# #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Syrella "Ghostfang" Arven - **Race/Species:** Catfolk - **Class/Profession:** Assassin/Ranger - **Alignment/Morality:** Chaotic Evil - **Age:** 29 - **Gender & Pronouns:** Female (She/Her) - **Appearance:** A predatory figure who embodies feline deadliness, standing five feet eight inches with a lithe, athletic build that combines explosive strength with uncanny agility. Her face features the distinctive catfolk characteristics—short golden-brown fur with black rosette patterns, vertical-pupiled amber eyes, and slightly pointed ears—enhanced by a natural predator's intensity that makes even her casual observation feel like stalking. Her eyes seem to glow faintly in dim light, tracking movement with the focused attention of a hunter, missing nothing while revealing little of her own intentions. Her black hair is kept in a practical style, shaved at the sides with a longer section on top that she often ties back when working, occasionally allowing it to fall loose when she wants to appear less threatening. She dresses in practical clothing that prioritizes mobility and concealment—quality materials in forest greens and blacks, cut close to her body to prevent snagging while allowing her natural agility full expression. Unlike assassins who favor elaborate tools, her equipment is minimal and multi-purpose—climbing claws that double as weapons, a belt of throwing knives balanced perfectly for her grip, and a distinctive bone-handled dagger that has become her calling card, often left in high-profile targets. Her hands show both the natural retractable claws of her species and the calluses of someone who has spent years perfecting weapon skills, and she moves with the fluid, silent grace of a natural predator, seeming to flow through shadows rather than simply walk through them. A distinctive white streak in her fur running from between her eyes to the crown of her head—the source of her "Ghostfang" moniker—serves as both a recognizable feature and a point of professional pride, as she has never bothered to disguise it despite its distinctiveness. #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Syrella embodies the perfect fusion of catfolk hunting instinct and assassin's craft—a killer who views death as both profession and pleasure. She approaches assassination with predatory directness, preferring clean, efficient kills that showcase her skills rather than the elaborate schemes favored by some of her peers. To her clients, she represents reliable lethality with a theatrical flair, delivering confirmed kills with her distinctive signature that enhances her reputation with each contract. To her rivals in the assassination trade, she presents a challenging combination of natural talent and honed skill, acknowledging their methods while making no secret of her belief in her own superiority. Her catfolk heritage manifests in her hunting-based approach to targets, her talent for patient stalking followed by explosive action, and her belief that the kill itself should be celebrated rather than hidden. Though capable of the calculated planning necessary for complex assassinations, she is most authentic when executing the kill, where her natural predatory instincts and accumulated experience create moments of lethal artistry. Beneath her confident exterior lies a woman defined by the thrill of the perfect hunt and the satisfaction of the clean kill—a perspective that occasionally puts her at odds with more methodical assassins like Darin Vesh but has established her as one of the most feared killers in the region, whose distinctive methods serve as both signature and warning. - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Tracking Expertise** – Exceptional ability to locate and follow targets through any environment - **Ambush Tactics** – Remarkable talent for setting up and executing perfect surprise attacks - **Physical Agility** – Highly developed acrobatic skill allowing access to seemingly impossible locations - **Weapon Mastery** – Comprehensive proficiency with throwing knives, claws, and her signature dagger - **Night Operations** – Natural catfolk night vision enhanced by years of nocturnal hunting - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Overconfidence** – Dangerous belief in her own superiority that can lead to unnecessary risks - **Territorial Behavior** – Instinctive catfolk tendency to defend "her" hunting grounds against perceived intrusion - **Trophy Taking** – Compulsion to leave her signature that sometimes compromises operational security - **Thrill Seeking** – Preference for challenging kills that offer excitement over simpler, safer approaches - **Racial Prejudice** – Faces discrimination and suspicion as a catfolk in human-dominated areas - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - Speaks in fluid, purring sentences that often incorporate predatory metaphors - Maintains intense, unblinking eye contact during conversations, a natural hunting behavior that unnerves many - Uses graceful, flowing hand gestures when speaking, her natural claws occasionally extending for emphasis - Habitually positions herself with clear escape routes and vantage points, never with her back to a door - Employs a distinctive vocal trill when pleased or amused, a catfolk expression that has become her signature #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Born to a nomadic catfolk pride in the wilderness regions south of Brevoy, Syrella's early years were shaped by the traditional hunting culture of her people. From childhood, she showed exceptional talent for stalking and ambush, often bringing down prey that would challenge hunters twice her age. Her entry into assassination came through an unexpected encounter with a human hunter who recognized her natural talents and offered to teach her how these skills could be applied to more profitable prey. What began as an apprenticeship evolved into a partnership and eventually competition as she rapidly mastered the techniques of professional killing while adding her own predatory instincts to create a distinctive style. Her emergence as "Ghostfang" came after a particularly challenging assassination of a well-guarded noble, where she left her first bone-handled dagger as a spontaneous signature. The subsequent notoriety and increased demand for her services convinced her of the value of a recognizable brand in the assassination trade, leading to her current practice of claiming her most impressive kills with her distinctive marker. Her defining professional achievement came during the Shadow War between rival merchant houses five years ago, when she eliminated three heavily-guarded trade princes in a single night, moving between targets with such speed and efficiency that rumors spread of multiple assassins working in concert. This demonstration of skill established her reputation as one of the region's premier killers and significantly increased both the demand for her services and the prices she could command. Over the subsequent years, she has refined her techniques while building a network of informants and contacts throughout the region, becoming particularly active in Brevoy and the River Kingdoms where political instability creates steady demand for her services. Her particular expertise lies in seemingly impossible kills—targets in secure locations or surrounded by guards, where her catfolk agility and climbing abilities allow approaches that human assassins could not attempt. Her rivalry with Darin Vesh developed naturally from their contrasting approaches to the same profession—her direct, signature kills standing in stark contrast to his subtle, undetectable eliminations. What began as professional disdain has evolved into a complex relationship of mutual respect and ongoing competition, with each studying the other's techniques while maintaining a careful professional distance. Currently, she divides her time between executing high-profile contracts, maintaining her growing reputation through carefully selected public appearances, and occasionally collaborating with the Whispering Blades when a contract requires resources beyond her individual capabilities. This balanced approach has made her not only a successful assassin but a figure of dark celebrity in certain circles, where her distinctive methods and appearance have created an almost mythic status that further enhances her marketability. - **Current Role:** - Executes high-profile assassination contracts throughout the region - Maintains her "Ghostfang" brand through distinctive methods and signatures - Occasionally collaborates with the Whispering Blades on complex operations - Competes with Darin Vesh for prestigious contracts and professional reputation - Serves as an object of fear and fascination in criminal and noble circles alike - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[The Whispering Blades]]** – Assassins' guild with which she maintains a selective working relationship - **[[Darin Vesh]]** – Fellow assassin with whom she shares a complex professional rivalry - **[[The Catfolk Prides]]** – Her cultural origin, with which she maintains limited connection - **[[The Shadow Market]]** – Underground network where she obtains equipment and information - **[[The Noble Houses]]** – Both clients and targets, depending on who's paying - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **Independent Contractor** – Her primary professional identity - **The Whispering Blades** – Occasional employer and resource provider - **The Catfolk Diaspora** – Cultural connection to other catfolk in human territories - **The Assassins' Informal Network** – Professional association of independent killers - **Notable Items or Equipment:** - **Bone-Handled Daggers** – Signature weapons left in high-profile targets - **Climbing Claws** – Metal extensions that enhance her natural claws for scaling walls - **Throwing Knife Bandolier** – Collection of perfectly balanced blades for ranged killing - **Scent-Masking Unguents** – Alchemical preparations that hide her natural catfolk scent - **Trophy Collection** – Small items taken from particularly challenging targets #### **Additional Notes** - **Recurring Themes:** - The fusion of natural hunting instinct with learned assassination techniques - The performance aspect of killing as both art form and reputation building - The challenge of balancing professional notoriety with operational security - The outsider perspective of a catfolk operating in predominantly human territories - **Player/GM Notes:** - Can serve as a flamboyant and unpredictable antagonist for characters investigating assassinations - Might provide unexpected alliance opportunities for characters with hunting or tracking backgrounds - Could become a deadly rival if characters interfere with her contracts or hunting grounds - Her distinctive methods make her assassinations easily identifiable but no less lethal - Represents the chaotic, predatory dimension of evil rather than calculated malice