[CHAR] The Curse of the Crown [1 OPEN spot]

[KnightofTempest]

Name: Oberjarl Gustav I, Knight of Earth
Age: 28
Kingdom: Kingdom of Dragon Montains
Gemstone: Earth
Appearance:



Background and personality:

Gustav was originally of the Vaegir Tribe of the Eastern Dragon Mountains, close to the Border with the Barren Lands, he grew up strong and tall and was far more stout than his fellow youths. One day, when Gustav was out hunting in the mountains, a Raiding Party from the Barren Lands attacked his village, leaving no survivors. This was to be the first of many raids, which would lead into invasion shortly afterwards. Gustav fought with the Troops of the Barren lands, and became feared amongst the enemy for 3 years until one day he was captured, sold to his enemies by a jealous rival. He was hauled to the capitol in chains and would have been made a slave for the fighting pits if not for the intervention of Prince Edgar. The Prince had suspicions about his father's actions at that point, but did not know for sure what was happening, regardless he needed to gather stout warriors and followers to his cause for his eventual coup. Gustav was to be the first of these retainers. In exchange for his freedom, Gustav swore an oath to aid the Prince should he require it and together they went about gathering more followers, Gustav teaching the Young Prince how to fight like a Tribesman and how to improvise. When the time came for Edgar's Coup, it was Gustav that took on the Captain of the Royal Guards of the Barren Lands, slaying the man in single combat and holding the Gate while Edgar confronted his father. When the dust had settled, and Edgar emerged victorious, Gustav was standing atop a mountain of enemy corpses, warding off the Royal Guard with powerful swings of his battleaxe.

For his service, Gustav was granted the Earth Gem, and told to go reunify the Dragon Mountains, which had broken into squabbling Tribes in the aftermath of the Invasion. Five years passed as Gustav United the Tribes, being Crowned Oberjarl of the Dragon Mountains, the word for King in the Tribal Tongue. All the while he explored the possibilities of the Earth Gem, raising massive fortresses carved from the living rock, to protect his people from banditry, foreign enemies, and the various monsters in the high peaks. He learned to summon and control stone, learned to sense his enemies by the vibrations in the ground, he even learned to summon and control metal. Even the trees and plants of the earth obeyed his will. With these powers he set out to make the Dragon Mountains a Kingdom to be feared once more, and perhaps to create a lasting unity amongst the tribes.

Fighting skills:

Master Axeman, Master Shield-bearer, Expert with Hammers and Maces, Decent with swords and spears, Master Tactician, Expert Knowledge of Siege Warfare, Expert Tracker, Decent Marksman, Decent Rider, Expert Hand to Hand Combatant.

Earth Gem Powers

Summon and Control Stone, Summon and control Metal, Earthsense, Control Plants, Control Sand, Burrow.

[Incanus]

Name: Redoran, son of Rhuarn, of House Paladin
Age: 33
Kingdom: Minil'Thadag, the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes
Gemstone: Meru'rithil, the Stone of Air

Physical appearance: Redoran is of average height and build, though men from the plains would call him tall. His head is completely shaved but for a top-knot after the fashion of the knights of Minil'Thadag and he has a thin goatee. He wears several hoops of gold and silver rings in his earlobes. He is often seen wearing a green cloak over the dark mail. When in battle, he wears the helm of the battle lords with a pair of horns on top. Across his ribs runs a deep gash - a remnant of a forgotten duel.

Background: Redoran was born in the town of Amren, nestled near the foothills of the Dragon ranges at the very edge of the kingdom. His father, Rhuarn, was a captain in the king's army and was respected for his battle sense. While the father was a hero to the boy, it was a father who rarely spent time with his son. When he lost his mother at a very early age, Redoran was sent to learn and train with the King's Guards. He had many doting 'uncles' as he grew up: gruff men who prided in raising the kid. They taught him how to hunt and fight, how to find food in barren lands, how to hide in plain sight. They also taught him how to read and write. They taught him the Epic of Gilahad and instilled in him a sense of valour and honour. When the boy came of age, it was only natural that he be inducted into the King's Guards.

For ten years, Redoran fought with his brethren, bringing the various tribes of the lakes under the King's dominion. He earned fame as a fighter and was called Elimir ('the Fearless') by his people.

War descended upon their fair kingdom while Redoran was in the far west. His old but proud father had stood by the king's side till the very end. The news of the death of the king was a body blow to the King's Guards caught miles from their master. Every knight then took a vow to ride to his death with teeth bared, to avenge the death of their king. Seven of them rode from Angruthil to the eastern borders, chopping and hacking their way through the hordes of darkness. Songs would have been written of their passage had anyone beheld the riders as they charged with fury.

But what could seven men do against the entire might of Evil? One by one, they all perished until Redoran found himself alone, horseless and near-death. Mustering his remaining strength, he made it to Sol Linata - the lake that once glittered like diamonds but now lies like a cesspool. There, the knight collapsed and was later rescued by refugees from the Barren Lands. Having heard of the last charge of the king's guard, Prince Edgar found him as soon as he was recuperated and entrusted to him Meru'rithil - the Stone of Air. With the stone comes hope, and with hope comes strength. Redoran is now riding to the Kingdom of the Seven Lakes, or what was once a kingdom. Midst the ruins, the lone knight rides, carrying with him dreams of green pasture and sparkling lakes.

Personality: Honourable, Valiant, Grim, Brooding, Proud

Fighting skill: Master Swordsman; Deft rider; Good hand-to-hand combat skills. Redoran prefers to fight on horseback with his greatsword. After having practiced with the Stone of Air, Redoran can now perform the Wind Dance. It is a sword-fighting technique where every slash and move of the blade creates multiple invisible blades of wind slashing around the caster. He can also perform simple levitation on objects using the stone.

[Manticore]

Name: Shi'larra, the Vadbulaah sorceress

Age: true age unknown, but looks 30

Appearance:

Background : Shi'larra was born in the Travellers' settlement located at the heart of Myrruan forest in the center of the Obrethon lands. She was the middle of the five living children, and was chosen by the Tribe's elders to become the next to be trained in the generation of the Travellers' sorcerers known as the Vadbulaah. Her older sister Moriana, now known as the notorious Witch of the Eddor'had, who always thought of herself as the Chosen one, didn't take elders' decision very lightly. She demanded to be taken into the training aswell, but ended up being banished from the Tribe for disrespecting the commandments of the Old ways. Even then Shi'larra already knew that they'd made a terrible mistake sending Moriana away. She knew her sister would always get her way, no matter what it took. But she had no idea how bad it would all turn out.

10 years had passed until one day the people of Obrethon first heard of the witch Moriana, who was roaming the Lands causing trouble everywhere she went. By then she had already aquired quite a few followers, mostly thieves and other bandits, who fancied her for her wickedness and ability to make them unstoppable on their pillaging quests.

After the joined armies of 5 Kingdoms managed to exile Moriana to the island of Eddor'had, times for the witches became very hard. People didn't trust them anymore, and were set to kill any practioner of magic they come across to, forcing the witches to leave the Obrethon lands or stay very well hidden. Shi'larra decided to stay, leading a nomadic life all across the Obrethon lands. She laid low for many years, carefully gathering the knowledge of her sister's intentions. However, it took her years before she realized what Moriana has done with the King of the Barren lands. And a few more before she learnt how to get in the contact with the one person she believed could put an end to all this. It was a long shot, but luckily enough Prince Edgar believed her message conveyed in the dreams to be the truth. However, she knew that their troubles were nowhere near the end, so after a few more years of intense self-training she contacted the Prince Edgar again, this time in flesh, and convinced him that Moriana is raising an army of creatures no man had ever seen before, and that she must be stopped before it's too late.

Personality: She enjoys Prince's trust, but is well aware that not everybody feels comfortable with her joining the quest. She appears to be fearless, and quite witty at times, and she doesn't bother proving to the Knights that her intentions are all good. Overall, she is quite mysterious, and doesn't really talk about herself or the things she knows about this world, unless it's really necessary. But she can be very resourceful, and knows her way around the Lands pretty well, which makes her quite indispensable.

Fighting skills: Her magic is strong, and diverse, but it requires a lot of energy and concentration, so when it comes to a close combat she rather relies on her sword and throwing knives. More often she prefers to just disappear from sight, using a quick cloaking spell, that she had mastered to a perfection during the times she spent in hidding.

[Jinxer]

Name: Alexis Chandle
Age: 29
Kingdom: Kingdom of the Misty Rivers
Gemstone: None.
Appearance:

Image

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.

Background: 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.

Personality: 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.

Fighting skills: 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.

[RPforthatPR]

Name: Bron
Age: 41
Kingdom: Kingdom of the Vales
Gemstone: Fire
Appearance: Bron keeps his hair short, military cut, as well as a short beard. Both are black, but starting to fleck with grey. His eyes are the colour of ambers. In stature he is quite short, broad-shouldered and muscular. People often underestimate him because of his size, but he quickly shows them he's more than capable of holding his own against them.

He's quite conservative and usually wears a thin tunic with some chainmail underneath, preferring to avoid rich clothes or ornate armour. His hard and long past is marked on his face and body, with a scarred left side of the face and burnt shoulder.
Background: Bron was raised in the Barren Lands, born to a city guard and a flute-playing mother. He grew up in the slums of the city, where he learned what real life was really like. He liked to read, but books only described false ideas of heroes and dragons, not what really went on. He witnessed murders, conning, thievery. Using his sharp wit and skill in Hvar-täk, a local board game that rich men usually gambled on. He made a quick fortune, and then enlisted in the Guards when his father retired. As a twenty year old guardsman, he was still surprised to see the corruption in it, and left a few weeks later. He decided to head off to the capital and find work there, hoping to be a sellsword or some other dirty work for more money.

He had become disillusioned to concepts of honour or justice. Why should one's chance in this kingdom amount to who your parents had fucked to bring you into the world? He made it his goal to discredit the greedy merchants of the capital and ruin their businesses in which they paid workers the minimum wages to feed their own fat bellies. Here he also met King Armagen, who most seemed to consider mad for his war on two fronts. Mad King Armagen.

He witnessed the corruption first hand as he had become part of the Prince Edgar's personal guard. He fought in the war for a few years, following Edgar, and helped kill the King's guard when Edgar betrayed him. This was a chance to make the kingdom a better place. He was surprised when Edgar turned to him with an important mission. He explained about the sorceress and gems, and handed one to Bron. The gem was red, and seemed to contain fire under the right light. You could see the small flames twirling at the center... An object of beauty. An object of power.

Power was not something Bron wanted, as he had quickly learned in the wrong hands it's devastating. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But honesty and loyalty were important to him. He agreed to take it.

Though Edgar had offered him the post of King of the Vale, he had declined and instead reccomended a General he had fought with during the war, a man who shared similar ideas to him and seemed like a good leader. He became King, and named Bron captain of the King's guard. Bron happily accepted. He also started seeing a young girl in the Queen's Guard. A fiesty and strong-willed woman, a few years younger than his thirty. He quickly fell in love.

Then came the news. The Witch who had corrupted the King and ruined the five kingdoms was here to retrieve her stones. Bron had thought the world a peaceful place now, and had sealed his gem in his house. He quickly found it, and forged it into the hilt of his sword. He carried the sword everywhere he went, even sleeping with it. But such responsability is not cheaply bought. An unknown illness took his now-wife, Rose, who had quit the Queen's Guard. She died a few days after.

Bron is now on his way to the capital of the Barren Lands, to meet with Prince Edgar and find out how to protect the stones, and whatever evil may lie in them, and how to get rid of them. He is travelling from village to village posing as a hermit, to protect his identity and escape from whatever spies the Witch may have in place.
Personality: Strong, Witty, Loyal, Sensible, Modest
Fighting skills: He usually fights head on, not believing in class or style. He doesn't mind kicking his opponent's groin, throwing dirt in his eyes, anything goes. He prefers using a sword and shield, and his gem powers allow him to conjure fire (though he has learnt that this ruins his health, his hands have become withered and leathery from over-use and over-exposure of his power) and set his sword on fire. (He had it forged with Damascus steel, which is heat resistant enough for the blade not to weaken.) He can also apply heat to things with his hands, and his body temperature is constantly affected by the gem: instead of the normal temperature of 36°, his internal temperature is closer to 40°. Using the fire also uses oxygen from his bloodstream, weakening him and rendering him breathless. Separation from the gem he has become dependent on usually makes him feel sick, so he keeps it hidden but close. He can also control fire, turning it into different shapes, controlling it, changing it's colour, as if fire's will could be taken over by him. He hasn't discovered all he can do with the gem, but is quite satisfied with his heat powers.

[Brimmlocke]

((Lemme know what you think))

Name: Prince Edgar Leviticus Bartholomew

Age: 25

Kingdom: Kingdom of the Barren Lands

Gemstone: Sil'rithil (The Stone of Mind)

Appearance: Edgar appears younger than his age portrays him to be. At times he can be found sporting a short scruffy goatee with thinly trimmed side burns that resemble a chiseled dragons teeth, giving him an older, more mature persona. Though usually he likes it to grow it out during the winter to keep his face warm from the sheer cold fronts of his territory. He keeps his brown hair usually cut just short of his shoulders, as he doesn't like to have much for enemy troops to attempt to grab hold grab hold. He has a slightly slender but highly robustuous, extraordinarily close-knitted, visually cleaved muscular structure. His yellow-ish eyes seem to glow under a star speckled sky, often getting him compliments from women far and wide.

Armour

Partial Under ArmourFull Battle Armor

Background: Prince Edgar, son of the late King Armagen, grew up in a land that at the time, was portentously on the brink of total anarchy and even more eminently malnourished. People all around bargaining anything they could from their housing, cattle, clothing, personal valuables; even some men's wives and daughters for more intimate services; all nestled upon a seemingly never ending clearance sale of desperation. Day in and day out, these people would fall deeper into their circumferential despair, just to make sure they had enough worth to make it to another day. In his case however, life was much different on the inside.

He never knew who his mother was, as he was far too young, and his father always seemed far too busy with various tasks to tell him about her; being that he was one of the main councilmen. Since his memories of her were very faint, he hardly ever contemplated about her whereabouts, though his unshaven face is a constant reminder of her elegance. He despises looking in the mirror because of it. He watched as his fathers frustration began to turn to subtle pity as he sought out a remedy for the sick state his land had fallen victim to. He decided shortly there after that he must help restore order and prosperity to his lands. He began to train in many different styles of combat and very versatile with the various weaponry available alongside his father's militia. He took such an affinity to the trade that soon he had surpassed even the highest of dukes ability for the art. It was then did he truly feel worthy of his title as Prince Edgar Leviticus Bartholomew; the Great even!

There befell a day where he had awoken to his father's sudden absence with no prior warnings to his leaving. He had found a note on his bedside dresser sealed in red wax and stamped by his fathers imperial ring. It had stated that he had to attend to a meeting with the surrounding kingdoms pertaining to the utter disregard and the well being of their land, and that he would be gone for a few weeks to a months time. The matured prince was used to his father's work and thought nothing much of the matter. He carried out his daily tasks as usual and took the partial responsibilities in upholding the state of their Kingdom in his fathers stead. The weeks had rolled by and still no word of his father. Not so much as even a message by carrier nor bird. He began to worry slightly and had made clear arrangements to set out with a platoon in search of the King. A week had passed the given month his father had promised. He had lined up the squadron outside the city walls in preparation to set off to the west where he believed his father was. And then almost harmoniously, his fathers horse had appeared reaching out of the horizon, bringing with him a feeling of new found glory. The entire Kingdom seemed to come to life with joy and much aspiration that their Kingdom would be restored to it's original wondrous glory.

Edgar began to see his fathers happiness renewed. It was as if the problems that had long plagued them hadn't existed. The crops had all grown back ten fold with an immense triumph; rich in the nutrients and tastes that they had all provided. The cattle had all flourished lavishly; they too growing back in unbelievable numbers, seemingly beyond their maximum health potential. Industrial wealth and the well being of all the natives had all be replenished critically. It was as if the God's had blessed their land with outrageous increase all for the price of nothing, or so Edgar had initially speculated. Something was definitely amiss in the young prince's eyes. There was this lingering, ominous presence the was conflicting the reality of the everything the prince had witnessed occurring. He noticed upon his father's arrival from the unintended council meeting the King's crown had been bedazzled with the like of jewels he had never seen before but thought very little of it, rationalizing that they had been given to him as gifts from the rulers of the surrounding kingdoms. Little did he realize though; there was Far more to it than that.

Rumor spread expediently of the King's marvel throughout all the surrounding kingdoms, and just as fast so did fear and discrepancies. Edgar noticed his father becoming evermore greedy, evermore Benevolent. People had began to make foul the name of his father and there were no leads as to why. The prince felt as if the plague had returned with a vengeful aftertaste. Sunrises passed, and the condition of his father had not gotten any better. He would witness the King spouting belligerent , ill mannered curses at their people for no reasons at all, flaunting about how they were all worthless and obstacles to his rise of dominance. This went on for months in many different scenarios until the day came where he had to make the difficult decision to partake in an unavoidable war.

For years, the war had laid waste to countless of innocent and guilty alike. Unrelenting fires burning as far as the eye could see. The soil had been soaked in copious amounts of blood. So much so that it had began to take on a rusty color. Bodies lay lifelessly in unorthodox patters with every step. None the less, Edgar was determined that he would not be taken victim. One night under a dimly lit campfire, Edgar had a rather Vivid night terror. He had seen the true intentions of his father's sudden leave some years ago; making a deal with an evil Sorceress named Moriana; the Evil Witch of Eddor'had, and woke up in a terrifyingly cold sweat. By this time, the prince had deemed his own father to be a crowning threat to his, and the many well beings of the entirety of the continent. It was HIS fault and he must atone for the relentless consternation that had transpired.

Immediately, he set off to put a halt to his father's deeds. When finally found him he noticed the jewels glistening vibrantly upon the crown. He felt that unsettling presence that came back with his father that day, though it seemed it had increased far beyond what he had originally felt. With no warning, he charged his father with the overwhelming intention to eliminate him. The battle went on for hours, and finally an advantaged had occurred that would give him the upper hand; and he took it. King Armagen had finally fallen, and with him the crown from his head. In his final minutes of life, he had returned mostly to the person he used to be so long ago. Fatigued, and disgruntled, Edgar seized the crown, and fled the scene.

Once again during the late evening hour, he had been contacted again in his dreams; only this time he had been aware of who it was and what they had wanted. Legend had been foretold about witches in their lands, but ever since the abolishing of witchcraft, few were ever really seen or heard of again to his knowledge, at least until now. The Sorceress sending him these messages went by the name of Shi'larra. He instantly had no doubt in his mind that this was the help he had long searched for, and put complete faith into their mutual proposal. He knew that the crown's jewels would draw much unwanted attention to him; and was also aware the whatever the presence was that had followed him these last few years would be close by; plotting against his will. He decided it was best to intrust four of the jewels to worthy soldiers he had fought alongside during the war and to keep the most menacing one, to him, for himself; at least long enough to have them utterly destroyed once and for all!

Personality: The prince has a very open personality. There is no one thing that can justify who he is. Usually he is charming, witty, optimistic, loyal, sarcastic, while also having striking leadership abilities, stern, forward thinking, bold initiative, independent, all with a high sense of integrity. They are not many who would dare think to get on his bad side. He has been know to become quite unpredictable under such circumstances.

Fighting skills: He has mastered a number of many fighting styles over the years spent training with his militia. From extreme close hand to hand combat, to various kicking and grappling styles. He has mustered the discipline to combine them all into one overall fighting style. He is also highly versatile in man weapons. His main weapons include the Gatling Bow, which he uses usually for long ranged strikes, a pair of custom made Cutlass Swords. He has also been know to use glaives, greatswords, flails, and countless others.
The Mind stone had a compendium of abilities all on its own including; Cosmic Awareness. Dream Manipulation, Divided Mind, Emotion Manipulation, Empathy, Hive Mind, Illusion Manipulation, Mental Manipulation, Memory Absorption, Memory Manipulation, Mind Control, Mind Exchange, Neurocognitive Deficit, Pain Inducement, Precognition, Psionic Equilibrium Distortion, Psionic Inundation, Psionic Shield, Psychic Constructs, Psychic Navigation, Psychic Shadow, Psychometry, Pushing, Telekinesis, Telepathic Communication, Telepathic Perception, Telepathic Reception, Telepathy, and far too many more. (I'll list later) Over use of the mind stone usually leads to intense brain aneurisms, seizures, dementia, short term Alzheimer's, dizziness, loss of all senses. Cases have know to get far worse in users who have no natural affinity for the gem.

[Liar]

Name: Ciaran Caelum
Age: 21
Kingdom: The Dragon Mountains
Gemstone: Mag’rithil, the Stone of Earth

Appearance:
Of all of Prince Edgard’s knights, there is none as fair as Ciaran. Her hair is described by bards to have the coloring of a succulent, ripe apple, worn by the lady-knight long and loose beyond her waist as a testament of her confidence in her skills. Songs are sung by how tall and slender she is, standing on equal ground with the others of the brave prince’s entourage. As pale as lovely moonlight with the smoothest of complexions, peasants and nobles alike vie for the hand of the virgin queen of the Dragon Mountains. Though those descriptions hold truth, reality is also much more different. There is no kindness in the lady’s eyes. Sharp and calculating, her golden eyes glimmer with cunning and ambition like the dragons of legend. Her lips, described by minstrels to be luscious but full of innocence, are almost always twisted into smirk or a false smile.

Background:
There had once been a little girl who caught the attention of a king.

In an alley where street urchins lied were the breathing corpses of orphans. Dirty, starving, and without hope, their eyes stared at nothing, dead to the world, and each waited for the mercy oblivion would grant them. All of them wanted to die, all of them… except one. When the king appeared at the mouth of the alley, a little girl noticed only the fine linen of his clothes and the jingling of a heavy coin purse. She rose from among the dead, a knife in one hand, and threatened the king.

“A coin for bread for your life, your grace,” she spoke softly, but her eyes blazed with the intense ferocity of a million suns. Unlike those around her, she was no cadaver.

The king, despite the danger, laughed. “That is too cheap a price for a king.”

For his life, the king adopted the little girl, bringing her back to his castle. Thus the story of how Ciaran was brought into the royal household by King Armagen.

Under the patronage of the king, Ciaran flourished and thrived. She learned the comforts she never knew one could have, she learned how to administer the state, she learned how to fight and kill, but, most important of all, she learned ambition. Ciaran knew she could never become queen, and she resented Edgar for it. Edgar, the perfect prince. Edgar, the promised king. Edgar the Great.

Ciaran wanted more, but knew she could not have it.

She saw the opportunity to become more than she could be once madness was set upon the man that adopted her. With no regrets and hesitation, Ciaran was more than happy to join Edgar in war. She served the prince well, acting as both a strategist for his battles and a politician for when battles were fought with words. Perhaps some of her methods had been unsavory, but Ciaran followed a principle of pragmatism than one of honor.

Eventually, for all of her trouble, she was rewarded with the Earth Gem and the task of bringing order to the Dragon Mountains. With her newfound abilities and her famed skills, she brought the various warring tribes of the Dragon Mountains under her heel. There she founded her own house, Caelum, and crowned herself as the region’s Pendragon, a rank equivalent to that of a king.

Ciaran was content to spend the rest of her days building up her new kingdom into one of the most powerful force on the continent, but when she received word from Prince Edgar of a looming threat that needed to be dealt with, Ciaran reluctantly left the Dragon Mountains.

Personality:
She holds herself to a strict standard, following a set of pragmatic principles that she rarely shares with others. Ciaran keeps a sharp mind that she uses alongside a silver tongue. Everything she does is with a purpose, and very rarely does she allow herself to act frivolously. Perhaps the only one that could truly say to know her and her intentions are Edgar who remains the only person she has shown some modicum of affection for. Ciaran has little regard for the other knights, acknowledging only their skills and how they could be of use to her. However, despite her seemingly arrogant nature, she does truly care for the well-being of her people and her background has made her partial to ensuring that nothing like starvation and poverty would plague her demesne.

Fighting Skills:
Ciaran is a master warrior whose main armament is a spear. She is a great rider on account of her education and is proficient with a sword if she must. She has even begun developing her own new unique style of combat that utilizes hand-to-hand techniques working in tandem with her earth gem powers. However, for all of her abilities, her greatest strength lies in strategy and tactics.

Earth Gem Powers
Stone Summoning and Control
Metal Summoning and Control
Earth Sense