Madrigal

Biological

Full Name: Madrigal Mundoza

Born: April 4, 2305 AD (22 WR)

Birthplace: Dorino, Guardia

Sex: Female

Race: Human

Hair: Black (with dyed red streaks)

Eyes: Brown

Height: 5'5"

Personal

Religion: Spekkian

Title: Archbishop of the Church of Spekkio

Nicknames: Saint Madrigal, Spekkio's Chosen

Known Skills: Elemental Magic (Fire, Water, Lightning, Shadow and Holy elements)

History

The tiny form of Madrigal is surprising to those who have heard the legends of how she came to be the Archbishop of Spekkio's Church. Possessed with what is only described as "the Light," she has won the unequivocal support of the Clergy and the Church Guard, and rules over the fate of the Church as though she were the God himself. Her life has been a hard one. Her father, Captain Meril Mundoza of the GDF, perished during the Hivan War, and her mother Tallaina was only able to give her a decent upbringing by depending upon the kindness of family friends. It was not until she entered high school that she and her mother found a stable home life, for it was then that Tallaina became engaged to one Sir William Dorino, the dispossessed heir to the Dorino Noble House (which had fallen on hard times and collapsed under the crushing weight of debt after the Hivan War).

Madrigal grew into a cynical, intellectual young woman. She was rebellious whenever the opportunity presented itself. It was this spark of independence that drew Spekkio's attention to the girl. He knew that only someone with a natural mistrust for corrupt institutions could root out the evils within his Church, and so for the first time in millenia Spekkio decided he would take an active hand in the leadership of the mortal agency of his religion.

So began a complicated series of events, involving stolen money, betrayal, murder, rape and Noble corruption. Madrigal's step-father-to-be, Sir William, was caught up in the intrigue playing out between Lord Enderik Penders and his rival, the Viscount Renard Dalton of Denadoro. For an act of dishonor, Enderik stripped William of his knightly title. He sent a foreign knight, Sir Mourne MacBride of Doma, to serve as interim administrator over the Dorino holdings which William once watched over in Enderik's name. The Viscount siezed upon this opportunity; he sought first to embarrass Lord Penders by drawing William to his house and using him to aquire a large portion of the Dorino Prefecture's farm holdings, and then asked William to testify against Enderik (for remission of the debt incurred when the money for the Dorino lands was stolen while in William's care) and say he was a supporter of Bishop Dallek, who was one of the men vying for the leadership of the Church. Refusing to do so, William fled, and was now a marked man.

Mourne MacBride and Madrigal grew close in this time. Mourne had sworn to protect Madrigal, who had been attacked once before by men who somehow knew of the girl's ultimate destiny. The Doman failed in this, however, as Madrigal was attacked in the night by Pierre Herchon, a Templar of the Church Guard and the man responsible for stealing William's loan. Pierre raped and kidnapped the girl, leaving behind him photographic evidence of the violation. Enraged, Mourne rode off after her, intercepted along the way by the ghost of Madrigal's father, who bestowed upon him the Shawl of Time's Shadow, a magical cloak which would mask the Doman Knight from any form of magical divination (but especially the temporally-attuned senses of the Flying Fates, the JetBike gang that had attacked Madrigal previously, and was now helping Pierre Herchon). With the Shawl's aid, Mourne was able to infiltrate the Dalton Estate and rescue Madrigal, who was in a state of shock and barely conscious at all.

Meanwhile, William's squire Marcus had been approached by agents of the Viscount, and had agreed to betray his mentor. He lead William into an ambush, and Pierre Herchon killed him.

The Flying Fates caught up with Mourne on the road between Denadoro and Dorino. It was here that Madrigal awoke to her destiny, manifesting "the Light" for the first time, and wielding it in defense of her friend. She left Mourne at the Dorino family home and rode north to Truce, where she claimed the Archdiocese as her own, as was her purpose. Doing so, she left Mourne and her mother vulnerable, and seeking vengeance the Flying Fates and Pierre siezed the opportunity and killed them both. Strengthened by the Light, Madrigal brought Dalton to justice, and avenged her lost love by killing Pierre. In the moment before death claimed him, however, Madrigal used the Light to imprison the Templar in a timestop stasis, so that he would suffer the final moment of death for all eternity.

The Bishops of the Church of Spekkio are in awe of Madrigal's presence. They love and fear her, as they long ago lost the ability to love and fear the God they serve. Apparently detached and divested of emotion, Madrigal's gift to see corruption for what it is has ended the careers of many faithless members of the Clergy in the short time she has overseen the Church.

Yet still, despite new leadership, the Church's reputation is a tarnished one in Guardia. It will take a lot more than simply the Light to restore the people's faith in the institution of the Church, but Madrigal is the best chance for new life that the Church has seen in well over a millenium.