The Tash`nora Champion
Who Is Belle Hibiki?
Belle fought for Avalon on the first night of The Great Siege. This seems to be where Belle's travels begin. (The Dark One pt 1 -2) She would help fend off a pack of ghouls that had been stalking women, early on in the Siege's development. (Ghoul Gauntlet-3) While The Dark One had Avalon under attack, creatures from The Underdark took advantage of it and came in from the Undercity and The Beggar's Gate.(Eye Tyrant In The Big City-3) but she and her party held them off. The Dark One would attack the Arcadia inn; a cultist, arrived calling a Bone Devil and many would be witness to her heroism that night (The Dark One pt 4-3) and many more during those dark times. (Undead Panic-4) She gained some rapport with The City Watch when she aided Fast Eddie, fighting Devils that were reparing some kind of diabolical device in a ruined church(Devil From The Machine-4) and helped prevent the Dark One's Ur Priests from summoning something from under the arena. (Ur Awakening pt 2-5)
Belle's story doesnt end there. When The Siege on The City of Bridges was over, she would test herself against Killian Kiltren, a comrade of one of the greatest pirates ever known. "Lady Sin was a buccaneer, a buccaneer was she." So begins one of the bloodiest ballads of the pirates of the Great Waters, of Lady Sin and her quest for plunder and revenge on the pirate Blackjack Tom. Killian Kiltren, a pirate said to have sailed with Lady Sin during the other pirate's last days, before she and Blackjack Tom battled their way straight to Hell, recently dared to raid Avalon City's shipping trade, which angered the notorious neutral port, which allowed even pirates to land there. Because of this, Avalon City put out a bounty on Killian Kiltren. (Killian's Treasure-5) It's rumored her party found strange maps made of human, orc, and elf skin. Where these maps might lead, IF they exist is unknown, but one thing is sure-if they lead to stronger opponents, Belle would go. Wealth isnt what drives Belle. Even when she saved local shepherders being extorted by a powerful troll, and uncovered an ancient treasure-what she valued most was the chance the prove herself.(Troll Bridge-5)
Her unyielding strength and discipline would save the entire world. Belle's party was investigating the death of Tellian, a wizard Kara‘nydraess came across, who died in front of her from madness. They uncovered an illithid stronghold in The Underdark and a crystal device that partly brought the Far Realm into the world. Belle fought valiantly against an Ulitharid. This was an important fight for her, because every punch was revenge for the Tash`nora. Later on when the Thing would spawn a monster in the inn, she would fight and protect the people as she had during the siege-but Belle would become confused and accidently kill a man. She would see to it that the man was raised from the dead, or at least that his family was taken care of if he would not return from his well earned afterlife. (Elder Madness pt 1-6) It is rumored Belle would battle against the entity within the mind of another. A threat to all Therafim, its defeat necessiated the legendary blade Arcanaethall for which she fought Shadowdragons, Demiliche’s like Bishop Zev Rananka and Devil Princesses like Lady Nihil to recover. (Elder Madness pt 2-11; Arcanaethall pt 2-10; Arcanaethall pt 1-9)
Her skill in the martial art has seen world around. Penskalion the Wizard was slain by the Albino Drow known as The Spiderweb Man, Exactly WHO he was contract killer, personal rival, or serial killer is a mystery. He may have been all three. However the wizards estate in Nemminus was warded, trapping him inside. The party then went in the finish him off. (Penskalion & Spiderwebman-8) Not all her opponents have met their end though. In faraway Crescent she helped rescue a virgin who was to be sacrifieced by a band of Hecuva priests. One of the priests escaped via invisibility. He has not had his vengeance yet, and is likely still alive or more accurately undead.(Corrupted Priests-8)
Belle was sought by a Fairy Dragon to help recover the legendary Tears of Heaven for which the land, Heaven's Tear is named. Her story is told in those lands among the gnolls and the Yuan-Ti. While she is known as an incredible fighter, there is also tell of her mercy to female gnoll who set free.(Tears pt 3-13; Tears pt 2-11; Tears pt 1 -11)
She would later gain more local fame at Vorlen's Bar where they tell tales of her. Vorlen's in is a place where the rules are "You drink. And then you fight." It's said that she didnt do well at holding her liquor and became VERY drunk, very fast. Of course she still participated in the brawling, she was quite happy to lose herself in tje ensuing free-for-all. Belle was unlike any woman that had ever patroned Vorlen's before.There were few who could even slow her down. Eventually she came across a man who was a challenge. The two fought each other to a bloody pulp and near unconsciousness.(Drunken Foolishness-11)
Origins
Where did such an extraordinary woman come from? Believe it or not, she had rather humble beginnings….
Belle was always different from the other children. Even from a very young age, it was clear that her path lay amongst those less traveled. Although she was unremarkable in intelligence and got along with other children only fractionally better than he did with animals, she showed a remarkable aptitude for the martial arts - one beyond that of the other gifted youngsters she surrounded herself with.
Belle was born in a remote monastery deep within the snowy mountains to the northwest of Avalon. The cloister was devoted, as many monasteries were, to the objective of self- realization and control, although Tash'nora - as it was called - approached that lofty goal differently than others. Rather than reach enlightenment through meditation and spiritual examination, Tash'nora emphasized a physical and mental perfection in all things - pecifically in combat. The masters believed that only through the fires of conflict could the human body be forged into the perfect weapon, and it was in this vein that their students were trained. Their limits were constantly tested, and for many, pushed beyond.
Those who survived and completed their training would become Slayers - men and women whom served the Tash'nora's in the world at large. The Tash'nora enjoyed a brief period of fame several years before Belle's birth when a group of five Slayers foiled an intricate illithid plot to take over the minds of the leadership of Avalon.
Belle's mother was a refugee from a small township just beyond the mountains that had been raided by orcs. Pregnant at the time, Belle's mother - Tara Hibiki - fled with others to the protection of the Tash'nora, who took them in. Although many of the others from her village soon moved on, Tara stayed at the monastery to give birth.
Despite the efforts of the psions and monks present, Tara gave her life in bringing Belle into the world. With the father unknown, and not having any idea of Tara's extended family, the monastery took the girl into their care. Thafer, a Slayer who had befriended Tara in her time there, took Belle under his wing and acted as a surrogate father.
Thafer trained Belle until, fourteen years later, the illithids attacked.
Their strike was swift and without mercy. Betrayed to the psionic creatures by one of their own, the Slayers were caught unprepared for the vicious assault on their home. In retribution for the meddling of the Tash'nora over the years, the illithids wiped out almost three- quarters of the monastery's population in a single night, Thafer among them. Those that survived fled from the mountains and scattered, some retreating to other monasteries while others set off on their own. Belle disappeared into the wilderness, where she had previously spent much time with his surrogate father. She only emerged every so often to "test her skills" before melting back into the trees.
She has since been spotted around Avalon, apparently having taken up residence in the city of adventures.
