[b]Name:[/b] Alexis Chandle
[b]Age:[/b] 29
[b]Kingdom:[/b] Kingdom of the Misty Rivers
[b]Gemstone:[/b] None.
[b]Appearance:[/b] 
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She forgoes the standard armour that almost all her fellow knights prefer, instead choosing lighter protection in the form of a hard leather breastplate with a light chain mail shirt.  She wears a long skirt, metal plated leather, rather than full length greaves for the sole reason she specialises in ground combat rather than from horseback.
A rapier is the weapon she prefers, strapped to her waist, but carries a sturdier longsword either on her back or in her horse's saddlebags as appropriate.

[b]Background:[/b] Alexis was born a commoner.  She knows not who her parents are, the first memory she has is of being in one of the less illustrious entertainment houses that could be found near everywhere in the known world.  She still does not know where that place was; nor does she have any desire to go back.

The first half of her life so far was spent in that place, forced to work in the kitchens as soon as she could walk.  If she did not work fast enough then she would be punished, if she spoke out in defence of herself or anyone else then she would be punished.  Her life was an absolute misery but she knew no one outside of that tavern, nor anything about the outside world.

When she approached her teenage years the patrons of the tavern looked and spoke to her differently and that was the trigger which forced her to escape.  She knew what work the other ladies were forced into by the owner; how badly they were treated and that their average life expectancy was very low.  Alexis had seen so many bodies discretely disposed of in the darkness of the night; rich and powerful patrons having exacted crueller tastes on the workers than most would.

One night she fled into the unknown world, taking an old but newly sharpened kitchen knife with her and half a loaf of bread with her.  Several weeks later she found herself in the Myrruan forest, barely alive from lack of food and clean drink.  She had suffered several attacks in her escape of the city she had been in, cruel pursuers rough in their attempts to recapture her and as a result she was covered in bruises.  Finally free of her old world, she collapsed in the midst of the forest.

Days later she found herself in a tavern, in a different town.  Her wounds had been tended to and she was dressed in new clothes, better than she had ever known before.  It quickly became apparent she had been saved by someone wandering through the forest and over the coming days, weeks, months and years she became very familiar with her saviour; taught the ways of the world by her.

They parted ways just before the wars began, Alexis vowing to repay the woman who had rescued her in the forest as soon as she was able to.  Several years fighting as a scout and skirmisher, travelling lightly and focussing on lethal fighting techniques rather than standard combat etiquette, for the Kingdom of the Misty Rivers gave her a degree of renown.  She used this, as she had been taught, along with some gambling and shows of confidence to gain the title of 'Knight'.

Then the request came for her to join Shi'larra. Seeing the potential danger brewing, the new King immediately approved her request to join the sorceress, outfitting her with the finest armour and weapons he could afford and asked that she aid the bearer of the water gem as she could.

[b]Personality:[/b] Generally a bright person, sometimes forcefully optimistic (after all, whatever happened there was still more than in her younger years) Alexis has a ruthless streak; she knows that sometimes there is no saving someone from themselves and that bestowing mercy is not always an appropriate action.  Her fighting techniques reflect this: when she draws her weapon it is to kill, not merely to defeat. 
She is fiercely loyal and will repay debts with interest, often if that means she gives up all that she has built in her life.  At this time she only holds one such debt and that is to Shi'larra, the woman who saved her.

[b]Fighting skills:[/b] Alexis' strength is speed.  Most knights could easily overpower her and so she sacrifices heavy armour and large weapons for lighter equipment.  Her leather and mail armour will stop most weapons except javelins and a short range arrow or a crossbow bolt however it will simply not hold up to persistent attack; she will still feel every blow but they will be less likely to kill her.  She can be lighter on her feet, nimble enough to dodge enemy attacks and move into their blind spots, thanks to her armour.  It will also give her time to find the chinks and weaknesses in her opponent's defence.  She carries three weapons: daggers for the most desperate situations, hidden in her concealed slots of leather breastplate, which can be thrown or used for more personal work; a thin rapier which is her weapon of choice, speedy and capable of sliding between plate armour to find the target underneath; and also a longsword for when her rapier is simply not up to the job.  This last weapon is her only form of defence and she can dual wield to some extent but her speed and proficiency is considerably reduced.