Background story: Aygul the Dark Cackle

[Aygul]

This is the background story for my character. I split it up into chapters so that it could hold the entire story.

************WARNING: Adult Content*****************
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Prelude

This story begins with two farmers, Husband and Wife, who lived near Anderhol. Today was the day they must deliver their weekly crops, but they were fine with it, they understood they needed some form of payment to keep their land. They loaded all their crops onto their cart and put their newborn daughter, Aygul, into the care of Servant. They both get into the cart and with a snap of the whip, they are on their way to Anderhol. A storm is brewing overhead, it does not bother them too much, however, crops do need rain. The wind starts to blow and Husband wraps his wife in as shawl and smiles at her. She rests her head on his shoulder and smiles, thinking of how good her life is, a loving husband, a beautiful new daughter, a plot of land, there seams to be no trouble in her life.
They reach their destination and take care of their business. Another week paid off but they had no trouble doing it. They mount their cart and start to head out. The storm has worsened. Wife, her face is stricken with worry for her daughter, what if lightening strikes, there could be a fire, what if they cannot escape. She tugs on her husbands shirt, “Let us make haste, we do not want to get caught in this storm.” He looks at her, but he realizes why she worries, he cracks the whip twice and the horses move at a quickened pace. The rain is falling hard now, the path is harder to see, but the horses know the way. They reach the bridge out of town. Lightening strikes the path, the horses, and the cart, are thrown into the lake. Husband and wife struggle to flee but there is no time, the cart has pulled them under. They attempt to swim up from under the water but Wife is stuck under the weight of the cart. Husband attempts to save his wife, but there is no hope. They both drown at the bottom of the river with their cart and horses.
Servant sits watching her master's child in its cradle, humming softly to it. The storm outside rattles the building. Someone knocks at the door, who could it be in such weather. She goes to the door, “Wh-what is it you need?” An answer, “Andoral officials, ma'am, we have unfortunate news.” Servant quickly opens the door, worried as to what news could be so important the storm cannot wait. They enter the building, closing the door behind them. They both remove their helmets. “I'm sorry ma'am, but the masters of this house drowned in the lake on their way back from delivering their crops.” She stumbles back and falls into a chair. Servant begins to cry and whimpers “No, not my dearest lady. . .” The officials give a moment of silence. “We do not wish to interrupt your grievance, but we have a child registered to this address.” She points over at the cradle, sobbing, “. . .Where will the child go now? She has no other family.” The officials frown slightly. “I'm. . .sorry. The child will need to be sent to an orphanage.” Servant looks down as the officials take the baby from the cradle.

[Aygul]

Chapter 1 – The Orphanage

“You said your name is Lord Vance, correct?” Matron says to a potential customer. Matron looks at him, he sits in front of her, he seems to have a bit of wealth. He wears Yeti fur clothing, likely taken from the southern mountain Yeti. His small beard is growing, his eyes piercing. She looks into his eyes, something is not right about them. She does not like him, but she will not question his lordship, if he is a lord, he would have her head for questioning it. A smirk creeps across his face, “That is what I said, were you not listening?” She quickly shakes her head in fear and looks down at the record in front of her, reading the name to herself, Aygul.
Matron slowly begins to think about on the day she was brought to the orphanage. Aygul lost her parents before she knew them. Matron cared for her like Aygul was her own. Even though Aygul grew up as many children did, with that childish naivety, Matron could always see a slight sorrow in her eyes. However, though Aygul had been depraved of parents, she was gifted with many other qualities. She was one of the orphanage's smartest children, she would observe the world around her and learn based on that. Aygul even managed to learn to haggle and steal by watching the clumsy mistake of people. But this was not what caught the eye of Lord Vance. It would also happen that Aygul was the most beautiful child at the orphanage. Now 15, she had perfect white skin with a slim figure. Her eyes were a perfect shade of blue, and her hair was dark and perfectly straight. She was a joy to have in the orphanage, always helping where she could and trying to bring a smile to the face of those around her. She had a sense of humor that would make any laugh, if not from the humor itself than from her contagious laugh. It would sadden Matron to see her go.
“Well? Do we have a deal or not? This disgusting place and occupants need the gold!” He sneered at the Matron. She had no choice, he was offering quite a sum of gold for this child. What he said was also true, Matron needed extra gold to get more food and the orphanage could use some touch ups. She had no choice but to let poor Aygul go. She sighed, “It is a deal. You can have Aygul.” She was disappointed with herself but there was no other option. She lifted herself from the seat and walked into the orphans' room. Aygul was in the corner helping one of the younger children to dress. Matron quickly faked a smile, “Aygul dear, I have good news for you. Some one has decided to adopt you! He is even a lord. You will live life as a princess!” Aygul finished with the child and turned, her beautiful face gleamed with happiness. The lord licked his lips but quickly hit his attraction from Matron. “Oh, that is wonderful news! I just hope you will be fine without my help.” Aygul said. Matron began to tear up, she is thinking of others again. Aygul collected her belongings and gave her farewells to all the other orphans. She then went to Matron and hugged her fondly. “You have been a mother to me, Thank you.” She wiped her tears on Matron's dress. The lord pulled at Aygul's shoulder. “Come, let us leave this place, it is no longer your home.” Aygul obeyed to not upset the lord, she knew the money was needed by Matron. She followed him out of the orphanage and down the street where a shady driver was waiting with the lord carriage. “Get in.” Lord Vance barked at Aygul, who quickly obeyed. With the crack of the reigns, she was on her way to her new home, however, it was not the princess life she expected.

[Aygul]

Chapter 2 – Awake in the Nightmare

Aygul sat next to Lord Vance in the carriage. She did not like him, he looked at her with a dark hunger, a smile crept across his face when he looked at her. Aygul also noted that many times when he though she could see him rubbing himself and licking his lips. A slight moan of anticipation would escape his lips. She was scared for herself, but she knew there was little she could do now. She quickly peered beyond the curtain to see out the window. The ground was snow laden. Several structures stood, but looked as if they were vacant. She then saw a decrepit keep, it seamed to not have been under anyone's care for quite some time. She realized that this was a ghost town; he we no lord, he ruled over nothing. Aygul was overcome with fear as they stopped in front of the keep. Lord Vance exited the carriage, pulling at Aygul's arm to follow. She knew she could not resist, and so she followed.
As they entered the keep, Aygul noted that the front gate was falling from its supports. The servants, all of whom were male, seemed to have trouble moving them opening and closing them with the rusty chains. The interior of the keep had little lighting, only a few torches here and there. Aygul was overtaken with the smell of mildew as she entered. A rat skittered to its corner she was rushed by. Lord Vance took no care to make her feel at home. He quickly moved her past room after room until he reached the stairs leading to the basement below. He pushed her to move down the stairs, following close behind, his body slightly pressing against hers. She reached the bottom of the stairs, but she could not see much. A servant quickly used flint to light a single torch. She gasped in horror at the sight she beheld.
The floor was encased in layer of dried blood. Several dead bodies hang from the chains nearby, their bodies mutilated from what seamed to be horrible experiments. Aygul turned to Lord Vance, who now smiled with content at her fright, and moved away. But she quickly lost her grip of the floor in a fresh puddle of blood. She felt her head hit the feet of someone she had not noticed in the room, and quickly looked up only to find a grotesque man staring down at her. He had only one eye, leaving the orifice of the other in plain sight. Covering his mouth was a bloody surgical mask. His skin was ghastly white, though this was hardly noticed beneath the many infected scars that covered his body, oozing with green puss. He snickered at Aygul, “Yesss, this one will be the one, my experiments shan't fail this time.” She wanted to scream, how could this have happened to her, but she could not, fear overtook her and she felt her mind let go of consciousness.
Aygul awoke in a cage, the bars covered in old blood, the floor in dried urine. The smell was horrid but she had nothing to vomit. She was in much pain and unclothed, she realized the men had taken advantage of her unconsciousness. She began to weep, but was interrupted by the voice of the fowl man from before. “Hush child, your weeping will do nothing here. You may call me Doctor Bedlam. I shall be operating on you today.” He cackled in the darkness as he approached the cage. He ran his hand against the side of her face. “Such a pretty one too. It is good you have woken, I would not wish you to sleep through your torment.” She whimpered at his touch, afraid of what he had planned for her. He opened the cage and quickly pulled her out. She was in too much pain to resist. He threw her onto an old table, bolting her down in place. “However, your face denies your beauty. Your eyes are so sad. You only display a frown. Well then, this must be fixed.” Bedlam quickly drew his scalpel. “Now don't struggle, it will only make the pain worse,” he sneered. He began to chuckle as he touched the scalpel to her eye. He hesitated for her to become more frightened. Aygul's began to breathe faster, harder. “Please. . .don't do this, I beg of you.” He laughed, “There we are, I could not begin with out some begging!” He pushed the scalpel into her eye, she screams from the horrible pain that has overcome her. He pulled the scalpel down beyond the socket to her cheek. She screamed and cried at the same time. He brought the scalpel to her other eye. She struggled to escape but there is no hope. “I said no struggling!” Bedlam barked. He held her head steady with his other hand as he pushed the scalpel into her other eye, repeating the process, dragging the scalpel to the same length as the other eye. “There, now you are as pretty as a clown. Its for the best, you know, this way you will not try to escape like the others.” Aygul screamed but the pain was too unbearable, she once again lost consciousness.
Aygul awoke to darkness. She reached up to touch her face. She followed the gouges in her face with her fingers up to her eye socket, but there was nothing there. She screamed in horror. Was this all just a nightmare? Doctor Bedlam quickly grabbed her face. “If you keep fainting, how will I ever finish,” he growled at her. Aygul could sense the anger in his voice. He grabbed her hands and shackled them back to the table. “Now then, where was I,” he sneered. “Ah yes, that frown of yours, it will not do.” Once again the doctor drew his scalpel. He pressed it at the top of her jaw. Aygul was unsure what he was about to do but knew it would be horrifyingly painful. He began to cut her skin, following her jawline. Bedlam was cutting off the skin attacked to her jaw! She began to struggle but he quickly steady her head once again. He sighed, “Why do you always make this so hard.” He finished cutting the jawline. He removed the skin from Aygul's face. She began to cry, but could not produce tears. “Do not fret, we are not done yet,” Bedlam cackled. Aygul sensed that he walked away and grabbed something. He returned to her and she suddenly felt cold metal touch where her skin used to be. She then felt the bolts enter her jaw. The pain was agonizing. One by one they were placed in position, tightening her jaw into a smile. The doctor seam to have finished with the bolts, however, Aygul's suffering was not yet finished. She heard the sound of coal being lit somewhere. Suddenly, she felt the metal heat up. He was pressing hot coals against the metal to melt it into place. Soon it was at unbearable temperatures as the metal metaled to the skin around it. She screamed through the metal as blood trickled down her throat. Aygul had no choice but to swallow it down. She began to lose consciousness again, however, he caught her this time and pressed a hot coal against her arm. “Not this time, wench!”
Aygul screamed in pain as the coal burns her flesh. Doctor Bedlam removed the coal and rubs the new burn spot, “Aw, now look what you've made me do, your perfect flesh is ruined. No matter, I have a solution.” Once again she sensed that he had gone to get something. However, this time she could hear the sound of liquid. He returned to her slab and smiled at her, “This, my dear, is an alchemical solution. This substance took me quite a while to make, you should be glad you'll be the first to have a working batch! However, you might feel a slight burning sensation,” he said as he began to pour the solution on her. The instant it touched her skin, Aygul felt the burning sensation, however, it felt more like he was pouring acid on her. “This will make your skin always stay perfectly white, it will show no sign of burn, bruise, or scar. You're lucky I'm here to make you so pretty,” he cackled as he finished pouring the last bit on her. Aygul screamed in pain but the sound of his cackle drowned it out. “There we are, now its time to dress you and ready you for the master,” Bedlam sneered.

[Aygul]

Chapter 3 – The Puppet Master

Doctor Bedlam walked away from his patient. He reached for a cord in his dark, dank laboratory and gave it a few tugs. Far off, the sound of a bell could be heard, followed by distant footsteps. Aygul heard the basement door above open, followed by footsteps coming down the stairs. Whoever it was was now having a discussion with Doctor Bedlam. “Ah, so she is ready then.” the man says. The man walks over to the slab. “She is beautiful, I would say this is your greatest work!” he says to Bedlam, then turning his attention to Aygul, “Now dear, I know you cannot see me, but remember my voice, I am the Wilfred Parsifal, however, you can refer to me as The Puppet Master.” Bedlam released Aygul of her shackles and pushed her off the table. The Puppet Master walked over to her and applied a leather collar to her neck. She then felt it tug, realizing that she was on a leash, like a common mutt. She attempted to stand but a combination of the constant tugging and being physically drained caused her to stumble her way behind The Puppet Master.
Aygul followed behind, climbing the the first set of stairs, then another, then another which was spiraled. She figured she was in a tower of sorts. The Puppet Master chained the leash to the wall so she could not escape. He then walked to a dresser in the corner, pulling an outfit out. “Yes, This will fit you perfectly!” he exclaimed as he walked back over to Aygul. She felt him placing the the outfit on her, she did not resist, she was too tired inside. Then, as if her torture wasn't enough, she felt him placing pins through the cloth and into her skin. This was done around her wrists, waist, ankles, and neck. He then grabbed an item from the wall, placing it on her head, it jingled as he did. Aygul realized what she was dressed as, a clown, a jester. And she was correct, stripped black and white, the entire outfit was that of a jester. The arms and legs of the outfit were puffed out. The hat that sat on her head was a two point jester hat, with bells at the end. The Puppet Master stood in front of her, proud of the outfit he had created, “You are one of my bests as well, if I may say so myself. Now, you shall be Lord Vance's Jester. You shall entertain him anyway he wishes, and on any given night, you may have to service him as well. If you refuse, I will be here to discipline you.” He cracked a whip that hit her face hard, but it would not scar, her beauty would remain intact. He pinned the jester hat in place as he did with the rest of the outfit.
“Now, you must learn to be a proper jester for The Lord, he would be disappointed if you did not know how to appease him,” The Puppet Master proclaimed. For days, he taught Aygul to be more flexible, to dance, to juggle. When she failed she punished in the most horrific ways. They would whip her face when she failed, put her hand in acid when she did not learn, hold her head under water when she was not perfect. He trained her to always walk up right, he would not have her mopping about. Aygul was taught to always walk lightly, she could not be stomping about like an ogre. She was becoming the perfect jester. However, The Puppet Master did not realize the harm his teachings would cause him.

[Aygul]

Chapter 4 – Her Bittersweet Insanity

And so it went on, Aygul would dance and juggle to the sound of Lord Vance's voice, doing as he wished, entertaining him as he sat on his false throne. When the Lord went to bed, he would call Aygul in to service him, his disgusting body tainting hers. It went on for months, the same routine every day, Aygul began to grow numb to the world around her. What had she done in life to be punished so? Why were her loved onces not looking for her, where was The Matron? Did she not care for Aygul, was it all a ruse to make her behave at the orphanage? But slowly Aygul stopped caring, all of those in the past disappeared in her mind, her mind began to slip into darkness. One day, however, as Aygul sat in her cage, her mind wondering about in the darkness, something happened. A thought exploded into her mind as if it had broken through a mirror, exploding into pieces. Her mind changed form. She laughed, she laughed and laughed and laughed. She no longer cared about anything, not those she loved, not even herself, the only thought in her mind, that one thought, was vengeance.
Aygul quickly remembered the skills she had learned at the orphanage. She pulled a pin from her outfit without resistance, she could no longer feel pain. She used it to pick the lock and opened the cage door. She walked to the surgeon's table and grabbed two scalpels. She crept over to the slab where the good Doctor Bedlam laid, listening for his disgusting breathing. She used the sound to cover his mouth so he couldn't scream. He woke, however, it was too late. She jabbed one of the scalpel into his vocal cords, pushing through to the table beneath his neck. Bedlam could no longer scream, but she planned on keeping him alive a little longer. Aygul quickly drew the second scalpel and pressed it against his chest. “Don't struggle now, it will only hurt for a second!” She cackled as she began to skin him alive. She removed the skin on his torso first, then his arms, then legs. When Aygul was finished, Bedlam was barely alive, his lungs filling with the blood that his body had so little of from the lack of skin. “See now, that wasn't too bad was it,” she whispered to him. She walked over to the surgeon's table once again, this time picking up the surgical saw. She put it at his head. “Now, we just cannot let you keep your brain, its just too ugly!” Aygul sawed all the way through his scalp, then ripped his brain from his head. “This brain is covered in blood! It must be cleaned!” she exclaimed as she threw it over her shoulder, landing it in the solution he had poured on her. She collected his skin and scalp, then went on to her next victim.
Aygul slowly crept her way through the shadows, making her way to The Puppet Master's room. She knew her way now, how could she forget. She slowly made it to his bed. He was sleeping so preciously, she could hear his breathe, so light. She walked to his dresser. There, Aygul grabbed some thread and the pin cushion. She quickly went to sewing, making the perfect Doctor Bedlam outfit. She then walked over to The Puppet Master and sat above him. She put her hand under his jaw. He quickly woke, but Aygul pushed his mouth shut so he could not scream. She slowly began to sewed his mouth shut, “How does it feel to be at the mercy of your own instruments!” Soon she was finished, blood dripping from where she had threaded his mouth shut. She put the Bedlam outfit on The Puppet Master, then began to sew it onto him. Aygul sewed everything, even the scalp, to The Puppet Master. She then took his pin cushion and slowly pinned his eyelids shut, making sure to scrap the eyes each time. He cried in pain but it did not phase her. The blood dripped down his face like tears. She giggled, “Now you are perfect! How does it feel when The Puppet Master becomes a puppet! But what kind of puppet never does a show?” The Puppet Master stopped crying, he was afraid of her intentions, what was she implying.
The next day, Lord Vance sat up in his bed, it would be a good day like all the rest. He had his two faithful servants and now a jester to entertain him, his life could not be better. He opened his eyes, but he was met with a sight of horror. The good Doctor Bedlam was stringed to the roof of his room like a puppet! He slowly crawled to the edge of his bed to see if the good doctor was alive. The face quickly began to jerk back and forth, he was indeed alive. “Do not worry doctor, I am here, I shall get you down, and the knave who did this shall pay with his soul!” Lord Vance quickly jumped from his bed and rushed to save his friend. However, as he moved closer, he hit a trip wire. Realizing this, the Lord looked up at his friend only to see the effect of this trap. The wire ripped the fake skin from his body, leaving one wire, the one around the puppet's neck. “Wilfred?! Who has done this!” he said as he stumbled back and fell to the floor. The Puppet Master struggled as he slowly choked to death. Lord Vance was in horror watching his friend die, but he noticed something peaking from under the bed. It was a hand. “Did you think you would not be punished for this deed!” he said as he pulled the person from under the bed. However, what came up was not the criminal who did these heinous acts, instead it was the skinned body of the late Doctor Bedlam. Lord Vance jumped up in horror. “No. . .this cannot be!” He starred at the dead bodies of his two servants, nay, friends. Just then, something caught his eye from the shadows in the corner of his room. “What's wrong my dear Lord Vance, do you not like your servants to be perfect?” said a woman's voice from the shadows. She walked out in her full jester outfit, cackling at Lord Vance's horror. “Why you little wench, how dare yo-” Lord Vance started to say, but Aygul just threw a scalpel at him, sticking it in his heart. He fell to the ground. She walked out of the room, leaving the horror scene as it was. Covered in blood, she exited the keep, feeling sunlight for the first time in a long time.

[Aygul]

Chapter 5 – Consequence

The Warden quickly throws food and water at the prisoner, “'ere ya' are ya' mongrel! Be grateful ya' wernt't sent ta ya' death!” A passing guard looks at The Warden with curiosity. He looks in the cell to see the monster chained to the wall. She does not eat, only smiles with her metal jaw at the guard and The Warden. Her eyes are gone, almost soulless, the guard stares into them. Even without the eyes, the deep darkness of the sockets slowly scare the guard. He stumbles back from the cell. “Wh-what's the story with this one, Sir?” the guard asks as he steadies himself. The Warden looks at the guard, looking at him harshly for asking. “If ya' must know,” The Warden says, “'That there is Prisoner 777: The Dark Jester. She ended up in this 'ere asylum for killin' three men up in 'em Alterac Mountains. Officers said she killed 'em in the most disgustin' ways, she did. Said they found one of 'em skinned, one strung up like ah puppet, and one with ah blade in 'is heart. Was like she was waitin' for 'em officials, standing in front of that place, just smilin' and waitin'. They say she took out 'er own eyes and put that there metal on 'erself. All she does in 'ere is smile, all she ever does. I guess thats why they put 'er 'ere.” Th guard looks into the cell again, why is she still smiling, always smiling. . .

[Aygul]

Chapter 6 – Death Cures All but the Mind

The city was under attack. I could hear it above my cell, the ground above was shaking. How wondrous it was when all the shaking caused my bonds to break free. We had been forgotten, the rest of the prisoners and I. The Warden was gone, he had left when he heard of the undead taking cities nearby. He left us locked in this place, he wanted us to die. No matter, he means nothing to me, nothing does anymore, except myself. I dragged my body over to the door, it had fallen over with all the destruction above. I walked through the hallway. Many of the cells had collapsed in, many of my asylum mates dead. I climbed up the stairs and out of the basement where they kept the worse lunatics. I had to push my way through rubble to get out. I had no sight, but I could hear it, the sound of war. The sound of metal hitting metal, explosions from the gunpowder, and the pulling of hundreds of bow strings surrounded me. Then I heard it, the thud of a cannon fire, but this was no cannon, I heard something falling from the sky. There was an explosion near by and I was thrown into deep water. My consciousness slipped away.
Wake up my childe. What a friendly voice it is. I smile and study my surroundings. On a slab again it would seem? I roll over and sneak around. Oh look, someone here to play with perhaps? I walk up behind him and whisper in his ear, “Who, may I ask, are you?” He seemed startled, good. He turns and smiles, I can sense he is smiling, how odd I sense without eyes. “I am the crypt keeper young one, do you know what you are?” He says to me. What a peculiar question to ask. “Well, I was once an orphan, then a jester, then insane, would you like to pick for me?” I responded. He chuckled at my response, “You are undead, childe, one of the chosen few to still have a soul, though, many say it is more of a curse than a gift.” I realize that he must be right, for I must have drowned, I laugh, its the same way my parents died. That felt good, to laugh, oh so good, I keep doing it, and the more I do, the less I remember of my past life. Soon, I remember nothing, just laughing and this crypt keeper. The crypt keeper smiles at me. “Ah yes, you are ready, go now! We are Forsaken!”



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The End. . .Post some comments ^_^

[clys]

((gruesome goodness, well written. Hope to see you 'round the game. Feel free to stop by our forums!))