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"If I were to choose between saving myself, and saving another, it would always be the other person. Always."

N A M E /  A L I A S

Sarynia Brael – The Soul's Bastion.

A G E  O F  L E G E N D

48,000.

M Y T H O L O G Y

Sarynia was born in a small farming village located beyond the southernmost mountains of the Heartlands. It was there she was raised amongst three older siblings. For much of her childhood, Sarynia's life was a happy one. It was not until her thirteenth year that her life would change. Nearly two weeks after her birthday, her father left to sell some goods in the market place. He never returned. Sarynia was sent to search for him just before dusk. When she finally managed to find him, night had fallen upon her. Having had no luck in the town, she headed home. In the darkness she almost missed her father laying to the side of the road. Were it not for a groan that left his lips, she would have walked right by him. The man had been beaten bloody, he needed help. But, as much as Sarynia screamed, she was too far from her home for her family to be able to hear her. 

In a fit of panic, she rose and tried her hardest to pick him up. To her surprise, it worked. She was able to carry her father's body back to their home without much effort. When she returned, her mother opened the door and pulled the two inside. For three days the family took care of their fallen member. He seemed to be getting better, but, on the third night he breathed his last. When the morning came, Sarynia's mother found her beloved without a heartbeat.

Sarynia, heartbroken by the loss, decided that she would seek out the people who harmed her father. She went into town to ask if anyone had seen something that could point her in the right direction. No one would take her seriously. No one would listen. She did not return home that night. Instead, she sought for shelter in the woods just beyond her village. 

It was there that a man clad in a dark cloak came to her. He told her a story long forgotten by history. The tale of a monster so vile that no single hero could vanquish it. It was this story that sent her on a quest to learn how to fight and vanquish beasts herself. Little did she know, the man with whom she had spoken was none other than the god, Orthus, himself. 

For a year, she traveled, venturing through countless towns and villages. She learned many things from her trek through the south. One such thing being that a temple of monks resided on the southernmost island, and that they were looking for disciples. The thought of being able to actually protect people drove her to seek out this temple. When she finally found it, she was tasked with three tests. One of speed, one of strength, and one of endurance. The tests were given over a period of three days.

The first, the test of speed, was given early in the morning, just before sunrise. Sarynia was tasked with running through the mountain trails to the edge of the island, and back again before the morning of the next day. She warily accepted the challenge, and found her stride just as the sun was peeking over the ocean's surface. She managed to make it to the edge of the island and back again just as the sun was setting on the day. The monks didn't seem too surprised by her feat, but congratulated her on her passing nonetheless.

The second test, given to her on the second day, was the test of strength. In this test, she was given the first of her artifacts Nataera and tasked with breaking a boulder four times her size. She was given the whole day to achieve her task. She completed it in less than a few hours. As a reward for passing this test, she was gifted with her second artifact Saeyn.

The third test, given to her on the third day, was the test of endurance. In this test both her will and physical durability were tested. Her task was simple: "Face the threats you are given head on. Do not falter, do not yield." The test went on nearly the entire day. Sarynia stood fast, allowing multiple monks to attack her without dropping to a knee. Beaten and bloody though she was, when the bell tolled that the test was over, she wore her wounds proudly.

When the fourth day came, her training with the monks truly began. They taught her how to hone her physical prowess, and how to use it in conjunction with her two artifacts. When she left the temple she had trained in after two years, she vowed that she would not allow harm to come to any innocent if she were aware, and able to stop it. She vowed never to let something like what happened to her father happen to anyone else if it were possible to intervene.

"When the Restless March was completed, the three Trials of Mind, Body, and Soul overcome, the time came for the Triumvirate of eld to set their sights upon the Elysian Plains and meet the destiny that the Prince of the Void laid out for them. Few records manage to recount precisely what it was that was fought, referring to it only as a great evil, but the true name of the scourge of the realm that they faced was Lazarus, the Undying.

As little literature survived Lazarus' various onslaughts, and history is written in the glory-emboldened eyes of those who did manage to drive the abomination into slumber, the truth of what Lazarus was or could do is lost, even to we Fates. Lazarus possessed unnatural durability, to the point that it simply could not be killed by normal means or normal men, and only with great sacrifices was it pushed to the brink of dormancy that it hovered upon before it set to consume all things. We believe that Lazarus corrupted and twisted the natural cycle of life to its own benefit, drawing strength from the untimely demise of those around it to extend its own time in this world. Perhaps, initially, it was no more than a nuisance but the continued reaping of helpless souls eventually rendered it beyond death until the Triumvirate arrived. Even now we do not know if this explanation is true, as none of the Triumvirate survived the encounter (with the exception of Lyr, whose mind was broken and thus was of no use)."

When the Triumvirate completed their respective Trials, they each marched upon the resting grounds of the abomination Lazarus and sought to vanquish it for all of eternity. In order to weaken the creature, Dormeria raised a veritable army of the dead whose vitality and souls had long been spent to wear Lazarus down, sacrificing much of her own life force to do so. Lyr shattered Lazarus' mind, bringing his own to the very edge of madness, and grappled with the creature long enough for Sarynia to perform the ritual to bind its soul within a mortal vessel that it might be slain. Lyr was the first to sacrifice himself, utterly breaking his own mind to temporarily render Lazarus vulnerable to the psychic and spiritual onslaught of Sarynia. While Sarynia bound the creature's essence, Dormeria prepared the ritual to bind the demon within her body and then die, killing them both in the process.

Dormeria's Trial of Body had taken its toll, and continued reliance upon Ukenagasu had left her with too little of her own inherent life force to bind Lazarus within herself for long enough to kill it. With no alternative, Dormeria bound the Undying within Sarynia's body and shortly thereafter breathed her last breath, crumbling to ash as she did so. Though strong of body and soul, Sarynia's mind could only contend with Lazarus for as long as Lyr's power weakened it, and Sarynia forfeited her soul to destroy Lazarus' - with no soul, Sarynia and Lazarus both expired within moments.

As only the three witnessed the battle, the stories that are told are all the world has to go by, with different cultures each celebrating a particular member of the Triumvirate and lording them above all others - some venerate Sarynia as an all-benevolent martyr betrated by Dormeria, some laud Lyr as the hero who outsmarted an undying demon, and some idolise Dormeria as the very essence of power and sacrifice. The only thing these various legends have in common is that they speak of the total eradication of Lazarus - and naught has been heard of the demon since then.

A P P E A R A N C E

Sarynia's likeness is often depicted as a golden-skinned forest woman. More often than not, she is present in the background of a forest with a myriad of beasts surrounding her. Shown to be tall, and holding what looks to be a rather oddly shaped scythe, her eyes the color of gold, and hair dark as night that flows all the way down to her feet.

In reality, however, Sarynia is a small, five foot four woman with softly sun-kissed skin. Her frame is lean if slightly toned, leaving her typically displayed angular features to truly be rounded off quite nicely. Her eyes are that of a honey-colored brown. Her hair, night colored though it may be, trails in waves along to the small of her back, while its bangs frame her face in gentle shadows.

A B I L I T I E S & E Q U I P M E N T

V A E N Y R -- L Y S A E A,  G A T E W A Y S  T O  M E R I D I A N
A pair of rings, one crafted of the Heaven's shadow and the other of its light, Vaenyr and Lysaea were gifts from the God Orthus granted to Lyrsaeyn and Sarynia before their fateful battle against Lazarus, the Undying. While the rings appear to be polar opposites, the two are in truth twins in disguise. Possessing identical abilities, Vaenyr and Lysaea are capable of transmitting the boons of one upon another, thus transmitting certain protective properties between the wearers.

While the rings can be worn and utilized by anyone, they become innate when worn by those who were never meant to don their forms. When worn by the two they were created to unify their effects are as follow.

Lysaea, the ring which was worn by Lyrsaeyn, grants its wearer Sarynia's protection, thus shielding the mage greatly from psychic influences, which would otherwise pull on the soul and affect the mind. This primarily works upon negative or harmful influences meaning that Raelia, one of Lyrsaeyn's other Artifacts, would be unaffected by his wearing Lysaea. In fact, the two empower one another for reasons that only the two heroes know. The result is that Lyrsaeyn's ability to resist the influence of spirits bound to his person is heightened.

On the otherhand, Vaenyr, Sarynia's ring, grants its wearer heightened spiritual awareness, thus amplifying one's natural perception as well as allowing them to view emotions and impressions much as Lyrsaeyn does.

Last among the abilities of the two rings is their ability to allow their wearers an awareness of eachother's mental and emotional state. While this does not make them capable of reading one another's minds, it does make it easier for them to work together and for either to know whether their counterpart is alive and well. However, this awareness is not acute, meaning that it is more a vague impression if anything and with distance it becomes more vague. Thus, the closer Vaenyr is to Lysaea the more clear the awareness becomes.

While the rings become largely innate when worn by another, they do emit two frequencies that remain at the very edge of human hearing and extend outwards, channeling themselves through the spiritual energies throughout the realm. This allows them to be located by individuals with heightened hearing or magical awareness however, it also reveals just how the rings function as well. In essence, Vaenyr-Lysaea remain connected to one another by way of being part of the same whole, but power themselves via an exchange of energy between wearers. However, this exchange is minimal in nature meaning that the protective properties transmitted between individuals are weakened in some manner due to their being fueled by less energy. Still, these protections are weakened not by distance as they are transmitted directly between rings, rather than crossing the space that separates them.

S A E Y N, T H E  S O U L  S L A Y E R
A weapon of intricate and truly unique build, Saeyn took the form of a twin bladed scythe, each blade a mighty crescent faced opposite its twin upon the shaft. Perhaps its most infamous property was the shaft's ability to split into thirds, each connected by chains wrought of a mysterious white metal--perhaps formed from the Heaven's themselves. Touted for its durability and wide range of unorthodox uses, Sarynia's Artifact has not once been wielded by one as worthy as the heroine herself and it is unlikely that this should change any time soon. While certainly an intricate tool its only known magical properties were those of immortality and surely its durability as its blades never rust and its shaft never splinters. Perhaps due this same blessing from Sarynia's patron god, Orthus, Saeyn is capable, in the right hands, of cleaving both body and spirit alike--though the latter is more legend than truth for in truth its blades are meant only to weaken these ties, rather than cut them outright.

The weapon's ability to fold or split into thirds is accessed via counter-clockwise and clockwise turns at the shaft's center, bringing to mind the idea of a turning point in one's destiny. Regardless, for those unlucky enough to face Saeyn when held by its mistress, their fate is surely sealed.

**It should be noted that this description of Saeyn is written in a mythological manner, and not the reality of the weapon. Saeyn does not grant immortality, it does, however, weaken the ties between body and soul, and even that is not to to a great extent.

N A T A E R A, T H E  I R O N  T W I N S
Artifacts of deceptively simple make, the Iron Twins are in truth quite the devastating pair of iron knuckles. While plain in appearance, their effectiveness is not to be underestimated as in the hands of the strong they can shatter stone and pierce flesh as well as any hammer or spear--if not far better. This ability is attributed to the blessing upon the twins, which ties the weapons into the being of their wielder, drawing from the strength of their body and soul both so as to maximize and focus all the strength of their being. With greater focus and understanding of their abilities comes greater destructive power. Still, the knuckles serve is an exceptional defense if one seeks to block with them, as their form is as durable as the energies of the soul and the fibers of the body to which they are connected.

This makes them, despite their humble appearance, truly worthy of their status as legendary items. After all, appearances can be quite deceiving.
P H Y S I Q U E  O F  T H E  G U A R D I A N
Blessed with the strength to protect others and defeat those who would harm the innocent, Sarynia was born with an exceptional body. While upon first glance her form might appear only slightly toned, one learns quickly of her tremendous strength, speed, durability, and endurance when faced against her on any field of battle. This is due to her aspects of body and soul, which impart her with the ability to infuse her body with the strength of her indomitable spirit, granting her speed enough to strike swiftly and run just as fast; strength enough to splinter wood, dent metal, or crack stone; resistance so great as to be struck many times, yet fight on; and of course stamina to fuel such feats. Still, this ability is not without its weaknesses, the greatest of which is the fact that she cannot be all of these things at once, forcing her to decide which abilities would suite her best in each passing moment of conflict. Choosing wrong in such circumstances is hardly an option, but fate is a cruel mistress and so it is that no one is perfect and wrong moves can be made.

S O U L  B A S T I O N
An ability afforded Sarynia by her indomitable will to protect the lives and freedoms of others, Soul Bastion is both the source of Sarynia's title and the only known magic she possessed. A potent ability, Soul Bastion allows Sarynia, via physical contact with another, to compel and empower their soul with a fierce will to defend itself from harm--bodily or otherwise. While its effects can be resisted or banished by some, the ability is a boon rather than a hindrance to all, but a select few rare individuals. Aside from those few, the ability's function would cease after the passage of thirty minutes or less.

Sarynia was known to use this ability both to protect others and herself, as the ability is one which she can manifest from her own soul, creating a powerful barrier of varied size in which all whom she sees as allies cannot be harmed for as long as the barrier is maintained. Still when used from her own soul to protect herself from harm it becomes a taxing thing indeed, draining her normally exceptional stamina faster than her physical abilities might. As such, she must use it wisely, lest it tire her before conflict's end leaving her bereft of defense aside from that of her prowess in the more martial of skills.

Still, even with this sort of failing, Soul Bastion is an ability which truly embodied what Sarynia was in her time:
A staunch and selfless defender of the innocent. So it is that she has been remembered as such, her name echoing through the halls of history. May its sound never fade.

T H E M E :  A D R I A N  V O N  ZIEGLER  --  L E G E N D
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