Kosvia Infernus, or “Kos”, worked as a minor courtier in the court of the Kingdom of Eryndor, a small but influential kingdom ruled by King Alaric and Queen Isadora. While some members of the court distrusted her because of her Tiefling heritage, Kosvia was well liked among some for her diligence and charming personality. The queen, in particular, took a liking to her and often invited her to accompany her on small errands or to act as her assistant.

Kosvia was born to Lucius, a human blacksmith and master of arms for the court, and Amara, a Tiefling herbalist and midwife. Lucius had previously been married to Adalyn, and had two children with her, Marcus and Juliana. However, Adalyn passed away and Lucius married Amara a couple of years later. People generally say Kosvia inherited most of her appearance from her mother, but her paler skin and some looks from her father who was notoriously handsome.

Originally taught by her mother, Kosvia had always been drawn to music and storytelling. But, she never performed for anyone outside her family. As a Tiefling, she was self-conscious about how people would perceive her and didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to herself. As a minor servant in the court she was also used to not being seen and serving without drawing attention. Moreover, the court where she lived was often graced with accomplished travelling performers, and Kosvia didn’t think she could measure up to their skill and talent.

It wasn’t until she met Benedict, first son of the Roulant Family, that Kosvia found the courage to share her music with someone outside her family. They had shared a brief, but enthusiastic romance of stolen kisses, cheeky look, and entwined fingers for a while. Then, one evening, after a court function, she contrived to walk with Benedict back to his chambers. Along the way, they stopped in the gardens of the palace and she sang a song she had composed just for him, hoping to impress him with her talent or at least her expressed feelings. Benedict was touched by the gesture and moved by the beauty of the song and the singer.

However, the lovers were unaware that Lord and Lady Roulant had been following them and witnessed their tender moment. The next day, they accused Kosvia of using devilish powers to manipulate their son and threatened to bring the matter to the king’s attention. Despite Kosvia’s apologies and protestations of innocence and Benedict’s arguments, the Roulants were determined to protect their family and their son’s reputation and put an end to the relationship.

Their accusations reached King Alaric, who was already suspicious of Kosvia due to her Tiefling heritage and had been treating her strangely for a little while, and avoiding her. The king saw an opportunity to rid himself of the young courtier and banished her from the court. Kosvia was heartbroken and betrayed, feeling as if her world had been turned upside down in an instant. She had never imagined that her love for Benedict could lead to her downfall and banishment. Although her mother was very supportive, the rest of her family tended to frown and shrug when she looked to them for support.

Heartbroken and betrayed, Kosvia left the court and the city and set out on the road. She took the name “Infernus” as a way to distance herself from her family and not bring any more shame to them. Her relationship with her family became strained as a result of her accusations and banishment, and she knew that she could never return to court.

After a week or so, Kos found herself wandering in the forest. Cold and tired, and not used to the wilderness. She found herself under attack by huge spiders as she sought shelter in a small cave one night. As chance would have it, another Tiefling was passing by and fearlessly leapt in to help. Together they managed to dispatch the spiders and found some safety together. This is how Kosvia met Kipling Infernus. They struck up a friendship and have stayed in frequent contact since.

Kos knows that Kip is seeking his missing father. Because Kip doesn’t like to go into towns, but Kos does, and needs to do so to improve her performance skills, Kos makes sure to always keep alert for any clues about the location of Kip’s father.

During their early time together, Kip became aware of a band of kobolds moving through the forest that Kip cared for. Seeking to be of use and repay Kip’s hospitality and assistance, Kos offered to help drive them away. Fortunately the kobolds were relatively few and Kip had managed to track them well enough they managed to attack with surprise. They defeated the kobolds, and a larger contingent that arrived a little later. A difficult fight, but one that served to form their pattern of assisting each other in sometimes dangerous endeavours.

A while later, Kos felt ready to start travelling by herself again. She left the forest, with a little reluctance but looking forward to the potential of a more comfortable bed in a real town somewhere. She felt barely ready enough to start trying to perform some of the songs and stories she knew to try and earn a little coin. She was surprised when after a few performances she was starting to get consistently good responses. And enough coin to pay for some decent lodging and a nice meal here and there. She even had the confidence to defend herself from a bully or two who were not keen to see a tiefling arrive at their village, or were keen to take advantage of the naive pretty tiefling girl.

Arriving in the small town of Karrandor, she found it beset by gnolls who had come up the nearby river. With some elements of the town guard and a skilled local hunter she helped to drive them back. And free the town. She performed in the town for a few days, trying to lift the spirits of the locals. Once she ventured into the forest, headed to her next destination, she soon encountered Kip again. He had seen signs of the Gnolls passing through the forest and together they drove the last of the gnolls out of the forest.

They soon decided that together they could do some good here and there if they worked together. It seemed they might be well adapted to that. It was not long before they were protecting the elven village of Tala’thaen from attack by orcs and ogres. It was there they heard of the ruins of Svith on Svithas Isle, where they journeyed a few weeks later to seek whatever secrets the ruins might hold. Rumours had suggested ancient tomes of secrets and some very particular rare plants. As it turned out, a rather vicious group of snake-men, or whatever they were, tried very hard to destroy Kip and Kos, seeming very keen to sacrifice one or both of them to their imagined god they seemed to think lived at the bottom of a perhaps bottomless pit. In the end they survived and Kos found an excellent Cittern and some colourful bracelets. Kip seemed to find some herbs and flowers he was excited by, too.

In between adventures Kos would travel around, town to town telling stories, including some new ones about the adventures they themselves had. Though she never mentioned her own involvement. Before long she had enough coin to buy some sending stones so she could keep in touch with Kip and they could meet up more easily.

Before long they were defeating Gursh the Hill Giant Warlord at Highstone Pass. Finding the hidden valley of Prakestt where they discovered an ancient library hidden in a strangely austere temple within the jungle, guarded by displacer beasts, great burrowing creatures and a mad Goliath shaman. They fought huge frost worgs, pets of the frost giant Rimefist, in the Frostpeaks mountains with the dwarves of Kindzhet Nus as part of Aginthar Lothringien’s campaign to recover the Drachenwold from Kyllgrim Bloodmonger. Rimefist was a lieutenant of Kyllgrim and controlled the mountain passes for him. Eventually, Kos and Kip ended up in the same camp one night with the leaders of the forces driving into the mountains to destroy Kyllgrim. It was there they first crossed paths with Aginthar, who they would meet again at Treffenbaume.

When Kos was invited to play at the castle of Baron Hargrey of Fendeshall and someone stole away his son during the feast, it was Kip who helped Kos track the cultist kidnappers through the nearby woods, and rescue him from the remote abandoned mill where they had taken him. And it was Kos who helped negotiate the way a gnomish quarry managed harvesting lumber from the nearby forest for Kip so that important groves and nesting places were protected.

Kosvia has since travelled far and wide, seeking adventure and inspiration for her music. She is determined to make a name for herself as a bard and prove her worth through her deeds and art. However, she still carries the pain of her banishment and the loss of Benedict with her, and she often wonders what her life would have been like if she had never fallen in love with him. For now, there are friends and acquaintances here and there, but it is to Kip, the one person she truly feels she can trust, that she always returns. 

Perhaps one day she will find a way to gather enough renown or money to gain a title and be worthy of returning to the court with redemption.

Why are you at the festival?

Mostly because Kip wants to be at the festival. And, being a festival, there will definitely be more people than he can readily deal with. He is, literally, a bit of a hermit. So, best have his social friend along to handle interacting with folks. And there will surely be good opportunities to learn and share songs and stories, which always compels her.

However, it has also occurred to Kos that if things go well there she might find a way to make a lot of money or renown. Which could allow her to return to Eryndor in triumph and restore her name and prove her detractors wrong.

What is your most treasured possession, and what is the story behind it?

This varies by the day… I sometimes change my mind about what it is.

I have a ring, it is made of very fine steel. My father made it for me when I was 16. He makes the finest ring mail armour in Eryndor, and he made my ring the same way as one of those rings. So, it reminds me of my family. Though, I never got along great with my human step siblings.

I have a small mother of pearl hairbrush that the queen gave me one day. It had been hers, but she was gifted new brushes and combs and pins and such by her husband, and gave me one she had had since she was a girl in a moment of generosity. It certainly shows signs of wear now, but I use it every morning and it reminds me of friendships I used to have at court. And maybe where I could end up one day.

There is a Cittern I have now which is so finely crafted it is actually magical. I am sure it has a fascinating history, which I don’t know. But, it fascinates me and I often find I sit and look at it at night and wonder where it has been and what it has done. Kip and I found it in some ruins once, they had been overrun by these awful snake people, and we found the Cittern in a secret room once we had driven off most of the snake people.

There is a note I have from Benedict. I used to think it was my favourite thing, my one keepsake from him. It has a couple of old red rose petals folded into it. It is sweet, well, at the start… it gets a bit racy in parts. Now I am not so sure how I feel about it. But, it is a bit of a confidence boost to go back and read it, when I need to.

There is a dress I bought in Varenthal. It was made for me by an excellent dressmaker, and cost a great deal. A staggering amount, given the seeming simplicity of it. But, it looks very good and it is by far the most expensive thing I have ever bought for myself. I need to be laced into it, and it is too… much for most occasions, but I do love having it.