Backstory a D&D catfolk ^_^

[MasterConan]

Back-story for Conan’s Catfolk WarMage, Nasshard Hett

Born and raised in a small catfolk village I grew up learning the ways of my people. Hunting, gathering and mysticism were a large part of the old ways for my ancestors, but now we have become merchants, traders and entertainers. We still honor the old ways and are taught the history of our people, but most of my clan chooses to live their lives in the here and now.
My clan comes from a long line of mystics and sages and has passed down the most sacred of spells and rituals that our people can remember. But alas not many Cathar, our native name for our species, have use for these rituals and incantations. My father knew that we had to make better lives for ourselves by joining in with the other merchants or we would have been left on the plains to die out among our “savage” brothers who refused change. But even while we traveled and traded he taught me much about the powers that I would obtain. “Great wayss of magikss and sspells my son! That iss whats in our blood!” he would tell me. I half-heartedly believed him, for I had never seen the great things he spoke of. As far as I was concerned I was merely the son of a merchant, but I humored him, read our scrolls and meditated as he taught me. I did feel something stir in me, but it felt as if I was trying to catch the wind with my paws. Futile...
I grew up traveling from town to town with many of my people from different clans. We all looked after one another and tried to do our best to make a profitable living. But feuds were unavoidable and many of the Cathar took to lives of theft or worse.
Besides my clan family I had few friends, Crrado Chak was my closest. We always worked and played together. We did have our own rivalries though one of which was for the attention of our clans females. We were both thought to be the best suitors in the troupe. Sadly our friendship took a turn for the worse when I became engaged. My mate to be, Ssintas Vel, was all I could think about after our clans decided that we should marry. I was very lucky; she was beautiful, strong and kind. She was the envy of all the other Cathar females in our travels. I couldn’t wait to be married and start a family of our own, her feelings were the same. Crrado was extremely jealous of my good fortune and stopped talking to me after that. It turns out that he had been hoping to be her mate for as long as he could remember and this pairing of Ssintas and I would not stand for him. One of the last things Crrado told me was that he would be her mate one way or another. I waited for him to cool off and get over this childish frame of mind, but it seems that it was not meant to be...
One day, 3 weeks before we were to be married, we had stopped in one of the larger cities to sell and trade our wares. I was busy helping my father with trades and keeping an eye open for thieves at our table. But on this day I felt more distracted than normal because Ssintas and her family had set up their table next to ours and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. She would catch me staring and would send me a sweet smile or wink. Those small gestures were enough to make my fur stand on end!
“HEY! Come back here! Nasshard! He’s sstealing our lockbox! GUARDS!!!”
Blast! I had not been doing my job and now we wouldn’t have enough money for the wedding ceremony. That would not do. I leapt over our table and gave chase to the would-be thief. We dashed between people and around tent poles, over tables and under awnings. The thief rounded a corner and into a dead end, I had him! The thief was shrouded and clutched our lockbox tight under one arm. He desperately searched for an escape, but the only way out was back trough me. Fangs showing and claws extended I made a fearsome barrier.
“Give back what you have stolen and you might make it out of here alive!” I yelled. The thief took a stance similar to my own and extended the claws on his fur covered free hand. Another Cathar!? I thought. “Stealing from your own people!? How dare you! The Ancestors would be despairing at”—
“QUIET! Nasshard! I do not steal from our people! Just from you!” That voice...
“...Crrado? But why Crrado? What could you gain from this!?”
Tossing off the hood of his cloak Crrado revealed himself. “ EVERYTHING! Everything you have stolen from me! Ssintas is to be mine, one way or another! You remember that don’t you? Now without enough money for a proper ceremony Clan Vel will have no choice but to make Ssintas MY mate!” He raged as he spat out the words.
“That will never be true! After they find out what you’ve done you and your clan will be banished from the troupe! It’s hopeless!”
“Wrong! Now that your here, nobody will ever know about it!” he said as he dropped the lockbox and took a fighting pose. “Poor Nasshard! Killed while chasing a thief who stole his wedding money! Such a tragedy that the thief was never caught! You will be missed!” With the last words Crrado leapt at me clawing at my face and throat.
We fought violently like our primal ancestors. Clawing, biting, scratching, using everything we had learned from our elders to defend ourselves. How they would weep to see us using that knowledge against each other. We locked together and rolled on the ground, fighting for what felt like hours. Crrado had me pinned to the stones when he spoke again. “Yess Nasshard Hett, you will be missed by all but me. And I will live on with Ssintas and do with her as I see fit!”
“No! She does not love you!” I yelled and rolled at the same time bursting forth with renewed energy. He would not be with Ssintas! I would not allow it!
We separated and took defensive poses again. But something was different, the wind that I had felt in my meditations seamed to blow again, only now it felt like a gust...then a torrent... My fur was on end and my muscles were tight. Crrado seemed to be distracted by my sudden change. He paused only briefly to take in this new scene and then attacked again. But time slowed for me. He leapt and hovered for a long time. All the while I felt this urge to free this energy inside me. It was with explosive power and a flash of light that I watched as Crrado’s expression change from bloodlust to fear in an instant. After that, all was white...
I felt my surroundings before I saw them. I could tell I was on my hands and knees. I felt the stones under me. Sounds of the crowded market and stunned passers by flooded back to me. My body was hot, burning with the aftermath of whatever had just happened to me. I raised my head to a specific noise, that of a moaning being in pain... I opened my eyes and saw before me the charred body of Crrado. Not dead, but close enough to it that he may have wanted to be. Smoke still rising from the remains of his fur and clothes. Shaking, I rose to my feet and carefully retrieved the lockbox and left the small alleyway and Crrado, making my way back to my father and the rest of the clan.
“Nasshard! You’ve got it! My brave sson!!” My father was so happy I had gotten the money back. The whole troupe was happy for my victory. Ssintas smiled and nodded in happy approval. All I could hear were the sounds of happy Cathar and clapping. Then a deep voice came from behind me.
“YES! Very good indeed. Very skillful I might add.” This came from a tall broad shouldered human draped in a flowing cloak around a suit of armor. He had jet black hair tied back in a pony tail and a goatee surrounding his mouth. A scar ran from the top of his head down his left eye all the way to his chin. The hair that grew over the scar in his hairline eyebrow and goatee was a contrasting white. He carried a bastard sword on his back and his armor bore and insignia I had never seen before. “ I saw the whole fight with other catfolk. Tremendous skill! With both hands and magic!”
“Other Cathar? You fought another Cathar Nasshard?” This from my father who looked both surprised and saddened.
I told him of the treachery Crrado had in store for me and his plans to marry Ssintas. The whole troupe was angered and saddened by Crrado’s actions. The Chak Clan apologized profusely for his actions and said he would be banished from the Clan hence forth. After the Troupe had gone back to their tables the stranger was still standing there, patient, taking in all that was happening. My father turned his attention to him “I’m sorry for any inconvenience Sir...uh, Sir...”

[MasterConan]

“Sir Vyyk Drago. I am a War Mage from (That war mage place, I don’t remember the name) And I was interested in seeing if your son would like to join the ranks of our establishment? He showed great promise in the alley, clearly he’s both a skilled fighter and Mage, and that’s exactly what we need. I would take him to the academy and train him. You, Nasshard Hett, could become one of the greatest War Mages ever known. I’m sure of it. After your training you could return to your people and be their protector!”
“I’m sorry Sir Drago, I cannot. I am to be married in 3 weeks! My mate, my clan, my life is here.”
“That is all well and good Nasshard, but imagine the warrior you could be to your people! Our order allows marriages! You could complete your training and marry after you return to your people. You would return more powerful than any Cathar in history! Think about this Nasshard Hett, I leave on the marrow. Seek me out at the Ragnos Inn if you wish to make history.” And with that he left me to make my own decisions.
After many hours of debating with my father and the Vel clansmen it was decided that I was to go with Sir Drago and receive training. I did not really wish to go and be apart from everyone I had known and I especially didn’t want to leave Ssintas behind all alone. But it was she who changed my mind about the whole ordeal. She came to me later that night...
“Dear Nasshard, I love you so very much. I always have. I loved you as the son of a merchant, I would have loved you as a merchant, and I will love you as a warrior.” Then she added, with a smile. “I would love you if you were a poor pig farmer, as long as it meant that we could be together. I will wait for your triumphant return. Than we will be wed and you will be my mate forever.” She sealed her goodbye with a kiss.
The next morning I left with Sir Drago and traveled with him to (The war mage academy place, I’m too lazy to go get the book) There I began my long and harsh training. It was months of studies, drills, and exercises. War, spells and strategy was all I knew for 6 months. Drago was a harsh teacher, pain was his teaching aide and he used it liberally. I stood against the sessions as best I could and showed him all I was made of. But I couldn’t help but loath the man. He had been my friend for the journey to the academy but had changed upon our arrival and turned into a hardened, cold hearted instructor. One of his mantras was “If you don’t hate me, then I’m not training you properly!” I endured, I learned, I grew to hate Sir Vyyk Drago, but all the while I longed for Ssintas...
Finally my training was at an end. I couldn’t wait for my journey back home and into the waiting arms of Ssintass. Sir Drago stood in the great Hall when I arrived. He held a scroll in his hand and an amulet in the other. I approached and stood ready to be dismissed a full fledged War Mage.
“Nasshard Hett, you have completed your training here with highest marks of any other trainee to ever walk these halls. It is time that you shoulder your responsibilities and take the rank of War Mage! Approach and receive your spoils.” He then put the amulet around my neck and handed me the scroll.
“This Amulet marks you as an official War Mage of this academy, congratulations. And these are your official first set of orders.”
First set? I thought.
I unrolled the scroll and to my dismay they were orders to ship out to the front lines of an uprising on the far side of the continent! No this isn’t right! I thought. I’m supposed to go back to my people! I’m supposed to marry Ssintas!
“Sir Drago, is this right? You said I would go back to the Cathar and become the protector of my people! This was not part of our agreement!” I seethed.
“HA! Don’t tell me you still believe that rubbish!? I told you all those fairy tales to get you to come with me! Do you honestly think we would invest so much time and effort into one of our greatest students to just let him go and do as he wishes!? Hardly!”
My hate for Drago boiled over. This arrogant liar has the gaul to laugh at me and my hopes for my own future! This will not stand! I will return to my people no matter what they tell me!
“RaaaHHAAhh!” I lunged forth clawing and scratching at Drago. But he was too quick and side-stepped catching my arm and flipping me full circle to the ground. His laughter no gone, Drago stood before me and told me that I was his to command and that I will do his bidding otherwise he would make me suffer. The torrent came again and took hold of me, but this time I could control it and I knew what to do with it. I unleashed my fury upon Drago and all went white again. This time when I came to, I was standing in the remains of what had been the Great Hall. The rows and walls and ceiling had been scorched and a pile of debris lay on what appeared to be Drago’s body. I knew I didn’t have much time, I had to escape, and I had to get back to my people!
Starting for the door, there was a loud rumbling that continued to grow. It was coming from the pile of debris under which Drago lay. The pile exploded fourth with massive energy and blinding light, and there floating above the floor bathed in that light was Drago. “For that you will pay! You have made the gravest mistake of your now very short life!” Shaking my body from the paralysis that had enveloped it I quickly escaped from the academy burning and blasting my way past the guards and others who got in my way. Drago, all the while chasing me and raising the alarm for my betrayal. I escaped out of the academy and through the fields and forests I ran. Not knowing or caring where I went I soon found my way to the edge of a cliff where my only option was to jump into the raging river below me. Drago and his guards caught up with me at the cliff and tried one last time to turn me to do their bidding.
“Hett! You are more valuable to me alive than dead! Don’t be stupid and we can put this all behind us!”
“Never! You lied to me! I was to be the protector of my people and that I would return to them when my training was complete! Now I will do so!” I yelled the last words as I ran for the cliffs edge and threw myself off.
I landed hard into the water, bruising or breaking a few of my ribs. I swam for as long as I could but the river was too strong and it carried me far away from Drago and the Academy. At last I was free, but to what extent?
I soon washed up on a river bank where a kind cleric healed me and gave me some coin so that I might eat. I found merchants to trade with and bought supplies to start my journey of looking for my Troupe. I had no idea where they had gone and anyplace was a good place to start. So I made my way to the nearest city in hopes of finding my clan and my mate-to-be.