Captain Cle'ow

Ancient Queen, Warrior Priestess, Mummified Goddess; none of these titles matter to Cle’ow Paricia as much as Captain of the Bonnie. She prowls the seas, her business ranging from trading to pirating, and her acquaintances range from noblemen and women to brigands and thieves.''' '''

History
Thousands of years ago, Cle’ow was born as a princess of the tabaxi nation of Mitzhat’ow. She became a priestess of Me’ow quickly; with her ambition allowing her to rise within the ranks of the clergy with celerity, despite her less than perfect faith in the tenants of the hedonistic god. While Me’ow demands a docile placidity from his subjects, with martial prowess being a means to that end, Cle’ow was always a wild spirit – longing for adventure and excitement.

 

This drive led Cle’ow to worship the feline being, but for the promised fighting prowess, not for comfort and security. As such, she accomplished many great feats in battle against the enemies of Mitzhat’ow – from naga to great blue dragons. Her citizens loved her greatly, and by the time she became queen, she had solidified her position as the high priestess of Me’ow as well as her people’s position in Raevumil’s Hourglass and the world.

 

Cle’ow’s incredible drive for strength became troublesome to Me’ow, however, when she was eventually slain. As she had done a great deal for the people, they granted her the great honor of being mummified – her body preserved so that her soul could return from the afterlife of luxury promised by Me’ow if she ever wanted to. Unlike most, who are more excited for the luxuries promised to them than the option to come back, Cle’ow never left, immediately returning in search of adventure. This disturbed Me’ow, as it revealed in his priestess what he hated more than anything else – the desire to improve.

 

Despite their love for the queen – and her mummified status as a demi-god, it was not difficult for Me’ow to turn the people of Mitzhat’ow against Cle’ow. Branding her a heretic and an enemy of the comfort that they all sought, Me’ow ordered his disciples to strip their former queen of her power with an ancient ritual. Unfortunately for him, Cle’ow’s mummification was not able to be removed. Perhaps she had foreseen this betrayal and hidden her heart ahead of time, or perhaps the spell had been bound to her too long and too well to be loosed, or perhaps it was just her sheer determination. Whatever the case, Cle’ow retained this gift of Me’ow, though she lacked all others, and she went into exile, only able to die if her interned heart was destroyed.

 

For centuries, Cle’ow wandered through the desert, finding adventure where she could and sorrow where she couldn’t. The pain of losing her people’s favor weighed heavily on her, and even her love of excitement and discovery faded – until she happened upon something incredible and new to her. At the northern edge of Raevumil’s Hourglass stood a sight totally foreign to the cat queen and totally awe-inspiring. Cle’ow had seen water before, of course; even pools and rivers were no stranger to her, but before her was the ocean; untamed, unknown, unending. Instantly, she fell in love.

 

Within a few short decades, Cle’ow learned of piracy – the cherry on top of the greatest discovery of her life. Now, not only could she explore the wild ocean, but she could expand her battle prowess upon it. She grew more and more of a name for herself, with her crew becoming more and more extensive. Knowing the sting of betrayal, she promised her crew that they would not simply be her workers – they would be a family, and the first rule of that family was loyalty. The orphaned, the abandoned, the alone. All of these were brought in and welcome under Captain Cle’ow, and all of them found peace, comfort, and adventure on the high seas, punishing the society which had left them to die.

 

As she grew in power on the seas, Cle’ow caught the attention of Savice and, moreover, of the Lich’s Council, who until then had a monopoly on undead crime bosses ruling over the seas. Garvich the Goblin was especially upset, as it was his “navy” which ran the protection racket on Savice. Soon, there was war upon the waves, as raids and counter-raids were conducted between the rival fleets, and on more than one occasion, open battle had to be fought (though both sides avoided it when possible). Though the cost was steep, Cle’ow was never one to lose, and eventually, the Lich’s Council cut its losses and abandoned Garvich, who apparently did not hide his phylactery as well as Cle’ow hid her mummified heart.

 

Having destroyed her greatest rival, Cle’ow became the definitive voice upon the sea, taking the treasure and connections formerly owned by the Lich’s Council in Savice and other coastal regions. Now, wrapped in rags and bedecked with jewels, Cle’ow rules over the sea as its self-proclaimed pirate queen.

 

Impact
As queen of Mitzhat’ow, Cle’ow cemented her people’s place in Raevumil’s Hourglass, ensuring that the country would go down as a world power. As captain of the Bonnie, Cle’ow was equally successful. There isn’t a pirate alive who hasn’t heard tales of of the mysterious Captain Cle’ow and who idolizes, emulates, or fears the legendary figure, regardless of whether or not they work for her.

 

Success comes with a price, however, and there are many powerful forces who want the mummified warrior dead, including her old god Me’ow and the former patrons of her rival; the Lich’s Council. Though they might have abandoned their former member to his fate at the claws of the pirate queen, they are far from the forgiving type.

 

Interesting Facts
- Cle’ow’s flagship – the Bonnie – never ports. No one knows why, but some think that it would be the perfect place to hide a mummy lord’s heart…

- Although Cle’ow has lost all of her otherworldly powers from her pact with Me’ow, she still holds an impressive affinity for and understanding of magic.

- There is still a faction loyal to Cle’ow in Mitzhat’ow, and a cult has been formed in her honor, although the cult has little idea of Cle’ow’s recent endeavors, still viewing her as a warrior priestess loyal to their peoples.