and she slept best under a full moon. big game was scarce, and even though Marna and the babe were not really fit for travel the tribe had to move.
Perhaps it was due to the slowness of the tribe, or the oft crying babe, or just fate/bad luck but when most of the able bodied ogres were out searching for game and herbs to tend to the new mother a pack of goblins ambushed those who remained. They were overrun, and though they fought hard and killed many goblins the ogres returned to find Marna and her caretakers dead, and the camp ransacked.They could find no trace of the infant Who knows why the goblins did not kill the babe, perhaps they thought it a funny joke, or maybe UNA already protected the her. The goblins left the tiny baby amoung the bodies of a human encampment they had recently raided. She was found by the survivors and given the name Ghanima which in a lost human tongue means spoil of war. She was raised among the humans and had no clue as to her parentage. Ghanima is small in stature for ogres, and pale and there was little difference to be noted. She was raised as a foundling in a protected valley with 2 large human settlements close to each other. One named Tir Asleen, the other Nan Belegorn
She was not content in the human village and found most comfort among the streams and lakes and great bodies of water. She learned the skills of using twin blades and was feeling the urge to go wander. A great change occurred nearly overnight. Monsters moved into the valley. people from the villages were suddenly lost and a great host of monsters rose up. Ghanima's village was taken over by a great horde, and Ghanima was taken into captivity. Oddly, She felt little fear in her captivity and was mostly captivated by the beings she had been raised to dread. It occurred during a great gathering the Ogre Rudzok took notice of Ghanima, and despite her stature and pale skin declared that she was not a pinky but an Ogre. The crowd grumbled and some dissented but Rudzok would hear none of it. He broke her shackles, and named her Ghanima the ogress. And so it was that Ghanima was finally set free, but having no knowledge of her heritage or roots she floundered and remained unsure of herself. She followed the monster horde as they went to other places and joined a unit of elite monsters known as House Scourge. She became the Lady of Scourge and found some comfort among this close group. Almost a pseudo tribe. She truly awakened to what she was though upon an encounter with a large tribe of ogres called the Thorogonya. She heard the tale of the gods from the Shamans Goron and Ulvat the Beergarde and her eyes felt open for the first time. Now she knew who to send her prayers to, and she learned all that she could of the gods. She felt the irresistible urge to go wandering but felt loyal to her unit. soon though as if by fate a great breach of trust occurred and the house broke. Most of the remaining members found their places elsewhere but Ghanima was neglected. Perhaps it was Una directing her, who knows, but Ghanima was alone for the first time and she went into solitude. She wandered for quite some time praying and receiving wisdom from Una. She learned of a different tale of the gods, she learned new knowledge never before shared. She learned many new truths, old lies, and she was given a vision of a staff. This vision became ever present, and She wandered alone taking neither food nor drink, such was her desire. guided by only her visions she came upon a glen with a lone tree, and a pool of water. To cool her fever and relieve her thirst she went to the water., She looked into the water and at the base was the staff of her visions. She reached for the staff but as she reached for it, it grew further away. In her weakened state she saw the water itself rise up like a serpent and say that only a true daughter of Una could claim the staff. She took off her clothes and dove in. The water all of the sudden seemed heavy and unnatural. Water had always been where she felt safest but not this time. She felt it tighten around her, the unnatural cold pulling her breath from her body. She reached as much as she could but the staff seemed no closer. She tried to resurface to get another gulp of air but found that the surface too was out of reach. She struggled for a moment, but then as the last bit of air left her lips she felt a sense of peace. She stopped struggling and relaxed letting the water pull her down. Before she knew it her hands grasped the staff and it throbbed as if in memory and she felt as if she had met an old friend. she pushed off the bottom of the pool with all her might and as the staff broke the surface of the water so did the spell. She clung to the edge gasping in deep gulps of air and when she had the strength she climbed out of the pond. The staff hummed eagerly in her hand, and she rested knowing that new knowledge awaited her.