Member
Patroxclus
Name: Laraleia Kealana
Gender: Female
Age: 26
Origins: Laraleia came of age in a coastal town in the east called Anqua, a place with warm, tropical, and often idyllic weather, but a sparsity of natural resources, one that prevented the town from ever growing too large. Anqua is among the smaller Saldonian nations, one that has been fortunate enough to remain mostly untouched by the war, though their people have long since traveled away from home to help where they are needed in the conflict. This has always been Laraleia's fate, one that she has embraced.
The people of Anqua specialize in seafaring, travel, and trade, and the town's most notable industry is in textiles and dye, particularly a lavender-purple color that is difficult to find anywhere else on the continent. They are not a traditionally warlike people, though the years of conflict around them have made it prudent to train the youth for the future, and indeed many join up with the Saldonian military to help defend the continent from the invaders.
Mages from the coast typically specialize in various forms of water-based magic, useful in sea professions and in all aspects of life, but many mages of Anqua choose to leave the town behind and seek out more populous areas, where teachers of the craft are easier to find, and their skills can be put to greater use. In all, Anqua is a quiet and peaceful place, not well suited to those with adventurous hearts.
Magic: Water and Ice Magic
Laraleia has some talent with water magic, but she's still a fledgling mage and has never really had a proper teacher to help her hone her abilities. That said, she has learned a number of useful techniques. Her water has minor curative and cleansing properties, and is excellent for cleaning wounds and accelerating the mending process. She can't heal herself or others instantly, but she can protect against infection, and with her knowledge of traditional healing means, she can effectively treat injuries. She can conjure limited amounts of clean drinking water, or purify natural sources of water that she finds to make them safe for consumption.
One side benefit of her magical abilities is that Laraleia is resistant to temperatures extremes both hot and cold, comfortable in most environments without the need to find specialized clothing.
In combat she can freeze her own water spells for more effective self-defense. Her most basic spell is an inaccurate, close-range spray of frost that will slow enemies, or even freeze them in place if she expends a great amount of energy. She can create a lance of ice similar to a spear which she can hurl at enemies, though this ability is inefficient on its own. While effective against soft targets, the lance takes a significant toll on Laraleia's stamina, and will break against heavily armored targets. It's much more effective in tandem with other magic however, and can easily pierce or shatter armor that is heated or weakened by another mage.
Overall Laraleia is still a novice mage that needs more training and experience to be effective in battle, and her reserves of magic are as of yet too small to be able to sustain casting through a prolonged fight. She needs to choose her opportunities carefully and make the most of them if she hopes to survive in combat. Until then she's best used in support of others.
Appearance: Laraleia stands at 5'6", with a svelte figure and long, vibrant red hair falling in waves to the middle of her back. Her eyes are a bright, clear blue, her skin pale and altogether unblemished saved for the violet marks upon her forehead and brow, the symbols of Kealana family of Anqua. Though her family is not particularly well known beyond her hometown, the marks identify her as highborn, and she carries herself as such, with pride and grace and excellent posture.
Her short, pointed ears identify her for her race, and at twenty-six her face still has an extremely youthful appearance to it. While she is in good physical condition for travel and the like, Laraleia lacks the strength and toughness of a warrior's build. It's something she was working to achieve before the defeat at Knife's Edge, but she's still far from it.
Personality: Laraleia's a genuine spirit, energetic and fierce, with a perpetually optimistic nature. That doesn't mean she's bubbly or eternally happy-go-lucky, but rather that she refuses to ever stop moving forward. She has as many doubts and fears and misgivings as anyone, but she doesn't allow them to slow her down or stop her from doing what she feels is right, both for herself and for others. Laraleia's courage has the potential to get her into trouble, especially in the war torn lands she finds herself in, but as of yet it hasn't killed her.
Around others she tries to be kind, generous, and empathetic, something that has won her friends and allies over the course of her young life so far. She also tends to be overly trusting and take people at their word, a side effect of her optimism and wanting to see the best in people. Laraleia's averse to conflict and prefers to work things out verbally, acting as a peacemaker whenever she can. She's particular about her appearance, but knows when to prioritize more important things, and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty, or the rest of her for that matter.
She does have a slight rebellious streak, and will be willing to bend or break rules or orders if she feels it will be beneficial to someone in need that she cares about. The horrors of the defeat at the fortress hit her as hard as anyone, but she hasn't let it change her in the days that followed. Laraleia keeps her head held high, determined to do what she can to make it right.
(In response to rule 4, Laraleia keeps a pretty level head, and doesn't make a habit of responding to taunts or threats. It's difficult to get under her skin.)
History: The ninth of ten children born to the ruling Kealana family of the coastal town of Anqua, Laraleia is technically royalty, but her position in the line of succession and what she currently stands to inherit is so minor it renders her standing not much better than the average noble. Still, that's a lot better off than most grow up with, a fact Laraleia has always been keenly aware of. Her seven brothers and two sisters were quite spread out in ages, and Laraleia doesn't know some of the older few all that well, considering they'd already moved on from the town while she was still a child. She preferred to spend her days out and about in Anqua, anyway.
Her magic became apparent at a young age, a watery gift, but Anqua lacked any real master to teach her. She learned what she could where she could and was a diligent student, becoming proficient but never prodigious at her new craft. Anqua was far from the fighting engulfing many Saldonian nations, and it was a peaceful town altogether. It was only a matter of time before Laraleia began to yearn for more.
With no real responsibilities and a desire for adventure, it was inevitable that Laraleia ending up joining her people's modest armed forces, and after completing a basic training regimen, she left Anqua behind for the wider world as second in command of a small squad, due to join up with larger forces elsewhere. Her position was largely gained due to her high birth, but Laraleia quickly earned the respect of her comrades through hard work. Her goals were twofold: to help her people fight back the invading Empire however she could, and to find a master capable of helping her reach her full magical potential. So far, she has achieved neither.
Laraleia found herself posted at the Knife's Edge fortress for only a limited period of time before it fell. While there, she spent most of her time on duty in medical tents, trying to save the lives of wounded soldiers with her magic. It proved to be an eye-opening experience for the young woman, who had never really understood what the war was like until she experienced it first hand.
She nearly lost her life a few times during the fortress's fall, but all of her fellow soldiers from Anqua were not so lucky. In the chaos, Laraleia found herself caught up in the escape with a new commander and several other survivors. Shaken but not broken by her terrifying new reality, Laraleia's determined to fight on, and make the sacrifices of her friends mean something in the end.
Equipment:
-Sword:
Laraleia wears a slender, elegant, curved sword at her left hip, a gift from her mother, the blade as of yet unnamed. She has basic training and some skill in its use, fighting with one or both hands upon the hilt, in combination with her magic or without it. She can fight with some grace and effectiveness in single combat against a common enemy, but her experience in real battle is extremely limited. Lara is not a strong melee fighter as of yet, and would be heavily outmatched if left alone against multiple enemies, or a single elite. Her best hope would be to use the sword defensively, and try to survive long enough for help to arrive.
-Dagger:
A standard-issue sidearm knife sits in a small leather sheath strapped to Laraleia's right thigh. The blade is straight, double-edged, and sturdy, but it's something she'll only turn to in truly desperate situations, when all other options have been exhausted.
-Attire:
Laraleia's clothes consist of the royal military attire of the Kealana family, a variation of the standard uniform of Anqua. Her jacket and leggings are well-fitted, white trimmed in a pale green, with a flowing, velvety half cape of a soft lavender color. She wears a sash of the same color tied around her waist, beneath her sword belt. Her boots are tall and durable leather, good for traveling. As a whole the outfit is comfortable and easy to move in, but offers her no protection in battle. Currently her clothes are partially covered by mud and dirt, and while Laraleia could clean them with magic, she simply hasn't had the time or reason to do so.
-Pendant:
She wears a thin pendant necklace with a small, inlaid amethyst. It's kept concealed almost at all times beneath her uniform.
-Pack:
Her small pack is unfortunately light of late, carrying only a few changes of light clothes to wear underneath her uniform, an always-full canteen, and some dwindling food rations.