The Yulian Codes

Only a man may lift a sword, even in defence.

Only a woman may learn to fight using magic.

Neither shall disguise as the other.

No man may take another man as a lover, nor any woman take another woman.

No man nor woman may hold any worship for the gods. Clerics are committing cries against the people by encouraging them to have faith in nebulous forces and not in themselves.

Obey the Inquisition at all costs.

A storm-beaten land rich in minerals and ores for mining, Pradus has long been known for both its hardy folk, and its greatly superiour crafts. The mines brought out ores to the forges who brought the strange metals of the earth to the master smiths. Some of the most legendary weapons were put together by Pradian smiths... and most have learned to use weapons, able to make deadly tools even from crude items of toil.

No shock then that Yulian hold on the small kingdom was often upset by popular uprisings, with miners facing more and more dangerous conditions with the demands for more weaaponry and armour for the mages to enchant. The Inquistion came down fast and hard upon the workers each time however, making an example of leaders that was, to say the least... frightening.

Sat within a large basin of low hills is Miriand, once the centre for the Great Church, and the clerics and paladins from within it. The kingdom was once a theocracy, dedicated to everything in the glory of the gods. In many ways t could make the folks within it haughty and intolerant, but it also meant they focused on acts of charity ad benevolence. Miriand produced some of the most talented doctors and medic, many of its clerics training as such in order to ease the suffering of the sick and injured.

The invasion put pay to that however. While Yulia desired the medical knowledge of Miriand, they despised the clerics, and such people were subject to brutal punishment for 'leading the people astray'.

In the forested river valleys along the edges of the wall stands Aressa, a people that if they lacked the hardiness of Pradians or the talents of Mirians, made up for it in bravery and unwillingness to bow. Raised on codes of chivalry and honour, the armies of the nation had no qualms in defending their land to the bitter end. The Aressans and their wolf knights, elite lines that dressed in helms resembling wolf heads, held of the Yulian advance for two years.

It was not until the Inquisition was able to steal into the Aressan capital, steal the only heir, and plunge a dagger into the back of the monarch, that the lines of defence began to breakdown. Rudderless, without a figurehead, the morale was broken, and it was only a matter of time until the nation fell, removing the last barrier between the Yulians and the wall.

The heir to the throne was spirited away to the Yulian capital, never to be seen again, and the wolf knights made an example of to those that might get ideas about showing insolence to their betters.

Full Name: Adella Darr, Magus Second Class of the Yulian Order of Crows

Nicknames/Aliases: Adella of Crows, The Runt, The Peasant

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Occupation/Class: War Mage, Order of the Crows

Kingdom of Origin: Yulia

Description: Adella stands at a quite unimpressive height, maybe only 5'0 tall, and possessing a skinny, angular build that seems less than intimidating. She lacks the taller,more stately frame common with most of the mages in the Yulian armed forces, and as such her uniform sits a little large on her. Not by much, but enough that she's somewhat self-conscious about it.

Her features are similarly unimpressive. She has very dark brown hair and eyes, pallid skin, and short facial features that might lead her to being utterly overlooked, if it were not for the uniform she's donned and the power that she represents.

Equipment: Standard Yulian mage garb for combat, to match her class level. Much of Adella's form is covered by a hooded robe-like coat that reaches down to her mid-calf, the sleeves just passing her elbow. A third class mage would have a plain blue coat with only the symbol of their order, second class gain the yulian wings mantle in recognition of their rank. A first class magus will be awarded with a cape to replace the mantle, however not for want of trying Adella has never been able to reach this rank.

The coat is in Yulian colours, a dark blue with the appliqued silver wings of the Yulian griffin retainer wrapped around the back of the shoulders, and the black shape of a rising crow, the symbol of her order, spread across the chest. A dark purple sash is tied round her waist with pockets sewn in to carry a few vital items.

On her feet she wears some doeskin boots that reach her knees, and her arms below the elbow are adorned with leather gauntlets with metal bands, serving at least to ensure that someone might struggle to cut her hands apart whilst she's casting.

The robe coat conceals a jerkin made from studded leather, to add some degree of defence from weapon strikes, though armour is far from a mage's strongpoint.

In line with the Yulian Code, Adella has no blade, or indeed any conventional pieces of weaponry.

Personality: Ambitious, in one word. Adella is very much a product of her home nation, and regards magic as the be-all and end-all of power and prestige. She also possesses something of an inferiority complex from her common blood. This, along with not-unimpressive level of intelligence, are a pretty worrying combination.

Adella acts out of desire to increase her own knowledge and power of the magical arts, and perhaps make herself the saviour that restores life to the world. More immediately however she seeks to ascend her own abilities.

Adella comes across as a rather arrogant. She regards her magical ability as something that sets her above most around her, and her Yulian heritage as giving her some moral superiority. She also doesn't have any hesitancy in expressing it. It gives her a propensity for rubbing people the wrong way.

Skills:

-Magic - Adella is distinguished most notably by her power of sorcery. She has an inherent gift to be able to generate magical energy within her body and translate it into sorceries, and has been trained to use it in combat. Her spells are primarily geared towards combat, and either work to attack directly, or work to enhance the destructive ability of others.

- Experience of Scarcity - Whilst she might carry herself like a princess, Adella has known a lot of hardship in her early years. As such, things like lack of food, poor weather, injury and such doesn't elicit any complaints from her. It seems beneath her small frame sits a core of iron. A will not easily broken.

-Magesight - Trained in the usage of magical energies, Adella has been able to hone a skill colloquially known as Magesight, the ability to perceive centres of strong magical energy. She is able to detect the centres of power using this, however sudden burst of strong power nearby (such a a spell being cast closeby) while this is use s overwhelming and painful and even risks blinding the user, as such Adella uses it sparingly.

Weaknesses:

- No sword. Adella is not only without weapons or education on their technique, but is forbidden by the Code to even lift a blade. As such Adella will not so much as consider the use of a sword.

-Small stature, no defence. Adella's stature and her lack of weapon training leave her very open to hits from melee, to the point that even a well-placed hit to the jaw can send her sprawling. If an enemy can land a serious hit on Adella, chances more than not is that the'yll only need to do it once.

-Magic usage penalties. Magic is a very intensive process. Mages are able to build up energies within their body that they are able to channel into a kind of destructive or creative force, but chanelling it can be very tough on their bodies. Over use will result in some unpleasant consequences.

Fatal Flaw:
Ambition. Adella's own apparently haughtiness masks a deep-seated feeling of personal insecurity, and she wants more than anything to make herself exceptional.