Tale of the Past, A

A Tale of the Past

Written by Ruthy, a character on the Earthen Ring server, and posted on the Blizzard Earthen Ring Forums

Alone in an Inn room, Ruth speaks to her roach pet, Symphony

I wonder if they know. Actually, I am certain they dont. They have no clue about what I have done or who I was before I became what I am now. I have been quite careful in what I say about my past as I would rather not be ousted by the clan. Then...there is Krang. He saved me, and I would rather like him to think that was a good thing to have done. If he knew about what I have done, perhaps he would regret it or perhaps not.

I was, in some manner, what I am. An assassin. My job was to kill. Normally it would be quick and relatively painless; however, I took my time with some particular bits of filth that dared call themselves human or the equivalent for their race. This is not what would cause the clan to oust me. Actually... perhaps it would if they knew how I smiled as I heard some of them beg for death or watched them writhe in agony as their innards were surgically removed. I am diverging from my point though. What I am referring to mostly is about my first kill, the one made before I was an assassin. The one made when I was considered a noble.

Yes, I was once considered a noble. I was taught to be a proper lady, all the lessons of etiquette and all that. However, I cared little for it. My mother was the one that introduced me to what became my first love, music. She sung to me and with me. Her voice was truly wonderful. She also taught me to play the grandest instrument to be made, the violin. I do miss seeing her smile at me as I played, even when I was just beginning and was horrid at it. I miss her so much. Again, I am diverging but my mother is part of what was my first kill.

As wonderful as my mother was, my father was horrid. I still have no clue what she saw in him. He was a vile man, a drunkard and a lecher. He visited brothel after brothel and always reeked of alcohol. He was a waste of life and a man not deserving of the riches life bestowed upon him. And worst of all, he was good with words. He could convince an honest man to lie and a deceitful one to tell the truth. He could and did convince a good woman to stay with a vile man.

As I said before, my father visited brothels. And one does not do that for as long as my father did and come from it unafflicted. My father had gotten sick more than once from his lechery, but somehow he always managed to return to health. My mother was not so lucky and died from a disease she caught from my father, who caught it from a lady of ill repute. I hated him so much. He killed her... even if not directly, he killed her.

A week after my mothers funeral, my father came into the house drunk as usual. I cant remember what he said exactly, but he was very hostile in his tone. He broke the wine bottle he was holding and threatened me for some reason or another. I grabbed the knife I was already using to cut my food. I hated him so much and still do. Maybe that is why it seemed so easy. Just one quick stab and an artery was cut, another slice and his throat was slit, and one final stab in his spine and his legs gave. It was so easy.

You may be asking yourself how I got away with murdering my father, and the answer is that he had many enemies. Simply throwing his corpse in a river was enough, and the house was almost empty at the time. People simply thought my father got what was coming to him. Even members of his own family thought this. As for the blood-stained clothing, I simply burned it. A shame really, the dress I was wearing was a favorite of mine.

This probably leads you to wondering how I became an assassin. Well, an interesting fact about noble families is that many know a few shady people. In some cases, these people can even become close to the family, though it is rare. Uncle Edgar, who really isnt a true uncle of mine, is an example of it. I am not entirely sure why I came to him. Perhaps it was because my mother seemed to like him in spite of his professionhonestly I liked him as well. For a leader of a group of assassins, he was a kind and gentle person from what I saw.

I told him everything about how my father really died. Even though I dont remember feeling any remorse for the act, I think I actually cried when I told him. He handed me a pouch containing gold coins and told me I spared him some trouble. It turns out my father had a price on his head, someone on my mother's side of the family wanted him dead. Then he gave me an offer, he asked me to join him with a simple promise to me attached. Those I was to kill would be living filth. I accepted. And he kept his promise, for a while at least. Most of my targets were indeed vile beings, but eventually...I was assigned to kill a man whose only wrongdoing was crossing a rich man. Odd...I cant remember feeling bad about killing him.

That was the life I lived when I was living. I killed for money, a good amount of money I may add and cut all ties with my family over time. I went from living in a grand house, to staying in Inns and frequenting various areas in which less than legal activity occurred. And for some reason, I loved it. That is why I still live this way even though I may no longer be living by some people's measure, blame me being in Lorderon at a very bad time on that.

I'm...not entirely sure why I wanted to tell you this, Symphony. I guess I have always wanted to tell someone but never really had someone to tell. Well, I doubt you will tell anyone.

She gently pets the roach

Now, back in the pack Symphony. We have a few targets to deal with today.