Polyphonte
Sobriquet: Meretrice
Appearance: A woman of medium age, her long dark hair shot through with streaks of white, feathers from birds woven in her hair. Her grey eyes are piercing, with an almost round shape if looked at closely. Voluptuous and broad hipped, she sways when she walks, reminding men and women of her carnal delights.
Behavior: Meretrice is sultry and manipulative. She talks mostly about inane things, though at times she asks very pointed and intelligent questions. Few who talk to her ever really know what she has asked them, as it seems to fade quickly into something crude and sexual given a few minutes. Meretrice will offer sex repeatedly in any conversation, but intersperse that with truly penetrating things.
History: A young woman of royal blood, Polyphonte was a natural will worker. Polyphonte spent her time learning from her parents about rulership and from her tutors about the world. Her evenings were spent with a talented Seer who taught her to control her natural gifts of shape changing and nature magic. Her father made a pact with a neighboring lord for Polyphonte to marry. The lords name was Aemilianus Kunala, and he was a brutish man. The girl did not want to be with the man, considering him a blithering idiot and rapacious killer of nature. The man invested time and money with a renowned Sorcerer to strip the girl of her talents that would keep him from controlling her in their marriage. The sorcerer killed the girls mentor with a knife through the heart, and trapped the girl in a weaving that bound her magic in her fertility cycle. Only by giving up her humanity could the girl use her natural gifts.
The girl went to the temple of Aphordite and begged intervention, and the opportunity to escape her husband. Aphrodite granted her wish and put her in touch with her ability to change shape. Polyphonte became a bear, and ran away into the woods. Her husband figured out what happened and tracked her. Unknown to both of them Polyphonte was already carrying the first child of her husband. Polyphonte spent the rest of the pregnancy as a bear, and this affected the child. Her son was born, and his mother returned to human shape to care for him. Polyphonte spent would care for her son, then change to a bear and go hunt, so she could feed them both.
The son was named Aggrios, and began to grow as any boy, though healthy and strong, with the nature of a bear. The two spent many days together, and the mother worked hard to raise a wise young man. But Aemilianus found them, and kidnapped their son. As a bear Polyphonte killed many guardsmen, but Kunala made it back to his estate with the boy, where he held him captive.
Polyphonte grieved, spending many days patrolling the compound, looking for a way to get to the boy. As a bear her ability to work magic was limited, and as a woman it was non-existent. All summer and into the winter Polyphonte roared, catching and killing several of Kunala's soldiers. Eventually she went to den to hibernate, not returning until spring. The boy grew up missing his bear mother, with his father abusing him and making him hate men.
Two summers later Polyphonte met a huge brown bear who told her his name was Two-Oak Climber. They spent the summer nuzzling, and eventually Polyphonte fell in love with the great bear, conceiving a child with him. During hibernation Orieus was born. Like his brother Aggrios, Orieus was not all bear, not all human.
Kunala was the controlling jealous type, who coudn't leave well enough alone. Unwilling to let his wife spurn him, he returned to the woods to hunt for his lost bride. Taking a dozen riders, and his pet sorcerer, Kunala scoured the forests for the bear his wife had become. Along the way Kunala killed several bears who were innocent, and it was only a matter of time before Kunala came upon his wife and her new child. Knowing her by the streak of white in her fur, Kunala was furious to find a new child with her, even if the child was a bear cub. In the fight to take them prisoner the cub Orieus ran away to find Two-Oak Climber while his mother was captured by Kunala and his men. When Kunala knocked her out, the sorcerer forced her back to human shape.
Aemilianus Kunala drug the woman back to his castle, where he let all his men take turns raping her, telling them she liked it, as she even fucked animals. In time in order to eat, Polyphonte agreed to have sex with other animals for the amusement of the crowds of mercenaries Kunala kept around. Polyphonte couldn't access her magic as human, and the sorcerer kept her from returning to bear form.
Eventually Aggrios reached a size and age where he could no longer stand to see his mother degraded so, even though Kunala would never allow them to talk. After a particularly savage beating, Aggrios stumbled out into the woods to escape his father. After a couple of days he was attacked by a huge shambling bear of light golden brown fur, and found himself also changing to become a dark black version like the other. In bear form they talked, and discovered they were brothers. Orieus introduced Aggrios to Two-Oak Climber, and the three planned a jail break for Polyphonte. With the help of Aggrios, they were able to enter the castle without the alarm being raised.
Kunala had went to Polyphonte with the fleeing of their son, and proceeded to beat his wife bloody for his hate. All the time their son was gone Kunala heaped indignity and pain on the woman, having the sorcerer heal her so he could beat her more. When Aggrios and Orieus found them, their mother was nearly dead again from the beatings. In a fit of rage the boys fell on Aemilianus, throwing him and beating him harshly. In fact the boys thought he was dead, and they left him laying. Out through the castle the boys and Two-Oak Climber went, venting their rage on the humanity within, killing and eating all those humans they found in their path. The carnage was biblical, the death toll nearly total.
For the next twenty years the family guarded their stretch of forest, keeping all men from the reaches of their woods, so that after a time their legend became that of a massive proportion. Polyphonte used her magic to keep Two-Oak Climber healthy and young, and the family lived an idyllic time.
Eventually a group of men came to their forest, and her sons believing themselves to be the most powerful things around, chose to do battle. But these were not just any men, and among them were will workers of some power. The boys fought valiantly, but were eventually slain and left for the carrion birds to pick clean. Polyphonte and Two-Oak Climber found them slain, and raged in grief. They tracked the men and fell upon them as they slept, managing to kill them all. However, as the last will worker was dying he used his magic to damage the workings Polyphonte had put on Two-Oak Climber, and he began to age. The two traveled together trying to find someone who could help them. In her bear state Polyphonte couldn't fix the damage done by the mage.
They came to the Pageant, where the spirit of Carna was able to heal the damage. But whenever they tried to leave, once again Two-Oaks Climber would begin to age. The two joined the pageant, each taking a place in it's performances, the woman finding that her ability to fornicate with animals was a great attraction for the myriad humanity she despises. Polyphonte wants to keep Two-Oaks climber alive at all costs, she can't bear to lose him.
She also likes to eat men who look like Amilianus Kunala. From time to time...she lets the Windigo spirit take her, and she becomes the vengeful bear. Then the circus moves on.
Relationship with Rambert: She is watching Rambert. His sexual antics intrigue her, and she has a desire to take him to bed, if only to show him she can.
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