Liability Mourneswaith

A Player Character in the Eye of Anubis campaign on the Fraternity of Shadows roleplaying forum. Liability, better known as "Lia", served as the party's Wizard.

Early History

Born into the Mourneswaith family of Mordent, Lia is the eldest child of her father Algernon Mourneswaith and her unnamed mother, and as such the legal heiress to both a thriving brewery and distillery business, as well as a dubious blood relation to the Mournesworth family.

Tragically, Algernon was a largely untalented dabbler in arcane magic, who cooked up the theory that exposing his unborn child to enhancing spells while still in the womb would ensure she would be born as a mentally and physically superior specimen. The effect of his bombarding his wife's womb with magic was, however, the birth of a caliban -- as any true Mage could have warned him.

Both Algernon and his wife detested the infant, which was born with red eyes, vestigial wings, white hair that squirmed independently, and mottled grey skin like a seal. Lia's mother abandoned home and hearth at the earliest opportunity, running away and disappearing completely. The only reason Algernon did not murder the baby outright is that his own mother still held controlling interest in the family business and threatened to disown him if he ever hurt Lia. This she did not do out of affection, but to punish his son for what she saw as his failure to think things through.

Education

Lia learned to hide her looks with masks, veils, gloves and wide robes. She also learned to avoid her father as much as possible and not to draw attention, especially once he remarried and conceived another daughter, her half-sister Ermenglot Mourneswaith. Lia was sure that as her grandmother aged, her father would be more likely to have her assassinated to clear the way for 'Ermie' to become his legal successor.

In order to get beyond Algernon's reach and attain a measure of protection, Lia had herself enrolled in finishing school in Dementlieu, and later the University of Dementlieu, where she pursued a double degree in Archaeology and History. Although Algernon had always forbidden her to study the subject, Lia found herself as fascinated by magic as her father, and initially attended a few classes at the Department of Arcane Sciences out of curiosity. To her own surprise, she turned out to have a talent for the subject. Though initially torn between fear and temptation, Lia gave in to her longing for actual power, and enrolled in additional classes. When her tutors expressed concern for the heavy course load, Lia assured them she could handle it, privately reflecting that she already had no social life worth speaking of.

Death and Menetnashte

Although Lia was doing well in her studies, even managing to squeeze some language courses into an already packed schedule, she never forgot the need for secrecy to safeguard her life. She did not mingle with her fellow students and did not go out, ensured that her family back home never learned exactly what she was doing or how well, and kept her nose pressed to the grindstone.

This finally backfired when one of several male students who had become intrigued by the 'veiled maiden', and fantasizing about her beinv some great beauty, cornered her in an otherwise abandoned corridor. Having ripped off the terrified Lia's mask and veil in one go and kissing her without asking permission, the boy screamed and ran when he saw the truth of Lia's looks. Lia chased after him, unsure herself what she would actually do if she caught him, but the boy leaped into a river -- and pulled his head under when he saw Lia looking down on him, committing suicide.

Terrified for her life, Lia knew there was no way she could prevent this kind of news from reaching her father if even one of his agents in Port-a-Lucine had witnessed them. At around the same time, the Menetnashte Expedition was announced. Realizing that here lay a chance to acquire such scholarly renown that Algernon would not dare attack her anymore, and also to get very far beyond his reach, Lia fought tooth and nail for a position on the prestigious expedition... and succeeded.

Personality

More than a little paranoid due to her upbringing and initially reluctant, even afraid to reveal the extent of her magical powers to the other members of tbe Expedition, Lia gradually opened up as events forced her to act. Unfortunately, one of the things that came through the newly opened door was long-repressed rage over the unfairness of her fate, as well ss the suffering of others. Combined with what some called self-righteousness, when Lia truly had the best intentions and resented the accusation, this led to several in-party arguments, especially with the Har'Akir-born, Rajian Cleric, Kuzan.

Determined to help the Expedition as best she could, and later to prevent the party's nemesis Adramelech (mainly going by the identity John Lancaster Cavendish) from releasing the monstrous Vestige Beherith, Lia struggled to be useful in whatever way she could. In her drive to do good and fight evil, she did make regrettable mistakes, acting without having informed her teammates.

Combat

Although trained in the use of firearms, Lia's strongest weapon by far was magic. She preferred the element of Fire for her offensive evocations, but was also highly fond of Lightning and Force.

In addition to offensive evocations, Lia was proficient in defensive Abjurations and Transmutations, and spells like Mass Fly and Haste to benefit the whole group. A weak melee combatant, her best placing was at a reasonable distance from the figbt, typically airborne and hurling spells.

Relationships

Algernon Mournswaith and Lia remained full of hate for one another right until the point that Algernon died, the victim of a Dread Golem he created to kill Lia at the instigation of John Lancaster Cavendish. His ghost appeared in a horrifying guise to blame Lia for his death, and the two of them argued until Lia swallowed her rage long enough to ask Kuzan to give her father final rites and offered to pass on any words to her family that he wished said. At the time of Algernon's death, Lia had at least overcome her fear of him, as her power far outstripped his.

Remarkably, Ermenglot and Lia never seem to have held any animosity towards each othef. Lia even referred to her half-sister with the nickname "Ermie" in an unguarded moment. For her part, Ermenglot sent her big sister a letter to inform her of Algernon's death and asked her to come home.