[hider=Joy][center][img]http://img11.deviantart.net/ff71/i/2015/021/6/b/iiv_by_pheberoni-d8esa7j.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]Full Name:[/b] Vesta Debove
[b]Nicknames:[/b] Joy
[b]Titles:[/b] Instructor
[b]Occupation:[/b] Swordsmanship and military strategy instructor. 
[b]Birthday:[/b] March 9th
[b]Height:[/b] 5’6”
[b]Weight:[/b] 150 lbs
[b]Race:[/b] Human
[b]Sex/Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Age:[/b] 39
[b]Sexuality:[/b] Heterosexual
[b]Place of Birth:[/b] Barcea

[b]Biography:[/b] Vesta was born to a minor noble family in Barcea. The youngest of six siblings, she knew that she'd have to prove her worth to achieve any sort of acknowledgement. Unable to compete with her siblings when it came to intellectual or social pursuits, Vesta found her niche in fighting. Even from a young age she could best her eldest brother in a fight, and when she came of marrying age she insisted in dueling any of her prospective suitors much to her parent's disdain. However, their disdain soon changed when word of her martial skill got to the King. Almost instantly the story they told became of how they absolutely encouraged their daughter to pick up the sword and bow, and how they would be oh-so-honored to have her serve in his personal guard, and how it would be best if her stipend was sent to their homestead for it to be better protected.

If Vesta was thrilled to be in the service of the King it did not reflect through her attitude. Never the most socially graceful of people, Vesta's serious, all-business attitude won her the reputation of being a killjoy amongst the Royal Guard. By the time she was promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard even the King had taken to calling her by her nickname, Joy. Vesta did not mind; she firmly believed it was her seriousness that had gotten her to be the most accomplished member out of her family. Unfortunately for Vesta, the first year of serving as Captain was the same year of the doomed campaign West. According to the surviving guardsmen, Vesta failed in her duties to protect the King. She was relinquished of her command without ever having the chance to tell her side. Disgraced, Vesta did not wait around to receive any other forms of punishment. Abandoning her family and her country, Vesta fled from Barcea with nothing but a horse, a sword, and whatever gold she could carry.

Taking up her old nickname, the first few years of Joy's self-exile was in the West. However, even in the tumultuous times after a war she was unable to find herself a foothold, often due to her being caught drunk on duty. Hearing of the Arena in Gurata, Joy made the harrowing journey to seek victory. What she thought would be her chance of redemption after battling her way uphill for years was instead a sheer drop off a cliff. After a fantastic win streak, an ungodly powerful blow with a war hammer shattered her budding gladiator career as well as her right knee. The rest of the year was spent using what little gold she had left to purchase a bed in a lice-ridden inn while trying to care for her wound. 

Her injury never healed completely, preventing her from being a bodyguard; nobody wants some cripple to protect their life. Her pride prevented her from going home or seeking charity. Uneducated, uncouth, and now permanently crippled, Joy believed that the only option she could turn to was banditry. The last few years of her life have been spent in self-disgust, finding solace only in the bottom of a bottle. At some point she hit the very bottom of her downward spiral when she committed an atrocity that made her realize what she had become.

The road to redemption actually began with her seeking condemnation once Joy heard rumors of the Sentinels being near the border. However, when she was brought before the Queen of Barcea she was recognized as their former Captain and was welcomed instead of punished. She was also recognized as a bandit by the H’kelan Ambassador Ennis Cade, but the man promised to keep her secret as long as she served as his bodyguard. Begrudgingly the woman accompanied Cade, and Cade accompanied the Sentinels as they traveled to Gurata to begin the forming of an alliance against the H’kelan King Gartian. 

Eventually she was separated from Ennis once he was forced back to his home, but instead of fleeing she stood with Cyril and the Sentinels as they worked to defeat Gartian. During this time she began to doubt herself and was prepared to flee in the middle of the night, but she was caught by Shadar. After speaking with him, she reconsidered and began seeing helping Barcea, and especially helping Cyril, as her raison d’etre. She had begun to considerably drink less, and when the Lady of Demons fixed her knee Joy almost felt as if she was back in her prime.

Then she failed to save Queen Kori, as did the other Sentinels. However, Joy had enough of giving up in her life, and she acted in the Prince’s stede until he was able to be rallied. She served at his side until the day they directly faced Gartian and the Advisor. Through the combined effort of her allies they were able to defeat the Advisor, although not without their own wounds, and Cyril cut down Gartian. Finally, after reuniting with the people she considered to be her family, they had peace. However, the road is long, and there are always new foes hiding in the shadows.

It has been two months since victory day, and Joy has been busy prepping Barcean soldiers for the future fights to come.

[b]Personality:[/b] Severe and silent since her youth, Joy has begun to let her walls down around people since reuniting with the Serios. While she is still wary around strangers, she is trying to be less skeptical and pessimistic than she had been in the past. Unfortunately, sometimes walls aren’t built just to keep things out, and swathes of people have now been exposed to her bitter tongue and her extreme bluntness. On the bright side, at least she’s honest, her days of lying to protect her own back left far behind her. 

Joy is an extremely dedicated and determined individual, and would lay her life down without hesitation for those that she has chosen to protect—although this is a rather exclusive group of people. Joy takes her duties seriously (too seriously, really) and is easily upset when others shirk their responsibilities or give up. On the surface she just seems as if she is being unnecessarily tough on others, but truthfully she doesn’t want anyone to have to deal with a situation similar to the one she had found herself in. 

Oh, and she’s still horrible at mixers. 

[b]Likes:[/b] Tedious tomes on tactics and stratagems, long baths, riding horses, fresh bread, dueling, training, repetitive tasks, structure. 

[b]Dislikes:[/b] Cheap tricks and dirty fighting, dancing, most forms of stew, alcohol, talking about the past, bards, paladins, and magicians, oh my. 

[b]Skills/Strengths:[/b] Joy has quick reflexes, good eyes, and an alarmingly swift strike. She was a prodigy with a sword in her youth and never lost a duel, and even today her skill in a straightforward swordfight are superior to most. Plus, she is actually a rather good instructor, all things considered, and is a walking encyclopedia of fighting styles and military tactics and strategies.

[b]Flaws/Weaknesses:[/b] She’s lived a rougher and a longer life than most soldiers, and she simply doesn’t have the stamina of younger people and loses her edge in longer fights. She has no magical abilities and her weapons are completely mundane, so fighting beings that are more than human is a royal pain in the ass. Plus, even at her best she’s still kind of a jerk. 

[b]Weapons/Equipment:[/b] A run-of-the-mill longsword, a composite bow and a hip quiver full of arrows, and a small coin purse. She also carries the hilt of a dagger in secret, mostly out of embarrassment, on her person as a kind of good luck charm despite the blade having been broken off in the fight against the Advisor.  

[b]Appearance:[/b] Harsh living and a prior dependence upon alcohol has plucked the youth out of Joy’s face, leaving her with tired, gray eyes and prominent frown lines. Still, living a posh city life with regular access to a bath has helped in making her appear more civilized—no longer is grime caked on her skin or her hair. Also, living and teaching under a roof has stripped her of most of her tan, bursts of freckles being the only proof that she ever even had one. Despite having access to an actual barber, Joy still prefers to cut her own hair in broad, uneven chops above her shoulders, and the thought of dyeing the streaks of gray out of her black hair have never even crossed her mind. Her normal speaking voice is firm with a strong, commanding presence, ideal for sending shivers down students’ spines.

While not necessarily the most physically imposing figure, Joy has a lean, muscular build and stands with a rather confident posture. She doesn’t dress very impressively, however, and prefers comfort and utility over pageantry. Dark pants, neutral tone blouses, leather gloves, and worn-in boots tend to make up almost all of her outfits, and she has a dark, fur-lined cloak tucked away for colder weather. She still favors lighter armor and wears the same old gambeson whenever she is “on duty”, although she now wears it under a blue and white tabard to signify her allegiance to Barcea. Her sword’s pretty much on her regardless of where she is because old habits die hard. 

[b]Theme Songs:[/b] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu5rCJZjkfc]Joanna Newsom- Time, As A Symptom[/url]

[b]Main or Side:[/b] Main
[b]Username:[/b] Atrophy[/hider]

[hider=Ennis Cade]
[center][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ce/6a/95/ce6a95898534ae7369337b38292e72e0.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]Full Name:[/b] Ennis Cade
Titles: Lord
Occupation: Head of the Cade Family, Leader of the Kirun
Birthday: June 19th
Height: 6'2”
Weight: 130 lbs
Race: Human
Sex/Gender: Male
Age: 22
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Place of Birth: The Kirun, H'kela

[b]Biography:[/b] Many generations ago the Cade family came into control of the Kirun, a small mountain settlement in H'kela near the border of Kyoura and Gurata. The location saw to it that the family and settlement was soon flush with wealth from trade, as well as protected from its jealous neighbors that were envious of the metal ores and magical gems harbored in the Kirun's mines. Over the years, the settlement turned into a bustling trade city, serving as a regular stop for traders and mercenaries traveling by land between H'kela and Kyoura. While lacking in numbers, their wealth allowed them to outfit their soldiers with the finest weapons. War was their largest business, and for many years having a fighting force led by a Cade almost guaranteed a victory. The warriors of the Kirun were known for their prowess, ferocity, and most important of all, loyalty. Once a contract was signed, the soldiers of the Kirun belonged to the contractor. To a Cade, your word was everything. Yet despite this, the Cade family of the Kirun were still tried and true H'kelans, and as the borders began to set and tensions with Barcea rose they strictly limited their services to their fellow countrymen. As well, the Cades were always a religious family, and believed that a united H'kela under one king was the only true way to worship Danmun. They signed one last contract and swore fealty to the right man, and helped put and keep the king on the throne. Still to this day, their family name is known across all of H'kela and even in its neighboring countries.

This legacy creates an unfortunate problem for Ennis Cade, the youngest and only living son of the current head of the Cade family and Lord of the Kirun. A magically peculiar boy afflicted with what his family referred to as “Kirun's Curse”, Ennis was forced to spend most of his youth bedridden watched over by a court mage. Due to this he (perhaps fortunately) missed much of the typical H'kela childhood for a mage. Even when he capable of casting the spells to keep his affliction at bay and free to venture out in the Kirun he was kept from being pulled into the H'kela military by his father. His two elder brothers had been slain in battle with Barcea, and Lord Cade refused to have his last son put in such a position that risked his life. Instead, he was mentored by his father and learned how to shrewdly handle business and govern a trade city like a true Cade. He took to the politicking and the games that came with dealing with the nobility and the lower classes, and since the war between the two countries was now held at an uncertain ceasefire Ennis felt that even without martial power he could still serve his family and country like his brothers had. He came to his father with his wish to serve as an adviser to the King during peace times, with bright and naive plans to find a way to establish trade and prosperity between the two countries.

His father refused vehemently, but Ennis pressed the issue. The two finally came to a compromise that neither of them initially liked. Ennis was free to go and live in the Capitol of H'kela, his father was free to settle a century long dispute between a rival family by tying them by blood through marriage. New wife in tow, Ennis moved to the Capitol where, thanks to his family name, he was given a position to serve on Gartian's small council. The man gave his word, on his family's name, that he would do everything to help H'kela. Still, despite his intentions his first year was an eventful and difficult one. Orissa, his wife, had a daughter, Avery. Ennis discovered that over the years his family had acquired several “blood feuds”, and his refusal to settle these in duels and overall lack of physical strength quickly labeled him as a coward. Worst of all, Gartian despised the man. The King of H'kela was not looking for ideas for opening up trade or peacefully resolving years and years of conflict with hope that Barcea's new prosperity would leak over. The second year he was forced into remedial administrative and steward duties that were below his position and knowledge. The third year threatened to be a repeat of the second. With the sinking feeling that he was letting his family and his country down, Ennis did the only thing he could do: he persisted. It would be a disgrace to his father to do anything else. Even while serving below his position, he would pester the King whenever he was within earshot with his ideas.

The King finally cracked. Ennis knew that Gartian would probably have any other man killed, but he also knew the King wanted a war. If he was to lose the support of the Cade family he might as well march on Barcea with an outfit of drunks wielding sticks. He agreed to allow Ennis to enter into talks with Barcea. He'd even be promoted to Ambassador, a title that H'kela rarely gave out (due to rarely ever having one). Ennis's elation was short lived. Sure, he could try to convince the Barcean nobles of his peaceful desires, but all final decisions would have to be approved by Gartian. Meaning that Ennis was effectively powerless. Any other man would see this insult as what it was, exile, and back down, but Ennis had given his word. He would help H'kela anyway he could, even if it didn't want it.

His time as Ambassador proved to be as equally ineffective as his time as a councilman, despite having support from the Queen of Barcea. Even if he had managed to convince the Queen’s men to trust him, which he had failed to do, Gartian would’ve ruined that effort once he openly began waging war on Barcea. Ennis was forced back to the Kirun, but not before he promised to raise their troops to assist Barcea in defeating Gartian. However, when he arrived at his home it appeared that his father, who had been keeping agents watching over his son, would not let his son honor his word. However, Lord Cade did not outright throw his support behind Gartian, as the Kirun was beginning to struggle from internal turmoil. 

After the death of the Queen of Barcea, Cyril came to claim the aid that Ennis had offered, only to find that the Kirun had been locked down as its non-native populace began to protest against the atrocities that Gartian had committed and against Lord Cade for having helped the man into power in the first place. Lord Cade tried to prevent the Sentinels from taking shelter in the city so that they could recuperate their forces, but Ennis aided them in infiltrating the city and coming to an understanding with his father without shedding a single droplet of blood. The Barceans went on to defeat Gartian and the Advisor, but Ennis and the Kirun’s soldiers were absent from the final battle—his father’s refusal to put his son’s life at risk had been reinforced by Ennis’s behavior, and the soldiers were still squashing the troubles. With Gartian’s defeat the protests that had been occurring in the Kirun came to an end, and Lord Cade and Nia headed to the H’kelan capital to partake in the upcoming moot as well as to retrieve his son’s family. Only Nia came back.

It has been two months since then, and Ennis has not left his family’s manor. Officials cite illness, and apparently he has been governing from his bed. 

[b]Personality:[/b] Ennis has become a rather disillusioned idealist over the past few months, and he has begun to doubt Danmun as his life seemingly continues to spiral out of control. He is quieter in conversations and more sullen than he used to be, and seems to be more easily frustrated than usual. This does not mean that he lacks his silver tongue, but rather it has gotten a sharpened edge to it that used to be kept sheathed underneath  his breath. He is obsessed with the idea of being respected and is seemingly desperate to prove himself to be worthy of his family name, something that he has been doing a great job at mucking up the past few years. 

[b]Likes:[/b] Commerce, balance, the Kirun, family, control, the sound of his own voice (apparently). 

[b]Dislikes:[/b] Revali, being seen as weak, literally being weak, truffles. 

[b]Skills/Strengths:[/b] Ennis is a practiced public speaker. His family name sometimes grants him favorable treatment, especially in H'kela. He has a great amount of wealth he can fall back on if he needs it. Kirun's Curse absorbs any harmful or helpful magic casted upon or near him, preventing him from being effected by the spells and granting him the ability to use them with little effort. 

Oh, and he has a small army.

[b]Flaws/Weaknesses:[/b] The early years of his affliction have made Ennis a physically weak and sickly man, and when he gets hurt or ill he has to be taken care of the hard way. His family name sometimes grants him unfavorable treatment, especially in H'kela. If Kirun's Curse does not absorb any magic after a few hours then it begins to drain Ennis's own life energy. As well, his peculiar affliction prevents him from “remembering” more than three spells at once, and he is forced to “forget” a spell whenever a new spell is cast upon him. Once a spell is “forgotten” he can never use it again, although he is still immune to the effects. He can only learn spells through Kirun's Curse.

Oh, and his rival has a much bigger army and a very powerful ally backing her.

[b]Equipment:[/b] He has a sword that serves as more of an accessory than a weapon, and if he ever travels he has enough gold to buy more than he would ever need.

[b]Appearance:[/b] Ennis is a scrawny and unhealthy looking young man who makes up for his unimposing physique with lavish clothes and accessories. The noble wears a well fitted blue, hip-length tunic with gold embroidery over a black velvet shirt with padded shoulders in a somewhat obvious attempt to make him look more masculine. His trousers are a similar dark velvet, his boots look new and shined, and a saber with a jeweled hilt and scabbard is tucked into his belt. His cloak is golden in color, lined with fine furs, and pinned to his shirt with lapis brooches. A black tricorne hat lined with golden trim and large white feather sits on top of his head. His wavy dirty blonde hair is kept about chin length and his eyes are brown. His nose is hooked and looks a little too large for his face. A neatly trimmed beard covers up what would otherwise be a weak jawline.

[b]Theme Songs:[/b] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI2Et19vDCM]Caribou- Can’t Do Without You[/url]

[b]Other:[/b] [i]Remembered Spells-[/i]A spell that creates a blinding light, a spell that can quickly shift earth into barriers, and a spell that makes one speak gibberish.
[i]Forgotten Spells-[/i]A rather nasty firestorm one, a healing light, a zone of healing, a ray of frost, magic missiles, and a spell that forced people to tell the truth

[b]Main or Side:[/b] Side
[b]Username:[/b] Atrophy[/hider]

[hider=Nia Tucela][center][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/03/9b/db/039bdb8584672ad33a3093c84b0e76b6.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]Full Name:[/b] Nia Tucela
[b]Occupation:[/b] Servant, Soldier, Saboteur, Spy
[b]Birthday: [/b]April 9th
[b]Height: [/b]5’4”
[b]Weight: [/b]120 lb
[b]Race:[/b] Human
[b]Sex/Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Age: [/b]23
[b]Sexuality: [/b]Heterosexual
[b]Place of Birth:[/b] The Kirun, H’kela

[b]Biography:[/b] Nia is the only daughter of the head butler of the Cade family and she spent her youth growing up in the Cade’s palace. Throughout her youth she was the constant companion of Lord Cade’s sickly son, Ennis, until it was discovered that she had a natural magical talent by one of the many rotating court mages that watched over the peculiar boy. Unlike Ennis, Nia was not exempt from H’kelas forced draft of all magically talented individuals, and at the age of twelve she was sent to the capital and enrolled into a military academy so that she could become an asset for their armies. Nia had heard plenty of the nightmarish stories that H’kelan mages whisper about the academies in her youth, and in her state of fear she had tried to run away—a crime punishable by death. She didn’t make it far before she was caught, but her life was spared by Lord Cade because of her friendship with his son. However, Lord Cade was still a strict man, and she was forced to attend the academy for her own “betterment”. 

Shockingly, academic life was not an endlessly string of brutality and cruelty, and Nia found herself actually enjoying her training. If she had stayed in the Kirun, she would’ve likely had gone on to become a lady-in-waiting at best; at the academy, she had a chance of becoming something greater. Sure, her instructors were harsh and arrogant and her peers were competitive and cliquey, but she was able to master control over her magic and grew into a powerful fire mage. When she was drafted into the military proper she was given the rank of captain and put in command of a special task force. Mages were often put in charge, because infighting between men from different regions and disobeyed orders were unlikely when the one in charge could immolate a transgressor with the snap of their fingers.  

Nia had a successful career leading her unit, especially when it came to acts of military espionage. She helped in putting down any insurgents who tried to rally against Gartian’s rule and worked as a liaison between the military and the bandit forces on the Barcean border before the war with Barcea had started properly. More importantly, she enjoyed her job and the feeling of achievement she earned from it. If she hadn’t received a letter from Lord Cade she would’ve fought against Barcea in the war with full intentions of leaving the country as a smouldering wasteland. In hindsight, Lord Cade saved her life a second time. 

His letter commanded her to visit his son and her long lost friend, Ennis, and convince him to return home. Failing to do so, which Lord Cade predicted knowing his son’s nature and his son’s desire to form an allegiance against Gartian, she was to shadow Ennis and to serve as his protector to prevent him from getting himself killed by rubbing his elbows too many times with the enemy. Nia followed Lord Cade’s orders because she owed him her life and met with his son, Ennis. As Lord Cade had predicted, Ennis refused to come home; however, he did ask Nia to rescue his wife and daughter from Gartian’s palace and bring them back to the Kirun. Lying through her teeth, she promised him that she would do so and pretended to leave. If she had known what would’ve happened, perhaps she would’ve listened to her friend’s request instead of following her orders.

Lord Cade arranged for Ennis’s to return home once it became obvious that the boy would bring ruin to the Kirun if he was left in Barcea, and Nia dispatched of any spies working for the Advisor or Gartian that had obtained information about Ennis’s planned betrayal. Nia watched as her friend shrunk back into a little boy after his reunion with his father, but it wasn’t until he asked about the whereabouts of his family that she begun to feel guilty for her actions. She promised Ennis that she would go right away to rescue his family. 

However, the war had brought civil unrest to the Kirun, and Lord Cade put the city on lockdown until the troubles were resolved. To leave now would be considered abandoning her post, and Lord Cade made it clear that he would show no remorse to any deserters. Ennis, even without any power, was determined to end the war then, and when Barcean forces came to their door it was with Nia’s assistance that the tired troops were allowed to rest up before their final decisive battle with H’kela. The civil disobedience and the lockdown ended soon after Gartian’s defeat, and Nia accompanied Lord Cade to the H’kelan moot to finally escort Ennis’s family home to him. She barely made it back with her skin intact.

It’s been two months since then, and she will do anything to have her friend forgive her.

[b]Personality:[/b] Nia is rather flippant for a person who has a military background, and finds a distinct pleasure in uncovering and pushing people’s buttons to get a rise out of them. She can be a bit of a rumormonger and tends to exaggerate most things when in casual conversation. Despite not always acting as the most serious of people, it is clear to those around her that the woman is rather ambitious, competitive, and highly confident. It’s not infrequent for her confidence to push over the line into downright arrogance, and when mixed with her big mouth it can be a recipe for disaster. Relatedly, she doesn’t necessarily enjoy violence, but she’s not above using it. Generally, she’s a realist when it comes to setting expectations (at least when regarding other people) yet tends to have a rather optimistic approach to handling disappointment.

[b]Likes:[/b] Teasing others, listening to music, attending plays, dressing up for a nice evening of dinner and drinks, and crushing losers in competition. She also enjoys making fun of Barcea.

[b]Dislikes:[/b] Losing, being talked rudely to despite her own behavior, and people that are better mages than herself. Despite the talk, she actually doesn’t really have any problem with Barcea now that the war’s over.

[b]Skills/Strengths:[/b] Nia has specialized in espionage and infiltration, so she can easily get in and out of places she shouldn’t be while avoiding detection. More notably, Nia is a well-trained mage and is capable of creating and controlling fire with her hands. Among other things, she can ignite material that she is touching, spew forth cones of fire, create smoke screens, and chuck those classic fireballs. As a beneficial side effect, she cannot be burnt by flames. 

[b]Flaws/Weaknesses:[/b] The source of Nia’s fire is her hands, so outside of throwing fireballs (and it’s an actual lob that requires some aim and a good arm, not some magic missile nonsense) her initial range is fairly short until she gets an inferno going. Fire is chaotic, so while creating it is no sweat, controlling large fires will exhaust Nia and, more importantly, she cannot use her magic to smother fires. Also, a girl’s gotta breath, and fire’s pretty keen on hogging all of the oxygen for itself. 

[b]Weapons/Equipment:[/b] Nia’s only weapon besides her fire is a normal dagger. Otherwise, she carries a telescoping spyglass, several lockpicks, rope with a grappling hook, a pocket mirror, and other basic necessities. 

[b]Appearance:[/b] Nia clearly puts a great deal of effort in maintaining her appearance. Her long, black hair has a healthy shine to it and it falls just below her shoulders. She is smart in her application of makeup, using it to accentuate her blue eyes and her lips while still keeping her face looking natural instead of painted. Her soft skin is a light alabaster and she has a number of small scars on her body from her years in the H’kelan military. Her body is pear-shaped and she is physically fit. Yet despite her military background, she generally stands with relaxed, casual ease and speaks with a calm, warm voice. When it comes to clothing, Nia generally dresses in dark, somewhat stylish outfits that make her appear taller.  Heeled boots, high-waisted pants, v-neck blouses, and short jackets are almost always incorporated in someway or another.

[b]Theme Songs:[/b] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2uSO4jgIHg]Wye Oak - Two Small Deaths[/url]

[b]Main or Side:[/b] Main
[b]Username:[/b]Atrophy[/hider]