Meanwhile, in the south of the Kingdom... [hider=High King Galather Whiteguard] [b]Name:[/b] High King Galather Whiteguard [b]Appearance:[/b] Galather is tall for his race, with a very slender build. His arms and legs, though thin and fragile in girth, are extensively toned and possess no blemishes. His skin is the color of a pale morning sky, and his long golden hair shines as bright as burnished steel. He has a long, sharp nose, and an angular jaw; his grey eyes are slanted and narrow. No wrinkles or other sign of aging marr his appearance, much like most of his kin. Two pointed ears, approximately six inches in length, stick up vertically either side of his head. He wears a light suit of mithril chainmail, which gleams fantastically no matter how obscured the sun may be, and gives him an ominous blue glow at night. A blue silken cloak with silver trim envelopes his form, obscuring his armaments and hands from view. A plain circlet, forged from dragon bone, rests carefully on his scalp. [b]Age:[/b] 4000 years, estimated. [b]Gender:[/b] Male [b]Race:[/b] High Elf, Silverspirian Breed. [hider=Race Description] [center][img]http://www.tabletophell.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/adrian_smith_high_elf_warriors.jpg[/img][/center] [center][i]The High Elves are smaller in stature than men, but are nimble and quick on their feet. They are skilled warriors, but reclusive diplomats. Also, sorry for stealing Warhammer's appearance - I couldn't find anything better.[/i][/center] The High Elves of Silverspire are an offshoot from their much older, and more established kin. They first came into existence during the Great Fall, when Elvendom was sacked by the forces of darkness over a thousand years ago, causing a mass migration of the Elderborn. The High Elves fractured into several warring tribes, and with the legions of darkness close on their heels, they were scattered to the wind. One band settled in the forested realm that is now known as Silverspire, and under the guidance of their reclusive king, Galather Whiteguard, they have kept themselves safe and secure in their forested bastions. In recent years however, having regained their strength, they have sought out diplomacy with the city of Oakoarth. A firm alliance has existed between the two political entities ever since, and trade is flourishing; however, the High King is reluctant to fully align himself with the wider human kingdom. They specialize in the use of White Magic (detailed below), though only a tenth of the population is blessed with any real talent in its use. This has allowed for Silverspirian Mages to augment the kingdom's technological and military might. The High King is considered the most gifted of all spellcasters in the Kingdom, and the average Silverspirian mage weighs in at around half his ability. [/hider] [b]Side:[/b] Light [b]Weapons(s):[/b] [hider=Elvendom's Wrath] The High King carries a halberd, a weapon of ancient origins and ancient powers. In appearnce, it is six feet long and made of solid gold; an emrald blade and spike form the weapon's fighting edge. Though it looks fragile, and merely a ceremonial trinket, Elvendom's Wrath is unbreakable by common means, and will cut through most non-enchanted armours with ease. The real power behind Elvendom's Wrath however, is its ability to absorb hostile offensive spells of most Schools, and return them to the original caster with even more strength. This works with low to moderate spells, but it will not work against something more devastating. Instead, Elvendom's Wrath will simply absorb the spell and shatter, if it is unable to deflect it. [hider=My Hider] Examples: If a mage was to shoot a fireball at the High King, he could block it with Elvendom's Wrath, and send it back in the mage's direction. The fireball would be burning brighter, and be more destructive than its original form. [/hider] It was forged by Taran'dol, the Elven smith that rose to prominence shortly before the Great Fall of Elvendom. His gift in weapon craft allowed him to develop the means the Elves desperately needed to turn the tide of battle against the endless legions of the Darkness. Once, hundreds of such halberds were wielded by the mightiest of Elves, but it is now believed that the Elvendom's Wrath is all that remains of such an armory.[/hider] [b]Abilities/Powers:[/b] High Elven - Possesses enhanced senses, such as better sight, hearing, taste and smell than an average human. White Magic - Can call upon his life force and manifest it into arcane magic, allowing him to shoot magical bolts at his enemy, create force fields around himself and his peers and to summon beings of arcane origin to assist him. However, the greater the spell, the greater the toll taken on his life force; therefore, if he were to cast a powerful offensive or defensive spell, it would severely weaken his physical strength. The time taken to recover from White Magic depends entirely on the strength of the spells used, and how often he used them. It is perfectly possible for him to accidentally kill himself if he gets carried away, although obviously he is more than aware of the risks, and often "calls it a day" once he senses his strength fading. If he was to go "all out", it would take him days to recover, during which time he would be extremely vulnerable. To give an idea of his magical strength, he could smash a formation of a hundred men and still have enough left in him to fight off moderate combatants. He could smash a formation of two hundred men, and collapse shortly after. So he's big and tough, but not unstoppable. A Long Life - The High King is ancient, and with such a long and colorful life, comes experience in all things. Like many of his kind, he is an expert combatant with heightened reflexes. This wealth of experience allows him to outperform mortals in most things, but he is still restrained by the limitations of his body. In short, if a 1000 year old Galather went to battle with a 2000 year old Galather, the older one would likely win through experience and practice alone. [b]Talent(s):[/b] Legendary Fighter - Even among Elfkind, Galather is a fighter without equal. It would take gifted and equally skilled combatants to take him head on in a duel. [b]Personality:[/b] Galather is a kind Elf, full of compassion but he is marred by sorrow. The memories of his people's fall, the length of his life, the struggle he has constantly been going through to safeguard Silverspire's rise have all taken their toll. He could be described as "tired" at best, and "depressed" at worst. [b]Biography:[/b] When Elvendom was torn apart by the legions of Darkness, over a milienia ago, Galather was the first Elf Lord to disobey the High King and lead his people in retreat. Though this was a matter of treason and the utmost dishonesty on his part, his actions caused a rift between the Crown and its servants which possibly saved the entire High Elven race. Other Elf Lords soon followed Galather's example, and Elvendom was abandoned to its fate. By this time, the armies of the Elderborn were all but shattered, and continued resistance was a futile effort. Galather realized more than anyone that the High Elves needed to retreat and recompose themselves into a renewed fighting force; however, this part of his plan was thwarted by infighting between himself and the other Elf Lords. Instead, the High Elves became fractured, and split into minor factions. They fled to all corners of the globe, where they settled down into their various enclaves. Galather led his peoples to Silverspire, and quickly established a foothold in the forested area. There, he and his kin stayed low, keeping themselves hidden from the roaming armies of darkness, and left the mortals to handle a war that the High Elves had already lost. For a thousand years, Galather carefully nurtured the resurgence of his people. Mortals were often turned away from Silverspire, and sometimes, they were outright killed if it was believed they posed a risk. However, despite a few minor skirmishes with the neighbouring human kingdom throughout the centuries, Elf and Man have existed in relative peace. The humans respected the Elves' wish to be left alone, and the Elves respected the humans' rights to the world at large. However, Silverspire has now become an emerging power. A population of a few hundred has transformed into a population of tens of thousands; the High Elves are set for a cautious return to the world. A few years ago, the High King sent delegations to Oakoarth to open diplomatic ties with the human kingdom. Trade has flourished between the city and Silverspire ever since, however Galather has so far declined any further interactions. He is cautious, and does not want to get too deeply involved with the mortals, for he sees them as unpredictable at best, and dangerous at worst. Still, Silverspire cannot continue to progress without outside interactions, and so for now he tolerates the existing trade agreements. This however, is all about to change... [b]Extras:[/b] [/hider] Can I keep him? Please? PRETTY PLEASE!? You know I wont ruin anything; I'd just like to be able to write more when Kalar's waiting for y'all responses. This RP has become my passion, kinda. And hey, if someone wants to come with me, there's plenty to be going on. If accepted, I'll hash out my plans with Titan to ensure nothing breaks. EDIT: Sorry, I know this is all terribly forwards of me, and the introduction of another potentially major faction may complicate things. Therefore I fully respect Titan's refusal to accept the High Elves into existence. I enjoyed writing it all, to be honest, and it's good practice for me, so no hard feelings :) I'm also more than open to dampening them down into something less dramatic, and White Magic can be revisited if needed. I'm still determining how strong the Mages might be, though I plan for the High King to be the pinnacle of the Kingdom's magical strengths.