The attitude of a Mord-Sith

All Mord-Sith are generally serious people with quick tempers. Since a young age, they've seen nothing but pain, torture and helplessness, so it's no surprise that a Mord-Sith's attitude would be vicious, cold-hearted and fiery. Usually their sense of humor is sick (very sick) and brutally honest.

But most Mord-Sith weren't comfortable showing a sense of humor because of Darken Rahl. They were never allowed to relax or take a casual approach to life, because of the constant discipline restrictions that weighed heavily on them.

Under the rule of Darken Rahl, they acted like emotionless machines; their only purpose in life was to shed blood and cause pain. That was an everyday expectation, and that profession keeps you in a state of mind of cold resolve.

They spent their teenage years in a world of constant, unendurable pain and misery, being trained themselves to become a Mord-Sith. After being broken three times, being trained for years and years, they finally come out of it with a frightening personality, which will forever shape them as a person. They never courted, they never married or had children (perhaps except by the Lord Rahl, who frequently took Mord-Sith to his bed). The last 10 years of their childhood was spent being trained everyday. They have a deadly attitude, are fearless women, have no sympathy and no remorse.

When Richard came into rule (through his birthright), he had freed the Mord-Sith from their profession and gave them their lives back. Not knowing what else to do with themselves, they freely chose to be Richard's personal bodyguards. After all, they were trained to do such a thing, and whether or not they are forced to or not, they still do ENJOY causing pain and they do nothing else better. They feel that that is their only purpose in life, and that they know how to do nothing else.

The Mord-Sith Cara is always around Richard (the current Lord Rahl), and has adjusted to living with her own freedom, given to her by Richard. She demonstrates her freedom by occasionally going against his orders, or refusing to follow them. She feels extremely liberated by this and has no fear of being beat down and put in her place.

Cara has mostly demonstrated her attitude throughout the series, being constantly around Richard and Kahlan (his wife), so it's through Cara that we most know the attitude of Mord-Sith, now that Richard is in power.

The Mord-Sith never let their guard down when anyone was around. Richard was the only one they trusted when they wanted to practice their social graces. Richard thought they need a lot of practice. Maybe that was why they wouldn't give up their Agiel; they had never been anything but Mord-Sith, and were afraid they wouldn't be able to do it.

Mord-Sith were hungry for playful banter, it was something they got precious little of. They especially did this around Richard, in the beginning of their freedom.

"I admire and love the Mordsith we have been introduced to because they have been able to change when given the opportunity they really want to be normal and accepted but at the same time they also want the ability to instill fear in others. Its a mixed feeling and coupled with their innocence and their deep understanding of appreciating joy mainly because they have known so little of it that makes you love them. You pity and empathize with them and that's only a hop away from love. By Blood of the Fold I wanted to mother all of them! And I LOVE Cara!" - Empress, 08/31/04

"The Mord-Sith were not given a choice in becoming what they were under Darken Rahl's rule, and the previous Rahl's before him. They were brutally tortured. They were forced to witness their own mothers brutal deaths. Then they had to kill their own fathers.
Their entire being was broken down and shattered into nothing, leaving them completely empty shells. From that, they were rebuilt into the Mord-Sith's. Reprogrammed, if you will. From then on, they have lived their lives the way the Rahl's wanted them to. They did what they did because they had no choice. Through the bond, they had to obey Lord Rahl. Through the breaking, they very likely enjoyed doing what they did. When Darken Rahl died, and Richard showed them another way, it was only then that the Mord-Sith realized the full extent of the horror that they have been living. The one captain - forgive me, I forget his name - when he came to Richard, Kahlan and Cara in Westland spoke of how when he looks back on his past, he is horrified, and glad that now he can do the right thing. Cara understood fully of what he was talking about.
Now, under Richard, the little girls that they used to be are returning to them. In many instances, the Mord-Sith seem very innocent in a child-like quality. While Richard will never undo the horror that was their pasts, he is giving them a second chance to live, a chance which hundreds, if not thousands of Mord-Sith's previously didn't have. They now fight for what is right, and fight to protect Lord Rahl, and do so entirely of their own free will, and not due to the bond. Before it was duty, now it is honor.
I love the Mord-Sith's for that. I won't condemn them for their pasts, which was completely uncontrollable for them. They have found new lives that they are free to live in whatever way they wish. They now have the chance to find love without fearing the consequences. They can walk away from Richard any time they want to, and he will not stop them. He has given them such an option, and they refused.
What they did under Darken Rahl's rule is the equivalent of another life. It is what they do in this life that makes them cherised characters, not what they did in the former." - Saetic, 08/31/04