Kiane of Messantia
Slave-handler/ Bounty Hunter/ Profiteer
"The irony", thought Kiane. As a bounty hunter, she had sent many a person to the galley, now it was her who sat by the oars. Her thoughts led her to her recent "partner" and his smile when she recognized his betrayal. If she ever returned, she would give Rajin a new smile, one hand length below his chin.
Kiane suddenly became aware of the world around her. Lost in thought of revenge she had forgotten to row and had caught the whip-driver's attention. His eyes followed the curves of her body. She looked away from him, took hold of the oar and continued to row. She knew that he would take every opportunity he could find to throw her in the brig, for there he could do what he wanted to her.
Kiane and Rajin had been lovers. It was a perfect match; both equally merciless and greedy. He had the money and she had the local contacts in Messantia. They joined resources and worked their way up the ladder of power in the city, and they earned a lot of money and a lot of wealth; enough that Kiane had plans to retire. If she only could get rid of her partner first, her retirement would be double as sweet. Kiane set up a meeting with some of the more influential slave traders in the city, and spread a rumor that Rajin had hid away money from them. A theft and a suggestion to Rajin that he should take some time off to enjoy the money he had earned, and the traders should soon draw the wrong conclusion.
Kiane is the character I was originally planning to make while waiting for Age of Conan. But her personality as a loner didn't fit with the "Border Reivers" background. She is a loner who only reason for joining someone would be to profit. Both her personality and look is based upon Kriss of Valnor from the excellent Belgian comic "Thorgal the barbarian".
So instead of playing her, I instead created the character Rajin, and made him a redeemed criminal now turned Priest of Mitra. When I later returned to Age of Conan for a while but without my friends, I needed a character that could do well solo, and I finally created Kiane in game. Unfortunately I am not much of a power player, and soon found myself overpowered by other rangers. And I grew bored of the game. Age of Conan was an incredible good-looking game though, with cool quests most of the time. Just the game's incredible focus on PvP didn't really speak to me.
She didn't realize that Rajin had the same plans for early retirement. One of the slave traders was, without Kiane's knowledge, assassinated during the robbery, and her own dagger was used for the misdeed.
The traders decided to sell her into slavery, in spite of Rajin recommendation that she should be executed immediately. The traders didn't see any profits in her imminent death, and beautiful slave-girls could get a good price on the marked.
A wave of water hit Kiane. The salt water pained her already cracked lips. The skies had gone dark as night while she was lost in thought. They were sailing straight into a storm!