Rasha
From FiranMUX
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Contents |
Overview
Rasha was born on July 3 in the year 7 A.U. as Lady Rasha N'Gato of the Hydra Clan, oldest child of Lord Katarus and Lady Osiana N'Gato. She remained an only child for well after her Ceremony of Souls and being the only girl in the family as well as several years younger than her cousins Rodellos and Pavan, she was naturally spoiled quite a bit. She was a serious little girl however who seemed much older than her age and who was very much aware of her status as a noblewoman. Although her mother often claimed it was a pity she hadn't born a son, Rasha felt that was nonsense... she delighted in being a girl and couldn't understand what was so good about being a boy. This attitude stayed with her throughout the years and she's never been able to comprehend the pity others sometimes express regarding Hydra women. They are kept safe and protected by their husbands who make all the difficult decisions, leaving their wives to look after the children and care about the small, but important, things in life.
All noblewomen are expected to marry for the good of clan and family and Rasha was no exception. It took quite some time to find her a good match however, with arrangements often falling through at the last moment, but in the end Rasha was married to Lord Banik Istabannos of the Cockatrice Clan, whose clan and family she joined. This was not to last long however for so soon after their wedding was Lord Banik turned into a golden statue by Zutiv that the Hydra clan demanded her return since as far as they were concerned she was still a virgin and they needed young noblewomen to be married off. She remained a Cockatrice for several months after that however, until her sister-in-law Ibania tried to proclaim herself as Clan Leader. This was not taken well and the Cockatrice Civil War broke out in 26 A.U., during which Rodellos claimed his cousin back stating that the Cockatrice Clan had not been able to treat her the way she deserved. Surprisingly, not only the Hydrans but also the Cockatrice felt this was the one good thing to came out of the entire messy situation.
Several months later Rasha was to be married again, but this time to Lord Orestes Rissik of the Chimera Clan in exchange for a fabulous dowry, for the Chimera Clan and the Rissiks in particular needed more old noble blood. She bore her husband two daughters in rapid succession but no more children followed until they decided to adopt a little boy a few years later. Born a Hydra woman, Rasha felt it was her duty to provide her husband with a son one way or another even though by then it had become clear that their oldest daughter shared her father's interest in masonry and weaponry. The fact that her own adopted brothers were growing up to be fine examples of Hydra young men only strengthened her belief that adoption of commoners by nobles could work out, provided they remain commoners of course. By this time, she had left the Hydra Clan after the Second Civil War and taken her youngest daughter Belica, born a N'Gato and Hydra, with her. The Hydra clan did not like this, especially since various other families had fled the unstable clan as well.
As a Lady of the Chimera Clan, Rasha was appointed clan minister of families and put in charge of Hope's Home Orphanage as well as various adoptions, marriages, and divorces which needed to be arranged. It was not all so difficult from when she served as the noble matchmaker in the Hydra Clan, although it took up much more of her time - especially since at the time Lord Lutrios N'Gadanik had been the only single noble in the entire clan. Most of her time however was spent looking after the family's children in order to make up for the busy duties of Lady Proxy Yasha and Lady Commander Nazeera who both could not spend as much time with their children as they wanted due to their duties to clan and republic. Raising and helping children was clearly one of Rasha's passions in life and she was always willing to help with other children as well as her own.
Her life fell apart in 39 A.U. when it was revealed that a large number of prominent Chimeran citizens were part of the Antonian Apostasy, a secret group trying to overthrow the Republic. The entire Rissik family was implicated and Yasha, Kristover, and Orestes were all found to be guilty for treason and promptly executed, with the rest of the family stripped of their noble title and residence. The adults were sentenced to live in a small cottage in the district but the children were to live in the servant quarters of the Chimera Compound. Then Clan Leader Inaya took pity on Rasha, the only true blooded noble of the family, and appointed her the nanny and caretaker of the children. After Inaya was forced to abdicate in favour of her son Torianos, she was sent to live with the other Rissiks until her cousin Lord Proxy Firistan N'Gato tried to claim her back for the Hydra clan, which prompted Lady Proxy Melani to call her back to the compound and reinstate her as the clan's minister of child welfare. The Chimera clan refused to let her go and not willing to abandon her children or break an oath, Rasha made a speech stating that to serve was to be her duty and part of the punishment brought upon her family. Both Torianos and Firistan ended up looking rather good as a result of these proceedings in the eyes of their respective clan members.
As a commoner, Rasha was appointed the clan's Minister of Child Welfare and Under Secretary of Livestock and became the brain behind the construction of the Chimera Communal Farm and the rebuilding of Hope's Home orphanage after it had been destroyed in a fire. Thanks to the influence of her N'Gato relatives she was not held in as much disdain as the rest of her family, although having to adjust to proper behaviour as a commoner took quite some time. Her philosophy however was that loosing her nobility was not nearly as much of an insult to her noble ancestors are simply whining and grousing about what had happened. Rather she saw that serving the clan and its people was the right thing to do, and the attitude that had brought her ancestors to nobility many, many centuries ago.
In the year 41 A.U. her brother Malatan won the Social Pentathlon during the Fall Festival and offered it to her. After a lot of soul searching, prayers, and doubts she chose to do what everyone expected her to do, which was to remarry into nobility. Her daughters were all but adults now and her Clan Leader promised to respect the marriage prize with regards to her oath and that she could take Coristus with her since he had never been noble and would remain Chimeran and Rissik. And so, although she was genuinely fond of the Chimera Clan, its lack of single noblemen prompted Rasha to choose Lord Zerasmus Didoron as her marriage prize, whom she married right after the announcement. She has since joined his clan and family.
Family Life
Parents
- Lord Katarus N'Gato dotes upon his oldest (and for a long time only) child and is known to be extremely protective of her. An eccentric man, especially in his later years, he always seem to feel that no one is ever good enough for his little girl and made no qualms of hiding the distaste he felt for her Neo Noble second husband. A devoted trainer and breeder of horses, he is rather pleased that Rasha has inherited his talent for and interest in animals but as a proper Hydra Nobleman refuses to let her breed horses herself of course. The two get along famously most of the time, with Rasha indulging her father's quirks and he muttering about but accepting her sometimes too emotional decisions. During her denoblement, Katarus insisted on calling her his Lady Daughter.
- Lady Osiana N'Gato was never quite sure how her daughter ended up so prissy and stuffy as a child, but doted upon her little girl nevertheless. Rasha in return saw her mother as the ideal noblewoman and throughout the years she has always pictured Osiana as her role model. Calm and sweet, but always proper, this is what Osiana is and what Rasha strives for. The two are very close and Rasha is very glad that her mother's endless attempts to give her father a son didn't claim her life.
Siblings
Because her four siblings, two natural sisters and two adopted brothers, are a good deal younger than her, Rasha has been both an older sister and a surrogate mother for her siblings over the years.
- Rasha remained an only child until she was 16 when her mother gave birth to her sister Katriana. Although she was a grumpy baby, Rasha adored her little sister and spent a large amount of time with her, joking that this would be good practice for when she would be a mother herself. Despite the age difference, the two sisters are very close and continue to be so in spite as various upheavals in their life which left Rasha a commoner and Katriana a Princess.
- Kassia was born when Rasha was nearly 18 years old and already a member of the Istabannos family. She too was a grumpy baby and remained a rather odd young lady throughout her childhood and into her young adult years. Kassia is devoted to Zutiv and has caused a number of incidents as a result of this devotion. The two sisters do get along, although Katriana is by far the most patient sibling.
- Elachi is the oldest of Rasha's two adopted brothers and a true Hydra Warrior. In fact he was awarded the titles of Sharanir and First Among Warriors at a very young age, something Rasha is very proud of. Although he was never noble and is 13 years younger than her, he sees himself as the Oldest Brother and frequently lectures her on what she should and should not do. Although this annoys her from time to time, Rasha sees him as her true brother and tries to please him as much as possible.
- Malatan too was adopted at age 2 and raised a member of the N'Gato household. A few months younger and much more gentle than Elachi, Rasha feels very protective of her youngest brother but pride as well of what he's accomplished. He's found his calling as a Priest of Zutiv in the True Temple and runs the Childcare Centre in the Hydra district. An excellent teacher, she's hired him as a mentor for her own children and considers him the best possible priest since Lokaranis (whom he idolizes). Malatan lived up to his N'Gato upbringing when at age 20 he managed to win the Social Pentathlon of the 41 A.U. Fall Festival. He offered his prize to Rasha so she could marry back into the noble class.
Husbands
- After a series of failed betrothals, most noticeably to Lord Aldrikos Ista Aldrik until the peace marriages between the Bear Clan and Gold Dragon Clan forced him to marry Lady Leyla Firgalik instead, Rasha finally married Lord Banik Istabannos of the Cockatrice Clan at age 17. This marriage didn't last long however for shortly after the wedding Banik was turned into a golden statue by Zutiv. Rasha remained a member of the Cockatrice Clan and Istabannos family until she rejoined the Hydra Clan and N'Gato family following Ibania's Test. No children were born from this marriage.
- Eager to get some pure old noble blood into their clan, the Chimera Clan made the N'Gatos an offer for a marriage between Rasha and Lord Orestes Rissik, a Neo Noble and architect, which was accepted by Lord Proxy Rodellos N'Gato. Per the marriage agreement Rasha was to remain Hydra and every second child was to be both a member of her birth clan and family. This changed following the Second Hydran Civil War, also known as Zeysani's War, when Rasha joined the Chimera clan, taking her daughter Belica with her. Only two children were born in this match before the execution of Lord Orestes following the Antonian Apostasy.
- Now a widow and a commoner, Rasha was offered a marriage prize by her brother priest Malatan Kenirugik after he won the Social Pentathlon in the 41 A.U. Fall Festival. After careful deliberation Rasha chose to marry Lord Zerasmus Didoron of the Cockatrice Clan, thereby reclaiming her noble birth right and returning to her former clan, joining a family with close ties to the N'Gatos. Lord Zerasmus is 10 years her junior.
Children
Rasha has three children from her marriage with Orestes.
- Arissa Rissik was born on November 28 in the year 27 A.U. and named after both the famous General Riss and the late Lady Aristria N'Gato, her mother's aunt. An angry baby, Arissa has grown up to be a willful young woman who dreams of becoming a pilot in both the clan and republic military. Of all the Rissik children, she has perhaps the least trouble with her denoblement for she always chafed at the restrictions life expected of a 'proper noble lady'.
- Belica Rissik was born February 11 in the year 29 A.U. as Lady Belica N'Gato of the Hydra Clan. Per her parents's marriage contract she was to move to the Hydra clan district on her 8th birthday but before that happened Rasha left the Hydra Clan, taking Belica with her. As a result Belica was denobled alongside her mother and siblings. In contrast to tomboy Arissa, Belica is a very proper young girl who greatly enjoyed the perks of being a noblewoman. Not one to whine however and determined to make her noble ancestors proud of her, she is studying to become a Lady's Maid to her aunt Princess Katriana Elianik.
- Coristus Rissik was born around the new year of 34 A.U., the exact date is unknown since he was adopted as a baby and both his parents and proper birthday are unknown. In an ironic twist of fate, Coristus - adopted because his mother felt bad she could not give her husband a son - takes after Rasha and shares her interest in animals.
Rasha has one child from her marriage to Zerasmus.
- Lord Ketarus Didoron was born December 31 in the year 42 A.U., a little over a year since his parents were wed. He is a happy baby who has been named after both his grandfathers, Lord Ketrik Didoron and Lord Katarus N'Gato, whose funeral took place a few days earlier.
Accomplishments
Dog Trainer
Rasha is known as Anarinuell's prime dog trainer. She started with this hobby back when her brother-in-law Kristover handed her first the stray hound who had impregnanted his beloved dog Jinx and then Jinx's pups since he had absolutely no idea what to do with them. As her father's daughter, Rasha had always been good with animals and she became intrigued by these creatures and she started first training and then breeding them. When a Mer Bomani introduced his spaniels in the city she made sure to check up with him and convinced her cousin Lord Proxy Firistan N'Gato to invest in one. Many of the city's prominent dog owners have come to her for advice on how both to breed and train their dogs.
Festival Entertainment Coordinator
Rasha has served as the Entertainment Coordinator for the Festival three times: two times for the Fall Festival (in 38 A.U. and 41 A.U.) and once for the Spring Festival (in 40 A.U.). In this function she was responsible for the hiring of talented but proper entertainers of all sorts to brighten up the Festival atmosphere during and between events. She has worked in this capacity with Lord Marsalos Iberik, Mes Ladonna Harror, and Lady Deelia Iberik.
The Chimera Communal Farm
Although Clan Leader Torianos headed this joined project between himself and the Rissik family, Rasha was the brain behind it. The idea was simple: the Chimera Clan has always been known as the clan of the Second Chances, the clan where everyone was welcome as long as they worked. Until then new arrivals to the city of Anarinuell were forced to either live in the Old City or rent an expensive apartment. The Communal Farm offered all Chimeran citizens a place to live for free within the city walls as long as they did something for the clan: be it serving in the clan military or simply doing some chores around the complex. The stables and barn can also be used to keep their horses and livestock in if they do not have such themselves.
From Mes to Lady
Thanks to the generosity of her youngest brother, Rasha was able to marry back into nobility by using the sacred marriage prize Malatan had won in the 41 A.U. Fall Festival. This meant she could theoretically marry anyone she wanted, as long as they were free. She chose not to marry Clan Leader Amenik Istabelik of the Hydra Clan however, who was engaged to Lady Jaline Firgalik at the time, nor did she follow her sister Katriana's example by choosing the one remaining Prince: Lianos Elianik of the Eagle Clan. Instead she chose Lord Zerasmus Didoron of the Cockatrice, joining an old blooded noble family with close ties to her own.
Scandals
From Lady to Mes
Although Rasha was never actually a part of the treacherous Antonian Apostasy, she was a member of the Rissik family at the time and her own husband, head of household, and brother-in-law were all found guilty and executed for treason. She was denobled, along with the rest of the Rissik family, and made to live as a commoner who served in the clan's royal compound's servant quarters.
Miscellany
Likes
- Apple Cider
Apple cider is definitely Rasha's favourite drink, but she's quite fond of blueberry and cherry wine too when the mood strikes her.
- Children
Rasha likes children of all ages and usually can relate to them. They in turn tend to like her and it's not unheard of for various friends and relatives to turn to her for help if they need to teach their children to stop doing something.
- Pets
Rasha loves animals, and especially the ones that keep you company and you can use to teach responsibility to children. Dogs are her favourite of course but she usually has a few ferrets running around as well and her love for horses is well known.
- Jewelry
Rasha has a distinct penchant for jewelry, especially the type that's set with precious gems, and has a hard time restraining herself when she sees a particular nice set for sale.
Dislikes
- Rudeness
At least in social life, not for the military. If officers need to yell at their men in order to better protect the people, they should do so of course. But one should always show proper respect for one's betters and even when punishing someone a scathing comment is much better than loosing one's self-control and be all rude. It's unladylike.
- Conflict
Rasha really doesn't like conflicts of any sort. She knows it's part of life but she's seen small conflicts escalate far too often into civil wars or air raids and she's definitely not a fan.
- Idleness
Idleness invites Zutiv's wrath and one should always have something to keep one's mind if not one's hands occupied. No matter what happens, just crying and complaining is not going to do anything about it and you'll only end up feeling more miserable. Children know better than to complain to her about being 'bored'.
