Ikiri Kcarm (eh-KEER-ee CHARM)

Ikiri was born Emell Kcarm and Idiria Bergen both of Kokgnab. Emell was a sailor on the merchant ship "Needle's Eye" and Idiria was an unremarkable seamstress that worked as a general tailor for the Kokgnabian Tailor's Guild. When Ikiri was seven years old, Idiria had become dissatisfied with Emell's extended periods of absence.     Very early one morning, Idiria decided to leave her husband and daughter and thus disappeared with a fellow staff tailor she had been having an affair with. Idiria left a handful of coins and a note that Ikiri discovered after she awoke -- "Dearest child. Your mother loves you, but I'm too young to be a Sea Widow. I want more in life than just to be someone's seamstress and someone's mom. I'm sure you'll be fine, you've always been resourceful. Take care and may the Gods of the Sea protect your path -- Love, mom". Two days later, a shipmate from the "Needle's Eye" knocked on Ikiri's door and informed her that her father had been lost at sea, apparently falling overboard during rough storm waters.     Ikiri's life became chaos at this point. Vagrants observing that her parents were no longer coming home moved into her house, forcing their way in. Ikiri was found crying uncontrollably in the local fish market by a fish merchant who took her in for a few days before turning her over to the local orphanage. There, Ikiri made fast friends with others likewise abandoned by fate or circumstance. Some of these children were the progeny of prostitutes, lost their parents to battle or in occupational accidents, or were simply unwanted and given up by immature and careless parents. Over time, the orphans became a family of their own going through great lengths to protect one another from the darkness that always seeks to swallow unwanted children whole.     At the age of 15 Ikiri got an apprenticeship with the local Tailor's guild. Jemmare, the head of the Tailor's guild, recognized Ikiri's mother's name and after hearing her story, immediately gave her a job and took her under his wing. Ikiri worked an apprenticeship for two years. After gaining her journeyman rank, she remained working for Jemmare crafting clothing for the general population. Ikiri always crafted clothing from leftover scraps and millends to take to the children of the orphanage she grew up in.     One day, at the age of 19, Ikiri went to drop off a sack of clothing at the orphanage only to find it completely empty. The nuns who ran the orphanage were likewise missing. Everyone she questioned neither knew nor cared about the whereabouts of the orphans. In emotional upheaval, Ikiri went to Jemmare and pleaded with him to help her. As Ikiri began to explain the situation, it became apparent to her that Jemmare already knew. Jemmare went on to explain that he and many others were part of a "patchwork family" of their own. This family was dedicated to protecting the innocent from the atrocities of evil, especially willful evil committed by fellow mankind. Jemmare then introduced Ikiri to this family of Blood Hunters. He and the others explained to Ikiri their mission in life and what their efforts were in locating the orphans. Ikiri asked immediately if she could join them as she so desperately wanted to save her orphan brothers and sisters. Jemmare explained the ritual of the Hunter's Bane, a tortuous rite that involved the initiate hanging suspended from the ceiling of a ritual hut, completely nude, from chains that hooked into the initiates flesh at various points on their back (7 points to be exact). The hooks are fashioned from severed eagle claws. The ritual could typically take anywhere from 1 day to 5 days. The ritual was complete when the initiate completed a vision quest. This vision quest typically, but not always, revealed to the initiate their purpose in life, a calling, or an immediate step they needed to take in their life right away that ultimately would lead to a higher, but yet to be revealed, purpose. If the initiate was unable to complete the ritual, it was deemed as a sign that they were not worthy of the path. Ikiri immediately agreed to the ritual. After a few hours of deliberation, the Blood Hunter family agreed to allow her to try the ritual, feeling that her intentions and soul were pure.     The next morning, Ikiri began the ritual. The ritual took 20 days in total before Ikiri had her vision quest. This was a record number of days that anyone had undergone this ritual in this Blood Hunter's family. In her Vision, Ikiri saw four young black dragonlings surrounding a pillar of light almost too bright to view. She couldn't see what stood in the pillar of light but it appeared to be three people frozen in place. Her vision told her that the black dragons consume children as a sort of blood magic that would somehow allow these dragons to penetrate from another "land into this one" ( a voice told her this in her vision quest). She was shown that she was to meet a woman in Karja who would put her on her path to not only helping the abducted orphans but to destroying the impending evils that were about to pierce the veil of this world. At the end of this Vision Quest, Ikiri opened her eyes, unhooked herself from the eagle claws, and walked from the hut. Jemmare greeted her with open arms and bid her welcome to the "Order of the Ghostslayer". Upon hearing this, the veins beneath Ikiri's skin surged with blood. A rune appeared on the left side of her neck. This rune was formed by the rising of the blood capillaries in her neck and formed the symbol of Tyr (upward pointing arrow). It was explained to her that this is how other Blood Hunter's would know each other.