Richelle de Mauvais

Richelle de Mauvais is a Red Widow from Dementlieu.

Background

Dementlieu

The Red Widow's unknown mother implanted a clutch of eggs in an unnamed human man, abandoning him to be devoured from the inside out by their offspring. Before this could happen, the man was purchased by the two scholars Albert and Giles de Mauvais. The clutch hatched in 709 BC, but the hatchlings were trapped in Albert's laboratory, where he subjected them to inhumane experiments. In the year 714 BC, due to her extremis of terror and pain, one hatchling discovered a spark of arcane magic within herself, which she tried to use to secure her escape. Instead, Albert stated out loud his intention to dissect her brain.

At this point, matters took a turn. Giles de Mauvais knocked Albert unconscious, stuffed the gifted hatchling and a number of precious books in a bag and absconded, fleeing east. During their journey, he nursed the Red Widow back to health and started educating her about the world at large. He made it very clear that his actions were not inspired by true altruism, but that he wanted to learn about Red Widows by observing her, rather than slicing into her flesh.

Unusually, the Red Widow felt a deep and lasting sense of gratitude for the human who had saved her life. As she gained control of her shapeshifting powers, the Red Widow and Giles started to claim they were a travelling father and daughter to deflect awkward questions, and he bestowed upon her the name Richelle de Mauvais.

Nova Vaasa

The unlikely pair wound up in Kantora, where Giles took up a teaching position at the University in Kantora and enrolled 'Richelle' as a student. He was honest with her about his intention to monitor her capacity to learn and her mental growth when compared to the human children with whom she must take classes. Rather than be offended, Richelle considered the idea to be interesting and a challenge; she focused on her studies, rather than the appetites of the flesh.

When Giles declared that he was ready to compile his notes on her development into a book in 719 BC, Richelle was eager to be the first to read it -- but tragedy struck. One morning, Giles was found dead in a brothel in Kantora, apparently having succumbed to a heart attack while at business with the local prostitutes. Because Richelle was his only heir, the sum of Giles' worldly possessions passed to her. Out of respect for the man who had saved her from a torturous death and found her interesting enough to study, Richelle decided to complete her studies at the University before moving on with her life.

In 721 BC, Richelle chanced to overhear her father's killer boast of his deed while deep in his cups. Spurred by a mixture of loyalty and gratitude towards Giles, the Red Widow murdered his killer in the dead of night, injecting him with enough venom to kill a horse, then leaving his body where it lay instead of feasting upon him.

Richelle graduated summa cum laude from the University in Kantora in 722 BC. Suddenly realizing that half of a Red Widow's average lifespan had already passed, she was suddenly gripped by the fear of death and resolved to find ways of extending her lifespan. As none of her studies in Kantora had offered her any leads, Richelle travelled west to find superior houses of learning.