From: kem@cadre.com (Kara Marzahn)


Niari comes from Kioshu in the mountains far to the South.  This
large city/state has been warring with it's surrounding neighbors,
particularly Sardith, since before Niari was born.  Niari's mother
was killed a year after she was born and does not remember her or
miss her.  Her father, General Azde, raised her to be a perfect warrior,
training her in every method of war.  He also taught her diplomacy and
strategy, both of which she has had occasion to use.   Niari has known
men but finds little joy in them...you know what I mean...and lives
a primarily monastic life (another source for jokes among the men under
her command).

Her nickname, "Captain Medusa," stems from an incident where a spy was
captured in the capitol building of Kioshu.  He was tortured and starved
for several days but would reveal no information of his mission or the
Sardith forces.  Niari, hearing of this failure and tired of waiting,
ordered that the man be given a modest room, fed and healed.  A week
later, she visited his room with one of her men.  The soldier tells the
tale that Niari sat the spy in a chair across a table from her.  The table
was not large and their bodies were but two feet from each other.  Niari
leaned slightly foward and fixed the spy with her stoney gaze.  She stayed
in this position for nearly ten minutes.  Not a sound was to be heard in
the room.  The Sardish spy could not look away from her eyes.  Finally,
Niari spoke in a low, dry voice, "You will tell me why you are here."

He did.   And the story has been told ever since.

Later that year, Niari's father was killed in a border ambush.  Niari and
two of her father's advisor's launched a full attack upon Sardish and
decimated the city, leaving only the elderly and the very young alive.
THAT story is rather famous as well.

After claiming Sardish land, the Kioshu people found themselves too powerful
to be opposed.  Since the only reason they had warred in the past had been
to protect their trade routes and avenge deaths, there was no longer a need
to fight.  None of the other city/states would attack the new power of
Kioshu.

After living as best she could in a city not at war, Niari decided to travel
and see other lands, earning her living as she knew best...and so she made
it all this way to the Inn.  She has not found a suitable cause due to the
poor reputation of mercenaries these days and the kind of jobs they are
normally hired for.  Niari has sworn to take only jobs that were morally
sound and just.

As for the physical stuff:

Niari is:
about 5'8", very lean and sinewy - NO body fat (amazing considering
how she eats), long-limbed, has American Indian colored skin, oval face,
large intense silver/grey/slate blue eyes depending on the lighting,
dark brown/black hair which is Oriental in texture (her hair when not
tied back comes almost to her waist), high cheekbones, generous but
thin lips, wide shoulders, body of a gymnast, reflexes of a martial
artist and grace of a cat.

She does not consider herself beautiful, though poems about her have
been sung in taverns to the South.  She dismisses this as rediculous
and offensive.  "They don't even know her!"