MOURNINGGLORY SHADOWSONG
FeyGrief Counselor and Death Midwife
"*[Written on a scrap of parchment]* "I have killed with my voice. Now I heal with my silence. Both are gifts. Both are curses.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Weeping Willow Hospice, a sanctuary for the dying
- Civilization
- Fey
Appearance
• Physical: Once a terrifying specter, she now appears as a pale woman with tears constantly streaming down her face. Her hair is white as bone and moves as if underwater. Her eyes are solid black, reflecting the grief she's absorbed. • Clothing: She wears a habit made from the shrouds of those she's helped pass on, embroidered with their names in silver thread. • Distinguishing Marks: Her mouth is sewn shut with silver wire—she tore out her own voice to stop her death wail, and the wire keeps it sealed.
Relationships
- Family - None—banshees are created from violent death, not born
- Allies - A mortal priest who helps her deliver messages to the living
- Rivals - Other banshees who see her as a traitor to their nature
Personality
- Traits: Profoundly empathetic, burdened by centuries of grief, surprisingly hopeful, terrified of her own voice
- Mannerisms: Writes everything she wants to say, touches the silver wire at her lips when anxious
- Voice: She has none—she communicates through written notes and gestures, though her eyes speak volumes
Backstory
Mourningglory was once a typical banshee, heralding death with her terrible wail. But after killing someone she loved with her voice, she tore out her own throat and sought redemption. She's spent centuries helping the dying find peace, using her connection to death to ease their passing rather than cause it.
Daily Life
She tends to the dying around the clock, holding their hands as they pass, singing silent songs of comfort, helping them resolve unfinished business. She keeps a journal of their final words and makes sure their messages reach the living. She hasn't slept in four hundred years.
Secret
The silver wire is failing. She's begun to hear her own voice in her head, urging her to sing, to wail, to kill. She's terrified that when it finally breaks, she'll destroy everything she's built—and everyone she loves.
Story Hooks
- 1 The silver wire is breaking, and she needs help finding a way to silence her voice permanently—or learning to control it
- 2 A powerful necromancer is hunting her, wanting to use her voice to create an army of the dead
Narrative Value
Tragic figure seeking redemption, connection to death and the afterlife, quest giver, moral lesson about transformation ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════