Vose Medhai

Voselyn Remina Medhai was born in 412 AB near the city of Malawah in Mal Kees. Her father, Remius Medhai II, was a wealthy lord and Captain of a Mal Keesian cavalry unit. Vose’s mother, Hermona Sevhard Medhai, was a celebrated artist whose bloodline included several ancient magic users. Hermona died from a mysterious illness early in Vose’s childhood. Vose was primarily raised by her grandparents, Remius I and Keesdara Medhai, until she was old enough to enlist in the Mal Keesian military. Her grandfather passed away shortly after Vose’s enlistment.

Vose excelled at every form of close-quarters combat but was not allowed to fight on the front lines. Instead, she was relegated to the archery lines, where she thrived despite the circumstances. Vose completed her training just in time as the Ahlm-Ahri Empire started the annexation of Mal Kees before her twentieth birthday in 432 AB.

The Battle of Robson’s River was one of the first clashes in the war between Mal Kees and the Ahlm-Ahri Empire. The Imperials struck fast and overwhelmed the Mal Keesian left flank, which led to the death of a Mal Keesian infantry commander. Vose’s team leader ordered his archers to fall back, but Vose convinced them to rain fire on the edge of the left flank instead. Vose then drew her sword and led a charge that reinforced the broken line and turned the tide of the battle. Vose’s unorthodox tactics allowed the other Mal Keesian forces to regain lost ground and rout the confused Imperials.

Vose’s heroism inspired many Mal Keesians and earned her the nickname Sword of the Southern Star, due to the actual Southern Star appearing in the night sky after the victory. This led to Vose earning a folk hero-like reputation amongst not only her fellow Tri-Pointers but also their enemies. Many senior Mal Keesian commanders were displeased with Vose’s blatant insubordination during the Battle of Robson’s River. They viewed her actions as reckless and immature.

Major Vahl Redahlia, however, saw great value in Vose’s tactics. Redahlia rose through the ranks despite senior leaders chiding his unconventional ideas of combat, which he called shadow warfare. Redahlia built a light infantry unit that would operate outside of traditional front lines. The Mal Keesian Rangers, as they came to be called, were trained in deep woods survival, reconnaissance, battlefield medicine, stealth assassinations, and sabotage. Vose Medhai was eventually commissioned as a lieutenant for her service with the MKR.

Vose’s skills were put to the test when her unit was asked to assist with the defense of Jareeko Hill, a vital supply hub for Trident forces. Vose’s sister, Kala Medhai, was charged with reinforcing Jareeko Hill’s defenses while Vose and her Rangers picked off the Empire’s paramilitary forces led by the infamous Wrynn Orloff.

Not much official information exists about the events at Jareeko Hill. What is certain is that the town was eventually overrun and burned to the ground, leaving zero survivors. Wrynn Orloff, wanted for suspected war crimes, lost his commission after the siege and was never seen in Imperial territory again. The fall of Jareeko Hill led to the catastrophic defeat of the Trident’s united forces. Vose’s father died in the last days of the war. Her brother, Alrik, was taken prisoner by the Empire and would remain imprisoned even after the war ended. Lebrolos, Peninsula of Kings, and Mal Kees all surrendered to the Empire and were formally annexed.

There were no reported sightings of Vose Medhai for many years following her presumed death at Jareeko Hill. She came out of hiding to attend her grandmother Keesdara’s funeral in 441 AB, where Vose reunited with her brother Alrik to settle the Medhai estate. They each took their respective share and went their separate ways. Years later, Vose bought a large plot of woodland not far from the Imperial city of Crown’s Reach. Vose’s motivations for buying land so deep in the heart of the Empire were questioned by many, leading some of her former supporters to turn up their noses at their old hero.

In the year 452 AB, Vose Medhai makes a living as a Questioner, an investigator who specializes in mysterious occurrences and other cases that cannot be solved by traditional means. Those close to her believe Vose blames herself for the fall of Jareeko Hill, the defeat of the Trident forces, and the deaths of her friends and family.