Arballine was an extraordinarily talented elven archer that lived about 400
years ago. She first started using a bow at the young (in elven terms) age of
35. She quickly became the most talented archer the world had ever seen. She
soon found a way to make a good living while pursuing her only love; she became
a bounty hunter. It is said that Arballine loved the thrill of the hunt so much
that she smiled continuously while hunting her "prey." This is how
she became known as "The Grinning Death." She must have enjoyed her
notoriety because sometime after earning this ominous nickname she began to
use it in an unusual way. She began to carry a number of pieces of thick paper
about 4" x 6" with a smiling, cloaked, skeletal figure armed with
a scythe pictured on them. If you woke up to find one of these cards near you
equipment, or happened across one tacked to a tree, it was often the last thing
you ever saw.
Arballine became feared and respected because of her abilities, and many rumors
circulated about her. Some people said she worked for the Council of Wrath as
a top assassin. Some said anyone could hire her if they could find her, and
live. Some even claim she was among the living dead and would not work for anyone
but herself.
This last rumor may be true. The last sighting of Arballine was in the company
of a group of "death wizards". It is said she was attempting to find
a way to live forever so that "the hunt" would never end. In the past
an incredibly skilled Ghoulish archer has been seen all over the world. Those
who have seen her, and were still around to speculate, often say that she appears
to be looking for something, though they do not know what it might be.
As a result of these sightings rumors of "The Grinning Death" have
continued. Some say she continues to work for the Council of Wrath. Other claim
to have seen her killed outside the capitol city of Celonia. The truth is…unknown.