Name: Tsi Hijum (Alun name, Birthname); Azhdasagath [She who Judges by Fire] (Shadhini name)
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Race: Alun:
The Alun are a clan/culture that fit within the race of elves, noted for their comparatively long lifespans relative to humans, and their distinct long ears, fair skin and hair, and lack of significant sexual dimorphism, with both sexes appearing quite "feminine" by human standards. Elves, including the Alun, were once the dominant race in their homeland of Alath, however they were later enslaved en mass by humanity following their migration into continent of Alath. While Humans, Elves, and the various "orc" peoples come from a common ancestor, Humans and Elves have diverged far enough that they can no longer reproduce together (while conversely, Elves and Orcs are still closely related enough that they can produce viable hybrid offspring, and mixed populations are quite common in the border areas between the two races). She still looks quite young by human standards, resembling a 30 or 40 year old human woman in age.
The Alun were historically a semi-nomadic people who lived in a transition zone between the deep forests of Alath and the steppe. The ancestors of the Alun arrived via coast as transplants from a forest dwelling population by boat, before arriving in the steppe. By the time of contact with humans, the Alun were an influential culture in the region, living as semi-nomadic horticulturalist and pastoralists, transitioning between forest gardens and foraging in the spring and summer, before leaving to return to the steppe to raise herd animals in the autumn and winter. Having learned the art of ironworking from the Orcish tribes, and with a steady influx of iron from them, the Alun held a position of influence over the less militarily advanced elf tribes. This changed when humans arrived, seeking to settle a newly discovered continent, they came with guns and disease to subjugate and conquer the Elves. The Alun failed to maintain their independence and were subjugated by the humans. Since then, their culture has been one of perpetual slavery.
Appearance: Tsi is approximately 7 feet tall, slightly taller than the average member of her people, in part due to her liberation from chattel slavery at a relatively young age. She has very pale skin, almost translucent to the point that her veins can be seen as blue markings under her skin. Through years of warfare, her body is heavily scarred. Her back is particularly heavily scarred due to being flayed as a punishment in the Slave Revolt. Her eyes are a piercing dark blue, a trait common in cultures such as the Alun who hail from the south of the continent. Reflecting her life among and assimilation into the Shadhin orcs, Tsi wears her hair in the style of a traditional Orcish warrior, and has her face tattooed in the tradition of Shadhin war leaders.
Home World: Atosh: Atosh is a world divided. The center of the world is dominated by a vast desert, with the equator being uncrossable due to the heat of the equator being uncrossable for any living thing. The south of the world is inhabited by three major races: Humans, Elves, and Orcs. What lies across the terminator line is unknown to anyone in the south.
Patron Deity: Uzhdifal - The Orcish god of Law, Kingship, Domination, Vengeance and Blood Feuds. Uzhdifal is not a god worshiped by the Orcish commoner, but a deity of royalty and statesmanship. He is also the patron of vengeance and blood feuds, reflecting their centrality to the Orcish clans and their violent periods of succession. A Pan-Orcish deity, many leaders of clans and hordes claim descent from Uzhdifal. Tsi was inducted into his cult when she was declared King Sanoth's personal retainer. She became a devoted worshiper, working on his behalf to spread the rule of King Sanoth, and to invoke her vengeance upon humans.
Champion’s Blessing: Falling Star: Shortly before of the taking of the human city of Steryx, it was though that the city was untakeable by virtue of it's mighty walls. During the seige of the city, a great meteorite fell from the night sky, striking the city, crumbling its walls and collapsing the encampments that the defending army was staying in, killing a large portion of the city's army. After the battle, Tsi ordered the meteorite to be recovered and brought to her. Upon the discovery that the meteorite was made of iron, Tsi ordered that it be taken to the greatest smith among the orcs, and turned into a weapon. The meteorite was processed into steel, and fashioned into a mighty sword. This sword, now known as the Falling Star, was imbued with the power of the skies, producing strikes that were backed with electric force, as well as the ability to create powerful shockwaves with it's strikes, and to discharge electricity that can strike enemies from a distance with the power of lightning.
Inventory: Qafunazhdasirath: Derived from the Shadhini words
qafun (gunpowder),
azhda (fire), and
sirath (lance), the qafunazhdasirath is a firearm developed by the Orcish peoples in response to conflict with humans. Humans arrived to Alath with firearms, something that the Orcs quickly adopted for themselves. The Qafunazhdasirath is a an advantage over the earlier lunun (a loanword from the language of the humans), which operated on the basis of a simple matchlock principle. The Qafunazhdasirath makes use of an 8 chambered revolver system and the ability of its user to be magically trained, capable of producing a means of ignition inside the weapon, this removing the need for reloading between shots. The barrels remain unrifled, meaning that the shots are lacking in accuracy, but the quickness between shots makes up for this discrepancy.
Healing Herbs: After years as a war leader, Tsi has become quite familiar with battlefield first aid, and keeps with her basic painkilling herbs and drugs, as well as anticoagulants, bronchodilators, and tranquillizers.
Magic: Tsi has been trained in basic magic by the shamaness of her tribe. She is able to create basic bursts of fire, and able to shield herself with good skill using wards. Using the Falling Star, she is able to create powerful bursts of lighting and electricity, and absorb electric attacks.
Skills: Tsi is known for being extremely charismatic, and has excellent speaking ability, able to rally many to her cause with a few simple words. She has literally command armies and stood against empires. She is extremely skilled at swordsmanship and gunnery. In addition, her presence is quite commanding, being able to render those with weak constitutions to simply cave into her by her presence alone. After a lifetime full of beatings, torture of every conceivable nature, and battlefield combat, she is in possession of an extremely high pain tolerance, and shows great fortitude in the face of danger and death. She does, however, rely on shielding and simply tanking attacks from her enemies. She has been left permanently crippled in her left leg following a gunshot wound in her lower thigh near her knee, leaving her with a distinctive limp, thus rendering superior speed and agility unattainable to her.
Personality: She is best described as cold and stoic. Years of traumatic and brutal fighting has left her emotionally broken and stunted. This also manifests in at times inappropriate and immature outbursts of frustration, often accompanied by acts of extreme cruelty against those who upset her.
History: Tsi was born in the Kingdom of Arrow, to an enslaved family. She was raised by her father, Hijum, her mother having been sold shortly after her birth. Tsi worked initially as a laborer, before she was promoted to become a guard for the villa she worked for. The villa belonged to a local aristocrat, and after a visit, Tsi caught his eye as a particularly impressive slave, being quite taller and bigger than her fellow slaves. At age 16, she was purchased by this governer and assigned to his team of personal bodyguards.
After 5 years in service, she had come to grow in hatred for her new master and all things related to humanity. She and her fellow guards came to the decision to not only kill their master, but to seize his territories and create a free state for the Alun and other elves. The plan went off without much issues. The slaves slaughtered the governor and his family with little mercy, and seized his lands, encouraging all enslaved elves to rise up with them. The rebellion lasted about a week. Before the armies of the Kingdom were able to force the slaves into surrender. It was in this conflict that Tsi recieved the bullet wound to her leg that would leave her with a permanent limp. For their actions, the leaders of the rebellion were killed, while the other lower ranking guards would be made examples of. Tsi and her fellow guards were to be flayed and sent into exile in the steppe. Having been captured, Tsi was flayed on her back and salted, before she and those who survived the flashings were sold off as payments for foreign debts.
Tsi in particular was sold off to an up and comming Orcish warlord named Sanoth. Sanoth was in the king of the Shadhin, a relatively powerful equestrian tribe that had made a name for themselves by their skill at mounted gunnery. A peace treaty had just been reached with Sanoth and he and was given slaves as a part of the agreement.
When she was brought before Sanoth, he was quite impressed with her size, and asked her about her background. Upon hearing of her history as a soldier, and her history and falling out with the Kingdom of Arro, sought to exploit her desire for vengeance. He deemed her a slave-warrior, and assigned her as a commander over a squadron on lower soldiers.
Tsi would prove her worth when Sanoth decided to wage war against a fellow Orc tribe. Tsi observed the disorganization of the Shadhin armies and sought to improve them with tactics she had learned from Arro and her fellow guards, many of whom were former soldiers themselves, to work with them to improve their tactics. In what would otherwise be a costly battle, the forces lead by Tsi prevailed greatly. Throughout the war, the tactics that were taught caused Tsi to be exceptionally successful, and Sanoth was so impressed, that he appointed her to be his personal slave, and to lead his armies. After various conquests of rival Orcish tribes, Sanoth was critically injured and left in a vegetative state, leaving Tsi in full control of all of the armies of the Shadhin.
Feeling the power available to her, Tsi began an invasion of Arro. The fierce Orcish soldiers under her command burned everything in their path, putting anyone or anything that got in their way to the sword. The forces of Tsi tore to pieces what was once the most powerful human empire on the continent. Tsi put every city to ruins, taking their riches and furnishing the capital camp of the Shadhin.
Following the destruction of Arro, Tsi ruled as as a defacto queen in the regency of Sanoth for 5 years before his death, and backed his eldest son. This was contested by Sanoths younger son, who arranged for Tsi to be killed. During her prayer to the God Uzhdifal, she was shot in the back of the head.
While this would normally be the end of her story. However, at the last second, she was miraculously saved by the god Uzhdifal. She was offered the chance to become his champion, however, much like her life, she would act as his slave, and work though him. She is, however, believed by the Orcs to be dead.
Extra/Notes: given her history, Tsi has an intense dislike and distrust of humans, and fondness and respect for orcs.
