Why am I here? Do I have some sort of purpose in being who I am? Or is this all just the result of an accident, a night shared between a Celestial being and one of my ancestors? And for all that, if some being of light and goodness intended to sire an offspring in the world, what’s the point of them living in a cesspool of villainy such as Riddleport?
Shimsa spent much of her time thinking thoughts such as these. Children of Riddleport got street-smart as soon as they could walk. They had to. Corruption and danger were normal and expected parts of life as much as the air they breathed. She instinctively knew, as they all did, when and where not to be seen. When some poor soul who was delinquent in paying back a debt or who failed to show the right person the right amount of respect suddenly had an “accident.”
And she despised it all. The wrongness of it ate at her like an open wound in her soul. Her own family wasn’t exempt from the dangers either. Living out on the outskirts of Riddleport afforded them a little bit of land and some semblance of privacy but there were incidents when one or another criminal element used that privacy as an opportunity to break in, rob, hurt her family and home. The first time, when she was only six, she turned to her parents as they cleaned up the aftermath of the robbery, asking who they should call, judges, guards, ship captains, to see justice done. She didn’t even get the whole question out before the look on her parents’ faces told her all she needed to know. There would be no justice. One way or another, criminals like this, those who are more than a would-be thug or ruffian striking out on their own, have a connection to organized crime groups. Pirate captains. Someone with connections to the guard, even to judges and the government agents. No justice would be served. This was just business.
Well, it wouldn’t be if she had anything to say about it. At six, there was nothing she could do except seethe inwardly and plan to grow up to put an end to evil and corruption like this. Unlike many childhood dreams and passions about what one wants to grow up to be, she never let this go. As she matured into adolescence that determination only grew in strength, but it also lacked any true direction. Was this really why she, an aasimar girl in Riddleport, was here in the world?
One day, in her mid-teens, she was deep in thoughts such as these as she was looking out beyond the harbor when her eyes rested on the familiar, majestic arch of the Cyphergate. Suddenly a rush of emotion, adrenaline, and mental clarity hit her. She knew it was somehow her purpose to fight against systemic corruption and evil in the world. The Cyphergate was not a product of Riddleport, but someting far, far older from a now-dead civilization. Thassilon.
And stories have lately been told of the rise and defeat of one of the ancient Runelords. If any society had rampant corruption, it was Thassilon. As she looked at Riddleport’s own relic of that bygone empire, it occurred to her that if there is in fact a real possibility that the ancient rulers of Thassilon are indeed returning to power, they would bring with them an unparalleled level of systemic corruption and decadence. This! This is my calling! she realized.
From that moment on, she set herself to devour every bit of information she could about Thassilon and to prepare herself to be one of Sarenrae’s inquisitors, to eradicate corruption and evil from the world while preventing however she could the horror of a new Thassilon from emerging back into the world.
She wasn’t certain how the conversation with her family would go, but she knew she had to tell them of her plans for what she now felt compelled to do with the rest of her life. They were as resentful of the conditions of Riddleport as any good-hearted people would be, but Shimsa knew they had accepted the status quo as “simply the way things are in the world.” This was something she simply could not do. Fortunately, they did not try to dissuade her when she finally broached the topic.
“Somehow, I’ve always known you would take up some kind of holy quest like this,” her mother said. “I may not like it, fearing for your life as you take on dangerous foes, but I think such callings are the destiny of those aasimar children the gods see fit to be born into the world.”
Her father added, “If this is truly what you must do, I know of an academy dedicated to followers of Sarenrae. It will be difficult to get the necessary recommendations and fees together, but I know the right people who may be willing to help. And consider this our coming-of-age gift to you, just make us proud of the positive change you bring to the world. May The Lady Everlight grant you the wisdom to know when to battle and when to retreat, so that you do not needlessly sacrifice your life in a fight you can’t win. All this talk of Runelords and such powerful beings makes me think you will be presenting a challenge to even Sarenrae to keep you safe, but I pray it will be so.”
To that end, she was sent to the church academy for training as soon as she was of age to be accepted. It was there that she met the twins Sasha and Shura. Recognizing others who endured the stigma of being different from their neighbors, they formed a friendship strengthened by shared childhood challenges and a common purpose as emissaries of the Dawn Flower. When their training was complete, it seemed only natural for Shimsa to accompany the twins as they set out into the world, which led them to Roderic’s Cove.
Upon arrival, the three friends joined with the town guard to help the local townspeople while they considered what path ahead of them would be the one Sarenrae intended for their future.