Revath'e's tribe lived deep in the mountains, in the Nachtberg Pass. The Pass was shared with an elven village. The anadi were supposed to protect the Pass against attack, whilst the elves provided a diplomatic face for more peaceful visitors. The elves and anadi both liked this arrangement, although Revath'e suspected it was at least partially because it means there is always someone else to blame if something goes wrong.
Revath'e was always "Chieftain's Daughter"; however this was not the privileged role some might think it to be. No, instead her job was to be the leader of the elite troops - the first line of defense against attack.
One night, shortly before her fourteenth birthday (Anadi come of age at 13), she was supposed to have the night watch. However, she was feeling very tired, and somehow fell asleep at her post. Sometime during the night, someone - or something - attacked the pass, killing every elf or anadi alive - except for Revath'e. During the chaos, a stack of silk clothing fell on her, covering her such that whatever it was that killed everyone else didn't see her.
When she woke up, she was distraught. She blamed herself for falling asleep on duty, even though had she been awake she would have been slaughtered like everyone else.
She called out to the spirits of her Ancestors
for vengeance - and a bat appeared in response. No ordinary bat. This
was a servant of the Night Mother, and granted her powers. Powers that
she had only heard about in story books. She was the first Witch in her family since... well, since Nanny Revana herself, a name spoken with as much reverence as the gods, possibly more.
Revath'e searched long for the killers, and eventually found them to be hired assassins, who had since been executed by the law.
But who sent them? Her search lead thousands of miles from her original home, and eventually even to a new world. A new world... Beyond the Portal.
{p.s. to GMs - I have no ideas as to who the person who sent the killers is, however they should be high level and not show up until I am high level too}