Life Story
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Yekaterina was an eminent apothecary and mage. She devised the spell to seal the Abyss, through this achievement she and her husband and unified the kingdom. Or, so the legend went.
But Yekaterina was not born a mage. It was a certain skull that led her to this strange fate.
Around 600 years ago, when the means to seal the Abyss did not yet exist, every time the Abyss opened, mankind would rally to fight the Greater Warped One, and the land was littered with corpses. This long war between the Abyss and mankind set civilization back by many years.
The nations were impoverished and the nobles concerned themselves with only their own starving lands. Born the eldest daughter of a noble family, Yekaterina was quickly entrusted to the care of a wet nurse and led a lonely childhood.
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In those days, she explored the mansion all alone, usually playing at storytelling by herself. There was no one in the mansion to spend time with the child Yekaterina. She was forbidden to go outside alone and had no friends. So she played, carrying on conversations, addressing herself and answering herself.
There was a who spoke to Yekaterina then. "If you are ready to accept your fate. Take me in your hand."
Yekaterina looked all around for where that voice had come from. And, she found a skull buried among some antiques. "Good day, Yekaterina. I am Kalshum. I want to be your friend who shares your dreams."
Young Yekaterina picked the skull up, and through the talking skull, was saved from her loneliness. It became her companion, educating her on topics such as spellcraft and medicine.
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Yekaterina began to call the skull Doctor out of respect.
The skull, which Yekaterina initially carried around on her own, eventually began to accompany her of its own accord, becoming her constant companion. This caused quite the commotion within the manor.
As only Yekaterina could hear the skull's voice, her parents lamented, wondering if the skull had cursed them, or if their daughter had lost her mind.
Since becoming involved with the skull, Yekaterina face showed little expression and all the loveliness of her young age. She only immersed herself, as if obsessed with spellcraft and medicine, further saddening her parents.
Her parents locked their daughter, either sick or cursed, in the manor, trying whatever they could to get their daughter back.
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They had renowned mages and doctors examine Yekaterina, attended church, prayed for her, and gave her infusions of medicines. Yet nothing changed.
More than a decade later, when her parents had given up on her, a nobleman came to visit her. Having learned of a medicine produced by their household which was effective against illness and injury, Baron Dean had come to negotiate for the recipe.
Yekaterina's parents agreed on the condition he marry their daughter, as she was the creator of those recipes. Dean was initially taken aback when he saw the expressionless Yekaterina with her ever-present skull, but despite protests from his attendants, Dean agreed to marry Yekaterina in order to gain access to her recipes.
When she was brought to the baron's estate, Yekaterina suddenly regained her countenance, like the dead returned to life, and a bright smile bloomed like a flower.
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Yekaterina explained to a surprised Dean that she had been acting that way so that her parents would willing give her up when this day came.
"Doctor has a dream. And that dream is mine, as well. But for that we need you to allow us to continue our research. We foresaw your arrival."
At her words, the skull, which had never once been seen to move, suddenly clattered its teeth in a laugh, astonishing Dean.
For some time, Dean wondered if what looked like Yekaterina was already the skull through and through. But that was only for a time. Before long, the two came to know each other, and became a close, loving couple.
Yekaterina further immersed herself in the study of new medicines and spells, developing numerous remedies and spell items. Dean made a great fortune by bringing them to market.
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The couple moved to Luknalia to better distribute their creations.
They bore four children and Yekaterina took on many apprentices. The way she rushed through life made Dean uneasy at times, but he always respected her.
Then the fateful day arrived. Yekaterina and the skull journeyed to the Abyss in order to fulfill their dream.
The skull's dream was to exact vengeance against the Abyss, to seal it up. Yekaterina's was to save the continent. They were successful, disappearing deep within the Abyss.
In honor of this achievement of saving the world, Dean was made king, the first king of his line in the new kingdom. The one family on the entire continent that can seal the Abyss.
Dean never took another wife, mourning the loss of Yekaterina and Kalshum until his last breath.