Izolda

Medieval legend speaks, now and then, of the idea of a "black knight", the opposite number of the knight-errant who quests for adventure under the vassalage of a king or lord. While even Arthurian legend is never truly clear on just what makes a knight "black" or what role they play, it is clear such a knight is meant to contrast with the just and righteous Knights of the Round Table.

Izolda, for such is the only name she ever gives, is a black knight herself. Clad in pitch-black armor with no ornament save the blue jewel on her breast, she makes a strangely imposing figure. She often wears a pitch-dark horned helm as well that conceals her face and makes it difficult to even realize that the armored figure is in fact a female. (The fact that her voice echoes oddly inside the helm makes the illusion all the more convincing.)

She speaks little, as well, rarely volunteering information unless pressed. What little she -will- tell freely is that she serves no liege, but was freely given her title and what possessions she holds dear. Whoever it might be, she bears no crest or coat-of-arms on her armor, weapon, or shield. She wanders the land quietly, acting in the interests of those she chooses to involve herself with and those alone; one might think of her almost as a "black-errant". As need dictates, she is skilled in the wilderness but hardly one to turn down a warm meal and a cozy bed. A notable quirk: she carries a small notebook everywhere she goes, its pages filled with tiny, beautifully written records, though of what she rarely says.

Izolda is a quiet, reserved woman, and seems reluctant to form lasting relationships. A few people in scattered towns will occasionally receive letters in her gorgeous penmanship, but it's rare that she stays in any one town longer than it might take for a reply to reach her. While she has a knight's loyalty, it is to ideals and not to people, often drastically changing course if things are revealed to be not as they seem. As for her smile, it is rarely seen, but a thing worth questing after; her usual expression is calm and neutral.

As a side note, she is indeed left-handed.

So just what does this young knight seek? Who is her liege, and why will she not bear his token? Why does she go about clad in armor of pure sable, and call herself willingly a black knight? And is her name really just "Izolda"?

... well, you may want to ask her such things yourself. The last man who tried to pry into her secrets was found the next morning dangling by his feet in place of the inn's sign, with a bruise the shape of a gauntleted hand on each cheek.