Luminosity

Into the Shadow

Iseldis laughed nervously, trying to keep the volume of it down. "That makes one of us, I guess." Still, they weren't finished yet, and had even won a small victory here. She took a moment to extend the staff to its full length, letting the white light within it bathe the room. Its weight was familiar and comfortable in her hands, enough to give her a little more courage. The staff folded back down, and she returned it to her belt, taking a deep breath.

"This way." She pushed open the door leading them upstairs, watching the way up carefully while still moving with a balance of speed and caution. She had to hope that this would lead somewhere useful. Ever the optimist. The torchlight on each of the stair landings provided little visibility, but not once did she lose her balance.

"Don't know how they stand it down here," she murmured. "Feels like the walls are suffocating me." Every room they'd been in was so small, cramped, but she supposed that was only natural in an underground network like this.

When the stairs could take them no higher, Iseldis carefully opened the door before her. Her breath left her when she did. They discovered a laboratory of some sort, though it looked to double as a surgeon's room. Slabs of rock were used as tables here and there, and the room was a nightmare of organization, crates and barrels everywhere, magical oddities and ingredients or tools here and there. There was a foul aura in the air of some kind, and only a few breaths of it left Iseldis feeling sick to her stomach.

But in the center of the room was a long table to which a human man was strapped down, his ankles and wrists restrained by glowing purple magical tethers that crackled softly. The dull magical light floating above him near the ceiling was clearly focused on him. He was at least a decade older than either Iseldis or Roland, left shirtless on the table, most of his clothes and gear dumped on the floor nearby. He was a soldier, clearly, perhaps captured on a patrol. And he still lived.

"Goddess," Iseldis breathed, picking up the pace and rushing to the side of the table. He'd been experimented on, it seemed, with strange burns and marks branded onto his chest and abdomen. Iseldis recognized none of it. He was pale and weak, likely having gone without food or water for some time, but soon enough he woke from his dazed slumber, his eyes recognizing that the two near him were not his captors.

"By the..." his voice was hoarse and weak, and he soon cleared it. "How are you here? What's happening?"

"We escaped," Iseldis explained quickly. "An elf witch captured us, but we freed ourselves. Do you know if there's a way out?"

He blinked, struggling to understand. "Y-yes, it's not far, at least I think. Through the door behind me, it should be a straight shot, but there are draugr."

"Draugr we can handle," she answered, confidently for once. "We'll get you free, and clear the way for you." She called magic to her fingers, summoning a small and thin knife, which she lowered to slice through his bonds. He uttered a warning, but she failed to heed it before her blade touched the magic chains.

A loud spark of magic angrily attacked her weapon, dissolving it into dust and sending a painful jolt up her arms. She shook it out, looking to the prisoner for some explanation, some way to help him.

"No!" he managed, grimacing. "She'll have felt that, the witch. She will come here at any moment, she'll kill you both. You have to run, now! It's too late for me."

No, no, no. Iseldis cursed herself for acting too quickly. But she couldn't panic now, couldn't make the same mistake twice. Some part of her wanted another chance to fight the witch, despite the resounding failures of her last few attempts, but at the same time, the wiser thing might be to live to fight another day, and give herself a better chance in the future. That would mean leaving this man to his fate, however.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Gareth," he answered. "You should be running, there are worse things than the witch even, you cannot stay here, you-"

She heard it then, footsteps approaching up the stairs they'd just come from. They had to make a decision. Iseldis looked to Roland, uncertain.

"If this is a fight we can win, we need to stay, right?" Gareth was already telling them how it couldn't be done, not in their state, but Iseldis hadn't asked him. Roland's was the only opinion that mattered to her in that moment.
@POOHEAD189

Dungeon Clearer! The Wonderful World of an Adventurer Reboot

Looks like there's a lot of interest, I'll add mine as well. Need to do some reading and think up a character I'd wanna play.

Into the Shadow

Iseldis let her weight sag against the nearest wall once it was clear they were out of danger for the moment. Just a few precious seconds of rest. She pushed back a few strands of hair matted to her face, her braid steadily coming undone, and she'd had no time to tend to it. Even with the piercing chill in the air her skin was damp with sweat.

"That hole didn't lead where I hoped it would," she explained, catching her breath. "Too many draugr. Managed to get away and block them, but a few got their claws on me. I'm okay, though." Roland looked to be fighting through a similar level of injuries. Her bleeding seemed to have stopped, so she reserved further use of her magic. It seemed likely she'd need it.

"We need to keep moving," she said, urging herself as much as Roland. "I was spotted on my way back to you, by another dark elf. Don't think it'll be long before something worse than draugr comes for us." She dreaded the thought of battling that dark elf witch again, but she couldn't imagine that other elf had run to retrieve anyone else. Just had to hold on to hope that they could avoid her.

Iseldis led the way back where she'd come from, to the alchemist's workshop, where the incessant banging on the nearby door from the draugr had actually subsided. Perhaps they'd grown dormant again now that they had no target in sight. The walls were lined with potions, neatly stored and organized and labeled, only they were in a script Iseldis had no knowledge of.

"I can't read any of it." She peered at the liquids of a few, trying to identify them, but she'd only been given a basic education of herbs and alchemy, not enough to identify complex potions on sight alone. The right potion could make all the difference to them at the moment, but without knowing what they were drinking...

There were also several other doors they could choose. To the left, down a straight hallway, was the way the younger elf had disappeared. Not an option, as far as Iseldis was concerned. Straight ahead, and down a few steps, looked to be an armory or storage room of some kind. To the right were stairs that led upwards. Certainly the most promising sight.

Iseldis peered through the barred window of the door ahead of her, and something caught her eye. "My staff!" she whispered urgently. "They tossed our gear in here." She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it. Do you think you can force it open?" It wouldn't be quiet, but having their gear and supplies back would be most welcome.
@POOHEAD189

Into the Shadow

Iseldis winced as she forced her way back to her feet. She looked down, her floating light spell illuminating the hand she kept pressed against her stomach. It was spattered with her blood, but the light of her healing magic wasn't yet wavering. She could keep going.

A sudden shifting of wooden chair legs against the hard ground drew her eyes up, and she drew in a startled breath. She wasn't alone. A dark elf had just risen from his chair on the other side of the room, which looked to be a laboratory of some kind, an alchemist's workshop if she had to guess. He looked younger than the witch, though of course the age of an elf was hard to guess. Perhaps it seemed that way because he looked about as frightened of Iseldis as she was of him. He had no visible alterations to his body from magic, he simply looked like a dark elf. She wasn't sure what to say. It was an elf responsible for all her misery on this adventure, but he was not that elf.

She didn't get the chance to say anything, as he soon bolted from the room, bashing aside a wooden door on his way out. She wasn't going to catch him in her state, and she needed to go a different way besides. Back to Roland. Still, if he was on his way to warn someone more dangerous... Goddess, they had to hurry.

A bang on the barred door behind her urged Iseldis forward. Her makeshift barrier would hold, at least for the time being. She turned left around a corner and warily made her way back towards where she hoped Roland was still alive. Mercifully, the rooms she passed through were largely empty, simple corridors on the way to these crypts of draugr. When she saw the barred door, she sped up to a jog. It was too quiet on the other side. Iseldis feared the worst, but used it as all the more reason to hurry.

She lifted the wooden bar from the door, allowing her hovering magic light to brighten somewhat. "Roland!" she called, not quite yelling. She stood ready to bar the door behind them, and buy whatever time it would give them.
@POOHEAD189

Into the Shadow

Iseldis wasted no time slipping through the crack once they'd agreed on the plan, going head-first with her back to the ground. She reached down to touch the cold earth with a bare hand as soon as she could, to make sure there actually was a floor and that she wouldn't simply fall to her death. Then came the legs, which Roland helped push through, at which point she dropped ungracefully to the floor.

Quickly she scrambled to her feet and lit a small magical light in her palm so she could see what she'd fallen into. She gasped in surprise, instinctively retreating a step to put her back to the wall. "Oh no," she breathed to herself. Not only did she not have immediate access to the barred door, she found herself in a long, narrow hall, with no end in sight, and on either side of her were cramped stone bunks of sorts, every one filled with a sleeping draugr. She'd put herself right into their barracks.

And with the sounds of fighting, they were beginning to wake. Iseldis had to think fast. Her first thought was to retreat back through the hole, to rejoin Roland, but then they'd be trapped there, and she doubted she could even squeeze through before they were on her. The other option was to press forward, with no guarantee she'd be able to find her way back to Roland. That thought terrified her more, but she knew it was what she had to do. She had to push down her fear, and open the way for him.

She moved forward at a steady but swift pace, the chill in the air creeping into her bones. Goddess, it was cold here. Her light illuminated only a short distance in front of her, giving her the sense that she wasn't moving at all, as she found only more draugr. Some reached for her as she passed, dead fingertips grasping at her robes or the silver ribbons trailing from them. Behind her she knew they were rising, and would soon be in pursuit.

One was able to snatch her wrist, and she yelped, her steady breathing suddenly becoming panicked as she tried to pry its grip off. Quickly she resorted to magic, conjuring a thin blade to slice the hand clean off, at which point the hand fell from her. Iseldis turned and ran, unable to stop herself any longer. The light failed to illuminate far enough ahead, though, and Iseldis ended up running straight into a draugr's outstretched arms before she could react.

Its hands closed around her throat and cut off her breath, stopping her cold. She grabbed at its forearms, unable to free herself, and a moment later it drove her backwards and turned her into the wall, her back colliding with a bunk. Terror overwhelmed her as others closed in, all empty handed but still dangerous. She couldn't see them, her eyes locked on the one snarling before her, but she felt their hands. Her arms were pulled away and trapped out at her sides. Two crawled from the bunks behind her, one grabbing her by the belt and holding her back, the other wrapping hands around her midsection and clawing at her belly.

The claws were sharp enough to pierce and draw blood. Still unable to breathe, Iseldis felt herself slipping. Her light faded until she saw only darkness and the faint blue hue of the draugr's eyes. They were everywhere now, clinging to her legs and pulling at her hair. The thought raced through her mind: this is how you'll die, torn apart by draugr in the black depths of the earth.

She refused. She had the power to survive this, she just had to will it to the surface. It erupted in the form of blinding light magic exploding from all sides of her body. Those draugr close enough to touch her were disintegrated into dust, the rest thrown backwards. Iseldis gasepd in one breath, then another, the sounds in her ears muffled and distorted. Her balance failed her when she tried to stand, and she was met with a sharp pain in her abdomen where the draugr had wounded her. She pressed a hand to it, urging more magic to her palm to slow the bleeding. With her other hand she steadied herself, and kept going forward.

The draugr were still recovering, giving her time to get by the worst of it. A few weakly grasped at her boots from the ground, but she shook them off and kept going until she finally found a door. Iseldis rammed it open with her shoulder, stumbling into the next room and closing it behind her. A heavy wooden cabinet filled with some kind of alchemical instruments was next to it. She got to the far side, and with all her strength, was able to tip it over to block the door and prevent the draugr from escaping.

Iseldis fell to her knees after taking one more step, once more fighting against exhaustion. Her newest wound was going to take some time for her drained magic to heal, but the bleeding wasn't severe. It was just another step towards escape. She had to get up, she had to keep going.

She had to find her way back to Roland.
@POOHEAD189

Into the Shadow

Iseldis had tried to find some way to intervene when the draugr attacked Roland, but anything she could've done to help would've been far too bright and loud, and would've done far more harm than good in the long run. He stilled it quickly enough that when Iseldis checked behind them, none of the other draugr they'd passed were stirring.

She let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, and it became a cloud before her. She shivered as the cold crept into her, and it made the effort of moving quietly all the more difficult. Her robe had some warmth to it, but it wasn't exactly a winter garment. They needed to get out of this place.

Finally they reached the door at the far end of the room, and Iseldis tried to push it open to no avail. At first she thought it was just heavy or perhaps jammed, but it soon became apparent that it was barred from the other side. A quiet, exasperated breath escaped her, and she stepped back to look for other options. The wall on the right side of the door was in a slight state of disrepair, with some small holes crumbled away, but—

A growling, guttural breath from behind her startled Iseldis, and she turned to see multiple draugr beginning to stir. Two somewhat close, and a third near the edge of what they could see before the room turned to total darkness. They'd never be able to silence them all without awakening others. "Damn it," she breathed, pointlessly trying the door again. They had to do something quickly, or they'd very likely be overwhelmed in here.

"I think I can squeeze through there to the other side," she whispered urgently, not sure if the draugr had noticed them yet. She pointed to the hole in the wall. Roland wouldn't be able to fit, but Iseldis was thin enough to make it on her own. "Can you hold them? I'll try to get the door unbarred."

Pure blackness was the only thing she could make out awaiting her on the other side, and while Iseldis didn't like the thought of separating, she didn't like their chances of survival if they stayed here and tried to fight.
@POOHEAD189

Into the Shadow

One challenge down, goddess only knew how many more to go. Iseldis took Roland's hand and lifted herself to her feet, before she brushed off her robes. Rather pointlessly, too; she was a mess and it was not going to be a simple matter to fix that.

"The bodies," she pointed out, seizing the draugr she'd felled and dragging it back through the door into the cell they'd just escaped. While Roland did the same for his, she looked over the corpse-warrior for anything useful. Its sword was too heavy and unwieldy for her to make use of, but she at least salvaged a knife, something to defend herself with without expending valuable magical energy that she had precious little of to spare.

"Let's try this way," she suggested, taking the path to the right from the cell. She had no reason to suspect it was the way out, and she had no knowledge of any of this place in general, but it was really going to be a matter of keeping moving, learning what they could, and hopefully staying alive long enough to escape.

It looked to be a prison hall of sorts, as theirs turned out not to be the only cell, but they were fortunate enough not to run into any more draugr. Iseldis checked inside a few of the other cells, but found them all empty. It seemed they'd have to keep going alone.

At the end of the hall was a doorway on their left, the only way out on this end, and Iseldis thought she heard soft, rattling breathing from within. Pressing her back to the wall, she inched forward and peeked into the room, finding that it looked to be a barracks of sorts, only full of open coffins. At least six that she could see were filled with draugr that looked to be in some sort of hibernation. Their variety of ancient weapons were lined against the far wall.

She stepped back, and allowed Roland to take a look. "We might be able to sneak through," she whispered. "No telling what's on the other side. It's that or turn back and try the other way." Somehow she felt they'd find something just as uninviting if they did that.
@POOHEAD189

The Fall of Faith: A Journey Home

Laraleia

Name: Laraleia Kealana
Gender: Female
Age: 26

Origins: Laraleia came of age in a coastal town in the east called Anqua, a place with warm, tropical, and often idyllic weather, but a sparsity of natural resources, one that prevented the town from ever growing too large. Anqua is among the smaller Saldonian nations, one that has been fortunate enough to remain mostly untouched by the war, though their people have long since traveled away from home to help where they are needed in the conflict. This has always been Laraleia's fate, one that she has embraced.

The people of Anqua specialize in seafaring, travel, and trade, and the town's most notable industry is in textiles and dye, particularly a lavender-purple color that is difficult to find anywhere else on the continent. They are not a traditionally warlike people, though the years of conflict around them have made it prudent to train the youth for the future, and indeed many join up with the Saldonian military to help defend the continent from the invaders.

Mages from the coast typically specialize in various forms of water-based magic, useful in sea professions and in all aspects of life, but many mages of Anqua choose to leave the town behind and seek out more populous areas, where teachers of the craft are easier to find, and their skills can be put to greater use. In all, Anqua is a quiet and peaceful place, not well suited to those with adventurous hearts.

Magic: Water and Ice Magic

Laraleia has some talent with water magic, but she's still a fledgling mage and has never really had a proper teacher to help her hone her abilities. That said, she has learned a number of useful techniques. Her water has minor curative and cleansing properties, and is excellent for cleaning wounds and accelerating the mending process. She can't heal herself or others instantly, but she can protect against infection, and with her knowledge of traditional healing means, she can effectively treat injuries. She can conjure limited amounts of clean drinking water, or purify natural sources of water that she finds to make them safe for consumption.

One side benefit of her magical abilities is that Laraleia is resistant to temperatures extremes both hot and cold, comfortable in most environments without the need to find specialized clothing.

In combat she can freeze her own water spells for more effective self-defense. Her most basic spell is an inaccurate, close-range spray of frost that will slow enemies, or even freeze them in place if she expends a great amount of energy. She can create a lance of ice similar to a spear which she can hurl at enemies, though this ability is inefficient on its own. While effective against soft targets, the lance takes a significant toll on Laraleia's stamina, and will break against heavily armored targets. It's much more effective in tandem with other magic however, and can easily pierce or shatter armor that is heated or weakened by another mage.

Overall Laraleia is still a novice mage that needs more training and experience to be effective in battle, and her reserves of magic are as of yet too small to be able to sustain casting through a prolonged fight. She needs to choose her opportunities carefully and make the most of them if she hopes to survive in combat. Until then she's best used in support of others.

Appearance: Laraleia stands at 5'6", with a svelte figure and long, vibrant red hair falling in waves to the middle of her back. Her eyes are a bright, clear blue, her skin pale and altogether unblemished saved for the violet marks upon her forehead and brow, the symbols of Kealana family of Anqua. Though her family is not particularly well known beyond her hometown, the marks identify her as highborn, and she carries herself as such, with pride and grace and excellent posture.

Her short, pointed ears identify her for her race, and at twenty-six her face still has an extremely youthful appearance to it. While she is in good physical condition for travel and the like, Laraleia lacks the strength and toughness of a warrior's build. It's something she was working to achieve before the defeat at Knife's Edge, but she's still far from it.

Personality: Laraleia's a genuine spirit, energetic and fierce, with a perpetually optimistic nature. That doesn't mean she's bubbly or eternally happy-go-lucky, but rather that she refuses to ever stop moving forward. She has as many doubts and fears and misgivings as anyone, but she doesn't allow them to slow her down or stop her from doing what she feels is right, both for herself and for others. Laraleia's courage has the potential to get her into trouble, especially in the war torn lands she finds herself in, but as of yet it hasn't killed her.

Around others she tries to be kind, generous, and empathetic, something that has won her friends and allies over the course of her young life so far. She also tends to be overly trusting and take people at their word, a side effect of her optimism and wanting to see the best in people. Laraleia's averse to conflict and prefers to work things out verbally, acting as a peacemaker whenever she can. She's particular about her appearance, but knows when to prioritize more important things, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, or the rest of her for that matter.

She does have a slight rebellious streak, and will be willing to bend or break rules or orders if she feels it will be beneficial to someone in need that she cares about. The horrors of the defeat at the fortress hit her as hard as anyone, but she hasn't let it change her in the days that followed. Laraleia keeps her head held high, determined to do what she can to make it right.

(In response to rule 4, Laraleia keeps a pretty level head, and doesn't make a habit of responding to taunts or threats. It's difficult to get under her skin.)

History: The ninth of ten children born to the ruling Kealana family of the coastal town of Anqua, Laraleia is technically royalty, but her position in the line of succession and what she currently stands to inherit is so minor it renders her standing not much better than the average noble. Still, that's a lot better off than most grow up with, a fact Laraleia has always been keenly aware of. Her seven brothers and two sisters were quite spread out in ages, and Laraleia doesn't know some of the older few all that well, considering they'd already moved on from the town while she was still a child. She preferred to spend her days out and about in Anqua, anyway.

Her magic became apparent at a young age, a watery gift, but Anqua lacked any real master to teach her. She learned what she could where she could and was a diligent student, becoming proficient but never prodigious at her new craft. Anqua was far from the fighting engulfing many Saldonian nations, and it was a peaceful town altogether. It was only a matter of time before Laraleia began to yearn for more.

With no real responsibilities and a desire for adventure, it was inevitable that Laraleia ending up joining her people's modest armed forces, and after completing a basic training regimen, she left Anqua behind for the wider world as second in command of a small squad, due to join up with larger forces elsewhere. Her position was largely gained due to her high birth, but Laraleia quickly earned the respect of her comrades through hard work. Her goals were twofold: to help her people fight back the invading Empire however she could, and to find a master capable of helping her reach her full magical potential. So far, she has achieved neither.

Laraleia found herself posted at the Knife's Edge fortress for only a limited period of time before it fell. While there, she spent most of her time on duty in medical tents, trying to save the lives of wounded soldiers with her magic. It proved to be an eye-opening experience for the young woman, who had never really understood what the war was like until she experienced it first hand.

She nearly lost her life a few times during the fortress's fall, but all of her fellow soldiers from Anqua were not so lucky. In the chaos, Laraleia found herself caught up in the escape with a new commander and several other survivors. Shaken but not broken by her terrifying new reality, Laraleia's determined to fight on, and make the sacrifices of her friends mean something in the end.

Equipment:

-Sword:
Laraleia wears a slender, elegant, curved sword at her left hip, a gift from her mother, the blade as of yet unnamed. She has basic training and some skill in its use, fighting with one or both hands upon the hilt, in combination with her magic or without it. She can fight with some grace and effectiveness in single combat against a common enemy, but her experience in real battle is extremely limited. Lara is not a strong melee fighter as of yet, and would be heavily outmatched if left alone against multiple enemies, or a single elite. Her best hope would be to use the sword defensively, and try to survive long enough for help to arrive.

-Dagger:
A standard-issue sidearm knife sits in a small leather sheath strapped to Laraleia's right thigh. The blade is straight, double-edged, and sturdy, but it's something she'll only turn to in truly desperate situations, when all other options have been exhausted.

-Attire:
Laraleia's clothes consist of the royal military attire of the Kealana family, a variation of the standard uniform of Anqua. Her jacket and leggings are well-fitted, white trimmed in a pale green, with a flowing, velvety half cape of a soft lavender color. She wears a sash of the same color tied around her waist, beneath her sword belt. Her boots are tall and durable leather, good for traveling. As a whole the outfit is comfortable and easy to move in, but offers her no protection in battle. Currently her clothes are partially covered by mud and dirt, and while Laraleia could clean them with magic, she simply hasn't had the time or reason to do so.

-Pendant:
She wears a thin pendant necklace with a small, inlaid amethyst. It's kept concealed almost at all times beneath her uniform.

-Pack:
Her small pack is unfortunately light of late, carrying only a few changes of light clothes to wear underneath her uniform, an always-full canteen, and some dwindling food rations.

The Fall of Faith: A Journey Home

I did the thing! Here's my water/ice mage, Laraleia. Let me know if anything needs changing.

Laraleia

Name: Laraleia Kealana
Gender: Female
Age: 26

Origins: Laraleia came of age in a coastal town in the east called Anqua, a place with warm, tropical, and often idyllic weather, but a sparsity of natural resources, one that prevented the town from ever growing too large. Anqua is among the smaller Saldonian nations, one that has been fortunate enough to remain mostly untouched by the war, though their people have long since traveled away from home to help where they are needed in the conflict. This has always been Laraleia's fate, one that she has embraced.

The people of Anqua specialize in seafaring, travel, and trade, and the town's most notable industry is in textiles and dye, particularly a lavender-purple color that is difficult to find anywhere else on the continent. They are not a traditionally warlike people, though the years of conflict around them have made it prudent to train the youth for the future, and indeed many join up with the Saldonian military to help defend the continent from the invaders.

Mages from the coast typically specialize in various forms of water-based magic, useful in sea professions and in all aspects of life, but many mages of Anqua choose to leave the town behind and seek out more populous areas, where teachers of the craft are easier to find, and their skills can be put to greater use. In all, Anqua is a quiet and peaceful place, not well suited to those with adventurous hearts.

Magic: Water and Ice Magic

Laraleia has some talent with water magic, but she's still a fledgling mage and has never really had a proper teacher to help her hone her abilities. That said, she has learned a number of useful techniques. Her water has minor curative and cleansing properties, and is excellent for cleaning wounds and accelerating the mending process. She can't heal herself or others instantly, but she can protect against infection, and with her knowledge of traditional healing means, she can effectively treat injuries. She can conjure limited amounts of clean drinking water, or purify natural sources of water that she finds to make them safe for consumption.

One side benefit of her magical abilities is that Laraleia is resistant to temperatures extremes both hot and cold, comfortable in most environments without the need to find specialized clothing.

In combat she can freeze her own water spells for more effective self-defense. Her most basic spell is an inaccurate, close-range spray of frost that will slow enemies, or even freeze them in place if she expends a great amount of energy. She can create a lance of ice similar to a spear which she can hurl at enemies, though this ability is inefficient on its own. While effective against soft targets, the lance takes a significant toll on Laraleia's stamina, and will break against heavily armored targets. It's much more effective in tandem with other magic however, and can easily pierce or shatter armor that is heated or weakened by another mage.

Overall Laraleia is still a novice mage that needs more training and experience to be effective in battle, and her reserves of magic are as of yet too small to be able to sustain casting through a prolonged fight. She needs to choose her opportunities carefully and make the most of them if she hopes to survive in combat. Until then she's best used in support of others.

Appearance: Laraleia stands at 5'6", with a svelte figure and long, vibrant red hair falling in waves to the middle of her back. Her eyes are a bright, clear blue, her skin pale and altogether unblemished saved for the violet marks upon her forehead and brow, the symbols of Kealana family of Anqua. Though her family is not particularly well known beyond her hometown, the marks identify her as highborn, and she carries herself as such, with pride and grace and excellent posture.

Her short, pointed ears identify her for her race, and at twenty-six her face still has an extremely youthful appearance to it. While she is in good physical condition for travel and the like, Laraleia lacks the strength and toughness of a warrior's build. It's something she was working to achieve before the defeat at Knife's Edge, but she's still far from it.

Personality: Laraleia's a genuine spirit, energetic and fierce, with a perpetually optimistic nature. That doesn't mean she's bubbly or eternally happy-go-lucky, but rather that she refuses to ever stop moving forward. She has as many doubts and fears and misgivings as anyone, but she doesn't allow them to slow her down or stop her from doing what she feels is right, both for herself and for others. Laraleia's courage has the potential to get her into trouble, especially in the war torn lands she finds herself in, but as of yet it hasn't killed her.

Around others she tries to be kind, generous, and empathetic, something that has won her friends and allies over the course of her young life so far. She also tends to be overly trusting and take people at their word, a side effect of her optimism and wanting to see the best in people. Laraleia's averse to conflict and prefers to work things out verbally, acting as a peacemaker whenever she can. She's particular about her appearance, but knows when to prioritize more important things, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, or the rest of her for that matter.

She does have a slight rebellious streak, and will be willing to bend or break rules or orders if she feels it will be beneficial to someone in need that she cares about. The horrors of the defeat at the fortress hit her as hard as anyone, but she hasn't let it change her in the days that followed. Laraleia keeps her head held high, determined to do what she can to make it right.

(In response to rule 4, Laraleia keeps a pretty level head, and doesn't make a habit of responding to taunts or threats. It's difficult to get under her skin.)

History: The ninth of ten children born to the ruling Kealana family of the coastal town of Anqua, Laraleia is technically royalty, but her position in the line of succession and what she currently stands to inherit is so minor it renders her standing not much better than the average noble. Still, that's a lot better off than most grow up with, a fact Laraleia has always been keenly aware of. Her seven brothers and two sisters were quite spread out in ages, and Laraleia doesn't know some of the older few all that well, considering they'd already moved on from the town while she was still a child. She preferred to spend her days out and about in Anqua, anyway.

Her magic became apparent at a young age, a watery gift, but Anqua lacked any real master to teach her. She learned what she could where she could and was a diligent student, becoming proficient but never prodigious at her new craft. Anqua was far from the fighting engulfing many Saldonian nations, and it was a peaceful town altogether. It was only a matter of time before Laraleia began to yearn for more.

With no real responsibilities and a desire for adventure, it was inevitable that Laraleia ending up joining her people's modest armed forces, and after completing a basic training regimen, she left Anqua behind for the wider world as second in command of a small squad, due to join up with larger forces elsewhere. Her position was largely gained due to her high birth, but Laraleia quickly earned the respect of her comrades through hard work. Her goals were twofold: to help her people fight back the invading Empire however she could, and to find a master capable of helping her reach her full magical potential. So far, she has achieved neither.

Laraleia found herself posted at the Knife's Edge fortress for only a limited period of time before it fell. While there, she spent most of her time on duty in medical tents, trying to save the lives of wounded soldiers with her magic. It proved to be an eye-opening experience for the young woman, who had never really understood what the war was like until she experienced it first hand.

She nearly lost her life a few times during the fortress's fall, but all of her fellow soldiers from Anqua were not so lucky. In the chaos, Laraleia found herself caught up in the escape with a new commander and several other survivors. Shaken but not broken by her terrifying new reality, Laraleia's determined to fight on, and make the sacrifices of her friends mean something in the end.

Equipment:

-Sword:
Laraleia wears a slender, elegant, curved sword at her left hip, a gift from her mother, the blade as of yet unnamed. She has basic training and some skill in its use, fighting with one or both hands upon the hilt, in combination with her magic or without it. She can fight with some grace and effectiveness in single combat against a common enemy, but her experience in real battle is extremely limited. Lara is not a strong melee fighter as of yet, and would be heavily outmatched if left alone against multiple enemies, or a single elite. Her best hope would be to use the sword defensively, and try to survive long enough for help to arrive.

-Dagger:
A standard-issue sidearm knife sits in a small leather sheath strapped to Laraleia's right thigh. The blade is straight, double-edged, and sturdy, but it's something she'll only turn to in truly desperate situations, when all other options have been exhausted.

-Attire:
Laraleia's clothes consist of the royal military attire of the Kealana family, a variation of the standard uniform of Anqua. Her jacket and leggings are well-fitted, white trimmed in a pale green, with a flowing, velvety half cape of a soft lavender color. She wears a sash of the same color tied around her waist, beneath her sword belt. Her boots are tall and durable leather, good for traveling. As a whole the outfit is comfortable and easy to move in, but offers her no protection in battle. Currently her clothes are partially covered by mud and dirt, and while Laraleia could clean them with magic, she simply hasn't had the time or reason to do so.

-Pendant:
She wears a thin pendant necklace with a small, inlaid amethyst. It's kept concealed almost at all times beneath her uniform.

-Pack:
Her small pack is unfortunately light of late, carrying only a few changes of light clothes to wear underneath her uniform, an always-full canteen, and some dwindling food rations.

The Fall of Faith: A Journey Home

@Athol ArtStation and Reddit can also be really good resources for finding cool character art!