As told by Bow Mistress Niniane herself:

   "I never knew where I was born or who my parents were, or whether they were dead or alive. My earliest memories are of the orphanage where I grew up. The orphanage was a dreadful place where children were treated like slaves. When I was sixteen years old a friend from the orphanage named Morgiana convinced me to run away with her. Born with the gifts of spell casting and many mystical arts, Morgiana learned a flying spell that enabled the two of us to travel across the oceans and land here in Moorgate. We managed to survive quite nicely for a couple of young orphan girls. When we turned eighteen I joined the Fighter's guild and Morgiana joined the Mage's. I settled into guild life quite well, but my friend did not. She was a true free spirit, and hated to be bound by the stability, order, and responsibility of life in the guild community. So she fled from the realm, once again using her flying spell.

   "It wasn't too long after Morgiana's departure that I found my brother right here in Moorgate, and in the Fighter's guild as well. Gerquin and I have identical markings on our right wrists. I had always been told that the marking was a clue to my heritage, as had he. It isn't a birth mark, or even a tattoo. It is obvious that Gerquin and I were branded, in the same way a rancher might mark his cattle for easy and permanent identification. How dreadful to think that somewhere there's a society that practices the branding of children! When I look at my wrist I can almost feel the scorching heat of a hot iron on my skin. Fortunately, I have no recollection of what must have been both physically painful and traumatic for me as a helpless child.

   "Well, Gerquin and I were so happy to have found one another! We did discuss the possibility of searching for our parents, but we never did. I guess we just got caught up in the events and responsibilities of our lives here in Moorgate. We had managed to grow up on our own and find close friends who treated us like family. I can't speak for Gerquin, but for me that was enough. So I let go of my childhood dreams of finding out about my parents and my heritage. For nearly six years I have been content with my life. And if not for the events that I am about to relate, I am sure I would have remained so.

   "Lately I have been seeing visions in my sleep. I don't think they are mere dreams. I have talked with my old friend Morgiana in these visions (or dreams, if one prefers to label them as such). She tells me that she is far away, in a strange land. It's not even close to the land that we ran away from at sixteen. The inhabitants of this land practice many customs that we would consider barbaric...one of those customs being the branding of children with markings that represent the crest of the family into which they are born. At first I tried to ignore these strange occurrences, dismissing them as products of my overactive imagination. But they won't stop. Each night for weeks now Morgiana has talked to me, telling me more about the people in this land.

   "Just a few nights ago Morgiana revealed that the land is ruled by a rather tyrannical Sultan. He is involved in many evil practices that make living under his rule very oppressive, and soon it appears there will be a revolt. Even some members of the Sultan's family are conspiring to have him overthrow. Well, the political situation of some strange land would not concern me at all under ordinary circumstances. What interests me is the fact that Morgiana tells me the crest of the Sultan's family looks exactly like the marking on my wrist! She is convinced that I am somehow connected to the Sultan's house, and she pleads with me to set out on a journey that will take me far away from the land that has become my home.

   "A part of me says to ignore all this, and leave these people to settle their own political affairs...for they don't concern me. But then another part of me thinks that perhaps my parents are in this land, and maybe in great danger at the moment. If that is the case, then I must ignore the feelings of anger and resentment that result from my status as an orphan.... It could be that my parents never meant to abandon me, or that they did so out of love and fear for my safety. But whatever the situation may be, they are the ones who gave me life. For that I owe them gratitude, and I have a responsibility toward them. Though I have tried, I can't resist the urge to make this journey. Once I have gone, it may be some time before I return. But be assure that I will return. No matter what I find out about my parents and my heritage, Moorgate is my home. For it is here that I have found love, peace, stability, and happiness."