Ravenloft: Prisoners of the Mist

Within the swirling Mist (IC) => Biographies => Topic started by: Gilta on February 08, 2009, 05:43:58 AM

Title: Luminata Stanga
Post by: Gilta on February 08, 2009, 05:43:58 AM
Character Background: A well bred young woman from the wealthy
Stanga family of Immol, Luminata was pampered and her every whim
catered to all her life. Attractive and smart, she excelled in
her studies and social etiquette. To her parents dismay however,
such an opulent childhood led Luminata to a selfish and dark
demeanor. Though she cared for her family, she often disregarded
the consequences of her actions to get what she wanted. Usually
she was content to spend her time in the company of her dearest
friend Lavinia, or practicing with her expensive tutors in the use
of arms and armors for her favored sport of fencing. As she grew
older however, her fancy for young men became rampant gossip among
the populace of Immol. Not only the wealthy whispered of her
scandalous ways, but the peasants as well. It seemed that handsome
men from any station were often found in her company. In an
attempt to remedy these accusations, her father pushed Luminata
into learning of business and arranged for her to be courted by the
son of a neighboring family of esteemed status. It was at this
time she met the two sons of the local Boyar and she spent many
hours learning the basics of operating business along side them.
Both of these young men were quite handsome and Luminata struggled
with deciding which she liked most, so she simply seduced both.
Unfortunately, her folly was witnessed by servants both in a closet
and the garden, and they quickly reported such to the Boyar. The
very next night, at one of the many parties the Stanga family held,
the Boyar confronted Luminata's father and enraged, called her a
harlot. It was that moment that would change the destiny of the
Stanga family as her father spoke before thinking and called the
Boyar a buffoon. Soon after, the rumors began to spread. Some said
it was the flamboyant suit the Boyar wore that drew such bold
words, others only heard that the Stanga family was in financial
ruin as they were behind in their taxes to the Count. Through all
of this, swearing he had paid the money owed many times over, the
grim realization set in that no matter how much he paid, the Boyar
was out to ruin the Stanga family and had the power to do so. With
not many alternatives, the Stanga family moved from their beloved
Barovia to the city of Port-A-Lucine in Dementilu where the family
business in jewelry could flourish once again. Satisfied with this,
The Boyar relented after a final payment of taxes. As the family
packed their things, Luminata took her fathers prized steed and all
she could carry of her wealth and headed to Vallaki where Lavinia
had moved to not long before. On her journey, stopping for safety
from Old Night at an inn, the steed and almost all she possessed was
stolen as she slept. A camp of Vistani not far from the inn was
suspect, but she could not find a trace of her belongings among
them. She made the last portion of her journey on foot and took
refuge under Lavinia's care at the famous Blue Water inn.
Determined to make a new start, she attempted several business
ventures that failed and met with several of Vallaki's upper crust.
The friendship she and Lavinia shared blossomed into something more
during this time and though she scandalously gave affection to
a few lucky men, Lavinia had her heart. Becoming desperate for
money and excited by the risk, she managed to arrange an illegal
shipment of guns to Vallaki from Dementilu. Learning of a "witch"
that manipulated those around him first hand, she feared him not
only for herself, but also for Lavinia who seemed swayed by him
and her sister Ruxandra who recently ran away from her new home in
Dementilu. His frequent visits to the Blue Water were taunting her
and she swelled with a desire to kill him before he could force
his will on any she loved. A mysterious woman named Elegia had
taught a few things to her to help her sword-manship, and Luminata
sought her out to learn more. Her training had begun and she
intended to use what she was learning to not only become a master
of her sport but to protect herself from even those foul witches
that had bargains with demons for unnatural power. After an
engagement party for Ruxandra and Alexi, a guard her sister
quickly fell in love with, Luminata crossed pathes yet again with
the taunting and frightening man named Bernard DuBourg. His words
burned in her ears as he smiled and stated he planned to become
friendly with the Stanga family as her parents were expected to
arrive in Vallaki to attend Ruxandra's wedding. Luminata would
no longer have this villanous man threaten her or anyone else. With
a swift hand, she reached through a slit in her expensive dress and
tugged the pistol she had hidden in her garter free. Bernard's
expression of amusement shifted to one of startled confusion as
surely he expected a sword instead. The look of curiosity that
followed was quickly replaced by terrible pain as the shock of the
first bullet ripping into his abdomen wore off. The rage, the fear,
the adrenalin. Assuredly both felt these as Luminata's hands played
over the weapon rapidly to reload it. She was surprised to find the
time practiced in her room would pay off so well and she advanced
slowly through the thick smoke firing several more times. Her focus
was on Bernard and she refused to stop until he lay dead in a pool
of blood there in the streets of Vallaki. The sounds of screaming
witnesses and threats of startled and angered city guards were
muffled in her hers from the gun and she remained affixed on her
quarry shouting herself, to burn the witch she had surprised. She
knew there would be dire things to come to her from such a rash
act, and the man lying there looked nothing more than an aged
Outlander that needed a stick to aid his steps at one time. But
she knew the truth, the one no one believed. To her surprise,
Alexi aided her as she stood cold in a dark jail cell later that
night. He was beautiful and persuasive, even getting her to tell
secrets she knew would seal her fate. Ruxandra was enraged that
her fiancee would help Luminata and get involved in the mess
Luminata had created for herself. Expecting a rope on the gallows,
Luminata was pleasantly surprised to find she would be freed and a
heavy fine imposed. Alexi took her back to the Blue Water Inn and
she stayed only a short time before leaving. She was outcast from
the others there and knew it from the gasps and stares she
received. Even Ruxandra had turned her back on Luminata that night.
She followed the road north at dawn towards the Village of Barovia
where she intended to meet Elegia and remain for awhile until the
rumors relented so she could again return to Vallaki.