The noble families of Bridgemont are no different than anywhere else on the continent., wealthy, powerful, and jealous. The families guard their secrets fiercely, and no secret is more coveted than a family’s arcanums. Noble families have had centuries to collect their Arcanums through breeding, wealth, and violence. Although it tends to be known what arcanums are associated with each family, the wielder of any individual Arcanum is generally a secret. When a wielder of an Arcanum dies without properly passing on their magic, it may take years or generations for the Arcanum to manifest within the bloodline. This means that the sudden death of a wielder can severely weaken a family’s powerbase.
Francisca Crosera was the fourth child and third daughter of Duke and Duchess Crosera in the city of Bridgmont. The Crosera’s were a powerful family that controlled a large trade conglomerate and the family had a seat on the Council of Three.
As the child of a Duke, Francisca was raised in privilege, but because of her status as fourth born, she was not expected to hold a prominent position within the family. She was not ignored, but she was not given the opportunities that her siblings were afforded. As a young teenager, her boredom turned into rebellion, and she began slipping out of the family estate and into the city during the nights. She became enamored with the city underworld, and to fight her perceived banality within her own life, began seeking “adventure” with the city’s thieving crews. Her inside knowledge of the noble society of the city became a valuable asset to several crew bosses.
It was during this time that a bloodline arcanum, lost to her family for generations, manifested within her soul. Generations ago, The Gate, wielded by a great grandfather, helped solidify her family’s position within the Bridgemont ruling elite. The Gate was lost with her grandfather’s murder, and the family has waited for the arcanum to reemerge.
Francisca, already rebuffed from participation in the family business, kept her arcanum’s manifestation to herself and instead turned it into a tool for her underworld activities. For several years, she used the space warping powers of The Gate to pull off impossible heists against other noble families. Francisca’s notoriety grew and eventually she became most wanted among the noble families
An alliance between several families set a trap for the young woman. Although the clever trap failed to capture Francisca, her identity was exposed. Within 48 hours, every noble house went to war with the Crosera family. The Crosera estate was burned, the family killed or imprisoned, and their assets divided amongst the other families. Francisca’s own hubris led to the destruction of her world and the slaughter of her family. Fracisca, injured and dying, was smuggled out of the city by a friend and to this day has not returned.
Burdened by the death of her family she now works for the benefit of others, rather than her own self fulfillment. Although she rightfully blames herself for the great tragedy, she still harbors a black heart of vengeance against the other Bridgmont families. She fears if she were ever to return to her home city, she would not be able to stop herself from finding and killing her enemies.