#AND THEY SAVED RAPHAIL

[aloyssobek]

this is how we ended the session after the party defeated a roc

[aimostagis]

Zelek's Parents.

Zelek was given up at birth by Kalina and Raphail. Kalina was a wonderful young woman studying to be a witch, she met Raphail when she was in her early teens and him in his late twenties. He was a warlock renowned for his magical abilities and when he discovered Kalina and her desire to learn Magic, he seized the opportunity to teach her.

At this time, it was a great ‘honour’ for young women to be chosen by older men and though he was only offering to teach her, Kalina was overcome with joy. Under Raphail’s tutelage Kalina quickly advanced in power, she was a natural at the craft and it showed, everyone was envious of Raphail’s young apprentice.

The entire time that Raphail was teaching Kalina, he was also grooming her, conditioning her to become how he wanted her to be. He wanted Kalina to be his and his alone. Once Kalina had advanced to the point where she was no longer an apprentice, Raphail manipulated her into believing that she wanted to be with him. He was strong, powerful, could provide for them (even though she could have done the same on her own) and so she believed that when he told her he loved her, she loved him back.

This was not the case. Kalina, originally, was an exceedingly capable woman, she had combat skills as well as a sharp mind, she was confident and sure of herself but over the years spent with Raphail her spirit went away. She was the ‘perfect’ wife, beautiful, obedient and rarely ever opened her mouth to voice her opinion. She’d become Raphail’s creation and nothing more, whatever potential she’d had buried under years of manipulation and subtle abuse that no one ever picked up on.

When Kalina fell pregnant she was ecstatic, she knew that something was wrong with their relationship, she knew that she shouldn’t be the person she was but she had no way of stopping it. She was trapped. At first, she kept her pregnancy a secret, she didn’t know how Raphail would react but killing a child was an abhorrent act so she waited until it was impossible that he not notice and played dumb that she had only noticed a few days ago. Surprisingly, Raphail seemed happy to be a father, the idea of having another person who apparently adored him, that he could groom however he wanted was an enticing thought.

It wasn’t until Kalina was talking to a midwife, not long before she was due, that Raphail realised the problem. Kalina already loved the child more than she did him. That night he beat her until she barely survived, it was only his teachings that saved her and Zelek, as she was able to make a tonic that aided healing. Kalina came to screaming that she lost her baby, knowing that she hadn’t, and when it satisfied Raphail that his child was no longer alive he ordered her to make him food.

Sluggish and weak, Kalina made him food and drugged it with the most powerful poison she could make. She thought she had killed him and ran, he survived due to the immunity he had built up and he soon contacted her (through his telepathy) to tell her that he was coming for her. Frantic and not knowing what to do she gave birth on a cold night, alone and terrified. Raphail was weak enough that it took him time to recover but she knew that he would find her so she did what she thought was best and took Zelek to the strongest tribe she could find.

They offered her sanctuary and she refused, knowing that Raphail would kill anyone and everyone to get to her. Her only request was that they take her child and keep him safe, she named him Zelek after her grandfather and after they gave her some provisions to travel she disappeared without a trace. Zelek never knew who his parents were, Kalina made them swear that they would tell him nothing in fear of Raphail finding him. Kalina and Raphail, being Magical, have extended their lives so that while they can still die they won’t from old age. They’re still in the world, Raphail completely unaware of his son, he still hunts Kalina.