Megogo Asherah

“As if this life isn’t already short enough,” - Dame Megogo Asherah

Knightly Deeds
Defended the City of Port Holden from bandits at age thirteen receiving a ‘Crest of Valor.’ Received her second ‘Crest of Valor’ during the Siege of Pandorica and her third during the Battle of Endlefel. Received the Obsidian Wing for defeating a Lord Knight in single combat at the Battle of Anchal during the Siege of Pandorica. Recipient of the Star of Leodin for Valor and Bravery against extraordinary odds during the battle at Hearld’s Keep, Winner of the Merlion Grand Tourney in 249 and 251 AC. Defeated the Elderian Mystic; Golvax in single combat saving a village in the northern province. Discovered and subdued the otherkin known as ‘harpies’ during her first expedition to the mountains of Vorn. Defeated famed Dragon Blade Krysnaya in single combat ending a northern incursion and returning one of the lost Eldeidan, ‘The Frozen Fang’. Recipient of 37 classified deeds that are only on record to the Sacred Order.

 

Appearance
Megogo or Mama Gigi as she is known to her friends is rather curvacious for her breed. Some would say she is ridiculously endowed. Her bust is often talked about with scorn and lust by some of her fellow knights. Her appearance being considered a distraction by most of the nobility, considering her overtly sexual in her mannerisms and appearance. An accusation disputed by strongly by many female knights who look up to the lioness. She is however considered quite a nuisance to the tailor and armorers who disparage her need for custom armor and equipment. Despite the criticisms however, no one can discount the obvious psychological advantages of her appearance. At a little over six feet tall she is a commanding presence amongst her fellow knights. She demands respect and consideration through attitude and action rather than trying to play down her womanly attributes. She often uses her predatory eyes and impish grin to offset those around her and is not easily read by opponents. Her fur pattern is mostly gold with littered with brown spots. Her legs, arms and even the tip of her tail are marked with similar brown stripes. She sports a large area of peach fur from her muzzle, encompassing all of her chest down between her thighs. With her hands, feet and tail, painted a bistre brown.

 

Like many port town inhabitants, Dame Megogo was a healthy sized child. Not wanting for food or sustenance in a major fishing town, she would always be built a little bigger than her contemporaries in the northern lands or eastern plans. Despite this, no one would dare mistake her for fat or overweight. Nor does she carry herself that way, being able to move with a grace that defies her physical appearance. From her ‘child bearing hips’ to her enormous breast and pretty face, Megogo has had no end to marriage proposals from nobility much higher than her station would suggest; even once turning down the hand of Marquis Cailan Assyrius, heir to the Assyrian Pride. Admired by her male fellows, respected by female knights many years her junior and envied by many of her peers, Megogo is a knight unmistakable on the battlefield. Her face is considered mature yet alluring and she carries herself with a motherly dignity the defies her incredibly sexuality. Her long white hair whips wildly behind her, with only one long bang in the front. Frosted brown on the tips, she’s seen as a bit of an exotic beauty to those who’ve never encountered the ‘Port Town Girls’ of the south. Her look, confidence and motherly attitude has garnered her great support amongst the court and Knighthood, though she’s also made an enemy or two of less obviously attractive aristocrats.

 

Personality
They say it takes a lifetime to truly know yourself, it took losing almost everything for Megogo to know herself. A smart, capable and sensual woman. The mature lioness has years of experience under her belt, culminating in one of the most loyal, dependable and cunning Knights in the order. Confident and self assured, Megogo is not the type of woman to be insecure or intimidated by others. She carries herself with a sultry yet dignified sexuality that she uses to off balance some and quickly enamor others. Not being at all opposed to using her physical gifts to their full advantage. Here peers know her to be flirtatious and good humored, very much an easy person to get along with.

 

With that said she also exudes an undeniable den mother attitude toward younger and or less experienced Knights. Being rather informative and involved, she’s always able to motivate the Knights under her command to do their very best for ‘Mama Gigi’. The younger female knights look up to her for her wisdom and the respect she commands from the men, even with them lusting after her. ‘She makes it okay to be woman and a knight’. Not having to be either or to survive the social pressures. Patient and professional, often times using innovative ways to train and ready her subordinates. It is these personality traits and skills that have held her back from promotion as she is seen as irreplaceable in her current position, having trained all of her superiors on what it means to be ‘Raven Knights’, before they took their ranks.

 

Childhood
Megogo Asherah was born to Baron Ibai Asherah and his wife Lady Anderia Bradley during the fall harvest season of 223 AC. Minor nobles, her father was responsible for the Asherah Baronage and it’s one major city, Port Holden. Isolated and rather unimportant for years due to the lack of interest in nautical travel, Port Holden’s major contribution to the Kingdom is fishing and a rare plant life from the sea’s bounty that is popular amongst apothecaries. Holding very little tactical advantage lying almost directly between, but rather far apart from the major cities of Farthen and Balthazar, Port Holden’s complement of knights numbered in the teens, while the city was mostly defended by a civilian staffed City Watch; trained and controlled by Baron Ibai.

 

Because of her father’s hands on role with training and maintaining the City Watch, Megogo had been exposed to martial training at young age. Fascinated by combat and the knighthood, she shunned the idea of sitting pretty by her mother’s side and instead followed her father and his knight’s everywhere they went. By the age of six the she’d picked up the habit of training with her father and his knights as they whipped the City Watch into shape. She became a mascot of sorts to the men and women of the Watch, who saw her enthusiasm and willingness to work hard as a sign that Port Holden’s future Baroness would represent the people.

 

Megogo would train diligently, but was barred from joining the general studies with other youths who hoped to one day join the Watch. Instead, she was tutored one on one by scholars of the aristocracy to ensure she would have a noblewoman’s etiquette. Her martial instruction was the business of Port Holden’s Knight’s Captain; Sir Fulton Reese; one known as the Sing Blade and at the time was First Knight of Port Holden. Though it was the scholar's job to teach Megogo the concepts of nobility, morality and the expectations of those born into the aristocracy; it was Sir Fulton’s job to help reign in the young cubs willful nature and impulsive personality. Though Gigi was a hard worker and a willing student, the lioness had an impulsive streak that constantly saw her get into various kinds of mischief.

 

This delinquency only intensified when her young brother was old enough to accompany her. Four years her junior, Megogo’s brother Hildago had been her shadow ever since he could walk. At ten and six, the two were almost inseparable; with Hildago looking up to his older sister as his hero. Much to the dismay of the Baron and his wife, the two's favorite past time seemed to be carrying out elaborate pranks on the few nobles that lived in Port Holden. The Knights and even their servants were not safe. Rebukes, reprimands and punishments did not dissuade the two either. No, it actually caused their pranks to become more elaborate and cunning. This behavior was exacerbated by Sir Fulton’s insistence that the nature and complexities of these pranks showed critical thinking and planning; often showing himself to be genuinely impressed with the youths under his tutelage. Though the Lady of Anderia often accused Sir Fulton of encouraging this uncouth behavior in her children, Baron Ibai was agreed with his Knight’s Captain; having been quite the prankster in his youth as well.

 

Megogo’s life path would shift at twelve years of age, however. Asherah fell on dangerous times when bandits began raiding the small towns within the Baronage. Without a major presence from the knighthood, the small farming and trade towns were easy pickings for organized assaults. Things took a turn for the worse when the group, embolden by their success in other towns within the Asherah Baronage, decided to assault Port Holden. Despite the presence of the Knights and the City Watch, the overwhelming number of bandits and their speedy and brutal tactics caused no end of problems for the port town. To make matters worse, the bandits were far too well organized to be a simple mercenary outfit or thuggish rogues. Sir Fulton suspected deserters from the Lioncourt Irregulars.

 

Megogo had heard all about the Lioncourt Irregulars from her studies. Her father had Commanded a unit to the west, where he had met Sir Fulton. The Irregulars were like the City Watch, but larger. It was an attempt to mimic Evandale’s Border Legion, a military outfit consisting of an all volunteer force. The Border Legion had existed since before the cataclysm. Thousands of years back to the time of Leodin. Megogo had heard that within the Legion, nobility and privilege was cast aside. All within the Legion were on equal footing, no favorites, just duty. The aristocracy had thought they could emulate the concept to help bolster the country's Knighthood, as they were losing many knights in the war with Sauria. Megogo was only seven when she was taught of the Irregulars, but was wise enough even then to see why it had been such a failure. The Irregulars did not share the Border Legion’s doctrine of equality amongst its member. The volunteer force was treated worse in every way to the noble born Knight’s who commanded them. Commoners were trained and taught by the Knights, but could not earn command positions or gain knightly prestige for their deeds. Their successes were attributed to their commanders. Worse still, they were both fed and paid worst than the nobility around them. This lead to many issues and problems, not the least of which was mass desertions.

 

Despite her father and many other wise nobles advising against it, all of the deserters had been marked for death upon capture. This order coming from Marshal Frederick Dussaud, Arch Duke Palurius Nemea’s grand advisor and leader of the Irregulars initiative. Many argued that this would put undue pressure on highly trained men and women with an axe to grind against the nobility. Ibai himself argued that the men and women were volunteers and had taken no oaths to join the outfit and feared they would organize into outlaw bands to protect themselves. Despite warnings, Marshal Dussaud went through with his order and all hell broke loose. Feeling betrayed, the deserters now struck back at the nobility that had abused them; and though known as one of the fair and well liked commanders, the bandits still targeted Ibai’s lands for his role with the Irregulars. Before long Port Holden was made to pay the price.

 

The watch was a peace keeping organization and were untrained to deal with the advance tacts and brutality employed by the bandits. Though they fought valiantly, the defenders of Port Holden were being dwindled down via attrition. The city was repeatedly set upon and sacked, and many knights fell in defense of the more important quarters of Port Holden. Carrier Crows were dispatched to both Farthen and Balthazar, but both cities were thought too far away to send help in time to make a difference. Without major resistance, the bandits could occupy and control Port Holden before anyone could arrive to stop them. Worse the bandits were able to strike deep into the heart of the city, assualting Fort Hyner; setting fire to part of the castle and kidnapping Hildago Asherah.

 

With her mother grief stricken by her brothers abduction, Sir Fulton and his few remaining Knights trying to secure the Royal Quarter; no one seemed to have the time nor plan on stopping the bandits. Megogo, merely thirteen at the time had had enough. She pushed her father to mobilize his forces and crush the bandits. She wanted to retake her brother by force. She argued to disregard the local aristocracy who felt that organizing the rest of the citizen into a militia would be double downing on the mistakes of the past. Even so, Baron Ibai agreed with his daughter. Over three weeks time he organized the able bodied men and women of the town into a fierce Militia. Though young, Megogo’s skills and maturity of mind and body were enough credence to give her command of large unit. It consisted mostly of seasoned city watchmen and a few guards. Together they helped the locals fight back against the bandits and free Port Holden. In stunning display of tactical brilliance, Megogo led an operation to draw the bandits into the lower quarter; pretending to flee and lose a critical portion of the city. When her trap was set thousands of citizens poured from alleyways, and shot arrows from rooftops, turning the quarter into a killing field. On horseback Megogo’s Units drove the surviving bandits east away from the city and into the forest. It was a resounding victory, but the impulsive lioness was not satisfied with just liberating the town.

 

Megogo had been taught a great many things by the time she’d taken her first life. Many concepts of war and combat had been deeply ingrained into the young girl and despite her father’s orders to regroup, Megogo lead those under her command after the fleeing bandits. Megogo had surmised that the bandits would simply regroup and make another push toward the town. At the very least they may even hurt Hildago in retaliation for their defeat. Her father had not been willing to surrender the town in exchange for the boy and hadn’t been able to find where he was being kept. Megogo planned to follow the bandits, locate their leadership and force the return of her brother. To this end she allowed most of her force to return to the city with a few warriors following the bandits on foot.

 

Despite her age, her ferocity and spirit inspired those under her command. She had no end of volunteers for her foolhardy mission, forty good men followed Megogo into the forest. With there numbers severely weakened by the militia’s counter attack the bandits were not the capable fighting force they had been when the troubles started, but even a beaten beast has claws and teeth. Her plan was sound. The young noble would locate her brother and once she found him she’d began her plan. She’d infiltrate the camp, secure the tent he was being kept in and kill his guards. When that was done, she would signal the order for her men to send a hail of arrows into the camp; obviously avoiding the tent she and her brother was in. She knew the leader of the group would come to secure her brother and that in the confusion she could kill him. Without their leader the bandits would be in a state of disarray and her men could storm in and begin to take the camp by force. It seemed simple enough.

 

She waited quite a while before she put her plan into motion. Falling back a ways and keeping out of sight as the bandits grew less cautious of pursuit. When Megogo attacked the irregulars were taken completely off guard. She snuck in and with little effort located her brother, killing three men along the way. With her brother secure she cracked a bottle of the most awful smelling concoction. This stink bait was used to attract zilant;  very small flying lizard creatures that looked like serpent dragons with wings. Their gathering created a spectacle as the luminescent red membrane of their wings glew in the night. The men had their signal. The forty militiamen under the Megogo’s command began to rain misery down upon the bandits camp. As she thought, the leader of the bandits arrived to check on Hildago in the confusion; but he did not come alone. With four guards the lead bandit cut down the tent. The sheer number of illuminating zilant illuminating the tent and giving away her presence. Megogo had to fight hard to survive, eventually fleeing with her brother in hand after chucking the last of the stink bait into the commander's face.

 

Despite having the element of surprise, the militiamen were losing. The irregular’s training gave them an edge. They began to beat back the tiny contingent and the losses began to mount for Megogo’s company. She ordered the retreat back to Port Holden, but the bandits gave chase. Their numbers had been greater than she had original anticipated. All seemed to be lost until the remaining Knights of Port Holden appeared with most of the city watchmen flanking the bandits. Sir Fulton had come to save Megogo and the bandits had pursued her into a disadvantageous position. Far too committing to retaliating against Megogo’s paltry unit, the bandits were caught in a trap which none would escape. It was a massacre, one of which Megogo felt neither pity or anguish. Despite the reprimands and disapproval of her parents, and the scorn of the nobility, as well the disappointment of her mentor Sir Fulton; Megogo was proud of herself.

 

A week later a contingent of Knights from Farthern arrived; lead by Knight Commander Lynette Greywers. After hearing of Megogo's accomplishment, the Knight of Lioncourt was impressed. She wrote Megogo a letter of recommendation to be awarded for valor as well as an open invitation to join her Knights and train at the academy in Farthern. With the blessing of her father she set out for the big city the following year.

 

In Farthern Megogo excelled as a Knight's Squire; outclassing and out dueling more talented and experienced recruits with sheer force of will and determination. It is here she met Amelia Greywers, the Knight Commander’s daughter. The two sparked a friendship that lasted through their training and up to their promotion to full fledge Knights of Lioncourt. Amelia and Megogo could not best each other and were thus widely accepted as the best of the new generation.

The rift between Megogo and her friend Amelia began when the duo were 16. The two had outclassed many of the other squires and in turn spent more time helping in instruction than learning. It was felt that two more years of training would waste their talents. The Knights Commander decided that they'd be allowed to put forth their names for Knight's Apprenticeship early. Though many suspected Amelia would be be brought under the wing of her mother, Lady Lynette instead chose Megogo. This decision drove a wedge between the two girls. Unable to convince Amelia that the move was not due to any failing Amelia had as a knight, but to quiet any suspicion of favoritism; Lynette could hardly stand her daughter's anger. Feeling that she’d disappointed her mother Amelia distanced herself from her mother. This exasperated the jealousy she now felt against Megogo who as Lynette’s apprentice, now spent a great time with her mother.

 

The situation was further exasperated by the fact that the Knight-Commander's decision was viewed by other Knights as a slight against Amelia. It took a full ten months before a Knight took interest in proud lioness. Though apprenticing for Duke Averette DeCoud of Duriel was seen as an even bigger honor than apprenticing for her mother, as he was of the Crown Guard, Amelia never quite forgave her mother or her Megogo for this slight. The two would become fierce rivals over the years.

 

Megogo's apprenticeship lasted nearly two years before she was recognized as Knight of Realm. She'd worked hard and went on many adventures defending the Kingdom and its allies in uncertain times. As a young Knight she fought mostly in the southlands defending the common people from raiders and bandits, while enforcing the King’s laws. She didn't get her first taste of serious action until Valdis attacked Pandorica.

 

Adult Life
At the age of twenty-two Megogo's garrison was sent to assist Prince Essien in the liberation of Pandorica. Valdinian troops had used an unusually long and hot summer in the mountains to cross the Wyvern's Teeth and attack Pandorica from the north, something that had never been possible before. In three grueling days her unit fought up the mountain with no magical support. By wits and strength alone they feld spellbinders and sorcerers stationed to impeded their progress. Megogo took charge of the assault when her garrison's Knight Sergeant Anji Okoye was killed early in the assault. Despite her youth and lack of time with her garrison, her heroics to that point had lead to her field promotion. Determined not to dishonor her family, she lead an assault that broke the enemies eastern line, allowing Rangers to slip the enemy's defenses and wreak havoc on the Valdinian position. She herself slayed one of the Lord Knights in charge of the eastern lines in single combat. Her efforts gained her the Obsidian Wings and a second Crest of Valor.

Megogo was promoted to Knights Valiant and placed in charge of her own garrison to be stationed in the newly built Holden's Keep in her home town. Here she had what was perhaps her finest moment. Three years into her service as Port Holden's highest ranking Knight of Lioncourt the town fell to a mysterious plague.