Anastasia Blackwater

Anastasia Blackwater
Astral Elf, Spirits Bard
Student at Strixhaven University

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Even for a family of assassins, the Blackwaters were never really good people. Sure there were some good eggs, but for the most part they were ruthless and cared more about killing than they did about the wellbeing of others.

The Blackwater Manor holds a strict set of values, that must be upheld at all costs.
- Loyalty Above All - Loyalty to the family is non-negotiable. Betrayal of any form is to be met with severe punishment, often resulting in death.
- Vow of Secrecy - Blackwaters operate in the dark, meaning no outsider is to know the true nature of their dealings, and even within the family, information was on a need-to-know basis.
- Elimination of the Weak - Anything considered a weak link to the family, even family members, are to be eliminated immediately.

Though the Blackwater family resided in Neverwinter, most of their targets remained outside of the city, spread out across the Sword Coast. Hired contracts & personal vendettas were the majority of the kills, but they also took out high priority targets.

Get in, kill, get out. That's how it's always done. Flow with the grace and force of a river, and strike in the darkness. Anything from simple poisoning to fabricated suicides was fine. They often used unethical and unorthodox approaches. In other words, really fucked up things that would be too far to others, but to them it was an art.

Anastasia was no exception. Though she was a child, she too was taught to kill and uphold the family values. Her father, Lucius, had taught her the skills she needed to become a deadly weapon, as he was a formidable combatant. Her mother, Elara, was a strategic mastermind who guided the approach to every mission. Anastasia became a master of her own art, using her childish looks to lure people in, or to get into places where others would be barred.

One day, Anastasia was sent on a mission to take out Cassian Voss, a target who had been a thorn in the Blackwater's side for years. Anticipating the move, Cassian was able to capture her, and he tortured her for information that was hidden even from her. Defying the values of his house, Lucius rescued her and finished Cassian off.

His punishment was to be death by the hands of the Blackwater Manor, for not only rescuing the weak link that Anastasia had become, but risking the lives of everyone by revealing himself to their greatest enemy. Anastasia was also on the chopping block for allowing herself to be captured as well.

Through a great deal of bargaining, however, Lucius and Elara were able to make a plea for all of their lives. It was a rare moment of compassion from the Blackwaters, but it came with a price.

The three of them were to abandon the Blackwater family, and cease all assassinations. Anastasia, being a child, was to have her memory wiped of her part in the dark dealings of the Blackwaters, especially to ensure that she would never be able to share their secrets, even accidentally. Her memories were changed to being homeschooled by her parents, to explain how she was so well learned on combat and local history.

But even as she grew up with two loving parents, having a peaceful childhood and living her best life in a small, wealthy home... she grew curious. When she would ask her parents what made them so wealthy, what the Blackwaters are known for, or really anything about her family's history, she would find herself gaining no answers. Her parents simply wouldn't tell her anything, preferring to redirect her attention to other things.

When she is older, she decides that, well, if her parents won't tell her, someone else will. Maybe the dead will have to do. This is the point where she chooses to become a Bard (College of Spirits) who can hear the whispers of her ancestors. She convinces her parents to allow her to attend Strixhaven in order to make friends and enhance her studies, but secretly intends to use this opportunity to further her studies as a spirit medium, a path that her parents would try anything to stop.

And so, the next chapter of Anastasia's life begins. For the girl who can't forge a smile to save her life, what discoveries await her?

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