Mahirah

-The old merchant republic of Undino on the sunny coast of the great Inner Sea -Doge Mansone Apuliani has recently died of (presumed) natural causes, at the age of 64 -His wife, the Dogaressa Loredana Apuliani, is about 25 years younger than him, and has thus far managed to cling to power by preventing the election of a new doge -To Undino's north, the sleepy villages of mountainous Alpenreich -To the east, a smattering of peninsular city-states -To the west, the great kingdom of Tramonta, resting on its laurels -And far away, across the sea, the desert oases of Makuria, from which our "heroine" hails Name: Mahirah (mononymous) Sex: Female Age: 34 Height: ~7 *palmi* Weight: ~140 *rotoli* Ethnicity: Makurian Occupation: Dancer, courtesan -Once a bewitching bronze-skinned hourglass-shaped beauty, still so, simply *heavier.* Much heavier -Taller than the average woman (and even a decent number of men) but her height is often ignored or understated for reasons that are quite obvious When in her dancer's garb and in motion: -Melon-sized breasts, larger than her own head and softer than any bed, strain against narrow black silk wrappings, flopping and heaving this way and that -Hips (and buttocks) that easily eclipse (in width) the endowments of *two* typical dancers and (in mass) those of *four or more,* wobbling hypnotically and without end -A thick, paunchy tummy that hangs over her waistband (just slightly) and converts most of the rhythmic rolling of her abdominal muscles into chaotic jiggling -Thighs of such girth that they easily support the rest of the ensemble, rubbing together with faint but audible friction during every stride and twirl -Black hair falling to her waist in the back, tied in tassels on each side of her face and cut to brow-length in front. Brown eyes with flecks of red-gold are rimmed by expertly applied kohl and filled with smug confidence. Atop her head, a jeweled bronze tiara in exotic Makurian style -A loincloth (almost entirely consumed by her thighs) barely preserves modesty. Long black gloves and thigh-high boots (both silk, naturally) provide contrast to skin. Metal plates on her belt jump and jingle and slap on her hips, belly, and love-handles -Retains a thick Makurian accent and stilted manner of speech, though her *comprehension* of Inner Sea Common (the language spoken in Undino) is impeccable -Swears (*"wa-thady ummi!"*), insults (*"mughaffal!"*), threats (*"sa-ashiqqu ahsha'ak kal-kalba..."*) and similar unpleasantries are always delivered in her native tongue -Positive emotions, especially terms of endearment or friendship, are also typically filtered through Makurian: *"sadiqati"*, *"hasnaa"* -When confident or comfortable: direct, domineering, lazy, arrogant, tends to refer to herself in third person and others by humiliating pet names -When ingratiating herself: speaks slowly, demurely (or not) depending on her audience, attempts to suppress her accent and use proper Inner Sea Common grammar -When nervous or worried: quick, shrill, obsequious, clumsy, overuses titles (and invents new ones) -Firmly believes that covering her mouth and tittering out an apology is enough to excuse any wardrobe failure, breaking of wind, or accidental smashing of finery perpetrated by her enormous and unwieldy rear end -While working: Every bit the slimy, sultry seductress one would expect from a professional dancer and courtesan -In leisure: Surprisingly silly. Childish, even. Still very physical and lewd -In any case, excellent at understanding people, their emotions and motivations. Cunning when it counts. Terrible at most mental pursuits. Barely literate -Fundamentally amoral. Generosity consists in giving what she already has a lot of to gain that which she desires. Revenge is lovely but only ever taken far enough to bandage her wounded ego. True cruelty (exacting, premeditated) is far too much work to ever be pursued for long -Inhales food and swims in wine -Prefers to be fucked well and hard, but, if her partner is not up to the task (for whatever reason: size, virility, fear, lack of attraction) she will gladly take control of the situation in order to extract the maximal amount of pleasure for both of them -Appreciates all manner of physical pampering, from hand-feeding, to foot and belly massages, long baths, and fine nail and hair care -Dancing and sex are the only strenuous activities she truly enjoys, but she can tolerate labor and hardship if the reward is high enough -Likes small and cute things (people). Not for their own sake, but as accessories to herself. They fit ever so perfectly, in, on, or beside her, providing delicious contrast and delectable validation -Genuinely great at belly dancing and most other forms of solo and partner dance practiced in Undino -Extremely flexible, even with the weight she carries -Less stamina than she had when she was younger (and thinner) but more strength -Fearless and shameless as only a sex worker can be. A lack of knowledge never seems to impede her in making conversation (really bluster and improvisation) with men and women alike about a variety of subjects. Nor do reactions to her body (even negative ones) stop her from putting every part of it on display -Makurian courtesans traditionally chew a bitter herb that suppresses their ability to bear children and grants resistance to many diseases. Some scholars believe this practice disrupts a person's humors, causing emotional instability and weight retention. Mahirah continues to take the drug (and as a result, has never been pregnant) but would consider stopping under the right circumstances -Captured, as a child, in the last war between Undino (and several other small Inner Sea states) and Makuria -Raised in the Doge's court due to her beauty, first serving as a handmaiden to the Dogaressa, then as a dancer and courtesan -Earned the unofficial (but very real) position of "Doge's favorite", granting her many luxuries and privileges, including the dubious privilege of the Dogaressa's jealousy -With time and age she became complacent, training less, eating more, growing fat and soft -The frequency of late night summons from the Doge decreased as he aged and became frail. To sate her appetite, Mahirah was forced to branch out. Young foreign emissaries, stable boys, maids, and other servants have found their way into her bedchambers on occasion -The Doge's death has thrown Mahirah's place in Undino's court into question -Though she has little command of magic, and less knowledge of it, somehow, whenever magic is involved, Mahirah tends to benefit. Call it luck, perhaps, or the protection of some perverted desert goddess -Mahirah is an excellent percussionist (due entirely to her dance skills, rather than specific practice) and will play for fun when around friends and sufficiently drunk, or for an audience in the rare situations where another dancer needs musical accompaniment and no one else can do the job