Muĝi.txt

Abandoned as a cub in the wilds of the Theros Badlands, Muĝi was found and raised by an older Leonin named Cariad. Cariad taught him the skills of survival, and gave him the skills of hunting and living in barren landscapes, all while keeping a secret of his own magical abilities. Muĝi loved and adored Cariad, and learned all he could from him.

It was a shock the day that Muĝi encountered his father-figure, in the preparation for a hunt, slice his own weapon across his own paw, and he ran to him.  It was then that he learned of the ways of Cariad, and the ways of the Blood Hunter. Cariad taught him the ways but bade him not partake in the darkness that feeds on your own self and powers. That there were consequences that came with his abilities. Muĝi accepted Cariad's wishes and continued to learn and live with his mentor.

Until one hunt day, when something different happened. The day began as usual. Preparing and talking together, sharpening their weapons, but Cariad seemed... distracted. He kept looking at his ring. Nevertheless, they left for the days hunt. 

It was a somewhat succesful day, until it appeared on the horizon moving slowly- but firmly and resolutely towards them. A creature that appeared emaciated and falling apart, but somehow seemed stronger than imaginable. Cariad seemed, somehow to recognize it*, with a sort of acceptance. Cariad fought the creature and they threw their final blows at the same time, the creature dissolving into ash and Cariad falling to the ground.  Muĝi ran to him, and confirmed the worst was true. Cariad was dead. Taking a moment to grieve with Cariad and a ring from his paw, to remember him by, Muĝi set to their home to get supplies to give Cariad a proper burial.  In doing so, the ring seemed to have a pulse.  Looking at it, the sigil on the top, seemed to point toward where Cariad's body lay.

Muĝi ran to the area, to find Cariad, risen and walking north.  But it wasn't the Cariad he had grown with and been raised by and taught by. It was something... else.  The body was now emaciated, and flesh fell from certain parts. While Muĝi couldn't be certain what it was, he knew for sure it was not Cariad. He looked at the ring*** and noted the sigil now faced north.  A beat passed while he tried to figure out how a piece of metal could move like this. Spinning in a circle, he noted how the metal moved, always facing the direction the beast that was once Cariad travelled. 

With vengeance in his heart, Muĝi set back to the home again, this time for the last time. Gathering Cariad's books, tools, and the weapons he could into a bag and setting out in the direction the ring indicated. Set on killing his father-figures killer.  Vengeance, unknowingly folllowing vengeance. Feeling lost, and longing for a deeper connection to Cariad, he followed in his path and made the blood oath, becoming a blood hunter himself. 

With so very much to learn in the ways of the bloodhunter, he moved north. Attempting to keep to the rules Cariad had taught him, fighting for self defense or for hunger. Occasionally he would linger in a town- his desire to help those who may be defenseless or to aid those who needed it keeping him there for a while. But eventually his journey, would always lead him in pursuit of the rings direction and revenge for Cariad's death and seemingly evil resurrection.

*long ago in Cariad's past, before he abandoned that path, he traveled with a group of adventurers set upon achieving wealth and power. One of the adventurers began to see their ways as evil, and spoke out against the behavior- threatening to reveal sins they had committed to local communities and get them in trouble unless they stopped. The group decided the party member must be killed and each gave one blow, so that it would rest on all of their consciences.**.

**I think in theory revenants only last for 6 months/until they achieve their goal, but I'm working with this one living simply until they achieve their goal if that's ok. Essentially this creature would be out to kill all the members of the party cariad had traveled with, which had split up long ago and gone their separate ways. One to the far north. Muĝi would have no knowledge of this tale or perhaps even of what a revenant is. Revenants, when destroyed while business is yet to be finished, take the form of another creature until all of their business is done, so the idea is that the revenant took Cariad's body and is hunting the rest of Cariad's party. 

*** Blood hunters have a feature where any creature they have attacked they can tell the direction of. For the purposes of storytelling/because Muĝi wouldn't have that feature yet, I've imbued the location of this particular creature in a ring that cariad wears, with the assumption that he is aware of the revenants existence, and knowing its direction would help him evade it. I'm fine with the ring ceasing to work at some point, indicating that it had killed the rest of the party, or for there to be a conflict at some point.