Nickname: Mori
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Height: 5'5"
Race: Human
Class: Assassin
Skills: As an assassin, Morella has become skilled in the arts of stealth. She can easily pick most locks, blend into shadows when wearing dark clothing, tiptoe around almost soundlessly, and is skilled in the art of taking a life by surprise. Should the situation go awry, she is also quite handy with a short-sword. She can throw her voice and mimic most sounds, which is extremely useful when on the job.
Weaknesses: Morella isn't exactly a tank, and therefore can't withstand much damage of any kind, be it melee or magical. Therefore, she must kill her targets quickly and efficiently. Should there be more than one target, she usually takes a few moments to determine the best order in which to take them out. She also isn't very good at being the center of attention, even when it's a good thing. She feels awkward when all eyes are on her, and imagines all the ways someone could assassinate her from her vulnerable standpoint. She also doesn't trust easily.
Equipment: Morella carries around an assortment of useful items inside a small satchel. Items that are always found inside are a few lockpicks, a sewing kit, a small knife, and a couple of sweets, just in case. She carries her coin in another pouch, well-hidden from any would-be thieves. She keeps a dagger strapped to her right thigh and, occasionally, a short-sword on her left side should the need arise.
Personal Quote: Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.
Personality: Somewhat bitter and bleak, Morella sorts the world into two types of people: the killers and the killed. To her, everyone wants someone else dead. At least, that's what she's hoping for. That makes for quite a bit of money on her part. She's cynical with a black sense of humor, which never seems to present itself at an appropriate time. Morella is usually farthest from the definition of moral, but she guards her closest friends fiercely.
History: Morella was born on a perfectly clear night in a small village on the banks of Pyzer Lake by the name of Cutter's Hollow. Her father was a baker and her mother ran the apothecary. As such, her parents had made a pretty good name for themselves in town. Morella's parents were friends with some farmers in town due to buying ingredients from the farm for their many baked goods and healing salves. These farmers gave birth to a girl named Bianca. Morella naturally became best friends with Bianca, and they remained best friends until Bianca mysteriously disappeared one night.
It was rumored that a strange man had been in the village the night before, and half the town decided that Bianca had been either killed or kidnapped by him. None could give an accurate description of him, so any attempts to find him were in vain. Bianca's disappearance left the town in chaos for a while. Morella was greatly disturbed by Bianca's disappearance; not only because she lost her best friend but because it meant that anyone, anywhere could mean her harm. At least, it did in her own mind. Morella decided that she would have to be able to protect herself should the need arise. Morella stole her first dagger from a local hunter. After that, she realized she could obtain many things she wanted, if only she were quiet and patient enough. This led to a life of crime, yet somehow she remained undiscovered.
One day when Morella was 17, the village was visited by an adventurer who called himself Dimi. He was fairly young and attractive, and Morella always had a thing for the mysterious type. She 'convinced' him to show her how to wield a sword in order to defend herself. Through the weeks and the lessons, they fell in love. One night, Morella entered the room in the inn where Dimi was staying. A cry escaped from her lips as she found his body lying on the floor in a pool of blood. As she ran to his body, she felt a hand come over her mouth. She instinctively kicked backwards, hitting her assailant's shin and loosening his grip on her. As she twisted free she grabbed her dagger from her thigh and turned to face her attacker. He had a dagger of his own, rushed forward, and slashed Morella's right cheek, but she slit his throat. With the help of her mother's salves, Morella's wound healed, but it still left a nasty scar. Another reminder that the world is out to get her.
This murder, although in self-defense, shook the little village. Many were in disbelief that their little Morella was able to kill, and usually stared as she walked by, until she looked at them. The loss of her love shook Morella as well. By the time she turned 24, Morella decided it was high time to move to a bigger city--one where she could avoid the stares of passers-by and forget days of old. She told her parents she would make her way south to Thoav to start her own apothecary there. The idea started out honest enough, but as she traveled on, she missed the feeling of killing. She decided she would become an assassin-for-hire.
She eventually came to Paetax, and decided to stay at the Black Vagabond for about a week. She tried her best to go about unnoticed, but for some reason the innkeeper kept staring at her. She glared at him at every opportunity, trying to get him to stop. It didn't help. She left shortly thereafter on her long trek to Thoav. When she arrived, the first thing she did was get a room at an inn. She was tired from her travels, not to mention fending off bandits, highwaymen, and worse. She began working at the local apothecary as an apprentice, but longed to thieve and kill again. She eventually started doing free-lance assassin work, and eventually the Broken Circle noticed her and invited her to join their ranks.
A couple years later she headed home after a long day at the apothecary. She walked into the entrance room and was confronted by a woman in a black cloak. She was instantly on alert, wondering if her time had finally come. As the woman drew nearer, however, she called her by her childhood nickname: Mori. Only those from Cutter's Hollow called her that, and she realized that this was her long-lost childhood friend, Bianca. They embraced and hurried into Morella's room to catch up after all those years.