[hider=Vali Twice-Born, The Silent Hunt]
[center][h1][u][color=#B1EEEA]Vali Twice-Born,
The Silent Hunt[/color][/u]          [/h1]
[img]https://i.ibb.co/KKVJQ0P/3.jpg[/img]

[b]“You think you are the heroes, in a world where we are all simply men.”[/b]
[sub][h3][u]2 9[/u]  [color=#B1EEEA]|[/color]  [u]M A L E[/u]  [color=#B1EEEA]|[/color]  [u]E S K A N D [/u]  [color=#B1EEEA]|[/color]  [u]R A N G E R[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/center]

[indent][color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[indent]Vali, like many of his Eskand brethren, stands above six feet—four inches or so over, though he’s certainly never measured. His shoulders are broad and he’s got the musculature expected of a renowned raider, but benefits from the bulk of his heavy leathers and furs. His skin is pale and his features sharp, a harshness to the cut of his cheeks and nose. His jawline, though much the same, is hidden beneath a short-kept beard. Vali’s hair is blonde, kept nearly to his shoulders. While he usually leaves it down, he may put it in braids for battles or hunts, to avoid it becoming a hindrance. His eyes are a pale green-blue, and ever watchful.

Though he’s certainly fought enough to earn the scorn of the Northerners, Vali is far from simply a warmonger. He holds a steadfast faith in his Gods, believing they called him to war, but honors them in more than just bloodshed. He values the relationships he’s built among his peers, particularly those of his blood-brothers, and enjoys a good chance to speak and laugh with those he truly cares about. He understands why the northerners view his people with such disdain, but does not believe the notion that anyone is necessarily [i]good[/i] among the conflicting sides—both act with self-interest, and he will not begrudge the Parrench for doing so, but the belief will likewise not stop his own fulfillment of his beliefs.

Vali also has his own sort of intelligence, particularly when he becomes invested in a hunt. He prides himself on being able to think like both hunter and prey, allowing him to understand the motivations of his quarry and design the hunt to prey upon those weaknesses. His intelligence is certainly not of a scholarly nature, but he finds great pleasure in the cultivated ability to get into something’s head and pull out its plans and actions—or tip the balance just enough in one way to assure an outcome he wants.

There is, however, a dissatisfaction within him—he feels, at times, a sense of shame in where his skills lie. He’s not the fearsome fighter his blood-brothers are, and couldn’t hold his own against a horde of foes the way people seem to expect of them. He’s younger and came late to the game, leaving the man to worry that his legacy will be paltry in comparison. He can be foolhardy as a result, pushing himself to do things he believes may garner him greater respect. 
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[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]B A C K G R O U N D[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[indent]Some names are given, others earned. 

The name Vali, [I]powerful[/i], was given in the small village to a squalling blonde babe in a hut that stank of sheep year-round. He grew, as some are fortunate enough to do, herding sheep as soon as he could count them. A shepherd’s life gave plenty in the way of blood—in the slaughter of livestock for food in the cold of Hundri, or the butchering of predators that stalked the herd. 

Yet a different kind of blood spills from the flesh of men. 

This was the blood the Gods of Eskand called for, to those who heard them in dreams and death and the cold wind on the southern slopes. They spoke with a voice that Vali, son of Kjell, heard and heeded just after his eighteenth birthday. 

With five brothers to guide the herd, neither the sheep nor the family would miss him. So he took up his spear, a simple thing, and joined the great raiders going North. 

It was not easy, for one so unblooded—there were many who had soaked in their crimson tides and looked down upon the weak, taking glory and blood and gold as they pleased. One who had not yet proven his life worthy on the field of death was but a camp follower. Even the murder of the weak, the young, and the old was not enough—if a body could not threaten you, it was no more than slaughtering livestock. 

Vali, son of Kjell lived months in the disdain of warriors before he too was blooded.

[hider=Earning “Twice-Born”]

[indent]He alone stood in the cobbled street, surveying the wreck and ruin of blood and fire that had once been a town. He was the one the armed rider spotted, the man whom the snorting wild charger sought to run down with the wicked sword in his rider’s hand. 

None here would mourn him. Some might take his shoes, the fur upon his shoulders, or his paltry spear. They would not send word home to his family, who would not cry for him if they did. Some would see, but few would remember the way the boy was cut down. 

And yet… He was not cut down. 

He, too, saw the approaching end. But rather than run or close his eyes like a coward, Vali, [I]powerful[/i], son of Kjell planted his feet against the rough-hewn stone, gripped his spear, and met his approaching death with a thrust and a guttural warcry. 

The tip of his spear struck the beast at the base of its neck and sunk clean through the flesh. Screaming, it fell upon the spear and down the shaft, the chipped point finding its way out of the mane and into the throat of the rider. 

They fell, and fell, the horse screaming in death, its riding choking on his blood, and Vali shouting for the glory of his Gods. They heaped on the stone in a puddle of dark blood, spear pointed to the sky—and for a moment, all was silent. 

Then the body of the rider rose first, glistening wetly in the firelight, and was tossed to the side. Vali, son of Kjell emerged, screaming his victory to the smoke-filled sky, baptized in the blood of beast and man alike. His eyes were alight with a burn that none had seen in him before, like a man born anew in the death of his enemy—and, as some may whisper, his [i]own[/i]. He staggered to his feet, snatching his fallen foe’s sword from the ground, and held it aloft as his brethren shouted around him. 

He was victorious.

He was blooded. 

He was Vali Twice-Born, and this name was [I]earned[/i].[/indent][/hider]
He had his name now, Vali Twice-Born, and a sword that had tried to kill him. He was no longer weak and unblooded—and now truly began to hone his skills for the hunt. Vali’s reputation grew as he did, earning him respect as a hunter among the raiders who knew him. 

But there was higher still to go, though Vali himself did not know it yet. 

There were some among the highest renown of the roving hordes: Hrothgar the Black, Hildr, and Kol—those who, stories say, slew the great Mørkt Fjell, a beast none thought could die. And yet these warriors proved mortal men wrong. 

He never dreamed he could be added to their ranks. 

Yet his successes as a hunter spread beyond the lower riders, to even the ears of Hildr and Kol. A year and a half since his first naming, they were preparing for yet another great hunt—a great saber-toothed beast, a Skygge Katt reportedly twice the size of its brethren, had been picking off hunting parties for weeks. None sent after it could seem to find the creature, before being found themselves. Only one among the many who had been found escaped the bloody death, and spoke only of a giant who moved like a ghost and looked to be made of glass. 

They needed one who could stay hidden from even the keenest of predators, and track down the most evasive of prey. Seeking to test his mettle, they invited Vali Twice-Born to the hunt—and even knowing the death he stalked toward, the man couldn’t find it in himself to be afraid. 

[hider=The Silent Hunt]
[indent]It was Vali who insisted they take only horses that they could stand to lose. They traveled days into the trees, towards the last sightings of their Skygge Katt. Every night, as they camped, Vali would lead each horse a different direction into the trees and tie it to a trunk well away from the camp, leaving a lit candle for himself and both his companions to call for the Visitor’s protection. He sat awake, sleeping only minutes at a time, among the great spreading branches, and watched. 

Six days in, and he did not hear the screams of the first steed as it died, not knowing there was something to be afraid of. He only felt the blood spill against the awareness of his Gift, and when his attention snapped to the now-dead horse, he felt the faint force tracings of the beast consuming it. 

The next night, he knew what to look for—and sensed the Skygge Katt, seconds before it made its kill, the second horse dying as silently as the first despite the warning of the previous night. Vali focused all the awareness he could into the particular energies of the hunter, following it back into the woods until it vanished beyond the edges of his magic. 

That morning, Vali broke the news—they were being stalked and toyed with, victims to the days-long hunt of a deadly creature. This was unlikely to unsettle his companions, as many beasts as they had killed, but served a great purpose—the formations of a plan. The transition from prey to predator, and the turning of the hunt. 

On the eighth night of their journey, no one slept. The final horse was tied up, left as an offering to their quarry, and Vali persuaded his companions into the branches with him. There, he dampened their energies, masking the men from the senses of the beast. He felt it cross into the edges of his range, circling and stalking closer with a marked caution and pleasure in this aspect of the hunt. He breathed not a word to Hildr or Kol, fearing even the quietest of voices would chase it away. 

When the great beast leapt silently from the foliage onto the horse, Vali leapt too—jumping from the branch he’d crouched on, drawing his own force energy to slow his fall as he plummeted onto the back of the Skygge Katt, for the first time releasing his battlecry. He stabbed into the cat with his sword, metal carving into bone and spilling blood as it bucked, tossing him from its back. 
 
Hildr and Kol advanced from their perches too, facing down the great beast together as it turned on its hunters. Scraped but near-crazed by the scent of blood, Vali leapt forward again, and the battle was on in earnest. The Skygge Katt tried to retreat into the forest and return to an unaware prey, but Vali knew its heartbeat, rapid and frightened now, and could not be surprised. 

He was the one to deliver the final blow to the beast—ducking low as it leapt toward him, and surging upward with his blade. The point sunk into flesh, finding the opening between two ribs and nicking the heart. It stumbled, and fought, but could not escape the claws of death as it succumbed to the bleeding. 

They returned to the hordes three horses shorter, but with great cloaks of the dark, faintly-striped fur, teeth and claws in excess, and the startings of a bond that would only grow.[/indent][/hider]
The venture that earned Vali his renown came to be known as The Silent Hunt—something that, with time and no small effort on the part of the man, grew to be analogous with Vali himself. It was a moniker he was all too happy to take on, feeling it added to the glory he’d been so late to seeking. 

Kol and Hildr did not forget the venture, and he found himself increasingly in their presence—they seemed to develop a fondness for him, and the man could only serve to further prove himself. Nearly two years after the Silent Hunt, they took to him as a blood-brother, like the bond forged between themselves. He was younger, but truly known now by all who spoke their names.

The years since have been kind to Vali Twice-Born, The Silent Hunt—he’s bathed in blood spilled and blood sworn, his bond with his blood-brothers only growing stronger with each battle, raid, and hunt—they’ve trained together and provided great gifts for each other, sworn to be a family until even Sipenta ends and the Visitor’s table has crumbled to nothing.[/indent]

[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]I N V E N T O R Y[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[indent][color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Blodløst Sverd ]
[indent]The Bloodless Sword—the very weapon Vali pulled from the body of his would-be executer. Named for its failure to strike him rather than a lack of bloodshed, it has become the man’s weapon of choice. It is simple steel, but strong, with a wrapped leather grip that has been replaced more than once in his years of owning it.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Hand-Ax ]
[indent]A small and simple one-handed ax. Vali keeps it in case he may ever find himself without his sword and bow, as it’s small enough to carry on his belt. He uses it primarily for utility, clearing paths in the woods when needed or cutting meat, but has yet to need it in battle.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Leathers and Furs ]
[indent]His primary armor, thick and protective but light enough to suit his needs as a ranger and a hunter. He holds no particular attachment to the pieces, and often portions of it get replaced after being damaged.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Sangløs Bue ]
[indent]The Songless Bow, his greatest treasure named for its use in many quiet hunts and the pieces that come from the Silent Hunt. A composite recurve bow constructed with teeth of the Skygge Katt of the Silent Hunt serving as the horn and maple wood as the core. A gift from Kol and Hildr, the bow is expertly crafted and well taken care of, often kept in a simple leather cover.[/indent] 
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Seiers Drikke ]
[indent]Victory’s Drink, a drinking horn Vali had made from one of the teeth of the Skygge Katt, hollowed out to hold liquid. He drinks from it often, not seeing the purpose in carrying it simply for show, but cherishes using it as an opportunity to tell the story of the Silent Hunt—though there are few who may see him drinking who haven’t heard the tale.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Skyggehud Kappe ]
[indent]The Shadowskin Cloak, a great and heavy fur cloak made from the pelt of the Skygge Katt of The Silent Hunt. The fur is near-black with faint stripes criss-crossing it, and is well taken care of. Though he doesn’t often wear it to battle or to hunt, it is commonly seen on the ranger, particularly when the weather turns cold.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Skygge Katt Necklace ]
[indent]The other saber tooth of the Skygge Katt, hung on a thick piece of leather stripping around Vali’s neck. It also has a small leather strip near the bottom meant to tie it to his chest to keep it in place during battles or hunts, but is often left unsecured otherwise so anyone near him can see the heavy weight of the tooth as it bounces against his sternum.[/indent][/indent]

[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]T H E   G I F T[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[center]Third Wheel [color=#B1EEEA]|[/color] [color=#1E90FF]Force[/color] [color=#B1EEEA]|[/color] [color=#BA55D3]Essence[/color][/center]
[indent]Vali is a hunter—of men or animal, it makes no difference. He enjoys spilling blood on an open battlefield, but when targets seek to evade pursuit… The Silent Hunt is no stranger to the chase. 

His skill lies in Force Magic, with the lightest touch of Essence, spurred to life in the grassy sheepland valleys of Eskandr and honed in the burned villages of the North. He’s developed a keen sense for footsteps and breathing and blood, the hallmarks of life—feeling the force and essence energy surrounding living beings and following it, while dampening the reverberations of his own. He also manipulates the chemicals of his prey, keeping them from feeling the instinctual spark of fear that could give him away. In his youth, it was used to keep track of sheep herds and locate lost members of the flock—occasionally, it would help him hunt down predators that threatened his family’s livelihood and slaughter them. 

After he followed the raiders North, he found a new use for it. He practiced his skills on human targets, learning to use his magic to cause small impacts in the ground and follow the reverberations, building a sense of his hunting ground. Softening and counter-acting his own footfalls to avoid detection, while mimicking them elsewhere to flush his quarry right into Eskandr steel. 

His techniques of magic are built for distraction rather than attack on the battlefield, but that suits Vali just fine—he’s got skill enough to fight without extra force, and finds his Gift is to the benefit of his fellow raiders, both in catching fresh game to feed them and in finding the few living remnants of razed ruins.[/indent]

[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]S T R E N G T H S   &   S K I L L S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[indent][color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Archery ]
[indent]Though he did not pick up the skill until he began raiding, Vali has proven to be quite useful with a bow and arrow. When hunting traditional prey animals, it’s his preferred weapon, offering an opportunity to strike from a distance and avoid detection with minimal effort. He attributes it to his keen sense of energies and perhaps a small capability in guiding the arrow with his Force magic. [/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Animal Husbandry ]
[indent]Cultivated by years tending to flocks of sheep and herding steeds, Vali has a gentle hand with animals—primarily farm varieties—and a knack for Essence magic that can keep them calm in otherwise stressful scenarios. He’s excellent at handling horses, and rides a bit better than most as a result.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Faith ]
[indent]Vali holds true to the Old Gods of Eskand, praying faithfully to them when the occasion arises. Faith is a powerful thing, and even if his may be wrong, it gives him strength to fight for his Gods. He believes he’s followed their call to journey north, alongside many who heard the same.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Hunting ]
[indent]The skill that has earned him his renown; with the particular use of his Gift, Vali excels at hunting. He can track even the most elusive of prey, and can keep himself hidden to avoid scaring away his quarry. He takes great joy in hunting, and is confident in using these same abilities for scouting ahead when necessary.[/indent][/indent]

[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]W E A K N E S S E S   &   F L A W S[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]
[indent][color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Ax-Wielding ]
[indent]Though he excels with a bow and can hold his ground with both sword and spear, Vali has found that he has no talent at fighting with axes—despite these often being the weapons most associated with Eskandr raiders. He carried a small hand-ax, in case times ever become desperate, but has humorously little faith that he’ll survive any encounter that requires it.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Cooking ]
[indent]Cooking was not something Vali was expected to take care of as a child. Though he had to manage when he left the comforts of home, the man is nearly hopeless. Things seem to go uncannily wrong when he tries to cook, from accidents with the ingredients to [i]severely[/i] overcooked meats. One might think it was intentional, if the failures did not vex him so greatly.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Faith ]
[indent]Though his faith brings great strength to Vali, is can also be a burden. He may push himself in the name of his Gods, leading to dangerous situations that he feels obliged to be part of. Similarly, such staunch support will find him highly disdained in the eyes of those who keep the Pentad, garnering no sympathy from the Northerners and their misguided beliefs.[/indent]
[color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] [ Insecurity ]
[indent]Vali has always felt that he has something to prove—despite his great successes among hunts, he fears he’s not enough to stand beside his blood-brothers. This concern, and the burning need to prove himself, can often push the ranger into foolhardy action—getting him into trouble much in the way his faith does. It’s also led to him taking the name The Silent Hunt, and giving meaningful names to many of his possessions—trying to insert his importance into history in hopes that it may stick.

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[color=#B1EEEA][sub][h3][u]C O L O U R   C O D E   &   O T H E R[/u]__ _  _   _    _[/h3][/sub][/color]

[indent][hider=Vali, 18 and Leaving Home][img]https://i.ibb.co/D4nz5DF/1.jpg[/img][/hider][/indent]
[indent][color=#B1EEEA]❖[/color] #B1EEEA[/indent]

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