One more edit and then I'm posting. Feeling...alright about the post right now lol.
EDIT: Posted.
EDIT: Posted.
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8 yrs ago
No more bailing out. Let's do this!
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9 yrs ago
I miss writing. Alot. Journaling is all well and good, but there's something about creative writing. I get excited about it! So, here's to a year of doing what excites me. It's time for a change.
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Most Recent Posts
@Terminal Yeah, pretty much lol. Hmmm...your process sounds very meticulous, though I feel like that's not a bad thing. Interesting.
@Terminal Good point. Hmmm...I think Kuro would be one of the few humans Triala is actually afraid of. Besides the Captain and High Lord Howe. He seems like the type, and he'd definitely remind her of the high lord to a certain extent. Anyways, she'd definitely be on her best behavior whenever he was around.
EDIT: Just out of curiosity, what is everyone's process for writing a post? I tend to just write non-stop, even if it doesn't make sense, before going back and editing the crap out of it. Editing is like my drug, though. I tend to edit constantly.
EDIT: Just out of curiosity, what is everyone's process for writing a post? I tend to just write non-stop, even if it doesn't make sense, before going back and editing the crap out of it. Editing is like my drug, though. I tend to edit constantly.
Added Triala's opinion of Connor into her CS. If anyone has any ideas or thoughts about their relationship with Ala just shoot me a PM.
I'm hoping to have Triala's intro post up by Sunday. Just a head's up, I do tend to post at a fairly slower rate than most. My work schedule is just all over the place. Still, I'm looking forward to this.
@FantasyChic I agree. I think the party is largely set. Seems like a good time to talk about relationships between our characters. Maybe via PM?
Basic Information
"I'm going to count to three. If your weapons aren't on the fucking ground by the time I finish, I will set every last one of you on fire."
-Quote attributed to Triala Veclis at the Battle over Silver Lake, 1170 IC
Name: Triala Veclis [Tree-awl-uh Vek-liss], also referred to as "Tri" or "Ala"
Race: Elf
Age: 75 years old, which means she's considered to be an elf on the cusp of adulthood
Magic potency: Yes, Triala's pyromantic abilities are outlined in the 'Skills' section
Triala knows she'll never have the luxury of blending in with the crowd. Her lackluster control over her magical abilities, long ears, and blood red hair make it impossible for the she-elf to hide effectively. In fact, ancient elven legends claim those born with red hair are beloved by Angharad the Crimson King, the wrathful deity of flame, blacksmiths, and courage. They are supposedly harbingers of war, and many elves believe these blessed souls possess unusual talents. Unfortunately for Triala, this last part of the legends is true. A few weeks after her sixtieth name day, the elven girl destroyed the estate of her master, High Lord Ulster Howe, with a barely controlled eruption of pyromancy. Thanks to her emotional state at the time and limited experience with the Will, Triala also managed to set the right side of her face on fire. The teal flames ravaged the elf's visage for several seconds before she quelled them.
Now, almost fifteen years later, the right side of Triala's face is a mass of hideous scar tissue with a single, cat-like eye hiding amidst the pink flesh. While many people cannot see past this horrific injury, those with stronger stomachs might be able to catch a glimpse of how lovely the she-elf once was. While Triala was never the prettiest girl in the Realms, her heart-shaped face, amber eyes, and prominent cheekbones still radiate the otherworldly beauty found in all elves. Thankfully, Triala's red hair has finally grown long enough that she can use it to conceal her disfigurement. The elf also has a button-like nose surrounded by freckles, which are quite visible thanks to her pale skin.
Due to spending most of her life as a maidservant, Triala's 5'7" frame is soft and lacks the toughness of the average Company of the Wolf footsoldier. She has narrow, bowed shoulders that encourage slouching and moderately toned arms, a testament to many hours spent washing the floors of the Howe Estate. Triala's slender hands are delicate, almost fragile-looking, and she's missing the smallest finger on her right hand. An ample bust, prominent beer belly, and wide hips give the elven woman a buxom, if unhealthy-looking, figure. Triala isn't the most physically capable or agile member of the Company, but she doesn't mind her luscious curves. They've actually helped her on more than a few occasions. Long legs and dainty feet complete the picture of a woman who wouldn't look out of place in an alehouse or brothel.
Thankfully, she found the Company of the Wolf first.
As far as her attire is concerned, Triala's race and abilities make it prudent to dress as conservatively as possible. In truth, she would rather be ignored than draw unnecessary attention to herself. The elf normally wears long-sleeved tunics made of linen or, if she wants to impress somebody, silk dyed in shades of green or brown. Occasionally, she'll wear a frayed leather jerkin over her tunic, though this mostly serves as an additional layer of protection during battle. The elf's lower half is normally shrouded in calfskin leggings and boots dyed black. Triala is also rarely seen without her oilcloth wineskin, knapsack, and quarterstaff.
Every now and again, usually when the Captain or one of her senior officers deems it necessary, Triala will don a ridiculous blue robe of crushed velvet with the constellations stitched on it in silver thread. This garment, which was "liberated" from a terrified mummer's troupe after the First Battle for Redstone Village, also has a staggering amount of golden scrollwork along the edges. Triala refers to this as her "magicky outfit." It makes her look like a sorceress from a children's story.
Now, almost fifteen years later, the right side of Triala's face is a mass of hideous scar tissue with a single, cat-like eye hiding amidst the pink flesh. While many people cannot see past this horrific injury, those with stronger stomachs might be able to catch a glimpse of how lovely the she-elf once was. While Triala was never the prettiest girl in the Realms, her heart-shaped face, amber eyes, and prominent cheekbones still radiate the otherworldly beauty found in all elves. Thankfully, Triala's red hair has finally grown long enough that she can use it to conceal her disfigurement. The elf also has a button-like nose surrounded by freckles, which are quite visible thanks to her pale skin.
Due to spending most of her life as a maidservant, Triala's 5'7" frame is soft and lacks the toughness of the average Company of the Wolf footsoldier. She has narrow, bowed shoulders that encourage slouching and moderately toned arms, a testament to many hours spent washing the floors of the Howe Estate. Triala's slender hands are delicate, almost fragile-looking, and she's missing the smallest finger on her right hand. An ample bust, prominent beer belly, and wide hips give the elven woman a buxom, if unhealthy-looking, figure. Triala isn't the most physically capable or agile member of the Company, but she doesn't mind her luscious curves. They've actually helped her on more than a few occasions. Long legs and dainty feet complete the picture of a woman who wouldn't look out of place in an alehouse or brothel.
Thankfully, she found the Company of the Wolf first.
As far as her attire is concerned, Triala's race and abilities make it prudent to dress as conservatively as possible. In truth, she would rather be ignored than draw unnecessary attention to herself. The elf normally wears long-sleeved tunics made of linen or, if she wants to impress somebody, silk dyed in shades of green or brown. Occasionally, she'll wear a frayed leather jerkin over her tunic, though this mostly serves as an additional layer of protection during battle. The elf's lower half is normally shrouded in calfskin leggings and boots dyed black. Triala is also rarely seen without her oilcloth wineskin, knapsack, and quarterstaff.
Every now and again, usually when the Captain or one of her senior officers deems it necessary, Triala will don a ridiculous blue robe of crushed velvet with the constellations stitched on it in silver thread. This garment, which was "liberated" from a terrified mummer's troupe after the First Battle for Redstone Village, also has a staggering amount of golden scrollwork along the edges. Triala refers to this as her "magicky outfit." It makes her look like a sorceress from a children's story.
Military Background
Years Spent in Service: Triala has been with the Company of the Wolf for the last 15 years.
Equipment:
-A well-polished silver dagger with a hilt carved in the shape of a sleeping dragon, given to her by Osric Weaver
-An oilcloth wineskin that is rarely empty
-A threadbare leather knapsack containing everything from parchment scraps to a satchel full of gold coins
-A weathered quarterstaff shaped like a shepherd's crook and made of flame-resistant thornwood, given to her by Osric Weaver
-A hooded cloak of black satin lined with aurochs fur and the heraldry of the Company stitched into the back
Skills:
-Pyromancy: Triala possesses a type of pyromancy dependent on her current emotional state. For instance, if she witnesses another elf being beaten by his human master then this might elicit feelings of sorrow or rage. This is when she can access and utilize the Will. As soon as these emotions fade, however, her grip on the Will dwindles before ceasing completely. While this makes her talents notoriously unreliable, Triala’s gift allows her to accomplish incredible feats of mystical prowess despite her limited knowledge of the art. A cloak of teal-colored flame that burns everyone around her, darts of fiery agony, and conjuring pillars of blue fire are all within Triala’s purview. Apart from needing to feel a strong emotion, the only limitation to her gift is the she-elf must be able to see the flame she wants to manipulate. Triala can also create fire from nothing, but this is much harder and quickly exhausts her. After burning down the Howe Estate, the elven woman was running on pure adrenaline and fear. Otherwise, she would’ve fainted and probably died. The presence of several torches in the estate's kitchen also helped keep Triala from crossing into the realm of Sindarin, the elven goddess of death, winter, and loneliness. Finally, any flame under the red-haired mage's control turns a brilliant shade of blue and tends to be much harder to douse without magical assistance.
-One of the finest horseback riders in the Company of the Wolf
-Capable of drinking more than most Company members and knows a great deal about the Realm's various alcoholic beverages
-Understands basic combat strategies and was taught how to fight with her quarterstaff and knife by Osric Weaver
The Mind
Quiet. Obnoxious. Distant. Compassionate. Triala Veclis is an elf of contradictions, and she sees little point in trying to change. She is who she is. For example, the red-haired mage can be warm, amusing, and attentive around people she knows and cares about. Especially if those people happen to be elves or dwarves, though some humans have managed to wriggle their way into Triala's heart. Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver knows he can always confide in his apprentice, because she wouldn't dream of betraying the trust of the few Company members she considers friends. This small circle of individuals has become a family of sorts to the young elf, and she'd do almost anything for them. On the other hand, newcomers and strangers often find Triala to be uncaring, cold, and outright rude. And she certainly can be at times.
Several unfortunate events during Triala's childhood in the Howe family's mansion fostered a burning hatred and resentment towards mankind within her that persists to this day. Thankfully, as she's matured and grown older, the she-elf has started to realize the merits of letting someone's actions speak for them. After all, Triala knows she undoubtedly killed innocent people when she unleashed her pyromantic gifts and destroyed the Howe Estate. She still feels incredibly guilty about this incident and has worked diligently to master her mystical talents ever since. Triala knows there's more to her than just this single, appalling tragedy.
Nevertheless, the mage rarely goes out of her way to treat a human with anything approaching common decency. Unless she has no choice or the individual in question might prove useful.
At any rate, the past lays heavily on Triala's shoulders, and she often lapses into grim, miserable silences. She can usually bring herself out of these moods by drinking or spending coin on finery, but these remedies don't always work. The elf's amber eyes are constantly drawn to the south as if she's hoping to see her mother. Obviously, displaying this kind of behavior in a company of mercenaries would make Triala an easy target for mockery and derision. So, the elf compensates by drowning herself in alcohol, making jokes, and cursing like a sailor on shore-leave. Whenever she's given an assignment, however, all unproductive and inefficient behavior ceases immediately. Her task consumes her, and she throws herself into her work with an alarming intensity. Triala also has a tendency to become furious and upset whenever someone deviates from the orders they've been given. The she-elf is determined but decidedly inflexible. Strict adherence to her superiors' commands provides comfort in the crucible of war, but the mere thought of improvisation is enough to send Triala into a screaming fit.
In the end, much of Triala's behavior is a facade to hide countless deep-rooted insecurities. She is incredibly sensitive about her burned face, and mentioning it usually results in someone getting hurt. Triala is also an adolescent on the brink of adulthood, and she has no idea what her future holds. The Company of the Wolf gives her life meaning for the time being, and it may even grant her the resources she needs to rescue her mother from High Lord Howe. Beyond that, however, the young elven woman acts competent and crass in hopes of disguising how uncertain she is about her purpose.
Several unfortunate events during Triala's childhood in the Howe family's mansion fostered a burning hatred and resentment towards mankind within her that persists to this day. Thankfully, as she's matured and grown older, the she-elf has started to realize the merits of letting someone's actions speak for them. After all, Triala knows she undoubtedly killed innocent people when she unleashed her pyromantic gifts and destroyed the Howe Estate. She still feels incredibly guilty about this incident and has worked diligently to master her mystical talents ever since. Triala knows there's more to her than just this single, appalling tragedy.
Nevertheless, the mage rarely goes out of her way to treat a human with anything approaching common decency. Unless she has no choice or the individual in question might prove useful.
At any rate, the past lays heavily on Triala's shoulders, and she often lapses into grim, miserable silences. She can usually bring herself out of these moods by drinking or spending coin on finery, but these remedies don't always work. The elf's amber eyes are constantly drawn to the south as if she's hoping to see her mother. Obviously, displaying this kind of behavior in a company of mercenaries would make Triala an easy target for mockery and derision. So, the elf compensates by drowning herself in alcohol, making jokes, and cursing like a sailor on shore-leave. Whenever she's given an assignment, however, all unproductive and inefficient behavior ceases immediately. Her task consumes her, and she throws herself into her work with an alarming intensity. Triala also has a tendency to become furious and upset whenever someone deviates from the orders they've been given. The she-elf is determined but decidedly inflexible. Strict adherence to her superiors' commands provides comfort in the crucible of war, but the mere thought of improvisation is enough to send Triala into a screaming fit.
In the end, much of Triala's behavior is a facade to hide countless deep-rooted insecurities. She is incredibly sensitive about her burned face, and mentioning it usually results in someone getting hurt. Triala is also an adolescent on the brink of adulthood, and she has no idea what her future holds. The Company of the Wolf gives her life meaning for the time being, and it may even grant her the resources she needs to rescue her mother from High Lord Howe. Beyond that, however, the young elven woman acts competent and crass in hopes of disguising how uncertain she is about her purpose.
Triala Veclis was born in the warm spring of 1097 IC to Selune Veclis-Arathan, an elven serving woman working for the Howes of Estermont. The Kingdom of Estermont is a small southern nation, and it was enjoying an unprecedented period of prosperity at the time. And the Howe family was largely responsible for this golden age. By swearing oaths of fealty to the fledgling Vorstagian Empire in his youth, High Lord Wilcott Howe guaranteed his family and territory would be protected in the event of a major conflict. Why try to fight the Empire when the idea of a unified Continent under Vorstagian rule was so much more appealing?
Unfortunately for Triala and her mother, they were elves. This prosperous time didn't affect them much. While the high lord and his wife were unusually kind to their servants, the majority of the elves' time was spent cooking, cleaning the estate, and tending to the needs of their masters. Since both of them were household servants, Selune was permitted to teach her daughter how to read and write, though Triala never fully grasped these vital skills. Even now she often needs Osric to help her with more complicated words and documents.
Day after day passed in a pleasant, if somewhat tedious, haze for the young elf as she learned her place in the Howe Estate. How much clover honey does the high lord take in his tea? Can you fetch High Lady Catriona's red silk gown from her boudoir? When was the last time you and the other servants cleaned out the stables? These were the questions Triala's life revolved around, though she did manage to find time to enjoy herself. The Howe family's stable master, a handsome elf named Ingmir Shadras, insisted on teaching Triala how to ride a horse, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover she was a natural. No matter how often her mother scolded her for coming into the house reeking of horses, the fiery-haired child always found her way back outside for another lesson with Ingmir.
Everything in Triala's life was predictable, an endless list of chores and tasks, until the winter of 1137 IC. There were troubling whispers concerning King Lysteria's health coming from the north, and imperial emissaries were being sent throughout the southlands to affirm the loyalty of the Vorstagian Empire's vassals. The forty-year old Triala, along with several other elven attendants, were ordered to prepare and serve a sumptuous dinner to the high lord and his important guests. Unfortunately, something went wrong almost immediately. One of the younger elves emerged from the kitchen too early with the first course, which consisted of stuffed eggs and beryl prawns, and the rest of the servants were forced to do the same. Presentation was everything in the house of the High Lord of Estermont. After the youth in question was chastised back in the kitchen, an older elf named Myranda Tavellan suggested it might be wise to serve the suckling pig immediately. If they waited too long then the high lord would punish them for making his guests wait. Of course, if they didn't let the initial course settle for awhile then nobody would touch the suckling pig. The argument grew increasingly heated until, in a fit of anger, Triala somehow caused Myranda's wispy gray hair to catch fire. The flames were the color of a cloudless summer sky.
Luckily for Triala, Myranda was a mage of some skill, and she discretely used her own gifts to quell the hungry flames. Humorously, the time the elves spent bickering and trying not to scream when Myranda's hair started burning meant the imperial emissaries were practically drooling when the suckling pig came out. The dinner was a huge success, but this night would be a turning point for Triala. Myranda, after promising the shaken girl all was well, brought the young elf to her mother and took Selune into the next room. The two elves discussed what had transpired in the kitchen for several hours until they reached a decision. Starting the next evening, Myranda would begin teaching Triala about the Will. Both Selune and Myranda knew if the elven child's abilities were discovered she'd be sent to the human-dominated Mysterium Lodge in southern Estermont. The lodge had a well-deserved reputation as a haven for greedy, racist, and incompetent mages with little understanding of their abilities.
To avoid this fate, Myranda began taking Triala with her during her nightly excursions into the nearby Wrenlock Forest. Once they were safely hidden beneath the shadowy boughs, the older elf would instruct her new pupil in the ways of the Will, the otherworldly force that allowed mages to cast spells and perform miracles. Unfortunately, Myranda's talent revolved around the manipulation of plants while Triala felt more of a kinship with fire. There was only so much the withered elven woman could teach her young friend, though most of her lessons were about control as opposed to actual use of the Will. The two grew close over the years, and Myranda became something of a grandmother to Triala. Selune was immensely relieved. She'd already lost her husband, and the thought of losing her daughter was too much to bear. Still, if Myranda could hide her own mystical powers for so long then surely she could teach Triala to do the same. Everything would be fine.
In 1152 IC, everything changed as the Wars in the South ended and the Empire claimed the southern kingdoms once and for all.
Estermont didn't contribute many soldiers to the conflict, but High Lord Wilcott ensured the Vorstagian forces never wanted for essential supplies. In addition, he sent a small cadre of household guards led by his twenty-year old son, Ulster Howe, to support his imperial allies during the war. Ulster had always been a quiet, unassuming boy, but his first taste of combat twisted him in ways his father couldn't have foreseen. When he returned home, the youth had transformed into a man of violence, anger, and disrespect for anyone he considered beneath him. Regrettably, this included his father, who'd taken ill earlier that same year and was now bed-ridden. None of the healers or priests High Lady Catriona summoned could cure whatever ailed her husband. Many of them feared it was the dreaded damp lung, an illness that slowly but surely asphyxiated its victims.
After a valiant struggle, High Lord Wilcott Howe died of the damp lung in the fall of 1152 IC, and Ulster was declared the new High Lord of Estermont. His mother would act as his advisor and confidante until her death. This signaled a major shift in the way the Howe Estate was ruled. Suddenly, elves were beaten for the slightest mistakes and treated like animals by their once benevolent masters. Men they worked beside everyday were suddenly free to rape and despoil them. Filled with sorrow over her husband's death and repulsed by what her son had become, High Lady Catriona Howe-Maddox passed away during the dismal winter of 1153. Without his mother to curb his savage impulses, Ulster Howe earned the nickname "The Grim," and his reputation as a cruel, drunken monster spread throughout the kingdom.
Only his devotion to the Vorstagian Empire kept him from being usurped or replaced as High Lord of Estermont by the other nobles in the kingdom.
The situation worsened in 1154 when the high lord decided to take an evening walk through the Howe Estate's renowned rose gardens. During his stroll, Ulster spotted Myranda and Triala running off into the Wrenlock Forest to continue practicing with the Will. He sent several guards to bring the elves before him, thinking they were trying to run away, but his soldiers brought back dire news. The older elf had been showing her youthful companion some magical cantrip or spell. Horrified and enraged, the high lord sent Myranda to the Mysterium Lodge the next day and beat Triala senseless for keeping this secret from him. He demanded to know if she also possessed the gift of magic. Through tears and a broken nose, the red-haired elven girl swore she didn't, and the inebriated nobleman decided to let her remain at the estate. After all, he was having sex with her mother on an almost nightly basis. The last thing he wanted was for his favorite elven doxy to start blubbering because he'd banished her daughter.
With Myranda gone and her mother known throughout the kingdom as the "high lord's whore," Triala began to feel trapped in the Howe Estate. She marveled at how many opportunities she'd had with Myranda to simply escape into the Wrenlock Forest. Of course, she hadn't because the older elf wouldn't have been able to keep up, and the idea of leaving her mother behind was repugnant. The resentment and fear she felt towards High Lord Howe came to a head in 1157 when Ingmir, Triala's friend and tutor in the art of horseback riding, approached his master and told him the truth. Triala did, in fact, have the Will.
Furious and drunk on several bottles of Vorstagian wine, the aristocrat ordered his guards to bring Triala to the kitchen while he fetched Selune. When everyone was gathered in the larder, the High Lord of Estermont began beating Selune with a truncheon while shouting at Triala for being a "pointy-eared monster" and a "lying, thieving elven mageling!" Horrified and barely in control of herself, Triala let loose. Everything Myranda had taught her about taming the Will vanished in an instant.
The resulting explosion of pyromantic magic engulfed the kitchen and nearly killed the young elf. Only the presence of several torches in the room allowed Triala to survive this expenditure of energy. She did, however, set the right side of her face ablaze. Screaming in pain and barely cognizant, the elven girl fled through one of the side doors and raced towards the forest where she'd once practiced magic with Myranda. She only looked back once and saw the high lord, with her mother in tow, sending a dozen guards after her while the rest struggled to put out the flames. Triala quelled the blaze scalding her face and ran until her legs gave out.
Weeping in pain and terror, the elven mage decided her only chance to avoid recapture was to leave the kingdom. Perhaps she could head north? There was a village called Last Hope a few days south of the border between Estermont and the neighboring kingdom of Cygnar. It seemed like as good a destination as any.
Triala barely survived the long journey northwards, but she finally reached Last Hope after nearly two weeks of walking and living off the land as best she could. Outside of the ramshackle settlement, the she-elf saw a standard that would forever after fill her with hope: a simple black flag with a running dire wolf on it. The Company of the Wolf was looking for recruits in the area since there were rumors of a new war starting in the north. In light of her desperate circumstances, Triala knew she had nothing to lose by joining, but she kept seeing the horrified and disgusted expressions of the villagers around her. Her scarred face was too revolting. Who would be willing to tolerate an elf with no combat experience and a visage only a mother could love?
The trembling she-elf turned to walk away...only to collide with an older member of the Company, Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver. The man immediately sensed this dirty creature's connection to the Will, and he told her she wasn't going anywhere. Triala was too weak to fight back. He dragged her over to the recruiter and helped her sign her name. The gaunt spellcaster promptly declared that she would be his greatest student ever. She would be the one "The Mad Mage" would share all his secrets with. The recruiting officer simply rolled his eyes and told Osric to take his pet to the Company's encampment to await orders from the Captain. The mage complied and, with a hearty chuckle, led his new student into a life that would reshape her both literally and metaphorically. The next fifteen years were some of the best of Triala's life. Her new teacher taught her to use her gift in ways Triala hadn't thought possible, and he even bought her a quarterstaff and dagger. Occasionally, he'd try to teach her how to fight with them, though the spellcaster wasn't particularly good at it.
"You can never know too many ways to kill a man," Osric always said. Triala took him at his word. And it was a good thing she did, because war once again threatened the Continent.
The Wars in the North began in the year 1162, and the Company of the Wolf fought for whatever side was willing to pay them the most coin. Gold flowed like a lustrous, clinking river into and out of their purses as they prospered from the chaos engulfing the land. For the first time in her life, Triala knew what it was like to have money of her own to spend. And spend she did. When she wasn't buying clothes or alcohol, the elven woman bought the most expensive meals she could afford and even purchased an old Vorstagian Charger from a horse merchant after the Battle of the Celebron Fields. The scrawny, starving wretch Osric found on the streets of Last Hope blossomed and grew into a plump, money-hungry elf with a taste for the finer things in life. She eventually became Osric's new apprentice, and "The Mad Mage" couldn't have been more delighted.
This doesn't mean Triala forgot about her mother and her old master, the High Lord of Estermont. Even during the Company's time serving Lord Van of Starly, she kept one ear to the ground in hopes of hearing what was happening in Estermont. She finally learned that the Howe Estate had been completely lost to the flames, and the high lord paid a ridiculous sum of gold to have dwarven masons rebuild it. The elf was happy to hear it. Now, she could move forward with her plans. Shortly after being recruited, Triala reached the conclusion that she could save up enough coin to hire the Company of the Wolf to help her exact revenge on Ulster Howe. Maybe she could rescue her mother as well. If she was still alive.
Now that she was earning a decent wage and knew the Howe Estate had been reconstructed, this notion began to nag at the elf more and more. In 1168 IC, the seventy one year old mage decided to commit herself fully to this course of action. Triala has squirreled away nearly two hundred golden pieces thus far, though she knows she still has a long way to go. Sacking a nobleman's mansion isn't a cheap or easy task. In 1172 IC, however, Lord Van's kingdom fell to the Vorstagian Empire. It was during that final, awful battle that Triala lost her pinky finger. The Company of the Wolf was forced to surrender to the Empire.
Now, the Company has been ordered to report to the Imperial City for an audience with the emperor. In spite of her missing finger, Triala's mastery over her pyromancy has improved substantially, and she's survived five major battles alongside her fellow mercenaries. Yet the she-elf is deeply concerned about returning to the southlands. For now, she's content with keeping quiet and staying close to Osric. If worse comes to worse, Triala intends to abandon the Company at the first sign of danger. There are plenty of other mercenary companies who'd be willing to help her achieve her goals. Besides, it's hard to rescue anyone if you're dead.
Unfortunately for Triala and her mother, they were elves. This prosperous time didn't affect them much. While the high lord and his wife were unusually kind to their servants, the majority of the elves' time was spent cooking, cleaning the estate, and tending to the needs of their masters. Since both of them were household servants, Selune was permitted to teach her daughter how to read and write, though Triala never fully grasped these vital skills. Even now she often needs Osric to help her with more complicated words and documents.
Day after day passed in a pleasant, if somewhat tedious, haze for the young elf as she learned her place in the Howe Estate. How much clover honey does the high lord take in his tea? Can you fetch High Lady Catriona's red silk gown from her boudoir? When was the last time you and the other servants cleaned out the stables? These were the questions Triala's life revolved around, though she did manage to find time to enjoy herself. The Howe family's stable master, a handsome elf named Ingmir Shadras, insisted on teaching Triala how to ride a horse, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover she was a natural. No matter how often her mother scolded her for coming into the house reeking of horses, the fiery-haired child always found her way back outside for another lesson with Ingmir.
Everything in Triala's life was predictable, an endless list of chores and tasks, until the winter of 1137 IC. There were troubling whispers concerning King Lysteria's health coming from the north, and imperial emissaries were being sent throughout the southlands to affirm the loyalty of the Vorstagian Empire's vassals. The forty-year old Triala, along with several other elven attendants, were ordered to prepare and serve a sumptuous dinner to the high lord and his important guests. Unfortunately, something went wrong almost immediately. One of the younger elves emerged from the kitchen too early with the first course, which consisted of stuffed eggs and beryl prawns, and the rest of the servants were forced to do the same. Presentation was everything in the house of the High Lord of Estermont. After the youth in question was chastised back in the kitchen, an older elf named Myranda Tavellan suggested it might be wise to serve the suckling pig immediately. If they waited too long then the high lord would punish them for making his guests wait. Of course, if they didn't let the initial course settle for awhile then nobody would touch the suckling pig. The argument grew increasingly heated until, in a fit of anger, Triala somehow caused Myranda's wispy gray hair to catch fire. The flames were the color of a cloudless summer sky.
Luckily for Triala, Myranda was a mage of some skill, and she discretely used her own gifts to quell the hungry flames. Humorously, the time the elves spent bickering and trying not to scream when Myranda's hair started burning meant the imperial emissaries were practically drooling when the suckling pig came out. The dinner was a huge success, but this night would be a turning point for Triala. Myranda, after promising the shaken girl all was well, brought the young elf to her mother and took Selune into the next room. The two elves discussed what had transpired in the kitchen for several hours until they reached a decision. Starting the next evening, Myranda would begin teaching Triala about the Will. Both Selune and Myranda knew if the elven child's abilities were discovered she'd be sent to the human-dominated Mysterium Lodge in southern Estermont. The lodge had a well-deserved reputation as a haven for greedy, racist, and incompetent mages with little understanding of their abilities.
To avoid this fate, Myranda began taking Triala with her during her nightly excursions into the nearby Wrenlock Forest. Once they were safely hidden beneath the shadowy boughs, the older elf would instruct her new pupil in the ways of the Will, the otherworldly force that allowed mages to cast spells and perform miracles. Unfortunately, Myranda's talent revolved around the manipulation of plants while Triala felt more of a kinship with fire. There was only so much the withered elven woman could teach her young friend, though most of her lessons were about control as opposed to actual use of the Will. The two grew close over the years, and Myranda became something of a grandmother to Triala. Selune was immensely relieved. She'd already lost her husband, and the thought of losing her daughter was too much to bear. Still, if Myranda could hide her own mystical powers for so long then surely she could teach Triala to do the same. Everything would be fine.
In 1152 IC, everything changed as the Wars in the South ended and the Empire claimed the southern kingdoms once and for all.
Estermont didn't contribute many soldiers to the conflict, but High Lord Wilcott ensured the Vorstagian forces never wanted for essential supplies. In addition, he sent a small cadre of household guards led by his twenty-year old son, Ulster Howe, to support his imperial allies during the war. Ulster had always been a quiet, unassuming boy, but his first taste of combat twisted him in ways his father couldn't have foreseen. When he returned home, the youth had transformed into a man of violence, anger, and disrespect for anyone he considered beneath him. Regrettably, this included his father, who'd taken ill earlier that same year and was now bed-ridden. None of the healers or priests High Lady Catriona summoned could cure whatever ailed her husband. Many of them feared it was the dreaded damp lung, an illness that slowly but surely asphyxiated its victims.
After a valiant struggle, High Lord Wilcott Howe died of the damp lung in the fall of 1152 IC, and Ulster was declared the new High Lord of Estermont. His mother would act as his advisor and confidante until her death. This signaled a major shift in the way the Howe Estate was ruled. Suddenly, elves were beaten for the slightest mistakes and treated like animals by their once benevolent masters. Men they worked beside everyday were suddenly free to rape and despoil them. Filled with sorrow over her husband's death and repulsed by what her son had become, High Lady Catriona Howe-Maddox passed away during the dismal winter of 1153. Without his mother to curb his savage impulses, Ulster Howe earned the nickname "The Grim," and his reputation as a cruel, drunken monster spread throughout the kingdom.
Only his devotion to the Vorstagian Empire kept him from being usurped or replaced as High Lord of Estermont by the other nobles in the kingdom.
The situation worsened in 1154 when the high lord decided to take an evening walk through the Howe Estate's renowned rose gardens. During his stroll, Ulster spotted Myranda and Triala running off into the Wrenlock Forest to continue practicing with the Will. He sent several guards to bring the elves before him, thinking they were trying to run away, but his soldiers brought back dire news. The older elf had been showing her youthful companion some magical cantrip or spell. Horrified and enraged, the high lord sent Myranda to the Mysterium Lodge the next day and beat Triala senseless for keeping this secret from him. He demanded to know if she also possessed the gift of magic. Through tears and a broken nose, the red-haired elven girl swore she didn't, and the inebriated nobleman decided to let her remain at the estate. After all, he was having sex with her mother on an almost nightly basis. The last thing he wanted was for his favorite elven doxy to start blubbering because he'd banished her daughter.
With Myranda gone and her mother known throughout the kingdom as the "high lord's whore," Triala began to feel trapped in the Howe Estate. She marveled at how many opportunities she'd had with Myranda to simply escape into the Wrenlock Forest. Of course, she hadn't because the older elf wouldn't have been able to keep up, and the idea of leaving her mother behind was repugnant. The resentment and fear she felt towards High Lord Howe came to a head in 1157 when Ingmir, Triala's friend and tutor in the art of horseback riding, approached his master and told him the truth. Triala did, in fact, have the Will.
Furious and drunk on several bottles of Vorstagian wine, the aristocrat ordered his guards to bring Triala to the kitchen while he fetched Selune. When everyone was gathered in the larder, the High Lord of Estermont began beating Selune with a truncheon while shouting at Triala for being a "pointy-eared monster" and a "lying, thieving elven mageling!" Horrified and barely in control of herself, Triala let loose. Everything Myranda had taught her about taming the Will vanished in an instant.
The resulting explosion of pyromantic magic engulfed the kitchen and nearly killed the young elf. Only the presence of several torches in the room allowed Triala to survive this expenditure of energy. She did, however, set the right side of her face ablaze. Screaming in pain and barely cognizant, the elven girl fled through one of the side doors and raced towards the forest where she'd once practiced magic with Myranda. She only looked back once and saw the high lord, with her mother in tow, sending a dozen guards after her while the rest struggled to put out the flames. Triala quelled the blaze scalding her face and ran until her legs gave out.
Weeping in pain and terror, the elven mage decided her only chance to avoid recapture was to leave the kingdom. Perhaps she could head north? There was a village called Last Hope a few days south of the border between Estermont and the neighboring kingdom of Cygnar. It seemed like as good a destination as any.
Triala barely survived the long journey northwards, but she finally reached Last Hope after nearly two weeks of walking and living off the land as best she could. Outside of the ramshackle settlement, the she-elf saw a standard that would forever after fill her with hope: a simple black flag with a running dire wolf on it. The Company of the Wolf was looking for recruits in the area since there were rumors of a new war starting in the north. In light of her desperate circumstances, Triala knew she had nothing to lose by joining, but she kept seeing the horrified and disgusted expressions of the villagers around her. Her scarred face was too revolting. Who would be willing to tolerate an elf with no combat experience and a visage only a mother could love?
The trembling she-elf turned to walk away...only to collide with an older member of the Company, Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver. The man immediately sensed this dirty creature's connection to the Will, and he told her she wasn't going anywhere. Triala was too weak to fight back. He dragged her over to the recruiter and helped her sign her name. The gaunt spellcaster promptly declared that she would be his greatest student ever. She would be the one "The Mad Mage" would share all his secrets with. The recruiting officer simply rolled his eyes and told Osric to take his pet to the Company's encampment to await orders from the Captain. The mage complied and, with a hearty chuckle, led his new student into a life that would reshape her both literally and metaphorically. The next fifteen years were some of the best of Triala's life. Her new teacher taught her to use her gift in ways Triala hadn't thought possible, and he even bought her a quarterstaff and dagger. Occasionally, he'd try to teach her how to fight with them, though the spellcaster wasn't particularly good at it.
"You can never know too many ways to kill a man," Osric always said. Triala took him at his word. And it was a good thing she did, because war once again threatened the Continent.
The Wars in the North began in the year 1162, and the Company of the Wolf fought for whatever side was willing to pay them the most coin. Gold flowed like a lustrous, clinking river into and out of their purses as they prospered from the chaos engulfing the land. For the first time in her life, Triala knew what it was like to have money of her own to spend. And spend she did. When she wasn't buying clothes or alcohol, the elven woman bought the most expensive meals she could afford and even purchased an old Vorstagian Charger from a horse merchant after the Battle of the Celebron Fields. The scrawny, starving wretch Osric found on the streets of Last Hope blossomed and grew into a plump, money-hungry elf with a taste for the finer things in life. She eventually became Osric's new apprentice, and "The Mad Mage" couldn't have been more delighted.
This doesn't mean Triala forgot about her mother and her old master, the High Lord of Estermont. Even during the Company's time serving Lord Van of Starly, she kept one ear to the ground in hopes of hearing what was happening in Estermont. She finally learned that the Howe Estate had been completely lost to the flames, and the high lord paid a ridiculous sum of gold to have dwarven masons rebuild it. The elf was happy to hear it. Now, she could move forward with her plans. Shortly after being recruited, Triala reached the conclusion that she could save up enough coin to hire the Company of the Wolf to help her exact revenge on Ulster Howe. Maybe she could rescue her mother as well. If she was still alive.
Now that she was earning a decent wage and knew the Howe Estate had been reconstructed, this notion began to nag at the elf more and more. In 1168 IC, the seventy one year old mage decided to commit herself fully to this course of action. Triala has squirreled away nearly two hundred golden pieces thus far, though she knows she still has a long way to go. Sacking a nobleman's mansion isn't a cheap or easy task. In 1172 IC, however, Lord Van's kingdom fell to the Vorstagian Empire. It was during that final, awful battle that Triala lost her pinky finger. The Company of the Wolf was forced to surrender to the Empire.
Now, the Company has been ordered to report to the Imperial City for an audience with the emperor. In spite of her missing finger, Triala's mastery over her pyromancy has improved substantially, and she's survived five major battles alongside her fellow mercenaries. Yet the she-elf is deeply concerned about returning to the southlands. For now, she's content with keeping quiet and staying close to Osric. If worse comes to worse, Triala intends to abandon the Company at the first sign of danger. There are plenty of other mercenary companies who'd be willing to help her achieve her goals. Besides, it's hard to rescue anyone if you're dead.
Denouement
Character Motivation: Triala is concerned with her own well-being above all else. However, the she-elf also intends to save enough coin to hire the Company of the Wolf to sack the Howe Estate so she can rescue her mother and punish the high lord.
Significant Relations: -Selune "Delightful" Veclis-Arathan: Triala's mother and primary caregiver until the destruction of the Howe Estate fifteen years ago, knew her child had magical abilities but tried to conceal them, this ultimately resulted in her being beaten by High Lord Ulster Howe in front of her daughter, given the nickname "Delightful" by the high lord in reference to the many hours of pleasure she gave him in bed, refuses to talk about Triala's father, currently living in the reconstructed Howe Estate
-Myranda Tavellan: An ancient elven servant born and raised in the Howe Estate, an intuitive mage who successfully concealed her abilities for decades, she often went into the nearby Wrenlock Forest at night to practice using the Will, Selune persuaded Myranda to help Triala master her own gifts so the girl could avoid being sent away, Myranda and Triala grew close over the years, High Lord Ulster Howe discovered Myranda had been deceiving him in 1154 IC and ordered several household guards to escort her to the Mysterium Lodge, nobody has seen or heard from her since though the guards returned to the estate a few days later, currently missing and presumed deceased
-Ingmir Shadras: The attractive elven stable master for the Howes of Estermont, spent countless hours teaching Triala how to ride and care for different types of horses, he betrayed her in 1157 IC by admitting to High Lord Ulster Howe that she possessed the Will, his right ear was cut off as punishment for not confessing sooner, currently serving the high lord in the newly rebuilt Howe Estate
-High Lord Wilcott Howe: The ruler of the kingdom of Estermont and High Lady Catriona Howe-Maddox's beloved husband, his heir and sole child is Ulster Howe, High Lord Wilcott was a kind and generous nobleman who treated his servants exceptionally well, a staunch supporter of the Vorstagian Empire and the idea of a unified Continent, died from damp lung in 1152 IC and his son inherited the Howe Estate, his wife passed away almost a year after his death, deceased
-High Lord Ulster "The Grim" Howe: The only child of High Lord Howe and High Lady Howe-Maddox, assumed the title of High Lord of Estermont in 1152 IC and continued his family's support of the Empire, known as "The Grim" since he rarely smiles, a cruel and unstable drunkard who believes non-humans are little better than animals, discovered Myranda Tavellan was a mage and sent her to the local spellcasters' lodge in 1154 IC, flew into a rage when he learned Triala Veclis could also use the Will and beat the girl's mother in front of her, this caused Triala to lash out with her abilities and she razed the Howe Estate to the ground before fleeing, the high lord sent a few guards to pursue her but his focus was on rebuilding his family's home, currently living in the rebuilt Howe Estate and seeking a wife
-Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver: An ill-mannered and eccentric spellcaster serving the Company of the Wolf, a talented mage with a thorough understanding of the Will and how to wield it properly, has spent most of his thirty years with the Company teaching gifted recruits how to use their mystical talents, can manipulate the four primary elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, took Triala under his wing as his apprentice in 1162 IC and still considers her to be a "work in progress," rarely talks about his past unless he's drunk or smoking witchleaves, currently employed by the Company of the Wolf
Opinions on Others: No-Quarter Kuro-
Gideon Wryder-
Connor Vaelis-Triala despises Connor Vaelis, and she hasn't even known him for a full year. The man's immaturity, coupled with his potent mind-reading abilities, makes him more than just a pest. Triala considers him a dangerous moron. An incident involving too much alcohol and too little common sense occured between the twosome shortly after Connor joined the Company of the Wolf. The elf has never forgiven the mentalist for what happened, and she has no intention of doing so. It's not everyday she almost sets an entire encampment on fire out of sheer rage. And if there's one thing Triala hates more than humans it's humans that make her look bad. The she-elf will often make a point to demean and humiliate Connor whenever she can. She's also trying to devise a method to block his spells. Even the new recruit's friendship with her teacher, Osric Weaver, isn't enough to keep Triala from trying to solve this problem. Lately, rumors have been circulating through the Company that she has finally found a way to keep the mentalist out of her head for good.
Odran Tarlach-
Colette Viville-
Thdris Tholyr-
Kaerun Eschala-
Other: Triala's closest friend is an elderly and temperamental Vorstagian Charger called Blackheart. When he's not blatantly disobeying his rider's commands, Blackheart spends his time pooping in inappropriate places and making a general nuisance of himself. Several Company members have running bets to see who will have the honor of killing the bastard when he's no longer fit to ride. At the moment, the Captain seems to be the most likely candidate. Blackheart devoured his favorite hat not too long ago, and the Captain is known for his long memory. In spite of his flaws, the cantankerous warhorse is a loyal and intelligent beast whose unceasing courage has saved Triala numerous times.
Blackheart the Vorstagian Charger
Awesome. Thank you.
@Hexaflexagon Triala is done. I'll probably edit for wording and phrasing over the next few hours, but I think she's ready for your review. Please let me know what else needs to be changed. I'm going to tinker with the format a bit too.
"I'm going to count to three. If your weapons aren't on the fucking ground by the time I finish, I will set every last one of you on fire."
-Quote attributed to Triala Veclis at the Battle over Silver Lake, 1170 IC
Name: Triala Veclis [Tree-awl-uh Vek-liss], also referred to as "Tri" or "Ala"
Race: Elf
Age: 75 years old, which means she's considered to be an elf on the cusp of adulthood
Magic potency: Yes, Triala's pyromantic abilities are outlined in the 'Skills' section
Years Spent in Service: Triala has been with the Company of the Wolf for the last 15 years.
Equipment:
-A well-polished silver dagger with a hilt carved in the shape of a sleeping dragon
-An oilcloth wineskin that is rarely empty
-A threadbare leather knapsack containing everything from parchment scraps to a satchel full of gold coins
-A weathered quarterstaff shaped like a shepherd's crook and made of flame-resistant thornwood
-A hooded cloak of black satin lined with aurochs fur and the heraldic symbol of the Company stitched into the back
Skills:
-Pyromancy: Triala possesses a type of pyromancy dependent on her current emotional state. For instance, if she witnesses another elf being beaten by his human master then this might elicit strong feelings of sorrow or rage. This is when she can access and manipulate the Will. As soon as these emotions dwindle, however, her grip on the Will lessens before fading completely. While this makes her talents notoriously unreliable, Triala’s gift allows her to perform incredible feats of mystical prowess despite her limited knowledge of the craft. A cloak of teal-colored flame that burns everyone around her, darts of fiery agony, and even columns of blue fire are all within Triala’s purview. Apart from needing to feel a strong emotion, the only limitation to this gift is the she-elf must be able to see the flame she wants to manipulate. Triala can also create fire from nothing, but this is much harder and quickly exhausts her. After burning down the Howe Estate, the elven woman was running on pure adrenaline and terror. Otherwise, she would’ve fainted on the spot and probably died. The presence of several torches in the estate's kitchen also helped keep the elf from crossing into the realm of Sindarin, the elven goddess of death, winter, and loneliness. Finally, any flame under Triala’s control turns a brilliant shade of blue and tends to be much harder to douse without magical assistance.
-One of the finest horseback riders in the Company of the Wolf
-Capable of drinking more than most Company members and knows a great deal about the Realm's various alcoholic beverages
-Understands basic combat strategies and can fight with her quarterstaff and knife
Character Motivation: Triala is concerned with her own well-being and little else. However, the she-elf plans to save enough coin to hire the Company to sack the Howe Estate so she can rescue her mother from Lord Ulster Howe.
Significant Relations: -Selune "Delightful" Veclis-Arathan: Triala's mother and primary caregiver until the destruction of the Howe Estate fifteen years ago, knew her child had magical abilities but tried to hide them, this ultimately resulted in her being beaten senseless by High Lord Ulster Howe in front of her daughter, given the nickname "Delightful" by the high lord in reference to the many hours of pleasure she gave him in bed, refuses to talk about Triala's father, currently living in the reconstructed Howe Estate
-Myranda Tavellan: An ancient elven servant born and raised in the Howe Estate, an intuitive mage who successfully concealed her abilities for decades, she often went out into the nearby Wrenlock Forest at night to practice using the Will, Selune persuaded Myranda to help Triala master her own gifts so the girl could avoid being sent away, Myranda and Triala grew close over the years, High Lord Ulster Howe discovered Myranda had been deceiving him in 1154 IC and ordered several household guards to escort her to the Mysterium Lodge, nobody has seen or heard from her since though the guards returned to the estate a few days later, currently missing and presumed deceased
-High Lord Wilcott Howe: The ruler of the kingdom of Estermont and High Lady Catriona Maddox's beloved husband, his heir and sole child is Ulster Howe, High Lord Wilcott was a kind and generous man who treated his servants exceptionally well, a staunch supporter of the Vorstagian Empire and the idea of a unified Continent, died from damp lung in 1152 IC and his son inherited the Howe Estate, his wife passed away almost a year after his death, deceased
-High Lord Ulster "The Grim" Howe: The only child of High Lord Howe and High Lady Maddox, assumed the title of High Lord of Estermont in 1152 IC and continued his family's support of the Empire, known as"The Grim" since he rarely smiled, a cruel and spiteful drunkard who believes non-humans are little more than beasts, discovered Myranda Tavellan was a mage and sent her to the local spellcasters' lodge in 1154 IC, flew into a rage when he learned Triala Veclis could also use the Will and beat the girl's mother in front of her, this caused Triala to lash out with her abilities and she razed the Howe Estate to the ground before fleeing, the high lord sent a few guards to pursue her but his focus was on rebuilding his family's home, currently living in the rebuilt Howe Estate and seeking a wife
-Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver: A cantankerous and eccentric spellcaster serving the Company of the Wolf, a talented mage with a thorough understanding of the Will and how to wield it properly, has spent most of his thirty years with the Company teaching new members how to use their mystical talents, took Triala under his wing as his apprentice in 1162 IC and still considers her to be a "work in progress," rarely talks about his past unless he's drunk or smoking witchleaves, currently employed by the Company of the Wolf
Opinions on Others: N/A until character is accepted
Other: Triala's closest friend is an elderly and temperamental Vorstagian Charger named Blackheart. When he isn't blatantly disobeying his rider's commands, Blackheart spends most of his time pooping in inappropriate places and making a nuisance of himself. Several Company members have ongoing bets to see who will have the honor of killing the bastard when he's no longer fit to ride. At the moment, the Captain seems to be the most likely candidate. After all, Blackheart devoured his favorite hat not too long ago. And the Captain has a long memory.
Blackheart the Vorstagian Charger
Basic Information
"I'm going to count to three. If your weapons aren't on the fucking ground by the time I finish, I will set every last one of you on fire."
-Quote attributed to Triala Veclis at the Battle over Silver Lake, 1170 IC
Name: Triala Veclis [Tree-awl-uh Vek-liss], also referred to as "Tri" or "Ala"
Race: Elf
Age: 75 years old, which means she's considered to be an elf on the cusp of adulthood
Magic potency: Yes, Triala's pyromantic abilities are outlined in the 'Skills' section
Triala knows she'll never have the luxury of blending in with the crowd. Her lackluster control over her magical abilities, long ears, and blood red hair make it impossible for the she-elf to hide effectively. In fact, ancient elven legends claim those born with red hair are beloved by Angharad the Crimson King, the wrathful deity of flame, blacksmiths, and courage. They aren't hard to spot, and many elves believe these blessed souls possess unusual talents. Unfortunately for Triala, this last part of the legends is completely true. A few weeks after her sixtieth name day, the elven girl destroyed the estate of her master, High Lord Ulster Howe, with a barely controlled eruption of pyromantic fury. Due to her emotional state at the time and limited experience with the Will, Triala also managed to set the right side of her face on fire. The teal flames ravaged the elf's visage for several agonizing seconds before she quelled them.
Now, a little less than fifteen years later, the right side of Triala's face is a mass of hideous scar tissue with a single, cat-like amber eye hiding amidst the pink flesh. While many people cannot see beyond this horrific injury, those with stronger stomachs might be able to catch a glimpse of how lovely the she-elf used to be. While Triala was never the prettiest girl in the Realms, her heart-shaped face, bright eyes, and prominent cheekbones still radiate the same otherworldly beauty found in all elves. Sadly, life has a tendency to destroy beautiful things as the years march on. Luckily, Triala's red hair has grown long enough that she can use it as a curtain to conceal her wounds. The elf also has a button-like nose surrounded by freckles, which are quite visible thanks to her pale skin.
Due to spending most of her life as a household servant, Triala's 5'7" frame is soft and lacks the toughness found in the Company of the Wolf's battle-hardened veterans. She has narrow, bowed shoulders that encourage slouching and moderately toned arms, a testament to many hours spent washing the floors of the Howe Estate. Triala's slender hands are delicate, almost fragile-looking, and she's missing the littlest finger on her right hand. An ample bust, prominent beer belly, and wide hips give the elven woman a buxom, if unhealthy-looking, physique. Triala isn't the most physically capable or agile member of the Company, but she doesn't mind her curvaceous figure. It's actually helped her on more than a few occasions. Long legs and dainty feet complete the picture of a woman who wouldn't look out of place in an alehouse or brothel.
Thankfully, she found the Company of the Wolf first.
When it comes to her attire, Triala's race and mystical abilities typically force her to dress as conservatively as possible. In truth, she would much rather be ignored than draw attention to herself. The elf normally wears long-sleeved tunics made of linen or, if she wants to impress someone, silk dyed in various shades of green or brown. Occasionally, she'll wear a leather jerkin over her tunic, though this is mostly to keep herself safe amidst the chaos of battle. The elf's lower half is normally shrouded in black-dyed calfskin leggings and boots. Triala is also rarely seen without her oilcloth wineskin, knapsack, and quarterstaff. Every now and again, usually when the Captain or one of her senior officers deems it necessary, Triala will don a ridiculous blue robe of crushed velvet with the constellations stitched on it in white thread. This garment, which was "liberated" from a mummer's troupe after the Battle over Silver Lake, also has a staggering amount of golden scroll-work along the edges. Triala refers to this as her "magicky outfit." It makes her look like a sorceress from a children's story.
Now, a little less than fifteen years later, the right side of Triala's face is a mass of hideous scar tissue with a single, cat-like amber eye hiding amidst the pink flesh. While many people cannot see beyond this horrific injury, those with stronger stomachs might be able to catch a glimpse of how lovely the she-elf used to be. While Triala was never the prettiest girl in the Realms, her heart-shaped face, bright eyes, and prominent cheekbones still radiate the same otherworldly beauty found in all elves. Sadly, life has a tendency to destroy beautiful things as the years march on. Luckily, Triala's red hair has grown long enough that she can use it as a curtain to conceal her wounds. The elf also has a button-like nose surrounded by freckles, which are quite visible thanks to her pale skin.
Due to spending most of her life as a household servant, Triala's 5'7" frame is soft and lacks the toughness found in the Company of the Wolf's battle-hardened veterans. She has narrow, bowed shoulders that encourage slouching and moderately toned arms, a testament to many hours spent washing the floors of the Howe Estate. Triala's slender hands are delicate, almost fragile-looking, and she's missing the littlest finger on her right hand. An ample bust, prominent beer belly, and wide hips give the elven woman a buxom, if unhealthy-looking, physique. Triala isn't the most physically capable or agile member of the Company, but she doesn't mind her curvaceous figure. It's actually helped her on more than a few occasions. Long legs and dainty feet complete the picture of a woman who wouldn't look out of place in an alehouse or brothel.
Thankfully, she found the Company of the Wolf first.
When it comes to her attire, Triala's race and mystical abilities typically force her to dress as conservatively as possible. In truth, she would much rather be ignored than draw attention to herself. The elf normally wears long-sleeved tunics made of linen or, if she wants to impress someone, silk dyed in various shades of green or brown. Occasionally, she'll wear a leather jerkin over her tunic, though this is mostly to keep herself safe amidst the chaos of battle. The elf's lower half is normally shrouded in black-dyed calfskin leggings and boots. Triala is also rarely seen without her oilcloth wineskin, knapsack, and quarterstaff. Every now and again, usually when the Captain or one of her senior officers deems it necessary, Triala will don a ridiculous blue robe of crushed velvet with the constellations stitched on it in white thread. This garment, which was "liberated" from a mummer's troupe after the Battle over Silver Lake, also has a staggering amount of golden scroll-work along the edges. Triala refers to this as her "magicky outfit." It makes her look like a sorceress from a children's story.
Military Background
Years Spent in Service: Triala has been with the Company of the Wolf for the last 15 years.
Equipment:
-A well-polished silver dagger with a hilt carved in the shape of a sleeping dragon
-An oilcloth wineskin that is rarely empty
-A threadbare leather knapsack containing everything from parchment scraps to a satchel full of gold coins
-A weathered quarterstaff shaped like a shepherd's crook and made of flame-resistant thornwood
-A hooded cloak of black satin lined with aurochs fur and the heraldic symbol of the Company stitched into the back
Skills:
-Pyromancy: Triala possesses a type of pyromancy dependent on her current emotional state. For instance, if she witnesses another elf being beaten by his human master then this might elicit strong feelings of sorrow or rage. This is when she can access and manipulate the Will. As soon as these emotions dwindle, however, her grip on the Will lessens before fading completely. While this makes her talents notoriously unreliable, Triala’s gift allows her to perform incredible feats of mystical prowess despite her limited knowledge of the craft. A cloak of teal-colored flame that burns everyone around her, darts of fiery agony, and even columns of blue fire are all within Triala’s purview. Apart from needing to feel a strong emotion, the only limitation to this gift is the she-elf must be able to see the flame she wants to manipulate. Triala can also create fire from nothing, but this is much harder and quickly exhausts her. After burning down the Howe Estate, the elven woman was running on pure adrenaline and terror. Otherwise, she would’ve fainted on the spot and probably died. The presence of several torches in the estate's kitchen also helped keep the elf from crossing into the realm of Sindarin, the elven goddess of death, winter, and loneliness. Finally, any flame under Triala’s control turns a brilliant shade of blue and tends to be much harder to douse without magical assistance.
-One of the finest horseback riders in the Company of the Wolf
-Capable of drinking more than most Company members and knows a great deal about the Realm's various alcoholic beverages
-Understands basic combat strategies and can fight with her quarterstaff and knife
The Mind
Quiet. Obnoxious. Aloof. Compassionate. Triala Veclis is an elf of contradictions, and she sees little point in trying to change. She is who she is. For example, the red-haired mage can be warm, amusing, and attentive around people she knows and cares about. Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver knows he can always confide in his apprentice, because she wouldn't dream of betraying the trust of the few Company members she considers friends. This small circle of individuals has become a family of sorts to the young elf, and she'd do almost anything for them. On the other hand, newcomers and strangers often believe Triala to be uncaring, cold, and outright rude. And she certainly can be at times. Especially on those rare occasions when she allows her mind to wander the old, painful roads of her past.
Her childhood as a servant in the Howe family's mansion has created a burning hatred and resentment towards mankind within her that persists to this day. Thankfully, as she's matured and grown older, the she-elf has started to realize the merits of letting someone's actions speak for them. After all, Triala knows she undoubtedly killed innocent people when she unleashed her pyromantic abilities and razed the Howe Estate. She still feels incredibly guilty about this incident and has worked diligently to master her mystical talents.
Nevertheless, the mage rarely goes out of her way to treat a human with anything approaching common decency. Unless she has to or the individual in question might be useful to her.
Regardless, the past lays heavily on Triala's shoulders, and she often lapses into grim, miserable silences. She can usually bring herself out of these moods by drinking or spending coin on finery, but these remedies don't always work. The elf's amber eyes are constantly drawn to the south as if she's trying to see how her mother is faring. Obviously, displaying this kind of behavior in a company of sellswords would make Triala an easy target for mockery and derision. So, she compensates by drowning herself in alcohol, making jokes, and cursing like a sailor on shore-leave. Whenever she's given an assignment, however, all unproductive and inefficient behavior stops immediately. Her task consumes her, and she throws herself into her work with an almost worrisome intensity. Triala also has a tendency to become furious and upset whenever someone suggests deviating from the orders she's been given. The she-elf is determined but decidedly inflexible. Strict adherence to her superior officers' commands provides comfort in the crucible of war, but the mere thought of improvisation is enough to send Triala into a screaming fit.
In the end, much of Triala's behavior is a facade to hide the deep-rooted insecurities buried within her. She is incredibly sensitive about her burned face, and her mood can change from pleasant to enraged in the blink of an eye. The she-elf is also an adolescent on the brink of adulthood, and she has no idea what her future holds. The Company of the Wolf gives her life meaning, and it may even grant her the resources she needs to rescue her mother from High Lord Howe one day. Beyond that, however, the young elven woman acts competent and crass in hopes of disguising how uncertain she is about what her purpose is.
Her childhood as a servant in the Howe family's mansion has created a burning hatred and resentment towards mankind within her that persists to this day. Thankfully, as she's matured and grown older, the she-elf has started to realize the merits of letting someone's actions speak for them. After all, Triala knows she undoubtedly killed innocent people when she unleashed her pyromantic abilities and razed the Howe Estate. She still feels incredibly guilty about this incident and has worked diligently to master her mystical talents.
Nevertheless, the mage rarely goes out of her way to treat a human with anything approaching common decency. Unless she has to or the individual in question might be useful to her.
Regardless, the past lays heavily on Triala's shoulders, and she often lapses into grim, miserable silences. She can usually bring herself out of these moods by drinking or spending coin on finery, but these remedies don't always work. The elf's amber eyes are constantly drawn to the south as if she's trying to see how her mother is faring. Obviously, displaying this kind of behavior in a company of sellswords would make Triala an easy target for mockery and derision. So, she compensates by drowning herself in alcohol, making jokes, and cursing like a sailor on shore-leave. Whenever she's given an assignment, however, all unproductive and inefficient behavior stops immediately. Her task consumes her, and she throws herself into her work with an almost worrisome intensity. Triala also has a tendency to become furious and upset whenever someone suggests deviating from the orders she's been given. The she-elf is determined but decidedly inflexible. Strict adherence to her superior officers' commands provides comfort in the crucible of war, but the mere thought of improvisation is enough to send Triala into a screaming fit.
In the end, much of Triala's behavior is a facade to hide the deep-rooted insecurities buried within her. She is incredibly sensitive about her burned face, and her mood can change from pleasant to enraged in the blink of an eye. The she-elf is also an adolescent on the brink of adulthood, and she has no idea what her future holds. The Company of the Wolf gives her life meaning, and it may even grant her the resources she needs to rescue her mother from High Lord Howe one day. Beyond that, however, the young elven woman acts competent and crass in hopes of disguising how uncertain she is about what her purpose is.
Triala Veclis was born in the spring of 1097 IC to Selune Veclis-Arathan, an elven serving woman working for the Howes of Estermont. The Kingdom of Estermont, also known as the "Kingdom of Plenty," was a small southern nation in the midst of an unprecedented period of prosperity. And the Howe family was largely responsible for this peaceful and fruitful time. By swearing oaths of fealty to the fledgling Vorstagian Empire in his youth, High Lord Wilcott Howe guaranteed his family and territory would be protected in the event of a major conflict. Why try to fight the Empire when the idea of a unified Continent under Vorstagian rule was so much more appealing?
Unfortunately for Triala and her mother, they were elves. This golden age didn't affect them overly much. While the high lord and his wife were kind to their servants, the majority of the elves' time was spent cooking, cleaning the estate, and attending to the needs of their masters. Since both of them were household servants, Selune was permitted to teach her daughter how to read and write, though Triala never fully grasped these vital skills.
Day after day passed in a pleasant, if somewhat arduous, haze for the young elf as she learned her place in the Howe Estate and the world at large. How much clover honey does the high lord like in his tea? Can you fetch High Lady Catriona's red silk robe from her boudoir? When was the last time you and the other servants mucked out the stables? These were the questions Triala's life revolved around, though she did manage to enjoy herself on occasion. The Howe family's stable master, a handsome elf named Ingmir Shadras, insisted on teaching Triala how to ride a horse, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover she was a natural. No matter how often her mother scolded her for coming into the house smelling of horses, the fiery-haired child always found her way back outside for another lesson with Ingmir.
Everything in Triala's life was simple and predictable, an endless list of chores and tasks, until the winter of 1137 IC. There were troubling whispers concerning King Lysteria's health coming from the north, and imperial emissaries were being sent throughout the southlands to affirm the loyalty of the Vorstagian Empire's vassals. The forty-year old Triala, along with several other elven attendants, were ordered to prepared and serve a sumptuous dinner to the high lord and his important guests. Something went wrong almost immediately. One of the younger elves emerged from the kitchen too early with the first course, which consisted of stuffed eggs and beryl prawns, and forced the rest of the servants to do the same. Presentation was everything in the house of the High Lord of Estermont. After the youth in question was chastened back in the kitchen, an older elf named Myranda Tavellan suggested it might be wise to serve the suckling pig now. If they waited too long then the high lord would undoubtedly punish them for making his guests wait. Of course, if they didn't let the initial course digest then nobody would eat much of the main course. The argument grew increasingly heated until, in a fit of anger, Triala somehow caused Myranda's wispy gray hair to catch on fire.
The flames were the color of a cloudless summer sky.
Luckily for Triala, Myranda was a mage of some skill, and she discretely used her own gifts to quell the hungry flames. Humorously, the time the elves spent bickering and trying not to scream when Myranda's hair started burning meant the imperial emissaries were practically drooling when the suckling pig came out. The dinner was a success, but this night would be a turning point in Triala's life. Myranda, after promising Triala all was well and she wasn't hurt, brought the younger elf to her mother and took Selune into the next room. The two elves discussed what had transpired in the kitchen for several hours until they reached a decision. Starting the next day, Myranda would begin teaching Triala about the Will. Both Selune and Myranda knew if the elven child's abilities were discovered then she'd be sent to the human-dominated Mysterium Lodge in southern Estermont. The lodge had a well-deserved reputation as a haven for greedy, racist, and incompetent mages with little understanding of their abilities. If Triala was sent there she'd die within the month.
To avoid this fate, Myranda began taking Triala with her during her nightly excursions into the nearby Wrenlock Forest. Once they were safely hidden beneath the shadowy boughs, the older elf would instruct her new pupil in the ways of the Will, the otherworldly force that allowed mages to cast spells and perform miracles. Unfortunately, Myranda's talent revolved around the manipulation of plants while Triala felt more of a kinship with fire. There was only so much the withered elven woman could teach her young friend, though most of her lessons were about control as opposed to actual use of the Will. The two grew close over the years, and Myranda became something of a surrogate grandma to Triala. Selune was immensely relieved. She'd already lost her husband, and the thought of losing her daughter was too much to bear. Still, if Myranda could hide her own mystical powers for so long then she could surely teach Triala to do the same. Everything would be fine.
In 1152 IC, everything changed as the Wars in the South ended and the Empire claimed the southlands once and for all.
Estermont didn't contribute many soldiers to the cause, but High Lord Wilcott ensured the Vorstagian forces never wanted for essential supplies. In addition, he sent a small cadre of soldiers led by his twenty-year old son, Ulster Howe, to assist his allies during the conflict. Ulster Howe had always been a quiet, unassuming boy, but his first taste of real battle twisted him in ways his father couldn't have possibly foreseen. When he returned home, the lad had transformed into a man of violence, passion, and a complete lack of respect for anyone he considered beneath him. Regrettably, this included his father, who'd taken ill earlier that same year and become bed-ridden.
After a valiant struggle, High Lord Wilcott Howe died of the damp lung in the fall of 1152 IC, and Ulster was declared the new High Lord of Estermont. His mother would act as his advisor and confidante. This signaled a major shift in the way the Howe Estate was run. Suddenly, elves were beaten for the slightest mistakes and treated like animals by their once benevolent masters. Filled with sorrow over her husband's death and perhaps recoiling at what her son had turned into, High Lady Catriona Howe-Maddox passed away during the dismal winter of 1153. Without his mother to curb his base impulses, Ulster Howe earned the nickname "The Grim" fairly quickly, and his reputation as a cruel, drunken monster of a man spread throughout the kingdom.
Only his devotion to the Vorstagian Empire kept him from being usurped or replaced as High Lord of Estermont.
Regrettably, the situation worsened in 1154 when the high lord decided to take a late night walk through the Howe Estate's renowned rose garden. During his stroll, Ulster spotted Myranda and Triala running off into the Wrenlock Forest to continue practicing with the Will. He sent several guards to bring the elves to him, thinking they were trying to run away, but his soldiers brought back dire news. The older elven woman was showing her younger companion some magical cantrip or spell. Horrified and enraged, the high lord sent Myranda to the Mysterium Lodge the next day and beat Triala senseless for keeping this secret from him. He demanded to know if she also possessed the gift of magic. Through tears and a broken nose, the red-haired elven girl swore she didn't, and the young nobleman decided to let her remain at the estate.
After all, he was having sex with her mother on an almost nightly basis. The last thing he wanted was for Selune, his favorite elven doxy, to start blubbering because he'd sent her daughter away.
With Myranda gone and her mother known throughout the estate as the "high lord's whore," Triala longed to escape from the Howe Estate. She marveled at how many opportunities she'd had with Myranda to simply vanish into the Wrenlock Forest. Of course, she hadn't because the older elf wouldn't have been able to keep up, and the idea of leaving her mother behind was repulsive to her. The resentment and fear she felt towards High Lord Howe came to a head in 1157 when Ingmir, Triala's friend and tutor in the art of horseback riding, approached his master and told him the truth. Triala did, in fact, have the Will. Furious and inebriated beyond rational thought, the aristocrat ordered his guards to bring Triala to the kitchen while he fetched Selune. When the two elves were in the room together, the High Lord of Estermont began beating Selune with a truncheon while shouting at Triala for being a "pointy-eared monster" and a "lying, thieving elven bitch!" Horrified and barely in control of her emotions, Triala let loose. Everything Myranda had taught her about control vanished in the blink of an eye.
The resulting explosion of pyromantic magic engulfed the kitchen and nearly killed the young elf. Only the presence of several torches in the room allowed Triala to survive this colossal expenditure of mystical energy. She did, however, set the right side of her face ablaze. Screaming in pain and barely cognizant, the elven girl fled through one of the side doors and raced towards the forest where she'd once practiced magic with Myranda. She only looked back once and saw the high lord, with her mother in tow, sending a dozen guards after her while the rest began trying to douse the fire. Triala quelled the flames scalding her face and ran until her legs gave out. Weeping in pain and terror, the elven girl decided her only hope of escaping her master was to try and leave the kingdom. Perhaps she could head north? There was a village called Last Hope a few days to the south of the border between the southlands and the northern kingdoms. It seemed like as good a destination as any.
Triala barely survived the long journey northwards, but she finally reached Last Hope after nearly two weeks of walking and living off the land to the best of her abilities. Outside of the ramshackle settlement, the she-elf saw a standard that would alter the course of her life: a simple black field with a running dire wolf on it. The Company of the Wolf was looking for recruits in the area since there were rumors of a new war starting in the north. In light of her desperate circumstances, Trial wondered if she should join, but she kept seeing the expressions of horror and disgust on the faces of those she'd met on the road. Her scarred face was too revolting. Who would be willing to tolerate an elf with no combat experience and a visage only a mother could love?
The trembling elf turned to walk away...only to run into an older member of the Company, Osric Weaver. The man immediately sensed this dirty creature's connection to the Will, and he told her she wasn't going anywhere. Triala was too weak to fight him. He dragged her over to the recruiter and helped her sign her name. The mage promptly declared that she would be his greatest pupil ever. She would be the one the "Mad Mage" would teach all his secrets to. The recruiting officer simply rolled his eyes and told Osric to take his pet into the encampment to await further instructions from the Captain. The mage complied and, with a hearty chuckle, led his new student into a life that would reshape her both literally and metaphorically. The next fifteen years were some of the best and worst of Triala's life thus far. Her new teacher taught her how to use her abilities in ways Myranda had never discussed, and he even bought her a quarterstaff and dagger.
"You can never know too many ways to kill a man," Osric always said. Triala took him at his word.
The Wars in the North began in the year 1162, and the Company of the Wolf fought for whatever side was willing to pay them the most coin. Gold flowed like a wondrous, clinking river through their encampment as they prospered off the chaos engulfing the Continent. For the first time in her life, Triala knew what it was like to have money of her own to spend. And spend it she did. When she wasn't buying clothes or alcohol, the elven woman bought the most expensive meals she could afford and even purchased an old Vorstagian Charger from a horse merchant after the Battle of the Celebron Fields. The scrawny, starving wretch Osric found on the streets of Last Hope blossomed and grew into a plump, money-hungry elf with a taste for the finer things in life. She even managed to become Osric's new apprentice. However, this doesn't mean Triala forgot about her mother and her old master, the High Lord of Estermont. Even during the Company's time serving Lord Van of Starly, she kept one ear to the ground in hopes of hearing something that would tell her what was happening in Estermont. Triala had long ago come to the conclusion that she might be able to save up enough coin to hire the Company to help her exact revenge on High Lord Ulster Howe. They might even be able to save her mother.
Now that she was making a decent amount of coin, this idea became more and more solid in the elf's thoughts. In 1168 IC, the seventy one year old elf decided to make this her purpose. She's squirreled away nearly two hundred golden pieces thus far, though it's a start. In 1172 IC, however, Lord Van's kingdom fell to the Vorstagian Empire and the Company of the Wolf has now been ordered to travel to the imperial capital to meet with the emperor. Although Triala's grip on her pyromancy is better than ever, and she's survived numerous battles alongside her companions, the she-elf is more than a little nervous about returning to the southlands. For now, she's content with keeping quiet and staying close to Osric. If worse comes to worse, Triala plans to abandon the Company at the first sign of danger to herself. It's hard to rescue anyone when you're dead.
Unfortunately for Triala and her mother, they were elves. This golden age didn't affect them overly much. While the high lord and his wife were kind to their servants, the majority of the elves' time was spent cooking, cleaning the estate, and attending to the needs of their masters. Since both of them were household servants, Selune was permitted to teach her daughter how to read and write, though Triala never fully grasped these vital skills.
Day after day passed in a pleasant, if somewhat arduous, haze for the young elf as she learned her place in the Howe Estate and the world at large. How much clover honey does the high lord like in his tea? Can you fetch High Lady Catriona's red silk robe from her boudoir? When was the last time you and the other servants mucked out the stables? These were the questions Triala's life revolved around, though she did manage to enjoy herself on occasion. The Howe family's stable master, a handsome elf named Ingmir Shadras, insisted on teaching Triala how to ride a horse, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover she was a natural. No matter how often her mother scolded her for coming into the house smelling of horses, the fiery-haired child always found her way back outside for another lesson with Ingmir.
Everything in Triala's life was simple and predictable, an endless list of chores and tasks, until the winter of 1137 IC. There were troubling whispers concerning King Lysteria's health coming from the north, and imperial emissaries were being sent throughout the southlands to affirm the loyalty of the Vorstagian Empire's vassals. The forty-year old Triala, along with several other elven attendants, were ordered to prepared and serve a sumptuous dinner to the high lord and his important guests. Something went wrong almost immediately. One of the younger elves emerged from the kitchen too early with the first course, which consisted of stuffed eggs and beryl prawns, and forced the rest of the servants to do the same. Presentation was everything in the house of the High Lord of Estermont. After the youth in question was chastened back in the kitchen, an older elf named Myranda Tavellan suggested it might be wise to serve the suckling pig now. If they waited too long then the high lord would undoubtedly punish them for making his guests wait. Of course, if they didn't let the initial course digest then nobody would eat much of the main course. The argument grew increasingly heated until, in a fit of anger, Triala somehow caused Myranda's wispy gray hair to catch on fire.
The flames were the color of a cloudless summer sky.
Luckily for Triala, Myranda was a mage of some skill, and she discretely used her own gifts to quell the hungry flames. Humorously, the time the elves spent bickering and trying not to scream when Myranda's hair started burning meant the imperial emissaries were practically drooling when the suckling pig came out. The dinner was a success, but this night would be a turning point in Triala's life. Myranda, after promising Triala all was well and she wasn't hurt, brought the younger elf to her mother and took Selune into the next room. The two elves discussed what had transpired in the kitchen for several hours until they reached a decision. Starting the next day, Myranda would begin teaching Triala about the Will. Both Selune and Myranda knew if the elven child's abilities were discovered then she'd be sent to the human-dominated Mysterium Lodge in southern Estermont. The lodge had a well-deserved reputation as a haven for greedy, racist, and incompetent mages with little understanding of their abilities. If Triala was sent there she'd die within the month.
To avoid this fate, Myranda began taking Triala with her during her nightly excursions into the nearby Wrenlock Forest. Once they were safely hidden beneath the shadowy boughs, the older elf would instruct her new pupil in the ways of the Will, the otherworldly force that allowed mages to cast spells and perform miracles. Unfortunately, Myranda's talent revolved around the manipulation of plants while Triala felt more of a kinship with fire. There was only so much the withered elven woman could teach her young friend, though most of her lessons were about control as opposed to actual use of the Will. The two grew close over the years, and Myranda became something of a surrogate grandma to Triala. Selune was immensely relieved. She'd already lost her husband, and the thought of losing her daughter was too much to bear. Still, if Myranda could hide her own mystical powers for so long then she could surely teach Triala to do the same. Everything would be fine.
In 1152 IC, everything changed as the Wars in the South ended and the Empire claimed the southlands once and for all.
Estermont didn't contribute many soldiers to the cause, but High Lord Wilcott ensured the Vorstagian forces never wanted for essential supplies. In addition, he sent a small cadre of soldiers led by his twenty-year old son, Ulster Howe, to assist his allies during the conflict. Ulster Howe had always been a quiet, unassuming boy, but his first taste of real battle twisted him in ways his father couldn't have possibly foreseen. When he returned home, the lad had transformed into a man of violence, passion, and a complete lack of respect for anyone he considered beneath him. Regrettably, this included his father, who'd taken ill earlier that same year and become bed-ridden.
After a valiant struggle, High Lord Wilcott Howe died of the damp lung in the fall of 1152 IC, and Ulster was declared the new High Lord of Estermont. His mother would act as his advisor and confidante. This signaled a major shift in the way the Howe Estate was run. Suddenly, elves were beaten for the slightest mistakes and treated like animals by their once benevolent masters. Filled with sorrow over her husband's death and perhaps recoiling at what her son had turned into, High Lady Catriona Howe-Maddox passed away during the dismal winter of 1153. Without his mother to curb his base impulses, Ulster Howe earned the nickname "The Grim" fairly quickly, and his reputation as a cruel, drunken monster of a man spread throughout the kingdom.
Only his devotion to the Vorstagian Empire kept him from being usurped or replaced as High Lord of Estermont.
Regrettably, the situation worsened in 1154 when the high lord decided to take a late night walk through the Howe Estate's renowned rose garden. During his stroll, Ulster spotted Myranda and Triala running off into the Wrenlock Forest to continue practicing with the Will. He sent several guards to bring the elves to him, thinking they were trying to run away, but his soldiers brought back dire news. The older elven woman was showing her younger companion some magical cantrip or spell. Horrified and enraged, the high lord sent Myranda to the Mysterium Lodge the next day and beat Triala senseless for keeping this secret from him. He demanded to know if she also possessed the gift of magic. Through tears and a broken nose, the red-haired elven girl swore she didn't, and the young nobleman decided to let her remain at the estate.
After all, he was having sex with her mother on an almost nightly basis. The last thing he wanted was for Selune, his favorite elven doxy, to start blubbering because he'd sent her daughter away.
With Myranda gone and her mother known throughout the estate as the "high lord's whore," Triala longed to escape from the Howe Estate. She marveled at how many opportunities she'd had with Myranda to simply vanish into the Wrenlock Forest. Of course, she hadn't because the older elf wouldn't have been able to keep up, and the idea of leaving her mother behind was repulsive to her. The resentment and fear she felt towards High Lord Howe came to a head in 1157 when Ingmir, Triala's friend and tutor in the art of horseback riding, approached his master and told him the truth. Triala did, in fact, have the Will. Furious and inebriated beyond rational thought, the aristocrat ordered his guards to bring Triala to the kitchen while he fetched Selune. When the two elves were in the room together, the High Lord of Estermont began beating Selune with a truncheon while shouting at Triala for being a "pointy-eared monster" and a "lying, thieving elven bitch!" Horrified and barely in control of her emotions, Triala let loose. Everything Myranda had taught her about control vanished in the blink of an eye.
The resulting explosion of pyromantic magic engulfed the kitchen and nearly killed the young elf. Only the presence of several torches in the room allowed Triala to survive this colossal expenditure of mystical energy. She did, however, set the right side of her face ablaze. Screaming in pain and barely cognizant, the elven girl fled through one of the side doors and raced towards the forest where she'd once practiced magic with Myranda. She only looked back once and saw the high lord, with her mother in tow, sending a dozen guards after her while the rest began trying to douse the fire. Triala quelled the flames scalding her face and ran until her legs gave out. Weeping in pain and terror, the elven girl decided her only hope of escaping her master was to try and leave the kingdom. Perhaps she could head north? There was a village called Last Hope a few days to the south of the border between the southlands and the northern kingdoms. It seemed like as good a destination as any.
Triala barely survived the long journey northwards, but she finally reached Last Hope after nearly two weeks of walking and living off the land to the best of her abilities. Outside of the ramshackle settlement, the she-elf saw a standard that would alter the course of her life: a simple black field with a running dire wolf on it. The Company of the Wolf was looking for recruits in the area since there were rumors of a new war starting in the north. In light of her desperate circumstances, Trial wondered if she should join, but she kept seeing the expressions of horror and disgust on the faces of those she'd met on the road. Her scarred face was too revolting. Who would be willing to tolerate an elf with no combat experience and a visage only a mother could love?
The trembling elf turned to walk away...only to run into an older member of the Company, Osric Weaver. The man immediately sensed this dirty creature's connection to the Will, and he told her she wasn't going anywhere. Triala was too weak to fight him. He dragged her over to the recruiter and helped her sign her name. The mage promptly declared that she would be his greatest pupil ever. She would be the one the "Mad Mage" would teach all his secrets to. The recruiting officer simply rolled his eyes and told Osric to take his pet into the encampment to await further instructions from the Captain. The mage complied and, with a hearty chuckle, led his new student into a life that would reshape her both literally and metaphorically. The next fifteen years were some of the best and worst of Triala's life thus far. Her new teacher taught her how to use her abilities in ways Myranda had never discussed, and he even bought her a quarterstaff and dagger.
"You can never know too many ways to kill a man," Osric always said. Triala took him at his word.
The Wars in the North began in the year 1162, and the Company of the Wolf fought for whatever side was willing to pay them the most coin. Gold flowed like a wondrous, clinking river through their encampment as they prospered off the chaos engulfing the Continent. For the first time in her life, Triala knew what it was like to have money of her own to spend. And spend it she did. When she wasn't buying clothes or alcohol, the elven woman bought the most expensive meals she could afford and even purchased an old Vorstagian Charger from a horse merchant after the Battle of the Celebron Fields. The scrawny, starving wretch Osric found on the streets of Last Hope blossomed and grew into a plump, money-hungry elf with a taste for the finer things in life. She even managed to become Osric's new apprentice. However, this doesn't mean Triala forgot about her mother and her old master, the High Lord of Estermont. Even during the Company's time serving Lord Van of Starly, she kept one ear to the ground in hopes of hearing something that would tell her what was happening in Estermont. Triala had long ago come to the conclusion that she might be able to save up enough coin to hire the Company to help her exact revenge on High Lord Ulster Howe. They might even be able to save her mother.
Now that she was making a decent amount of coin, this idea became more and more solid in the elf's thoughts. In 1168 IC, the seventy one year old elf decided to make this her purpose. She's squirreled away nearly two hundred golden pieces thus far, though it's a start. In 1172 IC, however, Lord Van's kingdom fell to the Vorstagian Empire and the Company of the Wolf has now been ordered to travel to the imperial capital to meet with the emperor. Although Triala's grip on her pyromancy is better than ever, and she's survived numerous battles alongside her companions, the she-elf is more than a little nervous about returning to the southlands. For now, she's content with keeping quiet and staying close to Osric. If worse comes to worse, Triala plans to abandon the Company at the first sign of danger to herself. It's hard to rescue anyone when you're dead.
Denouement
Character Motivation: Triala is concerned with her own well-being and little else. However, the she-elf plans to save enough coin to hire the Company to sack the Howe Estate so she can rescue her mother from Lord Ulster Howe.
Significant Relations: -Selune "Delightful" Veclis-Arathan: Triala's mother and primary caregiver until the destruction of the Howe Estate fifteen years ago, knew her child had magical abilities but tried to hide them, this ultimately resulted in her being beaten senseless by High Lord Ulster Howe in front of her daughter, given the nickname "Delightful" by the high lord in reference to the many hours of pleasure she gave him in bed, refuses to talk about Triala's father, currently living in the reconstructed Howe Estate
-Myranda Tavellan: An ancient elven servant born and raised in the Howe Estate, an intuitive mage who successfully concealed her abilities for decades, she often went out into the nearby Wrenlock Forest at night to practice using the Will, Selune persuaded Myranda to help Triala master her own gifts so the girl could avoid being sent away, Myranda and Triala grew close over the years, High Lord Ulster Howe discovered Myranda had been deceiving him in 1154 IC and ordered several household guards to escort her to the Mysterium Lodge, nobody has seen or heard from her since though the guards returned to the estate a few days later, currently missing and presumed deceased
-High Lord Wilcott Howe: The ruler of the kingdom of Estermont and High Lady Catriona Maddox's beloved husband, his heir and sole child is Ulster Howe, High Lord Wilcott was a kind and generous man who treated his servants exceptionally well, a staunch supporter of the Vorstagian Empire and the idea of a unified Continent, died from damp lung in 1152 IC and his son inherited the Howe Estate, his wife passed away almost a year after his death, deceased
-High Lord Ulster "The Grim" Howe: The only child of High Lord Howe and High Lady Maddox, assumed the title of High Lord of Estermont in 1152 IC and continued his family's support of the Empire, known as"The Grim" since he rarely smiled, a cruel and spiteful drunkard who believes non-humans are little more than beasts, discovered Myranda Tavellan was a mage and sent her to the local spellcasters' lodge in 1154 IC, flew into a rage when he learned Triala Veclis could also use the Will and beat the girl's mother in front of her, this caused Triala to lash out with her abilities and she razed the Howe Estate to the ground before fleeing, the high lord sent a few guards to pursue her but his focus was on rebuilding his family's home, currently living in the rebuilt Howe Estate and seeking a wife
-Osric "The Mad Mage" Weaver: A cantankerous and eccentric spellcaster serving the Company of the Wolf, a talented mage with a thorough understanding of the Will and how to wield it properly, has spent most of his thirty years with the Company teaching new members how to use their mystical talents, took Triala under his wing as his apprentice in 1162 IC and still considers her to be a "work in progress," rarely talks about his past unless he's drunk or smoking witchleaves, currently employed by the Company of the Wolf
Opinions on Others: N/A until character is accepted
Other: Triala's closest friend is an elderly and temperamental Vorstagian Charger named Blackheart. When he isn't blatantly disobeying his rider's commands, Blackheart spends most of his time pooping in inappropriate places and making a nuisance of himself. Several Company members have ongoing bets to see who will have the honor of killing the bastard when he's no longer fit to ride. At the moment, the Captain seems to be the most likely candidate. After all, Blackheart devoured his favorite hat not too long ago. And the Captain has a long memory.
Blackheart the Vorstagian Charger
Just need to edit my 'Psych Profile' and 'History' and Triala will be ready for review. She'll be done tomorrow for sure.
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