Phii
| Phii | |
|---|---|
| Status | |
| Race | Human |
| Gender | F |
| Guild | Barbarian |
| Instance | Prime |
Phii is a human Barbarian who spends most of her time training on remote islands in Rissan territory. Her life is marked mostly by the simplicity of a warrior's lifestyle, preferring the hunt much more to social politics, to which she rarely involves herself. Though she has been known to meddle here or there, its mostly of a benign nature motivated by curiosity and the pursuit of amusement. While she has been known to fight on the front lines in the defense of many cities for many flags, it has also been whispered that she's held idle conversation with the likes of Dragon Priests and Orc Warlords. More of a political nuisance to everyone rather than a noted enemy to anyone. Whether it is caution, plotting, or merely indifference which keeps her from declaring any allegiance is not known.
Privately, Phii is a great admirer of Guildleader Tusfaov, an avid chronicler of history, especially that pertaining to the Barbarian Guild. Quietly Phii makes her own documentations of the oral history and abilities of the guild, possibly a remnant trait instilled by her life previous to becoming a Barbarian. In conjunction to disciplined training, she also enjoys idle pursuits such as riddles and storytelling. Though a tried and true Barbarian, Phii has many companions who have chosen a life of magic and feels none the less for it. She simply finds magic irrelevant in the face of the great power wielded when one taps into their Inner Fire.
Past
On only one occasion has Phii remarked about her childhood prior to joining the Barbarian guild, and it was on the night of her Marking. According to Phii, her mother had died in childbirth and was left to be raised by her father in Zoluren. He had been a moderately successful Moon Mage as his father had been before him. With no male siblings she had been expected to carry on the next generation and was thus apprenticed to begin her training at the age of twelve. From the very start she was a great disappointment to her tutors. Though she could master the constellations and quickly learned to read and write, any attempt to connect with the outside forces of lunar magic met with disastrous failure. Not only was she unable to sense what her teachers insisted was there, it was as though a great internal barrier prevented her from even trying. With great reprimand her tutors complained of Phii's idleness and apparent willfulness and within half a years time she was expelled from her initiate training. Faced with the great burden of telling her father the young drop-out took the longest way home she knew, passing through Tiger Clan. There she witnessed an event that would be of little consequence to most, but changed Phii's life forever.
Before her eyes was the most ruthless 'game' she'd ever seen. Large Gor'togs covered in mud, and blood, were mashed together on an open field playing a game of Togball. Huddled nearby in a cage was a small Gnome, rattling the cage and screaming to be let out, but Phii took no notice. She didn't even notice as her small sack of lunar scrolls dropped from her hand and saturated in the mud. The players clashed together like great thunderclouds at war, kicking up great peels of dirt and muck. She went on watching, mesmerized and unnoticed for quite some time. For the first time she felt what her tutors had been trying so hard to convey in their attempts to have her perceive the mana around her. But it wasn't power from the skies she felt. A tiny flame inside her flickered for the first time, as if someone had finally taken notion to open a window. With the new clean air breathed upon it the tiny blaze grew, just a little.
Finally on of the Togball gladiators took notice of the small human girl standing in the mud. With a grunt he told her to move on before she got killed, or worse, used as a ball. The Gnome in the cage leaned forward intently at this. But the girl would not move. Timidly, the girl did just the opposite. Instead she asked if she could play too. The muddy Gor'Tog threw back his head in a raucous hoot and told her to get lost again. But again, Phii did not go. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he surveyed the girl and seemed to think on something with momentary concentration. He leaned down, the smell of grog heavy on his breath and reaffirmed to Phii that no, she could not play. But perhaps she could someday with a bit of training. He reached down and fished one of the ruined parchment scrolls from the mud. Plucking a piece of charcoal from the scoreboard he scribbled something hastily on the parchment and thrust it in Phii's small hands. With a satisfied grunt he turned and resumed watching the game. Slowly, Phii turned and left the field, following the crude picture drawing of what seemed to be directions. Following the wet and muddy parchment, Phii took her first steps toward the Barbarian Guild, and her future as a true Warrior of Inner Fire.
The Marking
During Phii's various travels she met with two other extraordinary Barbarians, a bonded couple Scynn and Asmara. Both bore curious markings all over their bodies and were extremely competent combatants. Phii admired their craftsmanship on Barbarian wares in their traveling tent, The True Path. It was not long before they struck up an easy friendship. Phii became especially fond of Asmara, knowing few other women to be in the guild of such high accomplishment. Scynn and Asmara soon became famous among Barbarians for the unique nature of their items but the friendship never dulled.
When Phii reached 100th circle some time later Asmara announced that she and her husband would like to honor Phii for her achievement, being the first female to reach such level among Barbarians. Allowed to bring only a few trusted companions and under the cover of darkness they met at an appointed hour in Wolf Clan for a secret ceremony. Over a roaring bonfire Phii was instructed to speak her warrior's tale, the story of how she was set on the path to be come a Barbarian in spite of other intentions set forth for her, of her longing to serve the tenacity of Everild, the rage of Trothfang, and of battles yet to come. The tale told, Phii was given the highest honor among the tribe of Scynn and Asmara, a story-telling brand seared into her flesh. The burn hardened into a scar to be carried into death.
A large hand is branded in the center of your back. Gnarled red scar tissue forms thick fingers spanning across your shoulder blades, a testament to smoldering wounds that look to have been wreaked by an inhuman touch. Centered in the open palm an enraged boar in full charge is depicted in sharply raised scars.
An Intercepted Letter About Phii from Issus Rippentropp from his Biggest Fan
Dear Mister Issus Rippentropp,
We have come to know one of the most ghastly figures we have ever come across during our travels, one Phii Serephteph. Since we have known her, she has displayed a remarkable ability when engaged in the art of "The Riddling," and so we found ourselves drawn to her to discover just what makes her tick.
Magic is certainly not what makes her tick. In fact, she shows a great distaste for any who utilize it, preferring instead to rely upon her own strength and that of her weapons. This brute force method, though it fails for most, seems to work well for her.
Phii is by no means a kind and gentle soul hiding behind violence just waiting to be discovered. She is morally ambiguous, serving her own purposes alone. We have seen plenty of adventurers attempt to ooze their way into her good graces just to get the cold shoulder. Sometimes, that same shoulder has been the very instrument with which she smashes their sternums.
This Barbaric Blitzkrieg does not abide any who question her prowess in battle: To call Phii coward, or weak, is most likely the quickest way to find oneself face down with a mouthful of dirt and nothing left to say. She is nearly as intolerant of her friends being disrespected, and she displays the loyalty of a lioness.
We always enjoy our meetings with Phii Serephteph, and thus far we have managed not to lose our pointy elf ears to her (she sees them as unnatural.) We shall continue to observe, if for no other reason than we are furiously curious about what she keeps in a little box she keeps on her person at all times...
I hope this letter finds you well, etc. etc.,
Your biggest fan,
Mister Issus Rippentropp
The Player Behind Phii
Erin, the player of Phii is involved in many Dragonrealms related circles. She is an admin at the infamous Smelly Cat forums, runs a barbarian website Phii's Keep and draws the DR online comic Text Based Shame. She very much enjoys going to Simutronics conventions, both official and unofficial and as a hobby makes costumes for such.