Layla the Slayer as a Banner Captain of the Dark Legion
Layla the Slayer, (Morod 2420 a.a.H. - Khar-Bad 2441 a.a.H. supposed, actual time and place of death unknown) was a morodi Ozcura Grey Orc, (or Pretty Orc), warrior of the Sisterhood of Svanalla and captain of the forces of Ashmadael of Khar-Bad. Her meteoric rise and fall are both an inspiration for Ozcura warriors and emblematic of the transitory nature of such fighters.
Also Known As:
- Layla the Layer
- Subject 93
Attributes[]
- Proud and Boastful
- Swordswoman
- Wily Self Promoter
- Likes Hair Braids
- Missing an Eye
- Renowned Warrior
Known Family[]
- Unnamed Mother
- Tanri - younger sister
- Celine - Next youngest sister (half-elf)
- Dagna - (aka Hortence) a fraternal twin daughter
- Nagda - (aka Magdalena) a fraternal twin daughter
- Gabrielle Brighash - (aka Bri) the youngest known daughter (half-demon)
Biography[]
Childhood[]
Morodi Villages and Elves[]
In 2420, Layla was born in a Morodi village in the northeast of the plateau highland plains that characterizes Morod. It was near enough to trade routes so as to pay host to occasional travelers and merchants which would effect young Layla considerably in the mid to late 2420s. In the first instance, sometimes various Blood elf or Doroz merchants from the nearby elven country of Daiman'Yar to the east would come to do business. Often, this was in a mode of a fair that provided entertainment to the orcs taking goods and leaving little in substance as recompense. Largely cheating the orcs of what little they had.
Young Layla with her sword encountering a supposed succubus and chainmail bikini warrior, actually the Battleborn Monster Hunter and spy Gunn Oddsdottir
Circa 2423, young Layla would use a technicality in a number guessing game so as to 'win' the game and a second hand sword as the prize. An outcome enforced by the village elders, these elders were not completely blind or much pleased by the nature of such elven 'fairs'. As the Morodi Ozcuras are caste based, and young Layla was of the warrior caste, she was allowed to keep the sword.
Gunn Oddsdottir[]
On the follow up of obtaining her sword, Layla would encounter a seeming succubus and supposed Sister of Svanalla who had protected the village and trade route by killing a massive monster. This was actually the monster-hunter named Gunn Oddsdottir, a Battleborn intelligence agent who had 'taken the place' of a succubus and impersonated her by wearing 'chainmail bikini armor'.. Gunn was intrigued enough by the spirited girl who recklessly ran about with a sword so as to 'train' her for some days. The training mostly consisted of learning to control wild hair and to protect and sheath one's sword. Nonetheless, hair braiding would remain important to Layla, and this was a positive exposure to a Chainmail Bikini Warrior.
Layla learning swordplay from Lance
Lance[]
Layla would 'challenge' passing travelers on the road to the village as a 'guard', possibly as an assigned task to keep her out of trouble, but largely for her own amusement. She would one day challenge a Doroz elf mercenary called 'Lance' which would lead to her obtaining an important mentor as she grew up. The village had become an important 'berth' for Lance when he was in the area, and an opportunity for Layla to train with him over the next several years.
Despite Lance being one of Layla's favorite people, Layla wasn't able to see him as a male what with the confusing combination of elven gender ambiguity and the extreme sexual dimorphism of ozcuros (male grey orcs) and ozcuras that Layla was accustomed to. Eventually, in 2433, Layla, her friends and little sister Tanri would get themselves into a sexual baiting issue with Lance that led to Lance being banned from the village and Layla and the other effected girls undergoing adulthood rites and their 'first raid' of stealing cattle from far away.
Layla was not satisfied with just being officially recognized as an adult and warrior. She had already had some trading experience in a fortified town not too far away, she resolved to leave the village and seek her fortune there.
Chainmail Bikini Warrior[]
Inspiration[]
Layla, upon entering the fortified town, a 'big city' for her, of Ergraz-Kaz would encounter a mounted pair of soul shard demons wearing chainmail bikini armor, and being accorded respect as demonic warriors. This impressed Layla, and she decided that she wanted to one day wear such armor.
Ozcuro[]
To be a 'proper ozcura' Layla needed to find a mate, hence, she went almost directly to the town square to the lazy ozcuros there and offered herself up. The ozcuro known as Slobbo took her to his nearby village in the town 'suburbs'. It was here that Layla would encounter Kraaz, a green orc who would become her ally and an important friend for her adventures. She would also meet Vikki, a worker caste ozcura who was a favorite of Slobbo who would be both jealous of Layla's adventures, and would also get hooked into them as Layla's helper.
Layla the Layer[]
Layla was a warrior for her ozcuro Slobbo, and possibly for the town of Ergraz-Kaz. Presumably this was maintaining the peace, fighting bandits and certain monsters such as ogres and trolls. Layla had a certain strategy for surviving losses or fighting dangerous opponents; instead of necessarily fighting or for losing a fight, Layla would 'sleep' with the other party! This doubtlessly contributed to her number of victories, 'diplomacy via selling herself' as it were, and it also kept her from dying as she would be defeated and pay her 'penance' and 'worked over' on a number of occasions.
Layla the Slayer... a Chainmail Bikini Warrior!
Armor[]
Layla would indeed come to wear chainmail bikini armor. Indeed, she obtain one of the two armors that she had espied upon entering the town! The owning demon had been 'killed', that is, had her neck broken leading to the death of the body. But the personality that resided in the soul shard would soon rise again in a new body. Nonetheless, the orc that killed the demon sold the armor in the town and Layla was able to obtain it.
Buying it and keeping it were two different things! A worker ozcura serving Layla (Vikki) wore the armor to borrow the respect that came with it; and another orc then stole it for similar reasons. Layla would fight a deadly fight so as to get it back. This would actually be something of a feat that would lead to her being noticed by demons and beginning her fame and rise. The two demons who had first inspired Layla upon entering the town, including the now resurrected one who had worn the armor before had recognized the armor and, rather than being annoyed at an ozcura's presumptions, by 2435, helped to induct her into the Sisterhood of Svanalla.
Note: Given that the demon lords had been released in 2434, the Dark Legion may have been willing to recruit and promote warriors they wouldn't have cared about previously?
Layla the Slayer faces the legendary Bog the Barbarian
Bog the Barbarian[]
Layla would encounter the world famous adventurer Bog the Barbarian circa 2435. Layla would both spar with him and make love with him. Presumably losing to him and then shifting into her role as 'the Layer' as opposed to 'the Slayer'. She would become pregnant and give birth to two fraternal twin girls, Dagna and Nagda circa 2436. It is generally believed that the two are Bog's children as well, but has been noted that they don't share aspects of his nose which most of his other children do. (Note: Fraternal twin births are not unusual for ozcuras or orcs in general.) Actions of fighting and of getting pregnant and having children, and doing so with a mate other than the male 'ozcuro' mate are NOT unusual happenstances for an ozcura warrior which indeed would happen again for Layla.
Service to Ashmadael[]
The Demon Ozcuro[]
The young, 'adolescent' demon prince known as Ashmadael of the demon city Khar-Bad had become fascinated by ozcura warriors. Where he had before been a non-gendered demon-goat humanoid, he now appeared as either a finely proportioned, horned 'ozcuro' youth, or else as a beautiful and well endowed ozcura female.
For her own beauty and spirit, Layla would become one of the first favorites of Ashmadael, and would both become the captain of his forces and also pregnant from the demon prince. Layla as 'Captain' spent much time in trying to train ozcuras in service to Ashmadael in how to fight, perhaps in largely mentally regurgitating what she had retained from her childhood learning from the mercenary Lance. Circa 2438, Layla would also give birth to a horned daughter named Gabrielle Brighash . This child would be of ongoing interest to Ashmadael's major domo, his soul shard demon steward known as Vitold.
Numeric Identities[]
The almost robotic and methodical Vitold had assigned Layla the identity of 'Subject 93', and would also assign Layla's new baby the numeric identity of Subject 128. Clearly, Vitold did not establish numbers for every ozcura or orc that he encountered. The identities were meant as a means of keeping track of Ashmadael's mates and the offspring born from those mates. Textual evidence strongly suggests that Layla was Ashmadael's first lover, and Gabrielle was his first born child, but the numbering used and other evidence such as other children of Ashmadael would call this into question. Ashmadael did indeed meet Layla when he was a neuter-gendered goat-demon before moving his soulstone into his new ozcura-like bodies of male and female gender.
Dangerous Service[]
Vitold, interested in the daughter Gabrielle (Bri) who had some demon traits, and wanting to occupy (and possibly eliminate) the mother, kept her even more busy training new ozcura officers. Vitold also arranged for her to go forth and call upon various tribes to join the newly reformed Dark Legion as the long imprisoned demon princes had been released in 2434, (doubtlessly a reason for Ashmadael to be ramping up his/her military forces and as an opportunity for a half-trained ozcura like Layla to rise so high).
By 2439 a.a.H., organized nations and domains would have already joined the Dark Legion, with only independent, small hold outs remaining. Many were not happy to be ordered to join the demons in a new empire and new crusade for the upcoming Second War of the Power that started in the west in the end of 2439 with ongoing operations in 2440. It is not known precisely when Layla went out on her missions as Ashmadael's envoy, but it would have been either in 2438 not long after the birth of Gabrielle or the next year.
Layla would often enjoy positive and respectful responses as an envoy of the Dark Legion and her demon masters to various orc tribes. However, she would also face dangerous or embarrassing encounters with various tribes or groups such as imps or goblin imps (half-breeds of goblins and imps) who didn't see themselves as subject to particular demon lords or immediately willing to acknowledge an ozcura as being the herald and envoy of the demon princes. Ultimately, Layla ran afoul of a goblin tribe that responded very negatively to her entreaties; they would send their negative response back by removing Layla's left eye. She would henceforth use a 'heart shaped eye patch'.
Layla and her Subordinate Officers in the 4th Banner of the II Legion of Khar-Bad, XI Legion of Dol-Nur
Captain of a Banner[]
Despite the loss of her eye, Layla was seen as a renowned and triumphant ozcura by this time. Doubtlessly this was due in part because of her own self promoting ways. She would continue to train and select ozcuras to serve as officers under her, such as Reevan the Jester. How she chose these candidates isn't known, but apparently were young and spirited ozcuras who had some experience at leadership and influence before.
Speculations: Layla might have chosen them in part for thinking that they wouldn't be a major threat to her? Many seemed off-kilter? It might also have been that they appealed to Ashmadael's childish personality and were actually selected by him?
There is every indication that Layla did try hard to train these officers to the best of her questionable ability. These officers would ultimately assigned a war band and getting that band to operate in various ways. A few of them operating as scouts and skirmishers far afield, but most answering to Layla within the organizational structure, which together was her banner.
In the formal military organization of the frontline soldiers, Layla's banner was the 4th Banner of the (Roman numerals used) II Legion of Khar-Bad, the XI Legion of Dol-Nur.
Decline and End[]
Nortender Campaign[]
The Banner would decidedly perform poorly in battle against the knights of Nortender, the ozcura contingent breaking and running despite Layla's best efforts. Layla would have to follow her forces back into the demon controlled south, back to Khar-Bad. She would lose her position as a captain. However, Ashmadael would forgive her for the military defeat.
Amphy[]
Layla would continue to be seen as an important figure, a senior and seasoned ozcura warrior despite her still young age. Her social positioning and boasting would do much to enhance this view. Later in 2441 a.a.H., Layla would accidently run afoul of the being known as 'Amphy', a sort of water based amphibian woman; possibly seen in Khar-Bad as a customized soul shard demon. The dangerous and sometimes temperamental Amphy would strike out at Layla, injuring her, or at least her much vaunted armor, with Layla left missing and presumed dead in the aftermath of a burned down bar.
Note: given the extra-canonical nature of the 'world walker' Amphy, and the circumstances of Layla's disappearance; Layla might someday reappear alive?
Current[]
Staging Her Death[]
Situation[]
In actuality, Layla did not die. Despite the seeming forgiveness of her master Ashmadael; Layla knew that various officers of the failed Nortender adventure were being slowly and quietly rounded up and executed. It was only a matter of time that they would come for her, despite the favor of her master, particularly in that she was an ozcura who could be easily blamed as opposed to a demon officer. Ashmadael had not had many, if any, successes in the opening stages of the war, with the failure in Nortender, but also heavy losses of skirmishers, particularly due to the supposed goblin imp known as Goza who had decimated two of Ashmadael's warbands and had even humbled and 'killed' Ashmadael her/him-self. Ashmadael may have had little leverage to protect her even if he wished to.
Indeed, Ashmadael most probably was disincorporated at the time due to his/her encounter with Goza, leaving Layla without her master's voice as Layla's shield which would explain Layla's need for an unexpected bold move.
Return of Lance[]
Layla went to a low elf (Doroz) turncoat mercenary / criminal for aid. This contact turned out to be her old mentor Lance, together with Layla's younger sister Celina who was Lance's daughter. This was a surprise for all three parties; Lance himself failing to realize that the relatively famous Layla was HIS former trainee Layla, and Celine not realizing that this was her older sister.
Lance concocted a scheme with his contacts to get Layla to safety in human lands, to the Dark Legion's foe to the north, Nortender, allowing her to 'defect' as it were. Layla had wanted to bring her children with her, but this was considered a deal breaker for Lance who knew that Layla herself could disappear easily in the right situation, but not if her children likewise vanished with her at the same time. Lance promised to see about her children later, but whether he meant to honor such a promise, or was in a position to do so, is not yet known.
So, Layla managed to enrage the drunken Amphy, and possessed skill and wit enough not to be actually killed by her. Lance and his minions ensured that a bar fight broke out to cover Layla's disappearance, with Layla's broken chainmail bikini and her two feathers to be found later. Layla making the journey to the north to defect to the Knights of Nortender.
Later[]
Layla became a warrior for Nortender. She traded her fame for anonymity, and her armor for a better one and she lived long enough to reach well into middle age. Layla would reach a high rank as an ozcura in the service of the knights of Nortender, most likely due to her previous experience training and organizing ozcuras for her dark legion banner. She would be present to see that her two daughters, Dagna and Nagda also join Nortender in the late 2440s, (with no known help from Lance) but it is unknown if she actually recognized the two adult ozcuras as her daughters..